Start with push-ups to gain experience

Nine o'clock in the morning.

Jing'an District, Dongdu, Huaihai West Road.

The morning rush hour traffic moved slowly along the streets, with car horns blaring and radio broadcasts mingling in the slightly muggy air.

Sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, casting its glow on the gray-white granite exterior of the Special Search Party headquarters building.

This massive, U-shaped building complex resembles a steel behemoth lurking in the heart of the bustling city, silently absorbing the flow of people coming and going.

On either side of the gate, sentries were standing in formation with their guns as they changed shifts.

The standard leather boots landed neatly on the cement platform, making a crisp clattering sound.

Today is the day when the special search team's spring recruitment personnel officially report for duty.

In the square in front of the headquarters building, hundreds of candidates who had passed through multiple rounds of selection lined up in designated areas according to the welcome signs.

Several staff members leading the team moved back and forth with the roster, checking the identity information one by one.

Among the crowd, some people whispered excitedly, asking each other about the departments they had been assigned to.

Some people hurriedly straightened their collars and hair while looking at their phone screens, paying great attention to their personal appearance.

Most people's faces were filled with anticipation for the future, as well as the restraint and nervousness of entering a powerful official agency for the first time.

Fang Cheng stood under a landscape tree at the edge of the square, using the lush foliage to avoid the direct sunlight.

He wore a crisp white shirt today, paired with dark casual pants, the hem neatly tucked into his belt.

With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, he exuded a gentle, approachable vibe.

His refined and upright demeanor, coupled with his handsome appearance, attracted frequent glances from several female newcomers in the adjacent group, who huddled together, giggling and offering their opinions.

Listening to the noisy voices around him, Fang Cheng remained calm as his thoughts drifted away.

He has been spending most of his time in Wanghu Town these past few days.

Every morning, besides maintaining my daily exercise routine, I go to the market to select fresh ingredients.

After returning home, I chopped vegetables and tossed the wok in the kitchen, cooking a few home-style dishes for my grandfather, uncle, and mother, while also practicing my cooking skills.

In his spare time, he would sit under the grape trellis in the yard, drink tea, and play Go with his grandfather to pass the time.

During this time, he also took the opportunity to visit the Jinshui Fish Market and the Jiangbei Textile Factory several times.

The headquarters renovation is mostly complete, and the underground air-raid shelter renovation project is also in full swing.

The Illuminati is gradually getting on track, and the personnel arrangements and material allocation of various departments are also proceeding in an orderly manner.

As the organization's big boss, he didn't slack off or become a hands-off manager; he carefully inspected the progress of various construction projects at the base and pointed out related problems.

He also personally handled some rather tricky matters.

For example, in several disputes involving black market transactions, Fang Cheng deliberately made an example of someone to deter others and persuade them with virtue, ultimately achieving his goal of making money through harmony.

As for Cheng Jiashu...

Since being forcibly possessed by Jiang Chen that night, this superstar's energy and spirit have been greatly depleted.

Although Jiang Chen's soul was eventually destroyed by Fang Cheng, Cheng Jiashu's body was severely eroded by the Yin energy, and he suffered from a persistent high fever for several days. He has been secretly transferred to a private hospital to recuperate.

Fang Cheng pictured that pale face that even women would envy, and shook his head speechlessly.

A newly promoted top-tier S-class expert is now so weak that he can barely speak and trembles when he holds a cup of water.

That's really lame.

Fang Cheng originally planned to drag Cheng Jiashu along to immediately investigate and eliminate the remaining forces left by Jiang Chen, and completely eradicate them.

For now, we can only postpone the plans and wait until the other person has recovered before making any further decisions.

According to Cheng Jiashu's intermittent confession before he fell into a coma, Jiang Chen was able to revive after being suppressed in the underground palace for two thousand years, all thanks to a real physical body hidden elsewhere.

If that physical body is not found and completely burned, his remnant soul will be nourished by the corpse energy over the years, and will surely rise from the ashes in the future.

After all, that old ghost is a ghoul king who has survived since the Yu Dynasty, and he definitely has many hidden cards that outsiders don't know about.

Fortunately, Cheng Jiashu claimed to have found some clues, so Fang Cheng decided to wait until the onboarding procedures were completed before questioning him further.

"Acheng! Over here!"

A loud, hoarse voice abruptly interrupted Fang Cheng's recollection.

Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see Ma Donghe waving his thick arms at the security checkpoint not far away.

With a thick white cast on his right leg and aluminum crutches between his hands, the man managed to squeeze a path through the crowded throng.

Hou Peng, carrying two large backpacks, followed behind like a doormat, sweating profusely and forcing a smile.

"Dafei! Hey, you've crossed the line too? Okay, see you in the Operations Department from now on!"

