Past: Hanging Blade
While the other freshmen were returning to campus on the bus, Ye Lin, having already memorized the route back, headed back to Kyoto. Today was the day of the freshman entrance exam, and while security remained tight, there was one area where the guards were clearly lax. Most of the students in the Student Union's department were taking the entrance exam tonight, so Ye Lin easily infiltrated there. This was also where she could get to know the school more quickly.
The Student Union's firewall was vulnerable. While they were still lamenting their defeat, or while other Student Union members were waiting to celebrate a victory that no longer existed, Ye Lin had already been on their turf, gathering information about the Student Affairs Department. She opened a document containing information about the entrance exam. The entrance exam for freshmen is held every three years and can be taken as a freshman or a Black Knight. Seniors who haven't taken the entrance exam will participate in the Black Knight selection process. Those who pass the selection will become Black Knight members and test the freshmen of the current year. Freshmen and Black Knights can only participate once during their enrollment. The freshman exam is monitored and evaluated by various departments, including the High Country Military Law Department, the School Affairs Department, the Board of Trustees, the Ministry of National Education, and the Ministry of National Defense. Those with outstanding performance among freshmen and Black Knight members are selected to enter the ***.
Ye Lin scrolled down the file, but it was blank. She tried to decipher the hidden text and searched the database. A red exclamation point popped up on the screen, along with the words "You currently do not have permission to access this query."
The student department's authority level is not enough to know this information. A higher level of authority is required. What are they entering? It is very likely some local organization. Ye Lin did not know all the situations here. She restored everything to its original state and withdrew.
The school leaders, however, did not sleep all night. Jimmy walked into the room and saw a man with downcast eyes. "Teacher."
The man sighed, "Alas, Jimmy, it looks like you won't be able to get into that place this time."
Jimmy's eyes were filled with tears. "Teacher, this time, it was just an accident. Can you give me another chance?"
The man soothed Jimmy and placed his hand on his shoulder. "You only have this one chance. You won't be on the next Black Knight roster. You'd better prepare for next year's final exam."
The man shook his head and left.
Jimmy stayed where he was with a face full of regret and anger. He joined the student union and worked hard to become the president's confidant. He had been preparing for this day for the past three years. He had passed the Black Knight selection and was even ranked in the top six. He wanted to enter that place so much, and it was obvious that he had a sure win, so why did it turn out like this? Why did he meet Ye Lin and her group? If he was a freshman or had not met Ye Lin and her group, he would definitely be able to join there. Why, why am I so unlucky? Jimmy's eyes were gloomy and full of unwillingness and resentment.
Executives from various departments sat together with serious expressions. "The Black Knight mission failed this time, and what's even more unsuccessful is that all the Black Knight members were eliminated! This has never happened before." The man sitting in the main seat said heavily, knocking on the table.
The man sitting on the side lowered his head and didn't dare to look up to meet his gaze. The man sitting in the main seat glanced over and said, "Aremedo Palin, you are in charge of the Black Knight deployment this time. You, an idiot, were knocked unconscious and threatened by a group of freshmen, and you also lost the system authority of the Black Knight. This is what you did. Are you all a bunch of losers?" He threw the analysis data of this entrance examination in the face of the man who had shrunk like a quail.
The man was angry because the people that Guoying had carefully trained and selected actually lost to a group of freshmen who had no training or organization. This made Guoying Gaoguo lose face. The confidence of these freshmen who won the trial would make it difficult for them to control them.
"Colonel, don't be so angry. The seniors were indeed slack and negligent this time, but it's not entirely their fault. The quality of this year's freshmen is particularly high. No one expected them to be so capable. But this is also a good thing. This time the new ones... will also be very powerful." said the woman.
The man's expression softened slightly, and the woman stepped forward. "Here are the candidates for this team. We've discussed and decided on six."
The woman projected herself onto the big screen. "The most outstanding are undoubtedly these six, but these two girls have the same major, both in computer science. Logically, they should be in different fields. Should we replace one of them?"
"These six people can't play the same role. Overall, the girl named Ye Lin is stronger, so it's better to keep her."
"Both of them got full marks on the entrance exam, but the girl named Ye Lin is a bit faster. She doesn't seem easy to control, and her major isn't the team's mainstay. It's better to keep the one who's easier to control."
"Then who will fill the remaining vacancy?"
The two men each held their own opinions, and the other man interrupted, "I have some impression of this girl. I've seen her freshman information. She's from Quan State, but they're reluctant to let her go. They've asked her to study a different major, I think biology."
