NanGong team

The Twenty-Eight Constellations are divided into four departments: the South Palace, North Palace, East Palace, and West Palace. In the South Palace, our primary duties encompass daily patrols, apprehending criminals, and emergency rescue, making us the core force in restraining and combating the superpower sects.

Leading Claude out of the interrogation room, Tang Aibai guides him down the corridor while glancing at the superpower criminals confined behind the glass walls.

"At present, the South Palace team consists of sixteen members, although most are dispersed across various cities on missions. Only three of us are stationed in Sufang City. Initially, it was due to the concentration of superpower sects here and suspicions of other conspiracies. Now, it's because of the hell-cat and hell gate incidents. It's anticipated that we'll remain in Sufang until we confirm the complete closure of the hell gate."

Claude observed the end of the corridor, which previously appeared as a cold metal wall, transform into a smooth corner. As they turned the corner, a vast training ground filled with advanced equipment came into view, a sight unfamiliar to Claude.

"This is the training room," Tang Aibai explained briefly, heading straight to the door at the room's end without pause. Operating the display with his finger, the door automatically slid open. "Input your number and code here to access your assigned room."

"South Palace - 046 - Lihua."

Claude watched as Tang Aibai accessed his information: a member card, an exclusive restroom, and even a headquarters access pass, all swiftly displayed. It was unclear whether this preparation was due to Tang Aibai's quick actions or his anticipation of Claude's decision to join the Twenty-Eight Constellations.

After demonstrating the opening method and confirming Claude's understanding, Tang Aibai led him back to the original headquarters lobby, where they sat on the sofa, indulging in exquisitely decorated small cakes while engaging in conversation.

"Typically, the Twenty-Eight Constellations mandate members to disclose all their background identity information and movement trajectories."

Claude hesitated, contemplating a refusal.

"Don't worry, I've already informed the higher-ups," Tang Aibai assured with a smile, giving Claude a playful wink. "Non-humans always have certain privileges, especially since you shared information about the hell-cat and hell gate without any demands in return. Some rules that apply to ordinary members needn't be strictly followed."

Claude breathed a sigh of relief.

"We're a special department, so apart from fundamental principles, other regulations are fairly flexible," Qiao Liang added, standing nearby, sculpting an ice cream cone with layers of sweetened ice cream, deftly twisting his wrist.

The ice cream piled high and seemed about to fall, yet it mysteriously reappeared above the cone's crispy shell, settling back steadily in its original position. Qiao Liang took a large bite.

"Superpowers shouldn't be used in that manner."

Tang Aibai looked at her helplessly, then adopted a stern expression as though dealing with unyielding metal. However, in the next moment, he raised two fingers and blew a bright yellow bubble that floated up and merged into Peng Hua's coffee cup. Peng Hua, engrossed in the documents, drank from the cup without caution, only realizing something was off afterward. He gazed questioningly at Tang Aibai, then burst into uncontrollable laughter, doubled over with stomach cramps.

Tang Aibai: "This is the correct way to play."

Claude silently set down the orange juice he held.

"Team Tang, how could you do this!" Penghua finally ceased laughing, rubbed his waist, and accused his captain, "What if Li Hua gets corrupted by you!"

Tang Aibai paused his long-winded reply by indulging in a piece of snowflake cake. He then turned to Claude, flashed a small smile, and said, "Let's continue discussing the Twenty-Eight Constellations."

Claude nodded.

Though playful, Tang Aibai carried an aura of someone seasoned in brutal wars. When discussing serious matters, he exuded an imposing presence, a jarring contrast to Claude, a high school student with limited exposure to such intensity.

Fortunately, Tang Aibai's tone was gentle, his words precise, making Claude feel at ease. "Unless there's an emergency or urgent task, members can enter and exit the Twenty-Eight Constellations freely. Seeing your late arrival and early departure, I suppose you will rest during the day. It's recommended to stay here, but if you prefer to rest elsewhere, it's fine."

Claude hesitated for a moment. Looking up at Tang Aibai, he asked hopefully, "If I stay here during the day... will I be fed?"

Tang Aibai went curiously silent. Raised by the Twenty-Eight Constellations and intensively trained, becoming the captain of the Nangong team, he hadn't encountered such an issue before.

What impression did the Twenty-Eight Constellations leave on someone like him, taking in new members without providing meals!

Had Claude heard Tang Aibai's thoughts, he might have thrown the question back to the dog toy.

But Claude interpreted Tang Aibai's silence as a polite refusal and refrained from further inquiry. "That's okay. I'll head home during the day and meet up in the evening—"

"No, we've got food," Tang Aibai quickly interrupted. "You can eat whatever you like, order anything. If you prefer the headquarters canteen, it can be brought to the lounge."

