A Goddess Strikes

That was amazing!!!

Tu Ran couldn't help but admire her.

Indeed, a goddess—beautiful and fierce.

But looking at the burly man, Tu Ran worried things might not end well.

Sure enough, a man publicly humiliated like that wouldn't let it go easily. He spun around, glaring fiercely at Xi Chunzhi. "Xi Chunzhi! Are you crazy?!"

Xi Chunzhi crossed her arms, letting out a contemptuous sneer. "I am. I've got a thing for curing dogs—especially those that can't keep their mouths shut!"

The goddess could curse with the best of them, too.

Tu Ran no longer worried she'd get the short end of the stick and quietly watched the drama unfold from the sidelines.

She caught sight of the name tag on the man's arm.

Zhou Ming.

Didn't know him.

But she recognized the weapon in his hand—she'd seen it in a book last night. The 7-series sniper rifle. It had been officially on the market for over thirty years, with excellent accuracy and power. Even after over a dozen generations of sniper rifles had come and gone, this model remained a favorite among many snipers. The downside, though, was its weight: a hefty 7.5 kilograms, not exactly convenient to haul onto a battlefield.

Tu Ran's gaze drifted to the weapons the others with Zhou Ming were carrying, and she noticed they were all different. Zhou Ming was the only sniper—a small, specialized squad with clear division of roles.

Yesterday, Tu Ran had also looked into how this world operated.

In this world, there were no nations. The Federal Government ruled everything.

And the seat of the Federal Government was the very ground beneath her feet—the Administrative Building.

The Administrative Building served as headquarters for all federal departments. The Pioneer Team, a newly established division, had its HQ here, and so did the Research Institute.

Those who worked here were government employees—holding higher status and better social security than ordinary citizens.

For instance, the apartment across from hers and Xi Chunzhi's—both had been gifts from the Federation upon becoming Pioneers.

If they'd had to rely on their salaries alone, they'd never afford a place near the city center.

As long as they didn't breach their contracts, after fifteen years, those two apartments would be theirs.

The Federal Government treated its public servants generously.

Xi Chunzhi didn't intend to keep bickering with Zhou Ming.

She dropped one last line: "If you've got a problem, we can settle it some other time. I've got important business now, and you can't afford to delay it."

With that, she grabbed Tu Ran's arm and stepped into the elevator without looking back.

"Just a bunch of damn pioneers—what's there to be so cocky about?!"

Just before the elevator doors slid shut, Tu Ran heard Zhou Ming curse in frustration.

She figured Zhou Ming and Xi Chunzhi must know each other. Their mutual resentment ran far too deep for a simple whistle and catcall.

But she still had enough sense to read the room—now was not the time for curiosity, because she could already feel the chill radiating from Xi Chunzhi.

Tu Ran thought about pressing the floor button herself, but found none—and she didn't even know which floor to go to.

Just as she grew anxious, the elevator started moving on its own.

A mechanical AI voice came from a corner: "Pioneer Xi Chunzhi, Pioneer Tu Ran, Meeting Room 721 is now open. All Pioneer Team members have arrived. Please make your way there promptly."

So the elevators in the Administrative Building were fully managed by AI, automatically routing personnel to their designated floors based on their schedules.