646th floor, Vice Minister's office.

After knocking, Jiang Baimian entered and sat down opposite her superior with a smile.

Xi Yu was a woman who looked only in her thirties, with long chestnut hair and chestnut eyes.

She wore a white shirt underneath, and a deep black, well-tailored short jacket with only two buttons at the abdomen.

In terms of dress alone, Xi Yu looked crisp and neat, but her slightly curved chestnut hair and the faint smile on her face added a touch of gentleness, making her approachable and trustworthy.

The Deputy Minister of the Security Department picked up a celadon ceramic teacup, took a light sip, and said to Jiang Baimian with a calm smile:

"I asked you to come here because there are a few things."

After getting the ball rolling, she picked up a file on the table:

"This is the result of the review of the situations you reported earlier.

"What you need to pay attention to are the different confidentiality levels of different information. Determine which can be used to chat with ordinary employees, which can only be used for communication at a certain level, and which cannot be approved and can only be discussed internally, or told to high-level personnel with corresponding permissions."

Jiang Baimian instinctively reached out her right hand to take it, but Xi Yu didn't pass the file forward.

She tucked her hair behind her ear:

"However, you won't need this document for the time being."

"Uh?" Jiang Baimian understood the hint and vaguely guessed what was going on.

Xi Yu didn't explain immediately. After handing the file to Jiang Baimian, she gently rested her elbows on the table:

"You did a very good job with the 'Life Ritual' cult. The corresponding rewards will be issued after the preliminary conclusion of the case. When you can get them depends on the subsequent investigation progress. It may not be fast, so don't be too anxious."

She thought for a moment and added:

"Tell your team member named Shang Jianyao to cooperate with various inquiries in the next two or three days.

"This matter is being handled by the action cluster directly under the management, and I can't intervene too much."

The director of the action cluster was on the same level as her, the Deputy Minister, both belonging to the M1 management.

"Okay, I'll remind him," Jiang Baimian replied, feeling inexplicably guilty.

She couldn't guarantee at all that Shang Jianyao wouldn't have a brain fart when being questioned.

Not to mention that she couldn't guarantee it, Shang Jianyao himself couldn't guarantee it either.

Xi Yu obviously didn't hear the trace of abnormality in Jiang Baimian's tone and said instead:

"The Board of Directors held an emergency temporary meeting last night and settled the Shuizhen Town matter."

"What's the result?" Jiang Baimian didn't hide her concern.

Xi Yu said with a gentle smile:

"First, sign a friendly cooperation agreement."

Jiang Baimian breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this.

A friendly cooperation agreement was official language. Translated into simple and understandable terms, it meant:

Establishing a vassal relationship.

Although this was definitely not as good as the overall acceptance of Shuizhen Town, it was still within the range that Jiang Baimian could accept.

Xi Yu wasn't in a hurry to continue. She picked up the celadon ceramic cup, blew on the floating tea leaves, and took a sip.

After moistening her lips, she maintained her previous smile and said:

"We will carry out a series of transactions with Shuizhen Town, and we will also send an action team to help train their armed personnel and re-establish a more effective command system.

"If they apply, we will also transfer clerical staff to help them straighten out their internal management mechanisms and eliminate many conflicts before they erupt.

"After that, the people we send will slowly screen out good seedlings and provide them with the opportunity to officially join the company.

"After ten years, if the friendly relationship between Shuizhen Town and us continues, and their performance is also recognized, then we can consider accepting them as a whole."

Jiang Baimian nodded slightly:

"That's great."

This was a mature and prudent plan, and it was also more conducive to acceptance by Shuizhen Town.

Before Xi Yu could speak, Jiang Baimian asked in realization:

"Minister, do you want to send us to Shuizhen Town to negotiate?"

That's why the intelligence review file was temporarily useless.

"It saves me trouble to talk to you," Xi Yu praised with a smile. "You are the liaison for this matter, so of course we have to let you go. In three to five days, bring a radio transceiver and the corresponding batteries. If you can reach an agreement, leave the machine, give the frequency band, and let Shuizhen Town send us a telegram. You attach a agreed password as proof. If you can't reach an agreement, take the telegraph machine to Yecao City."

"Yecao City?" Jiang Baimian was a little surprised.

This was a border city of the "Initial City" located on the edge of the Monk Wasteland, a relatively open place with many relic hunters active.

The Wu Shoushi and An Ruxiang team that the "Old Task Force" had encountered before came from Yecao City.

Xi Yu nodded:

"This is your second mission.

"As you know, there are other Old Task Forces besides you.

"One of the teams entered Yecao City and sent back a telegram, but then lost contact. It's been almost three weeks now.

"We have asked the company's intelligence personnel in Yecao City to investigate, but there has been no feedback yet.

"Your task is to cooperate with the intelligence personnel to find out the truth about the missing team, make appropriate reciprocal retaliation, or follow the new clues that the team has discovered to conduct your own investigation."

The inherent investigation was the "Investigation into the Cause of the Destruction of the Old World."

