Following the prepared script, Jiang Baimian started from Shuiwei Town, focusing on the main points as she recounted their journey all the way back to Red Stone Collection.
In this, she concealed the "establishment" of the Shang Jianyao Brotherhood branch in Wild Grass City and the "abduction" of the intelligent robot Genava. At the same time, in dealing with Dimarco, she portrayed the Vigilance Church as the dominant force, while the "Old Task Force" was merely a mercenary group joining the ranks for rewards and a little bit of justice, making it seem like there was little danger and that the sky would be held up by taller individuals.
In reality, there was nothing wrong with this, just as Viyel had said, behind coincidences, destiny is often flowing.
Xi Yu first picked up her celadon ceramic teacup, took a sip, and then shook her head with a smile, exclaiming with emotion:
"The things you encountered on this trip were more numerous and dangerous than what others experience in ten or twenty missions. It's simply unbelievable.
"It was the same last time. You just went to deliver a filter chip and a whole pile of things happened."
As she spoke, Shang Jianyao had already turned his gaze towards Long Yuehong. Jiang Baimian forcibly restrained herself from doing the same, while Bai Chen remained calm, as if the "plague of misfortune" was not the "Old Task Force."
In front of the Deputy Minister, Long Yuehong couldn't refute, so he sat up straight, pretending not to notice Shang Jianyao's gaze.
"What's wrong?" Xi Yu asked, noticing the slight anomaly.
Jiang Baimian explained with a smile:
"Because we ourselves feel that we've encountered too much danger and too many things, we suspect whether some of our team members have had bad luck recently. Anyway, it's just you guessing, me guessing, you saying, me saying, just a habitual way of adjusting our mood."
Xi Yu chuckled:
"Jokes are fine, but don't take them seriously. Superstition is a very bad thing."
I used to believe in science too… At this moment, Long Yuehong seemed to hear the inner voices of Jiang Baimian, Shang Jianyao, and Bai Chen.
Xi Yu took another sip of tea and then asked:
"During the process of dealing with the 'Underground Ark,' did you witness the battle between the Vigilance Church and Dimarco?"
"No." Jiang Baimian shook her head without hesitation.
"No." Shang Jianyao echoed with exceptional sincerity.
Bai Chen and Long Yuehong also used body language to give similar answers.
This was definitely not a lie.
The Vigilance Church had not engaged in battle with Dimarco at all, so they certainly could not have witnessed it.
Xi Yu nodded slightly and said:
"What a pity. Otherwise, you could have gained a lot of important information about Awakened and the 'Mind Corridor.'"
She then put away the gentle smile that usually adorned her face and said seriously:
"You are going to Initial City next. It's a place full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, with countless Awakened at the 'Mind Corridor' level.
"Compared to fierce firepower, large armies, and various advanced equipment, these people are more dangerous and more terrifying. This isn't to say that they can use their bodies to block missiles, but in crowded and chaotic cities, their abilities, their coverage, are enough to kill anyone unprepared without them even realizing it.
"Fortunately, you have experience in dealing with that 'Higher Heartless,' so you're not completely ignorant."
Jiang Baimian seized the opportunity to say:
"Minister, I was just about to bring this up.
"I wonder if we can apply for all the information that the company has collected in the field of Awakened? It would be best to have the corresponding deities and domains for different abilities, as well as the approximate range of costs. This way, when we encounter believers of different deities, we can effectively take precautions.
"We can't always wait until we encounter them and then ask the company by sending telegrams. Not every time nothing happens, allowing us to calmly return to our residence and take out the telegraph machine."
Xi Yu listened silently and nodded slightly:
"Your concerns are indeed reasonable. I will try to help you apply.
"In fact, you have investigated to this extent, and you are qualified to obtain more information."
Speaking of this, she smiled:
"Although you encountered many things, you also gained a lot. Just learning about the Nine Great Research Institutes and figuring out the original identity of the former First Citizen of Initial City is a significant contribution.
"Once the review is complete, your employee level will definitely increase again, and the corresponding permissions will also increase.
"But, don't be too superstitious about the information provided by the company. It is not so perfect, and there may be errors. Also, there is no necessary connection between believing in which deity and awakening which ability. It can only be said that the probability is higher in the corresponding field, but there are also many exceptions, and you must never generalize."
Once the nature of the enemy's abilities is misjudged, it can really be fatal.
Jiang Baimian and others also had this experience:
Shang Jianyao once had a segment of his memory erased by an Awakened from the "Life Sacrifice" cult. This clearly belonged to the "Endling" domain, but the person's deity was "Siming."
At this time, seeing that the Deputy Minister was about to raise new questions, Long Yuehong mustered his courage and quickly asked:
"Minister, I have a question:
"We all, uh, most of us have undergone genetic modification. Will it be very obvious when we get to Initial City, and will it easily make people suspect that we are from Pangu Biology?"
