At the Sky Base, the minister was personally receiving guests.

Song Qinglan received the news and turned back toward the base. With his tall frame and long legs, he walked briskly, quickly crossing the corridor and entering the transport capsule.

“Captain Song!”

“Hey, Captain Song!”

Everyone he passed greeted him, noting his usual expression, yet sensing an undercurrent as if a volcano was about to erupt beneath his dominant and powerful exterior.

Soon, rumors spread through the internal network, suggesting that Captain Song was about to formally kick someone out.

A few minutes later, Song Qinglan descended to the underground.

[Welcome, Song Qinglan. Welcome back to the Sky Base.]

The capsule door slid open, and the electronic female voice was as gentle as it always was before a mission.

More than a decade ago, the Empire’s scientific team had unlocked the secrets of time travel, leading to the development of the Time Management Alliance with branches in various countries. Yet, the Sky Base remained the global headquarters, located 2,000 meters underground, where thousands of people worked tirelessly around the clock. The perpetual illumination in the pitch-black underground was always awe-inspiring.

Song Qinglan exited the transport capsule and walked for a few more minutes before stopping in front of a white wall. He pressed lightly and then forcefully pushed open a hidden door.

“Bang!”

Everyone inside the room was startled and turned to look at him.

A middle-aged female leader stood beside another person.

The enormous semi-circular glowing dome outside the floor-to-ceiling windows served as a backdrop, resembling the Milky Way in the vast universe.

The person by the window was dressed in a plain white shirt and ordinary black trousers, accentuating a slender waist. Clean and upright, they brought to mind a pine tree by a snowy lake.

Amidst the brilliant starlight, the person’s skin was extraordinarily fair, with a refined nose and delicate brows and eyes, each feature perfectly balanced. Particularly striking were the beautifully shaped lips, a touch of vivid color adding life to the cool face, making it suddenly animated.

Unforgettable at first sight.

The moment he saw this person, a random thought popped into Song Qinglan’s mind—something one of his team members had said in the training room.

“He didn’t come when we said he had no combat skills. He didn’t come when we said he was just a pretty face. But when we joked that our whole team was homophobic, he showed up. Who knows if he’s here to battle us head-on or to prove his charm!”

“No knocking again!” Minister Wang scolded playfully, “It seems like you’re the only one in all of Sky Base who always ignores the rules!”

Song Qinglan pushed the thought away and walked in nonchalantly.

He showed no signs of repentance, casually curving his lips into a smile. “I heard the new teammate arrived. Minister Wang, you didn’t even inform us so we could give a proper welcome.”

Having said that, Song Qinglan finally directed his gaze at the person. “Consultant Ji.”

The address was somewhat aggressive.

The person before him was from Ning City, a recorder who had only participated in B-level missions. He had parachuted into the Guardians’ team with the title of Special Consultant.

Song Qinglan’s disdain, strictness, and scrutiny were all blatant.

Ji Yushi, new to the scene, met Song Qinglan’s gaze without flinching or avoiding it, calmly staring back, as if unaware of who he was dealing with, not uttering a single word.

The atmosphere became tense.

The scholarly figure responded with a calm exterior, yet a fierce undercurrent was brewing beneath the surface.

Minister Wang, well aware of the feud between the two, pretended nothing had happened and began to introduce them warmly. “Consultant Ji, this is Captain Song of the Jiangcheng Branch’s Seventh Team. He’s the youngest yet one of the most promising captains in the Sky Base system, having completed twelve A-level missions with a one-star rating. This is Song Qinglan, you haven’t met before, have you?”

Ji Yushi was slightly surprised and repeated the name, “Song… Qinglan?”

His voice was light, and it was the kind of voice Song Qinglan expected.

It seemed that these people in clerical roles all had similar voices.

Minister Wang, smiling, said, “Xuri Qing, Shan Feng Lan—doesn’t the pronunciation sound like a little girl’s name?”

Song Qinglan cut in, visibly displeased, “Minister Wang.”

Ji Yushi, as if not hearing the tease, quickly eased his expression and said, “Actually, I’ve met Captain Song before.”

Minister Wang was intrigued, “Oh? When?”

Ji Yushi’s pleasant voice continued, “On October 14th, three years ago. I attended a training session organized by Sky Base at the Jiangcheng Branch, and you were the instructor. Captain Song was also in the class, though we didn’t know each other then.”

Minister Wang was surprised this time, “Strange, I don’t recall someone as young as you.”

Not just Minister Wang, but Song Qinglan himself had no memory of this.

Who has time to remember who they met three years ago?

Ji Yushi easily recalled the events of that day as if they had happened yesterday, “The venue was large, and I was seated far back, so it’s normal that you don’t remember. You wore a sky-blue suit skirt that day and a pair of Baroque pearl earrings. Your hair was shorter than it is now, and you accidentally broke a coffee mug during the lesson, replacing it with an enamel one. Do you remember?”

Minister Wang nodded repeatedly, recalling it, “I remember, I remember!”

Ji Yushi continued, “Captain Song was seated in the ninth seat from the left in the third row. He skipped two classes and left early in the afternoon.”

Hearing this, Song Qinglan couldn’t help but ask, “Do you have a deep impression of me, or are you planning to report on me?”

Ji Yushi turned to look at Song Qinglan, his clear eyes reflecting Song Qinglan’s figure, “I just happened to remember everyone present that day.”

Song Qinglan almost forgot that one of the rumors about Consultant Ji at Sky Base was his extraordinary memory.

Song Qinglan hinted, “Consultant Ji, I’ve heard that people with good memories also hold grudges.”

