Chapter 18: I’ve Always Admired You—
Mǐ Qiū was shaken awake. The person waking her wore a beige uniform with “Assault Team 1” displayed on his chest. Mǐ Qiū realized she was now in the deep dreamscape.
The man, a team member, saw she was finally awake and continued, “Guide Mǐ Qiū, Captain Shěn wants you to stop by his office in a bit.”
Captain Shěn was Shěn Qīnghuái, of course. Mǐ Qiū nodded to show she understood. She found herself on the landing of a corner staircase, where a window looked out over the training grounds below.
“Crawl!” All the members of Team 1 obeyed the command, dropping to the ground.
They held long guns in their hands. Mǐ Qiū felt like she’d seen this type of gun on the StarNet before—a Mist Shotgun, whose purpose was apparently to confuse the enemy.
Just then, Shěn Qīnghuái strode into the middle of the formation and walked up to one of the members.
“Didn’t you eat enough for lunch? Put some force into it! Your stance must be steady. Do I need to keep emphasizing that?”
Mǐ Qiū finally understood. After her previous, dedicated hypnosis session, she was now able to see a complete scenario. This helped her better understand the daily work and life of the person she was soothing.
It turned out that the Shěn Qīnghuái who always seemed so flippant was actually very serious during training, completely unlike the man who always joked with her. His combat uniform in the dream looked quite sharp, and she couldn’t help but watch from the window for a little longer.
Under his training, the formation of more than fifty people was perfectly uniform. Shěn Qīnghuái stood with his hands clasped behind his back, his deep, magnetic voice ringing out over the team:
“What does Assault Team 1 demand when striking a target? Speed! Precision! You have more than just the weapons in your hands; you must rely even more on your own strength.”
Mǐ Qiū found herself listening to his speech, glancing out the window from time to time. Just then, she felt a burning gaze look her way.
At first, Mǐ Qiū thought she was mistaken, but then her eyes met his. Shěn Qīnghuái was standing right below, looking up at the window where she stood.
Mǐ Qiū decided she shouldn’t let her curiosity get the best of her. She had to go to Shěn Qīnghuái’s office as the soldier had instructed.
So, she went downstairs and crossed the training ground. The soldier had said to go over in ten minutes, so she figured she was on time.
By the time Mǐ Qiū got downstairs, Shěn Qīnghuái was gone from the field. He had probably gone back to his office.
She had wanted to watch from the window a little longer, but it seemed that wasn’t an option now.
As she crossed the training ground, however, she could feel the Sentinels’ enthusiasm. The dream’s plot was unfolding, and she could see their welcoming, smiling faces.
Of course, S-class Assault Team 1 was mostly composed of S-class Sentinels.
Mǐ Qiū gradually walked to the office area and stopped at Room 601.
This was Shěn Qīnghuái’s personal office. Although she didn’t know why he had summoned her, she still knocked politely.
“Enter!”
He knew it was her. Mǐ Qiū walked in and closed the door behind her.
She saw he was still busy with something, a wooden desk separating them.
Mǐ Qiū briefly scanned her surroundings—two bookshelves, a desk, and a chair. It was very similar to his room in reality.
Simple, clean, and perfectly orderly. Mǐ Qiū generally felt comfortable in such a tidy environment.
She sat there alone, feeling a little uneasy. It wasn’t for any other reason, mainly just that this was a Sentinel base, a place Guides normally wouldn’t come. She was a special case. Mǐ Qiū placed her hands on her legs, feeling a little stiff.
Perhaps it was because of the speech he’d given his team, which made her feel the intense pressure he exuded. Mǐ Qiū sat quietly, not uttering a word.
Shěn Qīnghuái remained bent over his work for a long time before finally looking up at her.
He set aside his tasks and asked her, “Guide Mǐ Qiū, do you still remember me?”
Mǐ Qiū figured her previous soothing session was clearly connected to this next one in the dream. That meant he knew everything about what they had done in the electro-shock room last time.
His long fingers rested on the desktop, tapping lightly now and then, making a crisp sound…
Mǐ Qiū: “I remember you.”
He spread his hands. “Alright, then. I thought Guide Mǐ Qiū might have forgotten me. I was afraid you’d forget, so I was going to remind you of some of the details. It looks like that’s unnecessary now.”
Mǐ Qiū gave him a smile in return, though it was probably a strained one.
She felt a little awkward just thinking about it.
Did he really call me here just because of that? Mǐ Qiū wondered.
Mǐ Qiū nodded. “Yes, because I’ve always admired Captain Shěn.”
“And now? I hope Guide Mǐ can live up to her words,” Shěn Qīnghuái said with a smile.
“If this continues, I’ll start to take it seriously.”
Recommended Reads
