Chapter 571: Suppressed Vibe After Hearing This Name

After He Niancheng finished changing his clothes, he came out and had breakfast with Gu Qingjiu.

When he had finished eating and picked up a napkin to elegantly wipe the corners of his lips, Gu Qingjiu was still eating.

"Today's the weekend. You don't have to return to school. Is there anywhere you'd like to go? I can accompany you there now."

In the past, he had to bear in mind that he was Gu Qingjiu's superior, so there were many places they couldn't go together in an above-board fashion.

Now that their relationship was out in the open, and he was no longer an active duty Chief Instructor, he could go out with Gu Qingjiu more naturally.

"To the movies!"

Gu Qingjiu raised a fork and said.

Don't think of her as being tacky. She liked watching movies, to begin with, and it was rare for her to have the time to come out. Naturally, she wanted to watch a film with the Chief Instructor.

He Niancheng didn't look like it was difficult for him or anything. "Sure, I'll call Joker and get him to book a theater."

"The ambiance won't be as good if you book the entire theater!"

Gu Qingjiu didn't like that idea.

"..."

She wanted to go to the cinema for the atmosphere. So, if he simply booked the entire place, there wasn't any point to it.

Although He Niancheng naturally knew what watching a movie was like, he had never watched a movie at a cinema where there were so many other patrons.

But anticipation had filled Gu Qingjiu's eyes. After some hesitation, He Niancheng ultimately nodded. "We'll do as you say."

He always didn't have the heart to reject Gu Qingjiu.

Although he would still stand by his view on matters that compromised his principles, Gu Qingjiu wasn't the sort of person who would breach He Niancheng's principles.

But what would He Niancheng's principles in front of Gu Qingjiu be?

Perhaps neither of them knew.

Hearing He Niancheng agree to it, and Gu Qingjiu felt elated.

"Great! Chief... I'll buy the tickets! I'll treat you to a movie!"

He Niancheng was speechless.

Gu Qingjiu bought tickets to an afternoon show nearby.

Right after she bought it, Lu Yimei called Gu Qingjiu.

"Qingjiu, Instructor Xiong asked me to ask you. How did you feel after interacting with that senior?"

"How?"

Gu Qingjiu carefully thought back to Elder Gong, whom she met yesterday, and replied a moment later, "Teacher seems like a nice person. As for shooting tips, Teacher didn't talk much about them yesterday. He merely asked me to head over there every week from next week onwards."

She did tell Instructor Xiong about this yesterday, but the latter was busy at the time, so she merely described it briefly.

"Since you're already addressing him as Teacher, it seems like there isn't much problem."

There was a congratulatory tone in Lu Yimei's voice. She continued, "Since that's the case, have a proper rest outside and relax."

Of course, nobody at school had found out that He Niancheng was already back.

Lu Yimei thought that Gu Qingjiu was still feeling suppressed over that matter. Hence, she asked her to have fun outside.

"Mm, thank you, Commander."

Gu Qingjiu didn't deliberately mention this matter. After she had hung the call, she noticed that He Niancheng—who was standing in front of her—seemed deep in thought.

As they were discussing his absence yesterday, he didn't have the time to ask Gu Qingjiu about other stuff.

Gu Qingjiu nodded. "Mm. That person's also Yin Ruoyi's teacher. It's a senior called Elder Gong, who is also my teacher now. In the future, I'll be learning from him in the area of shooting."

For some reason, He Niancheng didn't seem to mind when he heard about this teacher.

But when he heard that the person was also Yin Ruoyi's teacher, Gu Qingjiu could sense a suppressed vibe coming from He Niancheng.

Chapter 572: Couple Ring

"You can learn from him. But minimize contact with Yin Ruoyi."

He still remembered what he read about on that online forum.

Gu Qingjiu was not sure whether to laugh or to cry. "If we're going to learn from the same teacher, it's inevitable that we come into contact. But I don't even know him..."

She merely met him that one time in a public setting.

Apart from that, she didn't really know him.

Perhaps Yin Ruoyi didn't even have a deep impression of her.

He Niancheng's expression was too careful.

He didn't say anything else, but his brows seemed to droop a little.

Gu Qingjiu went over and circled her arms around his waist. "Don't keep worrying unnecessarily. We're going out later, right? I don't know when's the next time we'll get to meet, so let's enjoy each other's company, alright?"

