Start with push-ups to gain experience

Fang Cheng opened the kettle on the tea table.

The boiling water quickly began to bubble and gurgle, with white steam rising from the spout.

He skillfully washed the tea leaves, divided them into cups, and brewed a pot of Pu'er tea.

The rich aroma of tea filled the living room.

The clattering of mahjong tiles by the elders in the east wing came through the door, making the living room seem unusually quiet.

Wei Zheng leaned back into the soft armchair and reached up to unbutton the top button of his uniform collar.

He reached out and took the teacup from Fang Cheng, blew on the foam on the surface, but did not immediately put it in his mouth.

His gaze swept back and forth between Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe, a hint of scrutiny and doubt in his eyes, before he spoke:
"Donghe, I was too busy with work before to ask about your leg injury. What exactly happened between you two in Xishan that night?"

Ma Donghe, who was drinking orange juice from a glass, immediately put the glass down on the coffee table, straightened his back, and instantly got into the zone upon hearing this:
"Senior Brother Wei, you have no idea how dangerous that night was!"

"We got lost in the woods and ran into a mutated wild boar. It was as big as a small van, and its tusks were at least half a meter long!"

As he spoke, he exaggeratedly gestured with his hands to indicate the size:

"The wild boar charged straight at us. I risked my life, rushing up and punching and kicking it, then grabbing its neck and doing a rear naked choke. I rolled around in the mud several times before I finally managed to trip the beast..."

He had already rehearsed his lines with Fang Cheng, and now he was retelling them with ease, bringing the scene of escaping death to life.

"It was really thrilling."

Fang Cheng, holding his teacup, gently blew away the tea leaves floating on the surface of the water, and calmly continued the conversation:

"It was too dark in the woods at the time. Thanks to Brother Ma taking the lead, I was able to find an opportunity to use a sharpened branch to perform a move of Ma's Tai Chi sword technique, which blinded the wild boar and completely eliminated it."

Upon hearing this, Ma Donghe nearly choked on the mouthful of orange juice he had just put in his mouth.

"Cough cough..."

He covered his mouth and coughed repeatedly, while secretly glancing at Fang Cheng beside him out of the corner of his eye.

Looking at the other person's gentle, kind, respectful, and modest appearance, Ma Donghe's facial muscles twitched uncontrollably a couple of times.

He used a move from Ma's Tai Chi Sword Technique!
In the middle of the night, you were using a strange insect-like creature as a punching bag in the sky, flying around on air, and almost flattened half a mountain.

Now he's acting like a model student, it's a waste of his talent not to win an award for acting skills.

Fang Cheng swallowed half a mouthful of tea without changing his expression, raised his eyes to look at Wei Zheng, and smoothly changed the subject:

"Senior Brother Wei, what exactly happened that night? Why did even the garrison troops come into the examination hall and search everywhere?"

"Oh dear, this has caused quite a stir."

Wei Zheng sighed and placed the teacup back on the table:

"Unidentified experts are fighting in the restricted area. The destructive power is astonishing. There are large areas of ground collapse and broken trees at the scene, and there are still traces of high-intensity energy fluctuations."

"The initial suspicion is that a group with ulterior motives infiltrated the examination hall and deliberately sabotaged it. The higher-ups were furious when they learned of this and ordered a thorough investigation."

Fang Cheng pressed further, "Have you found any leads?"

Wei Zheng shook his head, his expression somewhat grave:
"The intelligence and operations departments are working together to intensify the investigation. However, apart from the destroyed woods and a few craters, no useful clues have been found at the scene."

"Our only breakthrough now is that we've discovered that several of the missing test-takers are actually mercenaries active in the black market."

"This shows that there are definitely loopholes in the background check process, and someone is helping them to whitewash their identities."

He took a sip of tea, seemed to remember something, and then said:
"In addition, Section Chief Lu of the Internal Investigation Department is also personally investigating all the candidates and staff at the Xishan examination site that night."

Upon hearing the words "Section Chief Lu," a strange light flashed in Fang Cheng's eyes, but the smile on his lips remained unchanged.

He put down his teacup, his tone subtly tinged with surprise:
"That serious? No wonder we heard a series of loud noises in the distance that night in the woods. Donghyuk thought it was thunder."

"Yeah yeah!"

Ma Donghe reacted extremely quickly, immediately slapping his thigh in agreement:

"It was terrifying. Luckily, we got lost on the outskirts and ran into that mutated wild boar. We fought with the beast for most of the night and didn't dare to go any deeper. We were lucky to escape with our lives."

Wei Zheng nodded:
"You guys are really lucky."

He paused, his gaze fixed on the two of them:
"By the way, when you were lost in the woods, did you notice any suspicious people or other clues?"

Ma Donghe pretended to recall something and scratched his head:

"We didn't see any suspicious people... However, before we encountered the wild boar, we caught a glimpse of a figure flying overhead in the distance."

