Clown Game
Chapter 349 - 336: Action

Chapter 349: Chapter 336: Action

"So, you guys have been eyeing me since I first joined the Foundation, huh? How did you know I’d lean towards your side? What if I had grown to like the Foundation’s warm and friendly work atmosphere over this past year?" Chen Xiao leaned back in his chair and spoke somberly.

"No, none of us were optimistic about you. A-Ming must have already told you, besides the ’Guardian,’ we actually thought that sooner or later, you would betray us just as you would the Foundation..." Reina said, her gaze sharply sweeping over Chen Xiao.

"Hey, hey, you guys really don’t have much faith in me," Chen Xiao complained weakly.

"You know what you are," Lin Fan didn’t miss any chance to mock, adding fuel to the fire of this already tense meeting.

That’s why in a team, there needs to be at least one member whose mind is on the right things. Bai Xiong, seeing the conversation drifting off-topic, quickly steered it back to the main issue.

"Speaking of which, when are we heading to the Pacific Division?"

Reina seemed to finally realize she should say something substantial, clearing her throat, "Cough... If A-Ming’s calculations are correct, it should be tonight."

Before she could finish,

"Chen Xiao and Bai Xiong’s phones vibrated simultaneously."

Both of them paused, quickly bowed their heads to check... then lifted their heads in surprise.

"Is this why you didn’t jam the cell signals?" Chen Xiao asked.

Reina nodded.

"Hehehe... Looks like that kid A-Ming’s calculations are pretty reliable," Chen Xiao chuckled.

...

...

Several hours later, at the Order Foundation’s Asia branch, Mrs. Liu’s office.

Bai Xiong pushed open the office door, and Chen Xiao followed him inside, while Song Xuan was already standing there.

As for Mrs. Liu, she was still busy with her work. Seeing Bai Xiong enter, she quickly glanced him up and down, relieved to see he was indeed without any major injuries.

Of course, she didn’t ask how he had managed to turn the situation around for himself; after all, she was just a management staff member. The peculiar equipment, technology, and various situations encountered by field officers were not her business to inquire about. In fact, she had prepared herself for the possibility of Bai Xiong walking through the door with half his body replaced by metal... Getting emotionally attached within the Foundation was foolish, because the person you cared about might one day die, be forgotten, get trapped in another dimension, be eaten, turn into something unimaginable, or even stand before you as someone else entirely. Such things happened every day, so within this circle, love was not sacred or beautiful but rather a despised emotion.

Mrs. Liu naturally understood this... as did everyone else.

So she quickly withdrew her gaze, "Due to the successful containment of B-113, we must urgently draft an anomalous item file. This requires your assistance. Due to the particular nature of the anomalous item, it will be sent to the ’Order Foundation Pacific Division,’ so you will also need to go there," she said calmly.

"Why though, can’t it just be handled here?" Chen Xiao protested from the side.

"Of course not. In the B-class area, the reconstruction of the containment room must ensure the complete control of the anomalous item, so as task executors, you must cooperate," she explained.

"What if I don’t go..." Chen Xiao quipped as usual.

"I have already informed you. If you choose not to go, you need to provide a valid reason, but I know you have no such reason, so it would be classified as a passive task or resistance to duty, and I will do my best to emphasize the severity of the matter," Mrs. Liu answered Chen Xiao seriously.

Chen Xiao nodded, "Hmm, that’s very thoughtful of you."

Mrs. Liu naturally wouldn’t dwell on this issue for too long, "Now, B-113 is already on its way and your schedule has been arranged; you’ll be traveling tonight by an exclusive route to the Pacific Division, and I will send the details of the journey to your phones shortly," she continued in her usual concise manner before returning to her desk work. The trio then turned and left the office.

...

Time passed quickly, and it was already noon in Mrs. Liu’s office; after wandering around the Foundation for a while, it was time for them to depart.

During this time, Chen Xiao first went to the ’Medical Area’ to replenish his life-saving "Concentrated Repair Capsules," costing him a total of 1000 points – just three A-grade capsules required so much capital; he wondered how much those in the A-grade made per assignment.

In fact, like Chen Xiao’s capsules, A-grade items were also considered expensive, and as missions were less frequent at that level – considering not many A-class anomalies existed, or else the world would have already fallen apart – medicines focused more on performance than quantity. Thus, paying 1000 points for just three capsules wasn’t considered outrageous. After replenishing his stock, Chen Xiao then headed to the equipment area to retrieve his torn-up bulletproof suit... This suit now basically needed replacement after every mission, being just C-grade; he previously couldn’t afford better, but now with funds available and having advanced to B-grade, Chen Xiao planned to discuss upgrading it after returning. As for not upgrading right before the upcoming mission – considering he had just had a meeting with the Foundation and Bai Xiong, treated his injuries, and was about to supplement his equipment and ammunition – triggering an incident in the Pacific Division right after would be too conspicuous.

So, Chen Xiao chose to keep a low profile.

Of course, in the end, Chen Xiao still replenished the ammunition for his modified revolver. This gun really could do anything now – it was a hammer, a machine gun, and even a grenade launcher; after a few shots, if it stored enough impact force, it could unleash a suicidal wave of power just as potent as before. In Chen Xiao’s heart, this gun was worth being classified as A-grade equipment.

After completing all these tasks, Chen Xiao, following the itinerary Mrs. Liu had sent him... returned to the subway’s gathering entrance. This time, of course, they wouldn’t simply take the subway all the way to the Pacific Division; primarily, long distances between major divisions were traveled by air.

At this moment, Song Xuan and Bai Xiong appeared to have arrived earlier, discussing something face-to-face.