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"Ah, so comfortable..."
Wei Wei stood up from the sofa and realized that night had already fallen outside. Feeling an intense hunger in his stomach, he quickly changed into cleaner clothes, preparing to head out and grab something to eat.Even three streets away, the enticing aroma of street food was wafting through the air.But as soon as he opened the door, he was startled.Right in the hallway, directly facing his door, sat a man with a grim expression on his face.His hair was streaked with gray, his suit impeccably tailored, and beneath him was a battered sofa that seemed to have been dragged over from who-knows-where.Wei Wei’s heart skipped a beat. He immediately straightened up, pressed his legs together, and saluted loudly:"Good evening, Captain!""Ah, damn it..."Captain Ouyang Jian, who had been dozing off with a scowl on his face, jolted awake and nearly toppled off the sofa. Hastily smoothing down his perfectly styled hair, he looked at Wei Wei standing in the doorway with a stern expression:"You’re awake?"Wei Wei noticed the captain’s bad mood and didn’t dare lower his saluting hand."Yes, sir."Ouyang Jian scrutinized him from head to toe with a sharp gaze that seemed capable of piercing through someone’s soul. For a moment, it felt as though he could see right through Wei Wei.But what appeared before him was still Wei Wei’s earnest and straightforward face, free of any signs that might cause concern.Ouyang Jian suddenly felt irritated. Running a hand through his hair, he grumbled:"No medical preparations... no prior application for team safety measures... not even a single stabilizer prepared, and yet you recklessly went ahead with your third-stage ascension?""Well..."Wei Wei finally understood why Captain Ouyang had been waiting outside his door. He was surprised that the captain’s first reaction upon seeing him wasn’t anger over some other issue but rather concern for his carelessness during ascension.A mix of emotions flashed through Wei Wei’s heart, complicated feelings he couldn’t quite articulate. Not wanting to show it on his face, he simply smiled sheepishly:"It just... came to me all of a sudden...""Inspiration?"Ouyang Jian repeated the word skeptically while frowning at him."Yes."Wei Wei instinctively puffed out his chest, feeling quite artistic about himself for some reason.Ouyang Jian didn’t notice this at all; instead, he stared deeply at Wei Wei before saying slowly:"And what about the villa district in the north?"When he spoke those words, his tone grew heavier, as if emphasizing every syllable. If Wei Wei chose to hide anything now... Ouyang Jian didn’t know what he’d do, but he knew he’d be furious. "Captain, here’s my evidence."Before Ouyang could say more, Wei Wei stepped back into his room and retrieved two small white shoes tied together by their laces from the wall. Holding them solemnly with both hands, he presented them to Ouyang Jian like an offering.Then he took a step back and reported loudly:"Captain! Last night during my patrols, I received information from my colleague Ye Feifei about a suspected wild Love Demon infectee hunting young women. Acting on the principle of saving lives first, I conducted an initial investigation and discovered seven victims. Upon learning there might be more victims in danger elsewhere, I instructed Feifei to report this to you while I proceeded with further investigation.""I successfully located a sacrificial site where numerous unregistered wild Life Demon infectees were gathering, and found clear evidence of human sacrifice rituals taking place.""Following Foundation protocols for subordinate investigators, I attempted friendly persuasion, but they refused to surrender and even attacked me instead.""In desperation, I was forced to retaliate.""Fortunately, thanks to Captain Ouyang’s wise guidance and my rigorous training under our camp instructors, I demonstrated courage and professionalism in completing my mission despite facing terrifying enemies, and successfully dismantled their operation.""However, due to certain personal instabilities, I returned early without waiting for your team.""For this, I offer my deepest apologies to you as captain, and pledge strict self-reflection moving forward!" "...Huh..."Captain Ouyang was stunned speechless, his back instinctively straightening slightly.Wei Wei’s overly formal demeanor made him feel like an amateur captain by comparison, almost unprofessional.For a moment, he felt at a loss, but quickly regained composure.After mulling over Wei Wei’s words, he sat back down on the sofa, crossing his arms over his chest while letting out two dismissive grunts:"When you write your report later, make sure it matches exactly what you just said.""Especially that part about ‘wise guidance.’" "Yes, sir!" Wei Wei replied loudly."And is that all you