With her speaking in such a soft tone, He Niancheng couldn't refuse her. Hugging her back, he stroked her head and said, "Okay."

Although it was true that they could meet in an aboveboard fashion now...

He would have less time to be with Gu Qingjiu since he was no longer the Chief Instructor.

Unless it was a long holiday.

It was because Gu Qingjiu would usually be in school, and every week she would also have to go over to Elder Gong's to learn from him.

The two of them stayed glued to each other in the hotel for some time.

Since there was time before the movie started, He Niancheng took Gu Qingjiu somewhere.

It was a China jewelry shop.

It was situated in a famous luxury brands street, the prime district of the city.

Those who shop here were extremely wealthy.

He Niancheng took her there to have a pair of custom-made couple rings.

Though Gu Qingjiu was apprehensive, it didn't seem like He Niancheng would take no for an answer.

The well-trained jewelry store staff went up to them with a beam upon their entry into the store. It was a refreshing smile and not one that brings about irk in someone. "Sir and Miss, what are you looking for?"

He Niancheng was straight to the point. "We want to have a pair of couple rings custom-made."

"Sure, please follow me."

The staff led them to a waiting zone and asked them to sit down, then retrieved a stack of magazines with their designs and walked over.

They only had to choose a design, and whatever custom requirements they wanted, they could just request it. Gu Qingjiu didn't think much of it initially, but then He Niancheng said, "We'll have something ordinary for now. In the future, I will get a designer in the Empire to design for us."

Let's ignore the meaning behind the final sentence.

When Gu Qingjiu saw the price of the ready-made couple rings in the catalog, there were at least six zeros in the price.

And He Niancheng merely considered them to be ordinary.

Gu Qingjiu felt that she had heard something she shouldn't have heard.

No idea what the staff was thinking inside, but on that person's face, the same gentle smile that didn't at all hint at impatience could be seen.

After all this selection, noon soon arrived.

He stated all their requirements and confirmed the design of the couple rings.

They could only collect such custom-made couple rings in about two weeks, and the final price was 1.76 million yuan.

The deposit was one-third of that.

When Gu Qingjiu heard the price, her heart trembled a little.

But when He Niancheng paid the deposit, he didn't even blink once.

Gu Qingjiu didn't understand the world of rich people...

After exiting the jewelry shop, Gu Qingjiu was still feeling a tad uneasy. "We can just buy a ready-made pair. Why is there a need to have them custom-made?"

Moreover, it was from such a store.

Gu Qingjiu felt uneasy about the price, and likely most people wouldn't be able to accept such a gift with ease.

"I don't like to wear the same thing as other people."

Chapter 573: Stared at Because They Were Too Good-Looking

He Niancheng replied straightforwardly.

"I've already asked a designer in the Empire to design something that suits us. But it's going to take longer. So for now, we can just make do with this."

Gu Qingjiu was speechless.

Make do with this...

That's over a million yuan, Boss!

That meant that after the new pair was ready, there wasn't a use for this pair anymore?

According to his style of doing things, she dared not imagine the price of that other pair of couple rings.

Having lived a middle-class lifestyle her entire life, Gu Qingjiu was so astounded she felt her heart tremble.

But nothing she said would change a thing.

Once He Niancheng had decided on something, he was unlikely to change his mind.

Like her older brother had said, her finding such a good-looking and rich boyfriend was like her stepping on dog poop[according to superstition, it means 'good luck'].

All along, He Niancheng didn't put on airs in front of Gu Qingjiu much.

Although she was aware he was of a lofty status, he didn't have plenty of people at his beck and call every single moment. He didn't particularly behave like a rich person.

But somehow, from certain areas, she could still see a visible difference between her and He Niancheng.

Although Gu Qingjiu found this lavish, she had to learn to adapt to such things since she liked He Niancheng.

This was merely He Niancheng's life, and she only had to learn to understand it.

At noon, they went back to that same steak restaurant they went to previously because Gu Qingjiu had commented that the chef seared a really good steak.

The delicious food made Gu Qingjiu instantly forget about all that messy stuff in her head.

In the afternoon, Gu Qingjiu and He Niancheng went to watch a movie.

Gu Qingjiu had once looked forward to such a life.

