CR CH17

Chapter 17: Misunderstanding

Just as Ji Yandong had said, in a closed environment, any minor stir was fresh fuel for gossip. When a rumor passed through the mouths of three different people, the version that spread the widest wasn’t necessarily accurate, but it was bound to be theatrical.

Whenever Li Cheng scavenged the latest version of a rumor from other squads, they usually just listened to it for a good laugh.

However, since that day, Feng Huo had been acting completely out of character. The moment training ended, he would leave immediately, basically refusing to participate in any team interactions. When the others tried to talk to him in private, he would just shake his head and say he needed to think things through.

Jiang Tianji, on the other hand, treated Feng Huo exactly as he always had. He didn’t seem to mind the other’s lukewarm attitude, avoiding excessive contact without deliberately dodging him either.

Generally speaking, they were quite lucky—at least the system hadn’t matched them up against each other in the mock combat simulations yet.

Wednesday arrived, and Jiang Tianji bid farewell to his teammates to head to the lab for his special suppressor injection as requested. Having no appetite for a proper meal afterward, he let the AI sprite guide him to buy a nutrient solution, returning to the dorm early intending to get some rest.

Since it was peak lunchtime, the hallway was practically deserted. Jiang Tianji hummed a tune as he poked at the flowing energy layer on the wall, watching it form shallow ripples under his fingertips before quickly snapping back to its original state.

Finding the dorm door slightly ajar, he didn’t think much of it and casually pushed it open.

The person inside gasped in surprise. Seeing someone enter, Feng Huo hurriedly shoved whatever he was holding into his pocket—it looked like a thin, single photograph. His expression grew momentarily unnatural as he stood up, bypassed Jiang Tianji, and walked toward the door.

“Take an umbrella. It looks like it might rain outside.”

Jiang Tianji didn’t say much, simply opening his drawer and tossing an umbrella over.

Feng Huo caught it mid-air but didn’t rush to leave, staring intently at Jiang Tianji for a long time.

How amusing. One after another, they all love to stare.

Standing there in a dead silence wasn’t going to solve anything. Just as Jiang Tianji was about to say something to break the ice, Feng Huo suddenly gripped the doorframe and spoke.

“Over the past few days, I’ve realized that you really are different from us.”

Jiang Tianji hadn’t expected him to say that. After a brief pause, he smiled. “How am I different? Just because my mom is Commander Jiang?”

“The rest of us are simple-minded, muscle-brained guys. When we’re angry, we throw a fit; when we’re happy, we can’t shut up. We’ve never really thought about holding back. I used to think you were just like us.”

“Honestly, I snapped out of it pretty quickly. I knew I was in the wrong for that whole mess, and my anger wasn’t directed at you anyway. Afterward, I sat in the dorm for a long time, trying to figure out how I should apologize to you when you got back.”

“We’re brothers. There’s nothing a good fight can’t settle—at worst, I’d just let you beat me up. But when you came back that day, you didn’t say a single word.” Feng Huo looked at him with a completely calm expression. “You treated us exactly the same as usual, acting like nothing had happened. Somehow, it suddenly reminded me of when you were being punished. Everyone thought you’d be miserable inside, but you just weren’t.”

“I might not have much of a brain, but I’m not a pure idiot like Huang Qi either.”

He let out a massive stream of words all at once, clearly having suppressed it in his chest for days.

“I’ve always found people whose boundaries you can’t read to be pretty terrifying. It’s like you don’t care about anything at all.” Feng Huo turned around, his final sentence muffled by the closing of the door, yet it still made its way into Jiang Tianji’s ears. “Then again… we’ve only known each other for a few days. Only an idiot would actually care. You never viewed us as brothers, and I don’t care to be brothers with a fake person either.”

The umbrella was violently thrown back by Feng Huo, hitting Jiang Tianji square in the chest. After letting out a sharp “hiss” of pain, Jiang Tianji was laughed right out of his anger. He kicked Feng Huo’s chair.

“If you don’t care, then what the hell are you throwing a tantrum for?”

Z01 Grassroots Division Office Area, Chief’s Lounge.

A silhouette walked briskly into the office. Ling Kongmiao had just returned from outside, looking worse for wear from his travels. Hanging up his last emergency communication, his ears finally got some peace.

He poured himself a glass of water, speaking in a flat tone as he set the glass down.

“Irene, I have told you many times not to disguise yourself as a bird to eavesdrop at my window. If someone reports you, I am not going to bail you out.”

The window was cracked open just a sliver.

