358: Chapter 358 Special Investigation Team Selection Exam, Assassin's Whereabouts

Ma Donghe leaned against the railing, exhaled a thick white smoke ring, and continued speaking:

"On the day I went to sign up, the instructor said that before the official exam, we had to go through a one-week training camp first, nicely called helping us adapt to the intensity and improve the pass rate."

"Bah, only when I got to the place did I realize I was tricked. That wasn't training at all, it was simply a Hell week!"

He seemed to fall into unbearable memories, and his voice even carried a hint of gnashing teeth:

"Every day at four in the morning, while it was still dark outside, we were woken up by a loudspeaker and then dragged straight into the mud pit to roll around."

"In the middle of the night when we were sleeping soundly, tear gas would be thrown into the dormitory, harming us terribly."

"As for the food, don't even mention it. We only ate compressed biscuits, and we even had to figure out how to boil hot water ourselves. Those days were no different from living like savages."

Hearing Ma Donghe pour out his bitter complaints, Fang Cheng's lips curved into an arc:

"Didn't your old man say he knows high-ranking officials in the Special Investigation Team? It's just an exam, didn't he give you some special care?"

"Sigh, don't mention it."

Ma Donghe waved his hand, his face full of depression:

"Favors are favors, the old man at most helped me fight for a reference quota. He couldn't possibly help me cheat on the exam, right?"

"Besides, the higher-ups watch this selection very closely, no one dares to mess around, and everyone is treated equally."

While speaking, his expression suddenly turned serious:

"Later I found out that the reason for holding this training camp was because the pass rate of the previous selections was too low, and it even caused multiple incidents of candidates dying."

"The higher-ups were afraid the impact would be too bad, so they decided to train us rookies first and teach us basic self-rescue and survival skills, so we wouldn't die too miserably."

"Quite a few people couldn't stand it during the training camp and cried and shouted to quit, but thinking about it now, for them, this might not necessarily be a kind of fortune."

Ma Donghe took a fierce puff of his cigarette, snorted through his nose, and exhaled two wisps of white smoke:

"With their frail bodies, if they really participated in the subsequent formal assessment and could be carried out in one piece, it would be considered accumulating virtue from their ancestors."

"That intensity is simply not something a normal person can endure."

Seeing Ma Donghe looking apprehensive yet unable to help wanting to show off,

Fang Cheng smiled slightly and asked very cooperatively:

"What kind of exam events are there, tell me about them?"

"Hehe, I was just waiting for you to ask this!"

Ma Donghe instantly perked up, leaned his head closer, and said mysteriously:

"Just now inside, I was afraid of scaring Auntie and the others, so I held it in and didn't say anything."

He gestured with his hands and then described it vividly:

"Take that extreme survival assessment for example, they threw more than a hundred of us into a primeval forest, gave us only a dagger and a pot of water, and made us hike one hundred kilometers within three days to reach a designated location."

"You think that's it? Those bastards also released genetically modified beasts in the forest!"

"I saw with my own eyes a buddy whose three ribs were gored by a wild boar the size of a calf, and he was carried out by the rescue personnel on the spot!"

"There is also a psychological test called 'Echoes of the Abyss', which is even weirder."

"They injected us with a spiritual potion that could magnify the sense of fear, and then locked us in a small dark room, using holographic projections to create various illusions—whatever you feared most would come!"

"The guy next to me was afraid of snakes since childhood, and as a result, he was 'bitten' alive by tens of thousands of poisonous snakes inside for half an hour. When he came out, he was completely crazy and could only silly-smile!"

Ma Donghe patted his chest with lingering fear:

"At that time, I saw my dead grandfather crawl out of the ground, scolding me as an unfilial descendant, carrying a knife and wanting to hack me."

"Heh, guess what? I went up and gave him a big slap, knocking him right back!"

"The instructor even said my willpower was firm and gave me a high score."

He proudly flicked his cigarette ash and continued:

"The most perverted one is the last item, called 'Iron Cage Combat'."

"They locked us in an iron cage that constantly rotates and sprays high-pressure water columns, making us engage in indiscriminate melee combat."

"The ground was as slippery as if it had been smeared with oil, we couldn't even stand steadily, and we had to guard against other people's dirty tricks and randomly spraying water guns."

"Ten minutes later, those who could still stand were considered to have passed. After that fight, everyone's body was covered in bruises."

Saying this, he looked at Fang Cheng beside him and sighed:

"Fang Cheng, it would be great if you could also participate. With your skills, these assessment items would definitely be like child's play to you."

"The two of us brothers taking the exam together, getting admitted together, becoming official members, and fighting side by side in the future, how awesome would that be..."

Fang Cheng didn't speak, only gazing into the distant myriad lights of the city with deep eyes.

After a moment of silence, he casually asked:

"When does the admission list come out?"

"Still early."

Ma Donghe shook his head: "This time is just the preliminary test; next month there are still re-tests and the final interview."

"You guys also have re-tests?"

