Chapter 50
“Cecilia, I didn’t realize you had that kind of ambition?” Hearing this, Bai Hewei said without hesitation, “Actually, if you want to beat me, there’s a very simple way.”
“What is it?” Cecilia asked curiously.
“I scored over 580 on the college entrance exam and got into a first-tier university. If you can score over 600, wouldn’t you beat me?” Bai Hewei sounded like a textbook Huaxia elder the moment he opened his mouth, dropping study advice left and right. “Practice a few more exam papers and work hard. I’ll be waiting for the day you beat me academically.”
Since the national college entrance exam hadn’t been over for too long, Bai Hewei’s words could be considered a prompt response to the current events.
As soon as he spoke, the other members of the Special Operations Department immediately hopped on the bandwagon.
“I can’t say much about other things, but Mr. Bai is absolutely right. The college entrance exam is still very important.”
“Exactly. If you can honestly and fairly beat Mr. Bai in the college entrance exam, you can brag about it for the rest of your life.”
“Never underestimate the young. I think Cecilia has a bright future ahead of him.”
“How about we gift you a few more sets of test papers?”
…
Hearing this group of people ganging up to preach about studying, Cecilia was on the verge of tears.
“I can barely even pass my classes right now, and you’re talking to me about this?” Cecilia felt they were seriously bullying a kid. He still stumbled through his Huaxia speech and had to rely on a translation device most of the time, yet they were bringing up the college entrance exam. Did they have no shame?
While Cecilia drew everyone’s attention, Bai Hewei turned to Pullman, who was sitting next to him, and asked in a low voice, “Is that Awakening Block thing really that amazing? How much is it worth?”
Pullman was rather surprised.
Bai Hewei had one sitting right inside a milk tea bag at home, so why was he asking about it now?
However, since Pullman currently needed his help, he naturally explained it with absolute clarity.
“The Awakening Blocks are something only top-tier Evolvers know about, but basically very few people have ever seen one, so it’s usually treated as a myth. But back when my sister and I were captured for research, that lab happened to possess an Awakening Block, which is why I know. Word is it might be the root cause of an Evolver’s awakening, and it’s also an essential material for the superpower vessel design blueprints. If its secrets can be thoroughly deciphered, we might even be able to mass-produce artificial Evolvers.”
“As for how much it’s worth, that’s hard for me to estimate.”
“Currently, no one on the black market is posting a bounty for it, because those who know about it understand its value perfectly, and for those who don’t know, it’s useless even if they get it. But I know that the lab that captured me back then refused to give up the Awakening Block even when everything else they owned went down the drain. I’d say it’s worth at least a fortune—no, a small country.”
It’s that valuable?
Bai Hewei decided that the moment he returned home, he would upgrade its packaging no matter what.
It was currently housed in a bag from that budget milk tea chain, Mixue; next time, he would switch to a pricier brand.
Once everyone was done chatting, Wen Zhiyi directed his assistant to hand out a stack of documents.
“This contains some data on the members of The Embargo, but we don’t have definitive information on who exactly constitutes their core members yet,” Wen Zhiyi said. “These files cannot leave the Research Institute, so try to memorize as much as you can. After lunch, a helicopter will take you out. Since we don’t know Shirley’s current condition and can’t guarantee the status of the Forbidden Zone, the sooner you set out, the better. Any questions?”
“None,” everyone replied in unison.
“Then that’s all for now. Meeting adjourned.” Wen Zhiyi scanned the room, entirely devoid of the bad habit other leaders had of saying “let’s briefly talk for three minutes” only to ramble for an hour.
Bai Hewei had a pretty good impression of Wen Zhiyi.
For such a high-ranking leader, his words were incredibly brief and to the point, and he never dragged his feet. He was absolutely resolute in his actions—no wonder he could command so many people.
During lunch, Pullman appeared somewhat distracted, but considering the absolute anxiety in his heart, it was only normal.
“You should eat a bit more, otherwise you’ll be stuck chewing on survival rations once we hit the Forbidden Zone,” Bai Hewei said seriously. “In a Forbidden Zone, even having a safe meal can be incredibly difficult. Didn’t Chief Wen mention it earlier? That Forbidden Zone is massive—roughly the size of a prefecture-level city. Once we enter, tracking down The Embargo won’t be that easy.”
This mission was bound to take a considerable amount of time, so how could they manage without eating properly?
“You’re right.” Pullman took a deep breath. “Shirley is still waiting for me. I can’t be this despondent.”
With that, Pullman began to wolf down his food.
The moment 2:00 PM arrived, the helicopter was already waiting for them.
It was still unmanned.
However, this time, each of them was equipped with a small robot and a massive backpack.
“Inside the backpacks are instruments capable of temporarily dispersing the Forbidden Zone’s energy, along with essential medications, tents, dry rations, and water,” Wen Zhiyi stated. “Initially, I considered whether to assign a spatial-type Evolver to your team, but spatial-type Evolvers have very little self-defense capability. If he dies, it would deal an even heavier blow to your team.”
“Furthermore, these robots have undergone special modifications to adapt to life inside the Forbidden Zone. However, because their power source cannot be replenished, the maximum operational time for these robots inside the Forbidden Zone is forty days, and the supplies prepared for you can only last that long at most. Once this timeframe is exceeded, you must exit immediately. The logistics team will provide replenishment near the perimeter of the Forbidden Zone. I suggest that when your resources are nearing depletion, you dispatch someone to step out and restock.” As Wen Zhiyi spoke, his gaze locked onto Zhang Fuzhi. “Zhang Fuzhi, you will serve as the captain for this mission. I believe you understand my meaning.”
