Long Yuehong had expected Shang Jianyao to chime in with a few comforting words, but instead, Shang Jianyao remained silent, striding forward as if he hadn't heard anything at all.
Long Yuehong opened his mouth, intending to repeat himself, but in the end, he closed it with a sigh, letting the silence hang between them.
After walking for some time, the two arrived at the fourth elevator zone, tucked away in a corner of Zone C.
As they waited for the elevator, Long Yuehong felt every second stretch unbearably long. Each tick deepened his sense of suffocation, making it hard to breathe.
At last, the doors of the left elevator slid open.
Once inside, Shang Jianyao swiped his electronic card and pressed the button for floor 647.
The doors closed, and the elevator began its ascent.
Watching the numbers on the display change, Shang Jianyao suddenly broke the silence, his voice low and measured:
"Everyone has their own mission."
Long Yuehong froze for a couple of seconds before letting out a bitter laugh.
"I just want to stay in the company, find a good wife, and have two adorable kids—a boy and a girl. Then maybe... I'll try to ensure they can eat meat three times a week…"
His voice trailed off as if even such modest dreams were beyond reach.
Shang Jianyao said nothing further, and Long Yuehong found himself unable to come up with anything to say. The two stood silently, the confines of the elevator amplifying the sense of stagnation, as though time had stopped.
Eventually, the elevator arrived at floor 647 and came to a halt.
As they stepped out, Long Yuehong lowered his gaze and asked, "Shang Jianyao, what were you just thinking about? I was thinking… at least I have siblings."
"I was zoning out," Shang Jianyao replied matter-of-factly, his eyes fixed ahead.
"...You've got quite the attitude," Long Yuehong couldn't help but remark.
"Well, I volunteered for this," Shang Jianyao said nonchalantly, glancing to the right to check the room numbers.
"..." Long Yuehong was at a loss for words and followed suit, searching for Room 14.
Unlike the 495th floor, the 647th didn't have segmented streets or narrow room layouts. Instead, the floor was organized around several "training arenas," with sizable rooms surrounding each arena.
Before long, Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong stood outside Room 14.
There was no nameplate on the door, leaving them clueless as to which department, squad, or team within the Security Department this room belonged to.
Long Yuehong took a deep breath, preparing himself mentally to face whatever fate awaited him.
But before he could finish his exhale, Shang Jianyao knocked on the door without hesitation.
Knock, knock, knock!
The sound startled Long Yuehong, interrupting his attempts to steady his nerves.
He was about to scold Shang Jianyao when a slightly hoarse female voice came from within:
"Come in."
Shang Jianyao turned the handle and pushed the door open.
Long Yuehong followed, his eyes sweeping the room as he stepped inside.
The room was at least three times the size of his family's living quarters. At the far end stood a desk painted in reddish-brown lacquer, flanked by two large bookshelves.
To the left, along the wall, there were three black, somewhat worn desks.
The center and right portions of the room served as a sort of "living area," furnished with a well-used fabric sofa set, a coffee table, four chairs with backs, two long benches, and four low stools.
A young woman, seated in a single armchair, rose to her feet as they entered.
She appeared to be in her twenties, standing close to 1.8 meters tall, with a well-proportioned figure and sun-kissed skin. Her black hair was tied into a neat ponytail at the back of her head.
Unlike the typical girls in the residential zones, she wore a Security Department uniform—a gray base with camouflage patterns—that accentuated her bold and energetic demeanor.
Her facial features complemented her attire: thick eyebrows, large eyes, and an air of confidence.
"Are you the new team members?" she asked, her voice clear and cheerful, though slightly loud.
"Yes... yes," Long Yuehong stammered, feeling a bit intimidated by the striking and unusual beauty before him.
The woman frowned slightly.
"Speak up!"
Her voice carried an odd clarity, distinctly different from the one that had said "come in" earlier.
Startled, Long Yuehong panicked, wondering how he might have already offended his superior.
Shang Jianyao stepped forward, raising his voice to a shout.
"Yes!"
His voice echoed through the room and out into the hallway.
The woman's smile returned as she gestured toward her ear.
"No need to yell so loudly. I have hearing issues, but I'm not deaf."
Following her gesture, Long Yuehong noticed a silver metallic device in her ear.
"A cochlear implant," she explained matter-of-factly.
Then she smiled and introduced herself in a louder-than-average tone.
"I'm Jiang Baimian, your team leader.
"Technically speaking, I'm not at the D7 level yet—only D6 for now."
"Yes, Leader!" Long Yuehong responded loudly.
"Hello, Leader!" Shang Jianyao chimed in enthusiastically.
Jiang Baimian pointed to the long sofa.
"That's our other team member, Bai Chen."
Bai Chen was petite, standing around 1.6 meters tall. Although she also wore the gray camo-patterned uniform, she appeared much smaller and more delicate compared to Jiang Baimian.
A gray, slightly tattered scarf was wrapped around her neck. Her short black hair barely reached her ears, and while her features were reasonably refined, her skin was rough, as if weathered by harsh conditions.
Unlike Jiang Baimian's deep brown eyes, Bai Chen's were closer to amber.
"Hello," Bai Chen greeted in a slightly hoarse voice.
"Hi," Long Yuehong replied nervously.
"Hello!" Shang Jianyao boomed.
Jiang Baimian gestured toward the coffee table.
"Find yourselves a seat. Oh, but first, introduce yourselves."
"Shang Jianyao!" Before Jiang Baimian had finished speaking, Shang Jianyao blurted out his name, closed the door, and walked over to sit in a chair by the coffee table, still clutching his lunchbox.
