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Gu Xiaoxi smiled. She found these things not difficult for her, especially the written exam.

Whether it was foreign languages or mechanical engineering subjects, she had looked over books in these fields a year ago, particularly those published by the military.

She had read a lot of them and wasn’t afraid of exams at all.

Yun Xiao was once a top student. Even though she only started learning to read and write at the age of ten, she spent all her time studying and had a wide range of reading, including international common languages, so she was not afraid of exams either.

Song Jingyi’s face suddenly turned pale. Exams! Weren’t they like asking for her life?

What she knew was very limited! She was just an orphan with only a high school diploma...

She was not afraid of hardship, not afraid of fatigue, but she lost in some respects.

Qin Chu was also not afraid of exams. She had a college degree, and she should know anything that others knew.

The one who was most troubled was Zhao Zilong.

He was a college graduate, and during his school years, he was best at playing around, often spending time practicing martial arts, and now he was extremely lopsided in his skills.

Shao Changfeng scratched his head, feeling that he could only leave it to fate.

As for the others, they all looked confident.

The following shooting evaluation was no problem at all. Almost everyone who came here was a sharpshooter, including Gu Xiaoxi, Yi Chentian, and Zhao Zilong, who never wasted a bullet and made no mistakes.

Their scores were the best, and all the rest passed.

Under the requirements of the Special Forces, passing meant shooting accuracy was at least nine rings per bullet.

In hand-to-hand combat training, Gu Xiaoxi fought against six, defeating six instructors on her own and setting a record.

However, there was still one person who failed the assessment.

Because he had a history of muscle strain, even with great ability, he was still ineligible for the Special Forces.

In the final written exam, Gu Xiaoxi achieved a perfect total score and took first place. As for the others,

Yun Xiao, Gao Shou, and Wang Ke had excellent scores, while Tang Yisheng, Zuo Yu, Zhong Ming, and Yi Chentian did quite well. Zhao Zilong, Shao Changfeng, and Qin Chu passed. Only Song Jingyi and two men whom Gu Xiaoxi did not know well failed.

Gu Xiaoxi had not expected it to turn out like this.

She had gone through this journey with Song Jingyi, who, to her astonishment, failed the written exam and missed the chance to join the Special Forces.

It was a regret. When she left, her heart felt especially heavy.

She had really hoped she could stay... because she also liked this friend!

*

Originally, of the fourteen people who remained, now only ten passed.

Moreover, among these ten people, there was still a review of personal files. If anyone’s identity was suspicious, they would have to drop out as well.

The selection process, which lasted eighteen days, was finally about to draw to a close. Now everyone just had to wait for the review of their personal files to be completed, and then they could officially become Special Forces and enter the Special Forces Team to begin training.

Song Jingyi, with her bag on her back, looked regretfully at Gu Xiaoxi and forced a smile, "I’m leaving. Maybe we’ll never see each other again, but I’ll always use you as my goal and strive to make myself stronger."

Gu Xiaoxi watched her, not knowing how to comfort her. She just stepped forward, hugged her, and patted her shoulder, saying, "I believe you’re already very impressive. As long as you live well, life has no regrets."

Song Jingyi clenched her fists, taking Gu Xiaoxi’s words to heart.

She left, leaving not only the Special Forces Team but also the military camp.

Because she had completed her mission.

She felt sorry for Gu Xiaoxi and only hoped that they would never meet again.

In City A’s afternoon, the autumn sky was clear and the sun shone brightly.

A woman of noble bearing, clad in a black business suit, stood at the street corner. Moments later, a black sedan pulled up beside her. She glanced at the man driving, then quickly opened the door and got inside.

"Hong, after all the time the boss has invested in you, why leave the service early? Your mission isn’t complete yet!" The man behind the wheel had blond hair and blue eyes, with a chiseled, sharp face that exuded a ferocious, cold aura even through his sunglasses.

"I don’t see any need to stay. I’ve already uncovered a lot of important information.

As for the Special Forces, I simply can’t pass their tests.

It’s not that my education is too low, but that Song Jingyi’s education is.

If I had passed, I would have been exposed.

Quan Shaoqing is no fool. I must return to headquarters to see the boss now, because it’s very likely they’ve found out that Song Jingyi has been dead for years.

