Cipher Talent

"What's all this supposed to mean?"

Everyone stared at the handbook, looking at one another in confusion. Those who had applied to join the department themselves, unlike Han Su, looked especially stunned.

Was this really a set of rules?

Two of the first three were about cleaning up after killing people. Wasn't this supposed to be a legal murder manual?

In the ensuing silence, it was clear many people had questions. The instructor seemed to understand what they were thinking. He swept his gaze over them and said, "Just memorize it. Don't ask questions unless you have to."

"Our line of work doesn't welcome people who are too curious."

"Also, you don't have much time to memorize this handbook. We'll start the next training session this afternoon, and the next few days are fully scheduled too. So you'll have to make do with the time you have now and whatever free time you can find."

"This will be your final assessment, but you'll soon realize it may also be the fairest one. To get into Group D1D2, you'll need at least three A's."

"This will be the only assessment you can pass through hard work alone."

"..."

Everyone below stared blankly for a moment. Whether they had questions or were dissatisfied with the instructor's cold arrogance, they all suddenly understood what he meant.

In an instant, the room filled with the sound of pages rapidly flipping.

These people came from all walks of life, though most were high achievers, and they began to show their different strengths.

Some immediately started reading quickly, their eyes darting over the pages as they murmured under their breath.

Some rolled their eyes toward the ceiling with every page they turned, trying to memorize it.

Others strained their necks and pored over every word, giving it everything they had.

Han Su, meanwhile, leafed leisurely through the rules. They were laid out in exhaustive detail, and many of the terms were rarely used in everyday life.

He slowly flipped through the handbook once, searching carefully for anything related to the monsters in the Dark Fortress.

Unfortunately, there was nothing.

These were indeed just rules of conduct. They were simply stated, with few examples and no explanations.

One rule often had nothing to do with the next.

After his first read-through, he was certain it would be impossible to memorize the whole thing in just a few days.

By the end of the first morning, hardly a word had been spoken anywhere in the training facility. All he could hear was the low hum of people reciting their notes. One person stood out: a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.

Han Su noticed him. The man seemed to have leisurely flipped through the handbook once, then sat there daydreaming. Before long, he got up to use the restroom, then went to the water dispenser to pour himself a drink, then did some eye exercises.

Han Su, sitting nearby, grew annoyed. "Could you sit still for a while? You're distracting me!"

The man in the gold-rimmed glasses froze, then apologized awkwardly. "Sorry. I'll go outside, then."

He walked out with his paper cup, leaving the handbook behind on the table. The person beside him stared in disbelief.

Was this guy just giving up?

Soon it was lunchtime. The trainees still brought their handbooks along, trying to memorize them as they ate. But once lunch was over, the instructor quickly ordered them to put the books away and pay attention. It was time to begin the second training session.

To their surprise, the second session took them to the place where Han Su had heard that mysterious voice when he first arrived.

Recognizing the room, Han Su couldn't help but feel alarmed. He'd only just been kidnapped back because he had heard that voice. Was it going to happen all over again?

"The handbook you studied earlier was meant to improve your chances of surviving a mission. This assessment, on the other hand, is meant to test your potential."

The instructor swept his gaze over the trainees. "In the other assessments, you'll need to get as many A-rank evaluations as possible to ensure you're placed in a higher group."

"But if you perform well in this assessment, you can skip the line and be placed directly into D1 group."

"..."

After spending the day being tortured by the handbook, the trainees perked up at once. Some even wondered, If this assessment is so good, why didn't they put it first?

"I used to go back once every half month, and I always felt nervous. Now it's only been two days, and I have to go back again. I'm kind of impatient..."

"It's not like I'm visiting my parents. What's there to be excited about?"

"..."

As Han Su anxiously watched the room with the speakers, he suddenly heard something through the instructor's earpiece. The instructor looked surprised, then nodded. He turned to Han Su and the girl in black hood.

"You two don't need to go. Stay here!"

"Stay?"

Han Su, who had been wondering what he should do if the flickering happened again, suddenly looked up.

He wasn't the only one. The trainees around them looked confused too, unable to understand why these two were being treated differently.

The instructor glanced at Han Su. "You heard the incantation three days ago. We don't recommend having trainees face this kind of pressure twice in one week, so we'll count your performance that time as your score."

Then he looked at the girl in black hood. "She doesn't need to take it."

Han Su froze. "Huh?"

"Then what evaluation are we getting?"

At the same time, in the base's office, Zhang Chiguo sat before the monitors while the other researchers stood around him.