"Qiangzi, excuse me, excuse me, be careful not to touch my legendary leg!"

As Ma Donghe walked, he loudly greeted several familiar-looking social candidates in the crowd.

With his bear-like physique and thunderous voice, he managed to turn the serious registration scene into something resembling a gangster meeting.

Fang Cheng walked over and took a backpack from Hou Peng's hand.

"Your leg is still swollen, can't you just stop for a bit?"

Fang Cheng glanced at Ma Donghe's right leg, which was covered in bandages.

"Hey, this little injury is nothing."

Ma Dong-hyuk tapped the ground with his cane, grinned, and revealed a set of white teeth:
"Today is the first day I'm here to get my 'dog skin plaster' certificate, oh no, the day I'm here to get my government job. Even if they have to carry me here on a stretcher, I'll have to get someone to carry me over."

Just then, a series of steady and powerful footsteps came from above the steps of the square.

Wei Zheng was dressed in the sharp, dark green uniform of the Special Investigation Team, with the top button fastened tightly, and the silver stars on his epaulets gleaming in the sunlight.

He was holding a blue folder in his hand and walked quickly down the steps.

The other newcomers who were still making a lot of noise immediately shut up and straightened their backs when they saw the rank insignia on his shoulder.

Wei Zheng walked through the crowd with a stern face until he reached the three people. Only then did his cold expression melt away, replaced by a gentle smile.

"Have you been waiting long? There was a bit of traffic on the road today, and I just got here myself."

Wei Zheng waved the folder in his hand and explained:
"Come on, you guys come in with me to get the paperwork done. The hall is packed with people today, and the queues will wear you out. I'll take you through the fast track."

"Senior Brother Wei is still the most respectable!"

Upon hearing this, Ma Donghe immediately gave a thumbs up and then nudged Hou Peng with his elbow, signaling him to follow.

The three followed Wei Zheng through the internal security checkpoint at the side door and entered the service hall on the first floor of the headquarters building.

A blast of cool air hit me, instantly dispelling the summer heat.

The hall was extremely spacious, with official documents from various departments scrolling back and forth on a huge electronic screen.

Staff in uniforms moved back and forth carrying files and documents, while telephones rang incessantly.

Wei Zheng led them to the "New Employee Identity Registration Room" on the far left.

There was a long queue of dozens of people at the entrance.

Wei Zheng walked straight forward, pushed open the half-closed glass door, and slammed his work ID onto the table.

The office worker behind the desk was checking a form when he was interrupted. He frowned and was about to lash out.

But when she glanced up and saw the rank insignia on Wei Zheng's shoulder straps, she immediately swallowed back the reprimand that was on the tip of her tongue. "Commander Wei, why did you come in person?"

She quickly stood up and put on a fawning smile.

"I'll be taking three newbies to record some files."

Wei Zheng spoke calmly, naturally adopting the air of a superior, and said in an unquestionable tone, "This is their roster document. Let's go through the procedures first."

"Okay, wait a moment."

The civilian officer deftly operated the control panel and flipped open the metal cover of the instrument next to him.

The data entry process was exceptionally cumbersome and meticulous, revealing the strict rules of the state apparatus at every turn.

First came the iris scan, a beam of dark blue light sweeping across the pupils of Fang Cheng and the others.

Next comes the fingerprint collection process for all ten fingers.

Finally, a robotic arm equipped with a needle reached out, pierced Fang Cheng's fingertip, and extracted two milliliters of blood.

The moment the needle fell, Fang Cheng deliberately restrained his true energy and completely relaxed the skin and flesh of his fingertips.

So that the fragile metal needle could pierce the skin smoothly, instead of being broken by his strong muscle fibers.

As he watched the blood flow into the analyzer through the transparent tube, Fang Cheng remained calm, but his mind was perfectly clear.

The special search team maintains extremely strict control over the biometric information of its personnel.

The procedure of multiple physical examinations can be considered an important means of preventing the infiltration of supernatural beings and hostile forces.

However, he is a pure human being and has no worries about this kind of physical fitness test.

Moreover, Shi Chengyi had already laid the groundwork by recruiting him as a martial artist.

This endorsement is enough to explain the extraordinary vitality in his blood.

Once the process is complete, the printer dispenses three black magnetic cards with photos printed on them and embedded chips.

The three people took the magnetic cards and then signed their names on three thick confidentiality agreements.

"Once you sign, you'll officially be part of the Special Investigations Team."

Wei Zheng watched them quickly put pen to paper and nodded in satisfaction:

"Let's go to the logistics and equipment department to get our uniforms. On the way, I'll give you a general overview of the headquarters' layout."

The four of them walked along the main corridor toward the elevator.

