"This is deep in the mountains. You think we're shooting a movie?"
"Don't joke around on duty, unless you want to end up in confinement!"
The voice on the other end of the radio gave the soldier a thorough dressing-down.
"Sir, I'm not joking!"
"Now that tall, skinny high school boy has pushed the chubby one aside."
"I think they must be new recruits!"
"There are checkpoints for miles. Civilians couldn't get through!"
Before long, several military off-road vehicles drove out of the camp toward Lin Qiye and Baili Pangpang.
The sun blazed overhead, and the air shimmered with heat.
By now, Baili Pangpang was drenched from head to toe. "Qiye, do you think the barracks have air conditioning?"
"Of course not!" Lin Qiye turned and rolled his eyes at Baili Pangpang. "You think you're going on vacation?"
As he spoke, he adjusted his grip on the handles of the four rolling suitcases.
"What about fans?"
"That's not asking too much, right?"
"Just shut up!"
"Otherwise, they'll come arrest you in a minute!" Lin Qiye glared at Baili Pangpang, then let out a long sigh.
The next second, engines roared in the distance.
In the blink of an eye, off-road vehicles surrounded them, with fully armed soldiers on every side.
"Qiye, you jinxed us!" Baili Pangpang darted behind Lin Qiye and complained weakly, "I only wanted a fan!"
The officer in charge strode up to them and asked sternly, "Who are you?"
Lin Qiye pushed Baili Pangpang aside and answered with quiet confidence, "New recruit, Lin Qiye!"
Then he elbowed Baili Pangpang. Finally catching on, Pangpang sprang forward. "New recruit, Baili Tu Ming!"
The officer eyed them suspiciously, disbelief creeping into his voice. "The notice only went out a few hours ago. How did you get here so fast?"
"I'm a Cangnan local."
"I'm vacationing in Cangnan!"
"Identification!"
"Here!"
After checking their identification, the officer beckoned to them. "Get in!"
Vroom!
The off-road vehicle kicked up a spray of dirt, and the two enjoyed the faint cool breeze that came with its speed.
The vehicle stopped at the training camp entrance. The officer pointed at the gate ahead. "Head in yourselves!"
Lin Qiye and Baili Pangpang stood side by side before the camp's enormous iron gate. Looking up, they saw large red letters radiating authority.
039 New Recruit Training Base.
This was where they would spend the coming year.
A moment later, someone emerged from behind the gate.
Baili Pangpang's eyes lit up, and he eagerly ran forward. "Brother Quan, so this is where you are!"
"Did you miss me~?"
Wang Quan frowned and sent Baili Pangpang flying with a slap. He coughed a few times, then said solemnly, "I'm the honorary chief instructor for this training session. Address me by my rank when I'm working!"
"None of this brother or sister business!"
"G-got it, Brother Quan!" Embedded in the ground, Baili Pangpang struggled to raise his arm, still refusing to change how he addressed him.
"Even you can be an instructor?"
"Are the Night Watchers actually a respectable organization?"
Lin Qiye was stunned. He had lost count of how many times he had asked that question.
"Ahem, Lin Qiye, we're a very respectable organization. Don't ask that again!"
"Oh!"
"So you're the only disreputable one!" Lin Qiye looked as though everything had finally clicked.
The instructors accompanying them exchanged looks, their faces filled with shock.
They knew just how formidable Chief Instructor Wang was. His title of White Reaper was no empty boast, yet this boy dared to insult him. He had some serious nerve.
"Let's go!"
"I'll show you two around the camp!"
"The rest of you, get back to whatever you were doing!"
"Yes, sir!"
The instructors dispersed. Lin Qiye and Baili Pangpang followed silently behind Wang Quan, one on either side, as they headed farther inside.
The training camp was enormous, and its buildings weren't temporary prefabs. They were all solid structures formed from some unknown material.
From a distance, the tall buildings looked like giant stalks of chives sprouting from the ground.
The grounds were strictly divided by function. Pedestrian routes, vehicle routes, and all the various markings were clearly laid out. Even a stranger wouldn't get lost here.
"I... I remember there weren't any buildings around here!"
"How long have you been building this in secret?" Lin Qiye suddenly asked, sounding incredulous.
"Construction started last night and finished at six this morning," Wang Quan explained.
"Holy crap!"
"How could you possibly build that fast?"
"That's how fast things go when you mobilize an entire nation's resources. Never underestimate the Night Watchers' logistics staff."
"Impressive!" Lin Qiye couldn't help giving him a thumbs-up.
"Brother Quan, do the dorms have air conditioning?"
"Air conditioning, my ass! You think you're here to go camping?" At the chubby boy's question, Wang Quan's mouth twitched, and he reached back to rap him on the head.
The training grounds, cafeteria, classrooms for theory lessons, mobility training grounds, shooting range...
Wang Quan took them around every accessible area. Along the way, Lin Qiye's opinion of him improved a little, because every instructor they passed saluted Wang Quan with a look of respect.
He could tell that their respect for Wang Quan was genuine.
"I thought you were the sort of guy everyone wanted to beat up!" Lin Qiye teased.
"What's that supposed to mean, brat?"
"Are you asking for a beating?!"
Wang Quan turned to glare at Lin Qiye, then broke into a wicked grin.
As the three passed the supply station, practically everyone turned to stare at Lin Qiye in unison, making no attempt to hide it. They looked at him as though he were a giant panda.
"Uh!"
"Why are they looking at me like that?"
"Because you're my disciple, of course!"
"Yeah, keep bragging!"
"Fine!"
"It's because you're a God's Agent!"
"Huh?"
"I'm the only God's Agent in the entire training camp? Have there never been any before?" Lin Qiye was even more puzzled. With so many gods, surely some supported humanity or were neutral.
"There have!"
"The current captain of the [Mask] Squad was the last Agent to come out of here!"
"That's right. He even has a Forbidden Item our family gave him!" Baili Pangpang added.
"Then you didn't give Wang Quan one?"
"Uh... well... Brother Quan stole one of our family's treasured heirlooms..."
Before he could finish, Wang Quan shot him a dangerously friendly look. Baili Pangpang hastily corrected himself. "It was [White-Cleaver] that chose Brother Quan, just like those divine weapons in comics and novels that recognize their own masters."
"Mm!" Wang Quan nodded in satisfaction.
As they chatted, the dormitory area came into view. Without making them search, Wang Quan led them straight to a south-facing dorm room with the best natural light.
"This one's the best. You two can stay here!"
"I'll have someone register you later!"
"That's everything you need to know. Enjoy life at the training camp!"
"Thinking back, this place was pretty nice!" A glimmer of nostalgia flashed in Wang Quan's eyes.
"Wait, there's one more thing!" Lin Qiye called Wang Quan back, opened one of the suitcases, and took out a jar.
"What's this?"
"A jar of lollipops Hongying and Xiaonan made themselves. They asked me to bring it to you as thanks for helping them train!" Lin Qiye explained.
"Oh!"
"I'll thank them later!"
Before you continue