Chapter Seven: The Celestial Renegade Squadron

Chapter Seven: [The Tenin Squad]

Xia Zhen sized up the girl before him, and she, in turn, was sizing him up. She seemed to be about his age, perhaps a year or two older at most.

“May I ask who you are?” Xia Zhen asked curiously.

The girl flashed him a broad, carefree smile. “My name’s Zhang Ziqi, I work for the Tenin Squad. I’m here to pick you up for your interview. Hop on.”

What an odd company, Xia Zhen thought. With a name like Tenin Squad, you’d think it was an e-sports team. When he’d first seen the company online, he’d almost dismissed it. Their self-praise was impressive—top civilian superhuman team, annual top ten best employee award, completion of S-level missions, founded by a retired legendary superhuman warrior, and so on. The aura around them was dazzling, but seeing their address in such a remote location made Xia Zhen uneasy. Was this another scam?

But since they’d sent someone to fetch him, he couldn’t just refuse. So he nodded and climbed onto the motorcycle’s back seat, careful not to intrude. The bike was spacious, and since the driver was a girl, Xia Zhen made sure to sit as far back as possible, leaving a gap between them.

“Hm?” The girl looked back at him, puzzled. “Why are you sitting so far back? Hold on to me.”

“Huh? Isn’t that... a bit much?” Xia Zhen stammered, feeling awkward. The closest he’d ever been to a girl was when Felina held his hand to her chest a few days ago. As for hugging a girl, that was unheard of.

Zhang Ziqi laughed. “What a gentleman! I suggest you hold tight around my waist. There’s still a way to go to our company, and I ride fast. If you don’t hold on, you’ll definitely fall off.”

“Well... then forgive me.” Xia Zhen hesitantly moved closer, cautiously slipping his arms around her waist.

So soft… That was Xia Zhen’s first impression; his face instantly flushed.

“Hold tight!” Roar, roar, roar...

Bang!

The motorcycle shot off like a bullet, reaching incredible speed within seconds. The scenery on either side wasn’t just receding—it blurred into a haze.

The force nearly flung Xia Zhen backward, prompting him to desperately cling to Zhang Ziqi’s waist. In his panic, one hand slipped higher, landing on her chest. The girl didn’t object.

“Let me off… This isn’t a kindergarten bus…” Xia Zhen cried out, gripping the girl’s fragrant, soft body, shouting as if for help.

Zhang Ziqi glanced in the rearview mirror at Xia Zhen’s terrified face and couldn’t help but laugh. She hadn’t expected this top student to be so amusing—though his hand covering her chest made her a bit uncomfortable. Hmph, what a little rascal!

On this wild ride, Xia Zhen finally experienced what it meant to fly like the wind, what it meant to ride a grand motorcycle. The fierce wind felt as if it were pouring straight into his mouth, stretching it into a near rectangle.

Screech!

Brakes!

“We’re here!” Zhang Ziqi announced. Xia Zhen scrambled off the bike and ran to the nearby lawn, bent over…

“Urgh…” He vomited, his face pale.

A hearty laughter echoed from ahead. Xia Zhen wiped his mouth with a tissue before raising his head.

A row of superhumans in combat uniforms, brandishing various weapons, were clearly amused by his embarrassing display. Some even took it further, exchanging money after betting on his reaction.

“These guys…” Xia Zhen scratched his head anxiously as he approached.

Halfway there, a man nearly 180 centimeters tall stepped forward. He had a buzz cut, a beard, a square face, and deep smile lines, his build sturdy yet not bulky—mature and steady.

He came up to Xia Zhen, extended his hand, and said, “Hello, Xia Zhen. I’m Chu Yan, founder of the Tenin Squad. Welcome.”

“Thank you, Captain Chu. I’m glad to be here for an interview.” Xia Zhen shook his hand, exchanging brief pleasantries.

Chu Yan was young, perhaps twenty-five or twenty-six at most. After all, superhumans had only emerged a decade ago; the oldest now was twenty-eight. They were all essentially young people.

“Don’t call me Captain Chu, just Chu Yan will do. When I started this company, I had little choice. A squad alone couldn’t compete with other businesses, but a company made things much easier.” Chu Yan led Xia Zhen around in front of all the employees. Those people from earlier were, in fact, the entire staff. The company was built around the squad—more like a team than a traditional corporation.

Following Chu Yan inside, Xia Zhen saw a company layout map hanging on the wall. It revealed a villa complex, covering about a hundred mu.

It was split into two parts: the front held the main office building, two stories high. The ground floor housed the lobby and reception hall; the second floor contained offices—departments like Intelligence, Information, Logistics, and so forth.

