93: Chapter 93, codenamed "Haji Wing"

Chu Hong stopped in his tracks.

At this moment, Donald, who was sitting in front of the counter and listening to the bartender's persuasion, suddenly slammed a wine glass heavily onto the table.

"Bang!"

"I'm fighting with myself?! You think I'm fighting with myself?!"

"Do you know what happened in the secret realm that day? If I hadn't promised the City Lord's Mansion to assist in entering the secret realm for Investigation, how could those old buddies of mine have gone in with me!"

"And how could they have died miserably in the secret realm! Not even bringing back their corpses..."

Tears mixed with snot, and the stirring of annoyance and pain made Donald's heart feel as if it were twitching.

He poured himself another glass of strong liquor.

"I don't care whether those people are afraid of death or not. This old fellow considers himself to have some worth. With the strength of Energy Gathering Realm Stage Seven, plus my two skills, an annual salary of fifty million source energy points can still be found in some Pioneer Squads."

"Now, as long as someone dares to go to [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital] with me, figure out everything over there, bring back intelligence, and not let those old buddies of mine die in vain, from now on, this old bone of mine will follow him!"

"Write it down! I'll give you the announcement fee right now!"

Carrying a strong scent of alcohol with red eyes, Donald slammed a source energy crystal card onto the table amidst the complex gazes of the bartender and the surrounding Pioneers.

Xu Daili stood behind Chu Hong.

Looking at Donald's desolate appearance, she sighed and shook her head with full pity.

"There are too many people like this, especially squads like Falcon Squad, whose core members are veterans with decades of friendship. Once someone dies in battle, the blow to the morale of the entire team is huge, let alone almost being completely wiped out..."

"This person is basically ruined."

"A place like [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital] has even defeated our base city's strongest Rose Squad and Crossing River Dragon Team. How could anyone risk going to the secret realm for him alone? I... Captain, Captain, where are you going?!"

As Xu Daili spoke, her eyes suddenly widened.

Watching Chu Hong quietly walk straight up to the drunken Donald.

Amidst the bartender's stunned gaze.

Suddenly, a hand pressed down on the source energy crystal card on the bar counter.

Donald suddenly turned his head.

And then he saw Chu Hong's smiling, handsome face.

"I heard everything you said just now. As long as I go to [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital] with you, then safely evacuate, and bring back the secret realm's intelligence, you will wholeheartedly follow a new squad from now on, right?"

"I can go with you!"

As soon as these words were spoken,

inside this bar selling secret realm intelligence called "Court of the Sentinel Pigeon", all the Pioneers holding wine glasses and drinking stopped their actions one after another.

Even their conversations with each other stopped instantly.

Everyone looked with doubtful gazes, as if looking at a lunatic, at the handsome yet young Chu Hong.

A stranger's face...

Donald blinked. When he saw Chu Hong's appearance clearly, he immediately showed a suspicious look as well.

"Do you know what you're talking about? What is your strength?"

"Never mind that. I think I've expressed myself clearly enough. You join my team, and then I go with you to the top-secret [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital] to bring back intelligence. From then on, you will forever become a member of my squad."

"Deal?"

Chu Hong neatly and cleanly extended a hand with a smile.

Although this remark was somewhat inappropriate,

but... the heavy blow to Falcon Squad actually gave him the opportunity to build a foundation using the identity of "Yanzu".

"Hiss! Captain, are you crazy?!"

Xu Daili, who had reacted, chased in and grabbed Chu Hong.

She originally thought that this "Captain Yanzu" had high ambitions, and his members must be those badass Pioneers at Ninth Stage of Qiyuan Realm or even just entering the Energy Gathering Realm.

Unexpectedly, this fellow set his sights right away on the captain of Huangshan Base City's renowned Falcon Squad!

Donald!

He had the strength of Energy Gathering Realm Stage Seven!

Would he be crazy enough to join your command?

However,

after staring into Chu Hong's eyes for a long time, the drunkenness in Donald's eyes gradually faded, and his bloodshot eyes once again revealed that familiar shrewdness.

"Are you sure? Don't expect to deceive me with delaying tactics, young man. I remember you; we've met."

Chu Hong nodded: "Indeed, it's not our first time meeting. As for the delaying tactics you mentioned... setting off in three days, does that count as delaying?"

Three days?

With this red collectible [Masked Worm] serving as a disguise,

even a senior Pioneer with a sharp eye like Donald could not see through Chu Hong's strength at this moment.

But having seen countless people, the confidence revealed in Chu Hong's eyes—not arrogance born of ignorance, but true confidence backed by solid foundation—made his heart beat with excitement in an instant.

His gaze turned to Xu Daili behind Chu Hong.

He knew this person.

That woman fired by Crossing River Dragon Team.

"Besides her, who else is in your team?"

