Voluntarily?

"This is for you. Open it and take a look." Lai'en stubbed out the cigarette in his hand and passed the document envelope to Song Zhi.

Song Zhi took it and opened it under Lai'en's gaze. Inside were her new ID card and a Swiss bank card... She looked at Lai'en, puzzled.

"You volunteered to join the Group A Special Task Squad. After an evaluation, K's upper management approved your application to join the squad as its guide... On behalf of the Group A Special Task Squad, I welcome you!"

Lai'en's welcome speech was rather stiff. Paired with his icy gaze and tone, it sounded less like he was welcoming a new member and more like he was assigning someone to a special suicide mission!

Song Zhi's brain froze. When had she volunteered to join the Group A Special Task Squad?!

"Lieutenant... wait... I don't remember ever applying to join the Group A Special Task Squad. I applied to go to a farm in Australia, although Kelante told me you'd rejected my application... There must be some misunderstanding..."

Song Zhi was completely baffled. She knew she couldn't part ways with Group A for the time being, but she had never thought of joining them.

Maintaining an "improper" sexual relationship with them was already her limit. If she had to work alongside them too, that would be terrifying!

Taboo affairs might be exciting! But it depended on who they happened to. When they happened to her, that wasn't exciting—it was deadly!

Lai'en seemed to have come prepared. He pulled out a tactical tablet and casually swiped a few times with his black-gloved fingers-

"Song, can you answer a few more questions for me?"

"Yes..."

"What's your name?"

"Song... Zhi."

It was an audio recording of Kelante's voice and hers. Song Zhi's eyes widened, and she was just about to speak when Lai'en gestured for her to be quiet.

She could only shut her mouth and wait for the recording to finish, but the more she heard, the more alarmed she became-

"In Seji, did you follow Group A of your own free will?... No matter what your reasons were."

"Yes... I did it willingly at the time, but... all right, no buts... but... I think I..."

"Don't leave us, don't leave Group A... okay?"

"Okay..."

"Okay, I won't leave you... I won't leave Group A."

What the fuck?!

When had this been recorded? When had this happened? Could it have been fabricated? They certainly had the technology.

Song Zhi sprang to her feet in alarm. She had no memory of it, but that was unmistakably her voice. She had actually agreed, actually said she wouldn't leave Group A! That she wouldn't leave them!

What a joke! If she could leave, she'd run faster than anyone! What would she stay for? To stay and let them take turns... doing her?!

"I don't remember! I don't remember any of it!" Song Zhi flatly denied it.

"The night Kelante gave you your first guide lesson. You said it yourself. Hill has the footage. Even without night vision, thermal imaging alone is enough to distinguish your various readings. You're welcome to have it authenticated!" Lai'en reminded her, his voice low and forceful.

Have it authenticated? What a joke! Who could she ask to authenticate it?! And who would dare meddle in Group A's affairs?!

"That day I watched the videotape, couldn't sleep, and then drank some alcohol... Right, I drank. I drank too much..." Song Zhi thought carefully back over what had happened that day and stressed again, "I was drunk! Can you take what someone says when they're drunk seriously?"

"Heh... what do you think? In your country, don't you take what people say when they're drunk seriously? Don't you have a saying-wine brings out the truth." Lai'en remained seated, his gaze icy. He simply picked up the gun on the table and began wiping it down.

Song Zhi suddenly felt as though she'd shot herself in the foot. How could anyone take a saying seriously?! She wanted to explain further, but Lai'en cut her off.

"Your genetic data has already been entered into K's system. Flatly denying it now isn't a smart move. Whether you were drunk or refuse to admit it, Group A and K will regard you as a deserter and a traitor. Group A has only one way of dealing with traitors..." Lai'en raised his eyes to Song Zhi again and lifted the gun in his hand.

Lai'en's chilling gaze frightened Song Zhi. There wasn't a trace of warmth in it. There was no doubt that if she said so much as another "no," a bullet from his gun would blow her head off.