“Rest assured, Chief Wen, I will definitely bring everyone back in one piece,” Zhang Fuzhi chuckled. “I understand logistics and protection. We would rather fight a war of attrition with them than squander our own advantages.”
The Embargo had a terrible reputation internationally and their supplies were bound to be limited, but their team was entirely different.
They could simply bleed them dry over time; there was no need to rush in for a reckless frontal clash.
“…Um, if I don’t make it out in time, remember to help me request leave from school,” Cecilia said hesitantly. “At the end of last semester, the teacher awarded me an Outstanding Student certificate. Next time, I want to get the Three-Good Student award.”
“Alright,” Wen Zhiyi nodded.
Cecilia seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, his mood instantly turning bright.
His backpack wasn’t small either, but since he was still a minor, the other team members proactively helped him carry his gear.
Bai Hewei constantly felt that Wen Zhiyi’s gaze lingered on him for a long time, but the man didn’t say anything further, simply seeing them onto the aircraft.
Once inside the helicopter, Bai Hewei noticed that everyone was highly intrigued by the robots they had been assigned.
However, the robots attached to Pullman and the others didn’t seem nearly as intelligent as his own, nor did they feature a dedicated customer service interface; the responses given by their robots were standard, rigid AI replies.
Bai Hewei gloated silently, feeling as though he had scored some exclusive perk.
“Does that Embargo squad spend all their time exploring Forbidden Zones across the globe?” Cecilia asked with a yawn. “They must be really free. Most nations wouldn’t dare pull a stunt like that. Once you step into a Forbidden Zone, making it out alive isn’t a guarantee.”
“I don’t know what exactly they are after either. Perhaps they simply want to pursue a more formidable evolution,” Pullman answered after a brief hesitation.
“Isn’t the strongest Evolver in the world right here in the form of Mr. Bai?” Wei Yan, a refined and clean-cut young woman, remarked rather bluntly. “Why don’t they just come find Mr. Bai instead?”
“Maybe it’s because Mr. Bai is just too powerful,” Huang Silin smiled. “So they felt even more provoked, driving them to crave a secondary evolution even harder.”
“True. As for Mr. Bai’s strength, I certainly wouldn’t want to cross him. I could never break records like those.”
…
Bai Hewei hadn’t expected to become the butt of everyone’s jokes. He laughed along and said, “It would be great if they just surrendered the moment they laid eyes on me; that would save us a lot of effort.”
The group wasn’t familiar with each other initially, but laughing and joking around like this was perfect for quickly closing the distance between them.
“By the way, Mr. Bai, are you still working at the local Special Operations Department? Have you considered transferring to the Central Special Operations Department?” Pan Ming took the opportunity to ask.
“The platform here at the center is higher, and the benefits are vastly superior. Everyone pulls overtime regardless, but this side can secure you a capital household registration,” Chu Han added from the side. “Whether it’s medical resources or educational facilities, everything here is the absolute best in the nation.”
Evidently, it hadn’t crossed anyone’s mind that Bai Hewei might not be a formal employee of the Special Operations Department.
“Uh, I’m just seconded here. Currently, I’m a temporary worker at a sub-district office,” Bai Hewei said without the slightest hint of embarrassment, stating it directly. “This time, I registered for the provincial career-establishment post at the local Meteorological Bureau. I hope I can pass the exam smoothly.”
“How is that possible?” This time, even Zhang Fuzhi was thoroughly stunned. “You didn’t opt for special recruitment?”
“Why would I want special recruitment?” Bai Hewei countered. “Isn’t it better to pass the exam honestly and fairly? If I went through special recruitment, I’d constantly feel like I didn’t earn it through standard examinations, and I wouldn’t be able to get over it. I want to pass legally, legitimately, and in full compliance—relying entirely on my own hard work!”
Bai Hewei spoke with absolute, unshakable resolve.
“It sounds good on paper, but things are different now compared to before. It used to be much easier to pass,” Zhang Fuzhi sighed. “Back when I took the exam, there wasn’t nearly as much competition. I actually started as a selected graduate recruit for the provincial Party committee, but there wasn’t much of a future in it. If I hadn’t awakened as an Evolver, I’d still be handling reception duties at a secondary unit under the provincial department.”
“Exactly. Back when I went through special recruitment, my score requirements were lowered by twenty points, yet I was still nearly pushed out by someone else,” Chu Han said, wiping a bead of sweat from his brow. “The other guy had the exact same written score as me, and the pressure during the interview stage was immense. A grown man doesn’t shed tears lightly, but that was only because the sorrow hadn’t reached his core; I practically practiced until I cried every single day back then.”
“…Stop talking about it. You guys make it sound even more terrifying than this mission. My luck was slightly better; I was among the first batch to awaken five years ago. The Special Operations Department had a massive vacancy back then, so I joined on my very first try. The interview was basically just a formality,” Wei Yan said, a lingering trace of fear in her voice. “To this day, my parents still constantly thank the heavens whenever it comes up. I was the very first civil servant to emerge from our village.”
Cecilia listened in complete bewilderment. “Are you guys talking about the college entrance exam or something? Is it really that hard?”
“You still need to focus on your studies.”
“If you can’t even get into a junior college, you won’t even meet the baseline eligibility criteria to register.”
“How about after you finish junior high, you just register for the Evolver specialized track? At least they allocate jobs upon graduation. Although the score requirements for the Evolver specialized track nowadays seem to be even higher than the admission line for key high schools. Tch, you still need to get some serious tutoring.”
The moment the topic shifted to studying and examinations, people from all walks of life—regardless of age, gender, or background—could instantly find common ground.
Pullman took mental notes of everything seriously. Once he rescued his sister in the future, he would definitely have to take an exam and try his luck too.
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