Perhaps because too many restrictions had bounded her previous lifetime, Gu Qingjiu didn't dare hope for certain things.

She considered it her greatest fortune to be able to live like an ordinary person.

It was wonderful to be able to watch a movie with her beloved.

But when Gu Qingjiu and He Niancheng appeared hand-in-hand at the cinema, they had underestimated their influence.

He Niancheng was simply too perfect.

When he stood there, even if he said nothing, it was a breathtaking sight.

Those in the cinema were mostly young people, and they were so stunned by how good-looking He Niancheng was that they fell speechless.

He Niancheng didn't mind such gazes, but he didn't like crowded places.

Especially since some people even tried to secretly take photos of him and Gu Qingjiu because they were simply too shockingly gorgeous.

But he very quickly sensed that, and cast a cold glance over, startling the person so much that they couldn't hold their phones steady.

Gu Qingjiu was slightly more polite, simply waving a hand at those who tried to secretly take photos of them.

After obtaining their tickets, she pulled He Niancheng into the theater. She was starting to regret it a little, feeling that she shouldn't have brought the aloof He Niancheng to such a place.

It was especially since many people were staring at Gu Qingjiu with looks of envy and jealousy.

Under so many intent gazes, Gu Qingjiu finished watching the movie in an uneasy manner.

He Niancheng, who didn't have much interest in the movie, shut his eyes to rest throughout the movie.

When the movie ended, Gu Qingjiu hurriedly dragged He Niancheng out of the cinema.

"Let's try to go to places where there are fewer people in the future."

It felt too much pressure to have crowds keep staring at them.

"Weren't you the one who said you wanted to come here?"

He Niancheng curled his lips and asked in a low voice.

"I never expected something like this to happen."

Gu Qingjiu had underestimated the Chinese's interest in beautiful things.

If it weren't for the fact that He Niancheng gave off a highly imposing aura, it was likely that their photos would be on the Internet by now.

Chapter 574: News From Lu Ziyang

Gu Qingjiu spent the weekend with He Niancheng, spending quality time with him.

She only returned to school on Sunday.

When she returned to school, she went to the dormitory first.

At the dormitory, she sent He Niancheng a message.

When she came back, she recalled that she left her military uniform at Yu Bao'er's place.

Because that night when she left, she had left in Yu Bao'er's clothes.

She forgot all about that all this while.

Thankfully, she had a spare set in the dormitory.

But since it already was summer, she had to change clothes quite frequently. Without special reasons, she couldn't apply for a new military uniform.

She had to ask Bao'er to bring her clothes over...

Although the military school didn't ask the students to pay for much, they forbid wastage.

They allocated resources reasonably.

Just then, He Niancheng replied.

"Mm."

Seeing his message, a smile appeared on Gu Qingjiu's face.

Messy footsteps sounded outside the door, as well as merry chatter.

Gu Qian and Chu Lian entered and saw a trace of a smile on Gu Qingjiu's face before it vanished.

"Eh, Qingjiu? You're back?"

Gu Qian was a tad surprised to see Gu Qingjiu back.

As for Chu Lian, when she caught the smile on Gu Qingjiu's face, she said mysteriously, "Seems like you're in a pretty good mood. Did something pleasant happen?"

"No."

Gu Qingjiu glossed over it with a faint smile. "Have you guys eaten?"

"Of course!"

Gu Qian jumped over. "Didn't you go and meet with Yin Ruoyi's teacher? How did it go? Is the teacher very cool?"

Gu Qian's eyes were filled with stars, as though she was fantasizing about it.

Gu Qingjiu burst out laughing. "The teacher is a senior."

Though she wasn't given special orders to keep it under wraps, Xiong Xuejian kept the teacher's name a secret.

Hence, Gu Qingjiu naturally wouldn't reveal it.

"Alright, alright."

Gu Qian stopped asking. Chu Lian came up and mentioned another matter. "Gu Qian and I just came back. We heard other students mention that the list of the hundred selected signaller soldiers is out."

Gu Qingjiu was astonished. "So fast?"

"Mm."

Chu Lian's expression turned serious. "I heard that they would announce the names tomorrow. I wonder if they selected me."

Although she had great confidence in herself, Chu Lian still felt a tad uncertain now that the results were about to come out.

"Aiyah. If you get chosen, what am I to do?"

