Beneath the Peace Office.
Under the bright lights, everyone surrounded Lin Qiye as though he were a panda on display, leaving him thoroughly embarrassed.
"Ahem, ahem!"
"Stop staring!"
"Oh, right!" Hongying looked away, though curiosity still filled her face. "You're a God's Agent! This might be the only time I ever meet one!"
"Hey, hey! Uncle Zhao said you scared the Ghost Face King stiff with just one look. You must be really strong!" Si Xiaonan crouched on the sofa, her chin resting in her hands, looking adorably innocent.
Lin Qiye blushed at her words. He had practically died, for crying out loud.
"All right, all right! Got nothing to do, have you? Need more training?" Chen Muye grabbed Si Xiaonan, lifted her up, and casually tossed her aside. Then he faced Lin Qiye with a serious expression and introduced himself:
"Hello!"
"I'm Chen Muye, captain of the Night Watchers' 136 Squad!"
He pointed at Zhao Kongcheng, who stood nearby holding an insulated mug. "Zhao Kongcheng, the 136 Squad's Watcher. You already know him."
No sooner had he finished than Hongying's bright, cheerful voice rang out. "My turn, my turn!"
She struck a cool pose and continued, "Hongying, the 136 Squad's primary attacker!"
"Hello!" Facing this group of strangers, Lin Qiye nodded politely.
"Hello. Wen Qimo, frontline combatant of the Night Watchers' 136 Squad!"
A white towel was held out to Lin Qiye by the man who had just spoken.
Lin Qiye looked toward the voice and saw an ordinary-looking young man. He accepted the towel with a smile. "Thank you!"
"No problem. Dry your hair, at least. You don't want to catch a cold!" Wen Qimo looked unremarkable, but he was gentle.
"Hey, I'm Si Xiaonan. You can just call me Xiaonan!" Si Xiaonan's smile was so soothing that a single glance could lift anyone's mood. "I'm also the 136 Squad's medic and combat support. Come find me if you get hurt."
"Okay!"
Just then, the aloof, handsome man who had been leaning against a pillar spoke. "Leng Xuan. Ranged fire support!"
Everyone present had finished introducing themselves, and Lin Qiye had a rough idea of who they were. Above all, every member of the 136 Squad had something distinctive about them.
His gaze swept across the hall, but he couldn't find Wang Quan, that show-off with the damn white hair. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, a familiar, faintly obnoxious voice rang out.
"Yo!"
"Looking for me?"
"Little Qiye!"
"Your handsome friend's right here!"
Lin Qiye's expression froze. He turned his head stiffly and snapped, "Are you a damn ghost?"
"Do you walk without making a sound?"
"Making a sound? Not happening!" Wang Quan swung his long legs over the back of the sofa and sat beside Lin Qiye.
"Anyway, what do you do in this squad?"
"Me?" Wang Quan picked up an apple from the coffee table and took a bite, mumbling, "Crash here, mooch meals. Basically, I'm on vacation!"
"Qiye, he belongs to the Night Watchers' Special Squad, [Daybreak]. He's the best of the best."
"You've only just learned about the Night Watchers, and you've already met an elite. You're pretty lucky!"
Wen Qimo added this with a hint of admiration in his voice.
"Holy shit!"
Looking at Wang Quan's flippant demeanor as he took huge bites of his apple, Lin Qiye swallowed with difficulty and sighed.
"Are you Night Watchers really a legitimate organization?"
"Of course. Completely legitimate!" Wang Quan insisted.
"To be precise, we're a paramilitary organization with strict discipline and exemplary conduct!" Chen Muye explained.
"Then can I quit in ten years?"
Chen Muye's mouth twitched at the question. He shook his head. "The Night Watchers aren't a neighborhood committee. You can't just come and go whenever you please!"
"No, no, no!"
"If you're strong enough, so strong that nothing can hold you back, you can do whatever you want. Become Commander-in-Chief, for instance!" Wang Quan patted Lin Qiye's shoulder, but a moment later, his eyes turned cold. "But if you do something truly evil, you'll be sent to the next world!"
"Got it!"
"Whether I can leave in ten years or not, I'll bear the consequences!"
Just as he finished speaking, footsteps sounded outside the lounge. Wu Xiangnan walked in with a stack of documents. "Captain, all the relevant paperwork is here!"
"Lin Qiye just needs to fill it out. Then we wait for approval from the higher-ups."
Only after speaking did he notice Lin Qiye. He adjusted his glasses and greeted him politely. "Hello! I'm Wu Xiangnan, vice-captain of the Night Watchers' 136 Squad!"
"Since you've decided to join, you just need to fill out these forms!"
"Okay, thank you!" Lin Qiye took the documents. Just as he began writing, Wang Quan dialed a number.
"Hey, Commander. Does my approval count for Michael's agent's paperwork?"
"Wang Quan, I'm fucking busy!"
"Stop calling me over every little thing! Do you think this is your own house?"
Ye Fan swore furiously. Everyone in the 136 Squad stared wide-eyed, especially Chen Muye, who had met the Commander-in-Chief before.
None of them had imagined that Wang Quan could contact the Commander-in-Chief directly. As expected of a Special Squad member.
"Yes, yes, it counts. Just sign it!"
"Okay!"
Wang Quan hung up and signed each of the documents Lin Qiye had already signed.
"Now you've semi-officially joined the Night Watchers!"
Lin Qiye: "???"
Didn't he say all you had to do was sign?
"That's not quite it. After their applications are approved, recruits still have to attend a year-long training camp to learn hand-to-hand combat, firearms, tactical deployment, using forbidden ruins, and so on," Wu Xiangnan explained.
"Until then, why not let little Qiye serve as a temporary member of the 136 Squad?" Wang Quan suggested.
"Fine!"
"But room and board aren't included!"
"Captain Chen, don't be so stingy!"
"It's just one more bowl and pair of chopsticks!"
Chen Muye glared at Wang Quan. "You're freeloading here yourself, and you have the nerve to say that!"
Suddenly, Lin Qiye's voice drifted over quietly. "Everyone, I can't go back to Aunt's house. I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to leave again."
"So where am I supposed to stay for the next month?"
"Didn't you say the benefits were amazing, old man? That I'd never have to worry about food or clothes again?"
"Ahem!"
"Those benefits are for official members!" Old Zhao coughed lightly and chuckled.
"I'll pay for your food and lodging. I'm the one who kept pushing you to join, after all!" Zhao Kongcheng promised immediately.
"No, no, no. I have plenty of spare rooms at home. Just stay with me!" The warmhearted Hongying spoke up. "As for food, the captain's always had a sharp tongue and a soft heart. He won't let you starve!"
"Hm?"
"I said room and board weren't included!" With his thoughts exposed, Chen Muye glared at Hongying and walked away.
"See? I called it!" Hongying was still basking in her triumph.
"Hongying, it seems you've been slacking off quite a bit in training lately!"
"Come to the training room. Let's spar!"
"Ah, no!"
-Don't be fooled, I'm just a little sheep~
-The green grass smells sweeter because of me~
-The sky turns bluer because of me~
A ringtone suddenly filled the lounge. Everyone exchanged glances, wondering who would use such a childish ringtone.
It was none other than the strongest person among them, Wang Quan.
He took out his phone. The caller's name on the screen read:
Baili Xin.
Before you continue