Chapter 711: Codename [Chaos]

Chapter 711: Codename [Chaos]

Compound No. 6—something Zhang Ye had never heard of before.

But he quickly figured it out.

The X Compounds were a technology exclusive to the Deng family, something even people in Blizzard City couldn’t get their hands on.

“Thanks, I understand now.”

After thinking it through, he held back the impulse to inject himself with the syringe.

He decided to wait until Liang Yue finished her trial run and observe the results first.

No matter the situation, caution had to come first.

Better safe than sorry.

…

Over on Deng Yuanbo’s end, he informed Zhu Zheng that Zhang Ye had agreed to take the role of captain for the Tengu Squad.

Zhu Zheng was quite surprised—he had no idea what Deng Yuanbo had offered Zhang Ye to get him to say yes.

Deng Yuanbo just chuckled and brushed it off with a laugh.

Zhu Zheng didn’t press the issue. After all, so long as Zhang Ye was willing to lead the Tengu Squad, it was great news for all the major powers in Blizzard City.

He thought it over and instructed his secretary, Lan Xincheng, to call Zhang Ye over—he wanted to speak to him personally, mainly to go over a few mission-related matters.

As a result, Zhang Ye barely had time to rest that afternoon before he was summoned back to the Operations Center.

There, he met with Zhu Zheng.

Zhu Zheng greeted him with a kind smile, his gaze full of satisfaction, just like how he used to look at Deng Shentong.

“I heard from Deng Yuanbo that you agreed to become the Tengu Squad’s captain?”

Zhang Ye had silently cursed that name a thousand times—thankfully, he wasn’t actually a bootlicker.

I mean, Deng Shentong’s team was called Heavenly Gods, and his was called Tengu… seriously?

Shaking off that thought, Zhang Ye stood tall, right fist pressed over his chest.

“For the Jiangnan District, for Blizzard City, for the honor of the Huaxia people! Reforging the glory of Huaxia is our sacred duty!”

“I must consider—could this be the one and only chance in my life to lay down my life for my country?”

Zhu Zheng coughed violently and thought: Kid, give it a rest. Back when I was practically begging you, you wouldn’t budge. And now you’re acting like some hot-blooded hero—who are you trying to impress?

Even though he didn’t know what Deng Yuanbo had offered Zhang Ye, it was easy enough to guess—Zhang Ye wasn’t the type to move without seeing the reward first.

And whatever convinced him likely had something to do with the Deng family’s genetic technology.

Zhu Zheng spoke to Zhang Ye seriously, “Since you’ve accepted the position, then you need to shoulder the responsibilities that come with it.”

“You’ll be taking over what’s left of the Heavenly Gods Squad and the Black Robes Squad. These superhumans are all tough characters, especially the ones from Heavenly Gods.”

“As the captain, it’s your job to bring the team together. You can’t keep acting like a lone wolf.”

“But as an investigation team captain, you’ll also have access to very high-level authority. Lan Xincheng will send the permissions briefing to your communicator shortly.”

Zhang Ye had no objections to that.

But after some thought, he raised two requests.

“I brought a few people with me—Liang Yue and Yang Xinxin. My pet Huahua is also very strong. I hope all three can be assigned to the squad.”

After all, even temporary members could enjoy the rights of regular ones—for example, equipment like battle suits.

That made him think of the volunteers before the apocalypse. They didn’t get paid a cent for their work, but they still walked away with a set of gear.

He wasn’t greedy—just a set of black battle suits for each of them would do.

Those things were really handy.

Zhu Zheng smiled and nodded. “Of course, no problem. As captain, you have the authority to appoint your own trusted team.”

Zhang Ye continued, “This squad is only a temporary unit. I’ve already said—I’ll just be acting captain for now. Once the mission is over, I’ll return to Tianhai City to live my carefree, shut-in life.”

“So I don’t want my personal information to be overly exposed. Can I operate under a codename instead of my real name?”