Gu Qian was kind of mad about this.

She didn't even register for it.

Because she definitely wouldn't stand a chance.

Chu Lian rolled her eyes. "Why are you so anxious? Even if I was selected, we could still play together for another three years. You can't guarantee that after graduation, we'll be assigned to the same place, anyway. We will inevitably go separate ways."

'We will inevitably go separate ways.'

That final sentence seemed to prick Gu Qian where it hurt.

She immediately fell silent.

Gu Qingjiu let out a sigh as she listened to their conversation.

No one could be certain about the future.

Just like how these four dorm mates' fates would likely differ significantly in the future.

Just then, Gu Qingjiu's phone vibrated.

It was a text message notification.

She thought that it was He Niancheng again.

But when she opened her phone, she was surprised to see the contents.

[ L: Head out of school and to Water Road No. 197 tomorrow at 9 pm. Lei Feng will pick you up. ]

After three seconds, the message was instantly deleted after having confirmed that Gu Qingjiu had seen the message.

Chapter 575: Signaler Soldier Name List

Meet him?

Gu Qingjiu was confused.

She didn't know what was going on.

It felt like it was a different venue from the last time.

If not for this text message, Gu Qingjiu would have nearly forgotten that she was currently a mysterious Ninth Department member.

Tomorrow at 9 pm...

Tsk, she wondered when she would get to come back after she left for the place.

Gu Qingjiu memorized the contents of this message, then began preparation for tomorrow's training.

At night, Qi Xiaoran returned to the dormitory.

After a peaceful night, the name list that Chu Lian mentioned came out the next day.

The instructor told them during class time that they would place the list on the school's bulletin.

They would also broadcast the result on the electronic screen.

Gu Qingjiu looked and saw that Chu Lian and Qi Xiaoran's names were on that list.

That meant that these two were confirmed to be signaller soldiers and would be deployed to the border in the future.

At noon, Gu Qingjiu stayed in the Shooting Department and didn't go back to the dormitory, so she didn't get to ask Chu Lian.

After lunch, Gu Qingjiu returned to the dormitory.

At the time, Chu Lian and Gu Qian were both around, and Qi Xiaoran was also washing her clothes then.

"Seems like it's final that I'll be deployed to the border in the future. The thought of it makes me feel a sense of anticipation."

Chu Lian appeared thrilled. The minute she finished speaking, Gu Qian slapped her on her back. "Why are you so damn lucky!"

"What do you mean by damn lucky? I have the capabilities, to begin with, okay!"

Chu Lian was annoyed.

Gu Qian pointed at Qi Xiaoran. "Look at how pleased you are with yourself and how calm Xiaoran is."

"Of course, I'm pleased with myself. I'm not like Xiaoran—Xiaoran is predetermined to be one. But in the future, I'll be of the same specialization as Xiaoran. Right, Xiaoran?"

Xiaoran turned her head sideways, something she rarely does, when she heard her name, and she responded with a bland "mm."

Seeing this, Gu Qingjiu couldn't help but say, "But the borders occupy a vast area. I wonder where they will allocate you guys to."

They only mentioned that their deployment would be at the border, but they never specified which border.

"No need to worry about that for now. In any case, it's just those few places. We'll find out when the time comes."

Chu Lian waved a hand, still looking excited. "To celebrate Xiaoran and me getting selected, let's go out for dinner on Friday night! I feel that the kimchi fish in the restaurant outside of school tastes pretty good."

"..."

Gu Qingjiu was hesitant. "Let's see what happens. Because I need to go to train with my teacher for the weekend, so I don't know if I have to leave on Friday."

"That's okay. If you really can't make it, we can go on Sunday when you come back."

Gu Qingjiu nodded. "Sure!"

Qi Xiaoran turned her head over as well. "I can't guarantee I won't have anything on the weekend."

Just like Gu Qingjiu, her schedule was unpredictable.

She couldn't guarantee that something wouldn't arise suddenly.

Chu Lian could understand that, so she didn't force her. "That means you'll come with us if you're free?"

That was an improvement.

In the past, Qi Xiaoran made it obvious she didn't wish to associate with others.

Even Chu Lian wasn't much fond of speaking with Qi Xiaoran.

But now, Qi Xiaoran was slowly integrating with the rest.

Perhaps because they had been dorm mates for quite some time now, and no conflict arose between them.

