The early morning sunlight spilled onto Chen Ling's face. His eyelashes fluttered as he slowly opened his eyes...
"Back again..." He rubbed the corners of his eyes and let out a long sigh.
After drawing his prize, he had wandered around 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.
[Audience Expectation: 23%]
"It's getting close to the life-and-death line again." Chen Ling murmured to himself, recalling the characters on the screen before he left. "I need to do something quickly..."
"Brother..."
The blanket was pulled aside, and Chen Yan sat up on the bed, rubbing his red eyes. "Morning."
"Morning." Chen Ling glanced at the clock on the wall, took out the last few copper coins from his pocket, and handed them to Chen Yan. "I need to go out for a while. I'm not sure when I'll be back. You can get yourself something to eat today..."
"Brother, where are you going?"
"...?"
Chen Ling draped a cotton coat over himself, tucked the envelope the enforcers had given him yesterday into his pocket, and turned to ruffle Chen Yan's hair. "Don't ask too many questions. Just stay home and wait for me to come back, okay?"
"Okay." Chen Yan nodded obediently.
After seeing Chen Ling off, Chen Yan got out of bed and frowned at the two large holes in the front door.
"How am I supposed to fix this..."
He glanced at the few copper coins in his hand, silently pocketed them, and then pulled out a heavy hammer and some wooden planks from the house, starting to measure the dimensions.
Just then, a figure appeared behind one of the holes, startling Chen Yan.
It was a man wearing a wool coat, a dark blue scarf around his neck, and a pair of silver-rimmed glasses. He looked cultured and intelligent.
But at this moment, as he stared at the house with two gaping holes, even his intelligent eyes showed a hint of confusion...
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 a door to knock on.
He returned to the hole and looked inside.
"Can I help you?" Chen Yan tilted his head.
"Is Mr. Chen Ling here?"
Hearing his brother's name, Chen Yan's eyes flashed with vigilance. He scrutinized the man for a moment and asked again, "Can I help you?"
The man took off his white gloves and pulled a letter from his coat pocket. He unfolded it, held it in his hand, and spoke calmly to the room:
"I heard that Mr. Chen needs a [Doctor]."
"So, I've come."
---
The biting cold wind seeped through Chen Ling's collar, making him shiver.
"Hey, young man, where are you headed? Need a ride?" A lean, dark-skinned man pulling a rickshaw hurried up to Chen Ling, grinning to reveal a row of yellow teeth.
Chen Ling glanced at him. "Enforcer headquarters."
"I know the way! Just dropped off two others. You're all going to be reserve enforcers, right? Tell you what, I like you. I charged them ten coins, but I'll only charge you seven. Deal?"
"...No, thanks."
"Six coins, then. Six coins, final offer."
"I don't have any money."
"No money?" The man frowned, gave Chen Ling a once-over, and muttered as he dragged his rickshaw away, "No money and still wants to be an enforcer... What bad luck."
Chen Ling: "..."
Chen Ling thought the people in this world had terrible manners. He rubbed his red, frozen hands and quickened his pace toward the center of District Three.
Before last night, Chen Ling had been pondering how to avoid the enforcers discovering any clues that might lead them back to him... Now, he had his answer.
That answer was to become an enforcer himself.
By becoming an enforcer, he could participate in all investigations related to the Calamity, interfere with their progress, and ensure they could never pin anything on him.
"I become, I participate, I disrupt, I escape."
This was Chen Ling's current strategy.
Chen Ling walked through several streets and finally stopped in front of a massive building with a glass dome.
"So grand..." Chen Ling looked up at the dome and couldn't help but marvel. "How much funding did it take to build this?"
In a neighborhood full of two-story earthen houses, this unique structure stood out like an art museum suddenly appearing in a rural village.
A few other young people holding letters were also hurrying into the headquarters. They exchanged polite smiles and nods.
In total, about seventy people in District Three had passed the written exam. Generally, the physical exam had a 50% of elimination rate, so only around thirty people could become enforcers each year. Although this year's physical exam had changed format, the elimination rate would remain the same.
In short, everyone walking into this building now was a potential competitor.
Chen Ling entered the headquarters. Under the glass dome, several rows of people were already standing neatly.
Like Chen Ling, these people were dressed in ordinary civilian clothes. Now, ten to a row, they all stood tall, every muscle in their bodies tense, looking like soldiers ready for battle at any moment.
Chen Ling was relatively late and could only stand at the edge of the last row. Once he was in position, an enforcer glanced at the list and nodded slightly.
"Everyone's here."
Another enforcer picked up a prepared speech and was about to start when the headquarters' door was pushed open forcefully, and two figures walked in slowly.
Han Meng crushed a burnt cigarette butt under his foot. The four silver stripes on his black trench coat gleamed. His calm gaze swept over all the reserve enforcers, and an inexplicable pressure instantly weighed on 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...
Did I hit him that hard yesterday? And he's already healed today?
How tough is this guy's head?
"It's Han Meng!"
"It's really him... He's here too?"
"Who's Han Meng?"
"He's the chief judge of District Three and the only four-stripe judge in the district."
"They say he's a super genius. He reached four stripes by the age of 24 and even crushed all his rival judges in Aurora City... He's the pride of our seven districts!"
"He crushed his rival judges in Aurora City? Really? If he's that amazing, why wasn't he recruited into Aurora City?"
"Not sure... Rumor has it he had a falling out with some big shot in Aurora City."
"I heard he's a great fighter. My mom really likes him."
"...How old is your mom?"
"Almost fifty."
"..."
As Han Meng appeared, the reserve enforcers immediately began whispering among themselves. Even the enforcers standing nearby instinctively straightened their backs, their expressions serious and focused.
Han Meng stood under the dome and suddenly felt a chill on the back of his head, as if someone was scrutinizing his weakness...
He instinctively turned around and saw a group of reserve enforcers secretly watching him.
When their eyes met Han Meng's, all the reserve enforcers lowered their heads, not daring to gossip anymore. The entire headquarters fell silent.
"My name is Han Meng. I am the current Chief Law Enforcement Judge of District Three." Han Meng adjusted his mindset and spoke slowly. "Over the next three days, you will undergo the physical exam. Out of these 72 people, only 30 will remain..."
30 people... That's a lower pass rate than expected. Chen Ling pondered.
This ratio also surprised the other reserve enforcers. They couldn't help but exchange glances, their eyes filled with confusion.
"However, among these 30 people, three in advance will gain entry into the 'Soldier's Ancient Repository'..."
As soon as Han Meng said this, the entire headquarters erupted in chatter. Even the enforcers standing nearby widened their eyes in shock.
Chen Ling didn't understand.
Among the many reserve enforcers present, more than half also didn't understand.
Seeing this, Han Meng calmly explained, "Do you know the difference between an enforcer and a judge?"