"Everyone's gathered here, and this place is so remote that after a mass execution, we wouldn't even have to bother dumping the bodies."
Everyone listened with a grim expression, turning their heads to see who was brazen enough to spout such nonsense. However, as the sky had darkened, and no one knew each other, it was impossible to tell who had spoken. They had no choice but to let it go.
"Come this way!," called a member of the Black Body Armor, gesturing for them to enter the base, "Have dinner first! After you've eaten, come out to the square and wait with your assigned team!"
Speaking of dinner, everyone realized they were incredibly hungry, with their stomachs sticking to their backs. Even for those who usually ate at two, it had been at least six hours now and they would have digested their food completely.
Moreover, the journey had been physically and mentally exhausting, and being in this unfamiliar place for the first time, everyone urgently needed to reduce their stress levels through the process of eating.
The thirty of them were led into the base's large dining hall, where they picked up trays and served themselves food – no payment required. There were two vegetarian dishes, one meat dish, and one soup; rice was self-served. It had all the atmosphere of a school cafeteria.
There were already people eating in the dining hall, bustling about. Ren Suo noticed that some didn't look like public servants, with dark skin and a certain… military aura to their movements.
Naturally, Ren Suo joined Qiao Muyi and the others for dinner. For some reason, Qiao Muyi had gotten quite chummy with Li Qingxuan. They sat down with their trays in a corner of the dining hall. When Ren Suo found them, a few men were also making their way over, hoping to share a table with the beautiful women. Ren Suo darted over and set down his tray, exclaiming, "What a coincidence!"
What coincidence... The men gave Ren Suo a mournful glance as he swooped in, then went off to find another place to eat.
Li Qingxuan looked at Ren Suo with a strange smile on her face, while Qiao Muyi quietly ate without speaking. Ren Suo started the conversation himself: "We're not here for military training, are we? With this cafeteria and this base, tsk tsk."
Although he had no idea how to make Qiao Muyi let her guard down, sleep peacefully, and then allow him to touch her feet for two minutes to get the key, improving their relationship first couldn't be wrong.
Li Qingxuan seemed somewhat downcast: "Actually, I'm starting to regret coming. I thought at most we'd be here to study, but if this is military training..."
"Only five days," said Ren Suo.
"Five days are still a hassle. I didn't bring my skincare products..." Li Qingxuan complained.
Qiao Muyi suddenly remarked, "I think this experience could be a turning point in our lives."
Noticing their gaze, she added softly, "However, it remains to be seen whether this turning point leads us to heaven or to hell…"
Ren Suo felt uneasy at her words. After dinner, they went to find their respective organizations in the square together. All three of them were in Team Eight, which was clearly marked outside the square. Ren Suo glanced over and noticed there were only nine teams.
With thirty people per team, there were a total of two hundred seventy public servants who had come for this mandatory training!
Though Lianjiang City alone had several thousand public servants and Lian Province likely had tens of thousands, those gathered here were among the youngest, and all met the 'special requirements' of the National Security Bureau.
This was even after counting in people from other Public Security and the judiciary systems. Earlier, Ren Suo had learned that Xie Qiansi was actually a clerk in the civil trial division of the People's Court.
Those who managed to be here truly were one in ten thousand.
What kind of issue required them all to come here and undertake training in isolation from the outside world?
Just after eight o'clock, the last batch of diners came out. The members of the Black Body Armor started organizing the teams. Being public servants and not students, everyone naturally didn't mess around and quickly lined up in orderly rows, separated by gender.
"For the next five days, I will be your instructor, Zhao Jingzhong!" declared the man in Black Body Armor standing in front of Team Eight. "If you fail to pass the training in five days, naturally, we won't see each other again. If you do pass, it's unlikely we'll see each other either, as those who pass will be sent back to their cities to take on more important tasks!"
"Over these five days, I don't expect you to be as swift and fierce as the military, but! Following commands is mandatory! Be silent when it's time to be silent, eat when it's time to eat, gather when it's time to gather, and no falling out when marching in line!"
"We're now heading to the auditorium, where all your questions will be answered. I promise, all the resentment and impatience in your hearts will turn into the drive to strive hard after leaving the auditorium!"
A colossal voice suddenly erupted from the crowd: "Strive for the rise of the Mysterious Country!"
The crowd: "..."
People turned their heads this way and that, still unable to pinpoint the person who always interjected—so infuriatingly on point—with their comments.
They followed the crowd and walked for nearly ten minutes before they reached the grand auditorium, where there were no chairs, and everyone was directly asked to sit cross-legged on the floor.
A moment later, a young man who was similarly dressed in Black Body Armor but with a mature appearance stepped onto the stage.
Sitting next to Ren Suo, Xie Qiansi suddenly felt a vibration beside him and turned his head to find that Ren Suo was actually drooling at the sight of the man on stage, those fixed eyes reminded Xie Qiansi of the family's teddy dog in springtime, sending a chill down to his pituitary gland and making his skin crawl.
Ren Suo seemed to notice his indecency and quickly wiped the corner of his mouth, but his gaze never left the young man on the stage for a moment.
If Qiao Muyi made Ren Suo's heart flutter,
then the young man on stage was like a stampede of thousands of horses, completely trampling Ren Suo's little deer to death!
That thrilling sensation almost made Ren Suo unable to restrain the primal force within him.
Without a doubt, this young man was also a key, and a very high-level one at that because he was far more appealing than Li Dan and Qiao Muyi!
"Silence,"
said the young man softly, and then the whole place fell quiet.
A strange pressure descended upon everyone, making them naturally obey the young man's command. The young man was surrounded by an aura that made everyone unwilling to rebel against him.
However, for Ren Suo, the young man turned into an even more delectable cake with strawberries on top in that instant!
I want it so badly, I really do...
Xie Qiansi seemed to hear Ren Su's mutterings, shivered, and quickly moved a little farther away from Ren Suo.
"I am Yu Kuangtu, the deputy director of the National Security Bureau Eighteen in Lianjiang City," the young man said indifferently: "Also, I am currently the strongest individual combat power in Lian Province, a Cultivator who has reached the second turn!"
The strongest individual combat power? Cultivator? Second turn?
If it were before, the young people sitting below would definitely think that this Yu Kuangtu was a patient with middle school syndrome who took web novels too seriously and had excessive zeal.
But under Yu Kuangtu's austere pressure, although they didn't believe him, they didn't make any noise, continuing to listen to Yu Kuangtu's speech.
"Many things are hard to believe when spoken...
Yu Kuangtu's body leaned slightly forward, his right fist drawn back and his left hand shaping into a palm cradling his right fist.
"So... it's better to show you in practice, Li Dan!"
Yu Kuangtu threw a punch into the air above the auditorium!
A loud explosion resounded, and everyone saw a Fireball burst forth from Yu Kuangtu's fist that rapidly expanded, and by the time it reached above the crowd, the Fireball was already as large as a dump truck in radius, almost like a blazing sun!
"Roger that!"
Ren Suo saw Li Dan, who was standing to the side, suddenly jump up and smash a fist into the giant Fireball in the sky!
The Fireball dissipated like the first snow meeting the sun, turning into a mist, and suddenly a cool breeze swept through the auditorium, thoroughly refreshing and uplifting.
Looking at the audience who were still in shock, Yu Kuangtu tapped the microphone by his ear to draw everyone's attention back to him and said, "This is the power of a Cultivator."
"And you all are public servants with the Talent to become Cultivators."