Chapter 59: As Bait?
Chapter 59: Chapter 59: As Bait?
After leaving Vice Director Gao’s office, Yang Wenqing didn’t head directly back to the break room. Though it was deep in the night, he still retraced the central district’s daytime patrol route on foot.
The streets were dotted with only a few people returning home late and the occasional night-watchman. Whenever he came across the night patrol squad, they would stop to exchange a few words. He completed the circuit without finding anything unusual.
He then returned to the break room beside the command center and resumed his meditation, bringing his body and mind to their peak condition to face the unknowns of the coming day.
「Early the next morning, as the sky began to lighten.」
Yang Wenqing woke early. After carefully straightening his uniform and equipping his ’Lingxi Core’, he read through the incident reports recorded by the communications team the previous evening. Just as he finished, Wu Yan and Liu Rong emerged from their own break rooms.
Yang Wenqing cast the Dust Clearing Skill three times to clean the dust from all three of their uniforms. After a quick grooming, they met with Communications Specialist Fang Che, then held a short meeting with Liu Xin and Lei Dan. With a list in hand, Yang Wenqing then headed for the main gate of the City Defense Division.
Today was the day of the written exam for the assessment, and the examination hall was set up in the main auditorium inside the division headquarters. All eligible sergeants from across the county would gather here. There weren’t many of them. The list in Yang Wenqing’s hand was for the seventy-two people participating in today’s assessment. Typically, only one person would pass. In rare cases, two might pass, but most of the time, it was possible that no one would pass at all.
Yang Wenqing had only figured out these unspoken rules because of Wang Jianchao’s situation. If there was a vacant Specialist Officer position, the chances of passing were much higher. If not, the higher-ups would deliberately limit the number of people who passed.
However, if you could cultivate to the Marrow Cleansing Realm, you would be granted the rank of Specialist Officer one way or another. Direct promotion was also possible by passing assessments for specialized skills or by accumulating sufficient merit, but the chances were slim and usually reserved for those at the Provincial Hall or general headquarters.
When Yang Wenqing reached the division’s main gate, a squad of Government Soldiers was already standing guard on either side. Each soldier held a runic rifle. All personnel participating in the assessment had to pass through this point and undergo a strict inspection to enter.
Yang Wenqing stood just inside the main gate, list in hand, quietly waiting for the scheduled time for the gates to be opened.
As time passed, the crowd at the gate grew. Every person there was a veteran holding the rank of senior sergeant; one or two even looked as though they had one foot in the grave. As a result, despite the area around the division’s gate being packed with people, it was remarkably quiet.
Yang Wenqing silently scrutinized every single one of them, quietly waiting for the appointed time.
When the hands of the mechanical clock pointed precisely to the predetermined time, a distant bell chimed from within the division. Amidst the low groan of machinery, the heavy gates of the City Defense Division slowly swung open.
The spirits of the crowd outside lifted. The already quiet scene became so still you could hear a pin drop as all eyes turned toward the entrance.
Yang Wenqing took a step forward. His calm gaze swept over the crowd as his voice rang out clearly, "We will now begin identity verification for entry. When your name is called, step forward and present your badge. After you pass inspection, enter in an orderly fashion."
His voice wasn’t loud, but infused with Spiritual Qi, it carried clearly to everyone’s ears.
"East City Public Security Office, Xiao Liang."
Standing at the back of the crowd, Xiao Liang immediately stepped forward and presented his identification badge with both hands. Yang Wenqing accepted it, checked it against the information on his list and the corresponding spiritual-aura imprint, and after confirming everything was correct, returned the badge with a slight nod.
Xiao Liang took back his badge and met Yang Wenqing’s gaze. An unspoken understanding passed between them. Then, Xiao Liang strode quickly through the gate and toward the examination hall inside.
"Port Public Security Office, Yan Kuan."
"South City Public Security Office..."
Yang Wenqing continued down the list, reading out the names one by one. Each person called would step forward in turn to present their badge for verification.
The process was perfectly orderly. Many sergeants who had interacted with Yang Wenqing in the course of their duties were now exceptionally proper in his presence. They didn’t dare show the slightest disrespect, let alone try to act overly familiar.
