Chapter 20
When Shao Enzhuo heard her name, she hurriedly stepped out of the line and followed behind Dong Xueji. Without realizing it, her gaze fell on Han Yilü ahead.
This was her second time meeting Han Yilü.
She remembered Han Yilü.
And she remembered what Han Yilü had said to her on the rooftop.
But Han Yilü had probably long since forgotten that strange girl she had met on the clock tower rooftop. The moment her gaze met Han Yilü’s, Shao Enzhuo instinctively looked away.
She still did not dare meet Han Yilü’s eyes.
It was rather inexplicable.
Ahead, Dong Xueji had already walked up to the table and was preparing to take the backpack handed to her by the vanguard. Suddenly, a man’s voice rang out from behind, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
“Commander, I have a question.”
Shao Enzhuo turned to look at the man who had spoken.
He was a tall, broad, chubby man.
“Why is that woman called Dong Xueji allowed to bring two short blades into the camp herself?” The chubby man raised his hand and pointed at Dong Xueji. “And she’s the only one who brought them.”
Everyone’s gaze focused on Dong Xueji.
“Since none of us brought weapons, for the sake of fairness among us trainees,” the chubby man suddenly narrowed his eyes and smiled in a lazy, roguish way, “shouldn’t they be confiscated?”
Shao Enzhuo withdrew her gaze and looked at Dong Xueji ahead. Dong Xueji stood in front of the table without any reaction. She did not even turn her head, making it impossible for anyone to see what expression she had now.
Shao Enzhuo raised her eyes and looked at Han Yilü.
The cold light in Han Yilü’s eyes was like an ice cellar, as if she could see through anyone’s heart with a single glance. She moved her lips and answered expressionlessly, “The Reconnaissance Department of District P-43 has never had a rule saying that you cannot bring your own weapons. As long as you have the ability to cut off walking-corpse heads, if you want to bring your own weapons, you may.”
The chubby man shut his mouth as soon as he heard the words “walking corpses.”
The expressions of the other trainees instantly changed as well. Walking corpses were a nightmare that terrified all of humanity. Even if these trainees had not yet seen walking corpses, those words alone were enough to make them shudder.
Han Yilü asked, “Does anyone else want to bring their own weapons?”
No one answered.
“I’ll give you one last chance,” Han Yilü said, her tone extremely cold. “Does anyone else want to bring their own weapons?”
Still no one made a sound.
Han Yilü said, “Continue.”
The vanguard said, “Yes.”
After saying that, he handed the backpack to Dong Xueji.
Dong Xueji took her backpack, turned, and walked to the end of the line on the right to queue up. Shao Enzhuo silently stepped forward and took her own backpack, then walked behind Dong Xueji and stood properly.
“No. 10, Tao Jinghao.”
The vanguard continued reading the list of trainees.
Shao Enzhuo unzipped the backpack and checked what was inside. She saw an olive-green outfit inside. The outfit looked somewhat like a modern workwear style, different from the uniforms worn by vanguards.
The fabric felt quite nice to the touch.
Aside from that, there was a tactical belt that could be fastened around the waist, a black fitted athletic tank top, and a pair of dark, shiny riding boots.
That was everything inside the backpack.
The items all had a name embroidered on them.
—Shao Enzhuo.
The three characters of Shao Enzhuo’s name were also embroidered on the shoulder straps of the backpack,
so each person’s belongings could be distinguished.
After looking through the things in the backpack, Shao Enzhuo zipped it closed and put it on her back. The trainee list had now been read up to No. 84. She lowered her head and looked at the two short blades behind Dong Xueji’s waist.
They were even more stunning up close.
This was her first time personally seeing two short blades made so delicately and gorgeously. They were even more beautiful than the ones she had seen on television. These two short blades seemed very valuable.
She felt that Dong Xueji’s skills were probably quite good.
After all, she was a trainee who intended to use these two short blades to cut off the heads of walking corpses. How bad could her skills be?
A short while later,
the vanguard read the last number on the list.
—No. 192.
This meant that there were a total of one hundred and ninety-two trainees in the 256th batch of the Reconnaissance Department of District P-43. After No. 192 stepped forward and received their backpack, everyone stood in line on the right side.
The vanguard turned to look at Han Yilü and waited for instructions.
Everyone’s gaze focused on Han Yilü.
“You have all received your backpacks,” Han Yilü said coldly, looking at the line. Her beautiful peach-blossom eyes held no emotion. “Next, you will be given three minutes to go to the bathroom and change into your trainee uniforms.”
After saying that, she immediately added,
“Those who are late will bear the consequences themselves.”
What? Three minutes?
Giving only three minutes was far too short. Moreover, there were so many trainees. The trainees in the line felt that the time was truly too little, and they began raising objections one after another.
However, they only dared to speak softly.
Everyone feared the cold and stern commander.
Shao Enzhuo felt that Han Yilü giving only three minutes to change clothes was extremely unreasonable. According to her memory, running from here to the bathroom, changing clothes, and then running back—
This was clearly deliberately making them late.
Shao Enzhuo suddenly suspected that Han Yilü had given them three minutes precisely so they would fail the task. As for why she was doing this, Shao Enzhuo could not guess Han Yilü’s thoughts.
“Commander…”
“Can you give us five minutes?”
“Even five minutes would work.”
…
The trainees in the line tried hard to fight for more time.