The man at the main table said, "Then keep them all. Ye Lin is a real leader. As for being difficult to discipline, how can she possibly outmaneuver a bunch of you old shrews who just eat and do nothing? Don't forget the purpose of establishing Guoying. If the little Quanguo dares to challenge us, then let this girl be the knife that chops down on him."
Early the next morning, yesterday's test results were posted on the bulletin board. Many freshmen gathered around. The test results were divided into grades.
"Look, I got an A."
"I'm B."
"Hey, I'm with Team Lin."
"It's a pity that you and I didn't get on the same school bus."
Yesterday, most of the six teams of freshmen led by Ye Lin and other six people received grades of "A" or "B". The grades will be further divided into three smaller classes: 1, 2, and 3. Some freshmen who were caught at the beginning or performed poorly were deemed to have failed the exam and were forced to drop out.
One freshman fainted on the spot, unable to bear the blow. Ye Lin happened to be passing by and looked at the huge crowd. The red-haired man pushed through the crowd and stood behind Ye Lin. "Why aren't our names on this list?"
The others were also at Ye Lin's side. The baby-faced man grabbed the teacher who was checking the list and said, "Officer, we're not on the list. Did we miss some of them?"
"What are your names?"
The baby-faced boy gave his name, and the officer calmly said, "You have violated the test regulations. Your results will be invalidated!"
The red-haired man was indignant. "What's going on? We're the ones who put in the most effort, okay? And they didn't tell us it was a test beforehand, okay?"
The young-faced man said, "Don't worry, everyone. I'll donate a few buildings to this school and ask them to make up for our losses. Any problem that can be solved with money is not a problem."
The students nearby scoffed when they heard this, "What a coincidence! There's no shortage of money here, but these are precisely the problems that money can't solve."
The academic officer at the side kept looking at this side without blinking, "Freshmen or members with excellent grades can enter ***..." Rather than invalidating it, this is more like blocking or hiding the results. It seems that Ye Lin will soon know what it is.
Ye Lin left and when she walked to the student department, she glanced through the window at the grades posted on the wall. Compared with the freshmen's side, this one seemed much more deserted. No one paid attention to it. It just hung there all alone, looking so pitiful.
Soon, Ye Lin was quietly summoned and she pushed open the door.
The people sitting and standing inside stared at Ye Lin solemnly the moment she opened the door. The scene was like a famous painting of the century.
The man sitting at the table wore framed glasses and said, "Hello, classmate Ye Lin, please take a seat."
"Here are your results and information from this entrance exam," he said, pushing a tablet in front of Ye Lin, but Ye Lin didn't look at it. "Based on your performance in the test, we've finally decided to allow you to join the Hanging Blade organization."
"'Hanging Blade' is the name we chose for your squad, meaning a sharp blade hanging over everyone's head. You may not know what it is, but this organization was jointly established by Gaoguo and Guoying, and belongs to Gaoguo. It is a special operations team established to protect and safeguard Gaoguo. Here you will have the most advanced equipment and the most advanced knowledge and theories. You will have authority and treatment higher than most people. The details are explained here."
"What if I refuse?"
The man's face darkened. "This is state secret information. If anyone gets to know it, you'll be expelled from school."
Is it as simple as just dropping out? No, absolutely impossible. Does Ye Lin have the ability to fight them now? Ye Lin can't guarantee what they will do. She can only compromise.
"I'm in."
Seeing Ye Lin relax, the man's expression softened, "But I want a reward."
"Isn't it said that joining will give you many privileges? As the winner of this exam, it's not too much for me to ask for one."
"you say."
"I want to meet the person who wrote the computer science exam questions for this year's entrance exam."
The man didn't refuse when he heard this. He turned his head and said to the person beside him, "Go and call him over."
Ye Lin sat quietly at the table waiting for his arrival. The footsteps gradually approached and a blond man pushed the door open and walked in.
"Who wants to see me?" He looked to be in his early thirties, with an old scar on his face, sharp brows, and a rather heroic look.
"Ah, you're a beauty, too. Ahem, let me introduce myself. My name is Duolan, or you can call me Lan if you prefer. I'm a member of the previous team, responsible for the World Network. I've been the one setting the exam questions for the Computer Science Department entrance exams for the past few years, and you're the freshman who filled in the blanks for the Twenty-Four Memorization Methods. It's just a coincidence that I set a question on the Memorization Method that you just happened to be able to solve. So, are you really in awe of me? Did you come to me for advice?"
