The next day, from the order in which the Special Team members entered the Meeting Room, you could tell how each person had spent their holiday.
Although they weren’t all from the same grade, everyone still had to take the end-of-term exams. As top cultivators in their respective grades, the Special Team members inevitably slacked off a bit in other areas.
The first to arrive was Yu Yuwei. She hadn’t passed her academic exam either, but since she had run up on stage and sung a song the afternoon before yesterday, she was exempted from copying the textbook.
Shen Ning was the second to arrive. She had just “cuddled” with the Big-Chested Girl the morning before, slept especially soundly, and didn’t bother reviewing her study materials last night either, she’d pretty much managed to go to bed early and get up early.
“Hey, long time no see!”
Yu Yuwei, an old acquaintance, greeted her: “Why weren’t you there when they announced the awards at the Celebration Banquet the other day?”
The Celebration Banquet had been held for just a few of them. Although it wasn’t made public on a grand scale, after the stage performance ended that night, Principal Lü had the teachers call them over, and in front of the school leaders, praised them on the spot, recorded their Outstanding Contribution in the files, and even handed out some gift vouchers and such.
Unfortunately, two members of the Special Team hadn’t shown up. One was Commander Xu Chuyao, who apparently had too much to drink and went back to the dorm early.
The other was Shen Ning.
“I… had some personal matters to deal with,” Shen Ning replied vaguely. “It’s fine, not important.”
“Well, that’s just as well, because I picked up your gifts for you. Here you go.”
Yu Yuwei handed her a pile of gift vouchers.
While the two girls were chatting amicably, the others trickled in one after another.
Cheng Li was the only one in the fifth grade who hadn’t passed the academic exam. Too embarrassed to sing on stage, he had no choice but to copy the textbook. In the large Meeting Room, he was the only one there, sporting dark circles under his eyes.
“I really don’t get what’s the point of these exams. Anyway, as long as I follow Group Leader Xu’s orders, it’ll be fine.”
“But don’t you want to work in an office after you graduate? What if someone hands you a document to approve one day, and there’s a word you don’t recognize—who’s going to help you then?”
“…Well, I definitely won’t bother Group Leader Xu with that.”
Once all the team members had arrived, Xu Chuyao finally pushed open the door and walked in. The moment she entered, everyone else stood up to greet her.
Thunder Girl nodded in response, but when she saw Shen Ning, she glared fiercely at her, as if to say, “Just you wait.”
She’s so fierce, it’s actually kind of cute…
“What’s wrong with you? After you ‘cuddle’ someone once, all you can call her is ‘cute’?” Sexually Repressed Shadow complained, “Can’t you be more precise, like me?”
Needs love!
Broken Shadow shook her head, disapproving of their crude vocabulary. Watching Thunder Girl’s figure, she mused, “Such a beauty, standing by the water’s edge, her steps light as a lotus, her smile as lovely as a flower. She’s as elusive as moonlit water, as ethereal as a fairy from beyond the heavens.”
“What nonsense! Let me ask you just one thing: if you got the chance, would you ‘cuddle’ her or not?”
Xu Chuyao had no idea someone was talking behind her back. She walked to the front, clapped her hands, and said:
“I’ll keep it short. We’ve got a lead on the Clown Gang. The day after tomorrow, we’ll launch our first proactive assault. I’ll send the specific mission details to everyone’s phones tomorrow.”
At those words, everyone perked up, especially Cheng Li, who still had tons of holiday homework.
If he followed Group Leader Xu out on a special mission, not being able to do homework was perfectly justified.
After going over some important reminders like making sure not to hurt their own undercover agent at the scene she then announced the meeting was over.
Xu Chuyao didn’t stop for a moment, immediately running upstairs to the office to find the Head Teacher.
Half an hour later, Yu Jing finally understood what she meant, her expression growing a bit subtle:
“When did Li Laoshi become your informant?”
“That’s just how it worked out. Sometimes fate arranges things perfectly.”
Hearing Xu Chuyao talk in such roundabout ways, Yu Jing understood—when this little trickster spoke like this, she probably couldn’t say more.
“Alright, I’ll go find the Principal and report it for you.”
“Thanks, Head Teacher~”
What Li Xueli saw as a serious terrorist contact incident, Xu Chuyao easily turned into a merit. The early preparation stage went incredibly smoothly, and before noon was even over, the girl received a message from the Class Advisor.
“The Principal says, just go ahead and do it.”
A couple of days passed quickly, and the day of the operation arrived.
Since today was a mission, it wasn’t a time to relax. So for the past two days, Shen Ning hadn’t reviewed her study materials or gone to see her girlfriend.
“Sigh, so boring. Because of these people, so many things are getting delayed.” Sexually Repressed Shadow pressed against the car window, grumbling nonstop, “If only we could just kill them all, kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill.”
It really was repressed.
But this kind of complaint was understandable, since the task Shen Ning had been assigned had nothing to do with the main operation, Xu Chuyao simply told her to wander around the city for a couple of hours.
“You killed too many people the last few times. It’s not that I’m saying you’re farming kills, but the Clown Gang all remember you now. If you don’t show up, they’ll be nervous. We need to make them relax a bit so they’ll slip up.”
Those were Yaoyao’s exact words. That’s why Shen Ning took an early bus into the city, wandering aimlessly near the City Square, watching the busy early-morning commuters, and observing people hurrying along both sides of the Shopping Street and the road.
There weren’t any particularly tall buildings around the Square. Standing here, you could see the sky far in the distance, while the eight-lane highway stretched toward an unseen end, cars seeming to emerge from the horizon itself.
So this is what it’s like outside the Academy.
Shen Ning closed her eyes and then opened them again, feeling that everything before her was incredibly strange and wonderful.
A few months ago, she would never have imagined herself wandering freely outside the Academy alone. Center City was vast and bustling, but only the Academy had been her tiny cage.
But now, everything was different, because of Xu Chuyao.
After the wonder came confusion. The city had opened its arms to her, but where should she go next?
“Wait a second, Broken-jie, take a look, is that direction…?”
“Uh, I don’t usually go to those kinds of places, but…”
“Stop pretending to be so pure. Just say it is it or isn’t it?”
“It is.”
The two Shadows suddenly started chatting, leaving Shen Ning puzzled: “Which direction? What place?”
“Just head over to the left, right there. We can’t tell you what kind of place it is—rules don’t allow it,” Sexually Repressed Shadow said, “but we won’t hurt you.”
Following their direction, Shen Ning walked past one shop after another, heading into a small alley, until she finally saw a pink sign—
[Food Love]
“This place can really teach you some real skills.”
Meanwhile, Xu Chuyao’s formal action squad had just left the school gates, setting off with Li Xueli toward the gathering.