Chapter 403

Jenny led Suzy around several long, crowded tables in the center of the hall, heading toward a spot against the left wall.

There sat a row of separate counters, slightly lower than the main service windows, covered with gray padded tops. Above them hung a small wooden sign that read “Squad Registration”—the lettering wasn’t large, but it was clear enough to read.

Behind the desk sat a young woman with glasses, her hair tied in a low ponytail. She was flipping through a thin registry, muttering something under her breath.

Jenny walked over and tapped the edge of the counter with familiar ease. “Claire, I brought someone to register a squad.”

The woman named Claire looked up, her gaze shifting from Jenny to Suzy. She teased, “Another newcomer for the palace?”

Jenny’s lip twitched.

Unbothered by her own joke, Claire smiled at Suzy before turning back to Jenny. “Bringing in more people, I see.”

Suzy caught the word “more.” Clearly, this wasn’t Jenny’s first time guiding someone through this process.

Noticing Suzy’s look, Jenny offered a casual explanation: “I work part-time as a tour guide in the base, so I handle these procedures all the time. Don’t worry, I know this place like the back of my hand.”

Claire grinned and echoed, “She’s not wrong—Jenny is easily our most reliable guide.” As she spoke, she set down the registry, pulled a form from a drawer, and slid it to the edge of the desk. “Fill this out first. Basic info: squad name, leader’s name, and wristband ID. If you have other members, you can list them now or add them later.”

She glanced at Suzy, seemingly waiting for her reaction.

Suzy took the form and scanned it. It was straightforward—black print on plain white paper, with blank lines for squad name, leader name, wristband ID, and a remarks section.

“Do I have to set the squad name right now?” she asked.

Claire nodded. “If you haven’t decided, you can write ‘Pending’ for now. But you’ll need a squad name every time you register for a mission, so it’s better to settle on one early.”

Suzy looked toward Jenny, who was casually flipping through an old mission sheet she’d pulled out from somewhere. Sensing the look, Jenny turned her head and offered a nonchalant suggestion: “You could call it ‘Whatever’ or ‘No Idea.’ Honestly, I’ve seen a group named ‘Didn’t Want to Name It,’ and they’re still using it today.”

Suzy didn’t reply. She looked back down at the paper, her gaze lingering on the squad name line. Then, picking up the pen on the counter, she wrote down two words in the box: Temporary.

Temporary Squad.

It really was temporary—she didn’t plan on staying in this base for long anyway.

Suzy didn’t look up to read Claire’s reaction, but she felt the woman pause momentarily, as if checking whether Suzy fully understood what she was registering. Without saying a word, Claire noted it down in the master ledger.

After a brief beat, she asked anyway, “Are you sure about ‘Temporary Squad’? If you really haven’t decided, ‘Pending’ works just fine.”

“It’s fine, let’s go with this,” Suzy said.

Jenny leaned in with a grin. “Hey, that’s actually pretty creative! How come I never thought of that?”

“Temporary Squad. Leader: Suzy. Wristband ID…”

Claire pulled the form back under the desk and retrieved a palm-sized metal tag from a drawer, setting it on the counter. The metallic plate was silver-gray, etched with a short serial number on the front while the back remained blank. The corners were worn smooth.

“This is your Temporary Squad token. Your credit account is already linked to your wristband. Once your team reaches three members, you can come back to swap it for an official token. Under three members, no additional registration is required.”

Suzy picked up the token. It was lightweight, cool to the touch, and smooth along the edges with no stray burrs. She flipped it over to look at the blank back before slipping it into her pocket. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Claire smiled.

Standing before the counter, Suzy felt the faint, lingering chill of the metal plate against the inner lining of her pocket. She drew her hand back and turned to Jenny, whose eyes were back on the old mission sheet, her profile looking focused and calm under the fluorescent lights.

“Can I take missions starting tomorrow?” Suzy asked.

“Yep,” Jenny folded the paper and tucked it away. “When you take a mission, just give them your squad name and wristband ID. No extra approval needed, which saves a lot of hassle. Plus, the more members you have, the harder the missions you can pick—you won’t be limited like solo runners.”

She patted Suzy’s shoulder lightly. “So, thinking about recruiting some teammates?” She gave a subtle wink, her intentions entirely transparent.

Suzy raised an eyebrow. “Don’t you already have a team?”

“Just say the word, and I’ll drop my team in a heartbeat to pad your numbers,” Jenny promised solemnly.

“And what’s your price?” Suzy asked.

Jenny discreetly flashed two fingers.

Suzy didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. “I’ll think about it.”

“Fair enough.”

Jenny didn’t press the matter, smoothly transitioning to the next topic. “Come on, I’ll show you around the rest of the facility.”

By now, Claire had put away the ledger and was sorting through some files. As she categorized the documents, she chimed in, “Where are you two heading next?”

“Just taking her for a stroll nearby,” Jenny replied.

Claire flashed a knowing smile. “No need to rush off just yet. A team is coming in soon to hand in a mission—might be worth sticking around to watch.”

“Which team?” Jenny asked immediately.

If Claire brought it up, it wouldn’t be just any random team. It had to be one of the well-known, high-ranking squads in the base.

Suzy felt a wave of tension as well. Could it be Adam’s squad? Even without any certainty, she couldn’t help holding onto a sliver of hope.

“You’ll see in a moment… Ah, look, there they are,” Claire said, craning her neck toward the entrance.

Suzy and Jenny turned to look.