Set off
Yan Zhiyuan came down after Ying Yungui and the others waited for five minutes. There was no expression on his face, but Shi Youchen inexplicably felt a sense of determination.
Ying Yungui watched the man sit down, fasten his seatbelt, and look out the window with a relaxed look. He couldn't help but say, "Aren't you too good to him?" Yan Zhiyuan tilted his head and whispered, "I just don't think it's good enough."
Ying Yungui met Yan Zhiyuan three years after he officially started the mission, which was in the 165th year of the new calendar.
——Summer of the 165th year of the new calendar.
Ying Yungui was only a thirteen-year-old boy, but he was already quite familiar with the task process. He was sitting in the lounge with his legs crossed, catching up on his sleep.
The rough-hewn uncle from the same task force poked the childish Ying Shao's arm and said cautiously, "Do you know who is the leader of this task force?" He looked nervous, like an elementary school student who was afraid of being caught talking bad about others behind their backs.
Ying Yungui closed his eyelids and rolled his eyes so that the uncle couldn't see: "I don't know, I'm not interested."
The uncle, completely unconcerned with his contempt, inched a few inches closer, almost whispering, "That's Yan Zhiyuan, the man who killed our defecting partner last year. I heard he's quite fierce. I'm afraid we won't be able to get through this mission safely!"
Ying Yungui raised his eyes, a glint of light flashing across them. He knew Yan Zhiyuan. He had heard that he had finally captured his former partner who had defected from the association last year and had executed him on the spot, following orders. The discussion forums were buzzing with discussion afterwards.
Some people say that his strength and perseverance are worthy of admiration, and he is a benchmark for the new generation of psychics in the association. Others say that he is hard-hearted and ruthless, and advises others to stay away from him.
This incident was a hot topic, and it was inevitable that the original owner would hear about it, but Yan Zhiyuan never responded. Those who wanted to stay away from him were unable to do so, as he was recognized by the association's top management and was exceptionally recruited into the management team. Although he had not yet been awarded a specific position, anyone with a discerning eye could see that his future position would be high.
Yan Zhiyuan was 23 years old that year and had just broken through the level 5 bottleneck.
Ying Yungui, who was currently striving for Level 5, had a different perspective than the others. He had grown up surrounded by many high-level psychics, so even Yan Zhiyuan's breakthrough to Level 5 at such a young age was still not impressive enough in his eyes. However, the rumored coldness and indifference of this person intrigued him.
The uncle opened his mouth to say something, but saw the young master raise his eyelids and look behind him. The uncle, sensing something, turned stiffly and saw a gentle man walking towards them.
The man said: "Hello, I am Yan Zhiyuan, the leader of this task force." His tone was gentle and polite. The hand he extended had distinct joints and his nails were trimmed neatly and cleanly.
The uncle trembled as he reached out his hand and shook it. Yan Zhiyuan smiled as his palm clasped it, then loosened it and turned to Ying Yungui: "You must be Ying Yungui, right? Nice to meet you."
No matter how precocious a teenager is, there is still a wildness in his bones.
Ying Yungui glanced at the hands, then looked into Yan Zhiyuan's eyes. After a while, he reluctantly stretched out his hands and shook hands lightly, then separated them immediately. Then he stood up and left, leaving behind a sentence "Just wait, I will definitely contribute more than you in this mission."
The uncle was stuck between the two for a while, cold sweat soaking his back and sweat on his palms. He smiled sheepishly at Yan Zhiyuan: "Little... little kid, I'm just a little straightforward. Don't be offended, Captain."
Yan Zhiyuan said kindly, "How could that be? I don't take it to heart."
As a result, Ying Yungui's overly aggressive approach on that mission nearly put the entire team in danger. It was Yan Zhiyuan's timely change of instructions that saved them from disaster. After their first collaborative mission concluded, and after reporting back and leaving the base that night, Ying Yungui pouted unconvinced as he got into his car: "Tsk, a smiling tiger."
Standing at the door and watching the car go away, Yan Zhiyuan smiled and said, "Little brat."
Later, the two participated in many missions together. During their repeated collaborations, Ying Yungui gradually acknowledged that Yan Zhiyuan was the best leader who took the overall situation into consideration. Yan Zhiyuan also recognized Ying Yungui's abilities and increasingly mature mentality.
It was not until an incident two years later that Yan Zhiyuan recovered from a serious injury. Ying Yungui, who had become his friend by then, went to visit him, only to find that he was on the verge of an emotional breakdown.
Yan Zhiyuan's mood swings persisted for a long time, and even now, Ying Yungui still doesn't understand what happened. However, Yan Zhiyuan rarely participated in missions after that, instead spending his days idling in the association's management department. Meanwhile, Ying Yungui became increasingly busy completing missions and accumulating points. Aside from occasional meetings at the base and a few greetings during holidays, the two rarely interacted with each other.
Until now——
Ying Yungui looked at the back of the head, thinking that Yan Zhiyuan seemed to have come out of the abnormality at that time over the years, and could chat and laugh with others on weekdays, except that he still had a blank expression.
He naturally heard Yan Zhiyuan's whisper and scoffed, "If I remember correctly, you haven't taken the initiative to go on a mission in nearly five years, let alone applying for a mission from the association yourself."
"If this isn't good enough, then what is? If he were a girl, you would have already..." Ying Yungui was stunned when he said this. He then looked up and down at Yan Zhiyuan several times, and then glanced at Shi Youchen who was lying with his eyes closed in the back, and said half-doubtfully, "Old Yan, you wouldn't do that?"
