"Nana, Dr. Zhang said you've skipped daily training several times now. Why are you being so disobedient?"
Inside a dormitory at the Countermeasures Research Office base, Wang Yan was earnestly trying to reason with her daughter.
"The only reason we can live here safely right now is because of official protection. If you keep throwing tantrums like this and make the base leaders angry enough to kick you out, what are you going to do then?"
After Wang Yan finished speaking, she saw Chen Na sitting at the computer desk without even turning around. Frustrated, she raised her voice: "Mom is talking to you! Are you listening or not!"
Chen Na slowly turned around, her young face full of displeasure: "Why won't the base let me participate in the missions to help Brother Guan? My ability is clearly the most suited for this operation!"
"Whether the base sends someone on a mission is not for you to decide!" Wang Yan scolded. "The higher-ups have their own considerations. You're too young to be sticking your nose into all this!"
Chen Na snorted and stiffened her neck, refusing to back down.
Seeing this, Wang Yan felt utterly helpless.
Three years ago, this child had been so obedient. Whatever she said, Chen Na would do.
But over the course of those three years, Chen Na had developed more and more of her own opinions, and in many matters, she no longer listened to her mother.
Could it be that the child had reached that age and entered her rebellious phase?
Wang Yan was anxious. If this were peacetime, a child being rebellious and noisy wouldn't be a big deal.
But in this era of Doomsday Rules, people could die at any moment! Being rebellious at a time like this could have extremely serious consequences.
Since the hard approach wasn't working, Wang Yan had to change tactics and try the soft approach.
"Nana, we need to be grateful. Think about it—if we weren't staying at the base, would we have survived safely until now?"
Chen Na's eyes bulged as she retorted: "Mom, don't forget that without Brother Guan, we never would have made it to the base in the first place! Also, Brother Guan was the one who rescued me from the Qingmei Society. He's the one who helped us the most. As for the base, yes, it has protected us, but we haven't gotten a free ride either. You've been using your ability to convert petroleum this whole time, right? And I've been going on missions too. In the end, it's just an exchange of equal value!"
"You child! How can you say that!" Wang Yan was so angry at her daughter's words that she shot to her feet.
"Did I say something wrong?" Chen Na stood up as well, refusing to back down. "Mom, think about it—if we weren't Ascendants and didn't have abilities, would this base even have taken us in?"
"You!"
Wang Yan wanted to argue back but found herself at a loss for words.
Because Chen Na's words weren't entirely unreasonable. Ordinary people were indeed extremely rare at the Countermeasures Research Office base. The few who were there all possessed irreplaceable high-end expertise.
Wang Yan looked at her daughter's indignant expression and knew these words must have been weighing on her heart for a long time, finally erupting now that she had the chance.
The mother and daughter fell silent for a moment, until a knock sounded at the door.
"Xiao Na, it's me."
Silver Fox's voice came from outside.
Wang Yan shot Chen Na a glare, then hurried to open the door, a smile spreading across her face: "Lieutenant Colonel Silver Fox is here! Please, come in, come in!"
"Auntie's here too." Silver Fox walked into the room and saw Wang Yan standing behind the desk with a tense expression. She could guess that the mother and daughter hadn't exactly had a pleasant conversation before she arrived.
Facing Silver Fox, the older sister figure who had always been good to her, Chen Na still suppressed her unhappy mood.
"Sister Silver Fox, why are you here?"
"What is it?" Chen Na asked curiously.
Wang Yan was also curious, though her expression carried a hint of nervousness.
She worried that Silver Fox had come to hold Chen Na accountable on behalf of the base, since Chen Na's recent refusal to attend training had already violated the regulations the base had set for official Ascendants.
"Xiao Na, here's the thing." Silver Fox said. "Given the recent situation, the person in charge is willing to give you a choice. First, you can relinquish your status as an official Ascendant, leave the base, and become a free Ascendant..."
The moment those words came out, Chen Na's face lit up with delight, while Wang Yan's vision went dark.
"Lieutenant Colonel Silver Fox, this..." Wang Yan urgently tried to speak, but Silver Fox stopped her with a look.
"The other choice is to continue staying at the base. However, from now on, you must strictly adhere to the regulations for official Ascendants—participate seriously in training, resolutely carry out missions assigned by your superiors, and show no slack or negligence."
"Choose the second one!" Before Chen Na could speak, Wang Yan blurted out. "Lieutenant Colonel Silver Fox, Chen Na chooses to stay at the base!"
"Mom!" Chen Na shouted. "You can't make this decision for me!"
"Xiao Na is right." Silver Fox looked at the agitated Wang Yan. "I'm sorry, Auntie. In this matter, the base only looks at Chen Na's own decision."
Wang Yan shook her head frantically: "How can this be? She's still a child! How can she possibly make the right decision? It's so dangerous out there right now. If you let her leave just because of her stubbornness, isn't that the same as sending her to her death?"
