# 69
**Chapter 69: The First Recruit**
*Whirrrrrrrrr—*
Several heavy armed transport helicopters descended slowly through the azure sky, the downdraft from their rotors whipping sand and grit across the ground.
On the far side of the landing pad, a handful of officers in military uniforms stood rock-steady against the gale, as immovable as statues.
The helicopter doors slid open. Yuan Gang, in uniform and with a black case strapped to his back, stepped out.
*Smack—!*
The waiting soldiers snapped into a crisp salute and shouted in unison, “Chief!”
Yuan Gang strode forward, face stern, the rotor-wind snapping the hem of his coat like a banner.
“Is the training camp finished?”
“Sir! The camp is ready!”
“Good.” Yuan Gang nodded. “Get me the roster for this year’s recruits.”
“Yes, sir!”
Black case on his back, Yuan Gang turned toward the camp that had sprung up overnight.
The site lay in a desolate suburb within Cangnan City, sprawling and ringed by checkpoints for ten li—defended like a military base. No one could reach it except the incoming recruits.
“Chief, the recruit list.” While Yuan Gang toured the camp with the instructors, a soldier jogged up and handed over the file.
Yuan Gang skimmed it—then froze.
The instructors behind him stopped short.
He rubbed his eyes and read it twice more. “What the hell… what kind of freak line-up is this?”
“What’s wrong, Chief?” An instructor leaned in.
“The young master of Guangshen’s Baili Group?” The instructor caught the first name and gaped. “That Baili Group?”
“Great Xia’s number-one family conglomerate, Night Watch’s second-biggest sponsor after the government, the outfit they call the ‘Museum of Forbidden Items’… Baili family?” another muttered. “The young prince of our own paymasters is coming here?”
“Instead of playing rich kid, he joins Night Watch? Slumming it?”
“Maybe. Who understands the rich?”
“How do we train him? If we push too hard and he gets mad… will he take revenge?”
“He wouldn’t dare.” Yuan Gang’s eyes narrowed. “Night Watch is a state body. The Bailis donate plenty, but this isn’t their backyard. Once inside, everyone’s equal. Drive them till they drop—I’ll answer for it.”
“Yes, sir!”
Yuan Gang’s gaze dropped to the list again. “And this year we’ve got another god’s proxy.”
“Which god?”
He looked skyward, eyes slits. “Codename 003—Seraph Michael.”
“The Seraph?!”
“Since when does Michael have an agent?”
“Thank heavens he’s on our side…”
“It’s been years since we last saw a divine proxy. This kid’s future is limitless.”
“The last proxy to come through basic training was the one in special squad Mask, right?”
“Right.”
Yuan Gang circled several names with a red pen and exhaled in resignation.
“A Baili prince and a Seraph proxy are headache enough… and now three ultra-high-risk Forbidden Ruins users at once, one ranked in the top fifty! Plus the Shangjing Baguazhang heir, the Hebei Mo-spear heir, an active-duty special-forces soldier…”
The instructors swallowed at the page full of red circles.
“Chief… these are all tough nuts. Can we handle them?”
Yuan Gang was silent, then pocketed the list.
“Call Mask squad to hold the line. Only freaks can tame freaks.”
…
Outside the camp.
At a checkpoint, a special-forces scout lowered his binoculars and keyed his radio.
“Report—individual approaching.”
“Describe.”
“Young male, looks high-school age. Dragging a pink Hello-Kitty suitcase and a Peppa-Pig suitcase. No visible weapons.”
“A high-schooler?” The radio paused. “Could be a recruit. Notice only went out this morning—he’s here by noon? That fast?”
“He’s still approaching. Orders?”
“Hold. I’ll meet him.”
Minutes later a camouflaged SUV rolled out toward the figure.
Scorching sun.
Lin Qiye hauled both suitcases along a rutted, muddy track, sweat beading his face.
“Does a camp even exist out here?” He glanced around. “Captain didn’t prank me for not returning that stuff, did he?”
The exact address had arrived this morning; Chen Muye hustled him off. After yesterday’s embarrassing send-off, today was low-key—Wen Qimo drove him nearby, then told him to walk the rest.
Once everyone learned he’d train in Cangnan, they relaxed. As Chen Muye said, if anything happened they could grab blades and rush over—this was 136 squad’s home turf.
*Vroom—!*
An engine growled. Lin Qiye shaded his eyes and stopped.
A camo SUV skidded to his side in a cloud of dust. An officer leaned out, sizing him up.
“What’re you doing?”
“Reporting for training.”
“Recruit?”
“Mm.”
“That fast?!”
“I’m local—Cangnan.”
“…ID.”
Lin Qiye handed over the papers Chen Muye had prepared. The officer studied them, returned them, and jerked a thumb backward.
“Get in.”
They stowed the luggage. The SUV passed every checkpoint and halted at the camp’s main gate.
“We’re here. In you go.” He nodded toward the entrance.
Lin Qiye hopped out, towing his two pink cases, and stared up at the massive iron gate.
—Recruit Training Base 039.
This would be his home for the next year.
He was the first recruit to set foot inside.