Yan Zhiyuan finally gave up the scenery outside the window and turned to look at Ying Yungui seriously: "What? Do you look down on us, the guardians who silently dedicate ourselves?"
Ying Yungui was greatly shocked: "You... I didn't expect that someone like you with thick eyebrows and big eyes would also..."
"also?"
"I mean, I thought you were so protective of him, that you treated him like a younger brother."
Yan Zhiyuan's fingertips moved slightly: "I'm afraid he feels the same way." He spoke very softly, and Ying Yungui, who was across the aisle, almost couldn't hear it clearly.
Ying Yungui: "You two must have known each other for quite a while."
Yan Zhiyuan looked at his wrist with a gentle gaze, as if it still held the warmth of another person: "Five years, two months, and thirteen days."
Ying Yungui took a breath and said in a controlled voice: "Can you do it? If it were me, I would have..." He glanced at the person sleeping behind him and didn't finish his words.
Yan Zhiyuan teased him, "You have nothing to worry about." He stroked the patch of skin, "He doesn't understand this yet. I don't want to scare him. Besides... I'm not worthy of him."
Ying Yungui looked with a complicated expression at this handsome man who had defeated 99.1% of the psychics in the association at the age of 30, was valued by the headquarters and directly appointed as the director of the information department of the branch base in charge of first-hand data, enjoyed lifelong privileges of the base, and was chosen by major families as a candidate for a good son-in-law. He sighed slowly: "So this is what love does, making people blind and inferior?" Then he reflected on whether he was not deep enough in love.
Yan Zhiyuan couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted him: "Alright, let's get down to business. Didn't you say before that this trip was dangerous and you didn't want to bring Shi Youchen with you? Why did you let him come along?"
Ying Yungui came back to his senses: "He and I found something else, and it just so happens that it's also in Area 9. He... I will do my best to protect him, but he's not some weakling. He looks weak, but he's actually very smart. We might need to rely on him someday."
Yan Zhiyuan had an expression of "I understand": "You were saved by Shi Youchen before."
Ying Yungui recalled the moment he woke up from the chaos on the rooftop and saw the thin figure standing in front of him. He knew Shi Youchen worked out every day, but perhaps due to his physical condition, he didn't look strong.
"He saved me, and I saved him. Let's call it even."
Yan Zhiyuan nodded in understanding, and then received a new message -
"Number 6474, Mr. Yan Zhiyuan, hello! Based on the relevant information you submitted, the mission 'S-level: Clearing Intruders from the Area 3 Research Institute' is under review. Please monitor the progress! - Association Mission Management Center"
Yan Zhiyuan raised his wrist and said, "It's entered the approval process. Thanks to Lin Zhouze's recorder, the progress has been advanced a lot."
Ying Yungui hummed, "Once this mission is approved and officially released, District 3 won't be able to hide it anymore."
Yan Zhiyuan: "Of course, they shouldn't have concealed it." If he didn't insist on applying, Lin Zhouze would have had to suffer this loss in silence. He has always been brooding over this, and his impression of the District 3 branch is extremely bad.
Ying Yungui frowned: "After the mission is released, all the registered psychics in the association can be found in the mission hall, and there should be support. But I am afraid that there are more than just our own people..."
Yan Zhiyuan: "You mean those fugitives might be involved too?"
"Well, let's prepare for the worst first."
——The trio is on their way to the 9th District Branch Base, their destination is here.
When the Information Center and the Monitoring Center received the information from Area 8, they immediately checked all the laboratories and research institutes to see if there were any missing or changed contents, and then held a management meeting.
There were about ten people sitting in groups of three or four in the conference room, most of them were middle-aged men and women in their forties or above, which made the man who was daydreaming by the window in the corner look even younger.
This emergency meeting had already lasted nearly two hours. The leader on the stage raised a question, looked around, and saw no one responding, so—
"He Xian, what suggestions do you have?"
The man, who was thinking about where to eat tonight, was startled when his name was called. He immediately reacted and said with a flat mouth, "Deputy District, you know, I can't control these things. I'm just in charge of logistics."
The language in District 9 has large fluctuations in tone, and the sentences are slightly longer, and when put together, it sounds like a act of coquettishness.
The man had childish features and a slightly round nose, which made his face look more naive. His pair of bright little deer eyes were blinking as he looked at the deputy district governor on the stage.
He had an alluring and adorable appearance, and in District 9, where beauty was prized above all else, he was naturally the type of person to be sought after. Coupled with his status as a psychic, his path to where he was today had been largely smooth sailing.
His pitiful appearance instantly lightened the tense atmosphere. The deputy district commander coughed softly, averted his eyes, and said somewhat awkwardly, "We'll discuss the protective measures for the labs and research institutes later. Starting today, the base has activated an Orange Level Response. I'll be working hard on you all for the next while."
"Let's adjourn the meeting first."
He Xian hurriedly packed up his things, smiled brightly at his colleagues and leaders, and was the first to leave.
Just now he decided to go to dinner -
"Ding Dong! My silly son is calling! Ding Dong! Silly—"
He Xian turned on the bracelet and answered the call.
"Hello? What are you doing? Don't disturb my appetite." He frowned and spoke with disgust.
"Dad is at your door. Why did the password change? Come back quickly and introduce your uncle to you!"
He Xian stared at the disconnected call interface, bewildered and angry. "Fuck...what the hell is that old bastard Ying Yungui doing here at this time?"
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