After drawing cards, the evil god became my source of吐槽 (tu cao, a form of humorous commentary/criti

Chapter 51 The Hidden Boss.

The two months at the base passed in the blink of an eye, and An Jing's state of mind became increasingly calm.

One morning, An Jing sat on the observation deck at the edge of the base as usual, watching the torchbearers train in the training field.

As the sun peeked through the clouds and the morning mist lingered, the sound of synchronized footsteps and shouts echoed across the playground.

A new batch of candidates for the Lamplighter are undergoing "extreme stress tolerance training," a psychological simulation training specifically designed for mysterious magnetic field environments.

An Jing didn't participate, but she came to see it every day.

She didn't rush to ask to start the lighting training; she would wait until the school started to arrange those professional and combat courses.

For the past two months, she has simply watched and recorded quietly, observing others sweat, shout, and run, watching them transform from confusion to determination, and from timidity to learning how to face pollution.

She wore a tracking tag customized by the Special Service, and it was this identity that made her the most unique "observer" in the training base.

003 and 005 even took some time to visit the base.

005 maintained his usual indifferent expression, and the first thing he said after sitting down was, "Are you settling in comfortably?"

“It’s great.” An Jing nodded. “I have plenty of food and drink, and I even have people to chat with.”

"Someone to chat with?" 005 raised an eyebrow. "I heard you sit by the training field every day watching them train, and you seem to have a good relationship with these kids in the training team."

"The relationship won't get better; at best, we'll just be the ones being watched."

She sighed helplessly and took out a bag of milk candy that had been stuffed into her hands yesterday. "They always think I'm some kind of amazing person, giving me gifts like that. Take it away quickly, or I'll feel like throwing up whenever I see candy."

005 didn't laugh, but 003 laughed so hard he almost choked.

"You've only been here two weeks and you're already enjoying fan treatment?" he couldn't help but tease. "When I went to give a lecture last time, I heard several kids in the training camp talking about you."

"say what?"

"It's said that you can be on friendly terms with the top ten lamplighters, which means you're a hidden big shot in the Special Service."

An Jing: "..."

Holding the candy, she remained silent for a few seconds before speaking with difficulty: "What exactly are these rumors about me?"

003 lowered his voice and laughed like a gloating dog: "Anyway, it's pretty outrageous. Some people say you're the bureau chief's relative, some say you're the Heavenly Child Granny, and some guess you're a hidden weapon. In short, none of them are reliable. Oh, the hidden weapon guessed right."

An Jing didn't say anything, but after a while asked, "So they all know you're in the top ten by number?"

“Of course,” 005 said matter-of-factly. “We’re ranked so high and we’re always in the instructional materials. We’re basically legendary figures in the training camp.”

An Jing frowned, seemingly not quite understanding: "That's exaggerated. Are the top ten in the numbering system really that impressive?"

Upon hearing this, 003's expression instantly cracked: "You don't know?"

"Of course I know you guys are amazing, but how exactly are you amazing..." She paused, her tone sincere, "You never talk about it, and I don't know where to check the rankings, so I don't know."

Only then did 005 explain in a low voice: "The Lantern Bearer numbers of the Special Service are based on the comprehensive ability assessment system. It is an official ranking system. The higher the ranking, the higher the strength, the higher the mission completion rate, and the stronger the pollution adaptability."

"So, the top ten are...?"

"The ten strongest among all of us."

An Jing fell silent.

After a long while, she whispered, "The strongest one."

005 looked at her, puzzled. "Why is your tone suddenly so strange?"

"No, no," she said, trying to suppress a laugh and shaking her head. "I was just thinking how honored I am that I've slapped two of the strongest ones."

005's face darkened.

003, let's just not start it.

An Jing: "I have used violence against both of you, the strongest of them."

She finally couldn't help but lower her head and laugh.

The smile was faint, yet sincere. Compared to the calm and aloof smile of the past, this smile had more warmth and a sense of "I am just like you."

005 sighed, resignedly: "Fine, you'll be one of us anyway, so let's just go with it."

It seems that He Lin must have told them this.

"Are you so sure I can pass the test and become a lamplighter?"

003 and 005 had an "I don't think so" expression.

The people present were probably more physically capable than her.

As for mental strength? If she's second, who dares to claim to be first?

“I will become stronger.” An Jing looked up at him, her eyes serious. “I want to become someone who can truly stand shoulder to shoulder with you.”

003's eyes flickered, but he simply nodded slightly.

"You definitely can. Your potential will surpass ours sooner or later."

After that, An Jing continued to go to the training every day as usual.

The difference is that more and more newcomers get to know her, and more and more people take the initiative to sit next to her and tell her what they trained today, who got the highest physical test score, what harsh words the instructors said, and who was so scared by the virtual mystery in the simulation exercise that they cried.

She just sat there listening, occasionally smiling, and occasionally handing over a bottle of water.

Those newcomers gradually became clearer in her eyes.

Most of them were very young, but she was the youngest.

They might joke, be lazy, or miss home, but when faced with mysterious simulation training, their seriousness and focus are undeniable.

Later, the new recruits in the training camp almost reached a tacit understanding.

Anyone who manages to snag a seat next to An Jing on the observation deck has the right to ask two questions.

The first question is: Do you really know the bigwigs in the Secret Service?

The second question is: Are they really that close to you?

These two questions are asked again every two or three days, by different people with different tones. Some are trembling with fear, some are full of gossip, and some even pull out notebooks as if they are going to take notes on the spot.

"Is 003 a very cold-hearted person?"

"Is 005 really able to carry two heavy machine guns in one go? We heard him practicing target once from upstairs, it was too ruthless."

"You're not related to the bureau chief? Not a hidden S-level candidate? You... were you sent from the special training camp ahead of time to test our reactions?"

An Jing was overwhelmed by these questions and could only shake her head with a helpless smile each time: "I'm just an ordinary person, and they're just friends."

But the more she talked, the more mysterious she seemed.

After all, what ordinary person could possibly have the top ten lamplighters come to visit them one after another?
They enter and leave the training base without saying a word. No one knows when they arrive. All that is known is that whenever 003 or 005 shows up, their target will always be one person: An Jing.

Once, when 003 came to the base to give a lecture, he passed by the observation deck. An Jing didn't say anything, but 003 handed him a glass of warm water first: "I heard you've been coughing a lot these past few days, so try to avoid the wind."

An Jing had gotten used to their care, as had He Lin, who always said that she was a treasure to be pampered.

At that moment, everyone sitting next to her was stunned.

Another time, 005 had just returned from a mission, still covered in unwashed dust and mud, when he appeared at the observation deck carrying a bag of fried chicken and said, "Didn't you say you wanted to eat some? I bought some from that shop I passed by last time."

Then, 002 came by once. Although she usually doesn't like to show her face, this time she only stayed in the training building for fifteen minutes, without going into the training area, and just "casually" asked, "How's An Jing doing lately?"

The base was now in an uproar.

After number 001 sacrificed himself, 002 became the top agent of the Special Service Department. And that top agent would "casually" stop by to inquire about a girl's situation.

If this isn't a powerful relationship, what is it?
No one believes An Jing's claim that "we are just friends" anymore.

Everyone calls her the "Hidden Demon King".

(End of this chapter)