Chapter 13 Thirteenth Bureau Headquarters

The Dragonhorn Building was a government building not open to the public. Thirteenth Bureau headquarters was located underground, with many secret passages. Han Xiao followed Feng Jun through an underground air-raid shelter for half an hour before arriving at headquarters. This was the first time he had come to Thirteenth Bureau headquarters without being blindfolded.

"This place of yours is really hard to find."

"Hard to find is safe." Feng Jun swiped his ID card on the security gate, and the metal door opened.

A spacious hall with people coming and going suddenly opened up before him. Han Xiao had originally thought that a secret agency would have a gloomy atmosphere, but he didn't expect the Thirteenth Bureau to be very brightly lit. Although it was located underground, the air wasn't turbid at all. If Han Xiao could see the structural diagram, he would know that the depth of the Thirteenth Bureau underground was the same as the height of the Dragonhorn Building, a strict underground base.

Feng Jun handed Han Xiao a mask, as well as a level one access card for the Star-Long Strategic Defense Bureau, "It's best not to let too many people know what you look like. Put it on."

The mask was black, embroidered with a macho man flexing his muscles, right at the position of the lips. Han Xiao narrowed his eyes and turned to look at Feng Jun, who was trying not to laugh.

*You're doing this on purpose!*

"What are you looking at me for? Hurry up and put it on." Feng Jun pursed his lips tightly, accidentally letting out a cough-laugh from between his lips, and quickly covered his mouth.

"Heh." Han Xiao grabbed Feng Jun's sleeve, tore off a strip of cloth, and tied it on his face as a mask, casually stuffing the revealing mask into Feng Jun's pocket, "Keep this good stuff for yourself."

Feng Jun looked distressed, This is my newly issued uniform…

Han Xiao suddenly noticed someone staring at him, turned his head and saw a strange young man in a white coat staring at him intently, his eyes full of anger, as if Han Xiao was his mortal enemy.

"Why is he so angry?" Han Xiao was baffled.

Feng Jun recognized that it was Luo Xuan, and not knowing how to explain, he said with a wry smile, "Just... just treat him like air."

Luo Xuan had never seen Han Xiao's real face, but he could tell that the masked man next to Feng Jun was the real deal. He watched the two of them head towards the Secret Operations Department, his eyes practically spitting fire.

…

The Secret Operations Department occupied a separate floor, with significantly fewer people than other departments.

The meeting point was in the team conference room. Feng Jun left after escorting him to the door.

Han Xiao pushed the door open and entered. Li Ya Lin, Lambert, and Lin Yao had already been waiting for a while.

Li Ya Lin had her legs propped up on the conference table in a very casual manner, Lambert was silently wiping his military knife, and Lin Yao was sitting upright with his hands on his knees.

"You're the logistics member that the director approved to join our team?"

Li Ya Lin got up and circled Han Xiao, looking him up and down with curiosity.

*Director approved? Logistics member?* Han Xiao's eyes flickered. He sized up Li Ya Lin. This woman was tall, with a curvy figure. She wore a sporty yellow hoodie on the outside and a black tight-fitting top on the inside. Her features were delicate and pretty, and her eyes were lively and intelligent. Her looks were at least a 90 or above. Among the women Han Xiao had seen, only Hela could compare with her in terms of appearance.

"I'm Han Xiao, a mechanic."

Lin Yao stood up awkwardly. His movements were too abrupt, and he knocked against the chair, making a noise. He stretched out his hand and said cautiously, "H-hello, I'm Lin Yao, the team's hacker."

Lambert sat still and said blandly, "I'm Lambert, a sniper."

Han Xiao shook hands with Lin Yao and didn't mind Lambert's cold attitude. This burly guy seemed like the type to be sparing with words.

"Why are you wearing a mask?" Li Ya Lin's big eyes fluttered, curiously wanting to uncover Han Xiao's face.

Han Xiao dodged away.

"Hiding your head and showing your tail, don't you trust us?"

Li Ya Lin muttered in dissatisfaction.

Han Xiao paused and said, "My identity is confidential."

Since he had been assigned to Li Ya Lin's team, it meant that the higher-ups thought these people could be trusted, and there wouldn't be a problem with him showing his face. But Han Xiao felt that not showing his face could reduce trouble. With a little thought, he could imagine the conversation after revealing his face:

"Aren't you that wanted criminal?" "How could the bureau let you join?" "Why is the Germination Organization chasing you?" "What did you do?"

Just thinking about it gave him a headache.

In order to avoid a series of time-wasting questions, Han Xiao felt it was better to wear a mask.

He wouldn't stay in the Thirteenth Bureau forever. This was just a stepping stone for him. The fewer people who knew his true face besides the higher-ups, the better.