The rear consisted mainly of the training and residential areas. The training section helped team members maintain combat readiness, build fitness, hone fighting skills, and, most importantly, practice their superhuman abilities.

The superhuman training area was custom-built. These powers could cause immense damage and sometimes emitted radiation, corrosion, or electromagnetic interference. To minimize the impact, special materials and designs were required.

Training took up two-thirds of the area, and according to Chu Yan, the investment for just this section exceeded a hundred million federal credits, making it their most valuable asset.

There was also the residential area, split between apartments and standalone villas. Housing was assigned based on contribution; normal employees and newcomers usually got apartments, which were quite decent. Xia Zhen saw photos and videos: over thirty square meters, fully equipped, ready for move-in. Employees could pay for renovations, as long as they didn’t damage the structure or go overboard.

The villas were even better: three-story mansions in blue and white. In the Federation, houses mostly used blue and white, the most revered colors, symbolizing loyalty to the Federation.

To live in a villa, you had to use contribution points, the company’s internal currency, which could buy things unavailable elsewhere.

After his initial impressions, Xia Zhen compared the Tenin Squad to the previous three companies. Only this one truly felt professional. Still, he remained cautious and withheld his formal response.

He entered Chu Yan’s office for his interview. The real interviewer was a red-haired Caucasian woman in a gray business suit, her hair in a bun, glasses perched on her nose, exuding intellectual beauty. Xia Zhen sensed she and Chu Yan had an unusual relationship—almost like husband and wife.

“Xia Zhen, this is our vice president, Claire Roberts. She’ll handle your cultural interview. I’ll be waiting in the training area.” With that, Chu Yan walked out.

“Goodbye, Captain Chu.” Xia Zhen rose and bowed, then sat again.

Claire scanned Xia Zhen’s resume, her face unreadable.

A minute later, she set it down and looked him over.

Xia Zhen felt a bit uneasy but maintained calm confidence.

“Mr. Xia Zhen, I’ve reviewed your resume and my assessment is excellent,” she said.

“Thank you.” Xia Zhen breathed a sigh of relief.

But Claire continued, “I’m curious—you had better options. Why consider our company?”

Xia Zhen thought for a moment. “Because what matters most to me is the superhuman squad, not just compensation.”

“Oh? So the rumor about the military rescinding your special enrollment isn’t true?” Claire pressed.

Xia Zhen hadn’t expected her to be so assertive. He sat up straight. “I did lose my special enrollment, though the military might think otherwise. But I don’t want to join them.”

“Why? The military’s superhuman training is the best in the Federation. Graduates are at least C-class superhumans, whereas most civilians start at E or D, some even F-class.” Claire stared at him, as if searching for any lie.

Xia Zhen didn’t hesitate. “I have my pride. If someone rejects me once, I won’t beg again. The military denied my eligibility and gave no reasonable explanation, only citing federal law to order me around. I detest such arrogance. I believe in my own ability to become an outstanding superhuman.”

Claire suddenly laughed, breaking her icy demeanor.

Xia Zhen scratched his head, puzzled by the mature woman’s reaction.

“Sorry, Mr. Xia Zhen, your answer makes it clear you have a bone to pick with the military. But your personality certainly stands out,” she explained.

“Oh,” Xia Zhen replied. “Does my answer satisfy you, Vice President Roberts?”

“Hmph, you’re quite the character. I have no objections. Having someone of your caliber join us is more than we could hope for. But I must warn you: our company can’t match the big firms when it comes to compensation. You should be prepared.” Claire frowned, clearly concerned. For someone like Xia Zhen, the minimum annual salary couldn’t be less than fifty thousand credits; otherwise, taxes and social security would be a headache. The Federation’s laws mandated this for top talent—every company had to comply.

“I understand. My ultimate goal isn’t money. Besides, I believe superhumans don’t have to worry about wealth.” Xia Zhen stood, sensing he’d passed the interview. Now he just had to clear Chu Yan’s hurdle.

“Excellent. Young people with such ambition are rare these days. I sincerely hope you join the Tenin Squad. But Chu Yan—cough—Captain Chu is stricter than he seems. I’m the opposite; you’ll need to work harder with him.” Claire offered her advice.

“Thank you, Claire.” Xia Zhen shook her hand, now ninety-nine percent certain Claire and Chu Yan were a couple.

As he reached the door, Claire stopped him, a sly smile on her face. “You made one mistake in your answer.”

“Oh? Which part?” Xia Zhen asked curiously.

Claire covered her mouth, laughing. “You said if someone rejects you once, you’ll never beg again. That doesn’t apply in love. If you find a woman you like, don’t give up after one failed attempt, all right?”

“Huh?” Xia Zhen scratched his head as he left, thinking Claire suddenly had the air of a matchmaker.