It was a time of mixed fortunes; with the top-tier missions snapped up instantly, seven or eight out of ten who managed to secure one could only sigh in frustration, while many others stared at the requirements of their accepted tasks, utterly bewildered. Meanwhile, the three remaining Summoners suddenly became the center of attention, besieged by those seeking advice.

However, Fang Senyan had long since planned for this world, even sparing a hefty 4 Honor Points to enter the Avatar world before the battlefield deployment. He had calculated dozens of scenarios for every possible eventuality, so how could he possibly falter before such a trivial mission? Naturally, he was brimming with confidence.

Seeing the chaos around him, Fang Senyan stood aside for a moment, suddenly let out a huge yawn, and settled onto a nearby soft sofa. He looked so weary that he seemed ready to drift off to sleep, completely unconcerned with his own assignment.

At this moment, Yuan Zhan, after frowning while clarifying key points of a mission for a few other Contractors, noticed Fang Senyan's demeanor. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes as he walked directly over, smiling faintly: "Sailor, why aren't you busy?" Fang Senyan opened his eyes, recognizing Yuan Zhan, with whom he had gotten along well on the journey, and replied with visible resignation: "The thing I need to catch is a Whiptail Manta, they only appear at night. During the day, they look like dead branches. Am I supposed to check every single tree? What would I do rushing off now?"

Yuan Zhan paused, a hint of hesitation in his expression, before finally stating apologetically: "So it's that kind of creature. It’s something that never existed on Earth, so I haven't studied it at all. I truly can't offer any help."

Fang Senyan shrugged with profound regret: "I suppose I'll just have to wait until night when the lizard is active to catch it."

Yuan Zhan made a show of being unable to assist and turned to leave. Only after he had gone a considerable distance did he activate his communication link with Zi: "The person you wanted me to watch shows no unusual activity," he reported. "His mission difficulty is also quite high."

"I always feel there is something about this person that I cannot fathom, and for some reason, I feel like I have seen him somewhere before."

"I believe you must be mistaken, Sir. If such a formidable Support character had been encountered before, we certainly wouldn't forget him."

"Reef's talent is undeniable, and Mogaunsha's combat prowess is evident to all, but every time I see these three, I always feel as though the Sailor is the leader. Regardless, it is absolutely necessary to keep a tight watch on him; if necessary, we can even employ some rather extraordinary measures!"

"Understood. Your instructions will be strictly followed."

"..."

Fang Senyan remained on the sofa for a while longer. According to his prior plan, he had already instructed Reef and Mogaunsha to disperse and complete their own missions. After all, their previous performance was bound to have attracted some unwanted attention—the saying about the tallest tree catching the wind wasn't just idle talk. Their separate departures meant they could divert a significant portion of the attention focused on the Ace team.

More critically, the Illuminati faction currently held the upper hand, and the remaining Contractors were certainly not easy targets either. Thus, the primary conflict among the Contractors was currently concentrated between the Illuminati and everyone else. This situation was undoubtedly highly advantageous to Fang Senyan, as turbulence made it easier to fish for gains.

Only after almost all the other Contractors had left the base did Fang Senyan unhurriedly rise from the sofa.

He exited the Xenolinguistics Laboratory, donned an oxygen mask, and walked directly west along the runway. Soon, a gray steel structure about four stories high appeared before him, looking rigid and solid, topped with various antennas, solar power arrays, and similar equipment, reminiscent of the superstructure of an aircraft carrier. Only the water-blue, floor-to-ceiling sealed windows added a touch of romantic, dreamlike color to its facade.

This building was the core structure of Hell's Gate—the Operations Center (OPCENS). Simply put, you could view it as a combined office, communications hub, conference room, and dormitory complex for the RDA administrative staff within Hell's Gate. If this building and everyone inside were instantly destroyed, the entire Hell's Gate base would be paralyzed due to the loss of its leadership.

