Ryan Bennett was new here, but when he met Claire Harris's gaze, he neither flinched nor avoided it. He simply looked back quietly, as if he didn’t know who the other person was, and didn’t say a single word.

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

The response of a refined person was calm and unruffled on the surface, but underneath, undercurrents surged.

Of course, Minister Grant knew about the history between the two. They hadn’t even met yet, and his own people had already thoroughly offended the other side. In the end, wasn’t it always the leaders like him who had to clean up the mess?

“I brought Consultant Bennett to take a look at the base. Who knew you’d be so impatient?” Minister Grant pretended nothing had happened and gently began the introductions. “Consultant Bennett, this is the captain of Team Seven of our Jiangcheng branch, and also the youngest yet most promising captain under our Sky Dome system. Despite his young age, he’s already completed twelve A-level missions and has a one-star rating. Let me formally introduce you—his name is Claire Harris. You two haven’t met before, have you?”

Ryan Bennett looked slightly surprised, withdrew his gaze, and unconsciously repeated the three characters: “Song... Qinglan?”

His voice was very soft, and he had a pleasant tone—just the kind of voice Claire Harris had expected.

Apparently, even people in administrative jobs sounded similar.

Minister Grant smiled and said, “Rising sun, clear skies, mountain breeze—doesn’t the name sound like a little gir—”

Claire Harris interrupted at just the right moment, looking displeased: “Minister Grant.”

Ryan Bennett acted as if he hadn’t heard the teasing, quickly relaxing his brow and saying, “Actually, I’ve met Captain Harris before.”

Minister Grant became interested: “Oh? When?”

That pleasant voice of Ryan Bennett continued, “On October 14th, three years ago, I attended a training session organized by Sky Dome at the Jiangcheng branch. You were the instructor, and Captain Harris was also in the class, though we didn’t know each other at the time.”

This time, Minister Grant was truly surprised: “Strange, how come I have no impression of a young person like you?”

Not to mention Minister Grant, even Claire Harris himself had no memory of this.

Come on, who has time to remember everyone they met three years ago?

Ryan Bennett easily recalled the scene from that day, as if it had happened just yesterday: “The venue was large, and I was seated far in the back. It’s normal that you don’t remember. That day, you wore a light blue suit skirt, a pair of Baroque pearl earrings, your hair was a bit shorter than now, and during the class you accidentally broke a mug, then switched to an enamel one. Do you remember that?”

Minister Jiang nodded repeatedly, recalling it: “Yes, yes, I remember!”

Ryan Bennett added, “Captain Harris was sitting in the third row, ninth seat from the left. He skipped two classes and left early in the afternoon.”

At this, Claire Harris couldn’t help but say, “Did I leave such a deep impression on you, or are you planning to file a report on me?”

Ryan Bennett turned to look at Claire Harris, the reflection of Claire Harris visible in his watery eyes: “I just happened to remember everyone who was there that day.”

Claire Harris almost forgot—one of the rumors about this Consultant Bennett in Sky Dome was his extraordinary memory.

Claire Harris hinted, “Consultant Bennett, I’ve heard that people with good memories also hold grudges.”

Ryan Bennett replied calmly, “Not really, it depends on the situation.”

Minister Grant tried to smooth things over: “As long as you’ve met, that’s good. Little Claire has a bit of a fiery temper and is straightforward. He doesn’t hold back when criticizing team members, and he’s even made people cry in public before. I heard from Minister Clark that you, Consultant Bennett, are easy to get along with and generous. When you join the team, don’t just worry about saving his face and end up wronging yourself.”

Ryan Bennett wasn’t one to put on airs, and replied, “Don’t worry, as long as it’s work-related, I’ll cooperate.”

Claire Harris gave a light laugh, not seeming to care much: “That’s good.”

After a bit of small talk, Minister Grant got down to business: “The mission will take place next week. Starting tomorrow, Consultant Bennett, you’ll follow Little Claire to get familiar with the team members and work environment. There are plenty of machines at the training ground, as well as a dedicated combat simulation system. I heard Consultant Bennett used to serve in the Imperial forces?”

Claire Harris raised an eyebrow, skeptical.

Sure enough, Ryan Bennett immediately confirmed his suspicion: “I was in an administrative position in the military, and only stayed for two months.”

That calm and unyielding attitude made Claire Harris, who came from special forces, want to laugh.

Could this slender, delicate-looking person really go to the front lines?

Minister Grant nodded: “Although observers don’t need high combat skills, some training is still good. The bureau recruited a new batch of trainees this year, and there are professional classes every morning. Consultant Bennett, you can attend if you’d like.”

*

“They’re here!”

“They’re coming out!”

“Hurry, hurry, hurry, did they fight?!”

“Did Minister Grant smash another cup?!”

A bunch of heads crowded around the surveillance panel, and quite a few people were peeking out into the hallway.

The teleportation pod doors opened, and the first to come out was Minister Grant in high heels, heading back to her office.

Then out came Claire Harris, followed by Ryan Bennett.

There was a noticeable height difference between the two—one was dashing, the other handsome.

Claire Harris’s reluctance to welcome the new teammate was almost visible through the screen. Relying on his height and familiarity with the place, he walked quickly. The much-anticipated Consultant Bennett was indeed very refined, striding after Claire Harris at a steady pace, neither hurried nor slow, not seeming the least bit uneasy.