Xu Xiaoyou pondered for a moment in her heart and then said, "You just mentioned that it was a high-level executive from the company who contacted you. How high?"

"Diamond 9," Jian Liu replied calmly.

Those simple words made Xu Xiaoyou's eyes slightly tense.

She was also somewhat familiar with the hierarchy within Cosmic Heavy Industries, which was broadly divided into four levels: Amber, Agate, Jade, and Diamond, each with nine executives of different sequences. The closer the number is to the beginning, the greater the influence and power within the company.

Even those at the Jade Level could call the shots in Nest City. The Yain Lindong mentioned in the news was merely a senior executive in the top sequence of the Agate group.

Diamond 9, is already someone from the core management team of the company, right?

Such a person indeed has the capital to interact with the head of the Dawn Office. She began to wonder what that defected executive did to garner such attention from someone in a position like Diamond 9.

"Why me?" Xu Xiaoyou asked, maintaining her composure.

"Because you are the company's only S-level employee on the Star of Art. The nearest S-level employee to the Star of Art is in Chichu Heaven. There is a family coup happening there, and he cannot extricate himself."

Xu Xiaoyou gleaned another piece of information from the conversation: an S-level employee of the same rank as herself had the ability to sway a political faction in a whole Nest City, yet she was merely a newly promoted Two Tier Cleaner.

"Though I am not very familiar with the internal situation of the company, the Strategic Talent Resources Department is quite strict with S-level evaluations," Jian Liu responded, as if reading her thoughts.

"Since they have rated you as S-level, it means you certainly possess the abilities, potential, wisdom, or strength of an S-level specialist."

"There will definitely be no elements of coincidence. Since they entrusted you with the matter, it represents that you will certainly be able to deal with the defected executive."

The company valued S-level more than she thought, and Xu Xiaoyou suppressed her inner musings.

"Alright, I'll take this commission," she said.

"More details of the commission will be handed over to you by someone I will send to you later," Jian Liu said. "I wish you success in your mission, Miss Xu. Chang Shengli, Mu Rongguang."

The call was disconnected, and Xu Xiaoyou let out a light sigh and looked back at Tang Xin.

Tang Xin looked at her and tilted her head, "Hmm?"

...

In a basement in the Queens District.

A conference table was set in the room, with a whiteboard at the corner. At this moment, a man was standing in front of the whiteboard, detailing the battle plan. Dressed in a blue pinstriped shirt, suit pants, and a black tie, his simple and neat attire reminded one of a corporate white-collar worker.

He nudged his glasses up his nose, using a marker pen to draw on the whiteboard, circling a critical point:

"Here..."

Seeing two young girls suddenly push the door open and walk in, a flicker of displeasure at being interrupted crossed his frowning face, but he still nodded slightly.

"For capturing such an important criminal, couldn't we have chosen a better place to discuss the battle plan?" Xu Xiaoyou looked around and said. "At least a more luxurious restaurant."

She saw two familiar figures at the conference table—Lin Sheng and Lin Xing, the Shadow Brothers—both looking at her with complex expressions.

"Yo, long time no see." Xu Xiaoyou greeted.

Lin Sheng and Lin Xing both looked troubled.

Because of the girl's actions, they were given the highest corporate punishment, had their entire year's performance bonuses deducted, and their internal ratings lowered by five levels, along with a slew of minor penalties. Failed tasks returned to the Shadows meant corporal punishment, branding the crime and punishment on their bodies as eternal reminders.

The physical pain paled compared to the humiliation in their hearts. The girl managed to shake them off and played them like fools within less than a day!

If not for not seeing any expression on the golden-haired girl's face for three consecutive days and her stiff demeanor like a machine, when they casually mentioned it, she gave a daisy smile capable of scaring children, they might still be in the dark even now.

Their careers with Shadows would forever be nailed to this pillar of disgrace. Thinking of this, Lin Sheng became so furious that he gave his brother Lin Xing a hard slap on the head.

"Bro!" Lin Xing wanted to say something but shrank back pitifully upon seeing his brother's near-furious eyes.

The Shadow Brothers looked at Xu Xiaoyou as if ready to devour her.

"You, what are we going to do now?" Tang Xin quietly asked Xu Xiaoyou.

"It's nothing; just old friends," Xu Xiaoyou said while pulling out a chair to sit down, Tang Xin sitting beside her.

The atmosphere was a bit awkward, falling into silence.

Finally, the man in a suit broke the silence, placing both hands on the conference table, exuding a sense of elite corporate aura.

"Our target this time is a Three Tier Puppet Master, a defected executive from Cosmic Heavy Industries, carrying confidential files, last seen in the snowfields outside the suburban area, approximately five hundred kilometers from the northernmost end of the Star of Art."

"Five hundred kilometers? Isn't that already the 'Wastelands' area?" Lin Sheng frowned.

In his impression, regions outside Nest City were collectively known as Wastelands, synonymous with mystery and danger.

It is considered a zone of absolute life prohibition, with countless legends and miracles dispersed throughout the Wastelands, a place where even Prism Tier Cleaners dare not tread easily, known as the world's edge.

"Yes, but not quite the same. The Wastelands of the Star of Art are identified as beyond six hundred kilometers. During the corporate church war a century ago, the scale of this Nest City shrank by eighty percent, with traces of survival from residents still evident among the ruins of past wars."

"I see." The two Shadows nodded.

If the defected executive named Yorick really escaped to the area outside the Wastelands, it would be like a fish leaping from a basket into the ocean, and no matter how powerful they were, they would have absolutely no chance of recapturing him.

Chen San said, "Before arranging the battle plan, let me introduce myself. My name is Chen San, a Cleaner for the Dawn Office, and also the commander of this operation..."

"You're in command?" Xu Xiaoyou raised an eyebrow, noticing the symbol on the blue pinstripe suit's chest—a spade from the deck of cards.

Everyone's eyes landed on Xu Xiaoyou, whose face remained unchanged as she leaned forward on the table, resting her chin on her hands with interest.

Tang Xin noticed something unusual about the other, but felt it wasn't the time to say more. She knew from past experience that the other would not act in such a controversial manner without the confidence to back it up.

"I've participated in twelve capture operations, serving as the battle commander. The most difficult target was a Three Tier Assassin, which I dealt with in just three days from receiving the commission to completing the operation." Chen San adjusted his glasses.

He straightened his back, his grim face emitting a sharp glint, "Twelve operations, not a single failure, only four instances of casualties. This operation is under my command, do you have any issues?"

The others exchanged glances at this scene.

The air was filled with tension.

Chen San stared intently at Xu Xiaoyou, enunciating his words: "And what are you, to challenge me?"

Xu Xiaoyou suddenly laughed, spreading her hands, "What, are you also S-level?"

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