"No, I came to you because I want to challenge you." Ye Lin looked at him aggressively.
The atmosphere grew tense as everyone present heard this. Duo Lan smiled in disbelief, "Challenge me? Ha, young man, don't think you can be arrogant just because you have some talent. What you say is simply unbelievable."
"You must accept it, otherwise you can't leave this room. Don't you dare?" Ye Lin said firmly.
"Well, let me, the senior, teach you, the young junior, a lesson." Duo Lan flexed his fingers.
Several people from various departments in the room exchanged glances, which was considered as tacit approval.
"How do you want to compete?"
"It's up to you, any way is fine." Ye Lin said.
"Then let's use the simplest method. Whoever breaks through the opponent's barrier and invades the opponent's system first will win. There is no time limit or any method."
The man at the side said, "Everyone present is a witness, so let's begin."
The tension between the two was intense, the only sound in the room being the relentless tapping of keyboards, fingers dancing and leaving afterimages. In the virtual world, everything is invisible, and yet everything becomes tangible.
Duolan was a wolf, swift in attack and agile in evasion, while Ye Lin was a tiger, imposing and powerful. The wolf's fierce attack was prevented from closing in by the tiger's defense. The two constantly exchanged positions, the wolf seeking an opening. Suddenly, the wolf charged forward, grappling with the tiger, wounded. A tumble separated the two, the wolf watching the tiger warily, anticipating its movements and creating distance. The tiger attacked, and after a few exchanges, the wolf quickly escaped.
Duo Lan smiled darkly, and the two men faced each other head-on. The tiger pounced and the wolf jumped. The two ran towards each other, jumped and collided with each other, and the wolf pounced on the tiger and bit it.
"Hey, admit defeat. I don't want you to lose too badly."
Ye Lin remained silent. Duo Lan's smile vanished. "If you don't accept my toast, I'll punish you."
The wolf was about to tear the tiger apart. "Warning, warning! Your protective wall is about to be breached." Duo Lan's eyes widened. "How is this possible?"
The tiger under the wolf suddenly transformed into a giant python, and its bloody mouth dropped from the sky and suddenly swallowed the wolf.
Duo Lan looked at the red screen with anger. Ye Lin had set a trap from the beginning and Duo Lan had fallen into it. She had tampered with Duo Lan's code long ago. The more fierce Duo Lan's attack was, the faster his protective wall collapsed.
Duo Lan was in doubt. His skills, so proud of him, had been defeated by a freshman. He recalled how he had been chosen for his exceptional World Network skills, how he had brilliantly completed so many missions on the team, and how he had never faced an opponent. And now, he had actually lost. How could he have lost? Duo Lan couldn't accept it for a long time. He wanted to think it was all just an illusion, but also imagined that he would win in the end.
Ye Lin looked at Duo Lan's dazed expression and asked softly, "Does it hurt?"
It hurts, it hurts so much, my heart feels like it's bleeding, but no matter how much it drips, it won't stop, it just keeps dripping, and it hurts so much that I can't breathe normally.
Ye Lin curled her lips slightly, "There are more painful things."
Before Duolan could react to Ye Lin's words, Ye Lin stepped forward, grabbed Duolan's arm, and threw her onto the table, which instantly shattered into pieces. Duolan was in so much pain that she couldn't stand up. "What are you doing?"
Ye Lin punched Duo Lan again, and Duo Lan rolled away in panic. Ye Lin attacked again, "The literary competition is over, it's time for the martial arts competition."
Duo Lan was forced into a fight with Ye Lin, who attacked with relentless force. Duo Lan, responsible for support duties within the squad, wasn't particularly skilled, so he was no match for Ye Lin. After only a few strikes, Duo Lan was repeatedly defeated. His punches lacked speed and power, and Ye Lin grabbed his hand. "Ahhh!" Ye Lin broke his arm.
A woman present wanted to step forward to stop them, but was stopped by the man. He understood the reward Ye Lin wanted, and she wanted to teach Duo Lan a lesson.
Ye Lin struck him in the chest with her wrist, and then with a flying kick, sent him flying against the wall. Duo Lan spitted blood. "What are you crazy about? Have I ever offended you?"
Of course, if it weren't for Duolan's test question, Ye Lin should have stayed safely in Quan Country with her family and friends. She might have lived a leisurely campus life, made new friends, or formed a team with old friends, or helped more people. In short, she would have lived a healthy life instead of coming to this strange place.
