223: Chapter 223 Passing the Civil Service Exam and Unlocking Running

Chapter 223 Passing the Civil Service Exam and Unlocking Running

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"A-Cheng, is there no one around you?"

Over the phone, Ma Donghe's voice was kept very low, sounding as if a young girl with a pinched, high-pitched voice was speaking.

"No one. Don't you know I'm a single dog?"

Fang Cheng picked up the remote control to turn off the TV, shifted into a comfortable lying posture, and replied casually.

"No."

Ma Donghe hurriedly corrected himself, then asked in a low voice, "I mean, have you noticed any strange people or things appearing around you recently?"

Seeing him act as if he were making secret contact with the underground party, Fang Cheng was slightly speechless, but still answered truthfully:

"During these Spring Festival days, I've either been lying at home or visiting relatives to pay New Year greetings. It's only these past two days that I came out to play with my family, and I haven't found anything amiss."

After speaking, he asked straightforwardly:

"You're calling me in the middle of the night instead of sleeping. Is there any urgent matter?"

On the other end of the phone, Ma Donghe visibly breathed a sigh of relief, his voice carrying a hint of relief:

"A-Cheng, it's good that you're fine. It's mainly because some situations have arisen here at my place."

Afterwards, he stopped beating around the bush and immediately explained the reason.

Ever since he was accidentally kidnapped during a firearms deal and rescued by Fang Cheng from the waste disposal plant, Ma Donghe had been hiding at home most of the time.

He tried his best to keep a low profile, fearing that the so-called Noah Organization or Red Tiger Gang would come looking for him again.

During the Chinese New Year period, things had been peaceful and quiet, with years passing serenely.

But starting yesterday, Ma Donghe spotted a few strangers with suspicious whereabouts popping up in the village.

Some were even lingering around the entrance of the Ma Family courtyard with sneaky gazes, obviously not up to any good.

Clearly, these people had come specifically for Ma Donghe.

Hearing this, Fang Cheng frowned slightly and asked:

"What are your plans? Do you need me to step in and help solve it?"

His tone naturally revealed a hint of murderous intent.

"I think we probably don't need to trouble you to act for now."

Hearing this, Ma Donghe gave a bitter smile and then explained a few words:

"Those people are just lingering around the village and haven't acted rashly. They must be wary of you and want to find out your whereabouts first."

"So recently, the two of us should contact each other as little as possible to avoid having them see through our relationship."

Explaining the intention of this midnight phone call to notify him, he paused, and then said with a somewhat helpless tone:

"Furthermore, the old man at home has had plans for a long time and is preparing to send me to participate in this year's Special Investigation Team Spring Festival selection exam."

"Special Investigation Team?"

Hearing this, Fang Cheng couldn't help but be stunned.

"That's right, it's the Special Investigation Team that appeared in the Red Tiger Gang port warehouse last time."

Fearing that Fang Cheng wouldn't understand, Ma Donghe proceeded to give a detailed introduction:

"They are an official law enforcement agency with influence spanning the entire country, and experts and talented people emerge in droves. They are just like the Brocade-Clad Guard under the emperor in ancient times, possessing the right to execute first and report later, and even those chaebol families fear them by three points..."

Without Ma Donghe's introduction, Fang Cheng naturally knew what kind of existence the Special Investigation Team was.

Previously, he had already gained a good understanding of this "renowned" violent organization from the mouths of people including Ma Jianguo, Lin Chuqiao, and Smiling Demon.

The so-called "Special Investigation Team", whose full name is "Special Affairs Investigation Team", is a special organization nominally subordinate to the National Security Department, but actually directly administered by the Presidential Office.

Its main responsibility is to take corresponding precautionary measures and arrest and elimination actions against supernatural events that ordinary police forces cannot handle, as well as various inhuman monsters and Esper criminals.

Because the nature of their missions is very special, they can mobilize local government departments to cooperate with their actions while needing to implement confidentiality measures for the public, so their authority can be said to be extremely large.

In certain aspects, they are indeed equivalent to the Brocade-Clad Guard, or it can be said that their power is even greater than the imperial secret police organizations of history.

After all, every member of this organization possesses extraordinary strength, and they are a national-level force for dealing with monsters and Espers, maintaining social order stability, and counterbalancing chaebol families.

The reason Fang Cheng was surprised was not because of the prestige of the Special Investigation Team, but because of Ma Jianguo's choice.

He never expected that the old man was originally righteous, criticizing the officially backed Special Investigation Team and denouncing them as unorthodox ways.

Now, for his son's safety, he still yielded to strong power and arranged for his son to take the civil service exam to land a job ashore.

"Sigh, if it weren't for the old man's sake, I wouldn't want to be a Running dog either."

Ma Donghe self-deprecatingly said, and then continued:

"If I can smoothly pass the interview and put on an official tiger skin, even if I walk up to those bastards and slap them a few times, given them guts, they still wouldn't dare to lay a hand on me."

