One person: Starting with the Snow Drinking Blade

"Fill this out." His voice was unreadable. "The 'Registration Form for Extraordinary Persons.' Name, age, place of origin, type of ability and brief description, mentorship, current residence, contact information... Fill in everything you can. If you don't know or are unsure, leave it blank or write 'Unknown.'"

Nie Lingfeng took the form and pen, thanked them, and then lowered his head to begin filling it out carefully. He wrote slowly, deliberately making his handwriting look a little rusty and uneven, mimicking the feeling of someone who had "just learned to write" or "rarely used a pen."

Name: Nie Lingfeng.

Age: 18 (My master said that I was found in the twelfth month of a certain year, but the exact date of birth is unknown. Based on my bone age, I am estimated to be around 18).

Place of origin: Shandong Province (ancestral home, specific city and county unknown).

Ability type: Ancient martial arts inheritance (family tradition).

Abilities: Cloud-Dispelling Palm (palm technique), Wind God Leg (leg technique), Heavenly Frost Fist (fist technique), Six Secrets of Frost (sword technique, requires the family heirloom sword "Snow Drink").

Master: Feng Daoren (deceased, lived in seclusion in the mountains, specific sect unknown).

Current residence: None.

Contact number: None.

ID card number: None.

After filling it out, he gently pushed the form back to Hao Yi.

Hao Yi picked up the form, his eyes scanning it line by line, his brow furrowing and relaxing intermittently. After finishing, he sighed deeply and rubbed his temples: "No ID card... not even basic information that can be found... This is a bit tricky."

"Uncle Hao, can you find a way to get this done?" Wang Zhenqiu immediately approached the desk, resting his arm on the edge and beaming. "I think Xiao Feng is really skilled, and his character... seems fine for now. It would be such a waste to let such a promising talent go because he doesn't have an ID, or to let him be lured away by some shady characters! Our Southwest branch is really short of capable fighters right now, isn't it?"

"I'll give it a try." Hao Yi didn't agree immediately. Instead, he picked up the landline on the table and dialed a short internal number. "Hello, is this the archives department? This is Hao Yi. Inquire about a person, Nie Lingfeng, male, approximately eighteen years old, originally from Shandong, who claims to have been adopted by a master who lived in seclusion in the mountains since childhood and has just come down from the mountain... Yes, his social connections are completely blank, there are no records to check... Hmm, I know it's difficult, but try to investigate as thoroughly as possible, including the Nie family in Shandong, and the Taoist Association's records of hermit practices over the past few decades... Yes, all of that. Notify me immediately of the results."

After hanging up the phone, he said to Nie Lingfeng, "The company's procedures must be followed. Although you said your master has passed away and there are no other witnesses in the mountains to corroborate this, the necessary background checks still need to be conducted. This is the rule, and it's also for your and the company's sake. In the meantime, stay at the branch office and don't wander around. Qiu'er, take him to the lounge to wait."

Wang Zhenqiu responded and led Nie Lingfeng out of the person in charge's office.

The lounge is on the other side of the office area. It's not big, but it's fully equipped: a few reasonably comfortable fabric sofas, a wall-mounted TV, a water dispenser and a small refrigerator in the corner, and a bookshelf against the wall, neatly stacked with internal publications such as "Regulations for the Management of Extraordinary Persons (Latest Revised Edition)," "Company Employee Code of Conduct Manual," and "Guidelines for Identifying and Dealing with Common Extraordinary Person Abilities," and even a few well-worn copies of "Zhiyin Comic" and "Story Club."

Wang Zhenqiu opened the small refrigerator with practiced ease, took out two cans of chilled cola, and tossed one to Nie Lingfeng.

"Here, company benefits, plenty." He pulled the tab, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp, letting out a satisfied sigh. "Just wait, even if they investigate thoroughly, the earliest we'll have results is tonight or tomorrow morning. But don't worry, Uncle Hao is a man who's cold on the outside but warm on the inside, and reliable in his work. As long as you're not an undercover agent sent by those lunatics from 'Quanxing,' or you're carrying some earth-shattering case on your shoulders, there won't be any problems. Although our company has many rules, we're still quite tolerant of those who genuinely want to behave themselves and have some skills."

