Official Undertakings

Inside the cabin, the team leader, "Tianpeng," peered through the porthole. His gaze swept over the area surrounding Hongfu Restaurant and the nearby Abyss Beast nest, which were being illuminated by the searchlight beams.

"Captain, something is definitely wrong."

The voice of his second-in-command, "Pojun," came through the internal comms, laced with disbelief.

"Such a large area near the target location is completely clean—not a single Abyss Beast in sight. There's no way these beasts' sense of smell and perception could miss so many living people inside the building. They've gathered into a sizable pack, yet they only dare to cower and howl near their nest. Staying this far away is highly abnormal."

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

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

Even so, seeing the scene of one man intimidating a pack of Abyss Beasts with their own eyes was still 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 of wasting precious ammunition to drive the pack away. Prepare to execute the second contact protocol!"

"Understood!"

Following Tianpeng's order, the armed helicopter flew over the roof of Hongfu Restaurant and held a hover.

"Leigong, Qianli, secure the high ground, establish a defensive perimeter, and keep a close watch on the pack's movements toward the nest!" Shanying ordered decisively.

"Leigong, received!"

"Qianli, received!"

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

Two fully armed special operations soldiers slid down the ropes with precision and silence, landing on the hotel roof.

The moment they touched down, the two immediately fanned out into tactical positions. One quickly set up a sniper rifle, locking onto the restless 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.

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

The sniper, Qianli, reported calmly into everyone's earpieces.

"Received. Maintain vigilance." Tianpeng responded, then issued another order, "Kuimu, Yinghuo, scout the first floor and report back once you confirm it's safe!"

"Kuimu, received!"

"Yinghuo, received!"

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

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

Back-to-back, with their muzzles pointed in different directions, the two moved one after the other, covering each other as they entered the pitch-black lobby.

After a brief silence, the communicator crackled again.

"First floor is secure! No signs of Abyss Beast activity! The spiral staircase leading to the second floor inside the lobby has been completely blocked off. We found a rope ladder leading to the second floor. There are armed individuals at the ladder using crude melee weapons—suspected civilians. They are agitated and watching us, but no signs of threat! Repeat, no threat detected!"

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

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

"Bailong, prepare to disembark. 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 ground in front of Hongfu Restaurant.

The cabin door opened, and Tianpeng, carrying a silver-white metal case, jumped out first.

The operative codenamed "Bailong" was a sturdy officer with a slightly dark complexion. 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, quickly emerged from the building to help carry the remaining gear.

Tianpeng, his gaze calm, strode into the lobby of Hongfu Restaurant with the case in hand. He then turned on his helmet light to observe the situation inside.

He saw several heads squeezed into a gap on the second floor—all young faces, their expressions filled with excitement as they whispered to one another.

Standing below the rope ladder were two men.

One was a sturdy, middle-aged man with a resolute face and a posture that still carried traces of military training. The other was the protagonist of the video, their target for this mission: Lin Yi.

He looked like an ordinary young man with a scholarly air, yet his eyes lacked the excitement one would expect from someone his age seeing special forces; he simply watched them with calm.

This composure, which far exceeded his years, made Tianpeng hold him in even higher regard.

Zhou Jianjun looked at the well-equipped, swift-moving soldiers, especially their shoulder and arm patches, his lips trembling with excitement. "Com-comrades, are you here for rescue?"

Tianpeng withdrew his gaze from Lin Yi and looked at Zhou Jianjun. He first gave a standard military salute, his voice steady and powerful. "Hello, comrade. We are here under orders to execute a special mission; we are not conducting a large-scale rescue and evacuation. However, rest assured, other teams will arrive to rescue you in due course."

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

But Tianpeng's next words shifted everyone's attention, leaving them no time to dwell on their disappointment.

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

The Supreme Command Center! Chief Li Zhenguo!

A wave of irrepressible murmurs erupted on the second floor. Zhou Jianjun's eyes widened, and even Lin Yi's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Tianpeng ignored the shock of the crowd. He refocused his gaze 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 front lines, I thank you! Your combat footage and instructional videos have provided us with invaluable intelligence and entirely new perspectives! The Source Energy Guidance Technique training experience you shared is of even greater significance!"

Lin Yi accepted the praise with composure. He returned the salute, his tone remaining calm. "You are too kind. I simply did what I could, both for my own survival 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 to the nation you have demonstrated in Source Energy cultivation, the Supreme Command has held an emergency deliberation. It has been decided to grant you an exceptional appointment as a Special Technical Staff Officer for the General Staff Department, with the rank of Major! We are now formally requesting your personal decision."

A Major! A General Staff officer!

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

Chen Yu nearly popped his eyes out of their sockets, 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; having dealt with the General Staff for so many years, he knew that everyone within it held at least that rank.

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 had been 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 the person in charge to see what kind of individual they are.

If he had previously only felt that the man lived up to his reputation, Lin Yi now truly felt a flicker of curiosity toward Li Zhenguo.

Tianpeng, unaware that the young man before him was viewing the supreme leader as an equal, continued, "You have two options. First, if you agree, you may return with us to the Capital Base immediately to serve at the Supreme Command. Your knowledge and abilities will be put to use on a much broader platform."

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

"Second," Tianpeng continued, his tone devoid of surprise, "if you are currently unwilling to leave this place, the Command fully respects your personal choice."

He stepped aside 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. All of your actions and research regarding Abyss Beasts and Source Energy will receive the recognition and support of the Supreme Command."

Everyone's gaze was fixed 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 reasoning was simple and direct.

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

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

"Staff Officer Lin."

Tianpeng changed his form of address, his tone becoming 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 slight stir in his heart and reached out to undo the latches on the case.

Click.

The lid flipped open.

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

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