Chapter 471: So Unlucky

Only until the footsteps weren't heard anymore, did Gu Qingjiu crawl out from under the desk.

She was holding that silver lighter with a dazed expression on her face.

She had seen the Chief Instructor fidgeting with this lighter before.

But she had never seen the Chief Instructor smoke.

For the Chief Instructor to suddenly be tossing this lighter to her, what did it mean?

She carefully looked at it. It was only a small, silver lighter.

There weren't any patterns, and it was square. However, engraved on the silver coating was the alphabet H.

She couldn't quite understand why, but she carefully placed that lighter into her pocket before heading to the combat competition venue.

There was still some time until she was due to compete. Since the latter part was mostly the guys competing, Gu Qingjiu didn't harbor much hope due to the disparity in physical strength between the two genders.

Coincidentally, she and Qi Xiaoran competed at roughly the same time, so she didn't have the chance to watch Qi Xiaoran compete.

Surprisingly, Gu Qingjiu won two consecutive rounds in the combat competition.

She didn't have much difficulty winning those rounds.

It could only be said that she got lucky, to be assigned to opponents who weren't that strong.

After Gu Qingjiu had emerged as victorious, Gu Qian and Chu Lian came up to surround her. "Aiyoyoh Qingjiu, you're really capable. You even made it to the second round in combat. Don't tell me you're going to create history?"

Seeing them look so excited, Gu Qingjiu shook her head and laughed. "Stop talking about me, what about you guys? I remember you two made it past the selection rounds in combat."

Although Gu Qian and Chu Lian didn't have much talent in shooting, both did pretty well in combat and qualified to compete in this segment.

However, the instant she asked this question, the atmosphere grew a little awkward.

Gu Qian opened her mouth and said, "... We were defeated in the first round."

She looked as though she couldn't bear to recall the matter.

Gu Qingjiu couldn't help but rap Gu Qian's head and jokingly said, "Useless!"

Then she asked, "How are Qi Xiaoran's results?"

With a hint of mystery, Chu Lian answered, "I think she's really capable. She defeated her opponent in more or less ten seconds, and she was forceful and ferocious in her tactics. She's occupied one of the three spots in combat."

"It's likely for our dormitory to have the champion in shooting and combat. Incredible."

Gu Qian then came up with a rare retort, "Only the two of us are dragging the dormitory down."

Chu Lian instantly rolled her eyes at Gu Qian. "I'm better than you, okay? At least I was defeated in the second round, whereas you lost in the first round."

"You just got a bit luckier!"

Gu Qian was unwilling to admit defeat, and seeing as the two of them were about to get into a quarrel again, Gu Qingjiu hurriedly stopped them. "Alright, alright, let's stop talking about this. Let's go back to the dormitory first."

"No, no. Let's go for dinner first. I'm famished."

The school canteen extended dining by an hour so that students who had just finished competing would have something to eat.

"Alright, lets' go."

Gu Qingjiu nodded. She was just about to go with Gu Qian and Chu Lian to the canteen when she saw Feng Yumeng running over.

She looked a little thrilled. "Qingjiu, I saw that you made it to the next round. Congrats."

Seeing Feng Yumeng, Gu Qingjiu nodded with a smile. "Thank you, I will try my best.

"Go for it. Only you and two other people from our specialization made it to the next round."

Gu Qian was astonished to hear this. "Why is the computer science specialization so unlucky?"

Chapter 472: It's a Present for You, Keep it Properly

The rules for getting into the next round were pretty similar for combat and shooting, but the number of people who could get to the next round wasn't as certain.

After all, each specialization would be up against other specializations. But for the computer science specialization to have so many eliminated participants at one go, it was truly surprising.

Feng Yumeng scratched her head. "Perhaps that's because we're used to following instructions. That can't be helped."

Of course, their solid capabilities weren't as strong as the other specializations.

"It's alright." Gu Qian patted Feng Yumeng on her shoulder. "At least there's Qingjiu who will bring glory to you guys in target shooting. That's not bad already."

Her words caused those present to burst into laughter.

