Chapter 753: Practical Training in Progress (Part 2)
“The environment inside is much larger than my old place.”
As Su Jiu walked through the passage into the venue, she couldn’t help but marvel slightly as she looked afar while in line.
Following her gaze, she saw that the arena, like the one in Magic City’s擂台赛, had a similar style, forming a circular structure resembling Saturn, with the training area in the center. It occupied a vast area, almost without end.
Near the “ring,” the audience, consisting of parents, could be faintly seen. The sounds of chatter and shouting rushed towards the passage like a symphony. As they moved forward, the time until the training began was marked on a giant clock projection in the center.
Countdown status
[1:42:13]
[1:42:12]
…
“You will each investigate different streets. If you find any abnormal auras or situations, report back as soon as possible. Before the training begins, you need to return here quickly and enter with me.”
Su Jiu withdrew her gaze, hung the gourd at her waist, patted it gently, and a wisp of red smoke and a few wisps of black smoke emerged from the gourd’s opening, eventually merging into her shadow.
According to the introduction, there were eight passages around her for people to enter the venue. Su Jiu and her group entered through the nearest South Gate, while students from two other schools were in different areas.
“Boss, we can attach ourselves to different people and enter the training grounds then.”
A buzzing sound came from the shadow at Su Jiu’s feet. It was very quiet, but it was identifiable as Feng’s.
Su Jiu was stunned and quickly reacted. She immediately rummaged through her ring and threw several flare sticks towards the shadow, adding,
“If we can avoid detection, it’s actually fine. Once inside the training grounds, there will be equipment that interferes with communication. Our communication will rely on signal flares.”
An arm wearing a red gauntlet took the flare sticks into the black hole, paused for a moment, and then said cautiously,
“Boss, it seems there’s a powerful presence watching us…”
“It’s alright, just go carry out your mission.”
Su Jiu chuckled and looked towards a spot in the audience. There, a small figure sat holding a large bag of snacks, which almost obscured their head.
“Yes.”
Feng and the Shadow Jingwei responded in low voices upon receiving the order, and then scattered like firecrackers along the shadows on the ground, moving in all directions.
At this moment, Su Jiu was walking in that direction when Zhou Zhizhi, who had entered and queued up earlier, called out from beside her:
“Classmate Jiu, do you need to see a parent? We’ve already registered our forms and received the team scoring devices. We’ll just wait here for you.”
Turning her head, Su Jiu saw a twin-tailed girl wearing a half-moon shaped watch on her wrist. The girl sized her up and asked with some confusion.
Su Jiu blinked, her gaze swept over Guan Xiaorong, who was organizing her equipment, then lowered her head without speaking, finally resting on Class Leader Zhou. She nodded gently:
“I do need to see someone, an elder in the family. Class Leader Zhou, what about you?”
She wanted to ask Grandpa Li some questions and also plan how to break through if any unforeseen accidents occurred later.
“…”
Upon hearing this, Guan Xiaorong fell silent, while Zhou Zhizhi beside her looked helpless. She simply waved her hand and said, “My mom has to work and has no time. There’s no one else at home.”
Guan Xiaorong turned to look at Zhou Zhizhi next to her in surprise. She had never talked about this before…
“Don’t look at me like that. My family situation isn’t much different from yours, at least your family has money.”
Shrugging, Zhou Zhizhi rolled her eyes:
“As for my dad, I’ve never met him since I was little. My mom said he used to work at the municipal government. Later, he was mobilized for a certain task and had to go far away. He saw me once the year I was born and then disappeared.”
Her voice continued to ring out, and she could faintly see some resentment in her eyes:
“My mom always prepared three pairs of chopsticks during holidays, saying he would come back to find us on the day the mission ended. But now?”
“More than eighteen years have passed, and there’s not even a trace of him.”
Although her family was slightly better off than average, she still didn’t quite believe that her father was really a government employee. What kind of task required him to remain incognito for eighteen or nineteen years?
Listening to her words, Su Jiu was suddenly stunned. She suddenly thought that the girl’s bloodline was not low, which meant her father was likely a powerful figure in power. And twenty years ago, only one major event had truly occurred – the Senior Brother’s betrayal.
It involved the National Security Bureau, several Dragon Hunters, and then six other Night Watchers. There were countless strong individuals among them. It was highly probable that her father was one of them.
Su Jiu felt she had touched upon the truth. She raised her head slightly, looked through her glasses at the slightly proud young girl’s face, and after carefully considering her words, she said,
“Wait a little longer. Perhaps he had unavoidable reasons.”
” I’ve long considered him dead. Who knows if there were any reasons? Classmate Jiu, you don’t need to console me…”
Hearing this, Zhou Zhizhi just smiled and waved her hand, saying no more. She pointed to the seats next to them, and as directed, walked over. “We’ll sit here and wait for you. Hurry back.”
Just as Su Jiu agreed and was about to head towards Grandpa Li, the small figure holding the large bag of snacks arrived beside the three of them. His aged voice, with a hint of surprise, spoke:
“You’re Zhou Hong’s daughter, aren’t you? After you started high school, I haven’t seen you come to the bar…”
Turning her head, Su Jiu was also surprised. Grandpa Li actually knew this girl, so her father’s identity was very likely…
Someone from the bar.
However, Fuzhou was only this big. Most of the descendants of those people back then would not be ordinary. Being able to enter the best high school in the area was not a coincidence.
“Grandpa Li?”
