“I just want to stay within the company, find a good wife, have two adorable kids, one boy and one girl, and then try to make sure they can eat meat three times a week…”

His voice grew quieter, as if he already felt such a goal was unattainable.

Brian Carter didn’t say anything more, and Charlotte Reed didn’t know what to say either. The two of them stood there in silence, making it seem as if time inside the elevator had come to a halt.

No one knew how much time had passed before the elevator stopped at the 647th floor.

As Charlotte Reed walked out, he lowered his head and asked:

“Brian Carter, what were you just thinking about? I was thinking, luckily I have a younger brother and sister.”

“Just spacing out,” Brian Carter said, looking straight ahead.

“…You really have a good attitude.” Charlotte Reed couldn’t help but sigh.

“Well, after all, I applied for this myself.” Brian Carter turned his gaze to the right, checking the room numbers.

“….” Charlotte Reed was at a loss for words and followed along to look for room 14.

Unlike the 495th floor, the 647th floor wasn’t divided into several streets, and the rooms weren’t separated into spaces only two or three meters wide.

Here, each “training ground” served as a center, with several fairly large rooms surrounding them.

Soon, Brian Carter and Charlotte Reed arrived outside room 14.

There was no nameplate on the door, leaving the two of them unable to guess which operations group, team, or unit of the Security Department this room belonged to.

Charlotte Reed opened his mouth and took a deep breath, trying to adjust his mindset to face his fate.

At that moment, without any hesitation, Brian Carter curled his fingers and knocked on the door.

Dong! Dong! Dong!

The sound came rather suddenly, interrupting Charlotte Reed’s deep breath.

He was about to complain to Brian Carter when a slightly hoarse female voice came from inside:

“Come in.”

Brian Carter turned the handle and pushed the door open.

Charlotte Reed immediately looked inside, giving the room a quick scan.

This room was at least three times bigger than his own home. At the far end stood a desk painted with reddish-brown varnish and two very large bookcases.

Along the left wall closer to the door, there were three black desks, all quite old.

The central and right areas served as a “living room,” with a set of battered fabric sofas, a coffee table, four chairs with backs, two long benches, and four low stools.

At this moment, a woman stood up from the single sofa and looked toward the door.

She was in her early twenties, nearly 1.8 meters tall, with excellent proportions of head, body, and legs. Her skin was wheat-colored, and her black hair was neatly tied into a ponytail at the back of her head.

Unlike the girls commonly seen in the “residential area,” she wore a Security Department uniform—gray as the base color, with a certain camouflage pattern, making her look valiant and heroic.

Her facial features also suited this style: thick eyebrows, large eyes, and a strong, spirited look.

“You two are the new team members?” The woman smiled brightly and cheerfully, though her voice was a bit loud.

“Y-yes.” Charlotte Reed was a bit nervous upon seeing such an unusually striking woman.

The woman frowned slightly and said:

“A bit louder.”

Her voice had an indescribable clarity, clearly not the same person who had just said “come in.”

Charlotte Reed was startled, thinking he had somehow offended his superior.

Brian Carter took a step forward and raised his voice:

“Yes!”

His voice echoed in the room and carried out into the hallway.

The woman smiled again and pointed to her ear:

“No need to be that loud. I just have a hearing problem, not deafness.”

Following her gesture, Charlotte Reed saw a silvery metal device in her ear.

“Cochlear implant,” the woman said frankly.

She then put away her smile and, in a voice noticeably louder than normal, said:

“Let me introduce myself. I’m your team leader, Laura Howard.

“Though I’m called the team leader, I haven’t reached D7 level yet—currently just D6.”

“Yes, Team Leader.” Charlotte Reed responded loudly.

“Hello, Team Leader!” Brian Carter looked quite happy.

Laura Howard pointed to the long sofa:

“She’s the other team member, Ethan White.”

Ethan White was about 1.6 meters tall. Although she also wore a gray camouflage uniform, compared to Laura Howard, she was clearly much more petite.

She had a dusty, worn scarf wrapped around her neck, black hair just past her ears, fairly delicate features, and rather rough skin, as if she was often exposed to the elements.

Unlike Laura Howard’s deep brown eyes, hers were closer to hazel.

“Hello,” Ethan White greeted in a slightly hoarse voice.

“Hello.” Charlotte Reed was still a bit reserved.

“Hello!” Brian Carter’s voice was still very loud.

Laura Howard pointed to the coffee table and said loudly:

“Find a seat for yourselves. Oh, right, introduce yourselves first.”

“Brian Carter!” As soon as Laura Howard finished speaking, Brian Carter shouted out his name, then casually closed the door, picked up his lunchbox, walked over, and sat down on a chair with a back.

“I’m Charlotte Reed. My dad’s surname is Long, and my mom’s name has the character ‘Hong’ in it.” Charlotte Reed instinctively explained the origin of his name, then sat down on the chair next to Brian Carter.