The corridor is lined with one-way glass, and occasionally you can glimpse a serious meeting taking place inside through the cracks in the doors.

"Our building has thirty-three floors above ground and five floors underground."

Wei Zheng walked ahead, his voice calm and clear:
"The underground area mainly consists of detention cells, interrogation areas, and a large equipment warehouse. The first to fifth floors are the logistics department, which is responsible for medical care, equipment distribution, meals, and so on. This is the department you will be dealing with the most in the future."

Ma Donghe, walking quickly with his cane, interrupted and asked:
"Where is the department responsible for fighting?"

"The Operations Department occupies floors six through fifteen."

Wei Zheng raised his right hand and pointed to the top of his head, explaining the relevant situation in detail:

"This is the place with the most combat personnel and the most tension in the team. They are always at the forefront when it comes to clearing out heretics and dealing with supernatural terrorist incidents."

"Donghe, you'll be reporting to the twelfth floor later."

Hou Peng peeked out from behind Ma Donghe, somewhat awkwardly raised his hand, and asked in a low voice:
"Commander Wei, what about the intelligence department?"

The position he applied for in this assessment was intelligence gathering.

"Floors 16 to 20."

Wei Zheng glanced back at Hou Peng and patiently explained:
"This department is mainly responsible for information collection, network monitoring, and abnormal data analysis. The work is relatively safe, but it is extremely mentally demanding, so it is more suitable for a meticulous person like you."

He paused, then pointed to the very top of the building:

"Above the 21st floor is the research department. Those lunatics in white coats specialize in researching chemical weapons and mutated organisms. It's usually very strictly controlled, and unauthorized personnel are not allowed in. You should try not to go there unless necessary."

"Further up, there are smaller departments such as the Supervision Department, Organization Department, Finance Department, Administration Department, and Staff Department, as well as some other special areas."

"As for the top floor, the thirty-third floor..."

Wei Zheng lowered his voice slightly, unconsciously revealing a hint of awe:
"That's Chief of Staff Ling Shaofeng's office. No one is allowed to approach it without the Chief of Staff's summons."

As they were talking, the group turned a corner and arrived at the sky bridge connecting the north and south annex buildings.

The corridor floor is paved with gleaming marble, and the sides are lined with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing excellent natural light.

A thin man in a gray suit walked out of the elevator across the street.

The man had a somewhat harsh appearance and was looking down at the documents in his hand.

He had only taken a couple of steps when he suddenly looked up, revealing an old scar at the corner of his eye.

His gaze passed over Wei Zheng and landed directly on Fang Cheng, who was walking at the very back.

Fang Cheng also turned his gaze in that direction.

Their eyes met in mid-air.

The gaunt man abruptly stopped, as if he had stepped on a red-hot iron, and his body stiffened for a moment.

His pupils suddenly contracted, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed.

My fingers, which were holding the document, trembled involuntarily, and the edges of the paper made a slight rustling sound as they rubbed together.

This person was none other than Lu Tianming, the head of the Internal Investigation Department.

Fang Cheng remained expressionless, walking forward at a steady pace, only glancing lightly at the still-shaken face out of the corner of his eye.

The memory of that night at the Xishan examination hall flashed through their minds simultaneously.

Recalling the monster that flew on air and plowed an entire forest into ruins, and then looking at the gentle and harmless face in front of him.

Lu Tianming felt a cold sweat instantly seep out from his back, and his clothes felt sticky and uncomfortable against his skin.

He reacted extremely quickly, immediately forcibly averting his gaze from Fang Cheng's face, looking down at his watch as if to mutter:

"Oh dear, I've forgotten again! I need to go to the confidential office and get the supplementary report on the Xishan incident."

He tried to save face, then suddenly turned around as if a ferocious beast was chasing him, and walked away quickly.

"Section Chief Lu!"

Upon seeing this, Wei Zheng stopped and, out of politeness, took the initiative to greet him.

Lu Tianming, however, seemed deaf and completely ignored Wei Zheng's greeting, instead quickening his pace once more.

The leather shoes made a messy and rapid "tap-tap" sound on the marble floor, and after a few steps, he darted back to the elevator and quickly pressed the down button.

As the elevator doors that had just opened closed again, his figure vanished without a trace.

"Who is this skinny monkey? Why is he acting like he's seen a ghost?"

Ma Dong-hyuk, leaning on his cane, stared at the closed elevator doors, looking utterly bewildered.

Wei Zheng withdrew his hand, which was raised in mid-air, his brows furrowing slightly. He turned his head and warned in a low voice:

"Shut your mouth and stop giving me random nicknames. That was Lu Tianming, the head of the Internal Investigation Section of the Supervision Department!" (End of Chapter)