18: An S-class partner is an ice queen? Their first mission is to raid a thief's den!

In the grand lecture hall, everyone seemed to be under a paralysis spell, completely motionless.

A few seconds later, the newcomers awoke as if from a dream, and the hall erupted into chatter.

"Did I hear that right? Instructor Su... is going to be Lin Yuan's partner?"

"My heavens! Officer Su Wanqing! She's a C-class powerhouse, one of the ace agents of our Jiangcheng branch!"

"An S-class newcomer paired with an ace agent, this treatment... is too extravagant!"

"Envious? Brother, would you dare to team up with Lin Yuan? I'm afraid if he sneezes, lightning will strike me down."

"That's true..."

Amidst the discussions, there was a mix of shock, envy, and a hint of schadenfreude.

An ice queen paired with a quirky monster.

Just thinking about it made the days seem exciting.

Soon, urged by the assistant instructors, the newcomers left the lecture hall with complex feelings.

In the vast space, only Lin Yuan and Su Wanqing remained.

The atmosphere became extremely awkward.

Lin Yuan scratched his head, attempting to break the frozen silence.

He cleared his throat, forcing a smile he believed to be very friendly onto his face.

"Um... Officer Su, no, Partner Su."

"Are we... teaming up with a leader, does that mean we'll get preferential treatment for awards and commendations in the future?"

"And year-end bonuses, will there be special additions?"

He looked at Su Wanqing with anticipation.

His response was Su Wanqing slowly turning her face towards him.

There was no expression on her face.

The chill emanating from her Ice Phoenix bloodline made him shiver involuntarily.

"..."

Lin Yuan silently closed his mouth.

Alright.

Understood.

Talking about money ruins relationships, so no more talk.

"Follow me."

Su Wanqing dropped three words and turned to leave.

Lin Yuan quickly followed.

The two, one in front and one behind, walked through several heavily guarded corridors.

They stopped in front of a door that required both iris and fingerprint verification.

"Beep—verification passed."

The door opened.

Inside was a circular room filled with a sense of technology.

In the center was a tactical projection platform.

Lin Yuan had seen this place in Dragon Shield Bureau's internal promotional videos.

It was a high-level mission briefing room.

Only C-class members and above, when executing important missions, had permission to enter.

Su Wanqing walked to the center of the room and stood still.

She didn't beat around the bush and laid it out directly.

"It's Director Zhou's order."

"Your growth trajectory is extraordinary. Whether it's your physique or your unknown source of lightning ability."

"The organization needs to provide you with proper guidance and a comprehensive assessment."

Su Wanqing turned around, facing Lin Yuan directly.

"So, from today onwards, my primary task is to observe you."

Lin Yuan understood in his heart.

So that's how it is.

He was being treated as a 'key observation target.'

But... it sounded pretty good?

At least it showed that the organization valued him and wouldn't casually send him out as cannon fodder.

Moreover, being watched by a beautiful woman every day... it seemed... not a loss?

He put on a serious and earnest expression, nodding vigorously.

"Understood! Please rest assured, organization, I will fully cooperate with Officer Su's work!"

But in his heart, he was contemplating another matter.

Being closely observed, it would be difficult to find an opportunity to sneak out and 'get extra lessons' to replenish energy in the future.

No.

He had to find a way.

He needed to be more careful, more discreet.

Looking at Lin Yuan's 'loyal and reliable' demeanor, Su Wanqing remained noncommittal.

She raised her hand and swiped on the control panel.

"Buzz—"

The tactical projection in the center of the room lit up.

A file unfolded in the air.

"Task Code: Purifier"

"This is our first official mission."

Su Wanqing's voice pulled Lin Yuan's thoughts back.

She pointed at the projection, and a map was enlarged.

"Mission objective: Reconnaissance of the 'Third Steel Plant' ruins located in the eastern suburbs of Jiangcheng."

"Intelligence reported that abnormal energy fluctuations have been detected in this area starting three days ago, and the intensity is continuously rising."

As she explained, the 'Third Steel Plant' area on the map was marked with a red circle.

Then, Su Wanqing brought up an energy spectrum analysis chart.

On the chart, a peculiar deep green peak was highlighted.

"The most crucial intelligence is here."

"In the area of strongest fluctuation, our remote probes detected 'corrosive energy' originating from the same source as the 'berserk potion' found in newcomer Li Wei."

Su Wanqing's tone became incredibly serious.

"We are ninety percent certain."

"That place is a secret stronghold of the Apocalypse Society, or... a secret laboratory used to manufacture forbidden drugs."

Apocalypse Society!

Lin Yuan's expression also turned grave.

That was the terrorist organization that provided Li Wei with forbidden drugs, turning him into a monster.

The mission level was indicated in the upper right corner of the file.

"C-class - Reconnaissance"

"I'll repeat."

"Our mission is to confirm the target, assess the threat level, and gather intelligence."

"Under no circumstances are we to engage in combat without backup."

"Understand?"

Su Wanqing emphasized the discipline of the mission.

However, Lin Yuan's attention was no longer on her.

His gaze was fixed on a corner of the holographic map.

Right next to the 'Third Steel Plant' ruins marked with the red circle, less than five hundred meters away.

A symbol that made his heart race was prominently marked.

A lightning bolt drawn within a square box.

Below it was a line of small text.

"City East Regional Substation"

Lin Yuan's breathing became somewhat rapid.

Substation!

And a regional one at that!

How many volts would that be? One hundred thousand volts? Five hundred thousand volts?

He could already smell the scent produced when high voltage electricity ionized the air.

It was an ultimate yearning for 'delicious food' from the depths of his genes!

"Lin Yuan!"

Su Wanqing noticed his distraction and deepened her tone.

"Do you understand the mission content?"

"Ah? Oh!"

Lin Yuan snapped back to attention.

He looked at the displeased Su Wanqing, raised his hand, his expression utterly serious.

As if contemplating a major issue concerning the survival of the world.

Su Wanqing frowned.

"Speak."

Lin Yuan spoke with a sincere expression.

"Officer Su, I have an important tactical question... I need to confirm with you."

"Is that substation... still operational?"

Su Wanqing: "..."

A vein on her temple twitched uncontrollably.