Official Handiwork

Inside the cabin, the captain, Tianpeng, scanned the area around Hongfu Tower and the nearby Abyss Beast Nest through the porthole, his gaze sweeping over the zones highlighted by the searchlight beams.

"Captain, something is definitely wrong."

The voice of his deputy, Pojun, came through the built-in comms, laced with a hint of disbelief.

"Such a large area near the target location is completely clean; there isn't a single Abyss Beast. It's impossible for the sense of smell and perception of these beasts to have missed so many living people in the building. They have gathered into a sizable wolf pack, yet they only dare to cower and howl near their nest, staying so far away... this is too abnormal."

Tianpeng remained silent for a few seconds before speaking slowly, "Hmm... I suspect it has to do with that 'Staff Officer Lin'."

They had all watched the combat footage of Lin Yi, and as combat personnel, they had a clear understanding of the young man's strength.

Even so, seeing the scene of one person intimidating a pack of Abyss Beasts with their own eyes still felt shocking.

"He... turned this place into a safe zone." Tianpeng paused, his tone shifting to one of slight relief: "But this is for the best; it saves us the trouble, so we don't have to waste precious ammunition driving away the wolf pack... Prepare to execute the second contact protocol!"

"Understood!"

Following Tianpeng's order, the Armed Helicopter flew to the airspace above the roof of Hongfu Tower and held a hover.

"Leigong, Qianli, seize the high ground, establish a defense, and focus on monitoring the movements of the wolf pack toward the nest!" Mountain Eagle ordered decisively.

"Leigong receiving!"

"Qianli receiving!"

The cabin door opened, and two fast-ropes were thrown out.

Two fully armed Special Forces Members slid down the ropes rapidly, landing precisely and silently on the hotel roof.

The moment they touched down, the two immediately spread out into a tactical stance; one quickly set up a sniper rifle, locking onto the restless wolf pack in the distance through a high-magnification scope, while the other scanned the roof's other entrances and the surrounding environment with a rifle, remaining vigilant.

"Roof is secure! No abnormalities found! The wolf pack is still at its original gathering point; their agitation is increasing, but they are not moving toward us! Repeat, not moving toward us!"

The report from the Sniper, Qianli, came through calmly to everyone's ears.

"Received. Maintain guard." Tianpeng responded, then ordered again, "Kuimu, Yinghuo, scout the first floor and report once you confirm it's safe!"

"Kuimu receiving!"

"Yinghuo receiving!"

The helicopter adjusted its position slightly, hovering over the open space in front of the main entrance of Hongfu Tower.

Two more fast-ropes were lowered, and the other two members, Kuimu and Yinghuo, slid down to the ground.

Back-to-back, with their guns pointed in different directions, the two moved one after the other, providing cross-cover as they entered the pitch-black First Floor Hall.

After a brief silence, the communicator sounded again.

"First floor is safe! No signs of Abyss Beast activity found! The spiral staircase leading to the second floor inside the hall is completely blocked; we found a rope ladder leading to the second floor. There are Armed Individuals with crude melee weapons at the rope ladder, suspected to be civilians. They are agitated and watching us, but no signs of threat found! Repeat, no threat found!"

"Received. Hold your positions and guard the entrances."

Tianpeng ordered, the last shred of doubt in his heart dissipating.

"Bailong, prepare to land. Captain Ren, check the equipment." Tianpeng said to the remaining personnel in the cabin.

"Understood!"

"Equipment is in good condition!"

Soon, the Armed Helicopter slowly lowered its altitude and finally landed steadily on the open space in front of Hongfu Tower.

The cabin door opened, and Tianpeng, carrying a silver-white metal case, was the first to jump down.

The operative codenamed Bailong was a sturdy Officer with slightly dark skin; he and Captain Ren followed closely behind, both responsible for carrying the portable generator, Military Radio, and other equipment.

Kuimu and Yinghuo, who had previously entered to scout the first floor, also quickly emerged from the building to help carry the remaining equipment.

Tianpeng, with a calm gaze, carried the case and strode into the First Floor Hall of Hongfu Tower, then turned on his helmet lamp to observe the situation inside.

He saw several heads crowded at the gap on the second floor—all young faces, their expressions filled with excitement as they whispered to each other.

Standing below the rope ladder were two people.

One was a sturdy Middle-aged Man with a resolute face, whose posture still faintly showed traces of military training; the other was the protagonist of the video, the target of their arrival: Lin Yi.

He looked like an ordinary young man with a scholarly air, yet there was no trace of the excitement one would expect from someone his age upon seeing special forces in those eyes; he simply looked at them calmly.

This composure, which surpassed his age, made Tianpeng hold him in even higher regard.

Zhou Jianjun looked at this group of well-equipped, swift-acting soldiers, especially seeing their shoulder patches and armbands, his lips trembling with excitement, "Co... comrades, are you here for rescue?"

