Chapter 54: The Arena

The lie detection stage was truly a test of composure. The emotionless lie-detecting robots operated strictly according to their preset programs. As long as one’s internal fluctuations didn’t exceed the established parameters and no suspicious incidents were detected, the alarm would not be triggered. The four of them managed, with great difficulty, to deceive the robots and successfully entered the depths of Golden Rooster Ridge, the stronghold of the Dark Organization.

Deep within Golden Rooster Ridge, the organization’s base had already taken on the form of a burgeoning city, though some functions—like schools, which they had no use for—had not been included in the plan. Still, the place looked every bit a small city. Given the rugged terrain and lack of flat ground, all the buildings were steel-framed, built into the mountainsides, and connected by steel bridges and tunnels. The entire city was shrouded in an industrial, mechanical atmosphere, like something straight out of a science fiction film.

As newcomers, their activity area was limited—it was no different than the beginner’s village in a game. Worse than in a game, though, was the constant surveillance: twenty-four hours a day, three hundred and sixty degrees, no blind spots. Especially for those on the “can be trusted” list like them, there were people specifically assigned to monitor the feeds and keep a close watch.

Night fell, but the futuristic city deep in Golden Rooster Ridge was still ablaze with lights. The Falcon Squad was enjoying a rare moment of peace. Though they didn’t know what dangers the future might hold, they knew they would never shrink back from their enemies or be fooled by the illusions before them.

“Sometimes, I think living in a place like this isn’t so bad,” Long said, standing by the window, gazing out. “It’s a bit cold, sure, but it’s even more convenient than the outside world.”

“There’s nothing wrong with the buildings,” Zhang said, holding two bottles of beer as he spoke and handed one to Long. “It’s the enemy that’s hateful—those who rob others of their freedom and lives for their own selfish gain. Look at the underground city at Mount Wasteland—it’s now a district of Shazhou City, busier than ever before.”

“What are you two whispering about over there? Hurry up and eat!” Lin Xiaofeng called to the two men by the window.

“Yeah! You don’t have to stand at the window to enjoy the view. The whole building is steel and reinforced glass. You can sit here and look out while you eat!” Zhao Nana chimed in, calling them over.

Zhang and Long, each with a beer in hand, returned to the table. The food had already been set out—surprisingly decent, a standard set meal of the future city for four people: six dishes and a soup, three meat and three vegetable, all served in the large platters typical in the north, especially in Shandong.

The beer was brought in from outside; while there seemed to be shops here, they didn’t have the local currency and couldn’t buy anything, so they’d have to make do with what they had. It was enough to lighten the mood, if not to drink their fill.

As they ate and drank, they were already being watched. Of course, it was by an old acquaintance.

“Are you sure it’s them?” Professor Wu asked the buzz-cut man, Zheng Xin, who’d come to report.

“Yes, Elder! It’s definitely them! Especially Yang Dalong—I’d recognize him even if he were ashes!”

“How many times have I told you, call me Professor!” Professor Wu clearly disliked the title “Elder.”

“Yes, yes, of course, Elder!” Buzz-cut liked using the title Elder—it made him feel special in the organization, as the elder’s trusted confidant, someone everyone had to show respect to, even if their hearts weren’t in it. He enjoyed this feeling of being the center of attention; it even helped him forget the pain of his physical disability.

“Get out!” Professor Wu, well aware of Buzz-cut’s bluster, impatiently dismissed him.

After Buzz-cut left, Professor Wu stared out the window, muttering to himself: “I searched everywhere and couldn’t find you, but now you’ve delivered yourselves to my door. Hah! You little brats who ruined my plans, now that you’re in my hands, I’ll make sure you beg for death but can’t die.”

As Falcon Squad ate, they suddenly received a notice: they were to prepare themselves to go to the arena early the next morning.

“The arena? There’s an arena here? We haven’t seen any wild beasts along the way—are they kept underground?” Zhao Nana asked, puzzled by the word “arena.”

“Knowing the Dark Organization, who knows? Maybe their so-called arena is actually for people to fight,” Lin Xiaofeng ventured, pleased with his own speculation.

“You know, Xiaofeng might be right,” Zhang said. “From what we’ve observed these days, they’re constantly bringing in strong young men, in huge numbers. Maybe it’s like ancient Rome, where slaves fought each other or wild beasts for the amusement of the nobility.”

Zhao Nana shuddered at this, but Long was unbothered. If it was man-to-man, none of those amateur recruits could beat them. And if it was against beasts, well, then they’d just fight.

Zhang considered it and thought Long had a point. The agents who infiltrated before managed to get through safely, so perhaps it wasn’t all that dangerous. He discreetly contacted the others who’d entered with them—everyone had received the same notice. It seemed the arena was a routine event in the future city, perhaps even just a show where they’d watch monsters fight.

It was getting late, time to rest and gather their strength. But then a new problem arose: their assigned dormitory was a small suite with three bedrooms and two living rooms—one large bedroom and two smaller ones. How were the four of them to sleep?

“Could they have made a mistake? There are clearly four of us—how can four people fit into three rooms?” Zhao Nana suspected the staff had done this on purpose to make things difficult.

“I noticed that earlier. I thought Nana wasn’t staying here, like at Mount Wasteland where men and women were separated,” Lin Xiaofeng said.

“You guys! Do you really think we’re here on holiday? Just make do!” Zhang laughed at the two of them. “We slept on the grass in the wild—what’s so hard about this?”

“Exactly! Having a bed is good enough. We need to be well-rested; who knows what kind of fight awaits us tomorrow? I’ll share the big bedroom with Zhang, and you two kids take a small room each. That’s fair, right?” Long suggested.

“I could take the big room—Zhang was hurt this morning,” Lin Xiaofeng offered.

“No! You take a small one,” Long replied quickly, remembering how, back at the Jiangcheng Botanical Garden, Lin Xiaofeng had a habit of clinging to people in his sleep, even more than a woman—he refused without hesitation.

Zhang considered it—Lin Xiaofeng did have a habit of hugging people at night. Though Long smelled faintly of smoke, which Zhang didn’t like, Long had already offered, and refusing would seem petty. All in all, it was better to take the big room.

With the rooms divided, the four washed up and went to bed. Though Lin Xiaofeng had a nagging feeling Long was hiding something from him, he was too embarrassed to ask. He went to sleep with his doubts.

That night, all four members of the Falcon Squad slept deeply, not waking once until morning. The next day, full of energy, they set off for the arena.