American comic: From Beijing with Love, starting with a mutant.

"Major Ma, it's been a long time."

Zhou Xingxing put his hand down, took out the top-secret envelope from his inner pocket, and gently placed it on Ma Weiguo's tea-soaked table.

Ma Weiguo glanced at the envelope, then at Zhou Xingxing, and then at the blue-clad woman next to him who was curiously observing his office.

"How...did you get in?"

"Go through the main entrance," Stephen Chow said without changing his expression.

"My office is on the third floor! There are three guard posts outside!"

"We walked relatively fast."

Ma Weiguo remained silent for five seconds before slowly removing his hand from the holster.

"Where's the sentry? Where's Xiao Wang from the first floor?"

"They should still be on guard duty, right?" Zhou Xingxing took out a cigarette.

"We passed the first floor, and also the second and third floors. We were just a tiny bit too fast, so we didn't realize it."

Ma Weiguo wanted to say something.

But after thinking about it, asking too many questions about Bureau 749 is bad for my heart.

When he last met these people in the mud pit of the oil field, his blood pressure soared to 160.

Resignedly, I tore open the envelope and glanced at its contents.

Top-secret document, utter bullshit!

It only contains the date and signature.

Beijing time 10:03, Director Wang

Ma Weiguo glanced at the clock on the wall.

"You...came from the capital?"

"right."

"It's 10:03 AM now."

"right."

"The straight-line distance from Beijing to here is more than 2,000 kilometers."

"right."

Ma Weiguo fell silent again.

Then he silently picked up the enamel mug and found it was empty.

He fell even more silent.

Stephen Chow patted the carefree girl on the shoulder: "Mission accomplished. Even SF Express isn't as fast as us, Major. Remember to give us a five-star review."

The carefree girl ignored him and sniffed, "I smell steamed buns."

"That's the direction of the cafeteria," Ma Weiguo replied mechanically.

The carefree girl's eyes lit up as she looked at Stephen Chow.

Stephen Chow sighed: "Go ahead, take two and come back. Don't be greedy."

A flash of purple light.

The carefree girl disappeared, and three seconds later, a purple light flashed again.

She reappeared, holding four steaming hot meat buns in her arms, with one still in her mouth.

"I only took five."

She said it indistinctly.

Zhou Xingxing took the two steamed buns and handed one to Ma Weiguo.

"Your cafeteria food is pretty good."

Ma Weiguo took the steamed bun, his expression as if he were dreaming.

Many thoughts flashed through my mind, but I didn't say any of them out loud.

It's not good to know too much about Bureau 749.

"Sign receipt."

"Alright." Zhou Xingxing, with half a steamed bun in his mouth, took the receipt with one hand, folded it, and stuffed it into his pocket. "I'm off, Major Ma. Come mooch a meal again next time."

"Don't give me that!" Ma Weiguo shouted. "Next time, use the main gate! Report in advance!"

His answer was a beam of purple light.

Ma Weiguo was left alone in the office again.

He sat there blankly for ten seconds, then looked down and noticed that the tea stains on the training schedule had dried.

The only evidence that those two people had been here was that they still had half a steamed bun in their hands.

Ma Weiguo stuffed the remaining buns into his mouth, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.

"Old Sun, are there a few fewer steamed buns than usual in your cafeteria today?"

"...Five? How did you know? A row is missing right after they came out of the cage! I thought there were mice!"

Ma Weiguo hung up the phone.

A mouse.

A blue mouse that can teleport.

......

Director Wang stared at the two steaming meat buns on the table for ten seconds.

"This is……"

"From the Northwest Military Region canteen," Zhou Xingxing said smugly. "Major Ma is treating. The documents have been delivered, and the receipt is here."

He slammed the signed receipt on the table.

Director Wang glanced at the time on the receipt—seven minutes from departure to signing for receipt.

He looked at the two steamed buns again.

Then he picked one up and took a bite.

Pork and scallion filling, thin skin, generous filling, and juicy.

Hmm... it tastes like the canteen of the Northwest Military Region.

He ate it when he went to inspect the area.

Director Wang chewed on his steamed bun and remained silent for a long time.

"The staffing has been approved," he finally said.

Stephen Chow slapped his thigh: "The director is brilliant! That milk tea subsidy..."

"A thousand at most!" Director Wang held up one finger. "Don't even think about two thousand!"

"Director, your vision is too narrow! A cup of milk tea costs fifteen or sixteen yuan in Beijing these days; that's her fuel, her means of production!"

"One thousand, not a penny more!" Director Wang glared.

"Three thousand!" Stephen Chow countered.

"Two thousand! That's the lowest price! Not a penny more if you haggle!"

"Deal!" Stephen Chow's expression changed in an instant, and he ran away.

Director Wang stood there, stunned.

Damn, I've been tricked by this kid again!

......

Personnel Department.

Edith sat on a small stool, with a standard one-inch ID photo backdrop in front of her.

"Look at the camera, don't move."

"Click."

A few minutes later, a brand new work ID was handed to Edith.

[Specially Appointed Breaking News Photojournalist for Bureau 749]

[Name: Edith Constance Sawyer]

Codename: Leisurely Girl

The photo shows a blue face, red hair, and purple eyes.

He was laughing a little silly.

Edith looked at the small, laminated card over and over.

She has had many identities in her life.

A homeless person. A fugitive. A freak. A mutant. A test subject. An illegal immigrant.

No one ever gave her a card that said "commissioner".

"Hey, Smurf."

Stephen Chow's voice came from the side.

Edith looked up and saw him holding a cup of milk tea. A handwritten label was affixed to the cup:

[First drink on the job - Congratulations on successfully landing your dream job!]

Edith took the milk tea and took a sip.

The tapioca pearls were chewy. The milk tea was very sweet.

Her nose suddenly felt a little sore.

"Thank you," she said, her voice muffled.

"What are you thanking me for?" Stephen Chow had already turned and walked away, waving his hand behind his back. "This drink will be deducted from your first month's salary."

"FUCK!"

"Just kidding." Stephen Chow said without turning his head, "Tomorrow is the official start of work; being late will result in a deduction from my perfect attendance record!"

Edith, clutching her milk tea cup, watched Stephen Chow's figure disappear at the end of the corridor.

She looked down and glanced again at her blue face on her work ID.

Then she laughed.

......

That night.

Stephen Chow sat in his dormitory and took out the small notebook with frayed edges from his pocket.

Turn it over.

The last name was crossed out in red.

~~Leisurely Girl~~ ✓ 749 Bureau Breaking News Photojournalist - On Duty

Six names! Six red lines!

The first batch of overseas special talents have been officially appointed to full-time positions!

Stephen Chow turned to the next page.

The paper was blank, but in his eyes, it was covered with names.

Those are mutants scattered around the world, being hunted down as monsters and dissected as expendable material.

"I need to get the receipts for reimbursement tomorrow..."

Stephen Chow closed the notebook, put his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling, muttering to himself.

He wanted to find those displaced people.

Then stand in front of them, hand them a pen, and tell them—

You are not a monster, not an experiment, and certainly not a consumable.

You are the advanced productive force of China.

Come on, let's sign a labor contract!