Ji Yushi answered calmly, “It depends on the situation.”

Minister Wang intervened to smooth things over, “It’s good that you’ve met. Xiao Song is a bit hot-tempered, very straightforward, and has no reservations when criticizing team members, even scolding them to tears in public. I’ve heard that Consultant Ji is easygoing and generous, so don’t worry about giving him face at the expense of your own.”

Ji Yushi, not one to put on airs, replied, “Don’t worry. As long as it’s work-related, I’ll cooperate.”

Song Qinglan let out a light chuckle, seemingly indifferent, “That’s good.”

After some small talk, Minister Wang got down to business, “The mission will take place next week. Starting tomorrow, Consultant Ji will follow Xiao Song to familiarize himself with the team members and work environment. The training ground has plenty of equipment, including a dedicated combat simulation system. I heard Consultant Ji also served in the Imperial Forces?”

Song Qinglan raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

Sure enough, Ji Yushi immediately confirmed his thoughts, “I held a clerical position in the military and only stayed for two months.”

His unassuming attitude made Song Qinglan, a former special forces member, want to laugh.

This slender figure, could he possibly be on the front lines?

Minister Wang nodded, “While combat skills aren’t highly required for an observer, some training won’t hurt. The Bureau recently recruited a batch of new trainees, and there are professional classes every morning. Consultant Ji is welcome to attend.”

“They’re here!”

“They’re out!”

“Quick, quick, quick, did they fight?!”

“Did Minister Wang smash a cup?!”

A crowd gathered around the monitor panel, with people peeking out from the hallway.

The transport capsule doors opened, and out first was Minister Wang, striding in high heels toward her office.

Then came Song Qinglan, followed by Ji Yushi.

The height difference between the two was significant, one sharp and the other graceful.

Song Qinglan’s indifference toward welcoming new teammates was almost palpable, moving quickly with his height advantage and familiarity with the route. The much-talked-about Consultant Ji, true to his reputation, was indeed scholarly, following closely behind without hurry, keeping up without appearing awkward.

The two walked silently toward the training ground, leaving everyone bewildered.

Was that it? Was it over?

Did Song Qinglan just accept it?

Where was the rumored bloodshed at the Jiangcheng Branch, with someone being sent back in disgrace?

Seeing the two return together, the teammates in the training room were also puzzled. What did this mean?

Song Qinglan boldly took a stand in the empty space ahead, clapping his hands to call them together, “Come on, let me introduce you. This is a colleague seconded from Ning City to work with us on this mission as our team’s observer, also known as a Special Consultant. This is Ji Yushi, Consultant Ji.”

In front of this group of testosterone-fueled, tall, muscular Guardians, Ji Yushi, in his white shirt, appeared overly delicate.

Like a small white rabbit accidentally wandering into a pride of lions, seemingly weak and vulnerable.

Yet Ji Yushi remained calm, showing no signs of discomfort, and simply said, “Hello.”

“These are Duan Wen, Zhou Mingxuan, Li Chun, and the twins Tang Le and Tang Qi,” Song Qinglan introduced quickly. “They handle control, mechanics, logistics, and the left and right wings. Our previous observer was named Yu, and you’ll be temporarily taking over his work.”

The unfamiliar teammates, all dressed in identical uniforms, had no distinct memory points, especially with a pair of identical-looking twins.

But Song Qinglan spoke rapidly, unclear whether he was intentionally making it difficult or just being dismissive.

Ji Yushi simply nodded, not showing whether he could remember everything.

Song Qinglan wasted no time, immediately arranging, “Old Duan, you’ve worked with the observer before. Take him to familiarize himself with the observer’s work.”

Duan Wen: “Huh? So soon?”

Usually, wouldn’t it be more customary to take a tour around the departments, under the pretext of getting familiar with the environment?

Song Qinglan: “Time doesn’t wait for anyone. Don’t you think the next mission rating comes quickly?”

Duan Wen: “Yes, sir!!”

It was clear to everyone that Song Qinglan had no intention of giving the new Consultant Ji any face.

Ji Yushi didn’t seem to mind, cooperating with Old Duan without any complaints.

Perhaps he didn’t plan on clashing head-on with Song Qinglan.

Once they were out of sight, Song Qinglan returned to his usual self, raising an eyebrow slightly, “What are you looking at? Your eyes are about to pop out. Look at your lack of self-respect.”

“Boss, he’s really good-looking!”

“I used to think ‘beautiful’ wasn’t a word to describe a man, but now I think it fits.”

“We all eat the same food, we’re all human, so why does he look like that? I was so close to him just now, and I didn’t see a single pore on his face. His skin is incredible.”

Previously hit on the head by Song Qinglan, the small-eyed Zhou Mingxuan sighed, “Damn, I was delusional. Someone like that would never be interested in me.”

“You’re actually feeling regret?” Song Qinglan kicked him, “Aren’t you worried about your family’s single-child line?”

Zhou Mingxuan laughed sheepishly.

“Boss, are we really keeping him?”

“He looks like he can’t carry anything on his shoulders or fight. What good is he besides looking good?”

“I thought you’d resist a bit more. This doesn’t seem like you.”

Song Qinglan straightforwardly shared his plan.

He concluded, “The transfer order has been issued, and he’s already in the department, so it’s too late to change anything. For the next few days, just take it easy. Whatever happens, the goal is to complete the mission safely!”

Everyone replied in unison, “Yes, sir!”

The team dispersed.

Unconsciously, Song Qinglan started recalling that training session from three years ago but found nothing. After all, skipping classes and leaving early… he’d done that more times than he could count.

As for that memory… if anything, it could barely be considered a positive trait?