Currently, there are five active incidents under surveillance; as for the other reported sightings, while confirmed as genuine, the involved parties have either fled or been dealt with."

I knew instantly that the "dealt with" incidents Long Yan mentioned definitely included tonight's situation.

"We have already covertly dispatched teams to assess the strength of these five individuals. Therefore, based on their power levels, I will be dividing the current Ninth Squad into five operational groups."

"The strongest enemies, classified as X-level threats, will be handled by Operatives One and Three."

"Enemies of the slightly lesser SSS-level will be assigned to Operatives Two, Ten, and Twelve."

"The first two groups are designated as Second Envoy missions. Given the inherent danger, a swift determination must be made. If capture proves impossible, they are to be eliminated within three days."

"The remaining three enemies are all First Envoy tasks, each possessing power levels above AAA. One group will be handled solely by Operative Four. Another will be managed by Operatives Five, Six, and Seven. The final group will be the responsibility of Operatives Nine and Eleven. Operative Eight will remain on standby as rear support, tasked with maintaining communications between all teams."

"Next, you will each receive the profiles of the infected individuals. You must proceed to the sighting locations alone, rendezvous with the field staff, and complete your assignments on schedule."

Long Yan glanced at the files in his hand and added, "Oh, right, let me address something new recruits are usually concerned about. The bounty for a captured First Envoy is five hundred thousand Yuan; elimination nets two hundred thousand Yuan, and expulsion awards twenty thousand Yuan."

The moment he finished speaking, the vegetable vendor abruptly stood up, exclaiming, "Heavens above! We've struck it rich! Just how many pounds of radishes would it take to earn five hundred thousand Yuan?"

Seeing her melodramatic display, I wondered what kind of superhuman ability such a person could possibly possess.

Just as this thought crossed my mind, the woman suddenly burst into flames. Her skin cracked like cooling volcanic rock, and she was completely transformed into a man of fire.

At that moment, I clearly saw the bearded Operative Three snap his fingers, and the flames enveloping the woman instantly vanished, restoring her to her normal state.

Then, Operative Three drawled casually, "Don't misuse your abilities so carelessly. The floor here is entirely wood, covered by carpet—it’s easy to start a blaze. While it's true none of us here could actually be burned to death, I personally despise the smell of smoke."

The woman looked thoroughly contrite and stammered, "Ah, ah, I apologize, I apologize. I got too excited, too emotional."

I broke out in a cold sweat, thinking that if this woman ever got into an argument while selling vegetables, she’d probably burn the poor customer alive.

Silence settled over the room again. I suddenly recalled a question and asked Operative Eight, "What exactly does 'expulsion' mean?"

Operative Eight replied, "Expulsion means driving those entities back to their original planes of existence."

Just then, Long Yan on the stage announced, "Alright, the three newcomers, follow me to collect your gear. Everyone else is dismissed."

With that, he drained the coffee from his cup, turned, and walked toward the corridor behind him.

We three newbies hurried to follow.

Operative Two walked over to me, wiped his hands on his robe, and grinned amiably. "Ah, you must be Ten! This humble monk heard you can lift ten tons using psychokinesis—truly impressive. We’ll need to look out for each other during the mission."

Seeing him extend his hand, I quickly reached out to shake it, responding, "Please don't say that. You are far more formidable than I am. I’ll surely just cause you trouble."

Operative Two rubbed the smooth back of his shaven head and replied modestly, "Not at all, not at all."

I wasn't sure what else to say, but I sensed his genuine kindness. So, I said, "Well, I’ll go collect my equipment first. We can chat more later."

Operative Two nodded, then turned and headed toward a woven basket tucked into the corner of the room, seeming very concerned about whatever was inside it.

I turned and walked into the corridor, noticing the lighting inside was noticeably dimmer than outside.

The corridor wasn't long, maybe ten meters or so. There were no doors along the sides, only a metal gate resembling an elevator door at the far end.

The gate was currently open, letting out a bright, white light from within.

However, I noticed Operatives Eleven and Twelve standing by the entrance, making no move to enter.

As I approached, the introverted, shy guy said to me, "Wait... wait a moment, Mr. Long said, said we should just wait outside."

I nodded, glanced into the room, and saw that the wall directly facing me was lined with various firearms, including almost every type of weapon, as well as crossbows and other projectiles.

Yet, I suspected that even with how advanced these guns looked, they probably wouldn't be very effective against the Envoys.

A short while later, the door opened, and Long Yan emerged with Operative Eight.

Long Yan was holding a briefcase, while Operative Eight carried another.