"Alright, let's go out and eat first. Feng Yumeng, have you eaten?"

"I've long eaten. If you guys wish to eat, just go ahead. I'll stay around and watch the competition to gain some experience."

Feng Yumeng touched her nose and ran away.

Gu Qingjiu was quite surprised to see this lass show such self-awareness.

Indeed, having experienced the joy of victory, she started to develop some self-awareness.

Chu Lian clicked her tongue. "This Feng Yumeng ranks the bottom in the computer science specialization, right? I've heard of her name. But from the looks of it now, Qingjiu, you're indeed capable. You can even rescue someone ranked at the bottom."

"I wasn't the one who rescued her." It wasn't that Gu Qingjiu was being overly modest. "She has decent capabilities, to begin with, and her physical stamina isn't too bad. It's just that she fears pain—so much that when others hit her she won't dare to retaliate. Now that she knows what to do, her performance naturally got better."

"Aiyoh, regardless, you're truly lucky!"

The few of them chatted merrily as they went to the school canteen.

The results for the first day of the competition were out.

For the physical training competition, three people from the computer science specialization got into the next round; two for shooting and two for combat!

Surprisingly, their computer science department did slightly better in the physical training competition.

According to logic, computer science folks should pale in comparison to other specializations in physical training.

But as a whole, this was quite a bad result.

Especially considering Gu Qingjiu took up a spot in combat and shooting.

Her peers in the computer science specialization were getting more and more impressed by her.

Tomorrow, it would be the second round of shooting and combat, so Gu Qingjiu had to be prepared for that. After dinner, she returned to the dormitory with Gu Qian and Chu Lian.

After taking a shower, Gu Qingjiu fiddled with that lighter.

She placed the lighter beside her pillow and hid it at the corner.

After some thought, she ultimately couldn't hold herself back from sending a text message to the Chief Instructor.

[ Chief Instructor, why did you give me that lighter? =.= ]

She just couldn't figure out why.

After waiting for a good while, the Chief Instructor still hadn't replied to her.

Just then, the door opened. Qi Xiaoran had returned too.

She said nothing and went straight into the bathroom to take a shower.

Since they were roommates, Gu Qian spoke up. After all, they were still roommates. "Qi Xiaoran, congrats on getting into the next round in combat."

To everyone's surprise, Qi Xiaoran cast a strange glance at Gu Qian, then nodded and softly said, "Thanks."

She then went to the upper bunk above Gu Qingjiu.

Gu Qian was quite worked up to get a response from Qi Xiaoran. She looked towards Chu Lian, who then rolled her eyes which nearly sparked a fight in the dormitory.

Gu Qingjiu watched as they clowned around, a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. Just then, her phone suddenly vibrated from under the blanket.

Her heartbeat accelerated rapidly.

She felt for her phone under the blanket, and saw this reply:

[ It's a present for you, keep it properly. ]

Chapter 473: Finals

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

A present for her?

Ripples of emotions formed in Gu Qingjiu's heart.

This was Chief Instructor's first present for her. But why a lighter?

Gu Qingjiu couldn't understand the meaning behind this.

Hence, she sent a text message to the Chief Instructor to ask.

[ Chief Instructor, why did you give me a lighter? ]

[ Do I need a reason to give you a present? ]

His response made Gu Qingjiu speechless. While he didn't need a reason to give her a present, giving her a lighter was somewhat absurd. She wasn't a smoker, and she wouldn't need to light a fire regularly. What was the use of this lighter?

But from the looks of it, this lighter had a special meaning to the Chief Instructor.

Gu Qingjiu felt that the Chief Instructor wasn't the sort of person who would give someone a present for no reason.

So, she better keep this lighter properly.

After all, this was the Chief Instructor's first present for her. It would at least serve as memorabilia.

With this thought, Gu Qingjiu kept the present away, then replied.

[ Chief Instructor, I'm going to bed now. You should rest early too, goodnight. ]

[ Goodnight and have a good rest, you still have to compete tomorrow. ]

After seeing the Chief Instructor's reply, Gu Qingjiu's lips curled in a smile. She had developed a habit now, and that was she could only peacefully go to sleep after seeing the Chief Instructor's reply. No idea if this was the case for all lovers in the stage where they were passionately in love, but she felt more and more melodramatic.

