The Grotesque's Workplace Weapon

"5 A's?"

After Han Su came out, he looked back at the numbers on the display screen, slightly surprised, then nodded: "This evaluation mechanism is quite fair..."

Under the astonished gazes of everyone, he remained very calm, walked back to his seat, and let the staff collect the rules in front of him. He suddenly turned to the others and said, "The assessments are all complete, but it'll still take some time."

"Anyone want to have a smoke?"

"When I came in just now, I saw a place where you could smoke over there!"

"..."

His words caused the man with gold-rimmed glasses, the camouflage soldier, and a thin, greasy-haired young man to freeze for a moment. They exchanged glances and then nodded.

Han Su led them out of the training room and into the emergency passage opposite the elevator. He took out the "workplace essential" Zhang Chiguo had stuffed into his pocket.

A pack of cigarettes.

There were only half a pack left, along with a plastic lighter. Han Su gave one to each of them and lit their cigarettes.

"How did you get them in here?"

The camouflage soldier, or rather, the man codenamed Black Tiger, took a deep drag. "I thought I could only smoke after we got out. I had a pack on me when I came in, but the staff took it away."

Han Su replied, "I have an acquaintance here. He gave them to me."

"So..."

The man with gold-rimmed glasses suddenly looked at Han Su. "You must be very familiar with this place, right? What exactly does the Disaster Management Bureau deal with?"

Han Su smiled faintly. "I just have some connections; it's not much of an advantage."

Then he looked at the others and smiled, "Rather, why don't you tell me why you're here?"

"For things we can't access outside."

The man with gold-rimmed glasses, codenamed Doctor, said, "I've noticed for a long time that something is wrong with this world. Whether it's the debunking experts the media desperately promotes, the strange things reported in certain tabloids, or the leaflets secretly distributed by religious fanatics."

"Even research into some historical events has become taboo, requiring certain qualifications and background checks before participation."

"But outside, no matter how I searched, I couldn't find any clues. I could feel a behemoth blocking and erasing everything I found, deliberately creating an atmosphere of rationality and reality."

"So, I dug deeper, shifting from investigating strange phenomena to investigating this behemoth."

"Then I discovered the Disaster Management Bureau, and then I signed up!"

"..."

Everyone listened, looking at him with surprise.

This guy investigated the existence of the Disaster Management Bureau himself and then signed up?

At this moment, the man codenamed Black Tiger slowly spoke, "I don't know what I'll be facing, but my unit fought an extremely strange battle."

"My comrades were facing a group of fanatics who captured and sacrificed people in the wilderness. The enemy was unarmed, yet they all killed my brothers. I took a bullet to the head. That was the biggest loss I ever suffered."

"When I returned, my superior asked if I wanted revenge. I said yes, so he recommended me here."

"..."

"I'm different from you guys. You're all very capable people," the inconspicuous, thin young man said. His codename was Mouse. He received an A in the additional assessment, with the rest being C's and very few B's.

He wasn't very familiar with the people around him; he just followed because there was smoking.

He then shrank his head and whispered, "All I know is that this place is related to certain mysterious things and lost civilizations."

"This is something I discovered by hacking into a powerful person's email."

"The reason for coming here is simple. I have an illness, and under the current medical system, I won't live for more than two years. However, a certain technological artifact unearthed from the Radiation Era can save my life."

"But everything from the Radiation Era is sealed. Joining the Disaster Management Bureau and risking my life became my only option. As long as I don't die on a mission, I can use that technological artifact to extend my life."

"..."

Everyone listened, suddenly looking a bit surprised, unsure how to comfort him.

Han Su took another cigarette from the pack and kindly offered it to him. "When you can smoke, take a good drag!"

The thin young man took the cigarette with a complex expression.

"So, we've all come to the right place after all."

Han Su leisurely smoked with them for a moment, then looked at Black Tiger. "You want revenge, so mastering those mysterious powers is most important to you. If there's an opportunity, I'll recommend you."

Black Tiger froze, awkwardly pulling off his hat and rubbing his hair. There was a noticeable scar on his left forehead. "Th-thank you."

