Xiao Han felt the car come to a stop. Someone pushed him out, and he stood alone for a moment, exposed to the wind. Then he heard the car's exhaust fade into the distance. Only then did he remove his black mask, glancing around. He found himself at an intersection several blocks away from the repair shop.
Several bright moons hung in the sky.
"What a mysterious setup," Xiao muttered, pursing his lips.
His objective largely accomplished, Xiao hummed a tune as he strolled leisurely. Before long, he arrived outside the repair shop. Seeing the lights still on inside, he inwardly groaned. He'd been missing for three days—Lv Qian must be frantic.
The moment he entered, he spotted Lv Qian pacing anxiously.
Her expression darkened instantly as she stormed over to berate him. "Where have you been?! Do you have any idea how worried I was? You're from out of town—I thought something terrible had happened to you! I was about to call the police!"
Knowing he needs to apologise, Xiao simply rolled his eyes, adopting a defiant, "What's the big deal?" attitude.
"What the hell were you doing?"
"Taking a walk."
Lv Qian flared up. "Can't you come up with a more plausible excuse?"
"I think it's perfectly plausible..."
"I saw on the news yesterday that there was a shootout near the Klo Scrapyard. I thought something had happened to you."
So that's why Lv Qian had been worried. Xiao listened to her scolding without a hint of impatience, feeling a warm glow inside.
It wasn't easy to have someone who cared about him.
But that feeling of gratitude was instantly shattered by Old Man Lv.
"I thought you wouldn't come back alive. What a disappointment."
"Heh."
Damn old man!
After venting her frustration, Lv Qian gritted her teeth and said with a pained expression, "I'll buy you a phone in a few days. Don't go missing again... The cost will be deducted from your salary."
"No need. I already have a phone." Han Xiao pulled out a black device.
The Bureau 13 said this number couldn't be shared with others?
Ignore it, ignore it. Like a turtle chanting sutras.
Old Man Lv's eyes narrowed. He pulled Xiao aside and frowned. "That's a Bureau 13 encrypted phone. You joined Bureau 13?"
"Wow, you're well-informed, old man." Xiao offered a perfunctory compliment.
"Hmph. If you joined Bureau 13, why are you still working in my shop? Get out of here."
"You get out. I'm not going anywhere."
"You insolent brat! How dare you speak to me like that? Staying in my shop must mean you have ulterior motives..."
Old Man Lv was furious, but suddenly his expression changed. He fixed Xiao with a piercing stare and said, enunciating each word deliberately, "You wouldn't happen to have your eye on my granddaughter, would you?"
"You've got the wrong idea!" Xiao suddenly sensed trouble brewing.
Old Lv's expression shifted rapidly—hostility, contemplation, relief, excitement, scrutiny, satisfaction, warmth, and benevolence all flashed across his face in a single second. It was more astonishing than a Sichuan opera face-changing act. The gaze he gave Xiao, reminiscent of a grandfather eyeing his future grandson-in-law, sent chills down Xiao's spine.
Wait, this isn't how the script goes!
"Young Han, my little Qian isn't getting any younger. Why don't you... take her?"
Xiao's face froze. "Old Lv, as the saying goes, forced fruit never tastes sweet."
"If you don't force it, you won't even get the melon. My unlucky son's only contribution was giving me a granddaughter. Our family needs to carry on the next generation. Make an effort and give me a great-grandchild."
What f** is "our family"? Don't you dare cause trouble!
"Heh, young folks should pursue romance with passion—not this slow pace. I can only help you this far." Old Lv patted Xiao's shoulder with an enigmatic smile, then strolled away leisurely, leaving Xiao stoned in the wind.
Grandparents desperate for grandchildren are terrifying!
Xiao turned around to find Lv Qian standing behind him, her eyes bright and moist as if they might spill over any moment. She stared intently at him, lips pressed together in silence.
"If I said it was a misunderstanding, would you believe me?"
"Bad... bad boy." Lv Qian covered her flushed cheeks and scampered upstairs.
