Noticing John's perplexed look, the receptionist spread her hands and said, "Come on, handsome, don't look at me like that. I'm just following the standard registration process."
John couldn't help but retort, "Standard registration includes measuring penis size?"
This was a first for John, having never encountered a situation where such measurements were required.
Even in the most awkward police station encounters, such details were never asked.
The receptionist blinked and insisted, "Of course, we need to register that. How else are we supposed to tailor equipment for you without knowing your body?"
John found himself momentarily at a loss for words.
Eventually, under the receptionist's insistent prompting, John capitulated and filled out all the required information.
The receptionist, pushing up her glasses, looked eagerly at John's information.
When her eyes landed on a particular entry, she couldn't help but gasp, covering her mouth with her hand.
Then, her gaze uncontrollably shifted towards a certain area on John, filled with shock and disbelief.
Ignoring the receptionist's astonishment, John asked impassively, "Can I go in now?"
Snapping back to reality, the receptionist nodded quickly, "You can go to the 12th floor. Chief Captain Emily works there. Just confirm your information with her, and then you'll have free access to the headquarters."
As he turned to leave, the receptionist couldn't resist giving John a few more glances, murmuring to herself, "Can it really be true? That's just terrifying…"
John's mouth twitched, suppressing the urge to turn around and join the Judicators instead.
He hurried towards the elevator, taking several deep breaths to expel his frustration.
Upon reaching the twelfth floor, John found the office marked [Chief Captain: Emily] and knocked on the door.
A voice as gentle as flowing water answered from inside, "Please come in."
Pushing the door open, John was first struck by the sight of mountains of paperwork and discarded balls of paper strewn about.
Then, his eyes landed on a woman with sky-blue long hair seated behind the desk.
Her face was exquisite, and she was dressed in a black Hidden Stars uniform, adorned with a shiny platinum badge on her chest.
Her emerald-green eyes rippled like water, strikingly beautiful.
The woman, named Emily, had a dignified and graceful appearance, with a gentle and approachable demeanor.
Just by looking at her, one could sense a pure and flawless beauty, akin to a refreshing mountain stream, soothing and delightful to the soul.
At that moment, she was frowning at the documents in front of her, seemingly troubled by some matter.
John observed her, recognizing that this must be Chief Captain Emily.
Unexpectedly, she was not only incredibly attractive but also held a position two ranks higher than Victor within Hidden Stars.
However, Victor's situation was unique due to being suppressed, so comparisons were not straightforward.
Hidden Stars had seven rank levels: Apprentice Member, Full Member, Deputy Captain, Captain, Chief Captain, Deputy Director, Director.
Correspondingly, there were seven types of badges: Iron, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, Stellar.
For someone so young to have achieved the rank of Platinum-Level Chief Captain, it was clear she had a promising future ahead.
Even with John's critical eye, he couldn't deny that Emily was an exceptionally beautiful woman.
The aura she radiated was distinct from any other woman he had encountered.
Feeling John's gaze, Emily looked up, her emerald-green eyes meeting his with a puzzled expression.
"Are you… George? What do you need from me?" she inquired.
John paused at the address, frowning slightly, "I'm not George…"
Realizing her mistake, a hint of embarrassment colored Emily's features.
She quickly apologized, "Sorry, my memory isn't the best. So, what do you need, Jerry?"
A twitch formed at the corner of John's mouth.
He was beginning to reconsider his initial impressions.
How could someone like this serve as a chief captain in the Hidden Stars headquarters? Her memory seemed worse than an old cripple's!
Noticing John's displeased look, Emily realized she must have gotten the name wrong again.
She appeared somewhat flustered, her sparkling eyes filled with a mix of confusion and a silent plea for John to offer her a clue.
With a sense of resignation, John clarified, "Chief Captain Emily, I'm not George, nor Jerry. My name is John. I'm a new member reporting for duty. I previously worked in Captain Victor's squad in Stellarburg and just arrived in the Imperial Capital today."
A look of realization dawned on Emily's face as she responded, "Oh, I know you. You're the newcomer who killed Rean with a single strike."
John's expression softened somewhat as he nodded, "Yes, that's me."