"At that time, not only can I get rid of my current predicament, but I can also use the resources of the Special Investigation Team to thoroughly investigate the background of the Noah Organization and the Red Tiger Gang, and make them pay the price for what they did before."

Ma Donghe said with a vow, but from his tone, one couldn't tell how happy or expectant he was; instead, he looked slightly distressed.

Come to think of it, he was originally just a punky gangster lingering in the underworld, used to being free and loose all year round.

Suddenly one day asking him to be an official runner, restricted by various rules and regulations, and honestly going out onto the street to execute missions—the art style was truly a bit discordant.

Imagining the awkward appearance of Ma Donghe wearing a uniform in his mind, Fang Cheng couldn't help but slightly raise the corners of his mouth and tease:

"What should we do then? At that time, you'll be the soldier and I'll be the bandit. Loyalty and affection are hard to balance."

"Damn it, if I encounter you during a mission, I'll run faster than anyone else."

Hearing this, Ma Donghe couldn't help raising his deliberately lowered voice a few notches, anxiously defending himself:

"Anyway, no matter how much of a bastard I am, I won't arrest my own brothers. For me, Ma Donghe, loyalty is more important than anything else!"

Seeming to realize that these words were somewhat ambiguous, he hurriedly added:

"Uh, this loyalty refers to the petty loyalty among brothers, not the greater national righteousness..."

Listening to his words, Fang Cheng was quite speechless.

The more this guy explained, the more chaotic it got, making himself sound as if he intended to rebel and commit treason.

On the other end of the phone, Ma Donghe chuckled awkwardly, and then said:

"A-Cheng, why don't you also participate in the interview and let the old man help operate it? The two of us brothers can enter the Special Investigation Team together, how nice would it be to look out for each other."

Fang Cheng refused without hesitation:

"Forget it, I'm a person who likes freedom and can't stand those restrictive rules and frameworks."

"Besides, the postgraduate entrance exam hasn't ended yet. My ambition is to be a cultured person with taste and style; fighting and killing don't suit me. You should prepare well for your interview yourself. The selection for the Special Investigation Team must be very strict. If there's anything you need help with, just speak up."

Hearing the word "cultured person", Ma Donghe couldn't help baring his teeth.

In his mind, he couldn't help but recall the ruthless drive with which Fang Cheng killed people without blinking, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

Suddenly, he remembered some things again, sighed inwardly, and then replied with a chuckle:

"Rest assured, for the next two weeks, the old man is going to put me into closed-door special training to strive to elevate my abilities in all aspects by another level."

After speaking, he didn't continue to persuade Fang Cheng.

The two chatted casually on the phone for a while longer, and after mutually reminding each other about staying safe and such, they hung up the phone.

Fang Cheng put down his phone and looked out the window.

The night was deep; even though he was in such a secluded place, he could still see the bustling lights of the distant city faintly flickering in the darkness.

In this mysterious world that seemed ordinary but was actually filled with crises and challenges.

Once one breaks away from the calm life trajectory of ordinary people and barges into a cruel circle formed by another group of carnivores holding dinner knives, it becomes difficult to find true peace and tranquility.

Fang Cheng leaned against the head of the bed, pillowing his hands behind his head, and stared at the ceiling.

Various thoughts surged from his mind like a tide.

His uncle's abnormal behavior, Ma Donghe's identity change, and many lingering hidden troubles that had not been completely resolved.

Thinking about these things, he slowly closed his eyes.

Tomorrow he still had to get up early for morning exercise.

Only by continuously strengthening oneself and having the strength to cope with any enemy can one have the most reliable guarantee in this perilous world.

...

At five o'clock in the morning, all was silent.

The whole Wanghu Town was still shrouded in night.

Yulong Lake was filled with a faint watery mist, and the opposite bank was a pitch-black mountain forest.

Moonlight cast upon the lake surface, resembling a natural ink painting.

At this time, a figure quietly appeared.

Wearing sportswear, Fang Cheng came to the lakeside, began to stretch his limbs, and did warm-up exercises.

Occasionally, the cries of a Night Owl echoed, cutting through the night sky and quickly dissipating, making the surrounding environment appear even more cold and desolate.

Looking up, an asphalt Running track wound forward, like a ribbon tightly wrapping around Yulong Lake.

During the daytime, this road was overcrowded with tourists, with laughter and chatter ceaseless.

Yet right now it was completely deserted. Under the reflection of the moonlight, it exuded a trace of desolation and mystery, turning into a stage that belonged solely to himself.

Fang Cheng stood on the lakeside Running track, his lightweight sneakers stepping on the asphalt ground, eager to try.

Today's morning exercise plan had changed somewhat.

He didn't go to the park hidden in the mountain forest for routine physical training at the first moment, but chose to complete a special test first.

Having prepared his warm-up at this moment, Fang Cheng raised his wrist and looked at the sports watch he was wearing.