Hearing this, Zhou Zhizhi turned around abruptly and looked down again. Without hesitation, she recognized Grandpa Li. Seeing his outfit which didn’t fit his usual “style,” she instinctively asked,
“What are you doing here?”
She remembered that he was always alone and had no descendants. Her mother liked to take her to the shop for morning tea, saying that Grandpa Li was her father’s former superior and that she should interact with him more.
But what government employee had a bar owner as their superior!
Guan Xiaorong stood there stunned. She remembered that the people who protected her were quite respectful towards this old man. Could he be some big shot…
“Grandpa is the relative I mentioned.”
Without waiting for Grandpa Li to reply, Su Jiu interjected, with a slight surprise on her face, and smiled, “I just didn’t expect you two to know each other.”
“His father worked under me for many years, but he had to leave for some business.”
Grandpa Li replied casually, confirming Su Jiu’s father’s identity. He then handed a few bags of snacks to the three of them. “I bought too many snacks that Xiao Yezi likes. You can help me eat some while you wait.”
Zhou Zhizhi remained standing, looking at Grandpa Li with a serious expression, and continued to ask, “Grandpa Li, you said you would let me know some truths when I turned eighteen—is my father really a government employee?”
“Yes and no.”
Shaking his head, Grandpa Li placed the snacks on the chair beside him, rested his hands on the edge of a row of chairs, and sat on the outermost one. He patted the chair and continued, “Zhizhi, sit down first. Some things need to be told slowly.”
Hearing his words, the three of them moved to the chairs nearby. Su Jiu was also very curious. How much did Grandpa Li know about the Senior Brother’s betrayal? Perhaps—
Was he also one of the instigators?
“Zhizhi, don’t blame your dad for not coming home all these years. There are things he has to do…”
Grandpa Li pulled a corn cob from the pile of snacks, peeled it, and ate it with a “crunch.” He snapped his fingers, and a thin film seemed to rise around them.
His short legs dangled, and his voice slowly emerged:
“In the past, when he had free time, he would always ask, ‘How is my daughter?’ He wanted the organization to give you more benefits, but for his and your safety, it could only be done slowly. Every time your mother won the lottery or her bonus increased, it was the organization’s doing…”
“For several years, until now, I haven’t heard his voice anymore.”
Listening to Grandpa Li’s words, Su Jiu fell silent. She knew her guess was correct; his father was very likely a Night Watcher.
“Walking under the cover of night, with raging undercurrents, no one can guarantee they are still alive.”
Grandpa Li’s voice slowly continued. He then fumbled for a cloth medal, bordered with rice blossoms, on which a series of numbers could be faintly seen. His voice was slow and deep:
“This is the number for his other workplace. You’re eighteen now, and it’s time to hand it over to you officially.”
“What is this? 181329…”
Zhou Zhizhi took the cloth medal, feeling an inexplicable heaviness. She looked at the golden embroidery and opened her mouth, unable to recall where she had seen this thing before.
Su Jiu glanced at it and murmured, “It’s the serial number of the National Security Bureau. It’s permanently sealed upon death. There’s only one way to reactivate the number…”
Every Night Watcher would have a formal cover job elsewhere. That Zhou Hong should be one of the National Security members, and Li Ziwei’s information was correct.
“If the family of the deceased applies to become a National Security member, this number will be reactivated.”
Grandpa Li’s mouth, hidden by his beard, slowly opened. He looked deeply at the not-so-old twin-tailed girl, his eyes somewhat cloudy.
Eighteen or nineteen years ago, a girl of about the same age had stood before him.
He kept emphasizing, “Little girl, have you thought it through? The White Night Plan may never have an end.”
“Just as Captain Zhou said, then let the serial number be permanently sealed.”
The girl smiled, fiddled with a copper cross in her hand, and finally put on a black leather jacket, looking no different from a female thug.
She lowered her brows again, looked at the cross in her palm, tightened her grip, her knuckles turning slightly white, and after a moment of silence, turned and said,
“Lastly, please take a photo of my father…”
…
“National Security, a member? Isn’t he just a small-time employee?”
Her body trembled slightly. Zhou Zhizhi held the badge, her expression constantly changing. Finally, she put the item into her pocket, feeling her mind in chaos.
She had never imagined that her never-met father was a special worker who maintained national security…
The three sat for a while longer. Grandpa Li told Su Jiu that “RO” might be related to Roland. As for Bai Zhi’s skills, he stated that he was also unsure.
Su Jiu sent the two classmates away and discussed her plan with them privately. She also told Grandpa Li not to easily use his skills to break through the defenses inside as long as she was inside.
Soon, after the timer in the distance zeroed out, a sound suddenly rang out:
“Dong dong—”
Announcing the official start of the practical training.
…
In a certain part of the high seas, waves rolled. A fishing boat sailed southeast. A middle-aged man dressed as a black fisherman stood on the deck.
He held his mobile phone, looking at the bottom of the hidden photo. It was a picture of a woman holding a newborn baby. The woman’s face was mosaicked, making it impossible to see her specific features.
“Lord Waterbird, does White Crow in Red really require us to arrive near the altar in advance?”
Ten meters behind him, a man in priest’s attire looked at his back, narrowed his eyes, and a strange light flashed in them.
The middle-aged man put away his phone and sneered,
“Don’t ask what you shouldn’t.”
He continued to gaze towards the opposite side of the sea. He needed to plant a large number of Alchemical Bombs on the first island. Only then could he be more confident in his subsequent actions…
