Chapter 53: Infiltration

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Golden Rooster Ridge lay nestled among mountains, encircled by endless peaks, layer after layer. Deep within these mountains lay the stronghold of the Dark Organization. The Falcon Squad was currently stationed on the outer edge of Golden Rooster Ridge, far from seeing anything inside; all that was visible were successive lines of guards, all armed.

They had been queued at Golden Rooster Ridge for two or three days now and finally, their turn had come. Word had it that the entrance they were at was relatively fast; the queues at the other two required at least two more days before one could even get in.

The first level of screening was merely a cursory inspection—like passing grain through a sieve to filter out the old, weak, sick, and disabled (except for pregnant women, who were given priority entry). Zhang Xingmin roughly estimated that about forty percent passed this stage.

As their turn approached, the group braced themselves, determined to leave nothing to chance. Failing at the very first hurdle would be humiliating.

The outermost screening area was a makeshift structure—simple, with only sturdy-looking railings and barriers.

Though the building was temporary, the staff conducting the screening were anything but careless. Their inspection was thorough: they observed appearances, frisked, and questioned each person. Not far ahead, a healthy-looking young man was stopped—allegedly because one of his legs was artificial.

“How ridiculous! Inside, aren’t there plenty with mechanical limbs? Most of them had good arms and legs cut off just to be fitted with those! Now they’re discriminating against the genuinely disabled?” Brother Long, seeing the young man stopped, couldn’t help but scoff.

“Long, don’t talk nonsense! Be careful we’re not recognized!” Lin Xiaofeng, at the front of the line, warned in a hushed voice.

“It can’t be! The Wild Mountain is in Sha Zhou City, thousands of miles from here! They can’t possibly be the same group. And I spoke so softly—they couldn’t have heard,” Long replied, unconcerned.

“Xiaofeng is right. They have our files. Better safe than sorry,” Zhang Xingmin, further back, agreed.

“Stay in line and keep quiet!” A man with slightly dark skin, looking like a minor boss, barked at the Falcon Squad.

Who does he think he is? Back when I ran with the gangs, he was still in diapers. Long cursed silently, displeased.

At last, it was the Falcon Squad’s turn. The screener glanced at the four and asked, “Are you together?”

Lin Xiaofeng nodded from the front of the group.

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“Where are you from?”

“River City.” “River City.” “From Fuzhou, but living in River City.” “River City.”

“What brings people from River City here?” The screener’s suspicion was clear. It was no wonder; River City was the largest city in East Capital and, after reconstruction, was largely restored. The organization’s influence there was minimal. For people from there, it should be safe enough—there was no need to seek shelter here unless they were government agents.

Seeing the screener’s face darken, especially the grim, black-faced man, Lin Xiaofeng quickly recited their rehearsed story: they had once run a business together in River City, but after the disaster, they sought refuge in Damin’s hometown in Fuzhou. Trouble found them there as well, so they wandered from place to place, never qualifying for River City’s resettlement program. That’s why they came here, hoping for a chance.

The screener listened to Lin Xiaofeng’s explanation. It sounded reasonable, and most of his doubt dissipated; in any case, there would be a lie detector test later, so he let it go for now. Next step in the process: the search.

The search here was nothing like the simple metal detector scan at a train station; they had to undress. The four were led to a small makeshift room, where a row of long-legged guards stood, all armed.

“Do we really have to strip?” Long asked, unhappy.

“Yes! Is there any way—” Zhao Nana was even more reluctant; she was the only woman in the room and felt mortified.

“No one told you to undress completely. Just take off your coats, trousers, and shoes!” the black-faced man snapped, annoyed. He’d never seen people make such a fuss.

It was the season for light clothing, so after removing their coats and trousers, they were left in vests and underwear. The guards searched them thoroughly, paying special attention to certain areas. The four were so indignant they could barely swallow their anger. Zhao Nana, especially, almost lashed out when a male guard searched her chest.

After checking their bags as well, the screeners let them dress and move on.

Just as the four were gathering their things to go, the boy who’d been taking notes whispered something to the black-faced man. The man called out, “You four, come back. We forgot to record your ages.”

“What is this, a census?” Long muttered, annoyed. He walked up to the boy, snatched his notebook, and filled out their ages himself before turning away.

The black-faced man took the notebook and shouted to the guards at the door, “Stop the one marked thirty-five and send him back. The other three may pass.”

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“What? Is this never going to end? All that groping for nothing!” Long clenched his fists, ready to fight.

The black-faced man ignored him and said coldly, “Thirty-five—too old.”

“Who are you calling old?” This time Long was truly angry.

Nana and Xiaofeng quickly held Long back, while Zhang Xingmin tried to negotiate with the black-faced man, hoping he’d let them through. According to the recruitment standards, the age requirement wasn’t so strict.

While the two were at an impasse, someone rushed in, whispered something to the black-faced man, and, after a moment, he waved them through.

The three grabbed Long and hurried on.

The next checkpoint was a physical test, but the four of them had nothing to worry about—the Falcon Squad’s fitness was unquestionable. They passed easily and encountered no trouble.

At last came the lie detector test.

This stage was designed specifically to target National Security Bureau agents. It had been put in place after the first wave of agents infiltrated Golden Rooster Ridge and were exposed. When the second wave defected, the system was further upgraded. For a regular agent, passing would not be easy; years of training instilled habits that made them easy to spot.

Fortunately, the four didn’t have deep agent backgrounds, nor did they display the typical calm and rigidity of professionals. Before the disaster, they had just been ordinary people, making it easier to blend in. For the AI-powered lie detector, it wasn’t so easy to pick them out.

Still, they nearly slipped up—Long almost gave himself away when the robot asked about his most memorable achievements. He started boasting about his past exploits and nearly mentioned his time at the River City Botanical Garden. Had he done so, the lie detector might have traced their identities from that incident. After all, he thought he had seen the crew-cut man and Professor Wu at the second checkpoint.

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