Individual actions
As soon as Pei Chanbai finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the conference room. Finally, a wheat-skinned female team member couldn't help laughing and burst out laughing. Then laughter broke out all around, and the originally serious atmosphere became much warmer.
Ying Yungui's mood was also adjusted a lot by this. He said with a mixture of laughter and tears: "It seems that our deputy team leader didn't rest well enough." Then he repeated the topic of discussion.
Pei Chanbai took off his mask, revealing the lower half of his face. He stretched out his hands and patted his cheeks as if trying to sober himself up. A faint layer of red appeared on his pale face.
After hearing Ying Yungui's words, he silently took off his gray hat and gathered his half-grown white hair behind his head, revealing his entire face. Everyone could see clearly that his hair was pure white, with only his pupils and lips having a faint blood color.
Cold and fragile.
Pei Chanbai put his hair up and said, "This conservative approach plays right into their hands. I've read the information about the attack on the District 3 research institute. Judging from their behavior, I'm more inclined to believe they discovered the existence of the recorder but are disdainful or unconcerned about the information leak. Instead, they seem to have an air of 'I just want you all to know.'"
He spoke slowly, but every word was firm and resolute, with a persuasiveness different from Yan Zhiyuan's.
"Since they were able to raid the research institute at the District 3 branch base and escape unscathed, they naturally expected the Association to issue a search mission. The location of the search might not even matter to them." He looked at the crowd with his pomegranate-clear eyes. "So, being timid and conservative is useless. Only by exerting sufficient pressure can we seize the initiative."
This last sentence directly contradicted those who had previously advocated for a conservative approach, yet Pei Chenbai himself seemed unaware. "I suggest an exposed, full-area search. What do you think?"
Now several people's faces turned sour. Not only were their opinions refuted in public, but the refutator also asked them whether they accepted or agreed with the opinion. Who could greet that with a smile?
The middle-aged man who had spoken first frowned and spoke up for the conservatives: "Then why do you think a high-profile, district-wide search wouldn't alert the enemy?"
Pei Chanbai was puzzled: "I didn't say that doing this wouldn't attract the other party's attention. Whether they are alarmed or not is not the key point. The most important thing is whether we are prepared for battle, isn't it?" There was no trace of sarcasm or provocation in his tone, but it made people angry.
"You!" The middle-aged man was furious and was about to argue with Pei Chanbai. Ying Yungui said at the right moment, "Well, now that you've expressed your thoughts, listen to mine too."
He said in a deep voice, "Since we're all on the same team, all working to complete the mission, let's put aside our personal grudges. I'll take a more radical approach, which is similar to Deputy Captain Pei's idea."
"As captain, you must follow my orders. At the same time, I will take responsibility for all consequences during the mission."
"If you have any objections, please recommend yourself to the association after Deputy Captain Pei and I die."
"Everyone, make preparations. We will gather in two hours to search the entire area. Dismissed."
......
Shi Youchen was walking and unknowingly walked into a garden-style courtyard. The planting layout inside was well integrated with the outside. If he had not looked up and saw the reflective glass roof, he would not have realized that he had entered such a separate space.
Suddenly, there was a rustling sound behind a row of green plants in front of the left, and Shi Youchen stopped and paused.
A little boy came out from behind, he looked about sixteen or seventeen years old, staring blankly at Shi Youchen. He stared at him for a long time without saying anything, and Shi Youchen only then noticed that he was holding pruning shears in his hand.
"Hello, are you the...gardener here?" Shi Youchen asked.
The little boy still didn't say anything, but narrowed his eyes, smiled and nodded at Shi Youchen.
Just when Youchen was hesitating whether to go back or continue forward, a female voice sounded from not far behind him: "Who are you? You can't just come in here."
Shi Youchen was using the translator. After a long period of silence, he felt a little uncomfortable when he suddenly heard the voices next to him. He turned around and saw a young woman appearing in the direction he came from.
She was wearing a white research coat, goggles, and a neat low ponytail. She was looking at Shi Youchen coldly with her hands in her pockets.
"Sorry, I strayed in." Shi Youchen apologized, "I'm leaving now."
The woman's narrow eyes behind her goggles stared at his receding figure until he disappeared. Then she walked over to the boy and whispered, "Don't let anyone in here casually. Didn't I tell you?" The little boy shook his head in grievance to indicate that he hadn't.
"Didn't you let him in?" The woman frowned as she watched the boy nod. She then looked in the direction Shi Youchen had left, "Then he... walked in on his own?"
Shi Youchen walked in the original direction for a while. There were still many green plants around him, but when he looked up, he could no longer see the glass roof. So he knew that he had left the courtyard and the brief contact with others faded away.
The bracelet sounded a reminder - "Friend 'Brains and Temper' has initiated coordinate sharing." Shi Youchen clicked to accept, and the electronic map showed that Ying Yungui's purple coordinate point was approaching him.
