Supernatural Affairs Department

Zhou Zhe immediately swiped to answer.

"A Zhe, I heard that Mr. Lin Ye..."

Zhang Miaoran's worried voice sounded by his ear. "Are you alright?"

"Don't worry. I've temporarily taken over Swift Wind Pavilion according to the plan my teacher arranged in advance."

Zhou Zhe said, "We still can't confirm that my mentor is truly dead. I used the lowest-level engine of the Myriad Heavens Forum to search for his whereabouts. I should have the results in around twenty-eight or twenty-nine days."

The girl immediately replied, "I see... As long as you're okay, that's good."

"Don't worry! As long as you care about me, I'll never be crushed!"

As he said this, Zhou Zhe felt the tips of his ears grow hot, his expression exceedingly unnatural.

Luckily, this was a phone call and not a video call. Otherwise, his carefully crafted persona might have fallen apart.

The two people who had never dated soon fell into the awkward predicament of having nothing left to say.

For a moment, the atmosphere became somewhat delicate.

Suddenly, a faint female voice came from the phone—a voice that did not belong to Zhang Miaoran.

"My Ranan! Are you stupid?"

"He obviously likes you! Be more proactive, damn it! Throw away that reserved nonsense when it's time to throw it away!"

"What kind of man is Zhou Zhe now? He's strong, handsome, has a great temperament, and he's the Second Generation of Swift Wind Pavilion too—a high-quality, perfect bachelor with no blind spots in any direction!"

"If you don't make your move and get him now, then in a few days, when those scheming bitches swarm around him, you'll know what pain is!"

Zhou Zhe found that voice somewhat familiar.

She seemed to be Zhang Miaoran's only close friend, as well as a classmate from Class Two. She was quite pretty too.

In Room 414, where Zhou Zhe lived, two of his roommates had clashed because they were pursuing her. They had fought fiercely, severed all ties, and seemed destined never to speak to each other again for the rest of their lives.

Emmm...

Was her surname Hu or Fu again?

Zhou Zhe vaguely remembered that this girl was extremely introverted. She did not like talking and would blush whenever she saw people.

Her current behavior was far too different from usual, making Zhou Zhe feel that something was off.

"Maybe I'm overthinking it."

Zhou Zhe shook his head and did not dwell on the matter.

When interacting with outsiders, didn't he also habitually put on a false mask?

"Cough..."

Zhou Zhe cleared his throat and said, "I'm planning to publicly accept disciples soon."

"Do you want to come over and learn something to protect yourself?"

The selection of Cosmic Gladiators was completely random.

If Zhang Miaoran was selected as a Cosmic Gladiator and had no ability whatsoever to protect herself, only to perish like a flower in the arena, Zhou Zhe would regret it too late!

Those who plan ahead stand firm; those who do not are doomed to fail!

With that in mind, Zhou Zhe asked about the Black Sword Shield Brand. "Can one person be permanently prevented from being selected as a Cosmic Gladiator?"

Some intelligence still had to be gathered.

Burying his head in the sand and refusing to learn about certain possibilities did not mean they did not exist.

Brand 4A1220, trembling in terror, immediately replied, "Sorry, this is not a matter of points. It is prohibited."

"Alright, sorry to bother you."

Zhou Zhe sighed.

There was no other way. He could only take the clumsy route.

"I... can I?"

Zhang Miaoran's crisp, pleasant voice rang out, sounding somewhat hesitant. "I don't know how good my talent is. What if I take up one of your disciple slots and affect your mission completion... Maybe I shouldn't..."

Because Zhou Zhe's first Cosmic Arena Combat had been arranged as the grand finale, most of humanity on Earth now knew something about him.

That included the exclusive mission issued by the "Dao."

Many people who considered themselves talented and whose confidence had swelled were now rubbing their fists and itching for a fight, preparing to come to Zu'an City to study under him.

Hearing this, Zhou Zhe answered decisively, "Come over! If you're too weak, I won't be at ease!"

"The world is so vast. Anything can happen!"

"Not to mention irresistible external forces—even just the number of people who die in car accidents every year is enormous."

"Then there are people struck by lightning, or those who encounter lunatics bent on revenge against society in the streets..."

"So, come over, for my peace of mind!"