Chu Hong shook his head.

"She is not a combatant and will not enter the secret realm. This was also my promise to her when I invited her to join the team... There are only two people entering the secret realm: you, and me!"

At this, everyone else at the scene couldn't help but gasp.

Looking as if they were looking at fools, but even more like they were looking at lunatics, they blankly stared at the two people talking to themselves.

Donald opened his mouth.

"I am already prepared to die in battle inside. Don't expect me to cover your evacuation or anything foolish like that..."

Chu Hong smiled, his right hand waiting for a handshake still extended in front of the other party.

Hearing this, he smiled confidently.

"What a pity, I am not prepared to die in battle, because... I won't die! And you won't die either! If you agree, see you in three days at the [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital] secret realm camp!"

The two hands shook together.

Donald, who had been depressed all day long, burst forth with a sharp glint in his eyes.

On his stubbly face, his familiar, composed smile appeared once again.

"What should I call the Captain?"

"My surname is Wu, you can call me Yanzu... Captain of Thunder Hajimi Team. As for you... from now on, your codename in the squad will be "Haji Wing"!"

Ignoring the bewildered and helpless expression of the elderly Donald when facing the younger generation's train of thought,

Chu Hong simply gave a few instructions for the other party to adjust their state and prepare equipment over the next few days,

and directly walked out of the Court of the Sentinel Pigeon with an anxious Xu Daili without looking back.

"Captain, Captain, oh my, my dear Captain..."

Xu Daili followed anxiously behind Chu Hong: "Are you really going to [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital]? That's a top-secret secret realm! Even Rose Squad and Crossing River Dragon Team folded inside. Isn't going there just courting death?"

Chu Hong smiled faintly.

Casually browsing the counters around him to the left and right.

"What? Are you worried about me courting death, or worried about losing a comfortable job?"

Xu Daili's pretty face blushed.

"Th-This is not contradictory. If you want to recruit excellent Pioneers, we can completely raise the Pioneer Squad's rank first. As long as it reaches Silver grade, even in Shangcheng Base City, it's possible to recruit quite a few good Pioneers to join..."

Xu Daili persuaded him earnestly, while Chu Hong nodded along, but didn't listen at all.

Of course he wouldn't rashly enter the real top-secret [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital].

And the reason why he agreed to Donald's conditions was also because... just last night, after successively completing a few tasks for the Action Department while doing scav runs,

he finally unlocked the mission to unlock [Cliffside Epidemic Hospital · Top Secret].

[Action Department · Dominator Operation]: Go to the Investigation area "Cliffside Epidemic Hospital · Confidential" [Exotic Beast Research Laboratory], accept and complete the in-game benchmark mission "Dominator Operation", and evacuate safely. (Requires bringing your own "Core Laboratory Access Card")

[Mission Reward]: Action Department authority points, unlock "Cliffside Epidemic Hospital · Top Secret", 200k source energy points.

[Logistics Department · Self-Sufficiency (V)]: Go to the action area "Cliffside Epidemic Hospital · Confidential", search for [Project Code Fenrir Matrix], and bring out the mission items "High Source Energy Kraken Tentacle (Gold)" and "Fenrir Ribcage (Gold)".

[Mission Reward]: Unlock the cafeteria, unlock the production recipes for "Kraken Stew (Gold)" and "Braised Wolf Ribs (Gold)".

[Source Energy Department · Source Energy Research (IV)]: Go to the action area "Cliffside Epidemic Hospital · Confidential", and conduct an Investigation in the third underground floor area of the [Exotic Beast Research Laboratory].

[Mission Reward]: source energy space + 1 slot.

...

Huangshan Base City under the cover of night.

When Donald left the homes of several comrades with a tired face and returned to his residence, it was already late at night.

Looking at the identification badge in his hand that he had just received from the Pioneers Guild today.

It was printed with a cat wearing a military combat helmet, wearing body armor, holding a fully modified assault rifle, and opening its mouth as if shouting something.

This strange aesthetic of the young people left Donald, an old man who fancied himself not particularly old-fashioned in thinking, momentarily at a loss for words.

[Thunder Hajimi Team]: Bronze One-Star.

[Captain]: External Pioneer, codename "Yanzu", no further information registered.

[Team Member]: Xu Daili, logistics personnel, codename "Chef", Origin Realm Stage Seven, former member of Crossing River Dragon Team.

[Team Member]: Donald, combatant, codename "Silver Wing", Energy Gathering Realm Stage Seven, former captain of Falcon Squad (cancelled).

"Whatever, this old man is probably crazy. Crazy is crazy, dying in the secret realm just like you guys is better than living like this in a frenzy..." Donald stroked the disassembled sniper rifle on the table in front of him and murmured softly.

Meanwhile, Chu Hong returned home.

"Enter [Special Service Department]!"