Qi Wu faced the sudden attack without a trace of anger or embarrassment on his face.
He even shifted into a more comfortable position against the back of his chair.
"Luo Bai, right?"
Qi Wu tilted his head, his Blue eyes regarding him as though he were an idiot.
"Don't you think you talk a little too much?"
Luo Bai's expression darkened.
"You..."
"Don't understand plain language?" Qi Wu picked at his ear, the gesture blatantly provocative.
"What does headquarters' experts not being able to tell have to do with me? Just because they can't tell, I can't either? Who made that rule? You?"
He spoke slowly, but every word had a barb.
"And you call me delusional? I think you're just taking it out on me because you can't win someone over."
"Why don't you get that pathetic simp syndrome of yours treated?"
The words had barely left his mouth.
Qing Xiaoran, sitting opposite Qi Wu, could no longer hold back her laughter. Her alluring eyes curved into crescents.
Beside her, Su Chenyue couldn't keep a straight face either. She covered her lips with a delicate hand, a little more ladylike than Qing Xiaoran, but still struggled to stifle her laughter.
[Popularity Points +100 (Someone in the conference room thought you put him in his place nicely)] [Irritation Points +666 (Luo Bai is about to go mad with rage)] [Converting Irritation Points... fusion increased to 64%]
That remark completely shattered Luo Bai's composure.
"Qi Wu! How dare you!"
Luo Bai slammed his hand on the table and shot to his feet. The expensive solid-wood conference table gave a dull thud.
"What Yuyao and I have is genuine! How dare you insult me like that!"
"Insult?" Qi Wu raised an eyebrow, looking astonished.
"Was I wrong? If you'd actually won Feng Yuyao over, would you be using this petty nonsense to come after me? Can't own up to what you're doing, Captain Luo Bai? Is this all the generosity an A-rank captain can muster?"
He gave Luo Bai no chance to respond, continuing his rapid-fire barrage. His voice remained languid, but his words lashed out like a whip.
"Besides, what the hell does my mentioning spiritual energy revival have to do with you? You keep yapping away like that makes you impressive. If you've got so much free time, go do a few more missions instead of spending all day on useless nonsense. Putting others down only makes you look more pathetic. Get it?"
[Irritation Points +600 (Luo Bai feels you have utterly trampled his dignity and pride)]
"You!! I'll kill you!!"
Luo Bai was thoroughly enraged, his reason instantly consumed by fury.
He had only been irritated by Qi Wu, Feng Yuyao's rumored childhood friend.
He had taken a few jabs at him.
He hadn't expected Qi Wu's verbal counterattack to be so vicious.
It had nearly driven him mad with anger.
Losing control of his emotions, he released terrifying fluctuations of spiritual energy around him.
He really was about to throw caution aside and attack during the meeting!
"Enough!"
An icy rebuke exploded like thunder!
Wolf Team didn't even rise. A mere lift of his eyes brought an even more terrifying, frigid killing aura crashing down.
The terrifying spiritual power surging around Luo Bai was forcibly extinguished as though by an invisible giant hand. He grunted and staggered back into his chair.
His face was deathly pale, his chest heaving as he looked toward the head of the table in lingering fright. He dared not make another move.
Wolf Team's spiritual power was simply too oppressive.
"Luo Bai, this isn't a marketplace. It's no place for your tantrums."
"If you want to fight, take it to the arena on the day of the Selection Tournament."
Wolf Team didn't even spare Luo Bai another glance, speaking in an icy tone.
"Now sit back down."
Wolf Team's words instantly brought Luo Bai to his senses.
The director's authority could not be challenged. Luo Bai could only clench his fists so tightly that his nails nearly dug into his palms and force a reply through gritted teeth.
"Understood..."
Only then did Wolf Team turn his eyes toward Qi Wu.
Qi Wu was still lounging lazily against the back of his chair.
Wolf Team's gaze softened slightly.
"Qi Wu, aside from the matter involving headquarters, there's something else I called you here to inform you of."
Qi Wu tilted his head.
Iron Buddha, Qing Xiaoran, and the others all looked toward Qi Wu with curiosity in their eyes.
Luo Bai, meanwhile, frowned, vaguely sensing that something was wrong.
Wolf Team ignored his reaction and continued his announcement in a cold, stern voice.
"Based on Captain Iron Buddha's detailed report on the South Suburbs Forest operation, as well as your outstanding contributions during this incident and..."
He deliberately paused there, seemingly weighing his words, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
"Headquarters has granted special approval to end your probation early and confer full operative status upon you. You will enjoy the corresponding authority of an A-rank team captain and must fulfill the associated duties, participating in the response to this crisis."
The order was concise, direct, and beyond dispute.
The air in the conference room seemed to freeze.
Although the captains had some estimate of Qi Wu's strength, this order was still far too extraordinary!
A probationary operative jumping straight to A-rank team captain?
There was no precedent for this in the history of the 749 Bureau!
Luo Bai, who had made an enemy of Qi Wu, nearly couldn't stop himself from standing.
Wolf Team glanced at him, and that icy gaze made him sit back down.
Back in his seat, Luo Bai clenched his fists until they turned livid, his face pale and his chest trembling with anger.
[Irritation Points +500 (From Luo Bai)] [Converting Irritation Points... fusion increased to 65%]
The other captains also looked at Qi Wu with complicated expressions.
Wolf Team gave them no more time to process it, turning his gaze back to Qi Wu.
"Captain Qi Wu, do you have any questions regarding this appointment?"
Qi Wu scratched his head, seemingly oblivious to the stir he had caused. Instead, he sighed, sounding rather troubled.
"Questions... how much of a raise do I get? Is there overtime pay?"
Everyone: ...
Wasn't that a little too practical a concern?!
The corner of Wolf Team's mouth seemed to twitch. He forcibly suppressed some emotion and said coldly,
"Human Resources will go over the details of your compensation with you after the meeting. For now, the meeting continues."
For the remainder of the meeting, Wolf Team briskly assigned each team's patrol area, laid out intelligence-sharing procedures, and established contingency plans for joint operations. The meeting proceeded with solemn efficiency.
He issued several more orders.
The most important among them was-
Every team was required to complete at least one mission per week.
They absolutely could not keep slacking off as they had before.
When Wolf Team finally adjourned the meeting, the captains rose to leave, each with a different mood.
Qi Wu also stood up unhurriedly and stretched, then called out to Wolf Team, who was about to turn and leave.
"Wolf Team, could you hold on a moment?"
The others, already at the door, paused again.
Qi Wu ambled over to Wolf Team with an innocent smile on his face and lowered his voice.
"You've seen a lot. There's something I'd like to ask you."
He paused, studying Wolf Team's icy expression, before continuing.
"Do you happen to know... roughly which direction the entrance to the Abyssal Grand Prison is in?"
The instant he said the words "Abyssal Grand Prison," Qi Wu clearly saw a change in Blue Wolf of Wolf Team's perpetually icy expression.
His pupils contracted almost imperceptibly.
Before you continue