"I'm Long Yuehong. My dad's surname is Long, and my mom's name has the character 'Hong' in it," Long Yuehong explained, almost reflexively justifying the origins of his name. Then he sat down in the chair next to Shang Jianyao.
Jiang Baimian took her seat, scanned the room, and smiled.
"Since everyone's here, let me give you a brief overview of our team."
"Everyone's here?" Long Yuehong blurted out.
Just four people?
The Security Department's teams usually had at least twenty members!
Jiang Baimian paused.
"What did you say?"
"He said there aren't enough people!" Shang Jianyao translated helpfully.
Jiang Baimian relaxed, her smile returning.
"We're not a combat team."
Not a combat team? Long Yuehong felt a surge of relief.
Jiang Baimian glanced at Shang Jianyao and continued,
"Our team's full name is the 'Old World Ruin Investigation Team,' abbreviated as 'Old Task Force.'
"However, we're not the only Old Task Force. There are others within both the Security Department and the Board of Directors, but none of us know the specifics about the others."
She paused, her expression growing serious.
"Keep this in mind: this is classified information!
"Don't worry about overlapping investigations, though. While we don't know who the other teams are or what their progress is, the higher-ups share the most valuable and up-to-date clues with us."
Jiang Baimian paused to let her words sink in, then added solemnly,
"Compared to ordinary combat teams, the dangers faced by the Old Task Force are greater and more numerous.
"There's a reason there are so many micro-teams handling the same mission. In the past, there was only one Old Task Force, with plenty of members. Then, during a field investigation, the entire team vanished without a trace. The loss was devastating and irreparable."
Long Yuehong's face turned pale.
"This… this dangerous?"
"What did you say?" Jiang Baimian asked, only seeing his lips move.
Long Yuehong instinctively looked at Shang Jianyao, only to find him unusually serious and unwilling to translate.
Taking a deep breath, Long Yuehong shouted,
"This dangerous?"
Surprisingly, yelling out the question seemed to calm his nerves a little.
Jiang Baimian nodded.
"The Old Task Force might have to venture into the wilderness to investigate city ruins or even travel to other factions to search for clues. We'll face all sorts of situations and enemies.
"To put it bluntly, even senior Security Department employees are reluctant to join the Old Task Force."
Long Yuehong's face turned a shade grayer.
"Why are we so unlucky… I mean, why were we chosen?"
"I'm not unlucky... I wasn't assigned here. This Old Task Force was actually established because I applied for it," Jiang Baimian said with a smile.
Her expression grew serious as she added,
"I've always believed we need to uncover the reason for the Old World's destruction. Only by doing so can we avoid repeating the same mistakes, and only then can we trace the roots of the Heartless disease. That's the only way humanity can escape the fear it brings.
"Besides, you've probably heard the rumors—that somewhere deep in the ruins of a city above the wasteland lies a gateway to the New World. If we never explore, we'll never find it. We'll remain stuck with famine, infection, mutations, and monsters.
"This is my dream. That's why I actively applied to the Security Department's higher-ups, hoping to establish a new Old Task Force.
"And, well, I also enjoy digging through the remnants of history in city ruins, observing the social structures of other factions, and meeting different people and cultures from various places."
From her quiet seat on the long sofa, Bai Chen suddenly spoke, her slightly hoarse voice cutting into the moment.
"I've heard about you. Someone once called you a 'sociologist'... and their goddess."
Jiang Baimian chuckled, covering her mouth.
"Oh? What did you say? I didn't catch the last part. Never mind, never mind. Why don't you tell us about yourself instead?"
Bai Chen turned her amber-tinted eyes toward Shang Jianyao and Long Yuehong. After a brief pause, she explained in a steady tone,
"I volunteered to join. As you might have guessed, I'm not a full employee of the company yet. I used to be a wilderness nomad, but the company later took me in.
"I'm still not officially qualified, but being part of the Old Task Force will help me complete this process faster. It will also let me rise through the employee ranks more quickly. Once I reach a higher level, I'll finally be eligible to apply for genetic enhancement."
Jiang Baimian tilted her head slightly, as if she hadn't fully heard Bai Chen's words. Then she grinned and asked,
"Is she badmouthing me behind my back?"
Without waiting for an answer, she laughed and continued,
"Regardless, we'll be spending plenty of time in the wilderness, so having someone familiar with it—and who's dealt with various factions and settlements—is invaluable. Don't be fooled by her young age; she's got plenty of experience."
Turning her attention to Shang Jianyao, Jiang Baimian said with a playful smile,
"I've read your file. I can probably guess why you applied to join the Old Task Force.
"But aside from that incident, is there any other reason?"
"To save all of humanity!" Shang Jianyao declared loudly.
Jiang Baimian froze for a moment, her expression blank. Then she raised a hand to rub her ear and said with a chuckle,
"What? What did you say?
"Ah, no need to repeat it. Long Yuehong, why did you join?"
"I was assigned here..." Long Yuehong replied miserably. "I just graduated this year, and I'm still single..."
He trailed off, but realizing Jiang Baimian hadn't caught his words, he quickly repeated them in a louder voice.
Jiang Baimian blinked at him and asked with a curious smile,
"Out of so many people, you're the only one who didn't get matched?
"And out of all the graduates, you're probably the only one assigned to the Security Department, let alone the Old Task Force?"
Long Yuehong nodded heavily, his face clouded with resignation.
Jiang Baimian thought for a moment before offering a gentle smile.
"People like you are usually called the Chosen One."