Well, clearly not.
Xiao groaned inwardly, slapping his forehead.
Today's events were just too bizarre.
...
Luo Xuan had been restless these past few days, anxious that Xiao Han joining the Logistics Department might threaten his position.
Finally, unable to contain himself, Luo Xuan sought out the department head to inquire about Xiao's background.
"His specific details are classified." The Logistics Department Head—a jolly, potbellied man perpetually wearing a smile—glanced around to ensure no one was nearby before lowering his voice. "All I can tell you is that he's already joined Bureau 13."
Luo Xuan felt his heart skip a beat. "Will he be assigned to Logistics or R&D?" he asked nervously.
If he joined Logistics, Luo Xuan could suppress him. But if he went to R&D, Luo Xuan would be powerless to control him.
The Logistics Director shook his head. "Neither. He was specially recruited into the Secret Operations Division and will be reporting for duty in a few days."
Luo Xuan was caught off guard, completely stunned by the news.
The guy wasn't even coming to the Logistics Department to mess with him—what was there to suppress?
He'd worked diligently for years and still didn't qualify for the Secret Operations Division, yet that mysterious rival who'd humiliated him got recruited on his very first day. The coveted spot in the division he'd pursued was snatched away without a whisper. Luo Xuan nearly exploded with rage.
This wasn't fair!
...
A week after the gunfight at Klo Scrapyard, the leaders of the other six districts in West City gathered to discuss a major recent development—District 7 had lost its ruler. Tanuki had vanished into thin air.
Through various channels, the other leaders pieced together fragments of information. They were stunned to learn Tanuki's disappearance was somehow connected to the all-powerful Bureau 13.
What on earth had Tanuki done to provoke such a colossal entity?
The leader of District Two, who subtly commanded the group and had convened this meeting, spoke with heavy gravity: "Tanuki is gone. He crossed someone he shouldn't have. We'll likely never see him again."
The gathered bosses felt a pang of shared misfortune. Despite their outward swagger, each knew the Bureau 13 could erase any of them from existence at will. Their underground operations were mere ripples compared to its power.
After all, Starcapital was the nation's capital. They appeared glamorous, but in reality, they were merely rats scavenging scraps in dark corners—not even as significant as the firearms dealers or intelligence brokers operating in the slums. Those had powerful backers, while these bosses were merely tools in the hands of the Star Dragon's high-ranking officials. Should they ever become inconvenient, a single word could seal their fate.
"Who will take over the Seventh District?"
The bosses exchanged glances, none speaking.
Normally, seizing territory would spark a scramble for profits, yet silence reigned. It wasn't that they coveted Tanuki's turf—it was that the situation remained unclear. The Seventh District had become a den of dragons and tigers in their eyes. Who knew if they'd end up like Tanuki, embroiled in trouble?
The Second District boss surveyed the room and asked gravely, "None of you wish to take it?"
Silence fell.
"Very well. Then we shall wait for a newcomer to step up." His expression remained impassive.
With no controller left in the Seventh District's grey zone, a bloody battle was inevitable. Some of the "clever ones" who had been suppressed by Tanuki would see an opportunity to advance.
But this wasn't the boss willingly giving the newcomer a chance. They were coldly watching, waiting for an "ambitious" cannon fodder to scout the territory and figure out the situation in the Seventh District. Only then would the bosses present move, using their intricate networks of power to eliminate the rising newcomer and then internally divide up the Seventh District's territory.
Reducing the number of hands dividing the established pie of profits is naturally advantageous. They would never permit a new leader to truly emerge as their equal....
Xiao spent several days at the repair shop, wearing down the owner to advance his first month's wages. He then placed an order for materials with Bureau 13.
A dark red bullet lay quietly in Xiao's palm, its tip engraved with flame-like patterns.
[High-Combustion Ammunition: Upon impact, ignites a three-meter radius, inflicting sustained burn damage]
The description was simple, but Xiao knew the actual effect far surpassed it.
