Chapter 17: Policy

The morning sun shone on Chen Ling's face. His eyelashes fluttered, and he slowly opened his eyes...

"Back..." He rubbed the corners of his eyes and let out a long sigh.

After he finished drawing, he had wandered the stage for a long time but still couldn't find any exit. It wasn't until the stage bell rang and the curtain opened that he automatically returned.

"Current anticipation value 23%... approaching the life-and-death line again." Chen Ling recalled the screen text before leaving and muttered to himself, "I need to do something quickly..."

"Brother..."

The quilt was pulled back, and Chen Yan sat up, rubbing his red eyes. "Morning."

"Morning." Chen Ling glanced at the clock on the wall, took the last few copper coins from his pocket, and handed them to Chen Yan. "I have to go out. I don't know when I'll be back, so you eat something on your own today..."

"Brother, where are you going?"

"To catch myself."

“……？”

Chen Ling put on a cotton coat, tucked the envelope the enforcer had given him yesterday into his chest, and turned to rub Chen Yan's head. "Don't ask too much. Just stay home and wait for me to come back, understand?"

"Understood." Chen Yan nodded obediently.

Watching Chen Ling leave, Chen Yan rolled out of bed and looked at the two large holes in their doorway, his brow furrowing immediately.

"How am I supposed to fix this..."

He looked at the few remaining copper coins in his hand, silently tucked them away, took out a heavy hammer and some wooden boards from the room, and began measuring.

Just then, a figure appeared behind the large hole, startling Chen Yan.

It was a man in a wool coat with a dark blue scarf around his collar and silver-rimmed glasses on his nose, looking cultured and wise.

But at this moment, looking at the house that was now just two large holes, a look of confusion appeared in his wise eyes...

He wanted to say something, but felt it would be impolite, so he tried to knock on the door, but after circling the house, he couldn't find where the door was.

He returned to the hole and looked inside.

"Can I help you?" Chen Yan tilted his head.

"Is Mr. Chen Ling in?"

Hearing his brother's name, a flash of vigilance crossed Chen Yan's eyes. He sized the man up and asked again, "Can I help you?"

The man took off his white gloves, took a letter from his coat pocket, unfolded it, and spoke calmly toward the house:

"I heard that Mr. Chen needs a [Doctor]."

"So, I'm here."

……

The biting cold wind poured into his collar, making Chen Ling shiver.

"Young man, where are you going? Want a ride?" A lean, dark-skinned man pulling a rickshaw hurried to Chen Ling's side, grinning to reveal a row of yellow teeth.

Chen Ling glanced at him. "Enforcer headquarters."

"I know it well. I just dropped off two people there. You're all going to be reserves, right? Tell you what, I see we're fated. I charge them ten, I'll charge you seven. You in?"

"...Forget it."

"Six, six then, can't go any lower."

"I don't have any money."

"No money?" The man frowned, glanced at him a few times, and walked away with his rickshaw, muttering, "No money, why be an enforcer... bad luck."

Chen Ling: ...?

Chen Ling thought the people in this world had terrible manners. He rubbed his frozen hands and quickened his pace toward the center of District 3.

Before last night, Chen Ling had been thinking about how to avoid the enforcers discovering clues and tracking him down again... Now, he had the answer.

That was to become an enforcer.

Become an enforcer, participate in all operations to investigate Calamities, and then interfere with them so they could never lock onto him.

"I become, I participate, I disrupt, I run."

This was Chen Ling's current policy.

Chen Ling crossed several streets and arrived in front of a giant building that looked like a glass dome, finally stopping.

"Quite grand..." Chen Ling looked up at the dome and couldn't help but exclaim, "How much funding must have gone into this?"

In a neighborhood full of two-story mud houses, such a unique building was as conspicuous and abrupt as an art gallery suddenly appearing in a rural village from his previous life.

At this time, several other young people with letters were also rushing into headquarters, exchanging polite smiles and nods.

The number of people who passed the written exam in District 3 was about seventy. Generally, the elimination rate for the martial exam was also 50%, so only about thirty people became enforcers each year. Although the martial exam had changed form this year, the final elimination rate wouldn't change.

In short, everyone walking into this building was actually a potential competitor.

Chen Ling walked into the headquarters gate. Under the glass dome, several rows of people were already standing neatly.

Like Chen Ling, these people were wearing ordinary civilian clothes. Ten to a row, each standing tall with their chests out, every muscle in their bodies tensed, looking like warriors waiting for a call.

Chen Ling had arrived late and could only stand at the edge of the last row. After he took his place, an enforcer scanned the list and nodded slightly.

"Everyone is here."

Another enforcer picked up the prepared speech and was about to speak when the headquarters door was pushed open, and two figures walked in slowly.

Han Meng flicked the finished cigarette butt to the ground and crushed it. The four silver patterns on his black trench coat shone brightly. He scanned all the reserves with a calm gaze, and an inexplicable pressure instantly enveloped everyone's hearts...

Except for Chen Ling.

Chen Ling raised an eyebrow in surprise, his gaze instinctively falling on the back of Han Meng's head...

He had hit him so hard yesterday, and he was already fully recovered today?

Is this guy's head that hard?

"It's Han Meng!"

"It really is him... He came too?"

"Who is Han Meng?"

"Our District 3 Enforcer Chief, and the only four-stripe enforcer in District 3."

"They say he's a super genius, promoted to four-stripe at 24, and once even crushed all the contemporary enforcers in Aurora City... He's the pride of our seven districts!"

"Crushed the contemporary enforcers of Aurora City? Really? If he's that good, why wasn't he absorbed into Aurora City?"

"Don't know... Rumor has it he had a falling out with a big shot in Aurora City."

"I heard he's a great fighter. My mom really likes him."

"...How old is your mom?"

"Almost fifty."

“……”

With Han Meng's appearance, the reserves began to whisper. Even the many enforcers nearby instinctively straightened their backs, their expressions serious and earnest.

Han Meng stood still under the dome and suddenly felt a chill on the back of his head, as if someone was examining his weaknesses...

He instinctively turned back and found a group of reserves secretly watching him.

After meeting Han Meng's gaze, all the reserves lowered their heads, not daring to discuss further. The entire headquarters was dead silent.

"My name is Han Meng, and I am the current highest-ranking officer in District 3." Han Meng adjusted his mindset and spoke slowly. "The next three days will be your martial assessment. Of the 72 of you, only 30 will remain..."

30 people... lower than the expected pass rate. Chen Ling thought thoughtfully.

This ratio also surprised the other reserves, who couldn't help but exchange glances, their eyes filled with confusion.

"However, among these 30 people, 3 will gain early access to the 'Soldier Path Ancient Treasury'..."

When Han Meng said this, the entire headquarters fell into an uproar, and even the enforcers standing nearby widened their eyes.

Chen Ling didn't understand.

Among the many reserves present, more than half didn't understand either.

Seeing this, Han Meng explained unhurriedly: "Do you know the difference between an enforcer and an Enforcer Officer?"