Hunter of Mysterious Creature

"Not at the moment." Ye Jiu said, "Right now, all we know is that the red crystal is an artifact-type anomaly, identification and designation are yet to be decided. Honestly, I feel like complaining... Isn't this just stating the obvious?"

"Artifact-type anomaly? Are they sure?" Sun Hang squinted, "The ability to create new anomalies... That kind of power is nearly akin to rule-type anomalies, isn't it?"

"But this thing has a physical form!" Ye Jiu paused, then refuted.

"No one said rule-type anomalies can't have tangible forms, right?" Sun Hang countered.

"Hiss... Seems... like that's the logic." Ye Jiu slapped his thigh, "Then... if this thing is a rule-type anomaly... doesn't that mean we'll go down in history for discovering it?"

"Firstly, you're not included in this 'we'; secondly, what's the use of historical recognition... If humanity can't win this war against anomalies, do you think human civilization's history holds any meaning?" Sun Hang looked at Ye Jiu disdainfully, "Rather than seeking fame, it'd be more practical to consider how this thing can be of use."

"Who said I wanted fame, I just mentioned it casually..." Ye Jiu said a bit indignantly, "Forget it, let's not talk about this, let's discuss the enlistment issues... I read your proposal sent to me, are you serious about conscripting minors?"

"What else..."

"If this gets out, and those journalism students twist the facts then let public opinion ferment... We'd likely be cursed to death." Ye Jiu said with concern.

"It's just reservists." Sun Hang commented, "Being able to enter the Dubhe Tower-affiliated talent training base for professional training, that's an opportunity many dream of... A good soldier should be cultivated from a young age, right?"

"I've read your tentative training plan, with the intensity of this training, many will die! Moreover, the actual combat content is excessive, isn't it? By the second week of official training, they'll already be sent to the outskirts to trace anomaly marks... Even regular field agents would need at least six months of training before being assigned such tasks, right?"

"Is there a problem?" Sun Hang calmly asked.

"What you're recruiting are more like cannon fodder!"

"The surviving cannon fodder will become seasoned veterans, maybe even outstanding officers." Sun Hang said, "I've read several war history books these past few days; that's how they describe it."

"Have you considered, there's a significant chance they'll be completely wiped out?" Ye Jiu questioned, "Their enemies aren't humans, but anomalies! Those human war histories have no reference value at all!"

"Oh... Then why, when the Anomaly Investigation Bureau treated people like me as cannon fodder, did no one step up to stop them?" Sun Hang asked.

"That's completely different! Those so-called 'temporary investigators' are generally individuals with enormous debts or scumbags with extensive criminal records... Having them as temporary investigators is just making use of waste. According to Federation laws, these people were supposed to be executed or spend their lifetime in jail... This approach actually gave them a path to regain freedom. After all, not every temporary investigator dies in a mission." Ye Jiu paused, "As for your situation... That's an extremely rare exception..."

Ye Jiu found himself unable to continue; he knew that what was an 'extremely rare exception' for others was a '100% probability' for those involved... He realized he couldn't find an argument to persuade Sun Hang.

"So... are you still resentful about how the Investigation Bureau arranged things back then?"

"Want the truth?"

"Obviously."

"To be honest, I don't really care." Sun Hang walked to the water cooler and poured himself a cup, "Between you and me, it's a mutual exploitation relationship, you want to exploit my abilities, I exploit your resources and information, we take what we need."

"Us? You mean... the Federation Government?"

"Whether it's the Federation Government or Dubhe Tower." Sun Hang took a sip of water, "If you want me to contribute to humanity's salvation endeavor, that's possible, but it'll cost more."

"... You, I can't quite see through you." Ye Jiu frowned, "What kind of person are you?"

"I don't know either, I even suspect at times, I might not be human." Sun Hang said.

He suddenly recalled a sentence he saw somewhere.

Oftentimes, the truth is spoken in jest.

"You really act inhuman sometimes." However, Ye Jiu completely missed the implication of this sentence and continued, "Do you really think this enlistment proposal... can pass the council's approval?"

"Doesn't Dubhe Tower's authority surpass the Federation Council's?" Sun Hang showed a hint of puzzlement.

"Of course not! The Federation Council is the highest decision-making body of the Federation! Dubhe Tower is just a research institution!" Ye Jiu kept tapping the table, "All significant decisions of Dubhe Tower must be approved by the Federation Council, even the authority Mr. Pei gave you requires the council's prior approval before Mr. Pei can transfer authority to you, are you clear?"

"So, does your dad hold substantial power?"

"A single council member cannot alter the entire council's decision." Ye Jiu answered seriously, "Moreover, my father wouldn't agree with your proposal... Leveraging the hatred towards anomalies to enlist minors among disaster victims and sending these minors on high mortality missions, do you know what that implies?"

"Implies what?"

"Just my father daring to utter this at the council would end his political career."

"But you seem to have misunderstood a crucial point." Sun Hang said.

"What point?"

"I never said the nature of these tasks would have high mortality from the start..."

"What's the difference between saying it or not? Come on, don't treat Federation Council members like those incompetent ones at the Celestial City Management Committee... Those who reach such positions surpass the definition of 'elite', they can immediately see the true nature of these tasks... Even if you state a mortality rate of only 0.01%, they would surely reject the proposal."

"A mortality rate of 0.01% is too low, I think it can be kept under 20%." Sun Hang mused.

"20%?" Ye Jiu was dumbfounded, "Wait, are you serious? I thought you wanted to bluff, but it turns out you're just naïve? A mortality rate of 20%? Did you mix up survival rate and mortality rate? Throwing a bunch of half-grown kids who've had just a week's basic training into eternally night-covered wilderness... What's the difference from sending them to execution? Oh, there's a difference, at least execution lets them die quickly."

"What if there are professionals accompanying them?" Sun Hang asked.

"Professionals? You mean the Sheriff or City Defense Guard?" Ye Jiu furrowed his brow, "Don't expect field agents to lead rookies... They're already too busy with their own tasks, can't afford time for babysitting."

"Me, and you." Sun Hang pointed to himself, then Ye Jiu, "We'll personally lead, training a batch of elite backbones as quickly as possible, do you think it's feasible?"

"You and I personally lead?" Ye Jiu was stunned, "As you say... it seems possible, but do you have the experience for this?"

"No." Sun Hang candidly replied, "That's why I'm pulling you along."

"But... I also lack experience!" Ye Jiu exclaimed, "I only know how to fight, my training courses were all customized for personal abilities, not applicable to ordinary field agents!"

"Then go learn." Sun Hang kicked over, Ye Jiu couldn't evade this time and was directly kicked out of the office by Sun Hang, "Whether you learn it or not, I'll submit this proposal in a week; you figure it out yourself."