I’m just an impostor." She was only known by the codename Hong, having assumed the identity of the deceased Song Jingyi and infiltrated City A for years, all for this moment.

But man’s plans are no match for those of heaven.

The real Song Jingyi had only completed high school. With that level of education, it was virtually impossible to pass the written exams. During the test, there were many questions she knew the answers to, but she dared not answer them.

The man driving didn’t say much more; he floored the accelerator and headed straight for the airport.

Hong stood at the entrance of the airport, gazing at the city where she had lived for seven years.

She had even forgotten that she wasn’t from Huaxia.

Even after meeting Gu Xiaoxi, she tried her best to continue playing the role of Song Jingyi.

She disguised herself as the weaker party, diminishing her presence, calculating every move. Yet, in the end, she was defeated by educational qualifications.

The real Song Jingyi was an orphan with skewed morals, lazy and indulgent, with a knack for petty theft. As Song Jingyi, she amended some of her traits and also fostered good relations with the orphanage, all to mask her real identity.

After more than a dozen hours on a plane, she landed in Western State Country, and then took a connecting flight for another six hours to reach Ice State.

It was a land where snowflakes danced in the air, perpetually cold, yet rich in minerals and marine resources. These made the nation wealthy, with a per capita income among the top ten in the world.

That night, within an opulently decorated grand castle.

Twenty figures in black uniforms stood aligned at the doorway, respectfully in wait. A dozen young, beautiful girls, dressed as maids, each held teapots, newspapers, smartphones, towels, and the like, also lined up in formation.

In the middle of the living room, a man sat on an exquisite and expensive sofa, hair as dark as ink, with a narrow, oval face and eyes of an unusual red hue.

His skin resembled fine jade, snowy and smooth.

Draped in a dark red robe, his entire presence was imbued with an air of bewitching enchantment.

"What’s the latest news from around the world?

" Yi Si leaned on one elbow, his gaze resting lightly on the maid in front of him. This tranquil man seemed approachable, gentle, and gentlemanly, especially with his refined features that were infuriatingly handsome. His red eyes, brimming with emotion, could instantly ignite a woman’s maternal instinct.

"Young Master, these are the morning’s papers. I’ve organized all the major and important events from each country for you," said the maid holding the newspapers, as she immediately approached and placed the near sixty different papers on the small table before him.

Yi Si beckoned, and the maid holding the teacup immediately served him the brewed tea.

He took a sip from his cup, glanced at the stack of newspapers, and then said with a smile, "I’d like to know about military movements in each country. The recent military competition was impressive. It’s surprising that Liuli Country managed to secure first place, and the team leader was a woman."

"Young Master, her name is Gu Xiaoxi. We’ve already infiltrated the army and gathered information about her. However, due to some assessment issues, she had to withdraw at a critical moment. Would you like to meet her?" inquired the maid holding the newspapers.

After a moment’s thought, Yi Si picked up one of the newspapers and skimmed it briefly, finding nothing of great importance. Feeling bored, he said, "Have her come here then. I would like to ask her what intelligence she managed to gather."

"Yes, Young Master!"

*

About half an hour had passed, and the man on the sofa had sipped his tea, read a book, and quickly thumbed through all the newspapers. When he looked up, the familiar maid was leading a woman to him.

The woman who entered had a handsome face, her hair cut short, dressed in a long knitted dress and a black overcoat, exuding a somewhat cold demeanor.

Upon catching his gaze, she immediately lowered her head, then approached him with deference and said, "It’s an honor to meet you, boss."

"Your name?" Yi Si set aside what he held, his voice warm and pleasant, seemingly enough to melt the ice and snow outside.

"Boss, my code name is Hong. After you saved me, I’ve only had a code name, no actual name," the woman replied, her voice neither servile nor overbearing as she kept her head bowed.

Yi Si’s interest was piqued, and he couldn’t help but smile as he said, "Well then, today I shall bestow a name upon you. You will be called Song Jingyi!"

Hong’s shoulders tensed almost imperceptibly, and after a moment’s silence, she nodded and said, "Fine. But I want to remind you, boss, a name is just a code. No matter what I’m called, you are, and always will be, my boss."

"I love to hear that!" Yi Si contemplated for a moment, then with a smile added, "Now, I’d like to hear about the intelligence you’ve gathered!"