So, she was gradually letting down her guard.

Qi Xiaoran hesitated a little before nodding. "Alright, if I have nothing on, I'll go."

Seeing Qi Xiaoran agree to it, Gu Qingjiu raised her brows, slightly surprised.

Chapter 576: Setting Off for the Meeting

But this was considered a joyous matter.

After a discussion, they decided to head out to have a meal on Sunday.

Gu Qingjiu came back and retrieved her stuff, then left for the combat training hall.

She had to train with Feng Yumeng tonight.

When she reached, Feng Yumeng was already there.

In a military singlet, she immediately jumped to her feet at the sight of Gu Qingjiu. "Qingjiu, you're here!"

Gu Qingjiu nodded with a smile. "You're here early today."

Feng Yumeng chuckled. "Surely I can't arrive later than you every single time."

She was here to receive training, so she couldn't appear too lax about it.

"Sure."

Gu Qingjiu got down to business right away. "We'll train as usual today. The instructor taught some new points today. Let's give it a try. And then we'll do combat."

Feng Yumeng nodded in agreement. "Sure!"

Now that Feng Yumeng had gradually grown used to training, her combat capabilities had enhanced.

In the past, she would always be solely taking beatings from Gu Qingjiu. But now, at least, she could counter Qingjiu for some time.

However, in Gu Qingjiu's eyes, Feng Yumeng was making more and more slips.

She felt that Feng Yumeng's speed didn't improve and instead was slowing down.

Only when she saw that others made her feel the same did she realize that she became faster.

Those who practice shooting had a certain degree of control over speed.

Now that Gu Qingjiu's speed improved, not only was it shown in her shooting, all other areas also showed the same result.

She was getting more and more skilled at combat.

Since in Gu Qingjiu's eyes, others' speeds had slowed down, how could her opponents block off her attacks or manage to attack her?

Since there weren't any competitions lately, nobody else seemed to have noticed this change in her other than the instructor,

When she trained with Feng Yumeng, she had to control herself to cut the latter some slack.

Not too much, though. If Feng Yumeng could get used to sparring with her this way, she felt that Feng Yumeng would more or less be able to fend off other people's attacks.

It was May already.

This semester's end would be in another month's time, and then it was the final examination and final competition.

When the time came, Feng Yumeng's results would count towards Gu Qingjiu's group scores.

Gu Qingjiu naturally paid attention to this matter.

The duo continued training until night, then returned to the girls' dormitory together.

Gu Qingjiu entered the bathroom to take a shower to wash away the fatigue of the day.

She didn't contact He Niancheng, and neither did he call her.

She had no idea what He Niancheng was doing.

It had only been a day since she saw him, yet the longing she felt for him had deeply seeped into her bones.

When she came out of the shower, Gu Qingjiu saw a message notification on her phone.

Tapping it open, she saw the contents of the message.

'Goodnight.'

Seeing this, Gu Qingjiu felt her chest brimming with warmth.

She tapped on the screen and texted him back the same thing.

Then she climbed onto the bed to sleep.

The next day when she woke up, Gu Qingjiu remembered that she had a mission at night.

Thus, last night she told Feng Yumeng that they wouldn't be training together.

Although Lu Ziyang said to meet at nine p.m., she couldn't be certain what time they would reach that venue he mentioned.

Gu Qingjiu applied for leave from the Commanding Officer in advance, saying she had to head out.

The Commanding Officer approved of it very quickly.

Gu Qingjiu realized that whenever she applied for leave, there wasn't an instance that the school never approved of it before. She wondered if it was because of her identity.

Chapter 577: The First Mission—Cooperation 1

Of course, she wouldn't be able to make sense of something like this quickly.

Gu Qingjiu didn't give it that much thought.

After training ended, she headed out of school.

Just to be safe, she brought her phone along.

However, it was in silent mode.

When she arrived at that designated meeting place in the capital, it was around nine p.m.

She was wearing an ordinary denim skirt and a cap that cast a shadow over her facial features.

She seemed like an ordinary girl.

When she arrived at Water Road No. 197, she realized that it was a bar.

There was a vehicle outside the bar.

The car was an ordinary one, but when Gu Qingjiu walked past it, she saw bright sparks inside the dim car window. Someone was smoking in there.