Hearing this, Fang Cheng couldn't help feeling a bit curious.

"Of course!"

Ma Donghe said it as a matter of course:

"The Special Investigation Team selects elites who will be responsible for capturing those monsters and maintaining social order in the future. How could they be sloppy or make up the numbers casually? Every single link must be strictly guarded..."

The two chatted while gazing at the city night view.

The night wind gradually grew colder, blowing the last bit of spark on the cigarette butt to flicker uncertainly.

Ma Donghe extinguished the cigarette butt on the railing, and only then turned back with Fang Cheng to return to the private room.

At this time, the banquet was nearing its end, and Li Dingjian was flushed with alcohol.

He was telling interesting stories of Fang Cheng's childhood in a half-drunken tone, making Zhou Xiumei and Wen Xin laugh incessantly.

Seeing Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe enter, Li Biyun couldn't help laughing either, and smilingly told another embarrassing story of her precious son.

Fang Cheng was quite helpless and buried his head in sweeping away the remaining dishes.

Wasting food was a heinous crime indeed.

In the blink of an eye, it was almost nine o'clock.

Tomorrow, everyone had to work if they had work, go to school if they had school, and Fang Cheng also had to attend the subsequent interview.

The group no longer lingered, packed up properly, and got up to leave.

The corridor of Wangjiang Tower was paved with a thick dark red carpet, making no sound when stepped on.

Many calligraphy and paintings hung on the walls, and warm yellow wall lamps illuminated everything to look magnificent and luxurious.

"Hic—cup—"

Ma Donghe gave a drunken hiccup and patted his belly with satisfaction: "This meal was comfortable, I haven't been this enjoyable in a long time!"

This guy clearly agreed before coming that he wouldn't drink and would drive, but in the end, he drank more than anyone else.

"That is..."

Li Dingjian's footsteps slightly staggered, and hearing this, he vaguely replied: "Your uncle—I... I'm treating, can it not be enjoyable?"

Fang Cheng stepped forward, steadily supporting him, with a somewhat helpless expression.

This uncle was so drunk he even forgot to pay the bill. Just now, he had to make an excuse to go out and quietly paid the bill at the front desk.

Twelve hot dishes, a few cold dishes, desserts, plus drinks, costing nearly eight thousand yuan in total.

It was almost equivalent to two months' salary of an ordinary citizen.

If he hadn't made some extra money recently, he really wouldn't have been able to afford this consumption.

Li Biyun complained from the side:

"A-Jian, your alcohol tolerance is so poor, you should drink less in the future, it's good for your health too..."

Zhou Xiumei held Wen Xin's hand, quietly following behind Fang Cheng.

"The elevator is almost here!"

Ma Donghe walked fast at the very front, pressing the down button on the panel.

Ding.

With a soft sound, the elevator doors slid open to both sides.

Inside the car, there were already two men wearing grey jackets, standing in the two rear corners on the left and right respectively.

Ma Donghe glanced at them and walked in first.

Fang Cheng supported Li Dingjian and followed. When entering, his body naturally took a horizontal step, separating the passenger behind him.

At the same time, he placed himself in a position where he could look after everyone, letting the female family members like Mom, Xiumei, and Wen Xin stand in a safer place further forward.

The interior of the elevator was luxuriously decorated, and the four walls of the car were mirror-like brown mirrors that reflected everyone's figures.

"Whoa, as expected of Dongdu's most upscale restaurant, even the elevator is as spacious as a living room!"

Ma Donghe exclaimed.

Fang Cheng smiled, but his gaze swept across the reflection in the mirror without a trace.

At this very instant, he detected some abnormalities.

Breath, heartbeat.

The physiological response frequencies of those two jacketed men, although deliberately suppressed,

still appeared somewhat hurried and heavy in Fang Cheng's perception, revealing a certain emotion similar to excitement and nervousness.

This abnormal physiological response, although extremely subtle, simply couldn't fool a mindful person with superb mental attributes.

Fang Cheng's heart stirred slightly.

With the help of the mirror reflection, he clearly saw the appearance of the man behind him.

Head lowered, the brim of his duck-billed cap pulled very low, his collar turned up high, his shoulders slightly shrunk, showing a defensive posture of deliberately hiding himself.

Glancing out of the corner of his eye, the one standing behind Ma Donghe also had his head lowered, seemingly intentionally avoiding the surveillance camera at the top of the elevator.

And at his waist, there was an unnatural bulge.

As a Great Master of Marksmanship, Fang Cheng was too familiar with the outline of weapons.

More crucially, the air was filled with a very faint smell of blood.

Not fresh blood, but that kind of stale scent that comes from long companionship with bloodshed, soaked deep into the fibers of clothing.

It was a unique mark that could only be left on one's body after killing many people.

The elevator was so quiet that only the faint sound of the air conditioner's breeze remained.

But the atmosphere instantly froze in Fang Cheng's heart.

The muscles throughout his body had already entered a ready-to-go state.