"Your identity is confidential? Wait…" Li Ya Lin suddenly thought of something and hurriedly moved closer to Han Xiao, asking with anticipation, "Did you make the Lightweight Powered Arm?"

Han Xiao was stunned. "How do you know?"

"Haha, so it really is you!" Li Ya Lin cheered, putting her arm around Han Xiao's shoulder in a familiar manner and saying carelessly, "As long as you can help me build a mechanical arm, I'll have your back."

The corner of Han Xiao's mouth twitched. He said righteously, "I charge for my services."

Li Ya Lin laughed, then asked in a low voice, "Can you give me a discount?"

"No."

"Stingy," Li Ya Lin muttered.

"I still don't know your name." Han Xiao was speechless at this overly familiar beauty.

"Li Ya Lin, responsible for close combat." Li Ya Lin pouted.

Han Xiao glanced at the three of them and asked, "So the four of us are a team?"

"No, there's also a captain. He's the point man."

"Where is he?"

Han Xiao looked left and right, rummaged through the trash can, but didn't see anyone hiding.

"No need to look, the captain is recovering from an injury."

Han Xiao's tone became solemn, "Even the captain couldn't avoid getting injured. It seems that the work of the Secret Operations Department is very dangerous."

The three of them exchanged glances, feeling a little embarrassed.

Lin Yao said embarrassedly, "The captain is hospitalized with food poisoning."

"…"

Han Xiao narrowed his eyes, unable to retort.

Lin Yao coughed and took the initiative to explain the structure of the Secret Operations Department:

"The Secret Operations Department is responsible for special, high-difficulty tasks. The department structure is team-based, with four to seven people forming a team. Each month, they only need to complete the mandatory quota tasks assigned by the department. When they are not on missions, they can arrange their time freely."

"The structure is so loose?" Han Xiao was surprised. He thought that this kind of ace department would be very busy.

"Because the members of the Secret Operations Department are all elites, and some Secret Operations agents are specially hired outsiders who are not core members of the Thirteenth Bureau. Uncle Lambert is one of them. He used to be an ace member of a special forces unit and was specially recruited into the Thirteenth Bureau." Lin Yao scratched his face embarrassedly, feeling that he was bragging. His face was not as thick as Han Xiao's.

"Your role is team logistics, responsible for providing logistical equipment, dispatching supplies, and in specific actions, you are responsible for collecting, coordinating, and organizing intelligence, sitting in the rear and acting as our eyes and ears. That's your job."

*That sounds pretty easy… but I want to fight monsters!*

Han Xiao could understand this arrangement. He had a grasp of much intelligence, and the Thirteenth Bureau higher-ups wouldn't let him take risks.

As the saying goes, there is a return for every contribution. He had obtained the protection of the Thirteenth Bureau, gained a safe development environment, monopolized a potential market for a faction, and accepted orders to manufacture machinery to grind experience. Overall, he had made a profit.

The Mechanic class was weak in the early stages, with weak combat power, leaning towards logistics. Technical work was the main source of experience. The firearms and bullets consumed in fighting monsters cost money, unlike the Martial Dao class and the Esper class, which had powerful lethality themselves.

"Does our team have a name?" Han Xiao suddenly thought of this.

"Team name?" Li Ya Lin curled her lips, "We don't have that fancy stuff."

*Oh, pragmatism.* Han Xiao appreciated it very much.

The four of them chatted for a few words, considering that they had met their future teammates.

Lin Yao looked at the computer and suddenly said, "The department has assigned us a mission to capture the Black Spider hiding in West Capital."

Han Xiao raised an eyebrow. *A mission as soon as I joined?* It should be the bureau's intention to let them break in the new team.

Li Ya Lin said lazily, "Black Spider, I know this person. A notorious bounty hunter, a lone mercenary. Last time, the external affairs department's capture operation failed. He detonated explosives and blew up two streets. I didn't expect him to dare to stay in West Capital."

Lambert said concisely, "When do we leave?"

"No hurry. The intelligence department has already determined the location. It's more advantageous to act at night."

Lin Yao said to Han Xiao, "This is your first mission. You should adapt to the logistics work first."

The three of them didn't care about Han Xiao's identity. Being able to join the Secret Operations Department meant that the higher-ups trusted him.

[You have triggered E-level mission [Black Spider], Accept/Decline?]

"Accept."

[Mission Hint: Black Spider, a notorious assassin, bounty hunter. This is your first mission after joining the Secret Operations Department. As a backer, your responsibility is to assist the team in completing this mission.]

[Mission Requirement: Defeat Black Spider.]

[Reward: 5,000 experience]

[Special Reward: 40,000 experience or a Mental Stabilizer.]