She merely cast a glance over it, and as though by telepathy, the car window rolled down, revealing Lie Feng's face that reminded one of an artistic youth that gave off decadent vibes.

"You're dressed in a low-key manner today."

Smoking a cigarette, Lie Feng turned his head and cast a sideways glance at Gu Qingjiu. "Get into the car."

Gu Qingjiu got into the car as told and asked in a low voice, "Did something crop up?"

"No."

Lie Feng's words surprised Gu Qingjiu. "You're going on a mission."

Gu Qingjiu was astonished. "Mission? What kind of mission can I go on now?"

"You'll find out when you get there."

Lie Feng then tossed something black to Gu Qingjiu.

Gu Qingjiu quickly caught it. When she lowered her head, she saw that it was a gun.

She raised a brow slightly. Lie Feng continued, "Be careful. Although the safety catch is not released, you need to be careful just in case. It's not ordinary rubber bullets inside, but blanks that contain anesthetic. While it's not fatal, we can't be sure about that if you hit me while I'm driving.

Gu Qingjiu quietly kept the gun away. "Don't worry. I won't hit you with it."

"Why are you giving me this gun?"

"Tonight the four of us, excluding us two, and Zong Wenxuan... that pair of siblings you saw the other time, we're going to Fairy Road to execute a mission. You have to hit one of the targets using this gun, then evacuate safely... Did you bring your phone along?" Lie Feng suddenly realized something as he spoke.

Gu Qingjiu nodded. "I was worried I might not be able to find you guys, so I brought along my phone just in case..."

Lie Feng frowned. "In the future, when you receive Lu Ziyang's message asking you to come out, don't bring your phone along because we can't guarantee if there will be computer experts at the venue where we carry out the mission. If they discover your phone, it will be extremely troublesome."

Gu Qingjiu felt sheepish hearing him put it this way. "I understand. I didn't know this because it's my first time on a mission."

"Mm. Later, before you go, leave your phone here. We contact each other using this."

As he spoke, he handed Gu Qingjiu a small black object that resembled an earpiece.

"Put this in your ear, and you will hear me."

Gu Qingjiu felt an abnormal excitement upon hearing this. Wasn't this the communication device shown in TV shows?

They were acting like special agents.

So cautious.

But she knew she didn't have the capabilities of special agents.

Gu Qingjiu stuffed this into her ear. After confirming she had lodged it firmly, she suddenly heard a boisterous voice, startling Gu Qingjiu and making her crease her brows involuntarily.

"Aiyah, can the newbie hear me? Can you hear me speaking? Newbie, you were so arrogant last time. Can we spar individually after this mission ends later?"

Chapter 578: Just Do Whatever Boss Asks You to Do

Since it was too sudden, the voice startled Gu Qingjiu.

She re-adjusted her ear mic with a frown.

Hearing the voice over the ear mic, Lie Feng lectured him, "Zong Wenxuan, be more serious when you're on a mission."

He had mentioned that this pair of siblings would be on this mission, so it wasn't much of a surprise to Gu Qingjiu to hear Zong Wenxuan's voice.

"I was merely joking with the newbie..."

Zong Wenxuan sounded a little fearful of Lie Feng, with his voice lowered.

"Lie Feng, be more polite to my younger brother!"

His protective older sister wasn't so polite, though.

Gu Qingjiu could see Lie Feng's decadent face turn serious. "Zong Wenjia, stop spoiling him. You need to be clear about what situation this is."

"Surely I know how to take my younger brother in hand?"

Zong Wenjia retorted. But that was all, and she didn't continue speaking.

However, Zong Wenxuan went on to say, "But I'm serious. Newbie, shall we PK each other later? You're listening to this, aren't you?"

Of course, she was.

When Gu Qingjiu heard this, her lips curled in a somewhat cold arc. "Senior, what would you like to challenge me in? Shooting? I'll gladly oblige."

Surely, Gu Qingjiu wasn't scared of competing in shooting?

But if he were challenging her to any other area, it would be shameless of Zong Wenxuan.

He obviously knew how Gu Qingjiu got in here, so how could he shamelessly challenge a newbie like her to anything other than shooting?

Zong Wenxuan was merely saying that for the heck of it. But when he heard the coldness in Gu Qingjiu's words, he seemed to choke.

He said nothing for a long while.

