"Following Mr. Corbyn Kokuren's rise to the position of president of the Elite Association, E.A will no longer be receiving any missions until further notice," said the news reporter.
"I now quote Mr. Kokuren's words during a press conference with the heads of other anti crime organizations, 'E.A is currently transiting to the next level. Many assume that this organization is nearing its climax and now has little room for growth. But that is where you're all wrong. We shall not be taking any missions from the Anti Crime Embassy for now, that is until the butterfly breaks out of its cocoon.' What is to be expected of the country's top organization?"
Several machines that resemble atm machines had been installed throughout the building. I had tried applying for a mission, but as reported in the news, it rejected my application. I remembered the email I had been sent.
[You are to meet on the second floor, in the room labelled Squad Zayin. Do not be late.]
'Despite being early, I'm the last one here. I guess everyone here heard about the penalty given to those who didn't pick their cards and go here early.'
The others were seated on the couches, on their mobile phones. The room was basically a large office. A while after I took my seat, a lady walked into the room.
"I see everyone has arrived. I'm Melissa, your squad overseer. Squad Zayin will handle villain-related matters, focusing on stealth. I believe that needs no further elaboration."
Everyone remained silent. I guess no one felt the need to ask for minor details.
"Now, please take out your assigned smart cards. It goes without saying that these cards are very crucial to you as agents. You will use these cards to apply for missions and cash out payments that you already know. But, you will also use these cards to gain access to the facilities in this branch as well as other branches. The cards have many features, some of which are currently under development. You can always check the unlocked features of your card by login in to E.A's official website. Some features are unlocked remotely, while some require special permission and can only be unlocked at Arsenal Island of the Echo Nexus."
'I guess there's a lot more to these smart cards than I thought. E.A's headquarters is the Echo Nexus Islands, three islands each holding a different significance.'
"You can login right now to see the unlocked features on your cards."
'Wow! Just how much money did they spend on these things?'
"As you might have noticed, most features are locked. They will be unlocked with time based on your credibility. There is a fingerprint slot on the cards to ensure only the owner of the card can use it. To open a door, you place your finger on the fingerprint slot, then tap it on the door. In case the card fails to function, report it to me immediately. Of course, losing the smart card means you have to buy a new one. You can already guess how expensive those are."
'If one loses the card, the risk of access to E.A by outsiders is low since they can just deactivate the card remotely. Though, I'm not so sure about their defence against hacks.'
"Any questions?" she asked. All five of us in the room were in awe of this spectacular item we now owned.
The girl seated opposite me, whose name I later learnt was Alicia, asked. "Why is the mission application feature disabled?"
"At the moment, no agent is allowed to apply for missions, since all agents are required to take squad training on Herald Island of the Echo Nexus."
"What! Really."
I have to say, even I was a bit shocked, as with everyone else. Just getting a chance to visit the Echo Nexus Islands was close to impossible. Yet we were supposed to go to Herald Island, an island dedicated to training agents who show the best performance.
"Your training will begin any time next week. It will be a two month training period, so be prepared. More details will be emailed to you later."
She paused.
"If there are no more questions, you are all dismissed."
… … …
Later that night_
Jason was standing before a man seated on a couch by the fireside.
"I did as you instructed me. Now keep your end of the bargain." His voice was cold and hateful.
"Of course. It shall be done as you requested. But your work isn't done yet."
The man said with a smile on his face, handing Jason a smart card.