On the other side, after the meeting, Ying Yungui and Yan Zhiyuan first went to the equipment department to collect the mission rations, and then applied for the mission vehicle. After completing a series of procedures, there were less than forty minutes left until the assembly time.
Yan Zhiyuan: "I'll go report my itinerary to Lin Zhouze, see you later." He thought Ying Yungui would laugh at him for what he did, but he didn't expect the other party to simply say "hmm" and end it.
After Yan Zhiyuan left, Ying Yungui immediately clicked on the only person in the separate group in the friend list, "Stubborn Beauty (To be conquered version)", chose to share coordinates and initiated an invitation.
A moment later, the two met at a bench in the West Plaza. Ying Yungui panted slightly, "Old Yan and I are about to depart for a mission, so we might not be able to stay in touch all the time, but I'll send you messages so you don't worry. While we're gone, if you need anything, just talk to He Xian. He'll definitely help you."
Shi Youchen: “Yeah.”
Ying Yungui swallowed, his throat itching slightly. "You must be careful about your own safety. It doesn't matter if we don't investigate the things we talked about before. Nothing is more important than yourself."
Shi Youchen: "...Yeah."
Ying Yungui stared at the tip of his shoe: "Wait for me to come back."
Shi Youchen: "Someone taught me that when speaking, you should look into the other person's eyes to appear more sincere." Ying Yungui was stunned and turned his head to meet those dark eyes.
Shi Youchen: “Yeah.”
Fifty minutes later, Yan Zhiyuan looked at Captain Ying, who was staring out the window with his head propped up on one hand and said, "You've been grinning like an idiot for ten minutes now. What's going on? It seems like we're going to fight the enemy, and you're going to have a romantic relationship, right?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Ying Yungui scolded, "There's no one for me there."
"..." Yan Zhiyuan was in a complicated mood, wondering whether the captain's behavior would affect the progress of the mission.
According to the previously arranged plan, the task force avoided the bustling urban areas and began their exploration from the sparsely populated suburbs, with the border areas on all sides being given special attention.
There are three people in the thirteen-member task force who can open a domain. In addition to Ying Yungui and the only level 7 mutant, there is also a person with the ability of "teleportation" with spatial attributes.
In order to make up for the time difference, Ying Yungui decided to spend more energy on one exploration point and use the abilities of the team members to set up a concrete domain, which can be maintained in an energy form for a period of time even after the domain caster leaves.
Of course, if the entire area is completed and no unknown energy appears, we have to consider applying to the association for a change in the mission content, but that is a matter for later.
Yan Zhiyuan pulled out the organized topographic maps and geological exploration data from previous years and said, "The association's monitoring systems in the central and urban areas are constantly being improved and updated every year. Unless the enemy's base is hidden deep beneath the earth's crust or above the heavens, it can be found. However, the terrain outside is complex and politically sensitive, so human intervention is necessary."
"I participated in the exploration mission a few years ago, and I am familiar with the place." The wheat-skinned female team member is called Lusa, a level 6 earth-type mutant from District 5. She pointed to the yellow mission area marked on the electronic map and said confidently.
Ying Yungui said, "After entering the mission area, Lusha will first scan the overall terrain and find the most suitable deployment point." Then he turned to the person sitting in the corner of the last row and said, "Jin, when the time comes, you will need to use your ability to lay out the main area."
The man named Jin was the team's other Level 5 esper, besides Pei Chanbai. He possessed the extremely rare "one-second delay" natural ability. He wore thick, full-frame glasses and said awkwardly, "Okay."
The group of thirteen people gradually moved away from the association and the urban area, and the road began to become wide and lonely.
After Ying Yungui left, Shi Youchen sat there for a while until thunder sounded in the sky and thick dark clouds swept in from the east. Then he stood up and ran towards the nearest building.
However, the rain came suddenly, and his slightly curly black hair was still wet with rain, staining his fresh air.
Shi Youchen was patting the water droplets on his sleeves when someone next to him called him softly, "Youchen?" It was He Xian's voice.
He looked over and saw He Xian holding a stack of folders. He stretched out half of his face with difficulty and asked, "Are you caught in the rain?"
Shi Youchen unzipped his jacket, took it off, and put it on inside out. He wiped the remaining moisture from his hands and took the half-filled folder from He Xian's arms. "It's okay. Where do you want to take it?"
He Xian let him take half, chuckled and said, "Come with me." Then he took Shi Youchen to the elevator.
He Xian pressed the up button with his elbow, and the two of them didn't wait long before an elevator came down. The moment the door opened, a group of people rushed out. He Xian stood sideways in front of Shi Youchen, and after the crowd dispersed, the two of them entered the elevator.
"11th floor, thank you." He Xian said to the person in front of the floor button in the District 10 dialect. The person turned around, and Shi Youchen realized that it was the woman who warned him in the courtyard.
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