Lie Feng glanced at Gu Qingjiu, then said, "Alright, Zong Wenxuan, you don't feel embarrassed for that, huh? There's no room for mistakes tonight. Keep away your dilly dallyness."

Speaking of the mission, this Lie Feng seemed more reliable than his image might lead one to think.

"Zong Wenjia, explain the mission tonight to the newbie."

On the other end of the ear mic, there was a momentary silence. Then, Zong Wenjia's voice rang.

"Tonight's mission venue is Fairy Road, Sky River District. I've already planned the route, and I will send it to your car GPS a moment later."

"An official will hold a banquet there tonight. His name is Yun Qiyue. According to the information we've obtained, his actions indicate that he has sold our country's confidential information. He's guilty of treason. Our objective tonight is to go to his house to collect evidence. If that cannot be done, we have to make sure we evacuate safely."

"There will be many important officials at the banquet, as well as his family. There's a 70% chance Yun Qiyue isn't aware that he is already exposed. I've checked. He didn't put in place additional surveillance or protection around his home. Newbie, your mission tonight is to hide in a place, then fire at the person I tell you to fire at."

"As for who it is, I will let you know and give you instructions when you've reached."

Gu Qingjiu was a little shocked when she heard what the mission was about.

Betraying one's country and communicating with the enemy?

It was such a severe crime, such an important person. Why was a newbie like her tasked to execute this mission?

But thankfully, over the ear mic, Zong Wenxuan didn't seem to understand why either. He murmured, "Sister, this mission doesn't sound like our level. Why are we asked to execute this mission? Shouldn't the Special Security Agency be responsible for this?"

It sounded like Zong Wenjia was smacking Zong Wenxuan on his head. "This is none of your concern. Just do whatever Boss asks you to do!"

Chapter 579: First Time Cooperating—Must Learn How to Use a Sniper Rifle

Special Security Agency.

Gu Qingjiu quietly memorized this new term.

Lie Feng glanced at Gu Qingjiu, then said calmly, "Missions are like this. There are all sorts of weird missions all the time. Don't ask and don't remember. Just quietly execute whatever you are told."

Gu Qingjiu nodded. "I understand."

Only a fool would go around blabbing about such missions.

Lie Feng drove towards the mission venue, and they temporarily stored Gu Qingjiu's phone at the place where they met.

Other than the ear mic, there wasn't any other communication means she had to contact others.

Gu Qingjiu could only await instructions.

Perhaps because this was her first mission, and such a weird mission at that, Gu Qingjiu felt rather nervous.

She didn't know what exactly she had to do later, but she knew that she definitely shouldn't fail.

Absolutely shouldn't fail.

"Later, I, Wenxuan and Lie Feng, the three of us will enter the banquet. Newbie, I will make you stay in a certain place and await instructions. Do you have any opinion about that?"

Zong Wenjia didn't seem to have good vibes about Gu Qingjiu, but she didn't particularly pick on her.

She merely kept addressing her as a Newbie.

As though she deliberately wanted to distinguish Gu Qingjiu from the rest of this mission.

"No."

At a moment like this, Gu Qingjiu naturally had to obey their words.

"Good."

Hearing Gu Qingjiu's straightforward response, Zong Wenjia's voice sounded calmer.

As he drove, Zong Wenxuan and Zong Wenjia discussed the mission's details over the ear mic. But they sounded exceptionally relaxed and not at all nervous about such matters.

Lie Feng calmly spoke, "If it's necessary, you better start practicing with a sniper rifle. You were given an appropriate gun this time because the designated distance isn't too great."

"Sniper rifle?"

Gu Qingjiu tilted her head and thought about it. "But I didn't get the chance to use a sniper rifle in school."

They didn't get to train using a sniper rifle in their training so far.

"Your teacher has one. If you ask, he won't object to it."

Lie Feng seemed to know quite a lot. The moment he spoke, Gu Qingjiu fell silent.

Although becoming a disciple of Elder Gong wasn't a secret she had to conceal deliberately, the fact that even Lie Feng knew about it made Gu Qingjiu feel an indistinct sense of distrust towards the Ninth Department.

"We have all sorts of talents in our department, but lack of snipers. Lu Ziyang also means to test your capabilities by bringing you on this mission this time."