"But I can't be a guide... I can't do it..." Song Zhi compromised. She no longer said she wanted to leave Group A, only that she wasn't up to being that damned guide.

"There's no such thing as can't. You're Group A's guide, and only Group A gets to decide whether you're up to the job. What Kelante taught you is enough!"

Lai'en put down his handgun, stood, and walked over to Song Zhi. He bent slightly to look at her, his tone softening a little but still leaving no room for doubt as he asked, "You'll do a good job, won't you?"

He had said, "You'll do a good job." That left Song Zhi no second option. She could only choose to do well. At this point, did she have any other choice?

"Mm..." She lowered her eyes and nodded.

"Good girl." Lai'en took off his tactical gloves and rested his broad hand on Song Zhi's head, giving it a rub.

"Starting tomorrow, you'll undergo training within Group A. Hill will take over your combat lessons from Wilk, and he'll teach you information technology as well. Once Lu gets out of the hospital, he'll teach you shooting skills and about firearms." Lai'en spoke slowly, but this was an order, not a discussion.

"Understood." Song Zhi nodded.

"Your guide lessons will be suspended for now. I'll teach you tactical analysis... We're pressed for time, so we have to use this leave to complete your internal training. These are important skills for your future survival. You won't stay at the base station in Sri Lanka forever, and it won't always be safe here... We'll start with combat lessons tomorrow."

"Understood."

"Mm, you can go." With that, Lai'en turned and returned to his chair. He didn't look at Song Zhi again, instead lowering his head and focusing on cleaning and maintaining the exquisite handgun.

Song Zhi left Lai'en's room with her identification. Hill was leaning against her bedroom doorway, waiting for her. Seeing how pale she looked, he teased, "Oh, that charming Italian big brother of yours has always been a liar... disappointed, kitten?"

Song Zhi wasn't in the mood to pay the rogue any attention. She opened her door and walked straight in, but when she tried to close it, Hill wedged his foot in the way. He was unbelievably strong.

"Put your things away and come out. I'm taking you to Wilk and Lu's rooms to pack their things. You promised to bring them a change of clothes tomorrow. When are you planning to pack?"

Song Zhi's back stiffened. She had almost forgotten about that. She quickly composed herself and said, "I can do it now."

She gripped the brand-new ID card in her hand so tightly that her knuckles turned slightly white. Taking a deep breath and trying to keep her emotions steady, she carefully slipped the card into her pocket.

She had accepted her new identity. Perhaps it wasn't as bad as she had imagined...

They were supposedly packing for Wilk and Lu Yu, but Hill was the one doing the work. Song Zhi had just picked up one of Lu Yu's T-shirts when Hill slapped the back of her hand.

"Sit in the chair. Don't move."

"Hiss!" Song Zhi pulled back her stinging hand and sat speechlessly on the wooden chair.

Hill roughly stuffed Lu Yu's clothes into a duffel bag, then turned and went to Wilk's room. Before long, he came back with an armful of clothes, bunched them together, and stuffed them into another duffel bag.

"All right, we're leaving for the hospital first thing tomorrow, then going to training. We leave at seven. You'll be punished if you're late, and I don't think you want to know what the punishment is."

"Understood!"

Song Zhi stood up, unable to understand what she was even doing following Hill around!

Early the next morning, Hill carried the two duffel bags to the car. Song Zhi sat in the back seat, her eyes red and swollen, while Lai'en sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, as if something were bothering him.

The car was quiet, oppressively so. Song Zhi was a little sleepy, but she remembered Hill's words and didn't dare sleep in his car.

Hill watched the drowsy Song Zhi in the rearview mirror and chuckled under his breath.

Lai'en got out of the car halfway there. Before getting out, he looked at Song Zhi without speaking, his gaze cold as ice.

Hill didn't hurry to start the car again. Instead, he looked at Song Zhi through the rearview mirror and said ominously, "Looking half asleep like that, are you planning to let me fuck you to death in combat class?"