The Dragon Horn Building was the political center and was closed to outsiders. The Thirteenth Bureau's headquarters was located beneath it, with many hidden passages leading inside. Han Xiao followed Feng Jun through an underground air-raid shelter for half an hour before they reached headquarters. It was his first time coming to the Thirteenth Bureau's headquarters without a blindfold.
"Your damned place is really hard to find."
"That's what makes it safe." Feng Jun swiped his ID card at the access control, and the metal doors opened.
The space suddenly opened up before them. Just inside was a spacious hall with people coming and going. Han Xiao had assumed a secret agency would have a gloomy atmosphere, but the Thirteenth Bureau was brightly lit. Although it was underground, the air was not stale in the slightest. If Han Xiao could have seen the plans, he would have known that the Thirteenth Bureau extended as deep underground as the Dragon Horn Building was tall, forming a heavily guarded underground base.
Feng Jun handed Han Xiao a mask and a level-one access card for the Stardragon Homeland Strategic Defense Bureau. "It's best not to let too many people know what you look like. Put this on."
The mask was black, with a bare-assed muscular man embroidered right over the mouth. Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Feng Jun, who was trying to hold back his laughter.
You did that on purpose, didn't you!
"Why are you looking at me? Hurry up and put it on." Feng Jun pressed his lips together, but a cough of laughter escaped through them, and he hurriedly covered his mouth.
"Heh." Han Xiao grabbed Feng Jun's sleeve, tore off a strip of cloth, and tied it over his face. He casually stuffed the mask that revealed Feng Jun's tastes into his pocket. "Keep something this nice for yourself."
Feng Jun looked pained. That was my newly issued uniform...
Han Xiao suddenly noticed someone watching him. He turned to see an unfamiliar young man in a white coat glaring at him, his eyes full of anger, as though Han Xiao were the neighbor who had cuckolded him and become his sworn enemy.
"Why's he so angry?" Han Xiao was baffled.
Feng Jun recognized Luo Xuan, but he did not know how to explain. He gave a wry smile. "Well... just pretend he's not there."
Luo Xuan had never seen Han Xiao's real face, but he was certain that the masked man beside Feng Jun was the one in question. He watched the two head toward the Secret Operations Department, his eyes practically spitting fire.
The Secret Operations Department had a floor to itself, with noticeably fewer people than the other departments.
They were meeting in the squad's conference room. Feng Jun escorted Han Xiao to the door and then left.
Han Xiao pushed the door open and entered. Li Yalin, Lambert, and Lin Yao had already been waiting for a while.
Li Yalin had her legs sprawled across the conference table, Lambert was silently polishing his saber with his head down, and Lin Yao sat upright with both hands on his knees.
"You're the logistics member the director made a special exception to let into our squad?"
Li Yalin stood up and circled Han Xiao, looking him up and down curiously.
The director made a special exception? A logistics member? Han Xiao's gaze shifted as he sized up Li Yalin. She was tall, with a full bust and a shapely rear. She wore a yellow athletic hoodie over a black bodysuit. Her features were delicate and pretty, and her eyes were bright and lively. Her looks were at least a ninety out of a hundred. Of all the women Han Xiao had met, only Hila could rival her in looks.
"I'm Han Xiao, a mechanic."
Lin Yao stood up awkwardly, knocking his chair with the sudden movement. He extended a hand and said stiffly, "H-hello, I'm Lin Yao, the squad's hacker."
Lambert remained seated. "I'm Lambert, a sniper," he said coolly.
Han Xiao shook Lin Yao's hand. He did not mind Lambert's cold attitude; one look at the burly fellow told him he was a man of few words.
"Why are you wearing a mask?" Li Yalin blinked her big eyes and curiously tried to pull Han Xiao's face covering off.
Han Xiao dodged her.
"Hiding your face like that-don't you trust us?"
Li Yalin grumbled in displeasure.
Han Xiao paused. "My identity is classified."
Since he had been assigned to Li Yalin's squad, that meant the higher-ups considered these people trustworthy, and there would be no problem with showing his face. But Han Xiao felt that keeping it covered would save him trouble. With a little thought, he could imagine the conversation that would follow if he showed his face:
"Aren't you that wanted criminal?" "Why would the bureau let you join?" "Why is the Germinal Organization pursuing you?" "What did you do?"
Just thinking about it gave him a headache.
To avoid a string of time-wasting questions, Han Xiao decided to keep his face covered.
He would not stay in the Thirteenth Bureau forever; it was just a stepping stone. Apart from the higher-ups, the fewer people who knew his real face, the better.