Perhaps sensing Claude's concern, Tang Aibai swiftly mentioned the Twenty-Eight Constellations' perks: "30,000 yuan monthly, comprehensive benefits, housing, formal employment, free accommodation..."

Claude's eyes brightened as he listened.

In reality, the compensation within the Twenty-Eight Constellations wasn't particularly high. Despite the rarity of superpowers and each member's remarkable abilities, the casualty rate in the Nangong team was alarmingly high, requiring unwavering determination. However, for a high school student with a weekly allowance of only two hundred yuan and a hundred and fifty for meals, this income was unimaginably substantial.

He tried to remain composed, but his excited tail betrayed him completely. Tang Aibai couldn't help but laugh, cleared his throat, and continued, "Let me know if you have any other requests."

"No, no," Claude happily shook his head. "Then I'll stay here during the day, sleep, and patrol at night to drive away the Hellcats!"

While sending signals between two vests requires considerable mental energy, providing sustenance for a cat without food and utilizing mental energy for energy replenishment is even more taxing. If Claude's meager allowance could sufficiently support a cat with such a voracious appetite, he wouldn't have relied on mental energy to fuel his vests.

After sharing his future plans, he glanced at Penghua, now yawning on the sofa, and Tang Aibai, also appearing fatigued. The Nangong team members had been awake for two days without rest.

"Return and get some rest first," Tang Aibai said, patting Claude's shoulder. "The items we prepared for you will be delivered to your room soon. Be in the training room by 5:10 this afternoon, and we'll assess your physical condition. Xigong will customize a training regimen for your combat skills, and if required, we'll also devise a dietary plan."

"Just moments ago, Qiao Liang, still drowsy, suddenly shuddered and said, 'Li Hua, listen to me. Don't let them customize the recipe for you. Those Chinese medicine pastes are not for human consumption at all!'

Until the last second before entering the exclusive lounge, Claude was still wondering about the taste of the Chinese medicine paste. However, as he laid eyes on the furnishings in the lounge, all those thoughts vanished instantly.

The room exuded a warm ambiance with its soft, expansive bed. Two adorable beaver flower dog ropes lay atop it. Light blue bookshelves and desks stood beside the bed. A large balcony adorned with soft blankets hosted several pots of green plants. Sunlight streamed through the French windows, illuminating every small square table in the room's center, casting a lovely glow on the dog-shaped teacup placed upon it.

The bathroom adjacent to the bedroom was clean and elegant, furnished with a dog toilet and two bags of dog sand. A note attached to the seal of one of the bags read, 'If there's a need for more of this special material, please contact Xigong Logistics Manager An Qin or report it to the back office.'

Claude silently crumpled the note, tossing it into the trash can, trying to ignore the laughter of the dog leash echoing in his mind.

Recalling Tang Aibai's earlier introduction to the restroom, he returned to the bedroom, picked up a book titled 'How to Drink Water Scientifically' from the shelf, turned to page three, and tapped his fingertips on the bold title 'Don't talk while drinking water, or you will choke,' remarking aloud, 'This book is really well-written.'

The books are then transformed into golden keys, whirling themselves to the top of the shelf, splitting it open to reveal a storage room filled with shelves.

'The author of this book can't be the head of the Twenty-Eight Constellations,' Claude muttered. 'Why would they use something like that as a password?'

'Perhaps to prevent others from finding it?' the dog rope guessed.

The storage room mainly served as a place for members to store their valuable items. Among the possessions were only a few bottles of healing potions, a couple of ordinary swords and heat weapons, and a large basket of sealed glass bottles for storing volatile items. Finding nothing else, Claude returned to the room.

'I'll organize this storage room later!' he said excitedly to the dog rope. 'One shelf for weapons, another for trophies, and two for various precious treasures and ingredients! I'll surely feel accomplished stepping in here!'

'Why are treasures and ingredients placed together?' the dog toys pondered.

'Ingredients are much more precious than treasures!' Claude fell silent, uncertain how to counter the logic of the dog leash. He simply stopped talking, changed into a small raccoon dog, rolled around a few times, and then lay back on the soft bed, feeling content. Soon, he transformed into a small raccoon dog, barking and rolling around before closing his eyes comfortably.

'Compared to a small dog, this feels like a 20-meter-long bed!' he sighed. 'Basking in the sunshine is so comforting! Why didn't I notice this before?'

'Perhaps because the raccoon dog couldn't get enough sunshine before?' the dog rope suggested quietly.

'Why can't I sunbathe, Wang...' the raccoon dog murmured, suddenly realizing the time. It leaped off the bed, its fur standing on end.

'What time is it now, Wang?!'

The clock mercilessly pointed to five fifty-seven. A high school student, with parents absent and having overslept, hastily put on his school uniform, washed his face in the sink, grabbed his backpack, and frantically rushed to the school gate."