If he were the only one here at this moment, he wouldn't even bother to care and could simply brush past them.

But the situation was completely different now. Besides his half-drunken uncle, his mother, Xiumei, and Wen Xin were all here; they were his soft underbelly that he absolutely did not allow to be touched.

What did these two killers want to do? Who was the target?

Fang Cheng didn't know, but he had to extinguish all sparks before any possible changes occurred.

Zizi...

A faint current sound rang out, which was the static noise emitted when the headset connected to the signal.

Through the reflection, Fang Cheng saw the man wearing the duck-billed cap behind him lift his hand without leaving a trace, his fingers reaching into his collar, seeming to press the earpiece.

Lips moving slightly, speaking in a low voice:

"Received, we are taking the elevator down."

Another voice also came out from the headset.

Although inaudible, Fang Cheng heard it crystal clear.

That voice was cold and concise: "The target has arrived at the location, prepare to move."

The two words "target", like a flash of lightning, made Fang Cheng instantly understand.

His expression unchanged, thoughts spinning rapidly in his head, he then spoke, his tone as relaxed as casual chatting:

"Donghe, do you remember that night when we wrestled at the waste treatment plant, those two guys who only knew how to use underhanded tricks?"

Ma Donghe was stunned for a moment, but when he saw the look Fang Cheng cast over, he immediately understood.

"Oh, you mean those two bastards!"

He immediately switched to a boasting tone and said loudly:

"How could I not remember, pressed to the ground and rubbed by me alone, crying for their fathers and mothers, what a cowardly look!"

After the two of them exchanged questions and answers, the elevator fell into silence once again.

Only Li Dingjian's drunken talk and Li Biyun's low complaints remained.

On the display screen, the floor numbers jumped steadily.

8... 7... 6...

Ding.

The elevator doors stopped at the sixth floor and slid open to both sides again.

Outside the door, a young man in a suit and tie with gold-rimmed glasses was holding down the open button, nodding apologetically to the people inside:

"Sorry, please wait a moment, our leader is coming right over."

As soon as his voice fell, a group of people walked down the hallway.

At the head was a middle-aged man around fifty years old.

Slender build, wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses, calm and sharp eyes, wearing a dark administrative jacket, carrying a steady bearing.

Beside him followed two vigilant attendants, with weapons hidden at their waists, obviously bodyguards with firearm permits.

In addition, there was an elderly man with graying hair and a rosy complexion.

Elegant in temperament, yet following closely at the middle-aged man's side step by step, his attitude appearing quite respectful.

The old man glanced inside the elevator and slightly frowned:

"There are a bit many people, Councilor Zhao, let's wait for the next one."

The middle-aged man called "Councilor Zhao" slightly nodded in agreement.

Just at this moment!

Fang Cheng saw from the mirror that a fierce light flashed in the eyes of the two killers behind him, and the hands hanging by their sides had already quietly felt towards their waists!

Seeing that this small elevator compartment was about to turn into a bloody Shura field!

"Cough."

Fang Cheng's gaze flashed, and he gave a light cough.

This cough was the signal!

He moved without the slightest warning, his body springing open instantly like a taut bow.

Violently twisting his waist and turning sideways, his right hand turned into an afterimage, precisely chopping like a blade onto the carotid artery of the killer behind him.

That person didn't even have time to let out a muffled groan before his eyes rolled back and his body slumped down softly.

Almost at the same instant, Ma Donghe, who received the signal, also moved.

He suddenly turned around like a bear, his arms like iron hoops, tightly hugging the other killer, preventing him from drawing his gun.

Immediately following, with his hard forehead, he fiercely smashed forward.

With a muffled "thud", that killer's eyes also rolled white, and he passed out on the spot.

From Fang Cheng's cough to the two being subdued, the whole process was swift like a falcon diving on a rabbit, as fast as lightning, taking no more than a second.

The two battle-hardened killers didn't even have time to pull out their weapons before they silently lost their combat effectiveness.

The people outside the elevator only saw shadows flash inside, and then two men collapsed limply into the arms of Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe, the scene appearing somewhat bizarre.

Ma Donghe held the unconscious killer in one hand, while his other hand vigorously patted his back.

Curving the corners of his mouth, he smiled at Councilor Zhao and the others outside who looked astonished:

"Sorry, everyone!"

"My two friends drank too much and are acting crazy from alcohol. You guys should wait for the next elevator, I'm afraid they'll vomit on you."

He spoke boldly, but that hugging posture looked far too intimate no matter how one looked at it, making people feel peculiar.

Only then did Li Biyun and Zhou Xiumei react, looking puzzled at the unfamiliar men being "supported" by the two, feeling somewhat perplexed.

They certainly didn't remember when Fang Cheng and Ma Donghe gained two such friends.

Fang Cheng didn't explain, just calmly reaching out to hug the killer he had subdued, and pressing the close button with his other hand.

The elevator doors slowly closed amidst the startled and uncertain gazes of the few people outside.