“It is now 8:21 in the morning. Your first task as trainees is to change clothes,” Han Yilü said, ignoring everyone. She picked up the timer in her hand and spoke coldly. “All trainees, prepare yourselves.”
“The countdown begins.”
After saying that, she pressed the timer in front of everyone.
Seeing this, the trainees scattered in panic and ran toward the bathrooms in the building. When they had differentiated before, they had all been brought by vanguards to live in the Reconnaissance Department for a few days.
Everyone had at least some impression of the place.
Shao Enzhuo, however, stood still and did not move.
She did not want to be late.
But if she ran from here to the bathroom, changed clothes, and ran back, she would definitely be late. In her urgency, she suddenly thought of a method and directly placed her backpack on the ground.
Han Yilü had not said just now that they were not allowed to change clothes in the courtyard, so she decided to change in the courtyard.
Coincidentally, Dong Xueji ahead had not left either.
And she had already taken off her short blades.
Seeing that Dong Xueji had the exact same idea as her, Shao Enzhuo felt relieved. If Han Yilü punished her later, at least Dong Xueji would suffer the punishment with her.
Time waited for no one.
Shao Enzhuo hurriedly took off the coat she was wearing, bent down, unzipped her bag, and stuffed it inside. Then she first took out the uniform jacket from inside and, without another word, directly put the jacket on.
A vanguard’s cold questioning voice suddenly came from ahead.
“What are you two doing?”
Shao Enzhuo took the pants out of the backpack and raised her head to look at the vanguard ahead. With a smile in her eyes, she said calmly, “Officer Han only said just now that we had three minutes to go to the bathroom and change clothes. She didn’t say we could only change in the bathroom, nor did she say we couldn’t change in the courtyard.”
The vanguard said, “You…”
“As long as it’s completed within three minutes, it should be fine.” Shao Enzhuo paused, then looked at Han Yilü. “Isn’t that right?”
Their gazes met.
This was the first time Shao Enzhuo dared to look straight at Han Yilü like this.
Han Yilü’s eyes were extremely aggressive and oppressive. She could always stare at someone until their heart grew uneasy and their scalp tingled, making them wonder whether they had done something wrong. Shao Enzhuo knew that she could not shrink back at this moment, so she looked at Han Yilü calmly.
The vanguard cast Han Yilü a pleading look.
“Commander…”
Han Yilü lowered her eyes and glanced at the timer. The expression on her face did not change at all.
“Two minutes and forty seconds remaining.”
Shao Enzhuo knew that Han Yilü had tacitly allowed them to change clothes in the courtyard, so she completely relaxed and pulled the pants on over her current ones. Then she took the riding boots from her bag and put them on.
Finally, she fastened the tactical belt.
The whole process took about two minutes.
Shao Enzhuo packed up her backpack and stood straight. Dong Xueji in front had also changed, but Dong Xueji had not fastened the tactical belt. Around her waist was still the sheath belt for her short blades.
A moment later,
Han Yilü pressed the timer in her hand.
She raised her eyes and looked at the four trainees in the courtyard who had completed the task. “Three minutes are up. Only the four of you completed the task. Line up where you are.”
Four people? Weren’t there only two?
Shao Enzhuo turned back in confusion and saw a pair of twin sisters standing behind her. They were the twin sisters who had been lined up behind her. The sisters had also finished changing.
She had not expected that…
This pair of twin sisters had actually completed the task too.
When had they returned to the courtyard?
A short while later,
the other trainees who had run to the bathrooms to change came sprinting back one after another. Unfortunately, the timer had already stopped. Under the vanguards’ instructions, those who were already late lined up in a long line on the left.
Comparing the two lines on the left and right, aside from the four trainees who had completed the task, the other trainees were secretly worried because of Han Yilü’s words: those who were late would bear the consequences themselves.
Everyone was guessing what the consequence of being late would be.
However, no one would guess correctly.
A vanguard suddenly walked up beside Han Yilü and quietly whispered something. After speaking, he stepped back to the side and looked at Han Yilü. Han Yilü took a step forward, faced everyone, and said, “Only four trainees completed the task. You will now head to the training camp outside the city. After arriving at the training camp, I will announce the next task to you.”
The training camp outside the city?
When Shao Enzhuo heard the words “outside the city,” her heartstrings trembled. They were already leaving the city so soon? And why was the training camp outside the city? Wasn’t outside the city very dangerous?
“Commander.”
A trainee in the line on the left raised his hand high and asked, “Only the four of them completed the task. Then what about those of us who didn’t complete the task…”
Han Yilü said, “You’ll know when we reach the training camp.”
The trainee said, “Alright…”
“Now, follow the line out of the city in an orderly manner,” Han Yilü said, taking a step toward the entrance and carrying a gust of wind with her. “Everyone, remain quiet on the road. Do not speak to anyone.”
Everyone answered in unison, “Yes.”
—
A gentle breeze brushed past.
Shao Enzhuo followed the line through the streets and alleys, walking toward the city gate that led outside. There were many passersby on the street watching them leave. Quite a few passersby reminded them to be careful after going out, saying that staying alive was the most important thing.
The entire journey was orderly and harmonious.
The line soon reached its destination. The station officer was already waiting at the city gate with the guards. Under the guidance of several vanguards, the trainees lined up one after another in front of the gate.
Han Yilü negotiated with the station officer nearby.
Before long,
the city gate suddenly began to open upward. Brilliant light shone in through the gap, so dazzling that Shao Enzhuo could barely open her eyes.
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