CR CH41

Chapter 41: Subtle

Coming out of the base’s mission station, everyone felt a bit weighed down by their emotions.

As they walked back toward the dorms, Jiang Tianji felt a sudden weight on his shoulder. Taking advantage of Huang Qi and the others whispering in the back, Feng Huo leaned over and spoke.

“You’ve got something on your mind.”

His tone was more certain than questioning. Jiang Tianji didn’t deny it.

“Not really,” Jiang Tianji said, rubbing his neck. “It’s nothing.”

“There you go again.” Feng Huo studied him with a suspicious look. “Come on, spill. You’ve looked like you were about to explode these past few days, and you’re telling me it’s nothing?”

Jiang Tianji let out a soft sigh. Just as he was pondering how to respond, Ji Yandong suddenly looked back from up front.

“You guys go back and rest first. There’s training tonight.”

After giving the brief instruction, Ji Yandong looked at Jiang Tianji. “Tianji, come with me to buy some nutrient fluids and medicine, just in case.”

Feng Huo’s eyes darted between the two of them. He didn’t ask further, obediently letting go. “Sure thing. I like the grape-flavored ones.”

“I want orange!”

“Anything’s fine for me. Do they have cilantro flavor?”

As the others clamored behind them, Ji Yandong ignored the noise and led Jiang Tianji toward the cafeteria.

The sunlight was gradually softening. People walked along the roadside in groups of three or five, enjoying one of the few relaxing moments of their day.

Not far away, many people wore the combat uniforms of the Ability Division. A few of them stood out significantly, with their beast-form characteristics clearly visible.

“The Ability Division produced a lot of dual-awakeners this year. I heard there’s an A-rank combat type with a unique corrosive ability, large-scale phantom beast class.”

Seeing Jiang Tianji’s gaze linger, Ji Yandong offered an explanation.

“Our regular division also has a few who just awakened their abilities. They’re all top-tier in combat power. Counting the days… the team reorganization and grading should happen before long.”

As he spoke, his gaze seemingly drifted past Jiang Tianji, only to collide squarely with Jiang’s calm eyes.

“With your current talent, you could try aiming higher.”

Ji Yandong pulled his gaze back naturally and lifted the curtain to the cafeteria.

“What do you think? Any thoughts?”

“My thoughts don’t really matter, do they?” Jiang Tianji followed behind him and said flatly, “What about my mom? Does she have any thoughts?”

The man ahead came to an abrupt halt. As if expecting this, Jiang Tianji reached out and dragged him forward.

Ji Yandong gently pulled his arm back. Showing little surprise, he let out a helpless sigh. “…When did you find out?”

“Captain, were you even trying to hide it?”

Catching a glimpse of Ji Yandong observing his expression, a faint smile flashed in Jiang Tianji’s eyes—one of his few moments of relaxation over the past few days.

“I knew from the very beginning. Don’t make it so obvious.”

“Chief… Chief Jiang occasionally asks about your situation, but she hasn’t said anything else,” Ji Yandong cleared his throat and explained. “At most, I act as her eyes. Any special care comes from my own personal volition.”

“I know.”

“Tianji.”

Seeing him avoid the issue, Ji Yandong didn’t indulge him as he usually did. Instead, his tone deepened.

“You don’t have much time left to make a choice and prepare. You need to plan early.”

Standing in front of the supply cabinet, Jiang Tianji froze at the words. His fingertips were less than a centimeter away from the nutrient fluids.

Staring at his blurred reflection in the glass, his voice sounded slightly raspy when he finally spoke.

“I don’t know.”

“You…”

The device on Ji Yandong’s wrist suddenly vibrated, cutting him off.

Jiang Tianji looked down. The moment he clearly saw the displayed message, his expression froze. Without a second of hesitation, he turned and bolted outside.

“Tianji, wait a second.” Ji Yandong grabbed for him, but Jiang Tianji twisted his body and slipped away.

“Captain, I have something to take care of, I’m leaving!”

The familiar line and sudden exit gave Ji Yandong a strange sense of déjà vu. Slowly lowering his hand, a guess formed in his mind.

…Is it Captain Ling?

The top floor of the Z01 Base Commander’s Building.

A figure hurriedly held up a device to open the relevant permissions, rushing onto the top floor like a whirlwind.

At that moment, the members of the Special Assistance Team One happened to be resting. Zhao Hengyi had just stretched when a blast of wind hit him dead-on.

He opened his eyes in bewilderment, only to see a dark shadow flash past his face, storming into the Chief’s office with an enormous racket.

The crowd fell silent for a moment, exchanging glances. Zhao Hengyi snapped upright.

“An enemy attack?!”

Beside him, Ye couldn’t be bothered to pay attention and lay down to sleep.

Tang Min and Irene exchanged a look. You Li remained detached from worldly affairs, facing a mountain of paperwork. Only Zhao Hengyi, that idiot, froze for a moment before charging toward the Chief’s office.

“Who is that? So arrogant!”

Without lifting his head, Ye reached out, grabbed Zhao’s collar, and slammed him back into his seat.

“Leave it alone.”

Meanwhile, inside the office.

Breathing unevenly, Jiang Tianji stood before Ling Kongmiao with his hands on his knees, a hint of barely suppressed anger visible between his brows.

