33: A hell-level mission, and a newcomer dares to commit fraud?

Zhao Qingge brought Lu Ming back to her office.

Seeing this, her Assistant immediately followed, carrying a stack of documents.

She secretly eyed Lu Ming, seemingly wanting to speak but hesitating.

Zhao Qingge leaned back in her chair languidly: "This is Lu Ming, one of us. Speak freely."

The Assistant's arms, holding the documents, tightened slightly, her cheeks flushed: "Di-Director, Xie Jinyu just said that he hasn't finished his current task and temporarily can't provide assistance..."

"He also said that if Director Zhao personally went to ask him..."

Zhao Qingge's fingers, holding a fountain pen, paused. The pen cap tapped lightly on the desk twice, making a crisp sound.

Indeed, she was in a very passive position right now.

Three teams of Night Watchers from the Jiangcheng Night Watch Division were deep within the Youhai Mist Zone, their fates unknown.

Yet, she could only wait.

Because one of her feet had already stepped into the Fifth Realm, and she was undergoing the great tribulation of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man.

But for Xie Jinyu to try and manipulate her with this, wasn't he being too naive?

When she looked up, the smile in her peach blossom eyes had faded by more than half, and the beauty mark at the corner of her eye seemed to be covered with a thin layer of frost.

"Understood. Let him stay busy."

"Xiao Su, later, go and publicly release the coordinates of that ancient ruin. Just because Xie Jinyu doesn't value it doesn't mean others won't."

The Assistant was stunned for a moment, then softly responded: "Alright. Also, these are the documents transmitted back by the pioneer team earlier."

Zhao Qingge glanced at Lu Ming, remained silent for a while, then said: "No need. Just put them back in the archives for now."

Originally, she had planned to have Lu Ming infiltrate the Youhai Mist Zone to gather information.

But after seeing the potential he displayed, she changed her mind.

Zhao Qingge vaguely felt that the appearance of this ruin was too strange, as if it had been specifically set up for the Jiangcheng Night Watch Division.

"Wait a moment!"

Just as the Assistant was about to leave with the documents, Lu Ming suddenly called out to her.

Lu Ming pointed to a photo within the documents: "Is this a photo of the ruin?"

The background of the photo was a desert, with vast yellow sands and rubble scattered everywhere, looking very desolate.

What truly piqued Lu Ming's interest was the giant stone statue half-buried in the quicksand.

Although the statue's features were blurred by the erosion of wind and sand, a few details could still be vaguely discerned.

It was strikingly similar to the mysterious Dharma Idol that Old Fu had given him!

The Assistant leaned over to look, then nodded: "Yes, it was taken by the pioneer team at the ruin."

After getting the answer he wanted, Lu Ming's heart stirred.

This was an extraordinary treasure.

The last incomplete piece had allowed him to comprehend the three-star Thunderclap Killing Burst.

If he could obtain the complete Dharma Idol...

Could the Thunderclap Killing Burst be further improved? Four-star... or five-star!

Lu Ming put down the photo, then suddenly looked up at Zhao Qingge and said: "Director Zhao, I'll take this mission."

Zhao Qingge's willow-like eyebrows raised slightly in surprise, her peach blossom eyes sweeping over his dark pupils: "That ruin is deep within the Youhai Mist Zone; the danger level is not low."

Lu Ming met her gaze without fear, a slight smile playing on his lips: "It doesn't matter. I just can't stand Xie Jinyu acting so arrogant. It's as if the Jiangcheng Night Watch Division would be empty without him."

There was only confidence in his calm eyes, absolute confidence.

Zhao Qingge's heart trembled slightly.

A phrase suddenly came to her mind: "A youth's spirit is a non-renewable resource."

Zhao Qingge stared at him for a long time, then suddenly smiled.

Her peach blossom eyes curved into beautiful crescent moons, and the thin layer of frost that had covered them seemed to melt away with her smile.

Is this kid trying to flirt with me?

She extended a fair, tender finger and tapped Lu Ming's forehead, chiding him playfully: "Alright, if you want to go, then go. But remember, from now on, you have to call me 'Auntie'."

Then, she turned to look at the dumbfounded Assistant and instructed: "Don't make the ruin's coordinates public for now."

...Ten minutes later.

A message on the Night Watch Division app caused the Logistics Department to completely explode!

Lu Ming: [Youhai Ruin, departing immediately. Need an Assistant familiar with the terrain.]

Silence!

The entire group chat was silent.

The old hands in the Logistics Department hadn't failed to see the message.

Rather, they saw it but pretended not to.

Three teams of Night Watchers had gone into the Youhai Mist Zone like gourds saving their grandpa, with one team disappearing after another.

Who would still dare to go? High contribution points were great, but you needed to be alive to spend them!

Clearly, the Youhai Ruin had almost given these old hands PTSD.

"Are the new recruits this fierce nowadays? Taking on a hell-level mission right off the bat?"

"Not fierce, just brainless. He dares to touch a mission that even Xie Jinyu is extremely wary of?"

As for Xie Jinyu, they might curse him, but they still highly acknowledged his strength.

They always had a saying among themselves: "Without a Fourth Realm cultivator, Xie Jinyu is invincible."

But now, even a mission that Xie Jinyu found extremely difficult, Lu Ming, a newcomer, dared to challenge?

Yet, as they were discussing, Chen Ziliang, sitting in the corner, had a flash of determination in his eyes.

[Patrolman Lu, do you think I can do it?]

As soon as the message was sent, the old hands' expressions became even more intriguing.

"These new recruits, they must be crazy to want to stand out so much."

"This kid is usually quiet, how is he bolder than anyone else?"

Chen Ziliang ignored the whispers around him, somewhat nervously awaiting Lu Ming's reply.

As a fellow newcomer, he wanted to take a gamble.

His phone vibrated, and Chen Ziliang almost sprang up to press the screen.

[I'm waiting for you at the entrance.]

Just five short words, but they made his hands tremble.

He quickly typed out the location of the equipment storage's back door, grabbed his pre-prepared canvas bag, and rushed out.

As soon as he ran to the back door of the garage, he saw Lu Ming leaning against the wall, waiting for him.

"Brother Lu." Chen Ziliang stopped, panting, and instinctively straightened his back.

Lu Ming looked up and scrutinized him.

Chen Ziliang had a youthful face, black-framed glasses perched on his nose, and an air of freshness from just entering society.

After Lu Ming got into Chen Ziliang's off-road vehicle, he asked somewhat curiously: "Everyone else avoids me, why do you dare to accept?"

Chen Ziliang secretly peeked at Lu Ming through the rearview mirror.

"Brother Lu, you might not know, but I'm also a newcomer."

"In the Night Watch Division, whether you're a Night Watcher or a Logistics Assistant, seniority is very important."

"Those veteran Night Watchers all have fixed Logistics Assistants. It's very difficult for newcomers like us to gain their trust. After all, the intelligence for each mission is a matter of life and death. A fatal oversight could lead to death, and no one is willing to gamble."

"Moreover, I personally saw Chen Hongming and the others take you for testing this morning, but then Director Zhao handled your onboarding."

Chen Ziliang paused, then continued: "Chen Hongming has always been arrogant, so I speculate that he tampered with something during the test, or increased the test difficulty for you..."

"Now, he's gone, but you're perfectly fine."

"So, I also want to take a gamble."

...