"We couldn't see their exact appearance, but one of them seemed to be wearing a mask and chasing another person. We didn't dare to look at it for long. Later, we heard an explosion and quickly hid in a cave."

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly, then he added:

“My hearing is better, and I heard their shouts. The masked person vaguely mentioned that he was from the ‘Black Tide’ organization.”

Upon hearing those two words, Wei Zheng's body suddenly stiffened, and a few drops of tea spilled from the rim of the cup, splashing onto the tea tray.

He quickly looked up, his eyes revealing a rare look of shock.

"Senior brother, do you know about this 'Kurotsu'?"

Seeing this, Fang Cheng took out a tissue and naturally handed it over.

Wei Zheng took the tissue and wiped the water stains off the table, then took a deep breath to calm himself down.

"This is a very mysterious organization. The special search team has only managed to get a few scraps of information about them in the last few years. Very few people know that they exist."

Ma Donghe, who was present at the time, also heard Gray Eagle introduce the masked man as the vice president of the Black Tide organization. Intrigued, he leaned forward slightly.

"Senior Brother Wei, could you tell me in detail? What exactly are these people doing?"

"A bunch of mentally ill lunatics."

Wei Zheng's brows furrowed tightly, his tone revealing disgust:

"They preach the end of the world all day long, using the guise of finding a savior to incite people everywhere, and their actions are extremely extreme and biased."

"Strictly speaking, it is somewhat similar to the ancient Maitreya sect and White Lotus sect. They also believe in the fallacies and heresies of 'the end of the Red Sun and the salvation of the world by the Bright King,' and win people's hearts with absurd teachings. Their whereabouts are mysterious and unpredictable."

"However, according to intelligence, their numbers are not large, and their territory is limited. They usually operate in the shadows and haven't caused much trouble. I didn't expect them to dare to infiltrate the Xishan restricted area this time..."

Wei Zheng shook his head and immediately stopped.

Clearly, they were unwilling to waste any more words on this sensitive topic.

He straightened his back, his expression turning serious:

"As your senior, there are some things I must tell you, which is the main purpose of my talk with you today."

“During this period, the Internal Investigation Department will most likely question you routinely. Since neither of you are graduates of a regular police academy, your identities are already easily suspected, especially since Dong-hyuk was seriously injured, so they will definitely be paying close attention to you.”

At this point, Wei Zheng leaned forward, his gaze fixed intently on the two of them:

"Remember, those people in the Internal Investigation Department are all ruthless, two-faced wolves. Whatever they ask you, stick to what happened that night. Don't guess what you didn't see, and don't say what you didn't hear!"

"As long as your statements match the actual investigation, they won't be able to trace it back to you, understand?"

"As for the masked man and the Black Tide organization, just pretend you don't know anything about them. I'll report this to the intelligence department."

Fang Cheng looked at Wei Zheng's serious expression.

He understood that his senior brother probably suspected they were involved in the events of that night, but he still put himself in his junior brother's shoes and prepared a way out for him, despite the pressure.

Fang Cheng pondered for a moment, then nodded solemnly:

"Don't worry, senior brother, we know what's important and we definitely won't say anything reckless." Ma Donghe wiped the cold sweat from his forehead guiltily and repeatedly assured him:

"Senior Brother Wei, you can rest assured. I didn't see anything that night except for that wild boar. Anyone who bragged about it is a coward!"

Seeing his two junior brothers so obedient, Wei Zheng's tightly furrowed brows finally relaxed.

He picked up his teacup again, took a small sip, and remarked with emotion:
"It's good that you can listen to this. A guy who can make such a commotion in Xishan is definitely a true powerhouse."

"For ordinary operators like us, the further away from these battles of the gods, the better."

"Senior brother is absolutely right."

Fang Cheng smiled slightly, indicating his agreement.

Wei Zheng nodded and straightened his posture, saying:
"Alright, just listen to these confidential details and keep them to yourselves. There will be plenty of trouble after you join the company."

He glanced at the two of them and earnestly instructed them:
"The Special Investigations Team is a very complex organization. The Operations Department, Intelligence Department, and Research Department all have their own interests to consider. Since you're new here, talk less and do more."

"Especially Dong-hyuk, you need to tone down your reckless temper. Don't talk nonsense and get used as a pawn while still helping others count the money."

Ma Dong-hyuk chuckled and patted his firm chest:

"Don't worry, Senior Brother Wei. My greatest strength is that I listen to advice. Besides, if we get into trouble in the future, I'll definitely drag A-Cheng along with me."

"It's worthless!"

Wei Zheng glared at him and said with a laugh:
"If you encounter any problems you can't solve in the future, just come to me. If I can't handle it, you still have Commander Shi above you, and he will definitely not let you suffer any injustice."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior brother."

Fang Cheng picked up the purple clay teapot, tilted his wrist, and refilled Wei Zheng's cup with tea.