And his own company's reputation on the graylands didn't seem too good, and Initial City was the closest major power, so there must be fierce competition between the two sides.
Xi Yu looked at Long Yuehong and smiled:
"Don't worry. When you get to Initial City, you will find that tall people and good-looking people, if not everywhere, are at least not so rare."
She paused and explained with a smile:
"What do you think the company is trading with when it exports so much genetically modified stock solution every year in exchange for supplies?"
"So that's how it is..." Long Yuehong pretended to have an epiphany.
When he had nothing to do along the way, he also finished reading the book "An Actor Prepares" that Shang Jianyao had exchanged for.
Xi Yu glanced at the clock on the wall and said thoughtfully:
"Let's stop here for today. You can rest for a while. You can decide when to leave yourself. Just file a report."
Her expression became serious again:
"I must remind you that investigating the cause of the Old World's destruction is definitely a dangerous thing. Besides us, many other major forces have also made similar attempts, but the teams they sent, after investigating to a certain extent, either disappeared, died, or went crazy, with almost no exceptions.
"Plus, there are many hidden powerhouses in Initial City. This time, you must be careful and stay in contact with the company at all times."
"Yes, Minister!" Shang Jianyao replied with a full voice.
"..." Xi Yu was stunned for a moment. "No need to be so formal. I'm just offering a few reminders. Okay, you can go back now."
As Jiang Baimian got up, she asked curiously:
"Minister, what exactly happened that made us have to hand over the harvested items as soon as we got to the door?
"I heard Team Leader Liu talk about the general situation, but I don't know what items that guy concealed."
Xi Yu sighed softly:
"A voice recorder containing promotional materials for a secret cult."
"What cult?" Shang Jianyao asked, suddenly excited.
"The Natural Cult." Xi Yu said simply. "We don't have any more information about it for the time being."
Natural Cult… Jiang Baimian repeated the name in her mind.
Taking this opportunity, Bai Chen, whose bones had not fully healed, pursed her lips and asked:
"Minister, when this reward comes down, can I get genetic modification or biological prosthetic limb transplantation?"
In fact, with the new exoskeleton device, she wasn't so eager for it anymore.
Xi Yu looked at Bai Chen and said seriously:
"If you insist.
"Well, provided that you fully understand the corresponding risks."
Bai Chen nodded and didn't say anything more.
Shang Jianyao and others then said goodbye to the Deputy Minister and returned to room 14 on the 647th floor.
It was just 5:30, and there was still a while before the cafeteria opened. Jiang Baimian threw herself into the recliner behind her desk, stretched out her body, and said with emotion:
"It's so comfortable at home..."
Before she finished speaking, she saw Shang Jianyao walking to the sofa and lying down directly.
"Hey, have some restraint!" Jiang Baimian realized that she was still not laid-back enough.
"It's so comfortable at home." Shang Jianyao repeated her words.
Long Yuehong sat on the single sofa next to him, and Bai Chen returned to her seat.
"I'll treat you to a big meal later!" Jiang Baimian was too lazy to move again and decided to let Shang Jianyao off the hook.
Adults don't hold grudges!
The four of them each occupied a position and chatted casually, their minds and bodies extremely relaxed.
As they chatted, the sound of voices in the room gradually disappeared.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Baimian suddenly opened her eyes.
She was awakened by her stomach's protests.
"How did I fall asleep... What time is it?" Jiang Baimian muttered silently while looking at her electronic watch.
It showed that it was 8:05 in the evening.
This meant that all the cafeterias were closed!
Jiang Baimian opened her mouth, stood up, and slapped the table twice:
"Wake up, wake up!"
Long Yuehong and Bai Chen woke up groggily.
"Is the cafeteria open?" As soon as Shang Jianyao woke up, he became very energetic.
"It's closed!" Jiang Baimian said unhappily. "How did we sleep until this time?"
She was mainly angry with herself.
Bai Chen glanced at her watch and said relatively calmly:
"It's mainly because our minds relaxed all of a sudden."
Outside the company, even if they had someone on duty, they couldn't sleep peacefully. The string in their minds was always taut.
It was okay in the short term, but after so many months, even "Chosen Ones" had accumulated a lot of fatigue.
"Indeed." Jiang Baimian thought for a moment and showed a smile. "You guys wait. I'll go get some food back."
"Need any help?" Shang Jianyao asked with a glint in his eyes.
Jiang Baimian spat:
"What are you thinking? I'll go home and see what ingredients I have."
About fifteen minutes later, Jiang Baimian returned to room 14 on the 647th floor, holding vermicelli, cabbage, tomatoes, eggs, several canned meats, and an induction cooker in her arms.
She put the things down, looked around, and said with a bright smile:
"Let's make a big meal ourselves!"
"Okay!" Shang Jianyao had already rushed over.
Long Yuehong and Bai Chen looked at each other and saw smiles on each other's faces.
They thought it was quite interesting.