She slapped her face then secretly sneaked a glance at the other people in the dormitory.

It was still some time away from lights out, but Gu Qingjiu already felt like sleeping.

She looked at the others, then went to sleep.

...

Early the next morning, the second round for the fifty-meter target started.

Such a competition didn't pose a challenge at all to the present Gu Qingjiu.

Hence, she used the quickest response speed, as usual, and hit the bullseye for three consecutive shots.

She won first place with a perfect score once again.

Everyone saw this coming, so no one was surprised.

After the quarter-finals ended, it was time for the combat competition in the afternoon.

This time, Gu Qingjiu finally met a tricky opponent.

She lost when faced against a guy.

She could sense that her response speed wasn't slower than her opponent, but she seemed to have lost due to... experience.

She wasn't as skilled as the other party in terms of moves, and he also didn't seem like he was a beginner in combat.

Naturally, Gu Qingjiu wasn't a match for him.

Despite losing in the combat competition, Gu Qingjiu didn't feel dejected.

It was okay so long as she did well in the finals in the shooting competition.

If she won the finals, Gu Qingjiu would obtain three military points.

This was a great advantage to a first-year student.

Gu Qian and the rest were quite disappointed to see her be defeated in the combat competition, but Gu Qingjiu seemed to be making it easier than them.

As for Qi Xiaoran, just like rumors had it, Qi Xiaoran defeated every single opponent that came her way and smoothly made it into the finals.

In their dormitory, one made it to the combat finals, and one made it into the shooting finals.

Moreover, they were hot contenders for first place. This caused their dormitory to suddenly shoot to fame in the entire university.

Although Gu Qian and Chu Lian were simply observers, they felt glad for Gu Qingjiu and Qi Xiaoran nonetheless.

Chapter 474: Information That is Scarily Detailed

Without much of a hiccup, Gu Qingjiu successfully entered the finals of the shooting competition.

Also, she went on to clinch the first place in the finals.

The final competition was the hundred-meter stationary target.

When Gu Qingjiu set down her gun, her expression was somewhat aloof.

Deafening cheers erupted all around her, from classmates who were ecstatic at her win.

She looked around and saw a smile on everyone's faces as they cheered for her.

Even the instructors wore a proud smile.

In her trance, there was a sense of unrealness.

She lowered her head and gently pursed her lips.

She caressed her fingertips, and she had no idea what was going through her mind.

The Commanding Officer came over and took her away. She was still in a dazed state, as though she suddenly had no thoughts in her mind.

Until an unknown man appeared in front of her.

He was dressed in a black suit and wearing a pair of black-framed spectacles, looking very ordinary.

And he was carrying a briefcase.

Gu Qingjiu instantly looked around. This was a secluded corner in the school, not an appropriate place for meeting someone.

The Commanding Officer who brought her here had already left.

She was confused.

"Gu Qingjiu, hello."

The bespectacled man before her pushed up his spectacles and greeted Gu Qingjiu.

He even stuck out a hand to shake Gu Qingjiu's hand. He looked decent and civilized.

The dazed Gu Qingjiu stuck out a hand and said, "Hello, you are?"

"It's normal for you not to know me."

The man smiled at her. Although he seemed harmless and approachable, Gu Qingjiu felt wary of him.

She had a feeling that this man wasn't as harmless as he appeared on the surface.

In any case, this made her feel a sense of danger, all the more.

"Seems like your intuition in target-shooting isn't too bad."

The man, who seemed to sense something, said with a disarming smile, "My name is Lu Ziyang, you can just call me by my name."

There was a wariness in Gu Qingjiu's eyes as she stared at this Lu Ziyang guy.

"Is something the matter?"

"You're pretty straightforward." Lu Ziyang retrieved a document from his briefcase. "I thought you would ask about my identity first."

He waved the documents in his hands. After a moment's hesitation, Gu Qingjiu took it from him.