It is reasonable for Duolan to let Ye Lin vent her anger.
Ye Lin kicked Duo Lan sideways, knocking the door out. The noise in the room was so loud that the doors of the nearby rooms were opened, and the five people who came out or leaned out were the ones who had passed the test with Ye Lin.
The sexy girl watched with amusement, the cold man looked at this with an expressionless face, the red-haired boy looked surprised, and said with a childish face, "Wow, you are so brave. If you don't want to join them, then you bravely resist. I didn't expect that you don't look like it, but you are so fierce when you fight."
Duolan was beaten so badly that she couldn't get up. The man looked at this scene and said, "Okay, let's stop here." The man said to Duolan, "You are no longer a member of the team. Don't use the code name 'Duolan' in the future." Duolan couldn't hold on any longer and fainted. The man stepped past Duolan, and the others followed him away.
The remaining six of them looked at each other, and the red-haired boy spoke, "They told you about that incident, too, right? What do you think?"
The sexy girl pretended not to care and played with her hair, "Do we have the right to choose?"
As a result, all six of them agreed, except Ye Lin. Some agreed directly, while others said that Guoying could give them what they wanted, such as sexy girls and men with baby faces. The baby-faced man naturally had the courage to arouse his interest, the cold man thought about it and agreed readily, and the handsome man said that he would agree as long as the cold man agreed.
Meanwhile, the various people who had just spoken with the six gathered together, and one man asked, "How is it?"
“They all have good qualifications.”
"An Weina, what do you think?" The man looked at a middle-aged woman with an elegant and dignified temperament.
This woman was an expert in psychological analysis, criminal dissection, and the thoughts of the perpetrators. She had been observing these six people from beginning to end.
"I've already made my own psychological analysis of these freshmen. I'll produce a detailed report, but there's one person I can't quite fathom."
"Who is it?"
"That girl named Ye Lin is very strange. I can't sense any emotional fluctuations in her. Even when she was beating up Duo Lan, she didn't show any anger or other emotions. It was as if beating up Duo Lan was her instinctive reaction or something she should do."
"Either she is born without emotions, or this person hides it so deeply that no one can detect it."
A man, "If it's the latter, it's terrible."
"An Weina, please continue to follow up and give me the analysis reports of the others first. Now that they have joined the team, they must be under our control."
"yes."
In this way, a six-member team named "Xuan Ren" appeared. They had their own base with top-notch equipment and conditions. Ye Lin was in it, looking at this place full of spies and surveillance. Their every move was known to Gao Guo.
A month later, Ye Lin's team had just finished a rigorous training assessment.
Duolan was lying on the hospital bed, peeling and eating an orange leisurely, when someone pushed open the door and walked in.
After Duolan saw who was coming, Ju Zi was frightened and said in panic: "You, what are you doing here? What do you want to do? Don't come over!"
Ye Lin walked to the bed and said, "I'm not here to cause you any trouble."
Duolan's injuries looked serious, but Ye Lin used skillful force and did not injure her lungs, so Duolan looked in good spirits.
Ye Lin sat down and peeled the orange calmly, "I just came to ask you a few questions." Ye Lin handed him the orange.
Ask for advice, please don’t ask for advice. The last time he asked for advice, he was seriously injured. It was a double blow to his spirit and psychology. Until now, he dare not think about the scene of that day.
"Why should I answer you?"
Ye Lin stood up suddenly, pretending to take the vase beside the bed. Duo Lan quickly held the vase down and greeted her with a smile, "Miss, please feel free to ask anything you want to ask. I will answer truthfully."
Ye Lin sat back down. "First question, every class at National English University has students who are expelled. Did they all return safely?"
"Of course, it's just... I just forgot everything that happened here."
Ye Lin stared at Duo Lan solemnly.
Duo Lan glanced away. "Before they leave Guoying, they will be injected with a drug that will make them mediocre. Not only will they forget everything in Guoying, but their talents will also disappear. Perhaps they were once the pride of a certain place, but from the moment they leave Guoying, they are just ordinary people."
"Second question, where are the other members of the previous team?"
Duo Lan's expression suddenly fell, and he spoke solemnly, "They are all dead, and I am the only one left. They completed an impossible mission, but stayed there forever."
Duo Lan was not strong enough in that mission, and he was in charge of the entire backstage control and transmitting information for them. He was not there, so he escaped the disaster.
Duolan was silent. After a while, Ye Lin said with certainty, "You killed them."
It was you who killed them, it was you who killed them, it was you... Duolan's mind was filled with these words that kept echoing.
