319: There are actually only two goals.

Zhong Huai's tone, which carried a hint of playfulness and a touch of laziness, drifted across the empty tarmac.

Wen Yan's body tensed up even more.

He could feel that there wasn't a shred of goodwill in this seemingly friendly remark; it was entirely composed of condescending scrutiny and impatience.

It was a form of silent pressure.

If his next performance failed to satisfy the other man, then this so-called "guidance" would most likely turn into a bout of one-sided mockery.

Wen Yan clenched his hands, his fingertips ice-cold.

The pressure, as tangible as seawater, squeezed in from all directions.

"Speak up."

Zhong Huai shifted into a more comfortable position against the car, his eyes half-closed as if he might drift off at any moment.

"In that blockhead of yours, what exactly is a Divine Revelation Mission?"

He asked casually.

Wen Yan took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm.

He didn't answer immediately, instead quickly running through all the relevant information in his mind.

Then, he spoke.

His speech wasn't fast, but every word was crystal clear, carrying a steadiness that contrasted sharply with his nervous appearance.

"In the one hundred and fifty-seven years since official records began, a total of seventeen confirmed Divine Revelation Missions have appeared worldwide."

Zhong Huai's half-closed eyelids twitched almost imperceptibly.

Wen Yan continued without pausing.

"Among them, six were successful, nine failed, and two others are listed as suspended files with unknown status because the initiators went missing or died midway."

"The most recent one occurred thirty-eight years ago in the West Continent, known as the 'Divine Revelation of Flame'."

"The initiator was a Mythical-grade profession, a 'Sun Priest'. His failure in the final stage of the mission directly caused three hundred thousand square kilometers of land in the Central Federation to be permanently scorched, turning into a burnt desert. The incident was classified as top secret, code-named 'Red Calamity'."

He finished it all in one breath.

Only the sound of the wind remained on the tarmac.

Wen Yan straightened his back, silently waiting for judgment.

He had said everything he knew.

This was all the content he could access within his clearance level in the military database.

He was betting that Zhong Huai wasn't asking for a definition, but was testing his personal knowledge reserve.

Time ticked away, second by second.

Zhong Huai, leaning against the armored vehicle, finally moved.

He was no longer in that lazy posture.

He slowly straightened his body, and those eyes that always held a hint of weariness looked directly at Wen Yan for the first time.

The playfulness was gone, as was the impatience.

There was only a faint, hard-to-detect... appreciation.

"Heh."

Zhong Huai let out a light chuckle.

"A bit interesting."

"It seems Boss Qin had a reason for sending you here after all."

He finally stopped treating Wen Yan like a rookie who needed babysitting.

Instead, he treated him like a... colleague he could communicate with normally.

Wen Yan's tense nerves suddenly relaxed.

He knew he had bet correctly.

"Alright, since you're not an ignorant idiot, I'll give you the real nitty-gritty."

Zhong Huai put his hands back in his pockets and paced a couple of steps in front of Wen Yan.

"First, you need to understand one thing. What is the Boss's true purpose in letting you take this mission?"

Wen Yan was stunned.

Purpose?

Isn't it just to find the initiator and then buy the Divine Revelation Mission?

Zhong Huai seemed to see through his thoughts and curled his lip.

"Buy it? In your dreams."

"A Chief God level Divine Revelation Mission—do you know what that means? It's the only ticket to the Divine Throne! Do you think such a thing can be bought with money?"

The series of rhetorical questions caused cold sweat to break out on Wen Yan's forehead.

True.

He had made things out to be too simple.

"Then... what does the Commander-in-Chief mean?"

"It's to stake a claim."

Zhong Huai spat out those words, hitting the nail on the head.

"Think about it, how big was that commotion just now? It was global! Right now, every high-end combat power in the world, down to the last one, is eyeing our Linzhou City, aren't they?"

"The Sanctuary of the West Continent, the Winter Wolves of the Northern Union, and those old monsters hiding in the shadows... they're probably already rushing here as fast as they can."

"What is the advantage of our 'Fangs'?"

Zhong Huai stopped and held up a finger.

"Proximity. We are right at the scene."

"So, the Boss had you set up an investigation team and make a big show of it not because he actually expects you to root someone out of tens of millions of people in a single day."

"He wants to use this action to declare to the whole world—"

"Linzhou City is under the control of 'Fangs'. Our military was the first to discover and intervene in this Divine Revelation Mission. You outsiders want a piece of the pie? Fine, follow the rules first: apply to us and get in line!"

Zhong Huai's tone was still lazy, but the content of his words made Wen Yan's heart pound.

This was no longer a simple mission.

This was a strategic gambit at the national level, centered around the 'Divine Revelation Mission'!

And he, Wen Yan, was the pawn pushed to the very front of this grand chessboard.

His mission was to stand there and hold that 'claim'.

As long as he stood firm and gave other forces no excuse to interfere or create chaos, he would have already achieved merit.

Having realized this layer of meaning, Wen Yan felt a chill down his spine.

As it turned out, from the moment he accepted the order, he was already at the center of the vortex.

"Understand what I mean now?"

Zhong Huai glanced at him.

"If it were truly a critical moment... he wouldn't have let me pass the buck just now..."

"The reason only you were sent to stake the claim is that our main force has to deal with the trouble that might be coming."

"So, relax. Just go through the motions and look like you're investigating with all your might. Not finding the person isn't embarrassing, because the Boss never expected you to find them in the first place."

Wen Yan gave a bitter smile.

That was easy to say, but the pressure hadn't lessened one bit.

"However..."

Zhong Huai's tone shifted.

"Since your brain is somewhat sharp, it would be boring to make a wasted trip. I'll point you toward a clear path."

Wen Yan's focus became highly concentrated in an instant.

"Trying to find a needle in a haystack of tens of millions of people definitely won't work. But thinking in reverse, what kind of person is qualified to trigger a Divine Revelation Mission?"

Zhong Huai answered his own question.

"Talent, strength, and fate—all three are indispensable. Such a person, even if hidden in a crowd, would be as conspicuous as the sun in the night sky."

"You don't need to bother with those ordinary Professionals; it's a waste of time."

"Just go and check the files of all the newly awakened Professionals in Linzhou City this year."

Zhong Huai paused and spat out the most critical piece of information.

"Focus on... Mythical-grade professions."

"If I remember correctly, a total of two appeared in Linzhou City this year. Both are at City First High School."