Decode base64 returns foreign characters - vb.net

Question

Two methods, one to encode base64 and the other to UndEncode base64 - using the sample string "password" the encoded result is: OY5QsDipwgvvhHZk32fzG7vd7m4jvhPr9gyP6smEARE=
When using the above result to UnEncode, the following is the result: 猀猀眀漀爀搀�
passwordFormat = 2
Why is this returning Chinese characters instead of US?
Public Function EncodePassword(ByVal pass As String, ByVal passwordFormat As Integer, ByVal salt As String) As String
If passwordFormat = 0 Then Return pass
Dim bIn As Byte() = Encoding.Unicode.GetBytes(pass)
Dim bSalt As Byte() = Convert.FromBase64String(salt)
Dim bAll As Byte() = New Byte(bSalt.Length + bIn.Length - 1) {}
Dim bRet As Byte() = Nothing
Buffer.BlockCopy(bSalt, 0, bAll, 0, bSalt.Length)
Buffer.BlockCopy(bIn, 0, bAll, bSalt.Length, bIn.Length)
If passwordFormat = 1 Then
Dim s As HashAlgorithm = HashAlgorithm.Create(_HashAlgorithmType)
If s Is Nothing Then
Throw New ProviderException("Could not create a hash algorithm")
End If
bRet = s.ComputeHash(bAll)
Else
bRet = EncryptPassword(bAll)
End If
Return Convert.ToBase64String(bRet)
End Function
Public Function UnEncodePassword(ByVal pass As String, ByVal passwordFormat As Integer) As String
Select Case passwordFormat
Case 0
Return pass
Case 1
Throw New ProviderException("Provider can not decode hashed password")
Case Else
Dim bIn As Byte() = Convert.FromBase64String(pass)
Dim bRet As Byte() = DecryptPassword(bIn)
If bRet Is Nothing Then Return Nothing
'Return Encoding.Unicode.GetString(bRet)
Return Encoding.Unicode.GetString(bRet, SALT_SIZE_IN_BYTES, bRet.Length - SALT_SIZE_IN_BYTES)
End Select
End Function