However, the heading 'National Special Department Members' Information Investigation' made Gu Qingjiu's eyelids twitch.

What the hell was that?

Special department members' information investigation?

"Pardon me, Gu Qingjiu, if you wish to ask me about the contents of this document, I won't tell you. Because you don't have the clearance to know of all this yet, and I'm merely here to inform you. After the school assembly ends, come out of the school to this place. Someone will pick you up. When the time comes, I will reveal some things you wish to know."

A ferocious glint flashed across Gu Qingjiu's eyes.

Her hands that were holding the documents trembled.

Because written on it, was Gu Qingjiu's particulars.

Moreover, it was extremely detailed.

From the time Gu Qingjiu was born, including her little conflict with the Yu family, everything was described succinctly.

But even then, every single major event in her life had been clearly expressed.

Including her sudden decision to join the troops right after senior high.

Because it was written in brackets and a straightforward manner: (Target had a sudden change in thinking, underlying reason unknown. Suspicious!)

Chapter 475: This Document Shouldn't Exist

Suspicious.

This word made Gu Qingjiu's heart shrink.

This meant that someone was suspecting her.

And the information in front of her was so detailed that Gu Qingjiu had nearly forgotten about some of those events.

The period after she chose to enter the troops was annotated with comments, indicating that her personality differed from her previous self, and this was flagged out as an abnormality.

Just this point alone was enough to make Gu Qingjiu's heart turn cold.

And standing before her, Lu Ziyang's expression was so calm it was as though he didn't care about Gu Qingjiu's reaction upon seeing the information.

He gave one last reminder, "Gu Qingjiu, I know you're a clever person and you will know what to do. But you don't have to be scared either. You're the only person who would see this information. Before handing this to you, I can guarantee that even I don't know of its contents."

"Only I know about it? Then who was the one who came up with this report?"

With her brows furrowed, Gu Qingjiu didn't believe his words.

Lu Ziyang chuckled. "Of course it's done by someone who should be doing this. But you can completely rest assured. Even if something were to happen in the future, nobody else will come to know of this information. My purpose for coming here to find you is not to threaten you. You only have to come to this place I mentioned tomorrow and you will understand everything."

"Tomorrow is Sunday. After the school assembly ends, I need to train. How am I to explain things if I can't go back to school after coming out?"

Gu Qingjiu immediately brought the document to her back and asked with a cold gaze.

"Don't worry about that. Your Commanding Officer has already applied for leave on your behalf. You don't have to worry about a thing."

Lu Ziyang held his briefcase under his armpit and curled his lips. "I'll be waiting for you tomorrow then. Also, Gu Qingjiu classmate, it's probably best for you to not tell anyone that I looked for you today. Remember, anyone. After you read the information, you may burn it."

With that, he turned around and left.

Watching his back view as he left, Gu Qingjiu's pupils shrunk.

Her chest was uneasily heaving up and down.

She held up that document and glanced at it once more, with a terrible countenance.

The information written on it was so detailed it was terrifying.

If that person didn't grow up with her since young, how were they able to know such details about her?

But the person who brought her this, clearly stated that even he had never taken a look at this. Also, he had no idea who it was that created this document.

'Go to that place tomorrow...'

She glanced at the address Lu Ziyang gave her and saw that it was somewhere in the city center of the capital.

But as for where exactly it was, Gu Qingjiu had no idea.

Because she wasn't familiar with the capital.

With her heart on tenterhooks, she recalled Lu Ziyang's final advice for her.

In the end, she gritted her teeth and dismissed the idea of telling this to the Chief Instructor.

For that person to be able to come to the school and have the Commanding Officer go to him, he mustn't be an ordinary person.

As for exactly where it was, guess she would find out tomorrow.

For that other party to know such detailed information about her, he must be someone of great influence. It would be easy for such a person to do whatever it is he wished to do to her.

Even if she was guarded, it wouldn't help matters.

After looking at the information, Gu Qingjiu brought it back to the dormitory with her.