"Isn't this too much to ask of us?" Jiang Baimian suppressed her eagerness to try. "Our team has only been formed for more than three months. Besides, how long has it been since the last mission ended?"

Xi Yu looked at Jiang Baimian and smiled slightly:

"I believe in you.

"Moreover, the company has a certain amount of power there that you can mobilize."

"Why does it have to be our newly established 'Old Task Force' to do it? Can't you send another team or other intelligence personnel?" Jiang Baimian was still a little puzzled.

As she spoke, she suddenly woke up:

"Minister, are you trying to get us to leave the company temporarily?"

Xi Yu nodded lightly and praised with a smile:

"You deserve the recognition."

She retracted her elbows from the table and simply explained:

"The investigation into the 'Life Ritual' cult is not going so smoothly, and many clues have been broken.

"This is not a problem that can be solved in a short period of time. We are worried that the hidden cultists will retaliate after things have calmed down a little.

"And who do you think is most likely to be retaliated against?"

"Shang Jianyao and I," Jiang Baimian replied without any hesitation.

Xi Yu "hmm"ed:

"Although we can use you as bait, I don't think we can put you at this risk.

"You are relatively fine, living in the management area, with strict controls on entry and exit. Your father has also been providing covert protection. Shang Jianyao is more dangerous. In addition, there is a smaller possibility of angering other team members."

Speaking of this, Xi Yu leaned back and exhaled silently:

"So, we decided to make the simplest choice, send you to the surface and away from this vortex.

"Believe me, the 'Life Ritual' cult is definitely more troublesome than you think.

"Go, stay on the surface for a few months and come back in the spring. By then, the problem should be solved."

Jiang Baimian agreed with this plan and asked with some worry:

"What about the families of the other team members?"

Mainly referring to Long Yuehong.

"There's no need to worry too much about that. It's been so many levels apart that it won't be their turn to be angered. Those who carried out the pursuit at that time were more qualified than them. Moreover, we will also provide a certain amount of care," Xi Yu explained simply. "If they retaliate irrationally, then we can quickly dig out their roots."

Seeing that Jiang Baimian no longer had any questions, Xi Yu picked up a file and ended the topic:

"This is the information about that team. Take a look at it these few days, and then draft a mission plan for me.

"Hehe, although the plan can never keep up with the changes when carrying out the mission, the necessary procedures still have to be followed."

Jiang Baimian took the file and put on a smile:

"Can I apply for military-grade exoskeleton devices or bionic intelligent armor?"

"What do you think?" Xi Yu asked back with a smile.

Jiang Baimian immediately wilted.

Seeing this, Xi Yu added:

"If you can get your hands on military-grade exoskeleton devices or bionic intelligent armor yourselves, then I can make the decision to keep it in your team."

"Okay!" Jiang Baimian's smile suddenly became brilliant.

This made Xi Yu a little suspicious that her wilting just now was a pretense.

…………

When Jiang Baimian returned to Room 14 on the 647th floor with two documents, Long Yuehong and Bai Chen had already arrived.

She deliberately made her expression serious and looked around:

"Two things."

Bai Chen's expression became a little more serious, and he slowly stood up from his seat. Long Yuehong felt the muscles in his back tense up instantly.

At this time, Shang Jianyao's voice rang out:

"Team Leader, you're smirking."

Jiang Baimian could no longer hold back her expression and scolded with a smile:

"Where am I smirking?"

"I guessed it," Shang Jianyao said with a serious face.

"..." Jiang Baimian took a breath and exhaled slowly, then turned to Bai Chen and said, "The approval for Shuizhen Town is here."

Seeing that there wasn't a trace of gloom in Jiang Baimian's smile, Bai Chen secretly breathed a sigh of relief and couldn't wait to ask:

"What's the result?"

Jiang Baimian repeated the words of Deputy Minister Xi Yu, and finally said:

"The task of contacting them has been handed over to us. We'll leave in three days."

Bai Chen had no objection to the method of first becoming a vassal for cooperation and then considering acceptance. He rarely took the initiative to say:

"Even if you didn't give me the task, I would have applied to participate."

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to rest assured.

"That's great," Long Yuehong also exclaimed.

He vividly remembered the scene of the children in Shuizhen Town reading.

Shang Jianyao asked inexplicably:

"Can we apply for more canned food for trading this time?"

"You can trade more within your share, but it will be relatively more troublesome on the road later. It's already winter, and there's very little food," Jiang Baimian laid out the pros and cons.

Bai Chen asked keenly:

"On the road later?"

Simply returning from Shuizhen Town would only take a little over a day, or maybe even less, so there was no need to find extra food.

Jiang Baimian glanced at Long Yuehong and sighed:

"Isn't there a second thing?

"We have to go to Yecao City."

Long Yuehong blurted out:

"How long will that take?"

The girl he had just met through an introduction and was getting along well with. With a little more time, they might be able to confirm their relationship.

"At least a month or so, and at most three or four months," Jiang Baimian gave a kind smile, not making a definitive statement.