"I'll do my best to teach you well!"

"Also..."

After pausing for a moment, Zhou Zhe said with a smile, "Who said I only have three disciple slots? As long as I can complete the mission, even taking ten thousand disciples would be no problem!"

"Then... alright."

Zhang Miaoran's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, as if she felt her request was somewhat excessive. "Shanshan said she wants to take you as her teacher too..."

Zhou Zhe instead felt that this girl was truly thoughtful, helping him ease the pressure.

Beauty lay in the eye of the beholder. Although the two had not truly made their relationship official, they were definitely no ordinary friends.

"I'll wait for you both at Swift Wind Pavilion."

Just as he hung up, someone knocked on the door.

"Come in."

Zhou Zhe called out loudly.

The female assistant pushed open the door and entered, followed by several men with formidable presences.

"They were sent by the state and wish to discuss some matters with you."

Before Zhou Zhe could respond, a middle-aged man with a crew cut and military uniform stepped out from the group.

"Hello, Mr. Zhou. I am Huang Tiankai, the current head of the Supernatural Affairs Department."

The crew-cut middle-aged man forced an unpracticed, stiff smile onto his face, trying to make his tone gentler. "Your time is valuable, so let's get straight to the point!"

"We hope that when you select disciples, you will give priority to our Supernatural Affairs Department."

"If you can give us one slot, we... would be deeply grateful. And whether it is money, manpower, information resources, or anything else, we will certainly do our utmost to meet your requirements!"

Though Huang Tiankai was not particularly eloquent, his words were extremely sincere, moving Zhou Zhe considerably.

Zhou Zhe's gaze fell on the man's epaulets. Smiling, he said, "Colonel Huang, if the Supernatural Affairs Department has suitable candidates, you can send them all over. As long as it's something I know, I will never keep it to myself like a miser guarding a broken broom!"

"Mentor Lin Ye is a patriot. As his disciple, if the nation has need of me, it is naturally my duty to shoulder it!"

"Also, I'll have someone send over the materials from Roxstar, the Super Horned Demon, later."

"They should be of some help."

Who said accepting disciples meant he could only take three?

The "Dao" never said he could not take more!

Casting a wide net could effectively raise the mission's success rate. Even if one or two disciples turned out to be useless, there would still be thousands upon thousands of disciples ready to step forward!

Other superhumans might only be skilled at improving themselves. They did not understand how to teach disciples and worried that accepting disciples would waste their time and hinder the growth of their own strength.

But Zhou Zhe had no such concerns at all!

Self-Configuration plus Absolute Comprehension could easily solve every problem.

Life was always this fair. If one gained something, one was bound to lose something else.

Zhou Zhe was just like that—he had gained a cheat, yet lost his troubles.

His impassioned speech left the visitors from the Supernatural Affairs Department somewhat stunned.

Huang Tiankai, in particular, was filled with astonishment.

This Zhou Zhe...

Seemed somewhat different from what they had expected.

Judging from Zhou Zhe's performance in the Cosmic Arena, he was clearly a potential model case of an antisocial, anti-life personality.

Yet Zhou Zhe now looked entirely like an exemplary young man...

Split personality?

Huang Tiankai extended his hand, a knowing smile appearing on his face. "Seeing you in person truly surpasses hearing of you by reputation. Please believe me, Huaxia will never chill Mr. Zhou's wholehearted patriotic heart!"

To be honest, Huang Tiankai had originally been somewhat unwilling to take on this assignment of contacting Zhou Zhe.

Anyone who had watched Zhou Zhe's arena livestream would not think Zhou Zhe was someone easy to talk to.

Before coming here, Huang Tiankai had even prepared himself to be turned away at the door and to make three visits to a thatched cottage.

The current result was absolutely an unexpected delight!

Not only had they reached a cooperation agreement, the man had even given them a gift upon meeting.

Materials from a Super Horned Demon, one in a hundred million!

His sincerity could truly be said to be overflowing!

While Director Huang was still moved, a look of delight suddenly appeared on Zhou Zhe's face.

Thanks to the multitasking Self-Configuration, while verbally forming a cooperative alliance with the Supernatural Affairs Department, he had also found a suitable enhancement exchange in the Black Sword Shield Brand's list!