Nie Lingfeng also pulled the tab, and the cool carbonated drink, with its familiar yet unfamiliar sweet bubbles, rushed into his mouth. The taste, which he hadn't experienced in ten years, exploded on his tongue, making his eyes slightly warm. He sipped it slowly, savoring this simple joy belonging to the civilized world.

"Qiu'er," he put down the Coke can, looked at Wang Zhenqiu, and asked the question he was concerned about, "What conditions need to be met if I want to officially join the company and become an employee like you?"

"Conditions?" Wang Zhenqiu tilted his head and thought for a moment, counting on his fingers, "First, of course, you must have a clean background; you can't be an antisocial personality or a terrorist. Second, you must have 'value'—either you have useful skills, a sharp mind, or you're exceptionally good at fighting. Third, you must be willing to abide by the company's basic rules—even if it's just superficial compliance, as long as you don't cause any major trouble for the company."

He winked at Nie Lingfeng, a mischievous smile playing on his lips: "Looking at these three points of yours, they all fit perfectly. So, how about it? Interested in staying with our Southwest branch? Follow me, and I guarantee you'll live the high life, with exciting missions, generous bonuses, and you'll get to admire my stunning good looks every day. It's a sure win!"

Nie Lingfeng smiled but didn't reply immediately.

Wang Zhenqiu didn't mind and began his stand-up comedy routine. He talked about the little-known quirks of some of the company's top executives, the recent jokes caused by the neighboring Central China branch over competing for tasks; he talked about which hole-in-the-wall restaurant in town had the most authentic boiled fish, and a particularly effective shampoo he had recently discovered that supposedly prevents hair loss...

Nie Lingfeng dutifully played the role of a "curious child just released from the deep mountains and forests," asking all sorts of "naive" questions at opportune moments: What is the working principle of a mobile phone? How can a computer store so much data? Who is the emperor outside now? (Wang Zhenqiu quipped, "The Qing Dynasty is long gone.") Why don't cars use horses?

Wang Zhenqiu was surprisingly patient, not only answering all questions one by one, but also enthusiastically rummaging through the lockers in the lounge and pulling out an old Nokia candybar phone with a cracked screen, teaching Nie Lingfeng how to turn it on, off, dial, save numbers, and send text messages.

"This is called a cell phone, a mobile phone, an essential for modern people when they go out," Wang Zhenqiu demonstrated, typing away on the plastic keypad. "But yours is the 'basic' model the company provides for new employees, commonly known as an 'old-timer's phone' or a 'brick.' It can only make calls and send text messages, but it has an extremely long standby time, and it can even be used as a weapon to hit someone in a pinch. As for those 'smartphones' that can access the internet, play games, watch movies, and order takeout, you might be able to apply for one once you officially join the company and perform well."

Nie Lingfeng took the heavy, vintage Nokia phone, his feelings a mix of emotions—in his previous life he used the latest folding screen phone, but now he had to readjust to this antique that could crack walnuts. But… something was better than nothing; at least it was a means of communication.

That evening, the company arranged temporary accommodation for Nie Lingfeng—a vacant employee dormitory room on the third floor of the branch office building. The room was small and simply furnished: a single bed, a set of table and chairs, a simple wardrobe, and a separate bathroom; the air conditioner, however, was brand new. Although simple, the bed was clean, and the bedding smelled of sunshine, a thousand times better than the stone floor of Lingyun Cave.

Nie Lingfeng lay on the unfamiliar, slightly hard bed, staring at the whitewashed ceiling and listening to the faint sounds of the town outside the window—the sound of cars on the distant highway, the barking of a dog from who-knows-where, and the soft whistling of the evening wind blowing through the power lines.