Up to the Job

"Haha, young man, your name is Qin Yiguan, right?"

"Do you have any special skills? Tell me about them so I can find you a suitable position."

Chen Fazheng was in high spirits. As far as he was concerned, he had gained another reckless fool under his command today.

The boy considered for a moment. "I'm good at solving crimes. I've helped several police departments crack major cases. Once I take a case, not a single criminal escapes me."

At those words...

Chen Fazheng stiffened, his eyes slowly widening.

Silence fell over the room. Hundreds of Gang members in the hall turned to look at him.

After thirty seconds of silence...

Some had already reached for the machetes behind their backs.

This brat...

Was he fucking here to start trouble?

The boy paused. "I'm telling the truth."

Some gang members were already edging toward him.

I've seen undercover cops before, but never one this blatant!

You've got some fucking balls!

"But..."

A faint chill entered the boy's flickering gaze. "If I wanted to commit a crime, nobody would be able to catch me either!"

Silence fell again.

The hundreds of gangsters stopped in their tracks. Looking into the boy's eyes, they saw nothing but ruthlessness and felt an inexplicable fear. Surely no one could develop that kind of presence without getting blood on their hands dozens of times.

"Hahaha!"

"Excellent!"

In the distance, Wulong Baiyan of NST suddenly burst out laughing.

He swept out a hand and laughed wildly. "I like this kid! Turning away from the light and embracing the darkness-a real talent! Human resources director, Chen Fazheng! Find him a good position!"

At that very moment...

Jiu Zhengxuan stood beneath the dazzling lights.

Prominent figures from every field cast approving looks his way.

Lu Zun clasped his hands behind his back, his intangible authority spreading through the room. "I hereby announce the establishment of the Metaverse Experimental Zone's first Youth Order Squad, designated 01!"

"This squad will serve as volunteer police, maintaining order within the Experimental Zone, investigating crimes, and apprehending perpetrators."

"I believe they will mark the beginning of order in the Experimental Zone."

"If this squad performs well, I will eventually redesignate it as an official police unit, and even establish a dedicated police department for the Experimental Zone!"

"Jiu Zhengxuan."

"In my capacity as supreme commander of the B5 and B6 Sectors, I hereby appoint you captain of the Youth Order Squad!"

"You will hold supreme command over the entire squad."

"You will also have the highest authority to mobilize the supporting forces of both sectors!"

Thunderous applause erupted.

"As human resources director, I hereby announce!"

Chen Fazheng likewise stood in the center of the Church, surveying the hundreds of gangsters.

"I hereby appoint young Qin Yiguan, who joined us just today..."

"As..."

"The boss of the 157th Hall of the Dog Gang, the sixty-seventh-ranked Gang in our Experimental Zone!"

"Let's give him a round of applause!"

A scattering of applause rang out.

Someone spat straight onto the floor.

The boy turned to Chen Fazheng. "How many known gangs are there in the Experimental Zone?"

Chen Fazheng smiled. "All the small gangs have been wiped out or absorbed. Only sixty-seven remain."

The boy nodded. "So we're actually the lowest-ranked Gang?"

Chen Fazheng frowned. "Don't talk nonsense. We're in the top hundred!"

The boy nodded sheepishly. "Then may I ask how many halls our Dog Gang has?"

Chen Fazheng chuckled. "One hundred and fifty-seven."

The boy drew a slight breath.

Just as I thought.

I'm the... boss of the lowest-ranked hall in the lowest-ranked gang.

At that moment...

The boy suddenly realized something and asked, "Don't tell me I'm the only person in this 157th Hall?"

"Hehe."

"You really are a sharp one, Boss Qin."

Chen Fazheng spread his hands. "You even figured that out."

"Zheng Xuan."

"Now that the Youth Order Squad has been established..."

"As its captain, you should naturally have assistants."

Lu Zun surveyed the room.

A relatively petite young woman stepped forward.

"Her?"

Jiu Zhengxuan was momentarily taken aback.

The girl in the blue school uniform, her hair tied in a high ponytail, was the very "hostage" who had been held captive earlier.

But she no longer looked frightened, as she had immediately after her rescue.

Instead, her expression was calm and aloof, her eyes gleaming with intelligence.

"Zheng Xuan."

With his hands behind his back, Lu Zun said, "There was still a significant mistake in how you handled things earlier."

"Your assessment was correct. She was indeed being held captive."

"But you overlooked who she herself might be."

"Someone being held captive isn't necessarily a hostage."

At that moment...

The girl with the ponytail stared at Jiu Zhengxuan, gave him a mysterious smile, and pointed behind him.

Jiu Zhengxuan also realized something was wrong and reached behind himself.

He suddenly discovered that, at some unknown point, someone had marked the back of his suit with a red X.

A trace of severity entered Lu Zun's gaze as he looked at Jiu Zhengxuan. He said quietly, "If she had been an assassin planted by the robbers, you would already be dead."

Jiu Zhengxuan fell silent for a moment, then said seriously, "Father, I didn't overlook anything."

Then Jiu Zhengxuan raised his chin slightly and looked at the girl with the ponytail.

The girl immediately realized something too and turned to look at her own back.

She tugged slightly at her clothes and found that, at some unknown point, a red X had also been marked on her back, right over her heart.

Her expression darkened.

"Hehe. Good."

"So you were evenly matched!"

Lu Zun cleared his throat. "Now, allow me to formally introduce her. This is Huo Shuang, the top graduate of the Army Command Academy's class of 2121."

"She excels at strategic command, battlefield deployment, and close-quarters combat."

"From now on, she will be the Youth Order Squad's second member."

The girl named Huo Shuang waved her arm, bringing up an information panel.

"My current fusion rate is 29%."

"That's a long way behind Captain Zheng Xuan's. I look forward to your guidance, Captain."

Huo Shuang spoke slowly, but her expression showed that she had no intention of admitting defeat.

"She's only twenty, isn't she? And she's already graduated from the Army Command Academy?"

"A fusion rate of 29%-she's a first-rate prodigy too!"

Whispers spread through the crowd.

Hiss! Hiss! Hiss!

The hiss of pneumatic machinery came from behind them, accompanied by the sound of heavy mechanical armor striking the floor.

A figure encased from head to toe in an exoskeleton slowly approached.

As he reached Jiu Zhengxuan's side, the mechanical armor began to retract and fold, finally withdrawing into a case on the young man's back.

The muscular young man had short hair like steel needles and a resolute face. He gave Lu Zun a regulation military salute.

"Greetings, Commander Lu!"

"Wei Hu of the B6 Sector's 28th Guardian Army, reporting for duty."

Lu Zun returned the salute and turned to Jiu Zhengxuan. "Wei Hu is the youngest lieutenant in the 28th Guardian Army. He turned twenty just yesterday. He's an expert with machinery, and he gained enhanced machinery control within the Experimental Zone. His current fusion rate is 28%."

"With the technological assistance he now has..."

Lu Zun glanced at the small case on Wei Hu's back. "It's no exaggeration to say that his firepower alone rivals an entire regiment from the old era!"

Jiu Zhengxuan gave Wei Hu a slight nod.

Lu Zun continued, "With that, the squad's two founding members have made their appearances. Both are the elite of the elite!"