Gu Qian and the rest had yet to come back, so Gu Qingjiu took out the lighter the Chief Instructor gave her and burned the document.

This document shouldn't exist.

Chapter 476: Everyone Looks So Distracted

When Gu Qian and Chu Lian came back, they sniffed something burning in the dormitory.

They wrinkled their noses and sniffed around. "Qingjiu, what's the matter? Did our dormitory catch fire?"

"No."

Seated on the edge of the bed, Gu Qingjiu was still in an unsettled state. "I burned something earlier."

Although the dormitory strictly forbade them from doing such stuff, nothing was going to happen to her if she did it in secret and wasn't caught.

"What did you burn?" Gu Qian asked, but she quickly forgot about that and started a new topic. "Speaking of which, where did you go after the competition ended today? We wanted to celebrate with you but couldn't find you anywhere. Let's head out of school for a meal today. We've obtained permission to leave the school from the Commanding Officer."

"He permitted it?"

Gu Qingjiu's brows knitted together. "Go out for a meal tonight?"

"Of course!" Gu Qian walked over and raised her eyebrows, and then hooked her arm around Gu Qingjiu's. "In our dormitory, you won first place in shooting and Qi Xiaoran won first place in combat. Of course, it calls for a celebration. Qingjiu, you left too early and didn't get to see Qi Xiaoran's victory in combat. Let me tell you, it was simply impressive. She pinned her opponent down to the ground with just a few moves!"

Hearing this, Gu Qingjiu then recalled that she was supposed to go look at Qi Xiaoran compete.

In the end, after she had won she fell into a daze, and then she was brought to see Lu Ziyang.

Lu Ziyang...

Gu Qingjiu made a note of this name, then she smiled and nodded. "Since you guys wish to, let's go out for a meal. But you guys managed to get your leave approved because of this reason?"

"Of course." Gu Qian was somewhat gleeful. "Our dormitory is so impressive. How can we not celebrate it?"

Chu Lian splashed cold water on her from the side. "You nearly hugged the Commanding Officer's legs and cried. How could he not approve it?"

Gu Qian nearly flared up. "If I hadn't pleaded with the Commanding Officer this way, how would we get the opportunity to go out and relax a bit?"

Chu Lian stopped criticizing her and quickly nodded. "Yes, yes yes, it's all thanks to you."

As they were speaking, Qi Xiaoran entered the dormitory door.

Upon seeing her, Gu Qian said with a smile, "Xiaoran, we're going out for a meal tonight to celebrate you and Qingjiu winning first place."

Perhaps surprised by Gu Qian's friendly manner, Qi Xiaoran paused for a moment, before resuming her usual aloof demeanor. She shook her head and said softly, "You guys go ahead. I have something on tonight."

Gu Qian paused for a moment, a strange gaze flashing past her eyes. She then clarified herself, "Chu Lian and I will be treating..."

"I have something on, but thank you for your kind intention."

Qi Xiaoran didn't say much and merely picked up her jacket before leaving the dormitory again.

Seeing her leave, Gu Qian murmured, "This Qi Xiaoran is busy from morning to night. What exactly is she busy with? The competition just ended, what can she possibly be busy with?"

Gu Qingjiu, who was still fretting over the guy who suddenly appeared earlier on, had no time to bother with Qi Xiaoran's affairs.

"Just leave her be. Don't you know her by now?"

Chu Lian could take things more easily than Gu Qian. "Never mind her if she's not going. Don't we still have Qingjiu?"

It was only upon hearing her name that Gu Qingjiu snapped out of her trance and looked over at Chu Lian.

There was astonishment in Chu Lian's eyes. "What's going on today? Everyone looks so distracted."

She was much more sensitive than Gu Qian, and she could readily tell that something wasn't quite right with Gu Qingjiu.

Chapter 477: What Exactly Was Going On

"Ah? Qingjiu, what's the matter with you?"

Only then was Gu Qian able to detect that.

"Nothing."

Gu Qingjiu quickly shook her head and masked her unsettled state with a smile. "Aren't we going to go out? Let's go."