By this point, he was too weary to correct the misconception that Rean's demise was his work alone.
Seeing her answer affirmed by John, Emily visibly relaxed, relieved.
She smiled, saying, "Nice to meet you, Bob. Welcome to the Hidden Stars headquarters. Please hand over your documents and badge, and I'll register them for you."
John's smile froze on his face.
How poor could her memory be? He had just mentioned his name, and yet, this woman had already forgotten it?!
Taking a deep breath, John no longer attempted to correct her on his name, hoping to quickly conclude this exasperating interaction.
He stepped forward, intending to hand over his documents and badge to Emily, only to find there was nowhere to place them amidst the office's clutter.
Discarded paper balls and documents littered the entire space.
Lifting his foot then setting it down again, John hesitated, unsure which documents were important and which were not.
Considering Emily's memory, it was hard for John to trust that no crucial documents were among the mess.
Eventually, with no other choice, he resorted to using a broom nearby, forcibly clearing a path through the debris.
Observing this, Emily's face tinged with red.
Displaying such a disorganized state in front of a new subordinate undeniably tarnished her image.
After this minor ordeal, the rest of the procedure went smoothly, much to John's relief.
Once Emily had confirmed and registered John's information, she handed him a Hidden Stars silver badge.
John accepted it.
Emily pondered for a moment before pulling out a white slip of paper.
After scrutinizing it closely, she smiled at John, saying, "From today onwards, you are a silver-tier member of the Hidden Stars in the Imperial Capital. Your new equipment has already been arranged by the logistics department; you can head to the 11th floor to collect it shortly.
If you need to accept missions, form teams, or exchange merit points, you can do so directly through your Hidden Stars Badge. Should there be anything unclear to you, feel free to come and ask me."
In that moment, Emily finally seemed to embody some aspects of a Chief Captain of Hidden Stars.
If it weren't for the title "How to Guide Newcomers" written on that slip of paper, John might have believed it entirely.
John had run out of words to describe his feelings about this Chief Captain.
After thanking Emily, he headed to the 11th floor.
The logistics department was much more reliable than Emily, having prepared John's equipment well in advance.
The equipment issued to John this time was a standard Hidden Stars uniform, badge, and weapon set.
Reaching the silver-level position within Hidden Stars, the equipment provided to John was naturally of a higher caliber compared to the attribute-less gear he had used during his probationary period.
To John's surprise, all three pieces were silver-tier equipment.
The Hidden Stars uniform and weapon offered some attributes, but nothing particularly special.
It was the Hidden Stars Badge that truly opened John's eyes.
This piece of equipment was remarkable, providing functionalities and features that John had never seen before.
[Equipment]: Hidden Stars Badge (Custom-made)
[Type]: Mask
[Level]: None
[Tier]: Silver-tier
[Quality]: Exquisite
[Attributes]: Strength +20, Spirit +20, Stamina +20, Speed +20
[Requirements]: Hidden Stars Member
[Skill One]: Faceless (Exclusive)
[Description]: Upon activation, creates a virtual mask concealing the user's face. This virtual mask can block mental perception and scanning abilities, with no cooldown period.
[Skill Two]: Terminal (Exclusive)
[Description]: After authentication as a Hidden Stars member, access to the Hidden Stars terminal platform is granted, enabling communication, transactions, team formation, merit points overview, and mission assignments, among others.
…
John had long been aware that the Hidden Stars Badge was a special piece of equipment crafted by the organization's advanced blacksmiths.
However, it wasn't until now that he truly appreciated the skill of these blacksmiths.
The Hidden Stars Badge not only provided four types of attributes but also came with two incredibly practical skills.
Particularly, the access to Hidden Stars' terminal platform was a marvel of high technology, nothing short of awe-inspiring.
Holding the badge in his hand, John felt a sense of reflection.
Indeed, there are no useless classes, only underutilized awakeners.
He knew that this world harbored some very special classes.
Classes such as mechanics, hypnotists, pharmacists, among others, showcased a variety of skills.
Compared to warriors, magi, priests, their abilities and skills leaned more towards the scientific aspect.