First-Year Internship—And You Went to Site 749 to Contain Monsters?!
Chapter 5: Joining 749 – I Want to Take the Test Now!

...

"Here’s the deal: once you unlock your spiritual aperture, you can become a Cultivator of Qi. But to actually cultivate, you’ll need techniques and resources. The problem is, these things are only available through 749 Bureau or certain Cultivator sects—and those sects don’t just take in disciples casually."

"So if you want to cultivate, the best option is to join 749. Completing missions earns you contribution points, which you can exchange for cultivation techniques and supplies."

"New recruits get one free chance to pick a basic cultivation technique—that’s one of the perks of the job."

Hearing this, Lu Ding didn’t hesitate for even a second. "I want to join 749!!!"

Sure, he could rely on his golden finger to gain rewards and grow stronger.

But that wasn’t the same.

With Oneness with Formlessness, he had a skill that could lead to Oneness with Heaven and Man. If he didn’t cultivate, wouldn’t that be a complete waste?

Cultivation—he had to cultivate!

Hearing Lu Ding’s decisive answer, Zhou Jie could no longer hold back his grin.

749 Bureau had a rule: if you successfully recruited new members, you’d get rewards based on their potential.

Originally, this mission hadn’t been all that fruitful.

But with Lu Ding joining, once he officially became a member, Zhou Jie’s reward was bound to be substantial.

This wasn’t just a guess—it was something he had seen with his own eyes.

A newbie who had just unlocked his aperture could already slaughter a Wuxiang—how could this kind of talent be weak?!

And on top of that, he had dual talents.

Zhou Jie didn’t even dare to imagine what kind of reward he’d get.

…

After quickly gathering his belongings, Lu Ding dragged his suitcase and got into the car with Zhou Jie, heading straight for 749 Bureau.

In a single night, he had already been to two places.

Right before leaving, Lu Ding asked, "What about the hallway in the apartment complex? I wrecked it pretty badly."

"No worries, cleanup crews will take care of it. It'll be even better than before."

Hearing this, Lu Ding finally felt at ease.

…

As they drove out of the city, Lu Ding watched the scenery flash by and asked, "Is 749 really that far from the city? What if something happens in town?"

"There are patrols in the city every day," Zhou Jie explained. "Take the construction site today—Shanshan and I were in charge of that area. If something pops up that we can’t handle, we report it. Then stronger people take over."

Makes sense.

If even he could think of this, how could 749 not have planned for it?

As the vehicle entered a tunnel, the view suddenly changed.

When they emerged, they were already inside a mountain valley, where a massive base stood.

Lu Ding looked around, filled with curiosity.

Following Zhou Jie and Long Shanshan, they arrived at a registration hall where Lu Ding had to enter his information and answer a bunch of questions.

Afterward, he stepped through a small door.

Zhou Jie and Long Shanshan waved him goodbye.

Once Lu Ding’s figure disappeared, Long Shanshan asked, "Aren’t we gonna wait for him?"

"Nah, we won’t be in the same world as him anymore," Zhou Jie said plainly. "We won’t be moving in the same circles. Besides, we’ve got our patrol duties—lots to do. Let’s go."

Getting to know him was already good enough.

Zhou Jie was practical—he understood the way things worked. Different levels meant different paths in life.

It was better to just meet, part ways, and nod politely if they crossed paths again.

…

Meanwhile, Lu Ding followed the staff down a futuristic-looking corridor.

Glass walls stretched along both sides.

Beyond the glass, there were countless eerie yet lifelike monster specimens on display.

Some were grotesque, some terrifying, some mysterious, and some even bizarrely elegant, possessing an indescribable beauty.

It was a dazzling array—overwhelming to take in all at once.

A thought struck Lu Ding:

If only I had killed all these monsters myself…

Just imagine how many rewards that would be!!!

…Too bad.

As he passed through the corridor, he caught a glimpse of 749’s true scale before arriving at a room.

The staff swiped open the door. "Mr. Lu, please rest here for now. It’s already past midnight, meaning it’s the first of the lunar month. The newcomers who joined 749 last month will be undergoing their entrance test in the morning."

"You can watch the test and observe. That way, you'll be prepared for next month's assessment."

Before the staff left, Lu Ding quickly asked, "What exactly does the entrance test involve?"

"Every new recruit has to pass an entrance assessment, which happens on the first day of each lunar month."

"The test evaluates combat ability. Based on performance and battle observations, recruits are assigned ranks. This helps with task assignments and prevents unnecessary casualties. Higher ranks also come with better benefits."

"Those with average results are assigned to eight-person dorms. They don’t get any rewards and can’t take on monster containment missions until they pass another combat assessment."

"Those who perform well go to four-person dorms and receive a Muscle-Strengthening and Bone-Tempering Tonic. They can assist official investigators with monster containment tasks via the 749 app."

"Outstanding performers get two-person dorms and a Tongxi Pill, which helps with aperture unlocking. They can serve as primary investigators for non-combat missions or assist in combat-related ones."

"And the best of the best? They get single-person dorms and a Aperture-Unlocking Pill, which gently opens all apertures and pushes them straight into the Zhaoxuan Realm. These recruits can accept monster containment missions directly, with priority equal to that of official investigators. They only need to complete ten missions or capture ten monsters to be promoted to full-fledged investigators."

"Since you just joined, you have a whole month to study cultivation techniques and prepare for next month’s test. You’ll have plenty of time."

…

That all sounded reasonable.

But Lu Ding wasn’t about to wait a whole month!

That would be such a waste of time!!!

Suddenly, an idea struck him.

"Wait!"

"I arrived at the base before midnight, right? Doesn’t that mean I technically joined last month? And since tomorrow is the first of the lunar month, I can take the test too, right?"

The staff member blinked in surprise.

This guy… did he not understand a single thing he just said?

"You can take the test, but rushing into it like this will make it harder to get a good score. Even though you have dual talents, you’ve only just unlocked your aperture. My advice? Take a month to train and go in at your peak."

"Besides, you’re still in the pre-registration phase, which means you’re already in a single-person dorm."

Lu Ding shook his head. "No, no, no—I’m not an athlete. I don’t need ‘peak condition.’ Does the test require signing up? If so, can you sign me up now? I want to take it tomorrow."

He had already waited nineteen years for his golden finger to unlock.

Now he had joined 749, meaning he no longer had to search for monsters blindly.

And they expected him to wait?!

Not happening!

He could always pick up a cultivation technique after the test.

The staff member was speechless. Most people wanted more time to get stronger before the test so they could achieve the best ranking possible.

But this guy?

He couldn’t wait even a second!

Was dual talent really enough to make someone this arrogant?!

"Fine, I’ll register you."

"Here’s your 749 employee phone—it has the 749 app installed. You can log in to check your personal info and browse resources."