The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

He didn't care whether the ship would sink or whether the passengers were comfortable; those were not things he should be concerned about.

Before speaking, he deliberately changed his voice to make sure that Long Ao wouldn't recognize it.

The question of Chen Guan was like a drop of cold water falling into boiling oil, causing the briefly frozen atmosphere to boil again.

The light and shadow on Long Ao's side began to shake violently, clearly provoked by Chen Guan's calm question, "What do I need to do?"

He couldn't understand how this newcomer, just like him, could remain completely unmoved after hearing such a horrifying truth and jump straight to the execution level.

"How could you..." Long Ao's voice couldn't contain itself, filled with the raw, unpolished anger unique to young people: "What right do we have to decide other people's lives and deaths? What right do we have to dismantle a city? It's full of living, breathing people!"

The swaying lights and shadows on the three platforms started moving again: "We're not playing a god role-playing game; we can't be everyone's savior."

"Disease-prone tissue should be removed." This time, it was Nandou who spoke: "Emotions are the highest risk factor affecting judgment. Based on your reaction, you are not competent to perform the task that requires excision."

"Nan Dou." Bei Dou's voice rang out, not loud, but it silenced Nan Dou.

Beidou turned his gaze to Long Ao: "Zhuque, your question is normal. Every newcomer goes through this stage, but the ship is sinking, and we don't have time to argue about the ownership of each passenger's luggage."

He paused, a hint of something unreadable in his voice: "Your grandfather asked the same question back then. But he ultimately made his choice."

When his grandfather was mentioned, Long Ao's image froze.

Do these people even know his grandfather?

"White Tiger." Beidou turned in another direction: "You are their guide. From now on, the two newcomers will be in your hands. As one of the Four Symbols, they should be your subordinates."

"Received." Baihu responded casually, stretching. He, Lord Baihu, was finally no longer a lone commander.

"I..." Long Ao wanted to say something more.

"Data supplement." Nandou's monotone voice rang out again.

"Zhuque, based on your emotional fluctuations and the logic of your conversation, I have built a preliminary behavioral prediction model for you. The model shows that when faced with the classic moral dilemma of sacrificing the minority to save the majority, you have a 92% probability of choosing to abandon the mission objective and instead save the minority."

This behavioral pattern is defined as high-risk emotional decision-making.

"In conclusion, it is not recommended to carry out any tasks before you have completed your mental adjustment. Please supervise this, Baihu."

Every word of these words pierced Long Ao's pride like a needle.

He is a soldier, yet he is considered high-risk and requires supervision.

The light and shadow representing Long Ao seemed to dim a bit, and Long Ao shut his mouth, no longer saying anything.

The silence lasted for a moment.

"Alright." This time it was Beidou who spoke: "Since there are no problems, the orientation meeting is now adjourned. Remember your identities and your goals."

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene before Chen Guan's eyes began to distort, and the dark stone round table and the blurry light and shadow quickly disappeared.

The next second, he was back in his private room.

The token in his hand returned to its ancient appearance, the eerie blue light on its surface completely faded, but the temperature was slightly higher than before.

Chen Guan placed the token on the table.

He said he wanted to get to know his colleagues, but he didn't even see their faces.

The mouth of the white tiger is a deceitful ghost.

Although he wasn't given any tasks and didn't even see his face, he at least learned about the Guiyuan Group's purpose this time.

What he was most curious about was the leader, Zero. He was able to bring together such a diverse group of people; both personal charisma and individual strength were indispensable.

Unfortunately, I didn't see it this time either.

Chen Guan sat on the edge of the bed, his fingers unconsciously tapping the token on the table.

The thing had completely cooled down, and it felt no different from before. If you left it on the street, probably no one would pick it up.

live.

The sound of Beidou still echoed in my ears; it was a target so heavy it was suffocating.

But for him, this goal was broken down into more concrete things: popularity, soul-nourishing wood, rare and precious materials, and the sleeping original body in the coffin.

The fate of the world is none of his concern.

He just wanted his world to wake up again.

……

The atmosphere in the VIP ward was oppressive.

Long Ao sat on the edge of the bed, his fists clenched so tightly that the veins on the back of his hands stood out.

Is the world a sinking ship? Are they surgeons responsible for removing diseased tissue?

The removed tissue was a living person, a city, and everything he had vowed to protect.

"This isn't right..." he murmured to himself, thinking of what Beidou had mentioned about his grandfather.

Could it be that Grandpa was also connected to these people?

An Changqing was not in the room; he had returned to his own ward. For a moment, Long Ao didn't even know who to confide in.

Beidou's steady voice, Baihu's seemingly joking but actually serious metaphor, Santai's nonchalant agreement, and Nandou's cold data—every word turned into a sharp thorn, piercing his mind.

The education he received from childhood was about protection, about the responsibility of the strong to protect the weak.

The Great Wall is a shield; they stand under the light, resisting all darkness.

But now, someone is telling him that their so-called protection is just giving a terminally ill patient a placebo.

True healing requires cutting away flesh and blood with one's own hands, even if that flesh and blood contains countless living beings.

What is this?

He couldn't figure it out.

Long Ao's breathing became heavy. He slid slowly down the wall to the ground and buried his face in his arms.

The belief that had always sustained him, that black-and-white world, had been cracked open with a bottomless fissure.

"Hey, you're still awake?"

The white tiger casually took another spirit fruit and sat down unceremoniously on the edge of his bed.

Long Ao suddenly looked up, staring at the white tiger beside him as if he had seen a ghost.

How come this person appears and disappears so mysteriously?

"Don't look at me like that." Baihu waved his hand dismissively. "As your superior, it's my duty to pay attention to the mental health of my subordinates. As for why I suddenly appeared, ha, is that so strange? It would be strange if you could even spot me, you rookie."

He finished eating in a few bites, then casually tossed the pit into the trash can in the corner, where it flew in an arc.

"How's your mental preparation going? Is your worldview shattered beyond repair?" Baihu's tone was clearly teasing, but there was no real smile in his eyes.

You've made Tiger Brother work overtime again, what a troublesome brat.