Chapter Forty: The Mission

The blind date candidates arrived sooner than expected, much to Long Yu’s surprise. Gazing at the line that snaked through the courtyard and out past the gate, Long Yu was utterly disheartened. Anyone who didn’t know might have mistaken this for a pageant rather than a matchmaking session.

He wondered if every eligible girl in the entire safe zone had shown up—he even suspected it for a moment.

Once everything was ready, the first candidate entered—a woman of decent height and pleasant features. Before the catastrophe, Long Yu wouldn’t have dared dream of meeting someone like her.

Upon entering, the girl was visibly nervous, her hands unconsciously twisting the edge of her blouse.

“Please, have a seat!” his mother said warmly, ushering the girl to a chair and pouring her a cup of tea herself.

Long Yu, however, remained as stiff as a board. He neither spoke nor moved, his face void of any expression.

This earned him several sharp glances from Yue Ruixia, but with a guest present, she couldn’t show her true feelings. Long Yu, on the other hand, acted as though he hadn’t noticed, keeping to his own ways.

Seeing Long Yu’s silence, Yue Ruixia had no choice but to take the lead. “What’s your name?”

The girl, reminded by Yue Ruixia’s question, realized she’d forgotten to introduce herself out of sheer nervousness.

“I—I’m Lu Xuejuan. My father is Lu Shengqing, a regiment commander. I graduated from a top university, I’m twenty-five this year…”

Her mind blank, Lu Xuejuan stammered through her introduction, sounding just like a young girl being questioned by the census taker.

She was well aware that the harmless-looking man before her was the one who had caused an uproar in the safe zone and killed Commander Li. If she accidentally angered him, she dared not imagine the consequences.

The entire day went much like this; many left trembling with fear, and even those with stronger nerves were left tongue-tied and awkward.

Yue Ruixia, who had been so hopeful about finding a match for her son, returned home disappointed, while Long Yu heaved a sigh of relief—the ordeal was finally over.

For the next few days, Long Yu stayed home, keeping his parents and sister company, until a week had passed.

“Brother Ren, what did you need me for?” By now, Long Yu and Ren Kaiming were close enough that he addressed him as “Brother Ren.”

“There are people coming from the capital soon,” Ren Kaiming said, cautiously, “They’re here to capture a mutant beast and want us to send a few men to help. I was wondering if you could lend a hand.”

“Sure! When do we leave? I’ve been bored out of my mind in the safe zone. But—what’s the reward?” Long Yu had long been itching to leave, tired of his mother’s constant nagging. Of course, he wanted to get out, but not for free.

Ren Kaiming laughed heartily. Having spent some time with Long Yu, he knew the man would never do anything without compensation. “I knew you’d ask! The reward is a spot in a trial secret realm—how’s that sound?”

“It can’t be that simple, can it? Tell me the details. I don’t want to be tricked.” Long Yu was skeptical. If the army had a secret realm, why offer it to him instead of taking it themselves? That could only mean the realm either held nothing of value, or the military couldn’t conquer it.

Either way, it wasn’t good news for Long Yu. If the military couldn’t handle it, what chance did he have alone? He didn’t believe his own strength surpassed the entire army.

“This time, I swear there’s no catch. This secret realm is unique—a person can only enter it once. Inside, there’s a challenge system: each stage cleared grants a reward, like rock crystals, or perhaps skills or martial techniques. Though, the highest level for these skills is only grade B,” Ren Kaiming hastily explained, seeing Long Yu’s doubt.

Satisfied, Long Yu nodded. Such a secret realm was decent enough, and the rock crystals were just what he needed.

His physique was so extraordinary that crystal cores were useless for him; he could only improve with rock crystals, which were found only in secret realms. This had been a constant source of frustration for him—so the chance to obtain rock crystals was a true blessing.

“Alright then, as long as you’re not tricking me. Happy cooperation!” Long Yu said, shaking Ren Kaiming’s hand with exaggerated formality.

Ren Kaiming felt a bit uncomfortable—how quickly this man’s demeanor changed when there was profit to be made.

“So when do we leave?” Long Yu asked.

“The team from the capital should arrive tomorrow morning. We’ll depart when they’re ready. Just come early,” Ren Kaiming replied.

With that, Long Yu returned home to inform his parents, since he was leaving and had no idea when he’d be back.

The next morning, at the gates of the safe zone, Long Yu rubbed his sleepy eyes and yawned heavily.

Last night, little Luo Wanqing, having heard he was leaving, insisted on sleeping beside him. Her restless sleep kept him awake most of the night.

“Brother Ren, we’ve been waiting here for half an hour—why aren’t they here yet? If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come so early,” Long Yu complained, stifling another yawn.

“Don’t worry—they should be here soon,” Ren Kaiming replied, though he wasn’t entirely certain himself. Arrangements had been made, but in these times, who could guarantee anything would go as planned?

As they spoke, a few figures appeared in the distance, growing clearer as they approached.

“Is it those people?” Long Yu pointed.

“Possibly,” Ren Kaiming replied, unsure. The group ahead wore military uniforms, but that was all he could tell.

As they drew closer, Ren Kaiming recognized their faces and confirmed, “Yes, it’s them.” He went to greet them, followed by the other officers.

Having previously seen their photos, Ren Kaiming easily picked them out.

“Thank you for your hard work, comrades!” he said enthusiastically, then glanced at their ranks in disbelief.

“They’re the same as mine…” He’d been told their ranks in the briefing, but seeing such young officers in person was hard to accept for someone who’d spent half his life in the army.

“What is it? Does Commissioner Ren doubt our identities?” the female team leader asked, catching the hint of suspicion in his gaze.

Realizing his mistake, Ren Kaiming quickly apologized, “Not at all, not at all. I’m simply amazed to see such young and accomplished officers. Forgive my curiosity.”

…