The warm, mellow aroma of tea wafted between the two of them.

Wei Zheng took the teacup and nodded slightly.

Looking at Fang Cheng's calm and serene face, his thoughts suddenly drifted back to that morning a few months ago.

It was at the foot of Tianxin Village. Fang Cheng was wearing only a pair of red boxer briefs and swaggered down the mountain path.

Fang Cheng stood tall and straight, his eyes bright, bathed in the post-rain sunshine.

Like a piece of uncarved yet radiant jade, it exudes a vibrant and almost scorching life force.

This junior brother is not only a prodigy in martial arts, but also has an incredibly calm and composed temperament.

Given time, it will surely leave a significant mark on the history of the Special Search Team and even the Xia Kingdom.

Thinking of this, Wei Zheng felt much less heavy-hearted.

He downed the tea in one gulp, and his tone became relaxed again:
"Let's not talk about these unlucky things. Once you officially join the Special Investigations Team, I'll arrange a welcome banquet for you."

He leaned back against the sofa cushions, chuckling as he joked:

"You know, the canteen at the Special Investigations Team headquarters is famously good. The braised lion's head meatballs on the first floor and the roasted lamb chops on the third floor are absolutely amazing. After you finish your onboarding procedures on the 20th of this month, your senior brother will treat you to a good meal."

Ma Dong-hyuk's eyes lit up:
"That's great! We'll definitely have to feast on Senior Brother Wei!"

Fang Cheng and the two men exchanged a smile, and the atmosphere in the tea room completely relaxed.

Wei Zheng began to tell the two about which restaurant in the Special Search Team's canteen had the best food, as well as some interesting gossip about the team's personnel.

Time slipped away quietly as we chatted.

Before we knew it, the sky was gradually darkening.

A few rays of orange sunlight streamed through the glass window, casting warm patches of color on the floor tiles.

Around 5 o'clock, the door to the east wing was finally opened.

"Oh no, I can't take it anymore, my back hurts from sitting."

Li Zhenhua walked out, rubbing his lower back.

Although he was complaining of pain, his face was flushed, clearly indicating that he was having a very lucky day.

Shi Chengyi and Dong Yunchuan chatted and laughed before coming out.

Ma Jianguo followed at the back, constantly turning two walnuts in his hand.

"Old Li's card skills are no joke. Today, Old Ma, Old Dong, and I really lost a lot of money."

Shi Chengyi smiled as he put on his coat and zipped it up.

"Thank you for your leniency, it's all thanks to the gentlemen who went easy on us."

Li Zhenhua laughed heartily and said a few modest words.

Seeing that the group was about to say goodbye and leave, he quickly stepped forward to stop them:

"It's almost dinnertime. We'll just grab a quick bite at home tonight, shall we have some more drinks?"

Hearing the commotion, Li Biyun came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands with her apron, and tried to persuade her to stay:
"Yes, all the ingredients are ready. I'll put them in the pot right away, and it will be ready very soon."

Shi Chengyi waved his hand, politely declining:
"No, I have a meeting to attend tonight, and I really can't get away."

Ma Jianguo then said:

"I have to go home. There are still medicinal herbs drying there that need to be collected. Old Dong and I are going to discuss some things on the way."

Dong Yunchuan nodded with a smile:

"Maybe next time. We've bothered you all afternoon. Let's treat you another day."

Seeing that all three of them were indeed busy, Li Zhenhua couldn't insist and had to give up.

The group walked to the courtyard gate and said goodbye to each other.

"Acheng, Donghe."

Before getting into the car, Shi Chengyi turned around and looked solemnly at the two young men:
"You'll be reporting to headquarters soon. There's a long road ahead, so do your best and don't let us old guys down."

"Yes, Commander Shi."

The two responded in unison.

The black executive sedan and Ma Dong-hyuk's SUV drove away one after the other, gradually disappearing at the end of the old street.

The courtyard, which had been noisy all day, finally returned to tranquility.

Li Biyun and Li Dingjian were cleaning up the mess in the restaurant, with the sound of running water coming from the sink.

Fang Cheng stood alone under the grape trellis in the courtyard, taking a deep breath of the evening breeze carrying the fragrance of plants.

The last rays of dark red sunset lingered on the horizon, outlining the silhouettes of distant rooftops.

He turned his head and looked through the bright glass window at his mother, uncle, and maternal grandfather, who were busy but smiling, and sitting in a wicker chair drinking tea.

He chose to join the Special Investigations Unit in order to obtain an official identity.

Ultimately, it's all about preserving the happy and peaceful life we ​​have now.

Anyone who dares to reach out and disrupt all of this, whether it's a hidden organization, a powerful financial family, or an official institution, will be dealt with severely.

Fang Cheng slowly closed his five fingers and secretly clenched them into a fist.

He will crush them, skin and bones, completely! (End of Chapter)