Chapter 27: The Swing of Fate

The hallway was devoid of sunlight. At the far end, an open window let in a draft so cold it chilled one to the bone.

"What... what are we going to do now?" Zhuang Xiao cautiously eyed the expressions of the two team leaders.

"It’s because we only guessed the presence of a brood mother, but it was Jiu who actually found it, so..." Tang Long mumbled, trying to find a reason for not reporting their achievements, though he couldn't convince himself.

Su Qingran turned around and said in a low voice, "Let's go. If we keep making a scene, we might even lose our bonus and leave."

Qi An glanced at her phone but didn't move.

At that moment, the familiar orderly appeared at the stairwell corner. With a strange look on his face, he said to the members of Team 2, "The Commander-in-Chief is waiting for you in the large conference room on the second floor. Now."

Everyone was stunned. Qi An silenced her phone, tucked it into her pocket, and took a soft breath.

Inside the large conference room sat a long mahogany table—one of the few things left from the pre-apocalypse era that still retained a polished sheen.

The Commander-in-Chief sat at the head of the table. With thinning white hair, a face mapped with deep wrinkles, and an oversized military uniform, he kept his hands clasped over the back of his chair, his expression unreadable.

Wu Zirui sat to his left. Seeing the members of Team 2 enter, the regimental commander squeezed out a gentle smile.

Even though Wu Zirui’s smile was forced, Yu Shuang still felt anxious; she had never met the Commander-in-Chief in private before. She and Zhao Bohan stood side by side at the front, standing at attention and saluting.

Commander Zhao Yunlu’s sharp, imposing gaze swept over each member of Team 2. Cold sweat broke out on everyone’s backs; even Zhuang Xiao was trembling.

Suddenly, the old man laughed and nodded. His first sentence caught everyone by surprise—and even more so, Wu Zirui.

"Which one of you is the purifier, Qi An?"

Although it was a question, his eyes were locked directly on Qi An—she was noticeably shorter than the rest. Everyone’s gaze shifted to her. She stepped forward. "Reporting, Commander! I am Qi An, purifier of Wind-Rider Team 2!"

"Good! I just received word from the Purification Alliance that during your mission, your mental enhancement value increased, and you’ve awakened a specialized enhancement!" Zhao Yunlu’s face was full of smiles.

In a small-to-medium base like Central No. 3, there were only about twenty purifiers with a mental enhancement value of 8 or higher who actually reached a 4-star purification capability, and even fewer who met the physical standards for the battlefield. With the addition of a rare supernatural ability, the Purification Alliance was certain to send a special message to the military department to offer congratulations and, incidentally, claim credit.

Wu Zirui was shocked. The members of Team 2 were even more stunned. Yu Shuang and Zhao Bohan stared at Qi An, then at each other.

*I told you! Little Qi has improved! You better apologize to her when we get out of here!*

Yu Shuang’s look was fierce yet triumphant. Zhao Bohan’s brows knit and then relaxed, a look of genuine apology surfacing on his face.

Qi An spoke loudly, "Reporting, Commander! During this mission, we encountered many dangers, and the challenges in purification were immense. It was my teammates who helped me overcome them one by one, allowing me to improve my strength! I want to thank Teacher Tang and the others for their guidance, as well as the military for providing me with the opportunity to train!"

Zhao Yunlu’s smile widened. He turned to the others in Team 2, "Your contributions on this trip were indeed significant! This morning, the North 1 Base and the New Life Base both sent letters of appreciation, and they both specifically named your squad!"

In truth, North 1 Base hadn't specifically named them. Saving people was an order issued by North 1, and it was the soldiers' duty to execute it. What Zhao Yunlu had received was a private letter of thanks from a division commander of the North 1 Land Defense Force. That officer, surnamed Yang, specifically thanked the soldiers of Central No. 3 for saving Yang Wuning. The letter mentioned Wind-Rider Team 2 by name and was very specific in its gratitude. Zhao Yunlu was well aware of the status of the Yang family within the North 1 military, so he placed great importance on this small electronic letter.

The New Life Base also sent a formal, brief, and official letter of thanks, primarily praising the strength of the base's soldiers and the smooth cooperation between the two sides, expressing hope for future collaboration.

What a boost to their reputation! Moreover, maintaining a good relationship with the New Life Base was crucial for any base, because the New Life Base produced the "little blue pills."