The two of them then distributed these three briefcases into our hands. Long Yan instructed, "Open these when you return. They contain uniforms, badges, weapons, and specialized medication—all issued exclusively by the State Security apparatus. Use them wisely. A point of clarification: we still don't fully understand the structure or weaknesses of the Envoys, so we cannot manufacture dedicated weaponry. However, the explosive crossbow bolts in these cases, along with two canisters of flash-freeze gas, are extremely effective against gaseous entities, but the supply is limited, so use them judiciously."

After saying this, Long Yan produced three manila envelopes, handing one to each of us.

It was noticeable, however, that my envelope was red, while theirs were yellow, perhaps indicating a difference in threat level categorization.

Long Yan stated, "You must share the contents of these files with your immediate teammates but are strictly forbidden from exchanging information with other operational teams. Understood?"

The three of us nodded in unison, then carried our boxes and envelopes out of the corridor.

We saw that everyone else was still seated where they were, except for the particularly lively Yang Zhifeng and Operative Six.

So, we returned to our seats.

Long Yan took his position back at the head of the table and announced, "That’s all for today. The various teams are free to proceed with their individual actions."

With that, Long Yan gathered a stack of documents and a lighter from the table, slipped on his trench coat hanging behind his chair, and headed toward the elevator.

At that moment, Operative Two leaned toward me and smiled faintly. "Right then, let’s set a meeting spot for tomorrow to discuss the operation together. It’s already quite late, and this monk needs to get back to his studies."

Without waiting for my reply, he waved his hand and walked away with his basket on his back.

The little black-furred monkey, which had been squatting on the table eating the fruit placed in the center, saw Operative Two preparing to leave, hopped onto his shoulder in a few bounds, and looked back at me, blinking its large eyes twice.

Suddenly remembering something, I called out urgently, "Where do I find you tomorrow? Do you have a phone number?"

Operative Two stopped and replied, "No need for a call. Ah Gui has already memorized your scent; just find a place tomorrow, and I will locate you."

I realized he meant the black-furred monkey on his shoulder, which was bigger than a cat and had such a bizarre name.

After Operative Two left, the others began departing as well. I couldn't immediately recall everyone's distinct features, so in the end, I only retained clear impressions of Operatives One, Two, Three, Four, and Eight, Eleven, and Twelve; the rest slipped my memory.

Since I was going back to the hotel with Yang Zhifeng, I had to wait for him.

Yang Zhifeng had been deeply engaged in conversation with the X-level official seated next to him, discussing something I couldn't discern.

It was only after everyone else had been gone for about ten minutes that the two of them separated, laughing and waving farewell to each other.

Then Yang Zhifeng walked over to me, clapped me on the shoulder, and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

I pointed at the box and said, "I'm thinking about what exactly is inside this thing."

Yang Zhifeng laughed heartily. "Nothing much to see. I was pretty disappointed when I first looked inside too, but there are some genuinely interesting things, like some strange medicines that will really surprise you."

I asked, "What kind of medicine?"

Yang Zhifeng chuckled. "You’ll see when you get back. We’ve delayed long enough; I haven't even had my mutton hotpot yet. Let's go."

I paused, asking, "It’s this late, are we still going?"

Yang Zhifeng insisted, "Yes, of course we are going. I've been looking forward to this for ages. I haven't had the time, nor anyone to go with me. If I don't eat it tonight, I won't be able to sleep."

I sighed and agreed, "Alright then, we’ll go. It’s just as well; I could use someone to talk to anyway."

Yang Zhifeng seemed delighted. He grabbed my hand, and in the very next second, we were inside his car.

As Yang Zhifeng started the engine, he remarked, "I was never late for school when I was a kid. The farthest distance I ever had to travel was ten kilometers. The moment my alarm rang, I was already in the classroom. But one time, I forgot to put on my clothes—that was truly mortifying."

A nerve twitched on my forehead. I asked, "Did your classmates have any reaction to your sudden appearance?"

Yang Zhifeng replied, "What could they possibly object to? My grades were terrible, and I sat in the very back row; nobody paid attention to me."

I thought that might only apply to elementary school; children aren't perceptive enough to care about such things.

Yang Zhifeng put the car in gear and said, "I’ve never really had many friends throughout my life, so I’m particularly happy today."

I countered, "You’re so outgoing; how could you possibly not have friends?"

Yang Zhifeng shot back, "Do you have a confidant?"

I was momentarily stunned and replied, "Yes, of course, several, actually. Why would you think I don't?"

Yang Zhifeng explained, "Haven’t you ever considered how friends might react if they found out you had superpowers? I had a really good friend who nearly killed me after he discovered I had abilities, so..."

Seeing his rare serious expression, which didn't suggest joking, I pressed him, "Why? Why would knowing about superpowers make someone want to kill you? Shouldn't they think you're a hero?"

Yang Zhifeng sighed deeply. "It’s a long story. In short, we cannot make friends with ordinary people. But since we both work in the Ninth Squad, we can finally open up to each other. So, I'm determined to be your friend."