"I'm not going to be out there alone anyway. I'm going to find Brother Guan. He's the World's Number One Ascendant—it's very safe by his side." Chen Na said.
"Safe by his side?! He almost got blown up by a nuclear bomb just a few days ago!!!"
Wang Yan's piercing shout plunged Silver Fox and Chen Na into silence.
"...In any case, as a mother, I absolutely cannot agree to this."
"Mom, I'm sorry." Chen Na shook her head, her stance still resolute. "This time, I won't listen to you. I choose to leave."
"Chen Na!"
"Mom, I don't want to be a selfish person! Without Brother Guan, I might have died long ago. He has so many enemies now—he must really need help. I can't just stay at the base in peace and comfort with a clear conscience!"
Chen Na's words left Wang Yan stunned. Silver Fox, surprised as well, looked at Chen Na with a hint of admiration in her eyes.
Without a doubt, setting aside positions and identities, purely from a personal standpoint, she deeply approved of Chen Na's determination to repay kindness received.
Wang Yan was speechless for a long moment, not knowing what to say.
But Chen Na had already made her decision. She said to Silver Fox, "Sister Silver Fox, I've decided to leave."
Silver Fox then turned to Wang Yan. Seeing how terrible the latter's expression was, she offered words of comfort: "Auntie, while I can't fully understand how you feel, there are some choices that parents simply cannot make for their children."
Wang Yan couldn't accept it: "But Nana is still so young! I said before that once she turns sixteen, she can make her own decisions. But right now she's only..."
Silver Fox shook her head slightly: "Auntie, here's how I see it. The dividing line of maturity isn't about age—it's about whether one can independently make decisions and willingly bear the consequences. I believe Xiao Na is capable of that. Her path is hers alone to walk; no parent can walk it for her."
Chen Na added seriously: "Sister Silver Fox is right. Mom, I've already been on dozens of missions. I've seen more dead people than most people will ever know in their entire lives... I'm not a little kid anymore."
Ever since the mother and daughter had joined the Countermeasures Research Office, Wang Yan, being a resource-type ability user, had never needed to go out on missions.
But her daughter Chen Na was different—her reconnaissance-type ability held the greatest value on the battlefield. Of the dozens of field missions she'd been on, most had forced her to face bloodshed and death head-on.
Wang Yan had always avoided asking her daughter about mission details. Partly it was to comfort herself with confidentiality clauses, but partly it was also a form of avoidance—she didn't want to face the reality that her daughter had to constantly undertake dangerous missions.
Now she could no longer avoid it. She had to confront this fact: those brutal missions had exposed her daughter to danger, but they had also granted her a level of mental fortitude far beyond her years.
After a long silence, under the gaze of Silver Fox and Chen Na, Wang Yan reluctantly nodded: "...Fine. If this is your decision, Xiao Na, then your mother will accept it."
"Thank you, Mom."
"Then I'll go pack my things."
Wang Yan turned to head back to her own room but was stopped by Silver Fox.
"Auntie, you don't need to leave with her."
Wang Yan was stunned: "What? But... Nana is..."
"Auntie, I think Xiao Na would feel more at ease if you stayed at the base." Silver Fox advised. "And if you'll forgive my bluntness, your ability would be quite dangerous in the outside environment."
"Yeah, Mom, you should stay at the base. You don't need to come with me."
Under their combined persuasion, Wang Yan finally gave up the idea of leaving the base together with her daughter.
Deep down, she understood that being with Guan Tong would inevitably mean facing danger from time to time, and when that happened, there probably wouldn't be much she could do. Going along would only hold them back.
With the matter settled, Chen Na said she wanted to say goodbye to her friends at the base, and Silver Fox accompanied her.
She didn't have many friends at the base—only a few who warranted a proper farewell.
The two went to see Bai Xuewu first. When the latter learned that Chen Na was leaving the base to find Guan Tong, she wasn't particularly surprised.
"I knew this day would come eventually. I just didn't think it would come this soon."
Bai Xuewu recalled the time during the assassination mission against the Your Holiness in Suroma, when Guan Tong had stared out the helicopter window.
She also thought back to when Guan Tong had arrived in time to rescue them during the Green Hell rule, and the Guan Tong she'd seen in that war graveyard in Bandzhen... This person gave her the feeling of being a fusion of mystery and danger.
"Still, Guan Tong has a knack for attracting trouble." She said. "When you're by his side, you need to stay alert to danger at all times."
"I will, Sister Bai."
"Mm. Remember to stay in touch. If you run into trouble, contact me—I'll come help."
At those words, Silver Fox glanced at her sideways. As an Ascendant of the base, that statement was clearly not quite in line with regulations.
Chen Na smiled: "Of course! I'll message and call Sister Bai all the time!"
