"5 A-levels?"
After Han Su ca out, he turned back to look at the numbers on that display screen, slightly surprised.
Amid the astonished gazes of the crowd, he appeared very composed.
Suddenly, he turned his head toward the others and said, "Anyone want to co and have one?"
"……"
This one sentence stunned all the trainees slightly. So arrogant—smoking in the Disaster Managent Bureau—was this the confidence of soone with 5 A-levels?
Han Su didn’t wait for the others and simply turned to walk out of the training room, pushing open an ergency exit door and waiting.
Before long, the man with gold-rimd glasses, the one in camouflage uniform, and a slim, greasy-haired young man followed him.
Han Su then took out the workplace weapon that Zhang Zhiguo had slipped to him and offered it to the others. However, the man with the gold-rimd glasses waved his hand.
"I don’t smoke."
Han Su looked at him with curiosity.
The man with the glasses gently pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger and said, "I just wanted to see what kind of background soone who dares to smoke in the Disaster Managent Bureau might have. Besides, I think gatherings like this are quite beneficial for understanding the Bureau."
Han Su glanced at him; it was indeed just as he had thought.
He moved past him and offered it to the Camouflage Man, but he also waved his hand and pointed to his head. "After the surgery, the doctor told not to smoke."
Han Su was surprised. "Then why did you co?"
The Camouflage Man puffed out his chest and said, "Squad leader once said, anyone willing to share cigarettes is a true friend. Gotta show support."
Helpless, Han Su then offered it to the one who looked like a shut-in.
The man was thin, his face pale, but he smiled bitterly.
"My body doesn’t allow it anymore."
Then, without waiting for Han Su to ask, he took the initiative to explain: "But I used to smoke. I liked the atmosphere of a smoke break, so I ca along."
"Alright then."
Han Su helplessly stuffed the cigarette away.
Since no one else was smoking, he wouldn’t either.
The group stood there awkwardly for a mont. Han Su smiled and said, "Why don’t you all share—what brought you here?"
"For those things you can’t encounter outside."
The one codenad 'Doctor'—the man with the gold-rimd glasses—said, "I realized early on that sothing was off about this world. Whether it’s the rumor-debunking experts pushed by the dia, the bizarre reports in tabloid newspapers, or the pamphlets secretly handed out by religious groups."
"Even research into so aspects of history has beco taboo. You need certain qualifications and background checks just to participate."
"But no matter how I searched outside, I could never find any clues. I could sense there was so colossal force blocking, erasing, and deliberately creating a façade of realism and rationality around ."
"So, I dug deeper and shifted from investigating strange phenona to investigating that colossal force."
"And that’s how I found the Disaster Managent Bureau. So I applied!"
"……"
Everyone listening couldn’t help but glance at him in surprise.
This guy had discovered the existence of the Disaster Managent Bureau all on his own, and then signed up?
"I’m not really sure why either. I took a bullet to the head once, and things haven’t worked quite right since."
This ti, the one codenad Hei Hu saw it was his turn and scratched his head as he began to speak: "My unit once fought a very strange battle."
"My brothers—when facing a group of fanatics who captured people in the wild for sacrificial offerings—though those cultists were unard, they slaughtered all my brothers. I also took a bullet to the head. That was the worst loss I ever suffered."
"The officer asked if I wanted revenge. I said yes. So, he recomnded here."
"……"
"I’m not like you guys. You’re all amazing."
Then the most inconspicuous one—thin and young—spoke up. He was codenad Mouse.
In the additional evaluations, he had received one A, while all the others were C-levels—not even a B.
Shrinking his neck slightly, he said in a low voice, "I only know that this place is connected to certain mysterious phenona and lost civilizations."
"I found out when I hacked into the email of so big shot."
"The reason I ca is simple. I contracted a disease. With the current dical system, I won’t live past two years. But one of the technological artifacts unearthed from the Radiation Era can save ."
"However, everything from the Radiation Era is sealed. If I want access, joining the Disaster Managent Bureau and risking my life is my only choice. As long as I don’t die on a mission, then I can use that artifact to extend my life."
"……"
Everyone listened and was montarily surprised, unsure how to comfort him.
Han Su once again took out his cigarette case and offered it kindly, saying, "While you still can, take a few more drags!"
The thin boy glanced at it with a complicated expression but still did not take it.
"So, we really did end up in the right place."
Han Su, while putting the cigarette case away again, looked toward Hei Hu and said, "You ca for revenge, so for you, mastering those mysterious powers is most important. If there's a chance, I’ll recomnd you."
Hei Hu froze on the spot, at a loss, pulled off his cap awkwardly, and rubbed his hair. On the left side of his forehead was a distinct scar. He said, "Th-thank you."
"As for Brother Doctor’s case..."
Han Su said, "Soone this smart obviously has a strong sense of curiosity. If there’s anything that requires brains, don’t hesitate to direct it to him."
"Not only can he help us, but it’ll also satisfy his curiosity to the greatest extent."
The one with the gold-rimd glasses simply nodded slightly, offering a polite yet distant smile. "I hope I’ll get the chance."
"As for you—do your job well!"
Han Su patted the last thin boy on the shoulder and said, "As long as you prove your value, how could the Disaster Managent Bureau possibly be willing to let you die so easily?"
"This step you’ve taken is the smartest of all!"
The thin boy, who had previously looked uneasy, now showed a slightly moved expression after hearing those words.
"Arriving in a new place always brings new opportunities. A person on their own has limited chances—and even fewer suitable ones—but if we all look out for each other, then each of us will gain a lot more."
Han Su's words left everyone feeling sowhat comforted.
Back in the old castle, he had put in great effort trying to persuade the other kids to escape with him. Compared to now, he could only say:
"Compared to kids, adults are way easier to coax!"
"The newbie phase isn’t so easy to get through."
Just then, a voice spoke out.
It was the woman in the black hood.
She had already taken off her Hēi Dōu Hood, revealing a neat short haircut.
She stood not far away, looking like she wanted to approach but felt a little shy.
Everyone looked up at her, a bit uneasy.
The assessnts of others had so differences but were relatively close. But this one—two S-levels and four A-levels—was like a deity. Just one glance at her gave off an unattainable feeling.
To these people who had already half-stepped into the mysterious realm, she radiated an imnsely enigmatic aura.
Only Han Su glanced at her and said, "You ca to smoke too?"
Hēi Dōu Hood answered awkwardly, "I don’t smoke."
"Then why co along?"
Han Su looked at Hēi Dōu Hood—or rather, Miss Crow—and smiled. "We’re all newbies, we really don’t know much about the Disaster Managent Bureau. You seem pretty familiar with it?"
The short-haired Crow shook her head. "I’m not familiar with the Disaster Managent Bureau either, but I do know a bit about the mysterious world… not much, just a bit."
"I just rember my ntor told —passing the Bureau’s evaluation only grants you legal access to surreal phenona. What cos after is actually the most dangerous step."
"Operational personnel are the first line of defense against Spiritual Penetration… and also the expendable bricks."
"……"
In the silence, Han Su found the girl more and more interesting.
He suddenly smiled and interjected, "Since that’s the case, then it’s all the more necessary for us to share thoughts more often…"
As if sothing ca to mind, he turned to the gold-rimd glasses and asked, "Private discussion among operational personnel—is it allowed under the Operational Code?"
The man with the gold-rimd glasses nodded. "As long as Miss Ai doesn’t catch you, there’s no problem!"
"That’s good then."
Han Su nodded with a smile. "Once the teams are assigned and we get our phones back, let’s make a group chat?"
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