328: The shyness of young girl Shen Yanbing...

Team Leader Lin's steps instinctively paused.

Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

"Team Leader Lin."

Shen Yanbing stopped, her clear, cold voice betraying no emotion, but her eyes, as clear as a cold pond, seemed to flicker with a hint of something when she saw Team Leader Lin.

Team Leader Lin quickly discovered the source of that flicker.

Shen Yanbing's gaze lingered on her legs for half a second.

Team Leader Lin's heart skipped a beat.

She had forgotten that although Shen Yanbing was young, she was extremely perceptive.

In the years she had been with the Dragon Shield Bureau, to maintain a capable and professional image, she had always worn a skirt suit with stockings during work hours, regardless of the season, without exception.

Today... was the first time.

"Yan, not resting yet, it's so late?"

Team Leader Lin forced herself to calm down, putting on a gentle smile, attempting to take the initiative with an elder's tone.

"Something's on my mind, can't sleep."

Yan shook her head lightly, her gaze moving from Team Leader Lin's legs to her pretty face, which, even under the lights, couldn't hide a trace of fatigue.

"Team Leader Lin, you... just got back from outside?"

Her voice was very soft, yet it pierced precisely at Team Leader Lin's point of "guilt."

"Yes, I went to handle an urgent matter."

Team Leader Lin's answer was watertight; as she spoke, she naturally raised a hand to tuck a slightly disheveled strand of hair behind her ear.

"Coincidentally, I also have something to discuss with you."

She successfully shifted the topic to work.

"Come with me."

Team Leader Lin turned and swiped her access card for her office.

Yan silently followed her in.

In the office, Team Leader Lin retrieved a top-secret file from the encrypted server and projected it into mid-air.

"This contains all known intelligence regarding the first 'Contest of Ten Thousand Nations' five days from now."

Team Leader Lin's tone returned to its usual professionalism and calmness. "You should know what this instance means for our Xia Kingdom, and for all of human civilization."

Yan nodded, a solemn expression appearing on her clear, beautiful face.

"To ensure everything is foolproof, the Dragon Shield Bureau's high command has decided to initiate the highest level of strategic cooperation."

Team Leader Lin looked at Yan and said, word by word, "We have invited a powerful external aid to represent our Xia Kingdom in the battle."

"External aid?" Yan was a little confused.

With the Dragon Shield Bureau's foundation and the large number of Xia Kingdom players, couldn't they find someone capable of leading the charge?

"Yes," Team Leader Lin affirmed her question, "a man... who can break the rules."

She deliberately paused, carefully observing Yan's expression.

"Starting tomorrow, you will suspend all your missions and serve as his exclusive liaison officer, fully responsible for intelligence communication and resource allocation between us and him."

"Remember, this is an S-rank mission; success is the only option, failure is not."

Yan's heart inexplicably skipped a beat at the words "exclusive liaison officer."

Who exactly was this person, important enough for the Dragon Shield Bureau to be so serious, even making her, an S+ rank genius, his liaison?

"His name is..."

Team Leader Lin looked at the young woman's clear eyes, slightly widened with curiosity, and finally uttered the name.

"Su Mo."

A thunderclap echoed in her mind!

Yan froze completely.

Her beautiful face, usually covered in frost, rapidly flushed a captivating crimson at a visible speed.

The clear, cold pond instantly transformed into a boiling hot spring, filled with shock, panic, helplessness, and a hint of... undisguised girlish shyness and joy.

Su... Su Mo?

Was it that Su Mo, who shamelessly called her "baby" every day in the game, tried every trick to see her legs, and even declared that he would kiss her until her legs went soft the first time they met?

He... he was that powerful external aid?

She... was going to be his exclusive liaison officer?

Just thinking about meeting him officially tomorrow, Yan felt her mind go blank, her heart pounding, almost leaping out of her throat.

She instinctively clutched the corner of her clothes, her breathing becoming rapid.

Team Leader Lin took in all her reactions, marveling inwardly.

So this is what an ice queen looks like when she melts.

She truly is... quite adorable.

However, after a brief moment of panic, Yan's keen intuition still caught a hint of something amiss.

Su Mo... Team Leader Lin just got back from outside... Team Leader Lin wasn't wearing stockings today... The fatigue on Team Leader Lin's face, and her slightly disheveled hair... A thought that made her flustered surged uncontrollably.

Those posts on the player forums reappeared before her eyes.

"Breaking News! Boss Su Mo adds a new member to his harem, suspected to be a high-ranking official from a certain organization!"

"A look at the women around Boss Su Mo, from the ice-cold campus belle to the National Goddess, what kind of magic does he possess?"

She had always dismissed these as idle gossip, but when her own aunt, Shen Yufu, returned from the game, her constantly distracted, blushing, and spaced-out demeanor while looking at her phone made the thorn in her heart dig deeper and deeper.

Surely now, not even her most respected Team Leader Lin...

"Team... Team Leader Lin,"

Yan asked, "Were you just now, going to see him?"

Here it comes!

Team Leader Lin's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained impassive.

"Yes."

She nodded calmly, her tone as placid as if stating a perfectly ordinary official matter.

"The cooperation agreement was just finalized. Su Mo is far more... difficult to deal with than the information suggests. I went to considerable trouble to persuade him."

This explanation was impeccable.

It answered Yan's question, subtly highlighted the difficulty and importance of this cooperation, and conveniently provided a perfect excuse for her "disheveled" appearance.

After listening, Yan's ominous premonition grew even stronger.

Difficult to deal with?

Went to considerable trouble?

What kind of "trouble" could make Team Leader Lin, known for her meticulousness and capability, neglect even her most cherished professional image?

She dared not think further.

"This is his information, and the list of the first batch of resources we've prepared for him. Familiarize yourself with it first."

Team Leader Lin pushed an encrypted USB drive across, her tone becoming serious again. "Tomorrow morning at nine, go to Villa No. 1 on Cloud Peak Mountain to find him. Remember your identity, and remember your mission."

"Yes."

Yan took the USB drive; its cool metal casing slightly calmed her burning palm.

She stood up, bowed slightly to Team Leader Lin, and turned to leave.

Just as she reached the door, her hand about to touch the doorknob, she suddenly stopped, as if having made some decision.

She didn't turn back, just asked softly,

"Team Leader Lin, Su Mo... doesn't he have a lot of women around him?"