The Jeep drove all the way to the Patrol Bureau's Family Area.
Ping An Residential Area.
The name was simple, but it carried everyone's hopes that the patrol officers would stay safe.
At the entrance, four guards with loaded guns stopped the Jeep. Even when Zhang Baichuan showed his face, they carefully checked the identities of Su Ye and the others.
Only after confirming everything did they raise their hands in salute.
"Welcome home, Su Patrol Officer."
The Jeep started moving again.
Zhang Baichuan laughed.
"Ping An Residential Area houses the families of Patrol Bureau staff. Quite a few residents are ordinary people who haven't trained, so the checks are especially strict, and outsiders aren't allowed in. But once you're registered, coming and going will be much easier."
"Since outsiders aren't allowed in, our patrol officers help whenever a colleague's family moves in. It's an old custom."
As he spoke,
the Jeep stopped in front of an eight- or nine-story building.
"This is it!"
Everyone got out.
The Su Family didn't own much to begin with. The new home came fully furnished, with all the appliances they needed, so there was no need to move anything large. They packed some clothes and everyday essentials, and with each person carrying a little, the move was done.
The apartment assigned to Su Ye's family was on the seventh floor.
One apartment per floor.
Standing inside the spacious, two-hundred-square-meter apartment,
Liu Ruxin nearly cried with joy.
Su Xiangdong stood by the broad floor-to-ceiling windows and laughed heartily.
"I never thought I'd live in a place like this!"
Little Su Baobao darted through the rooms like a happy bee, her face flushed with excitement. Then she pattered over to Su Ye, hugged his leg, and looked up at him expectantly.
"Big brother, can I... can I have a room of my own?!"
"Of course. Mom and Dad get the biggest bedroom, but you can choose any of the others. Pick whichever one you like!"
"Wow! You're the best, big brother!"
Su Baobao happily went off to find the room of her dreams.
Su Ye took out the bank card the school had given him and pressed it into Liu Ruxin's hand.
"Mom, the new place has pretty much everything, but we still need to buy sheets and bedding. Use this money."
"But... Xiao Ye, you don't have to. We still have money."
"Just take it, Mom. I have more."
As he spoke, Su Ye took out the card Zhang Xuan had given him yesterday.
"There's still a million on this card. That's more than enough for me. Besides, I'm a patrol officer now. Are you really worried I won't have money?"
"Go ahead and use it. Get a few things for the house."
"And Baobao starts elementary school in September. I've already spoken to Director Zhang. She can attend the Patrol Bureau's affiliated kindergarten first, then start at its elementary school with the other children her age. You'll want to buy her new clothes and school supplies. We can't have the other kids looking down on her."
"And there's your health. You're a military family member now, so treatment at the military hospital barely costs anything. You and Dad should both get a thorough checkup. Listen to the doctors and see what you can do to build your strength back up."
"Your son's going to earn even more money, so you have to take good care of yourself. That way, you can stay with me for a long, long time."
Su Ye patiently talked her around. Liu Ruxin finally closed her hand around the card, though her eyes had reddened.
"Mm. I'll take good care of myself. I'll watch our Xiao Ye become a Great Hero, get married, and have children. Then I'll look after your kids!"
Su Ye: ...
He was glad Liu Ruxin was finally willing to spend money on herself, but she really didn't need to plan on looking after his kids!
After chatting with his family a little longer, Su Ye said goodbye and went downstairs to find Zhang Baichuan, who hadn't left yet.
"Phew..."
Zhang Baichuan blew out a ring of smoke.
"How did it go? Is your family settled in?"
"They're all settled. Thank you for coming to help me move, Director Zhang."
"You're a genius who's awakened a supernatural ability. This much is only right... Come on, let's go to the Patrol Bureau. We still need to make your appointment official, and there are a few things I need to tell you."
"Okay."
Su Ye had called the school early that morning to ask for leave.
There was no need to hide that he was joining the Patrol Bureau ahead of schedule, so Principal Zhang had agreed without hesitation.
He had even said Su Ye could take another couple of days if he needed to get everything sorted out before returning to school.
When Su Ye arrived at the Patrol Bureau,
it felt completely different from the last time, when he had been locked in the Black Room.
Everywhere he looked, advanced technology sat alongside a stern, no-nonsense atmosphere.
At the personnel office,
Su Ye quickly completed his onboarding.
Zhang Baichuan handed him a new phone.
"This is the latest smartphone and smartwatch from the Military System. They come as a set. Besides basic communication, they have quite a few other useful features."
Su Ye had looked into it before. Smart devices in this world were clearly more advanced than those on Earth. His really did contain an AI dedicated to him, and it could connect to Dong Huang's Deep Blue System.
Zhang Baichuan demonstrated with his own smart device.
The screen was bigger and clearer, and it could also...
Whoosh—
With a light wave of his hand, an enlarged Light Screen appeared before them.
"Your information has already been registered on your phone, so only you can unlock it. You've also been granted higher access and can look up information directly through the Military System."
"But for us, these next few features are the most useful."
"First, location tracking and team communications. The watch can transmit your position at any time. If a Star Beast or a rampaging Martial Artist is spotted, it can immediately dispatch personnel based on their capabilities and eliminate the threat as quickly as possible... And if a patrol officer is in danger, he can call for help from the nearest patrol officer or a High-tier Martial Artist registered with the Military. Ever since we got these smartwatches, our response times, efficiency, and safety have all improved enormously."
Zhang Baichuan briefly showed Su Ye how to use it, and Su Ye picked it up quickly.
"Second, video recording. To exchange for resources, cultivation methods, or supplies within the military, you need Merit Points. For us patrol officers, the biggest source of Merit Points is killing beasts and criminals! The smartwatch records missions and uploads the footage automatically. The Intelligent Brain at Dong Huang's Deep Blue System center calculates and awards the Merit Points. You know how it is... Dividing up credit is always a headache, but this keeps arguments to a minimum."
Su Ye nodded despite himself.
That feature really was useful.
"And the third feature is... automatic identification."
Zhang Baichuan aimed his phone at a potted plant nearby.
"Identify!"
At once, a line of information appeared on the Light Screen before him.
[Star-Rhyme Grass: Purifies free-floating star energy in the surrounding environment, making it gentler.]
"See? With this thing, it's like carrying an encyclopedia. When Spiritual Energy first returned, all sorts of strange plants and mutated beasts appeared on Blue Star. Plenty of people exploring and opening up the wilderness didn't die at the claws of beasts... They died from what they ate. Some mutated plants and animals were even more dangerous than wild mushrooms! Once these smartwatches came along, life in the field got much easier."
"It's also handy for identifying beasts and Star Beasts. It can even make a rough estimate of their level from their size and distinguishing features. That's incredibly useful in a fight."
Zhang Baichuan shrugged.
"After all, you can't expect every roughneck in the Military to memorize those enormous encyclopedias, plant guides, beast guides, Star Beast guides, and everything else."
Su Ye: ...
He had a damn good point!
The smartwatch really was useful.
With the introductions more or less finished, Zhang Baichuan dismissed his Light Screen and smiled at Su Ye.
"Well then... Su Ye, welcome to the Patrol Bureau."
Before you continue