“You are 32 seconds late,” Ling Kongmiao said flatly, closing the floating screen.

“Chief,” Jiang Tianji said, trying his best to keep his voice calm. “I believe it is impossible for an ordinary human to get from the cafeteria to your office within two minutes.”

Chief Ling seemed to have just finished his work. Massaging his temples, he replied casually, “Who said you were human?”

Jiang Tianji froze for a moment, missing the optimal window for a rebuttal.

“Come here.”

Leaning against his chair, Ling Kongmiao raised his hand and tapped his own shoulder. The meaning was crystal clear.

Swallowing a stomach full of frustrated indignation, Jiang Tianji walked over. Ling Kongmiao closed his eyes, relaxing against the chair, his long hair draping casually over his back and shoulders.

Standing behind the man for a moment, Jiang Tianji suddenly found himself at a loss. He hesitated, reaching his hand out only to freeze stiffly in mid-air, not quite daring to make contact.

Seeing him dawdling, Ling Kongmiao opened his eyes.

“You don’t know how?”

Being stared at by those eyes, the invisible pressure made one slow their breathing.

Jiang Tianji wanted to ask why he had been called over, but after a moment of silence, he chose to execute the command at hand first.

“…I do.”

Gently gathering the silver-white hair to one side, the caution in his movements was almost tangible—as if he were handling some kind of ferocious beast.

Seemingly sensing his tension, the man resting with closed eyes let out a soft chuckle from his nose. The emotion in that sound was infinitely magnified in the quiet room.

“…”

Ling Kongmiao clearly hadn’t said anything, yet Jiang Tianji’s ears began to burn uncontrollably. He cleared his throat awkwardly.

In the overly quiet room, only the rustling of clothing remained. Ling Kongmiao had faint dark circles under his eyes, his brow showing a trace of fatigue. Being so close, Jiang Tianji could feel the other man’s body heat and the rise and fall of his breathing, making his own feelings turn somewhat subtle.

The texture under his hands felt firm and warm, entirely too real. Come to think of it, Ling Kongmiao rarely put on airs as a commander; he handled many things personally and would even help guide and soothe his team members.

He didn’t deliberately create distance, nor did he possess the arrogance of an older official who had held a high position for a long time. Yet, he still made people feel he was difficult to approach, leaving them too intimidated to act rashly.

Jiang Tianji’s gaze unconsciously fell upon him. With his eyes closed, Ling Kongmiao looked much gentler than usual. The uniform snugly wrapped around his pale neck, where faint blue veins were barely visible. His chest rose and fell with his breathing, and his long eyelashes cast a small shadow…

“Your situation is rather unique. The Star Overseer Office has intervened. As the current Chief of Z01, I will be focusing closely on you.”

Ling Kongmiao’s sudden voice startled the daydreaming youth. Jiang Tianji’s eyes snapped back into focus. “Huh?”

If it were an ordinary commander of the Z01 base, given the Star Overseer Office’s style of conducting business, they might have stationed themselves directly in the office to monitor every single piece of data regarding the “little golden egg” alongside the Chief. But since Ling Kongmiao was the one sitting in command here, they only dared to ramble tactfully over communications.

In Ling Kongmiao’s own words, they were highly suited for a career in early childhood education.

“The deadline for this application is one month; it becomes invalid after that,” Ling Kongmiao pushed Jiang’s hands away, sat up straight, and operated his device a few times. “During this period, you may fill it out at any time.”

Taking the cue, Jiang Tianji pulled his hands back and stepped around to stand in front of the desk. He looked down at the application document on his device. At the very bottom, there were only two simple options and a fill-in blank.

The choice was: Whether to apply to withdraw from the Special Division.

The prerequisite for the fill-in blank was staying in the Special Division, and the content required was naming the combat unit he wished to enter.

Ling Kongmiao watched his seemingly calm expression, then shifted his gaze, landing on Jiang’s tensed jawline.

“…Understood, Chief.”

Jiang Tianji turned off his device, offering no redundant words.

“We will be seeing each other often lately.”

Ling Kongmiao gestured by lightly shaking his wrist. “Keep an eye on your device messages. When I need you to do things, I will grant you partial permissions.”

“Yes, Chief.”

Jiang Tianji nodded. Seeing Ling Kongmiao wave his hand dismissed, he finally turned and walked toward the door.

“Rather than knowing what they want, most of the time, humans only need to know what they don’t want. That is enough.”

As he stepped out of the office, Ling Kongmiao’s voice drifted from behind. In just that moment of hesitation, the door shut completely before his eyes.

Jiang Tianji retracted his hand, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes.

Perhaps because it was rest hours, the office area was entirely deserted. He didn’t linger long, turning to walk outside.

Right now, the horizon was a dusky yellow; daylight was reaching its end.

The crimson and yellow light reflected off the cold walls, piercing his eyes and making him squint slightly. The scenery before him grew hazy.

It mirrored his current state of mind, and mirrored the feeling that man gave him.

Jiang Tianji wanted to raise his hand to block the light, but catching sight of the black shadow on the wall, he abruptly snapped it back down.

Before the elevator doors closed, he looked up toward the depths of the corridor where the Chief’s office lay, lightly pursing his lips.

A person trapped inside a giant boulder longs for a crack far more than they yearn for the vast world.

People shrink back out of fear, but they also draw closer out of curiosity.