After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 135 The Special Service's Mission
An Jing's gaze, like a cold probe, slowly swept over the three members of the Special Service Department inside the cramped bamboo house. The air seemed to freeze, carrying a suffocating heaviness.

On the ground, the agent codenamed 035 was still convulsing in pain, intermittent groans escaping from his clenched teeth, each spasm tugging at his tattered clothes.

An Jing finally spoke. Her tone was so calm and even that it was completely devoid of any previous sharpness, reverting to a purely businesslike and formulaic tone, clearly carving a hole in the suppressed emotions.

"Hello." The voice wasn't loud, but it had a penetrating quality.

"I am an agent sent by the research institute,"

She paused briefly before uttering the name that had already become legendary within the Secret Service.

"Code name: Quiet."

The word "quiet" fell like a stone thrown into stagnant water.

The atmosphere in the room froze instantly, and 035's groan was choked back.

034 subconsciously straightened his already stiff back, his Adam's apple bobbing.

066 held his breath, his eyes fixed on An Jing.

An Jing's gaze was as cold as the moon reflected in a deep pool, yet strangely, it lacked any aggressive intent. She was more like reading an unquestionable official document, her words clear, precise, and carrying an innate authority.

"The objective of this mission is very clear."

Her gaze swept over the three people, confirming the nature of the mission.

"To resolve the disappearance of people who went out to sea near the small fishing village." The words were concise and powerful, getting straight to the point. "I hope we can cooperate well, get the matter resolved, and give the villagers an explanation."

She paused briefly. The short silence made her already tense nerves even more sensitive.

His tone remained calm and even, as still as a stagnant pool, yet it instinctively gave one a sense of impending danger.

“If you are unwilling to cooperate,” An Jing’s voice continued calmly, as if presenting an alternative, “that’s fine too.”

She even nodded slightly, indicating her understanding, "We can split up. I'll request more staff from the research institute from my superiors, and you..."

His gaze swept over 034 and 035 on the ground. "The Special Service can proceed according to its own procedures."

Her voice dropped almost imperceptibly to the last sentence, like a silent warning.

"But if you're willing to cooperate—."

An Jing suddenly looked up, his gaze precisely locking onto 034, who had already stood up straight, but whose fingertips were filled with tension, clearly not daring to make the slightest unnecessary movement.

The gaze felt tangible, pressing heavily on his shoulders.

“All subsequent actions,” her voice, though not loud, carried a resolute decisiveness that clearly reached everyone’s ears, “must be carried out under my command.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the bamboo house fell into a deathly silence. 035's suppressed groans seemed to have been cut off, leaving only the monotonous sound of the waves outside the window, which made the quiet inside the house seem like a block of frozen ice.

034 was rooted to the spot by An Jing's gaze, feeling a chill rise from his tailbone and instantly spread across his back. He was much taller and stronger than An Jing, yet at this moment he absurdly had the illusion of being completely suppressed, even looked down upon.

Even though the other person showed no signs of aggression and appeared as calm as an ordinary person, my intuition was screaming wildly.

Saying even one more word or moving one's lips could lead to the same fate as 035 on the ground.

In stark contrast to 034, 066, located a little further away, had an astonishingly bright eye.

She clearly saw An Jing's mental suppression that instantly knocked 035 down when he entered the room!
Powerful, precise, and elegant. She felt no fear, only a trembling longing and adoration. This was the true superhuman of the research institute!
Calm as ice, powerful enough to need no external aids; its very existence is a deterrent.

A profound sense of loss welled up inside me. If only I had been a little better back then, could I have entered the research institute, fought alongside such people, and solved real mysteries instead of being trapped in the quagmire of bureaucracy and infighting within the Special Service?

An Jing stopped trying to decipher their complex expressions. His mental energy, like a sophisticated radar, quietly spread out, forming a restrained, invisible network of perception that gently and thoroughly swept over the three of them.

The result was harsh: Weak. Weak everywhere.

Their protective badges, detection wristwatches, and other equipment were practically worthless compared to the eerie magnetic field that An Jing sensed when he set foot on the sea.

If we send them out to sea to investigate, there will only be one outcome: death.

And they died extremely quickly, silently and mysteriously swallowed up.

The decision was made instantly. Relying on them? It would be tantamount to suicide.

She decisively raised her hand, preparing to connect to the research institute's internal line. Her fingertips hovered above the communicator; she needed backup, and acting alone was too risky.

Just as my fingertips were about to touch the keys.

The 034 waist communicator vibrated extremely slightly. It was faint, but in the dead silence, it was like a stone striking water.

Almost at the same millisecond, the hidden device in 035's pocket on the ground emitted the same faint notification sound.

Their bodies froze almost imperceptibly. Their gazes met in a flash, filled with astonishment and an indescribable tension.

This glance did not escape An Jing's hawk-like peripheral vision.

Her fingers hovered, frozen in place. There were no questions, no dialing; time seemed to freeze at her fingertips.

On the other side, 066 subconsciously looked down at his wrist tactical terminal. The screen lit up, and a line of cold, bold command text pierced his eyes:

[Instructions: Find an opportunity to control the female agent dispatched by the research institute (codename: Quiet) and safely escort the target back to the Special Operations Department headquarters.]

[Priority: High.]

[Execution Notes: All necessary means may be used to ensure the target is incapacitated. This includes: physical restraints and psychological interference agents.]

Those few lines of text, like poisoned ice picks, instantly froze 066's thoughts! A chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head!
She suddenly looked up, staring blankly at An Jing, who stood silently opposite her.

Her profile was as calm as a statue, completely unmoved. Was she oblivious?

No… that calm demeanor, that seemingly all-knowing silence, made 066 feel that she might know everything.

My heart felt like a lead weight, sinking into the abyss of an icy sea.

Why? My mind was filled with a deafening roar of huge question marks.

Weren't they supposed to be solving disappearances and protecting the villagers? Why would the Secret Service superiors issue such absurd and contradictory orders at such a critical moment?

This is completely contrary to the original intention she swore to protect when she joined!

The fishermen's terrified faces, the empty, desperate eyes of their families, and An Jing's calm figure as he instantly suppressed the conflict flashed before my eyes.

That's the power she longs for!
A powerful, almost suffocating sense of powerlessness gripped her heart. She realized with absolute clarity: the secret service before her was unrecognizable. Bureaucracy, infighting, sacrificing missions, principles, and even agents and civilians for ulterior motives!

In this suffocating stalemate, An Jing's hovering finger finally moved. Slowly and completely, it lowered and left the dial pad.

She did not ask for help.

He simply raised his eyes, and those deep, abyss-like eyes lingered briefly but clearly on 034, 035 on the ground, and the disoriented 066.

That gaze, calm and undisturbed, seemed to be silently scrutinizing, confirming, or pronouncing a verdict.

Inside the bamboo house, the air was unusually quiet.

(End of this chapter)