He held a thick stack of files, containing the information each trainee had submitted before the assessment. In an offhand tone, he asked, "Have the protective measures been prepared?"

"Are the emergency procedures ready?"

The staff nodded in response to Zhang Chiguo's seemingly casual questions. "No problem, Chief Zhang. We've done this plenty of times. Security, protective equipment, stretchers, body bags—we've prepared more than enough."

"Good."

Zhang Chiguo took the roster and casually pointed to Han Su's name. "I brought this trainee back a few days ago. Since I was worried he'd been contaminated by the supernatural, I tested him in advance. So he doesn't need to listen to it again, right?"

The researchers hurriedly replied, "Of course. That's explicitly stated in our regulations."

"The girl who just came back from the wilderness doesn't need to take the assessment. She can be placed directly into D1 group. As for the one who was recruited after contact, we can assess him based on his performance last time."

Zhang Chiguo nodded slightly. "Then what evaluation do you plan to give him?"

The researchers exchanged glances. One bald researcher hesitated, then said, "Wouldn't a C-class evaluation be about right?"

"According to the report, his performance was mediocre. He fell asleep. How poor must his spiritual intuition be for that to happen?"

"It's just that we're not in the habit of giving out D-class evaluations..."

"..."

After hearing this, quite a few of the staff nodded along.

Zhang Chiguo said nothing. He simply lowered his head to look over the files.

The first page was Han Su's. It listed all sorts of information about his background and life experience. Compared with the others, it looked utterly ordinary.

He seemed like a natural grunt, quality cannon fodder. Getting into Group D1D2 was little more than a pipe dream.

If he got a low evaluation in this assessment too, then...

Zhang Chiguo didn't voice an opinion. He merely stayed out of the discussion. Gradually, the atmosphere around him grew heavy.

The bald researcher and the other staff looked confused, as if something was off.

At that moment, Cui Qiao, the slender secretary in a black suit standing beside Zhang Chiguo, suddenly spoke up. "How are you doing your jobs? Are you sure the evaluations have taken every factor into account? Are you sure the operatives you select this way will be capable of handling the work they face?"

The bald researcher froze. "Huh?"

Cui Qiao looked at their reaction and frowned. She added, "When this student from Qinggang University encountered the Ghost Truck, he showed astonishing composure."

"He wasn't killed inside the sports car when the Ghost Truck rammed it. He dodged it several times and even saved someone. That says a lot about how rational he can remain in the face of the supernatural, and it proves that his mental state is both strong and stable."

"..."

"So what?"

The bald researcher stared blankly. "He fell asleep! He fell asleep while listening to the incantation!"

Cui Qiao said calmly, "Don't you think his incredible insensitivity to the whispers of God will help him resist contamination from the unknown and the supernatural? He's a promising candidate for containment work."

"Of course, I know that a high level of spiritual sensitivity will be very helpful in training with Mysterious Power. But finding the right operatives is also a key part of recruiting newcomers. Narrow-minded thinking and rigid procedures aren't good habits for the Disaster Management Bureau!"

"..."

The bald researcher was even more bewildered this time. "But that's how we've always done it..."

At that moment, another staff member spoke up. "It definitely wouldn't do to give this trainee only a C. I think a B-class evaluation..."

He glanced at Zhang Chiguo, then said firmly, "Wouldn't work either!"

"His ability to fall asleep while listening to a Cipher Incantation shows that he's dull... that he has a strong will and a pure mind. Only someone like that can avoid being easily contaminated while dealing with the supernatural."

"And on top of that, he survived an encounter with the Ghost Truck and even brought someone else out alive..."

"He's a real talent!"

As he spoke, his praise grew more fervent. Looking at the bald researcher, he said, "Professor, an S-class evaluation would be a bit much, but I think an A-rank evaluation is appropriate."

The bald researcher froze for a full three seconds before finally coming around. He glanced at Zhang Chiguo, who was silently reading the files, then hesitated.

"R-right?"

"..."

Only then did Zhang Chiguo slowly nod. "I think you make a good point. Once the report is ready, bring it to me for my signature."

[PS: The monthly votes have refreshed mid-month. I know, I saw!!

Could you give the old ghost a vote, brothers?!

It's tough writing a new book, especially this one. There are so many twists in the logic that I'm losing my hair, even though I'm trying to keep things simple. The old ghost has no other requests now; I'm just asking the honored readers to take pity on my hair. Ten hairs for one monthly vote, how about it...

I'd trade my whole head of hair for the monthly votes in your hands!]