You are all bad women! Don't come over!

Shen Mochen remained silent. He wasn't sure why Liu Chaoyan had suddenly started talking about these things; perhaps it was just idle chatter?

Liu Chaoyan's brows revealed a touch of worry, "Shen, you've just joined Buque Team not long ago, so perhaps you haven't felt it, but I've been reviewing combat records recently. In the past two years, monster calamities have become increasingly frequent, and their strength is also gradually increasing."

Shen Mochen's eyes were downcast, "Is that so... But maybe it's just temporary, right? Captain, have you reported your findings?"

"I have reported them, but the higher-ups did not clarify, only saying that everything was normal."

"Then, it should be normal..." Shen Mochen said reluctantly.

He thought of Yin Caiyu and her extreme teammates.

After using Yin Caiyu's superpower, Shen Mochen had deeply understood her terror; she was practically a human nuclear weapon. If she acted recklessly, she could destroy the entire Yu Huai City in a very short time! Moreover, she could also activate an Extraordinary State that even Shen Mochen could not replicate. According to Fuzi, under the Extraordinary State, small nuclear weapons might not even be able to kill them.

And she had four teammates. Even if those four weren't as strong as her, they were still peak Transcendents, stronger than the current Fuzi. Yet the result was that nearly none of them survived.

He vaguely felt that there was some deep crisis behind this, an enemy beyond their imagination, but with his current level of access, he definitely couldn't know.

However, as of now, he also didn't have much of a sense of crisis. As the saying goes, when the sky falls, the tall ones will handle it. Inside Yupi Country, there are still quite a few Transcendents. If Yupi Country can't handle it, there are still Roman and Huaqi, these two superpowers. Although there are conflicts of interest, open confrontations, and cunning struggles between nations, when facing monsters, the interests of all countries are aligned.

Most importantly, he had Liu Chaoyan by his side—a daughter from a Family. If there really was a crisis he couldn't handle, he just had to run away with Liu Chaoyan... although last time when an emergency occurred, she was unreliable.

"Actually... Caiyu has applied to rejoin the team," Liu Chaoyan said softly.

"What did you say?" Shen Mochen was slightly startled.

"I said, Caiyu has applied to rejoin the team... Oh, not really rejoining, as she's already retired. To be correct, it would be considered external support, and she had previously applied for the logistic team. According to Buque's regulations, any retired member can return to Buque Team as a temporary member after passing an assessment."

Shen Mochen was silent for a moment, his gaze not meeting Liu Chaoyan's, "Has she passed the assessment?"

"Buque is currently short of personnel, the assessment standards are very lenient... it's fair to say it only requires the team leader's confirmation. The problem now is, most temporary members are younger than twenty, but Caiyu is already 21. You know, the monsters now are harder to deal with than before—I'm really worried about her safety."

Liu Chaoyan continued, staring intently into Shen Mochen's eyes. Although her eyes still carried a gentle smile, they were like a clear ancient spring, seemingly reflecting someone's entire thoughts.

Shen Mochen still kept his eyes lowered, "Why are you telling me this? Shouldn't the captain make this decision?"

"Yes, I can make this decision... But recently you've been the closest to Caiyu, perhaps you understand her current state better than I do. Temporary members can enjoy all the benefits of Buque members, but the compensation after death is only two months' salary. Shen, tell me, should I approve it?"

Liu Chaoyan was still smiling faintly, looking serene, her tone as gentle as a breeze in spring.

Shen Mochen's fists tightened slightly. This was a strong sense of oppression, even stronger than the feeling of being seen through by Catherine.

He knew what he should have done, which was to deny the matter as soon as the other party mentioned it. However, it was apparent that the topic mentioned earlier by Liu Chaoyan had disturbed his train of thought, and he inadvertently relaxed his vigilance, failing to respond immediately.

And now, she already knew the answer she wanted; anything said afterward was already too late.

Shen Mochen slowly lifted his head and forced a slight smile, "Since the rules say it's up to the captain to decide, then it's fine for you to make the decision."

"Okay, then I approve. It's summer break now after all, Qingrou doesn't need to go to school."

Liu Chaoyan had a faint smile, casually moving the chess pieces. It seemed she was just chatting idly while playing chess, but she had already checkmated Shen Mochen, leaving him no way out.

"Although Shen is a bad boy, he really is a gentle person," Liu Chaoyan said with a smile, looking at Shen Mochen.

"What did I do? It feels like unexpected praise," Shen Mochen said, scratching his head in earnest.

"When Xia sister mentioned Xingshuang earlier, you deliberately entangled her in a nonsensical conversation because you didn't want her to feel sad, right? Xingshuang avoiding us and not wanting to hold a birthday party must have really hurt her; she's actually very tender-hearted." Liu Chaoyan bent over to clean up the chess board, "Shen, you truly were a heartwarming ex-boyfriend."

"It's nothing... you're making me blush with all your praise..."

"Although I always feel that Xia sister, like Qingrou, might be deceived by bad people in the future, being deceived by someone like Shen, who is a 'bad boy,' for their first time, is perhaps a fortunate misfortune."

Liu Chaoyan, all smiles, hugged the chess board and turned to head back inside.

Shen Mochen watched Liu Chaoyan's receding figure until she had completely left, then he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

He didn't realize the cold sweat had already formed.

He had still underestimated her. Even though Kajiena had already warned him, and he was always on guard, he had still fallen into her trap, feeling as though everything about him was laid bare.

Shen Mochen wasn't surprised that Liu Chaoyan knew Xia Qingrou's real identity, but he was taken aback that Liu also guessed that Cai Yuncui had a superpower of rejuvenation and directly determined it was related to him.

In fact, this wasn't completely without trace, as Yuncui, despite being a fool, was not an idiot. If her powers were even weaker than before, then coming back would only have been a drag on the team, putting her teammates in danger.

As a team member with five years of experience in the Buque Team, she obviously wouldn't act so recklessly. Her initiative to return to the team was surely because her strength was now far superior to what it was before her graduation.

So, who exactly made it possible?

Shen Mochen was cautious and vigilant by nature, wary of everything, but such a man had, for a woman, held hostage a group of top authorities from Roman and Yupi Country.

This was indeed due to youthful pride and his feelings for Catherine, but if it were just that, Shen Mochen—a young boy with both parents deceased and an angelic face—wouldn't possibly have grown up safely in a slum.

Another reason was that he possessed a heaven-defying trump card, one that could be traded at moments of dire straits to save his life under the murderous intent of countless powerhouses!