That morning, while the UHC was holding a meeting, the North Star squad members participating in the Fire Thief operation met for the first time.
They met in a pavilion within a park in Pinglu.
Several people were already inside the pavilion, including Chen Na, who was chatting with Bai Xuewu.
Suddenly, she turned toward the park entrance and said happily, "Little Brother Guan is here! I'll go get him!" With that, she jogged away.
"Little Brother Guan? Who's that?" Yang Ran asked Bai Xuewu curiously.
"Why do you care so much?"
"If he's a teammate, of course I need to know more about him! How else can I trust him with my back on the battlefield?"
"..."
Bai Xuewu could not be bothered with him. At that moment, Li Meng, who was seated in the pavilion, said, "He's not just a teammate. Guan Tong will be the captain of your Action Team for this operation."
"Huh?" Yang Ran sounded unconvinced. "Section Chief Li, shouldn't the strongest person be captain? Wait, Guan Tong? That name... is it that substitute teacher Guan Tong from the Academy?"
"That's right, it's him. And who said the captain had to be the strongest? A captain should be someone steady by nature, someone who remains calm in a crisis." Li Meng paused. "Besides, he happens to be the strongest among all of you."
"Really?" Yang Ran looked utterly doubtful. "I heard he was a great teacher, but fighting is a whole different matter, isn't it?"
Bai Xuewu unconsciously raised an eyebrow when she heard Li Meng's words.
Li Meng said seriously to Yang Ran, "I'm not joking. Yang Ran, you'd better not provoke him, or you'll bear the consequences yourself."
"..."
"By the way." Li Meng turned to Bai Xuewu. "Chen Na just said Guan