Tianpeng withdrew his gaze from Lin Yi and looked at Zhou Jianjun, first giving a standard Military Salute, his voice steady and powerful, "Hello, comrade. We are here under orders to execute a special mission, not to conduct large-scale rescue and evacuation. However, rest assured, other teams will arrive to rescue you in sequence soon."

A flash of disappointment instantly crossed the faces of Zhou Jianjun and the people upstairs who had been listening intently.

But Tianpeng's next words caused everyone to shift their focus, leaving them no time to dwell on their slight disappointment.

"Our orders for this mission were issued directly by the Supreme Command Center, by Commander Li Zhenguo."

Supreme Command Center! Commander Li Zhenguo!

An irrepressible wave of discussion erupted on the second floor. Zhou Jianjun's eyes widened instantly, and even the corners of Lin Yi's eyebrows twitched imperceptibly.

Tianpeng ignored the shock of the crowd, his gaze refocusing on Lin Yi, his tone becoming exceptionally solemn: "You must be Comrade Lin Yi, right?"

Lin Yi nodded slightly.

"I am."

Tianpeng saluted again, this time directed at Lin Yi.

"Comrade Lin Yi! On behalf of the countless soldiers on the Frontline, I thank you! Your combat footage and instructional videos have provided us with invaluable intelligence and entirely new perspectives! The experience you shared regarding the Source Energy Guidance Technique is of even greater significance!"

Lin Yi accepted this calmly. He returned the salute, his tone remaining steady. "You flatter me. I simply did what I could, both to save myself and to help as many others as possible."

Then, Tianpeng's expression turned even more solemn. He took a sealed document bag from his waist and handed it to Lin Yi with both hands.

"Comrade Lin Yi, based on the exceptional talent, forward-thinking understanding, and immense contributions you have made to the nation regarding Source Energy cultivation, the Supreme Command has held an emergency discussion and decided to make an exception by specially appointing you as a Special Technical Staff Officer for the General Staff Department, granting you the Major rank! We are now formally seeking your personal consent."

A Major! A staff officer for the General Staff!

A chorus of gasps erupted from the second floor once again.

Chen Yu nearly popped his eyes out, Li Jie pinched himself hard, and the hand Zhou Yuxuan used to push up his glasses froze in mid-air.

Zhou Jianjun stared at his nephew in a daze, as if seeing him for the first time.

An eighteen-year-old Major?

Lin Yi was also somewhat surprised, though not by the rank of Major itself, as he had dealt with the General Staff for many years and knew that everyone there was at least a Major.

What surprised him more was the reaction speed of the Supreme Command Center.

Working backward from the timeline, it was highly likely that this order was issued shortly after the Supreme Command Center saw that video.

They certainly move with lightning speed... When I have the chance, I must go and meet them to see what kind of person they are...

If he had previously only felt that this person lived up to their reputation, Lin Yi now truly felt a hint of curiosity toward Li Zhenguo.

Tianpeng, however, was unaware that the young kid before him was viewing the supreme commander as an equal. He continued, "You have two options. First, if you agree, you may return to the Capital Base with us immediately to serve at the Supreme Command, where your knowledge and abilities will be utilized on a much broader platform."

He paused, observing Lin Yi's reaction, but saw only a bottomless, calm composure.

"Second..." Tianpeng continued, his tone showing no surprise, "if you are currently unwilling to leave this place, the Command fully respects your personal choice..."

He turned slightly to introduce the female officer beside him. "This is Captain Ren Yinuo from the communications department. She is an excellent communications expert. She will remain here along with this equipment to ensure your connection with the General Staff."

He paused, raising his voice.

"Your rank and position remain valid, and all your actions and research related to Abyssal Beasts and Source Energy will receive the recognition and support of the Supreme Command."

Everyone's gaze was focused on Lin Yi.

Lin Yi spoke calmly, almost without hesitation.

"I choose the second option. The situation here is still unstable, and I need to stay."

His reason was simple and direct.

Tianpeng seemed to have anticipated this answer long ago; to be precise, the General Staff had expected this choice when they sent him with his team. He nodded solemnly. "Understood! I will report your choice to the Command."

Finally, Tianpeng solemnly placed the silver-white metal case he had been carrying the entire time in front of Lin Yi.

"Staff Officer Lin..."

Tianpeng changed his form of address, his tone extremely formal.

"Based on your talent and outstanding contributions to the research of the Source Energy Guidance Technique, the Supreme Command has specially approved the allocation of these research materials for your personal use. The Command encourages you to continue your deeper exploration and research in the field of Source Energy."

Lin Yi felt a stir in his heart and reached out to open the latches of the case.

Click.

The lid flipped open.

Instantly, a soft, dense glow illuminated his face, drawing the eyes of everyone upstairs.

Inside the case, shock-absorbent foam had been meticulously partitioned into slots, where three full rows of Spirit Shine Crystals were neatly and densely packed.