After a halt, Lie Feng continued, "This mission isn't an urgent one. If we're unable to accomplish it, another department will come over and wrap things up. But according to what I learned in the past, it'd be best for us not to fail the missions that Lu Ziyang sends us on."

It was as though he was trying to give Gu Qingjiu pointers, as though he was asking Gu Qingjiu to treat this mission seriously.

Gu Qingjiu fell silent for a moment before nodding. "I'll do my best."

"Aiyah, this mission is a piece of cake!"

Zong Wenxuan started yammering over the ear mic. "Newbie, let me tell you, if this mission fails, it must be a problem with my older sister and Lie Feng. They're just trying to say that if it fails, they're pushing the responsibility onto you. Shameless... Aiyoh! Sister, how can you hit me!"

Before Zong Wenxuan finished his words, Zong Wenjia gave him a beating.

Lie Feng let out a sneer, while Gu Qingjiu nearly laughed out loud.

Chapter 580: The First Mission—Mission Venue

The atmosphere of the mission wasn't as nerve-wracking as Gu Qingjiu had imagined it to be.

Only after reaching the mission venue that Gu Qingjiu realized something.

It turned out that Sky River District was a district where the affluent lived.

But it was located in the suburbs.

From several kilometers radius, they could find only villa residences.

Besides professional security and properties in certain areas, looking in the Easterly direction, all one could see was wilderness.

She had no idea why the affluent liked to stay in such a place.

There was a main entrance in Sky River District for entry into the villa area. There were quite many people coming here tonight.

Fairy Road wasn't exactly a very remote place, but this place didn't seem developed yet, forming a strange sight with half of Sky River District being in a desolated state and the other half in a prosperous condition.

Gu Qingjiu could see many luxury cars parked at the main entrance into Sky River's villa district.

Although those around were officials and their families, if one didn't pay particular attention, ordinary citizens living there wouldn't be able to tell.

Naturally, they had no idea how these seemingly honest and upright officials lived such an extravagant lifestyle.

"I'll bring you to a place."

After parking the car, Lie Feng got out of it and rushed towards the suburb area with Gu Qingjiu.

By now, the skies had darkened. If a timid person were to talk on such a road, they would likely feel quite frightened.

"Alright, you don't have to bring her there, Lie Feng. I can direct her there."

Zong Wenjia's voice rang over the ear mic. Lie Feng paused for a moment, then halted in his footsteps and handed a pair of binoculars to Gu Qingjiu. "Use this to observe the situation later. Listen to Zong Wenjia's instructions and walk the spot where she specifies."

Gu Qingjiu nodded and took the binoculars from him, then left immediately without dragging her feet.

"Newbie!"

Lie Feng called out to her. Gu Qingjiu turned her head and saw Lie Feng pointing into the darkness ahead. "If you're scared, you can just tell me."

Outside of the Sky River Villa District, there were grassy plains elevated above level ground. Zong Wenjia wanted her to head there.

For a girl to go to such a desolated place all by herself, one couldn't help but wonder if she would be frightened.

"I'm not scared."

Gu Qingjiu's expression was calm, and she merely responded with that line before leaving straightaway.

"Hahahahaha..."

Zong Wenxuan's loud laughter suddenly rang over the ear mic. "Seriously, Brother Lie Feng!"

He sounded gleeful.

"Stop talking. Be careful. The newbie hears you!"

Zong Wenjia called out to Zong Wenxuan helplessly once more. She then directed Gu Qingjiu over the ear mic. "There's a GPS in the ear mic. I can see your location and your coordinates. Continue walking ahead. Five hundred meters from there, you will find yourself at an intersection. Climb up-slope from there. But take note, there might be patrolling security guards over there. You must avoid them. Try your best not to get into a conflict with them."

"Got it."

Zong Wenjia's voice sounded cold and aloof to Gu Qingjiu.

To be walking in such a desolated place, furthermore, in the middle of the night...

If it were someone else, they might probably be scared. But not Gu Qingjiu.

As someone who had died once, how could she possibly be scared in such a situation?

The scariest thing in the world weren't those illusory legends, but humans and their hearts.

Following Zong Wenjia's instructions, Gu Qingjiu arrived at the mission venue very quickly.

It was a sloped area in the middle section of the villas in Sky River District. From this spot, she could see a brightly lit villa ahead with the naked eye.