Fang Zhiguo sat in his office at the National Security Headquarters, frowning slightly as he held a thick dossier. The cover bore the names "Guo Xiudao" and "Liu Yu," with a photo of Er-Ge pasted beside it. In the picture, he was grinning like a kid who had just won the lottery.
"These two… quite interesting," Fang Zhiguo muttered to himself, a faint smile on his lips. He set the dossier down and picked up the phone, dialing Qin Xiao's number.
"Qin Xiao, come to my office. We have some newcomers for you."
A few minutes later, Qin Xiao pushed open the door. He still had his signature crew cut, wore a black jacket, and carried a laptop. His eyes were sharp, like a hawk scanning for prey.
"Newcomers?" Qin Xiao raised an eyebrow, curiosity in his tone.
Fang Zhiguo nodded and handed him the dossier. "Guo Xiudao and Liu Yu—the programmer and his friend who were targeted by the Kawashima group. You've seen them before. Liu Yu has a knack for intelligence analysis, and Guo Xiudao… let's just say he's a ticking time bomb if left outside. Better to have them here under our wing. You'll train them for a while and teach them the rules of the National Security Bureau."
Qin Xiao flipped through the dossier, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Liu Yu? The guy who grew up on Chongming Island? I heard he even learned crab-catching from his dad as a kid."
Fang Zhiguo chuckled. "That's him. Sharp kid—he might come in handy."
Qin Xiao nodded, closing the dossier. "Alright. I'll go pick them up."
Meanwhile, Er-Ge and I were sitting in the lobby of the National Security Headquarters, like two elementary school students on their first day, eyes wandering in wonder.
"Bro, do you think this counts as hitting the jackpot?" Er-Ge whispered, leaning in. "From programmers straight to the National Security Bureau… isn't this a little… extreme?"
I rolled my eyes. "Don't get cocky. We were forced into this. If it weren't for the Kawashima group, who'd willingly come here?"
He chuckled and patted my shoulder. "Come on, bro. We're serving the country—that's honorable! And look at this place… way classier than our old crappy company."
I shook my head, though a spark of excitement flared inside me. Being forced to join the bureau aside, participating in operations at this level was undeniably thrilling.
Just then, Qin Xiao arrived. He stood in front of us, sizing us up before saying calmly, "Guo Xiudao, Liu Yu, follow me."
Er-Ge and I exchanged a glance and quickly stood, following Qin Xiao into the elevator.
Inside, Qin Xiao pressed the button for the third underground floor, then turned to us. "From today on, you're part of my team. You'll handle intelligence analysis and technical support. You can call me Qin Ge, or just Qin."
Er-Ge grinned and leaned in. "Qin Ge, we're practically old friends already—no need for formalities."
Qin Xiao glanced at him, still cold. "Go to your workstations. And I'll give you a quick rundown of the bureau's rules."
Er-Ge scratched his head, grinning awkwardly. "Rules? You guys even have rules in this line of work?"
Qin Xiao didn't answer, just gave him a pointed look. Er-Ge immediately shut up and stepped aside.
When the elevator doors opened, we followed Qin Xiao into a spacious office. Computers and monitors lined the room, and maps and intelligence charts covered the walls—it looked exactly like an intelligence center out of a movie.
"These are your workstations," Qin Xiao said, pointing to two desks in the corner. "You'll be working here from now on. Remember, this is not your previous company. Every piece of information here relates to national security. Leaks are strictly forbidden—this is the most important rule."
Er-Ge and I nodded, a mix of nerves and excitement churning in our stomachs.
Qin Xiao moved to a computer and opened an encrypted file. "Here's your first task. We need to analyze a batch of intelligence from Japan and figure out the Kawashima group's next move."
Er-Ge leaned over the screen, frowning. "So much data… how long is this gonna take us?"
Qin Xiao gave him a dismissive glance. "If you think it's too difficult, you can quit now."
Er-Ge straightened up, puffing out his chest. "Qin Ge, don't worry. I'm not the type to give up halfway! This data is nothing—we'll handle it in no time!"
Qin Xiao ignored his bravado. "Then get started."
Over the following months, Qin Xiao assigned us various tasks—from monitoring communications to analyzing satellite imagery. We were so busy that sometimes we didn't even have time to eat.
"Bro, do you think we're being overworked?" Er-Ge complained, chewing on a piece of bread. "This workload's insane."
I shook my head. "Stop complaining. We're serving the country. That's honor enough."
He pouted. "Honor's fine, but this workload… I'm exhausted!"
Qin Xiao glanced at us, a rare trace of warmth in his usually cold voice: "Welcome to the National Security Bureau."