Fang Senyan arrived at the entrance of the Operations Center to find no guards, which was not entirely unexpected. Strictly speaking, the RDA was a commercial corporation, not a military base, and on a planet five light-years from Earth, committing a crime was easy, but escaping the subsequent punishment was extremely difficult—unless one could emulate the unparalleled legend of Mr. Jake Sully, eventually forsaking even hot dogs, the NBA, women with large behinds, thongs, marijuana, homeland, and even the flesh bestowed by his parents.

Inside the Operations Center was a scene of bustling activity. Numerous personnel moved about, resembling busy worker ants in a colony. Fang Senyan's current appearance drew no attention whatsoever.

After brushing past N people and navigating through maze after maze of steel corridors, a short, thin old man had appeared silently behind Fang Senyan—it was Jin Kuang. Despite wearing a bowler hat and carrying a walking stick, he looked around furtively, as if casing the joint for the best escape route after a heist.

They quickly reached the top floor, which housed a hall spanning over five hundred square meters. The area was packed with rows of circular, arrayed computers, naturally attended by busy operators. The sturdy, large steel-framed windows allowed everyone in the control room to gaze out at the magnificent panoramic view of Hell's Gate.

In the center of the hall rested a holographic projector covering more than ten square meters. This table-like machine could display various geographical and topographical data, as well as digital terrain maps scanned by the staff, in holographic images. This was also the venue for staff meetings and discussions.

Seeing this holographic projector, Fang Senyan was certain he had arrived at his destination. So, he politely knocked on the door. Regrettably, no one responded. He sighed, took a step back, and Jin Kuang puffed out his chest, assuming the demeanor of a bully, kicked the door open, and swaggered inside.

The heavy aroma of instant coffee immediately filled Fang Senyan's nostrils. Amidst the dizzying array of computers, Fang Senyan strained to look around and finally spotted a walkway about five or six meters long covered with green felt. At the end of the felt lay an overturned teacup, its opening aimed directly across the felt.

A man in his thirties stood opposite the felt, swinging a golf club, gently tapping a white golf ball toward the cup’s opening. Regrettably, it struck the rim of the cup and rolled off. This disappointment occurred three more times. The man muttered something in frustration and started to retrieve the ball, but he immediately stopped, as Fang Senyan had already picked up the ball from the far end and walked over with a smile: "Mr. Parker, your shoulder is too stiff. If you relaxed your wrist action a little more, the result would be much better."

This man, who had his white dress shirt tucked into gray trousers with the sleeves rolled up halfway while still wearing a tie, was the most powerful individual in Hell's Gate: Supervisor Parker Selfridge (P*). He glanced at Fang Senyan, displaying an expression of annoyance that Fang Senyan was quite familiar with. However, after a moment of thought, he quickly said: "Oh wow, I heard your name on Earth, Lieutenant, but I don't recall you being on the base roster—well, I admit, maybe breathing fresh air for too long has dulled my memory. But to make your advice more convincing, you’d need three, oh no, even just one beautiful Hole-In-One is essential."

Fang Senyan smiled and replied: "I agree with your assessment."

He then extended his hand to Parker, who shrugged and handed over his putter.

Fang Senyan looked at the green felt, tried a swing, then shook his head in dissatisfaction. He placed the cup at the end of the walkway and stood at the opposite end, the distance between them being at least thirty meters. Parker immediately walked over to intervene, his expression a mix of exasperation and amusement: "Ah-ah, Mr. Lieutenant, the equipment here is extremely expensive to repair, usually calculated in units of millions of dollars..." Before Parker could finish walking over, Fang Senyan raised his club and struck the ball!

The white ball flew out, tracing a smooth, forty-five-degree arc through the air, crossing the thirty-meter distance, and landing perfectly inside the cup. For a Contractor with decent Perception and Agility, this was child's play.

Mr. Parker stared blankly for a few seconds, then broke into enthusiastic applause: "That was brilliant! I'll certainly follow your advice the next time I play..."

"Now we can talk. What can I do for you?"

Watching Parker hand his club and golf ball to the female secretary beside him, Fang Senyan quickly glanced around: "Can we discuss this in your office, Mr. Parker?"

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