Celestial Human Diagram

The person Counselor Pei mentioned was Chen Bitong, the Fighter who was approaching the threshold of a Fighting Master.

Chen Chuan remembered that before coming here, the mission Specialist Liang had given him was specifically about this man.

Specialist Liang had said he would be assigned to the area where Chen Bitong was active. He wouldn’t have to do anything specific, just observe and keep an eye on things from nearby.

He suspected he might be assigned to work under the man. ’It’ll probably happen after a while, once I’ve completed a few missions. That would seem more natural.’ He never expected an opportunity for contact to present itself so quickly.

However, since his superiors didn’t require him to take any proactive measures for now, he felt no pressure. It was a perfect opportunity to observe.

He said, "I understand."

After saying this, Counselor Pei relaxed considerably. He sat back, raised his teacup to gesture for Chen Chuan to try his, and added:

"Captain Chen, once your formal appointment is issued, you’ll have the right to form your own team. Your team will need to be led by at least two First Level Executors, with each one commanding two squad members.

Since you’re new to the Merging Land, you will be given an adaptation period.

During this time, you can recruit squad members on your own. You can use the platform or invite people from the outside, but the prerequisite for joining the squad is that they must have signed a confidentiality agreement.

If you can’t find any suitable candidates yourself, you can submit a request, and your superiors will assign personnel to complete your roster.

And don’t worry, you can reject any members you’re not satisfied with. However, having at least two sub-teams is a prerequisite for undertaking certain missions.

Captain Chen, if you can’t find anyone suitable, I suggest you start with the members assigned by your superiors. Even if you find them lacking, you can always reassign them later. Plenty of people do it that way."

Chen Chuan said, "Thank you for the reminder, Counselor Pei. I’ll consider it."

Counselor Pei smiled. "Captain Chen, if you have any questions in the future, feel free to ask me directly."

Chen Chuan nodded.

After drinking tea with Counselor Pei for a while longer, and with most matters settled, Chen Chuan took his leave and returned to his dorm, carrying the metal case.

He placed the case on his desk and opened it. Inside were more tubes of special medicine, but these weren’t the liquid form he’d seen before. Instead, they contained a cyan-green paste.

This medicine also came in different grades. The kind provided by the outpost was of a similar grade to what Fusion Boundary supplied. The only difference was that the outpost’s version could be stored for longer and was divided into smaller, more standardized portions to facilitate trade and exchange.

However, rumor had it that the government and the megacorporations had even better versions. The requirements to obtain it from the megacorps were unclear, but for government personnel, it seemed one had to reach a certain rank.

He used his Realm Token to contact his two squad members. "Come to my room."

Before long, there was a knock on the door. He went to open it and found Yuan Qiuyuan and Qin Qingque, who saluted him. "Captain!"

He returned the salute and let them in. After they found seats, he said, "The special medicine for our training has arrived from the higher-ups. I called you here to distribute it."

Yuan Qiuyuan was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with joy. "They already sent it?"

His eyes gleamed as he stared at the medicine in the metal case. He remembered his older sister always had to wait a long time to get this stuff after her missions; the longest wait had been several months. He never thought they would be so prompt this time.

Chen Chuan said, "This was a special case. Someone high up pulled some strings for us." He poured them each a glass of water, sat down, and continued, "Executioner Yuan, Executioner Qin, let’s distribute the medicine based on our results from the recent battle."

"Here’s what I’m thinking: the three of us will each take thirty percent. The remaining ten percent will be kept as a squad bonus. Whichever member distinguishes themselves during an operation will receive that bonus. If you have any objections, feel free to voice them. This framework isn’t set in stone; we can refine it over time as needed."

Yuan Qiuyuan said, "I think you’re taking too little, Captain. We couldn’t have taken down the Iron Demon without you. How can you take the same share as us?"

Qin Qingque agreed. She felt her contribution during the operation didn’t warrant such a large share.

Chen Chuan said, "We’re a squad. When the strength of our members increases, it benefits everyone. I don’t think I’m giving you too much. If that’s how you feel, then just do your best to improve and contribute more to the team in the future."

’I have medicine from Fusion Boundary Company, and I have enough for now, so I’m not short this small amount. Besides, the reward from missions isn’t that large to begin with.’

’At my current consumption rate of one dose every two to three days, thirty percent would only last about half a month. A little more or less doesn’t make a big difference. I’d rather my teammates take more and increase their strength.’

Yuan Qiuyuan said, "In that case, Captain, you should take the remaining ten-percent bonus. You were the one who took care of the Iron Demon. We’re all in agreement on that."

Qin Qingque said earnestly, "Captain, I agree with Executioner Yuan’s suggestion."

Chen Chuan was decisive. He nodded. "Alright, we’ll do that for this time." He portioned out the medicine accordingly. The two of them accepted their shares and saluted. "Thank you, Captain."