Hearing this, a “little bird’s” head peeked through. Its pitch-black feathers gleamed with a faint golden hue under the light, and the tip of its tail feathers bore a tuft of white. It gracefully flapped its wings into the room. The moment it touched the ground, a long-haired beauty replaced the small, delicate black bird. Irene smoothed her hair and leaned against the desk with a deep sigh.

“Captain, has the Federation still not given you a raise?”

“Running around to multiple places a day… when you achieve something, the most they give you is a vacation commendation. The moment something goes wrong down below, they immediately think of using you to suppress the public outcry.” Irene stepped a bit closer. “Though this transfer order doesn’t seem that simple. Lately, S-rank missions and new mutant variants have spiked drastically. I originally thought coming here was just a formality, but we haven’t received any news about being recalled. Is Jiang Ziming still managing things over at Special Support Headquarters?”

Ling Kongmiao didn’t answer directly. “It doesn’t matter. It has nothing to do with us.”

“The resolution protocol for the Z01 blood capsule incident has been submitted, and the meeting is imminent. The higher-ups have no time to worry about anything else right now,” Ling Kongmiao explained concisely. “Just treat it as a vacation.”

“I see.” Seeing that he clearly had no intention of elaborating, Irene fell into deep thought. “Then, keeping the Special Support Team from taking a side… whose idea was that?”

Silence stretched between them.

Ling Kongmiao paused for a moment before resuming his movements. “It was my idea.”

An surprised expression crossed Irene’s face; she clearly hadn’t expected that answer at all. After pondering for a long while, she didn’t press further, instead bringing up another matter with a smile.

“Understood. But while you call it a vacation, these kids are a lot harder to manage than the Special Support members.”

“Must you always complain to the supervisor who has the most on his plate?”

Without looking up, Ling Kongmiao opened his virtual screen to swiftly approve documents. “If you have nothing else, get out.”

Irene blinked, drawing out her words. “Oh? So you don’t want to hear about your little handsome guy either?”

Ling Kongmiao’s movements came to a halt. His tone turned slightly mocking.

“My office is not a daycare, nor is there anyone with the surname Jiang in my family.”

Irene blinked again. “Are you only this certain because you also realize your attitude toward him is special?”

Ling Kongmiao: “I am very aware of what you all gossip about out there every day. Furthermore, if there is nothing else—”

“Here’s the thing,” Irene cut in before he could issue his eviction notice. “His identity information was maliciously leaked. We can rule out internal personnel first. I felt the level of attention this was getting was a bit odd, so I looked into it. The news originated from the neighboring Z01 Ability Squad. The atmosphere down there is terrible right now. They’re all young, hot-blooded kids. Shouldn’t we enforce some discipline?”

Ling Kongmiao’s gaze remained fixed on the virtual screen. “No need.”

Seeing him answer so decisively, a glint flashed across Irene’s eyes. “Captain, you…”

“Irene, I am busy.”

Irene fell silent for a moment. “I understand. But public opinion is a terrifying thing; not everyone is like you, entirely immune to outside voices. Besides, they’ve already violated regulations. Even if the management of the most basic combat units isn’t that strict, they can’t just disregard discipline entirely. Are you sure no intervention is required?”

Ling Kongmiao finally raised his eyes to look at her, a subtle expression on his face that Irene couldn’t quite decipher.

“He won’t.”

The statement lacked context. Just as Irene was trying to figure out which of her questions he was answering, her vision suddenly blurred. A blue tongue of fire incinerated and tore open a deep rift in the space before her—looking like a suddenly opened eye—sucking her into a vortex.

By the time Irene snapped back to reality, the blue glow had not yet entirely dissipated from the air. The extravagant captain had not hesitated to expend his precious mental energy just to teleport her out of his office to avoid further questioning.

Irene: “…”

“Did Sister Irene fail her eavesdropping again?”

Tang Min’s voice drifted over from behind her. Irene turned her head to see a miniature brown bear leaning against Wei Jiangming, sleeping soundly with its limbs sprawled wide. Atop the brown bear’s head stood a plump little mouse. She was only the size of a palm, honey-colored all over, with a pink snout, paws, and claws. She had dark eyes, a pair of tiny wings on her back, and a chubby, furry tail.

The voice had come from none other than this chubby little mouse.

“Yeah, got kicked out.”

Irene felt her broken heart heal a little. She scooped the mouse off the brown bear’s head, casually picked up a nearby fish tank, and leaned against Wei Jiangming with a sigh.

The silver little fish inside the tank agitatedly splashed about, flicking its tail and throwing a face full of water over them.

The tight-lipped Wei Jiangming finally opened his eyes, offering her a helpless smile.

Irene stared back at him, wiping the water off her face blankly.

“Old Wei, this water is bitter. Just as bitter as our lives.”