After a night’s rest, Ye Qiu woke up in the morning feeling refreshed and full of energy.
At eight in the morning.
Tang Fei knocked on Ye Qiu’s door and handed him a set of clothes.
“We’re going to the Bai family today, so you need to dress formally. After all, this is your first appearance in front of the big shots in the capital,” Tang Fei said, handing Ye Qiu a white Tang suit. “I thought you might not like wearing a Western suit, so I bought you a robe instead. Try it on.”
“Thank you.”
Ye Qiu took the clothes and went inside to change. When he came out, not only was Tang Fei waiting outside, but Long Ye had also arrived.
In an instant, both Tang Fei and Long Ye were struck dumb, their eyes fixed on Ye Qiu in awe.
Ye Qiu’s tall, slender figure, his flawless jade-like complexion, his bright, star-like eyes, and his straight, noble nose were all accentuated by the white Tang suit. He exuded an ethereal, otherworldly charm, looking as handsome as a celestial being descended to earth.
“What’s wrong with you two?”
Ye Qiu asked, puzzled by the way Tang Fei and Long Ye were staring at him.
Tang Fei snapped out of his daze and exclaimed, “I have to say, the saying ‘clothes make the man, and gold makes the Buddha’ is absolutely true. After you put on this outfit, I was reminded of an ancient poem: ‘A gentleman as flawless as jade, unparalleled in this world.'”
Long Ye, his eyes filled with envy, asked, “Ye Qiu, did you put on some kind of skincare product?”
Ye Qiu shook his head. “I never use skincare products.”
“Then how is your skin so perfect?”
“It’s just natural.”
Damn, he’s showing off again.
Long Ye gritted his teeth, wishing he could punch Ye Qiu in the face. *Bastard, do you have to show off like this?*
“Let’s go get breakfast,” Tang Fei said.
Ye Qiu asked, “Do I need to go and pay my respects to the God of War?”
“No need. Even if you go, it won’t make a difference.”
“Why?”
Tang Fei explained, “The God of War has trouble sleeping at night. He often stays awake all night and only manages to sleep for a few hours in the morning.”
“Is that so?” Ye Qiu complained. “Why didn’t you tell me earlier? If I had known, I could have given him a few acupuncture needles last night to help him sleep.”
“We were busy last night, so I forgot. You can give him the acupuncture after you finish handling your current tasks. Let’s go get breakfast.”
With that, Tang Fei led Ye Qiu and Long Ye to the cafeteria.
The Underworld Palace is the most mysterious special forces unit in the military. Its base is built 200 meters underground and is capable of withstanding a magnitude 10 earthquake and a nuclear attack.
Although it is underground, the base is fully equipped with all kinds of facilities. In addition to training areas like the combat room and shooting range, there is also a gym, swimming pool, arcade… and Ye Qiu even spotted a supermarket in the base.
In short, the base meets all the daily needs of its members.
Moreover, the base is designed with green pathways and an excellent ventilation system, making life here feel no different from life above ground.
Tang Fei explained to Ye Qiu, “The area we’re in now is the living quarters. The cafeteria, dormitories, and places for relaxation and fitness are all concentrated here. This is the smallest of the six zones in the Underworld Palace.”
*What? This place is at least a thousand square meters, and it’s the smallest?*
Ye Qiu was shocked.
Tang Fei continued, “The other five zones are the armory, the scientific research institute, the training ground, the underground airport, and the command center.”
“Although the Underworld Palace is built underground, it’s very large. I can’t explain everything to you in one go. When you have time, I’ll take you to visit the other zones.”
Tang Fei smiled. “Let’s eat breakfast first, and then we’ll head to the Bai family.”
The three of them entered the cafeteria.
As soon as they walked in, countless eyes turned toward them, all focusing on Ye Qiu.
There were both men and women in the cafeteria.
Since this was the base, everyone was wearing the standard uniform. Only Ye Qiu stood out in his white robe, shining like the sun in the sky.
Soon, whispers began to spread.
“Who is that man? Is he from the Underworld Palace? I’ve never seen him before.”
“He’s so handsome, like a celebrity on TV.”
“I wonder if he has a girlfriend. If not, maybe I still have a chance…”
Most of the comments came from the women, who were all standing tall, showing off their best features in an attempt to catch Ye Qiu’s attention.
Long Ye, seeing this, was green with envy.
As for the men, although none of them spoke, they were all cursing Ye Qiu in their hearts.
“Pretty boy!”
“Weakling!”
“Toothpick man!”
…
Tang Fei found a quiet corner to sit down and said, “Long Ye, go get the food.”
“Why should I go?” Long Ye protested. “I’m not even from the Underworld Palace.”
Tang Fei smiled. “You’re the lowest-ranking here. Who else should go?”
Long Ye glared at Tang Fei, as if to say, *Why do you have to be so harsh? What do you gain from bullying me?*
While Long Ye went to get the food, Ye Qiu asked, “Is Diaochan in the base? I haven’t seen her.”
“What do you want with her?” Tang Fei’s expression instantly turned serious, and he warned, “Ye Qiu, don’t be greedy. I’m telling you, Diaochan is not like Lin Jingzhi or Bai Bing. If you dare to have any improper thoughts about her, you might not live to regret it.”
Ye Qiu joked, “Look at you, I was just asking. You’re acting so serious, as if you have a crush on Diaochan…”
“Shut up!” Tang Fei cut him off. “If you value your life, don’t make jokes like that. If you anger Diaochan, neither of us will have a good ending.”
“Remember, don’t have any improper thoughts about Diaochan. Don’t bring trouble upon yourself.”
“This is a friendly warning.”
Tang Fei’s tone was stern.
Ye Qiu couldn’t help but feel curious. *Who exactly is Diaochan? Why does Tang Fei become so serious the moment she’s mentioned?*
“You’re overthinking it. Diaochan helped me during a mission before, and I just wanted to thank her,” Ye Qiu explained.
Tang Fei’s expression softened slightly. “Diaochan isn’t in the base right now. She’s away on business. You can thank her when you see her in the future.”
“By the way, there’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you,” Ye Qiu said. “Before I went on that mission to the East, you mentioned that Bai Yujing volunteered to go on the mission too. Is he also a member of the Underworld Palace?”
“Yes,” Tang Fei nodded. “The Underworld Palace has several core teams, and Bai Yujing is the captain of the first team.”
“What’s his rank?”
“Lieutenant Colonel, lower than you.”
Ye Qiu asked, “You also mentioned before that Bai Yujing doesn’t know martial arts. How did he become the captain of the first team? And why did the God of War allow Bai Yujing to join the Underworld Palace?”
Tang Fei explained, “The God of War is dedicated to the country. Anyone he believes can benefit the nation is recruited into the Underworld Palace.”
“Bai Yujing’s entry into the Underworld Palace was arranged by General Bai himself, so the God of War had no reason to refuse.”
“Although Bai Yujing doesn’t know martial arts, he is quite resourceful. Since joining the Underworld Palace, he has completed many missions without a single failure.”
Ye Qiu nodded slightly, indicating that he understood.
At ten in the morning.
Ye Qiu, Tang Fei, and Long Ye left the Underworld Palace base and drove to the Bai family.