The verification process was swift. In about a quarter of an hour, all seventy-two people on the list were inside. The heavy gates slowly swung shut once more, separating the interior from the world outside.
Yang Wenqing let out a soft breath and put the list away. He turned, about to head back to the command center to report to Lei Dan, when his eyes caught Liu Rong a short distance away, chatting quietly with one of the guards on duty. It was Song Yu, from Yang Wenqing’s own recruitment class, who was normally assigned to guard the division’s main gate. At that moment, Song Yu wore a slightly fawning smile.
Noticing Yang Wenqing’s gaze, Liu Rong immediately ended his conversation with Song Yu and hurried over. Song Yu’s smile also vanished as he quickly resumed a proper, solemn guarding posture.
Yang Wenqing didn’t ask any questions, merely giving Liu Rong a detached glance.
Back in the command center, Yang Wenqing gave a brief report to Commander Lei Dan about the entry and verification, confirming that all examinees had entered the examination hall safely and without incident.
Lei Dan just grunted in acknowledgment, his gaze remaining fixed on the Water Mirror Screen, which displayed live patrol data from across the county.
After reporting in, Yang Wenqing didn’t stop to rest. He took Wu Yan and Liu Rong and began to patrol the division headquarters, needing to ensure that the core assessment area remained completely sealed off.
Time slipped by during the tense patrol. Soon, it was eleven-thirty in the morning. A faint bell rang from the direction of the main auditorium, signaling the end of the written exam.
Yang Wenqing immediately mobilized his personnel and hurried to the examination hall’s exit area.
Just as with the entrance, the seventy-two sergeants who had taken the test filed out of the examination hall in an orderly manner, guided by the proctors.
Yang Wenqing simply watched in silence, ensuring everyone departed swiftly. After the participants had left, staff from the Examination Committee would quickly enter the hall to collect all the test papers. Then, under the escort of security personnel arranged by Yang Wenqing, they would head to a designated room for grading.
Then came the wait for the results. According to regulations, the scores would be posted within five hours, so the sergeants waited quietly in the division’s plaza.
At a quarter past three in the afternoon, the door to the grading room finally opened again. The Examination Committee’s Secretary-General, Wang Ren, walked out holding a list, which he handed to Yang Wenqing and Lei Dan, who were waiting outside.
"The written test results are out. As per the rules, the top eighteen will advance to the next round: the practical assessment," Wang Ren said succinctly. "Here is the list. The practical assessment will be held tomorrow at the Black Mountain Training Ground in West City. The relevant security and site preparations must be arranged immediately."
Yang Wenqing took the list and scanned it quickly. In first place was none other than Wang Jianchao, his score far surpassing the rest. Xiao Liang’s name was also on the list, ranked ninth, meaning he had passed safely.
"Go and post the results," Lei Dan ordered Yang Wenqing, then added, "I will personally oversee security outside the city. You and Liu Xin are responsible for affairs within the city!"
"Yes, sir!"
Yang Wenqing replied.
He then strode toward the notice board at the division’s entrance. The sergeants, who had been waiting for a long time, immediately crowded around, their eyes fixed nervously on the paper in his hand. The moment Yang Wenqing posted the fateful list, a stifled commotion rippled through the crowd.
He paid no mind to the reactions behind him; his task was simply to post the results. Having completed his duty, he immediately returned to the command center.
By this time, the command center was a hive of activity. Lei Dan was making his final deployments. A large number of guards originally responsible for security in the city’s core, as well as some of the Government Soldiers, were assembling. They were preparing to depart for the Black Mountain Training Ground outside the city along with the Examination Committee. Even the sergeants who had failed the first round of the assessment were to accompany them out of the city.
Yang Wenqing watched this all in silence, suddenly feeling the pressure on his shoulders increase immensely. At the same time, an irrepressible thought surfaced. ’The forces in the city will be stretched this thin, yet a relatively junior sergeant like me has been entrusted with the heavy responsibility of staying behind to oversee the entire city’s defenses. Could this be a deliberate move by the higher-ups? Is their goal to lure out some unknown, big fish?’