Duo Lan's eyes were red. "Yes, I am an accomplice in their murder."
Tears of regret fell from Duolan's eyes.
…
"Duo Lan, detonate the bomb immediately."
"What? No, Farr and the others are still inside."
"This is an order. Your plan has failed. The only way to remedy it is to destroy this place."
"No." Duolan shook her head.
"Duo Lan, don't forget your mission. It's to serve the Gao Nation. If this mission fails, none of you will survive. If you detonate now, I can ask my superiors to exempt you from punishment and grant you a higher position. Besides, without them, you won't be hindered anymore. Your abilities will be recognized and utilized, and you won't have to take on such dangerous missions anymore."
Duolan's biggest shortcoming is that he is afraid of death. He is the least qualified in the team, and his brilliance is dim compared to the other members of the team.
"Duolan, press the start button."
Perhaps it was because he was extremely nervous, or maybe someone had touched upon his most obscure thoughts, but Duolan listened to these words and pressed the button as if possessed.
"The countdown has begun."
Duolan realized what she had done. The pager in her ear began to chirp, and Fal's dying voice came out, "Reporting to headquarters, mission accomplished."
Duolan was panicked, as if the sky was falling. "No, no. Cancel the order, cancel the order." Duolan's hands trembled as he tried to release the control.
With a loud "bang", a plane crashed into a place. Duolan looked at the scene. A huge flame exploded and rose rapidly, getting bigger and bigger until it occupied Duolan's entire field of vision.
…
Duo Lan covered her face with her hands, lost in memories and self-blame, "If, if I had trusted them a little more, if I had bought them a little more time, none of this would have happened, none of this would have happened."
Duo Lan covered his face, curled up and hugged himself, sobbing uncontrollably. He hadn't cried so hard in a long, long time. He had been suppressing the emotions in his heart for too long.
Ye Lin looked at her indifferently. She had already asked what she wanted, so there was no need to ask the rest. Ye Lin would figure it out.
She stood up, turned around and left the place. Ye Lin stepped out of the ward door with one foot. A rapid "beep, beep..." sound was heard, and Ye Lin turned around.
Ye Lin's eyes focused as she saw the monitor above Duolan's bed, the listening device on the call bell, and the deadly substance that shouldn't have appeared in the medicine bottle that Duolan was receiving an IV.
Duo Lan had already fainted on the bed. The medical staff arrived and said, "Move aside."
Ye Lin stood outside the door and watched without going in. Duo Lan's eyes were tightly closed, and she was unconscious. Tears slid down her eyes. "I can finally see you."
A smile crossed his lips, and then there was no more life.
The doctor's diagnosis was that the patient died of cardiac arrest caused by emotional excitement.
Nonsense. Even if Duolan is no longer a member of the team, he's still under Gao Guo's control and surveillance. Now, with the emergence of a new action team and his abilities surpassed and replaced, his role is no longer needed. Today, he revealed Guoying's secret to Ye Lin, so there's no need for him to stay.
Gao Guo had never thought of keeping Duolan from the beginning, but he was somewhat useful, and they would find a reason to get rid of him sooner or later. Ye Lin originally thought that since she had injured Duolan, Guoying would temporarily leave him alone while Duolan recovered from his injury, but she didn't expect that they couldn't even wait for this little time.
Ye Lin stepped in again and walked to Duo Lan's side, whispering, "Why bother? He didn't want to live anyway."
Duolan was poisoned, a fact that tormented him day and night. Ye Lin's words had already solidified his resolve to die, but Gao Guo was too impatient. He hadn't achieved a high-ranking position, and Gao Guo refused to give him power, marginalizing him. Duolan had begun to doubt Guo Ying, becoming paranoid and less convinced. He had already been secretly investigating, and so, Commissioner Gao took action.
Duolan's death was also a warning to Ye Lin, telling her to be more obedient. If Ye Lin didn't see through it, she would think she had killed Duolan, making her feel guilty. This could be used to manipulate Ye Lin's psychology, just like the words she said to make Duolan give up her friends, taking advantage of human weaknesses.
Ye Lin's path was now shrouded in a thick fog, forcing her to proceed with caution. She dared not contact her old friends too often, as any signal she sent from the base would be known to the High Commissioner. Ye Lin had achieved her current position within the "Hanging Blade" by completing missions both large and small. Since Ye Lin's arrival, Guo Ying had also improved his disguise technique, achieving true face-changing capabilities.
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