With both letters in hand, plus a new high-level purifier, Zhao Yunlu was in an excellent mood, which was why he had wanted to see the team. Seeing the six members of Wind-Rider Team 2, all of whom appeared to be in high spirits, and having the purifier answer his questions with such poise, the Commander-in-Chief felt even more pleased.

He looked at Wu Zirui: "Has your regiment determined the rank of their commendation yet?"

"We are currently debating whether it should be a collective third-class or second-class merit. I personally feel a second-class merit is more appropriate," Wu Zirui said, maintaining a sincere smile.

*Shameless!* The members of Team 2 couldn't help but curse silently.

"Mm. Based on the mission results, it is indeed worthy of a second-class merit. It’s also meant to encourage the soldiers to be more diligent and meticulous in their daily work and to break through their own limits. Go ahead and submit the report from your regiment—don't drag your feet." Zhao Yunlu stood up and left the conference room with his secretary and guards.

Before leaving, he nodded at Yu Shuang, Zhao Bohan, and Qi An, who were standing in the front row, and said, "Keep working hard and fight for the base and for humanity!"

Everyone stood at attention and saluted in affirmation.

The conference room returned to silence. Wu Zirui looked at the members of Team 2; his expression darkened for a split second before he returned to a faint smile.

"A squad of heroes..." he said as he left, "I look forward to you taking to the battlefield again and earning more honors."

Walking out of the administrative building and being greeted by the gentle spring breeze, the team members slowly began to snap out of their daze.

"Oh my god! Oh my god!" Zhuang Xiao jumped three feet high, barely holding back from shouting on the busy road. They were going to receive second-class merit medals! He had never even touched one before! The roller-coaster experience of the last hour left everyone reeling. They headed to the team’s exclusive lounge to discuss what had just happened.

The core topic was Qi An’s improvement and the awakening of her ability.

"Sister Qi is truly a goddess! My future depends on being led by you and the team leaders!" Zhuang Xiao wanted to hug Qi An's legs and cry, but he was quickly pulled away.

"Rely on yourself!" Yu Shuang said, hands on her hips. She told everyone, "From today on, the intensity of our daily training will be doubled! Everyone’s strength must improve rapidly. No one is allowed to hold us back, understand?"

The sudden surge in Qi An’s strength had indeed put immense pressure on the rest of the squad. Everyone shouted their agreement.

At noon, the team went out to find a restaurant to celebrate. After eating, they dispersed, and Qi An took a slow walk down the street to digest her meal. The base only had two commercial streets. This one, near the East Barracks, was narrow and crowded with shops, but the goods were cheaper and it was more lively than the main street adjacent to the administrative and research districts.

As Qi An strolled, she noticed the vice-team leader hadn't returned to the barracks with Yu Shuang but had turned back toward her.

"I apologize to you," Zhao Bohan said as he walked alongside her.

Qi An raised an eyebrow.

"I previously felt that your purification capability didn't match your mental enhancement value, and I suspected you were hiding something from us. I was wrong, and I apologize."

Qi An said "Oh" and replied, "It's fine. It’s human nature."

Zhao Bohan’s suspicion was within her expectations. When she was the first to remove her mask, pointed out the clues to find the Jiu, and insisted on purifying it, she knew the matter of her sensing the corrupted insects and her purification capabilities couldn't be hidden. Her purification ability was, of course, higher than 7; it had been since she worked at the hospital.

However, deep purification caused Qi An to vividly experience the memories of others. Almost everyone’s deepest memories were painful. She felt their agony, and combined with the drain of the purification itself, it was exhausting. Therefore, for the time being, 8 was her limit.

She was silent for a moment, then couldn't help but ask, "What kind of concealment was the vice-leader worried about? That I had my own secrets? That I had ulterior motives for joining the team?"

Zhao Bohan was slightly startled, then gave a small, wry laugh. "Everyone has secrets. As for your motives... was your motive to bring us glory?"

Qi An was surprised. The vice-team leader looked beautiful as he smiled! And he could joke too?

"I was just worried whether we had a sufficient understanding of your true strength. It affects the squad's coordination and our mutual trust in critical moments."

"I see. My strength is indeed at 8. Within a day, I can purify one 4th-tier mutant with a pollution level of no more than 85%, and then 3 to 5 3rd-tier mutants, but I must rest in between," Qi An explained in detail.

Zhao Bohan nodded. "I’ll remember that... thank you."

The final words were very soft. Zhao Bohan turned to look at Qi An, his lips parting as if he wanted to say more, but he remained silent.