She decided not to think about that matter for now. Since she would find out the answer tomorrow, she better hold it in for the day.

With that thought, she went out with Gu Qian and Chu Lian for dinner.

After the competition ended, an award-giving ceremony was to take place the next day. Gu Qingjiu was due to go onstage and be commended for her victory since she won first-prize in target shooting.

The three of them ate fish outside.

Although the food served in the school canteen wasn't too bad, it wasn't as scrumptious as what one could find outside.

The three of them ate to their hearts' content and returned to the dormitory at night with filled bellies.

The next day, the award-giving ceremony officially began.

The principal of the National Military University of China, who was also the deputy chief of a troop of land combat soldiers in the capital, was giving a speech with a beam onstage.

"Now, let's welcome the top three winners of the schoolwide competition. Of course, a noteworthy point is that two of the first-place winners are first-year students!"

The audience broke into cheers and applause underneath.

Gu Qingjiu walked out and went up the stage with everyone's gaze upon her.

When she received the first-place medal from the principal's hands with a beaming face, she once again fell into a trance.

Everyone below the stage was accordingly staring at her. Onstage, she basked in the attention of tens of thousands.

Even the Chief Instructor was nodding imperceptibly as he stood with the other instructors and watched her.

This...

Wasn't this what she had been looking forward to?

To strive hard and live a different life now that she was reborn?

And hadn't she accomplished that now?

But why did she feel an emptiness in her heart?

She felt like a person who was used to leading a life of wandering, and that she didn't have a fixed place to live.

Though she was leading a stable life now, it still felt unreal.

Just like the others, she went down the stage after receiving her medal. From now onwards, perhaps once every two months, she would register a win on her school records.

This was considered normal to her, but to other students, it was proof of her glory in school.

Even after graduation, with these proofs of excellence, she would have a meteoric rise in her career.

She truly was reversing the tide of her life!

She came down the stage amid the congratulatory gazes of her classmates with a dazed feeling in her heart.

It was as though suddenly, all this wasn't what she should be striving for.

The thing that truly agitated her about the document Lu Ziyang brought to her was the horror of having someone know everything about her.

It was as though the rebirth secret she had been carefully concealing was merely something that they could easily discover.

That this secret—which had been her greatest pillar of support—would become completely exposed.

Even if she was basking in glory now. Even if she was the newly emerged genius in shooting...

She knew that she still had much to improve on.

Some people might even easily crush her with a wriggle of their finger.

What shooting genius? What outstanding student? All those would turn into a joke.

At the thought of all this, she lowered her gaze, and a cold glint flickered across her eyes as she clenched her fists.

She only had to wait a while more before she found out what exactly was going on.

And what was the deal with that Lu Ziyang guy!

Chapter 478: Colleagues?

Gu Qingjiu left right after the school assembly ended.

Because she had hurried earlier on, she didn't even bring her phone with her.

She went to the address Lu Ziyang gave her, and it was already night time by the time she arrived.

After all, the school was too far away from this place.

Only upon arrival did she realize that this was a bustling and prosperous commercial street.

So prosperous that it didn't seem like an appropriate location to meet.

It was like the sort of place people would meet to shop at.

She changed into a simple set of casual clothes before coming out and wasn't in her military uniform.

When she arrived at the location, she saw that there was a shopping mall in front. Apart from the ordinary citizens coming and going, there wasn't anyone who seemed suspicious.

But just then, from the underground garage next to the building, came a small gray car.

The car was a rather low-key one, with an ordinary car plate number and brand.

No one could tell that there was something special about it.

But the car came up behind Gu Qingjiu and from within rang the deep voice of a man. "Get into the car."

Gu Qingjiu looked over and saw that it was a man who seemed to have experienced the vicissitudes of life. From the looks of it, he was in his thirties.

There was a black stubble around his mouth, making him resemble a young artist who had been leading a wandering life for many years.

It was the sort of look you would see on a male lead in a commercial road film in recent years.

With a cigarette between his jaws, he didn't even cast a glance at Gu Qingjiu as he spoke again. "Lu Ziyang asked me to bring you there."