"As for Doctor..."

Han Su said, "Someone as smart as you is naturally very curious. If there's anything that requires brainpower, don't hesitate to introduce him."

"It will not only help us but also satisfy his curiosity to the greatest extent."

The man with gold-rimmed glasses looked somewhat surprised and sighed, "Indeed, I usually dislike trouble, but if there's anything truly interesting, I'd even pay to be involved."

"As for you, just work hard!"

Han Su patted the last, thin young man on the shoulder. "As long as you prove your worth, the Disaster Management Bureau won't be willing to let you lose your life so easily!"

"This was the best move you made!"

The scrawny boy, who had looked uneasy before, seemed visibly moved by these words.

"When you arrive in a new place, you'll definitely face many new opportunities. An individual's opportunities are limited, and the chances of finding one that suits you are even fewer. But if we look out for each other, it means each of us will have significantly more opportunities."

Han Su chuckled, "Of course, we've only met by chance, and I don't think we need to restrict each other. Once the newcomer period is over, it will depend on whose path is wider."

His words left everyone in thought. No one refused the idea of sticking together, but no one wanted to be immediately bound by some inexplicable circle.

Han Su's speech, however, made everyone feel a bit more comfortable.

Yet, Han Su himself, having done this, didn't think much of it. It was just a normal operation.

Back in the ancient castle, he had put in considerable effort to persuade the other children to escape with him. Compared to that, he could only say:

Compared to children, adults are much easier to coax!

"The newcomer period is not that easy to get through."

Just then, a voice cut through the air. The speaker was the woman in the black hooded cloak. She had now removed her hood, revealing a neat, short haircut.

She stood not far away, looking like she wanted to come over but was a bit hesitant.

Everyone looked up at her, feeling a little awkward. While the assessments of others had minor discrepancies, this woman was a divine being with two S's and four A's. Just a glance at her made one feel an insurmountable distance.

To these people, who had already stepped halfway into the mysterious side, she exuded an extremely enigmatic aura.

Only Han Su glanced at her and gestured with his cigarette pack, "Want one?"

The woman in the black hood replied shyly, "I don't smoke."

Han Su said, "You could learn!"

She hesitated for a moment and walked over, reaching out to take one. Han Su then pulled the pack back, saying, "Never mind, smoking kills you early."

His words made the other trainees holding cigarettes look embarrassed.

As Han Su put the cigarettes away, he turned to the woman in the black hood, or rather, Miss Crow, and smiled, "We're all newcomers, and we don't know much about the Disaster Management Bureau. You seem quite familiar with it?"

The short-haired crow shook her head, "I'm not familiar with the Disaster Management Bureau either, but I am a little familiar with the mysterious world... not much, just a little."

"I just remember my mentor telling me that passing the Disaster Management Bureau's assessment only grants you an opportunity to legally interact with surreal things. The next step, in fact, is the most dangerous one."

"The executive personnel are the first line of defense against mysterious infiltration... and they are expendable bricks and tiles."

"For those things trying to infiltrate reality, ordinary people are not the most dangerous. Those who truly understand them are not the most dangerous. The most dangerous are precisely those who have only half-stepped in, meaning, us."

"..."

They didn't quite understand her meaning of infiltration defense lines and bricks and tiles, but listening to her calm tone, everyone inexplicably felt a pang in their hearts.

Amidst the silence, Han Su found the girl more and more interesting. He suddenly smiled slightly and interjected, "Since that's the case, it seems even more necessary for us to discuss things more... "

As he spoke, he seemed to recall something and turned to the man with gold-rimmed glasses, "Is it permissible according to the rules for executive personnel to discuss matters privately?"

The man with gold-rimmed glasses nodded, "As long as Miss Ai doesn't catch us, there's no problem!"

"That's good."

Han Su smiled and nodded, "Then after the groups are assigned and we get our phones back, shall we create a group chat?"

Originally, given his performance in this assessment, gathering the people around him would have been somewhat difficult. The abilities he had displayed didn't exert any pressure on others.

But now that Miss Crow had arrived, the whole matter seemed to fall into place naturally.