Afterward, the two went to say goodbye to Yang Ran as well. They had been through several missions together with Yang Ran, so they counted as friends.
Upon learning of the situation, Yang Ran seemed eager and restless, as if he too wanted to join Guan Tong in fighting across the world. But the moment he thought about the dangers involved, he quickly deflated.
Finally, Chen Na went to see Wenren Yizhi.
After meeting during a mission, Chen Na had visited her several times and even learned to play Go from her.
She felt that Wenren Yizhi, with her limited mobility, must feel lonely staying in her room all day, so she often came by to keep her company.
Wenren Yizhi didn't mind at all. She patiently taught Chen Na to play Go and was even willing to play low-level matches with her.
Now, learning that Chen Na was leaving the base, a flicker of regret passed through Wenren Yizhi's eyes. It seemed she felt that without this adorable little sister around, life at the base would return to its familiar monotony.
Chen Na was reluctant to part as well, but since she'd made her decision, she wouldn't look back.
"Sister Wenren, I'll miss you after I leave the base. You have to take good care of yourself!"
"Mm. You too. Stay safe."
With that, Wenren Yizhi picked up two Go pieces from the board—one black, one white—and handed them to Chen Na.
"Take these with you. Consider them a parting gift."
Chen Na was both surprised and deeply moved.
She knew these two Go pieces must have been crafted by Wenren Yizhi with her Mind Power, imbued with the effects of "boundary" and "chain."
"Thank you, Sister Wenren! Unfortunately, my ability doesn't seem capable of creating anything... But I'll bring you gifts when I come back!"
Wenren Yizhi smiled faintly and said no more.
After saying goodbye to everyone, Chen Na packed her belongings.
Early the next morning, before the sky had fully brightened, Silver Fox, Chen Na, and Wang Yan made their way outside the base.
The three waited for a moment before a figure approached from the gray, hazy distance.
Aside from Silver Fox, both Chen Na and Wang Yan were startled to see Guan Tong, their gazes locking onto the Shadow eyepatch covering his left eye.
"Brother Guan, you... what happened to your eye?"
All of Chen Na's initial excitement and thrill vanished in an instant, replaced by nothing but worry.
Wang Yan also thought Guan Tong had lost an eye: "Xiao Guan, did you..."
"It's nothing." Guan Tong said. "There's a problem with my left eye."
"Can't it be treated? With the current level of medical technology, and all sorts of restorative items, none of them work?"
Wang Yan herself had survived thanks to a special item that cured her cancer. She felt that if such an item could cure cancer, then surely it could fix Guan Tong's eye.
Guan Tong briefly explained: "None of that works. My eye problem is related to a special ability. Sister Wang, Xiao Na, don't worry. There may be a chance to recover it in the future."
With that explanation, both of them temporarily set their concerns aside.
Silver Fox spoke up: "We're entrusting Xiao Na to you now. You need to protect her."
Wang Yan added: "I was actually against her leaving the base, but I respect Nana's decision. From now on, this child will be your responsibility, Xiao Guan. Please take good care of her."
Guan Tong nodded solemnly: "Silver Fox, Sister Wang, I will do everything in my power to protect her."
He had received official news earlier, and when he learned the base was letting Chen Na leave, he also felt that having her come to work alongside him would inevitably involve some danger.
But he knew Chen Na wasn't happy at the base, so he still agreed to come pick her up.
Chen Na remained silent, but she raised her palm, demonstrating the manipulation of Mind Power as it flowed from the center of her palm throughout her entire body.
Guan Tong remembered that he had promised her—once she mastered the Mind Power Flow technique, he would let her work alongside him.
In truth, that had just been an excuse to put her off, but he never expected Chen Na to take it so seriously.
To complete this cultivation in just a few short months must have required tremendous effort.
By mastering this ability, she was showing that apart from her exclusive reconnaissance ability, she also possessed a certain degree of self-protection. She was no longer a child who needed someone to protect her at all times.
"Let's go." Guan Tong said.
There was no need for more words at this point. Chen Na, her eyes red, hugged Silver Fox and her mother one last time each, then walked over to stand beside Guan Tong.
Guan Tong nodded to the two women in acknowledgment, then turned and left. Chen Na followed alongside him as they walked off into the distance.
After the two disappeared from sight, Wang Yan let out a sigh: "That child... what will become of her in the future..."
"She'll become incredibly strong." Silver Fox said with certainty. "Xiao Na is a determined girl with tremendous talent. By Guan Tong's side, she'll grow even faster."
"But there will also be more danger." Wang Yan said bitterly. "I only ever wished for her to live an ordinary, peaceful life..."
"In truth, danger has always been there. Maybe Xiao Na made the most correct choice. She understands that whether it's the base or a shelter, the safety they provide is only temporary."
Silver Fox paused, then continued: "Auntie, you should be proud of your daughter. After all, very few people possess the courage to step out of the safety zone."