The watch screen flickered with a faint light in the dark, displaying various environmental data such as time, date, and weather on it.

Then he gently pressed the side button of the watch, and the interface instantly switched, entering the Running mode.

Under this mode, the watch would use monitoring data such as GPS signals and acceleration sensors to track the motion trajectory during Running, calculate various parameters, and thus display information such as distance and speed in real-time.

That's right.

The sports event Fang Cheng planned to test today was the limit speed of his own Running.

After his body's Breakthrough of 40 attribute points, the fastest speed of his punching attack could already exceed the speed of sound.

Then what astonishing degree would the absolute speed when Running reach?

This unknown result, like a magnet attracting him, made Fang Cheng eager to find out.

After setting the relevant parameters, he immediately separated his legs front and back, with the toes of his front foot touching the ground and the knee of his back foot kneeling on the ground.

His upper body leaned forward slightly, his arms straight, supporting the ground with his hands.

Just like a professional sprinting champion standing in front of the starting line, looking for the best point of force application.

In order to test the limit value, Fang Cheng followed the most standard crouching posture in his memory and made the preparatory actions for starting.

His entire body was like a bow with a fully drawn string, every inch of muscle filled with power, ready to spring out at any time.

As he slightly raised his head, his gaze penetrated through his arms, staring at the runway extending forward in the dark.

Fang Cheng took a deep breath of the cold morning air, his chest rising and falling rhythmically, quickly adjusting his physical state.

The air was permeated with the moisture of the lake water and the fragrance of the soil, making the whole person instantly much more awake and adding a kind of excitement like welcoming a battle.

Just as his body leaned further forward and his hips were raised further.

Bang!

As if a mechanical mechanism twisted to the limit suddenly loosened, Fang Cheng started instantly.

His front foot slammed into the ground, his sole acting like it was fitted with a spring. With the help of the strong reaction force given by the ground, his back leg quickly exerted force to swing forward, his knees lifting high, driving his body to rush forward like an arrow leaving the bowstring.

At the same time, his arms took his shoulders as the axis, swinging back and forth rapidly and powerfully, fully extended like a flying bird flapping its wings, providing powerful assistance for the body's acceleration.

The entire movement was smooth and accomplished in one go, full of explosive power, just like a super sports car roaring to start.

Swoosh—

In this silent and deserted morning lakeside, a hurricane was instantly whipped up, blowing the branches and leaves of the plants beside the track to tremble rustlingly.

The data on the sports watch flickered and jumped wildly, and the numbers in the speed column were even more jaw-dropping, making it hard to imagine that this was a human Running.

Moonlight sprinkled on the lake surface, mist surged, and ripples swayed.

The weeping willows by the lake stood quietly, and the slender willow branches suddenly brushed up with the wind.

On the treetops beside the track, the flapping sounds and chirps of birds awakened by surprise came over.

These quiet and beautiful sceneries were instantly shattered, and in the blink of an eye, they were all left far behind by Fang Cheng.

He sped along the track like a black lightning bolt, fast as the wind and lightning.

His athletic posture could be called perfect: his head was upright, his gaze looked straight ahead, his shoulders were relaxed, and his arms swung back and forth rhythmically, driving his body forward rapidly.

The muscles of his waist and back vibrated smoothly, his steps were moderate yet full of power, and every push-off from the ground was just right, resembling a cheetah sprinting rapidly toward its prey.

The set one-kilometer distance passed in a flash.

As the finish line in his field of vision drew closer and closer, Fang Cheng clenched his teeth, his eyes wide open.

"Still not enough, give it another push!"

Along with a low roar bursting out from his chest, his body, which was at the end of its strength, actually accelerated once again.

Hum—

During the final full-effort sprint, the forward lean of his upper body increased, and his legs swung more and more rapidly, as if wanting to tear apart the surrounding air, faintly producing a low, sonic-boom-like buzzing sound.

He finally crossed the one-kilometer mark.

The watch screen also crystallized an astonishing result—a pace of 12.7 seconds.

That is to say, Running this one-kilometer distance took less than 13 seconds, with an average speed of about 79 meters per second.

If converted to hourly speed, it was 283 kilometers per hour.

This speed had far exceeded the maximum driving speed of ordinary family cars, reaching the level of a sports car.

Even when sprinting to the limit, it was not inferior compared to higher-performance super sports cars.

Fang Cheng's chest rose and fell violently, panting heavily.

Just Running this stretch of road left him covered in sweat, and he felt the muscles in his hands and feet trembling slightly.

Obviously, such a full-effort sprinting and Running state could not last too long.

And right at this moment, an unusually dazzling light suddenly flickered before his eyes.

A prompt message appeared on the panel.

[Congratulations, through practicing your craft, you have gained a deeper comprehension and successfully mastered a skill]

[Unlocked skill: Running lv0 (0/100)]