Upon hearing the name Lu Ziyang, Gu Qingjiu instantly understood.

She paused for a moment, then got into the car. "If you said it at the onset, I might not have hesitated."

"No, you ought to have hesitated."

After Gu Qingjiu got into the car, the man stomped on the accelerator without even fastening his seatbelt.

"If you're someone who easily gets into someone's car and doesn't have any sense of alertness, you won't fit the profile of someone Lu Ziyang typically picks."

With one hand on the steering wheel, he smoked with his other hand. Taking in the smoke that drifted its way with the wind, Gu Qingjiu frowned slightly. "If I considered that, I wouldn't have even shown up today. One's alertness depended on the occasion."

If she had considered that much, she wouldn't have believed Lu Ziyang's words right from the start.

"Really?"

The man cast a sideways glance at her. No idea if it was because he sensed Gu Qingjiu's aversion to the smell of cigarettes, but he directly tossed the cigarette away anyway.

But the man didn't speak throughout the journey after that.

He made several turns as he maneuvered his way in the city.

It was already late at night. If it was an ordinary person, they would probably think that Gu Qingjiu was about to be dragged somewhere and sold off.

But the car remained in the city center. Then, when they arrived at an alleyway commonly seen in the capital, the car stopped.

"Get out of the car."

The man climbed out of the car first, then asked Gu Qingjiu to do the same.

Gu Qingjiu got out of the car with him. Seeing him walk straight into the alleyway, she naturally followed.

With no lights and no sound around, it felt quiet and creepy.

But when they entered the alleyway, behind an ordinary arched door, there was a courtyard. The courtyard seemed to be an ordinary residence inside the alleyway. But the man seated beside the door was seated in an upright position, as though he was a soldier. Also, Gu Qingjiu saw that there was a gun at his waist.

He got to his feet and nodded at the man before Gu Qingjiu.

The man merely waved a hand in response and said, "Newcomer, but we'll be colleagues in the future. She's still a young student. Let's get to know each other."

Gu Qingjiu froze.

Colleagues?

What does this mean?

Chapter 479: Welcome to Ninth Department

Of course, Gu Qingjiu knew what the word colleague meant.

But since when did she become colleagues with this man?

The man with a gun at his waist also cast a deep and probing gaze at Gu Qingjiu, before nodding. "Nice to meet you."

"Haha."

The man with a stubble laughed ambiguously and waved a hand at Gu Qingjiu. "Come on, come in with me."

Gu Qingjiu followed him into the small house ahead without any hesitation.

It was like an ordinary house, and entering through the door, one found themselves in a hall that was slightly old and shabby.

But judging by this person before her and that man standing guard outside, this place wasn't as simple as it seemed on the surface.

Indeed, when he pulled away some rather old-looking curtains, a bedroom that used to be occupied by a girl appeared before Gu Qingjiu's eyes.

The wooden bed next to the door was of the nineties style, with a white mosquito net over it, and on the bed, there were two rabbit plushies.

If this place was to be used as a disguise, it was a flawless one, apart from that man standing at the door.

Then, Gu Qingjiu saw that person go to the bedside table, where there was strangely a vacant spot.

The man merely reached out his hand and rapped a few times on the wall and a brick-sized hole instantly appeared in the dust-covered old wall. Immediately after, a password device was sent out.

The man entered the password and pressed his thumbprint on the device, and the wall before him suddenly opened with a swoosh sound.

What appeared before Gu Qingjiu was a futuristic corridor that one might see in a science fiction movie.

There were clear and bright lights shining above.

This formed a stark contrast with that worn-down girl's bedroom.

Gu Qingjiu stared as she watched this scene unfold before her with her mouth agape.

Was this some sort of legendary secret base?

The man turned his head and upon seeing Gu Qingjiu's shocked expression, he said with a faint smile, "Is it like what you see in the TV drama series? Who asked our Boss to be a lonely old man who likes to watch television?"

Gu Qingjiu was speechless.

"Is that thing hidden behind your base? As in, is that where Lu Ziyang specified for me to go?"