High-Combustion bullets worked by filling the projectile with an extremely flammable adhesive gas as the combustion agent. Their ignition requirements were simpler than armor-piercing incendiary rounds—they could self-ignite without needing combustible material, making them specialised bullets designed solely for burning. This extreme gas must be extracted through chemical reactions and mixed proportionally with an inert gas to prevent ignition. Using gas as a combustion agent is more difficult to extract than liquid or granular agents. Once the projectile is opened, even in a vacuum environment, the flammable gas can briefly burn itself out, inherently providing secrecy.
The gas extraction process outlined in the blueprints followed strict experimental procedures. He hadn't yet mastered the Energy Branch's [Basic Biochemistry], so he didn't understand the principles—he just followed the instructions.
The ammunition could be produced in various calibers, from handgun rounds to sniper bullets. It was easy to manufacture, highly practical, and had a wider market. Over the past few days, he'd found time to craft dozens of high-combustion bullets.
Xiao also used better steel to forge a folding combat knife: 5.3 pounds, 0.65 meters long, with a folded handle length of 0.12 meters. Its melee attack power ranged from 13 to 19. Entirely glossy black, the blade featured segmented folding patterns along its length, culminating in a right-angled tip resembling a precision craft knife. This novice-level melee weapon held little practical use for him, but crafting it was better than nothing.
The experience gained from crafting high-explosive bullets and folding combat knives was used to upgrade his [Basic Mechanical Affinity] to level 4.
[Basic Mechanical Affinity] maxes out at level 5, requiring another 15,000 experience points. [Basic Shooting] is currently at level 8, needing 45,000 experience points to reach the max level. Spending just 60,000 more experience points would grant him two additional potential points.
Each nation holds distinct advanced knowledge classified as secrets. One purpose of these secrets is to attract powerful, independent superhumans. The Blue Planet only possesses occupational knowledge for three main professions: Psionic, Martial Arts, and Mechanics.
No beginner planet possesses complete knowledge for all five main professions. Players' initial occupational preference questionnaires determine which type of beginner planet the system assigns them to.
Take a beginner planet with an ancient setting—could you really develop machinery there?
Well, actually, you could.
But you'd have to manually forge, smelt, and craft everything. Without lathes or machinery, every creation would be handmade. Many items would be impossible to produce, raw materials would be scarce, and efficiency would be shockingly low.
The advanced knowledge held by Bureau 13 just happened to include the mechanical branch of the Armed Division's advanced knowledge. It was only accessible to high-level personnel, requiring at least a [Respect] relationship to view it, which took far too long.
Xiao thought to himself that if he wanted to obtain advanced knowledge quickly, he'd have to seize an opportunity and take an unconventional approach. His advanced mission would have to target Bureau 13.
No opportunity presented itself yet; he could only wait.
Xiao hadn't forgotten the repair shop's orders either. For him, it barely counted as work—a breeze.
These past few days, Lv Qian had been avoiding him everywhere, unable to meet Xiao's gaze. After exchanging just a few words, she'd turn beet-red and flee in embarrassment, leaving Xiao utterly helpless.
It was all Old Man Lv's fault!
The old bald guy was still grinning beside her, as if saying, "Come on over, I'll show you something amazing."
Lv Qian's feelings toward Xiao were complicated. She'd asked herself more than once, "Do I dislike Xiao Han?" The answer was no.
"But do I like Xiao Han?" That was also no. It definitely wasn't romantic affection; the accurate description would be "admiration."
But if she outright rejected him, might Xiao storm off in anger? Lv Qian couldn't bear to lose such a valuable (and cheap) assistant.
Thus, Lv Qian remained deeply conflicted, avoiding Xiao while dreading his demand for a direct answer. Her heart raced like a coin toss: If he proposed, what would she do?
Regardless of Lv Qian's internal turmoil, Xiao's phone buzzed.
Feng Jun sent a message: "Your credentials have been approved. Report today."
"Finally."
Han Xiao's eyes flickered.
(3600 words, kept intact for chapter break~)