have to tell me?" Ouyang asked sharply.Wei Wei hesitated briefly before responding earnestly:"If there’s anything else I’ve done wrong, please point it out so I can correct myself immediately.""I’m willing to write another self-critique on the spot if necessary." Ouyang snorted but couldn’t help feeling slightly pleased by how agreeable Wei Wei was being.Still, something felt off about how smoothly those words had come out of him... "What you did last night, the danger involved, the recklessness, and even that ‘artwork’ left behind... I won’t bring those up for now," Ouyang said coldly before leaning forward slightly:"But what about those twenty-one bullets?"Wei Wei froze for a moment:"You found out?""You call this ‘found out’?" Ouyang snapped angrily, his voice rising uncontrollably:"Did you really think something like this could stay hidden forever?" "Captain, I never intended to hide it from you, I swear..." Wei Wei replied sincerely, his tone tinged with guilt:"It’s all because of our training camp instructors..." "The training camp?" Ouyang frowned deeply.As one of four major training facilities under the Foundation, the camps were renowned among Transcendents as "the Foundation’s golden children."Graduates often enjoyed bright futures, even gaining access to classified departments within the Foundation itself...Wild talents like Ouyang could only dream of such opportunities, and even visiting second-tier defense zones would draw unwanted attention...He also knew that while officially focused on training, the camps held many secrets...Since bringing Wei Wei onto his team, Ouyang had avoided probing too deeply into his background precisely because of this...Asking too much risked inviting trouble, for some camp secrets were rumored more terrifying than wandering cults outside city limits... "So, you kept this hidden because it involves classified camp matters?" Ouyang pressed cautiously."Yes.""Were you sent back here on an assignment from them?""No.""Then why conceal things like this?""This..." Seeing hesitation flicker across Wei Wei’s face, a red flag went up in Ouyang’s mind. This is bad, he thought grimly. There really is something going on.Determined not to push too far lest he invite danger upon himself, Ouyang decided silently: If he refuses one more time, I’ll drop it entirely.But unexpectedly, Wei Wei seemed resolute as he met Ouyang's gaze head-on before blurting out bluntly:"It’s because of bullets.""Hmm?"Captain Ouyang Jian couldn’t help but widen his eyes.But it wasn’t a question, he was already contemplating whether to stop the conversation entirely when Wei Wei began spilling everything like beans from a sack:"Captain, you might have guessed it already, I brought back some bullets... uh, not many. These bullets were made by our instructor in the training camp using some... unconventional methods. When he distributed them to us, he strictly warned us."‘If you benefit from this, keep it a secret. If anyone dares expose me, I’ll make sure they can’t survive in the Foundation...’"...""?"Captain Ouyang nearly covered his ears in disbelief.The training camp was the Foundation’s golden child, its instructors were untouchable figures. And yet, here was Wei Wei, so honest and straightforward, completely unaware that some things should remain unsaid.Or maybe... had Captain Ouyang’s earlier sternness scared the kid into spilling everything? "But don’t worry, Captain," Wei Wei said quickly upon noticing Ouyang’s expression shift dramatically. He smiled reassuringly:"Our instructor might sound scary, but he’s actually quite reasonable.""Even though he’s not human, he’s surprisingly humane.""And while this is technically a secret, how could I ever hide anything from you?""Rest assured, Captain, I’ll report everything to you from now on!" "...You’d better keep hiding things instead..."Captain Ouyang muttered internally. But after a moment of reflection, he thought: It’s just a few bullets.Even if he’d accidentally stumbled upon this secret, it didn’t seem serious enough for the training camp instructor to come after him for silencing... right?After questioning Wei Wei for what felt like forever without getting any substantial answers, Ouyang finally waved his hand in exasperation. Just as he was about to say something else, he noticed Wei Wei suddenly grimace and clutch his stomach."What’s wrong?" Ouyang asked sharply."Hungry," Wei Wei admitted sheepishly. "But please continue, Captain, I’m fine.""Sigh..."Ouyang Jian gave him a helpless look before saying:"What’s the point of talking on an empty stomach? Come on, let’s go eat first."Wei Wei immediately brightened up:"Captain, you’re the best!"Ouyang Jian instinctively smirked slightly:"Didn’t you just say your instructor treated you well? Isn’t your captain just as good?"Then he paused and frowned:"Wait, why am I even comparing myself to that?"