In addition to the medicine, there was also a cash bonus from the higher-ups, but that was of secondary importance.

Third Limit Fighters had plenty of ways to make money. Most of them came here for the special medicine and the opportunities for career advancement.

As for recruiting squad mates, it was difficult to do here. Resources in the Merging Land were limited, supporting only basic communications and some data storage, but not access to the recruitment platform. He would have to wait until he left to deal with it.

Two days later, the official orders for Chen Chuan and his team finally came down. A simple investiture ceremony was held for Chen Chuan in the outpost’s briefing hall.

Watching from the audience, Yuan Qiuyuan was quite envious. His promotion to Second Level Executioner had just been a simple file update, with no ceremony to speak of.

Following procedure, Deputy Yao, who was presiding over the ceremony, personally draped the Execution Captain’s uniform over Chen Chuan’s shoulders. The garment was styled like a military greatcoat and worn like a cape, giving him an imposing air that clearly set him apart from everyone else.

After that, Deputy Yao presented Chen Chuan with a new service sword, which Chen Chuan accepted and fastened to his waist. Deputy Yao looked at Chen Chuan, standing tall with the greatcoat draped over his shoulders and the sword at his side, and nodded in approval. A timely round of applause rose from the audience.

In the audience, Yuan Qiuyuan couldn’t help but lean over to say, "Executioner Qin, the Captain looks really sharp in that uniform."

Qin Qingque nodded in agreement.

Deputy Yao then produced a pistol in a sealed case, handing it over with a smile. "Captain Chen, this is a sidearm personally gifted to you by Governor Qiao. Please accept it." He then added emphatically, "Governor Qiao holds you in high regard, Captain Chen."

Chen Chuan accepted it with both hands. "Please thank Governor Qiao for me, Deputy Yao."

Deputy Yao smiled. "I’ll be sure to pass that along."

After the ceremony, Chen Chuan returned to his dorm. He unfastened the holster and saw a black pistol inside. Its design was simple, and it looked very ordinary.

It was a Star Medal Pistol.

He recognized it at a glance because the pistol was extremely famous.

It was said to be from the first batch of officer’s pistols produced by underground arsenals during the overthrow of the Old Imperial Family. What’s more, this was the very model of gun used to execute the last Emperor of the Old Imperial Family. Even textbooks had illustrations of it, so it was hard not to recognize.

Therefore, the gun held immense symbolic and commemorative value. Many members of the upper class enjoyed carrying one. Though it looked plain, they were a rare sight these days.

’I’ll have to treasure this.’

He knew full well that Governor Qiao’s gift wasn’t about the gun itself. It was a gesture, a statement that said, ’This is a man I have my eye on.’ A statement like that could save him a lot of trouble.

Perhaps the Governor genuinely saw his potential, or perhaps it was to smooth the way for his upcoming missions.

’In any case, it wasn’t a bad thing.’

He admired it in his hands for a moment before returning it to its holster. Just then, a short message came through his Realm Token.

He glanced at it. The message was from the logistics division, informing him that the Iron Demon’s Long Spear he had submitted for repairs was ready to be picked up at any time.

The Iron Demon’s Long Spear had significant collection value, so he had previously asked a colleague in the maintenance department to help repair it.

As it was a Mutated Weapon, it should have been difficult to fix. However, upon inspection, they discovered that for some unknown reason, the Mutated Organization on it had withered away. This simplified matters greatly—all they had to do was rejoin the spear’s shaft.

He put the pistol away, unbuckled his service sword, and left his dorm for the logistics division.

As he was walking, a call came in from Yuan Qiuyuan. When he answered, Yuan’s voice was laced with excitement. "Captain, have you heard? Instructor Chen is coming to Outpost Four tomorrow! Captain, you’ve heard of Instructor Chen, right?"

Chen Chuan said, "Of course I’ve heard of him."

The "Instructor Chen" he mentioned was Chen Bitong. This man had once served as an instructor training Fighters for the Merging Land, and since he had personally refused any promotions for two decades, his official rank wasn’t high. Thus, most people addressed him as Instructor.

Yuan Qiuyuan said excitedly, "Captain, I heard Instructor Chen is on his way back for leave, and he’s stopping at every outpost for a few days to offer guidance to the younger generation. That’s Instructor Chen we’re talking about! Even a little bit of advice from him would be incredible. I heard the outpost is holding a welcome ceremony tomorrow. Captain, are you going?"

Chen Chuan knew that although his two squad mates had been assigned to him, they didn’t know the specifics of his mission. This was a precaution to prevent the secret from being exposed.

But setting aside the suspicions surrounding Chen Bitong, the man had a massive reputation among the outpost’s young Fighters. He had admirers everywhere, and it seemed Yuan Qiuyuan was no exception.

He said slowly, "I’ll be there tomorrow."

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