"Your identity is classified? Wait..." Li Yalin suddenly thought of something and hurried over to Han Xiao. Full of anticipation, she asked, "Did you make the Light Power Arm?"
Han Xiao was taken aback. "How did you know?"
"Ha ha, it really was you!" Li Yalin cheered and, acting as though they were already friends, slung an arm around Han Xiao's shoulders. "As long as you can make me a mechanical arm, I'll have your back."
Han Xiao's mouth twitched. "I charge for my work," he said solemnly.
Li Yalin threw her head back and laughed, then asked quietly, "Can I get a discount?"
"No."
"Cheapskate," Li Yalin muttered.
"I still don't know your name." Han Xiao was at a loss with this overly familiar beauty.
"Li Yalin. I handle close combat." Li Yalin pursed her lips.
Han Xiao glanced at the three of them. "So the four of us make up a squad?"
"No, there's also the captain. He's the point man."
"Where is he?"
Han Xiao looked around and rummaged through the trash can, but he did not find anyone hiding.
"No need to look. The captain's recovering from an injury."
Han Xiao's tone grew serious. "Even the captain couldn't avoid getting hurt. Looks like the Secret Operations Department's work is dangerous."
The three exchanged glances, all looking a little awkward.
Lin Yao said sheepishly, "The captain was hospitalized with food poisoning."
"..."
Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, unable to muster a retort.
Lin Yao coughed and took the initiative to explain the Secret Operations Department's structure:
"The Secret Operations Department handles special, high-difficulty missions. The department is organized into squads of four to seven people. Each month, we only have to complete the mandatory missions assigned by the department. When we're not on a mission, we can use our time as we please."
"The structure's that loose?" Han Xiao was surprised. He had thought an elite department like this would be extremely busy.
"Because the members of the Secret Operations Department are all elites. Some secret agents are specially recruited outsiders, not people who came up through the Thirteenth Bureau. Uncle Lambert is one of them. He used to be an ace in a special forces unit and was specially recruited into the Thirteenth Bureau." Lin Yao scratched his cheek sheepishly, feeling that he might have sounded like he was boasting. His skin was nowhere near as thick as Han Xiao's.
"Your role is squad logistics. You're responsible for providing logistics equipment and coordinating supplies. During operations, you'll collect, coordinate, and organize intelligence, staying in the rear and acting as our eyes and ears. That's your job."
That's pretty easy... but I want to kill monsters!
Han Xiao could understand the arrangement. He possessed a great deal of intelligence, and the Thirteenth Bureau's higher-ups would not let him put himself in danger.
As the saying went, gains came at a cost. He had obtained the Thirteenth Bureau's protection and a safe environment to develop in, monopolized a faction's potential market, and taken orders to manufacture machinery and grind experience. All in all, he had come out ahead.
The Mechanic Class was weak in the early stages, with limited combat power and a focus on logistics. Technical work was its main source of experience. The guns and ammunition used to kill monsters all cost money, unlike the Pugilist and Esper Classes, which possessed powerful offensive capabilities of their own.
"Does our squad have a name?" Han Xiao suddenly asked.
"A squad name?" Li Yalin pursed her lips. "We don't have anything that fancy."
Oh, pragmatism. Han Xiao approved.
The four chatted for a while, making the acquaintance of their future teammates.
Lin Yao looked at the computer and suddenly said, "The department's assigned us a mission: capture Black Spider, who's hiding in West Capital."
Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. A mission as soon as he joined? It was probably the bureau's idea, to help the new team get used to working together.
"Black Spider? I know him," Li Yalin said lazily. "A notorious bounty hunter and lone mercenary. The Field Operations Department's last attempt to capture him failed, and he set off explosives that blew up two streets. I didn't expect him to dare stay in West Capital."
Lambert was brief. "When do we leave?"
"There's no rush. The Intelligence Department has already confirmed his location. It'll be more advantageous to move at night."
Lin Yao said to Han Xiao, "This is your first mission, so just get used to the logistics work for now."
The three did not care about Han Xiao's identity. His being allowed into the Secret Operations Department meant the higher-ups trusted him.
[You have triggered the E-rank mission [Black Spider]. Accept/decline?]
"Accept."
[Mission details: Black Spider, a notorious killer and bounty hunter. This is your first operation since joining the Secret Operations Department. As support, your duty is to assist the squad in completing this operation.] [Mission requirement: Defeat Black Spider.] [Reward: 5,000 experience] [Special reward: 40,000 experience or a Mind Stabilizer.]