Hiding his strength was crucial.

After this battle, Zhang Ye’s name was bound to attract attention from many factions.

With just his name, organizations all over the world could dig up his entire life history.

In this world, ordinary people's personal data wasn’t worth much—it had long been sold off globally.

And personal information contained weaknesses. A minor oversight could lead to his death.

Zhu Zheng pondered his request for a moment, then muttered, “What you’re suggesting… was actually brought up during a recent meeting between leaders of the various districts.”

“We do need to assign codenames to core combat personnel to protect their personal data.”

It made sense.

Even in the military, special forces soldiers used call signs.

And for covert operatives, codenames and aliases were essential for protecting their identities.

Zhang Ye asked, “So that means it’s doable, right?”

Zhu Zheng smiled and nodded.

“Of course. In fact, the districts have already started working on the codename system. We’ve mostly finalized the rules.”

He rubbed his chin. “Hmm… the current plan is to use names from ancient mythology. Actually, all investigation team captains are issued official codenames.”

“I can secure one for you.”

Zhang Ye thought about it and made a request.

“I’d like a codename that doesn’t stand out.”

“Nothing too powerful, nothing too weak, and nothing too famous. Just something that people will immediately think isn’t important.”

Zhu Zheng understood Zhang Ye’s personality and nodded.

“Alright. I’ll go check the list later and see what’s available.”

“As for getting in touch with the rest of the Tengu Squad, Lan Xincheng and Baili Changqing will coordinate with you.”

Zhang Ye nodded. That part was no problem.

After Zhang Ye left, Zhu Zheng sat behind his desk, elbows on the surface, supporting his chin with both hands.

His sharp gaze was like a blade, radiating an intimidating glow.

“Zhang Ye really knows what he’s doing. With him leading the Tengu Squad, everything falls into place!”

From the shadows behind him, Sun Luxuan spoke slowly, like a statue coming to life.

“This way, no one in Blizzard City will be able to challenge your authority.”

“Once the mission to eradicate Shiyue is complete, we’ll dissolve the Tengu Squad and quietly let Zhang Ye leave Blizzard City.”

“That would be the perfect outcome.”

Sun Luxuan looked at Zhu Zheng and smiled. “Only thing is—once that happens, the Tengu Squad won’t have a captain anymore.”

Zhu Zheng’s cold mouth slowly curled into a smile.

“Don’t worry. I already have the perfect candidate in mind.”

…

Not long after Zhang Ye left, Zhu Zheng sent over the list of codenames for him to choose from.

Once he confirmed his selection, it had to be registered with the systems of all six districts.

Each person could only have one official codename—no one was allowed to use one already taken.

If someone really wanted to take a codename from someone else, they’d have to use special methods.

Just as Zhang Ye had thought, names like “Wukong,” “Yuanshi Tianzun,” “Kong Xuan,” and “Erlang Shen” were all already taken.

Among superhumans, there were different levels too. Most were prideful and didn’t want to feel beneath others.

So now, most of the remaining codenames were obscure or minor deities.

Zhang Ye stared at the list for a long time, deep in thought.

He muttered, “All the flashy god-tier names are already taken. But if I go for something too obscure, it’ll look like I’m deliberately hiding something. That could backfire.”

“I need something middle-of-the-road—not too famous, not too forgettable.”

He went over the list several times before finally settling on one.

[Chaos].

That was the codename he chose.

Chaos—a symbol of confusion and the unknown.

Though it was one of the great ancient beasts, it wasn’t as well-known as Qiongqi or Taotie.

It was a mighty being from the primal wilderness, but one that rarely appeared in well-known stories.

Whether from the literal meaning of the name or its low-key reputation, it suited Zhang Ye perfectly.

After finalizing his decision, he submitted the name to Zhu Zheng.

He requested that all public mentions from Blizzard City refer to him only by his codename—[Chaos].

Author's Note