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

Chapter 147 Black Sea Basin (12)

The two medical personnel immediately stepped forward, carefully lifted the unconscious 034, and prepared to send him to the temporary medical point set up at the rear. The other person gently guided 066 to follow.

Seeing 066 and 034 being taken away, An Jing finally turned her attention back to the situation at hand. She walked to Shark's side and stood beside him, looking once again at the gray foggy sea that still exuded an ominous aura even after it had shrunk.

Her gaze sharpened again, and she remained vigilant even after escaping danger.

About an hour later, at the temporary medical station.

034 has been properly cared for, and has undergone wound cleaning, contaminant testing, and initial psychological stabilization treatment. He is currently still in a coma, but his vital signs are stable. Doctors stated that the contamination on his ankle requires further observation, while the psychological impact will require more professional psychological intervention and rest.

066 also underwent a simple check-up and energy replenishment, washed away the sand and tear stains from its face, and changed into a clean set of spare clothes. Although its face was still a little pale, its eyes were much clearer, and even carried a kind of determination that came after surviving a disaster.

After completing the initial contact with the shark and understanding the situation on site, An Jing went to the medical point. She first checked on 034's condition and, after confirming that he was alright, gestured for 066 to come with her to the relatively quiet, temporary rest area outside to talk.

The two sat down at a simple folding table. In the distance lay the still-sealed and heavily monitored, mysterious sea area, while closer at hand, the busy figures of researchers and intelligence agents were on the move. The air was thick with the scent of disinfectant, the sea breeze, and a tense yet orderly atmosphere.

An Jing didn't beat around the bush and asked directly, "On the beach, when the shark said that the Special Service hadn't sent anyone to pick you up, your reaction... seemed unsurprised. Were you so certain before that the Special Service wouldn't care about you?"

066's hands, which were resting on her knees, tightened slightly. She raised her head and met An Jing's calm yet insightful gaze.

She had no intention of hiding anything from the savior who had given her hope and guidance in her desperate situation.

“Yes, Agent Ann.” Her voice was soft but clear. “Because the three of us, from the very beginning, were probably not sent to assist in the mission. We were more like pawns thrown out to test the waters.”

She took a deep breath and began to recount what she knew and guessed: "The Special Service has recently... had a very complicated internal situation. Especially since the research institute publicly revealed the phenomenon of superpower awakening and began a large-scale, systematic search and recruitment of superpowered individuals, the Special Service has felt unprecedented pressure and crisis."

"The internal strife that shocked the entire system before caused almost all of the top elites, represented by Commander He Lin, to leave, resulting in incalculable damage to the Special Service Department."

066's voice carried a hint of bitterness, "It's not just about personnel losses, but also about a break in core technology, operational concepts, and cohesion. The current Special Service is riddled with internal factions, fiercely competing for resources, and there is a severe shortage of truly capable personnel to handle highly complex and mysterious incidents."

"The research institute not only received the elite team led by Commander He Lin, but is also constantly recruiting new and promising superhumans, and its strength and influence are growing rapidly. The higher-ups of the Special Service are very anxious about this. They are also trying to imitate it, secretly searching for awakened individuals in the civilian population, hoping to cultivate their own superhuman abilities and reverse the decline."

An Jing listened quietly. She had heard about these situations before, but she didn't feel them as clearly and concretely as 066, who was actually in the midst of them.

“But,” 066 changed the subject, his tone becoming distinctly sarcastic and melancholic.

"The higher-ups in the Special Service are too conservative and... stingy. They did find some Awakened Ones and invested a lot of resources in nurturing them. However, they simply dared not send these precious seeds of superpowers out to carry out real, risky missions. Because they couldn't afford to lose; any loss could undo all their previous efforts and further jeopardize their already precarious position."

"Then who will do the high-risk missions?" An Jing had already guessed the answer. "People like us."

066's answer confirmed her suspicions: "We are new recruits who were recruited through regular channels, received short-term crash courses, and were barely qualified or simply ordinary people. We were filled into various action teams, undertaking the most basic, and often the most risky, peripheral tasks. Mission briefings may be vague, support and supplies may be severely inadequate, and, like this time, we may even be given some inexplicable additional orders that could send us to our deaths."

She paused, looking at An Jing:

"034, 035, and I were recruited in the same batch. We received very little training, only learning the basics, and we've never even been inside a real, mysterious magnetic field. This mission is ostensibly to assist you, an expert at the research institute, but the internal instructions given to us are to find an opportunity to control you. This is highly abnormal in itself."

Furthermore, after we lost contact, the Special Service showed no signs of any active rescue efforts, not even bothering to put on a show… All of this indicates that in some people's eyes, we are merely resources to be sacrificed at any time, expendable to test you, to test this incident, or perhaps even to achieve some internal objective.”

After listening, An Jing remained silent for a moment. She knew that the Special Service Department was in a bad situation recently, but she didn't expect it to have fallen to such a state.

In order to preserve their so-called "seed of supernatural abilities" and their own status, they are willing to use a large number of new recruits as cannon fodder and sacrifices, and may even use them for internal strife or malicious probing against the research institute. This approach not only disregards life, but also represents a complete betrayal of their fundamental responsibility to deal with the mysterious and protect the public.

"Shameless." An Jing finally uttered only these two words, her voice icy cold.

“Yes.” 066 nodded, a resolute expression on his face. “So, I’ve made up my mind. Once things are settled here and I return to headquarters, I will immediately submit my resignation. I joined the Special Service to realize my ideals and to contribute my strength, not to be cannon fodder, much less to participate in this dirty internal game. This kind of place is not worth any more loyalty or effort from me.”

Her words were firm, clearly the result of careful consideration, or even a decision made after thoroughly understanding reality in a desperate situation.

Looking at the unwavering determination in her eyes, An Jing asked, "So, are you still considering my suggestion about joining the research institute?"

066 met An Jing's gaze, shook her head, but her eyes did not show rejection, but rather a clearer and more determined self-awareness.

“Detective An, I am very, very grateful for your appreciation and for the hope you gave me in that desperate situation. That was one of the important motivations that kept me going at that time,” she said sincerely. “However, after this incident, I have seen my own weakness and shortcomings more clearly. You are right, I need to grow. And I think that I will strive for and accomplish this growth on my own.”

She straightened her back, her voice not loud, but carrying a strong force: "I don't want to get a special opportunity because of your recommendation or for any other reason. I want to rely on my own abilities, to go through the institute's formal and rigorous selection and assessment process, and to walk in with dignity. I want to prove that I am qualified to stand beside people like you, to face real dangers, and to solve real problems, rather than being someone to be pitied or given special treatment."

An Jing listened quietly, watching the young girl before her who had just experienced the terror of life and death, the tragic death of her companions, and the collapse of her beliefs, yet had rebuilt a stronger self from the ruins. The confusion and fear in her eyes were gone, replaced by a settled determination and a clear sense of purpose.

“Very good.” An Jing’s lips twitched almost imperceptibly upwards, a faint but genuine smile appearing on her face. “I respect your choice. And I look forward to the day when you can stand in front of the research institute’s gates on your own.”

She stood up and extended her hand: "Well then, I wish you success. I hope that next time we meet, we'll be colleagues."

066 quickly stood up, somewhat flattered, but mostly excited and determined. She gripped An Jing's hand tightly: "Thank you, Detective An! I will definitely do my best!"