Gu Qingjiu instantly understood.

The man nodded and walked towards that corridor behind the wall without even turning his head "Of course, we're a special department. Of course, we have to stay hidden in a place that others wouldn't discover."

Department?

This was Gu Qingjiu's umpteenth time hearing this word.

What exactly do they do?

Could it be their country's special department?

But they resembled an organization more.

She followed him in, and after entering a corridor, the walls behind her instantly shut.

She believed that behind the door, it was still that ordinary bedroom.

Who would have thought that there would be such a place hidden in an alleyway in the capital?

After following the man through many turns, and walking through many similar-looking corridors that made one giddy, Gu Qingjiu finally arrived at a slightly more normal place.

An ordinary conference room appeared before her eyes.

That mysterious man who called Gu Qingjiu to come to this place, Lu Ziyang, was seated and checking some information.

At the sight of Gu Qingjiu, he immediately got to his feet and revealed that same approachable smile he did previously and extended a hand to her.

"Gu Qingjiu classmate, welcome to Ninth Department."

Chapter 480: Had Her By the Throat

Gu Qingjiu hesitated for a moment. "Ninth... Department? Since when did I agree to join?"

Though she didn't reach out to shake Lu Ziyang's hand, he didn't seem to mind that.

Looking behind Gu Qingjiu, the man who brought her there let out a soft sneer seeing this. He then turned and walked out the door of this conference room.

Before he left, Lu Ziyang warned, "Lie Feng, remember what I said—don't smoke in the base. You know Boss hates funny smells in the base the most."

The man whom he addressed as Lie Feng raised a hand and responded impatiently without even turning his head. "Got it."

Bang!

The door to the conference room was closed. Lu Ziyang immediately extended a gentlemanly gesture to Gu Qingjiu. "Classmate Gu, please have a seat. I'll explain things to you slowly."

Gu Qingjiu knew that since she had no idea what was going on, she could only listen to Lu Ziyang's explanation.

Hence, she sat down as she was told.

Lu Ziyang sat back down and flipped through the information he was sorting through, then looked towards Gu Qingjiu with both hands on the table, making him seem approachable. "I know you have many questions about why you're here. I'll answer the first question you raised earlier. You're not the one choosing to join, but someone above wants you to join."

Hearing this made Gu Qingjiu's heart tremble.

Seeing the shaken expression on Gu Qingjiu's face, Lu Ziyang smiled at her. "I know you're a smart person and will be able to understand the meaning behind my words. In other words, we pledge loyalty to our country and devote our service to the country. Whether you join or not, is not up to you."

That meant, it was the country's decision for her to join.

As for who in the country, it wasn't Gu Qingjiu's place to ask.

"You're a student in a military school now."

Since she was a military school student, that meant she had to obey orders.

Gu Qingjiu instantly understood.

Her tense body slightly relaxed, a hint of doubt flashing across her eyes. "Why me?"

"Because you have a talent. Our country never wastes its talents," Lu Ziyang explained.

It then occurred to Gu Qingjiu. "It's because of my shooting talent?"

Her shooting talent was outstanding enough to attract attention from this department?

But Gu Qingjiu could indistinctly sense that this wasn't the case.

Lu Ziyang raised a brow, but his tone remained gentle and warm. "Maybe, maybe not. I have no clearance to look at your information, but I have a rough knowledge of your situation. What stood out most clearly to me was that before you entered the military school, you received shooting training for the first time in the troops."

"And after you entered the military school, when you participated in the first outdoor shooting activity of your life, you created a miraculous result."

"I've seen your competition video and the Boss has seen it as well."

"Pardon my frankness, Miss Gu, your talent is not simply extraordinary, but extremely rare. Even Yin Ruoyi of the National Defense University can't be compared with you. But you don't seem to realize this, and merely regard it as an ordinary talent."

Extremely rare?

Gu Qingjiu trembled slightly at this phrase.

Most people would be ecstatic to hear such praise, but Gu Qingjiu felt that there was a hidden message behind Lu Ziyang's words.

It gave her the creeps.

It was as though someone had her by the throat.