Chapter 344: King Kong and Drug Lady
Ji Siying drove Xiao Luo to the NSA headquarters, and the drive took about an hour. When they arrived, Ji Siying stopped in front of a building at the easternmost point of the city center.
The building was surrounded by high, thick walls and ma.s.sive gates. Xiao Luo did catch glimpses of the impressive building as they drove past the gates earlier, and now, as he stood right in front of it, he saw the full majesty of the structure up close with the national flag fluttering proudly in front of it. Armed guards manned the entrance, and Xiao Luo had no doubt that, if they needed to, they would fire upon anyone trespa.s.sing without any hesitation—he had to admit that there was an imposing air of authority about the place, which wasn’t surprising as this was the hallowed ground of the nation’s security agency.
“This is the NSA headquarters?”
Xiao Luo surveyed the building and its surroundings with some consternation; it was perfectly normal for a person to be wary of unfamiliar places.
“Yes.”
Ji Siying responded matter-of-factly as she looked at the main entrance, then turning to scan the sprawling grounds, she added, “It covers an area of six hundred and eighty acres, there are tech buildings, training grounds, office buildings, recreational grounds, and several other facilities. Many soldiers live here and have devoted themselves to improving their skills and strength to serve the country better.”
“What exactly is the relations.h.i.+p between the NSA and the police? So, is one in charge of the other?” Xiao Luo asked.
Ji Siying smiled slightly. “Neither is in charge of the other, but if the two missions overlap, the police will make way to the NSA, as national security takes precedence over all else. Our relations.h.i.+p is quite similar to the security brigade and the army during the chaotic times of the Warlord Era in the early 1900s.”
“You mean, the NSA is a prominent warlord?” Xiao Luo teased.
A prominent warlord?
“Pfft~”
Ji Siying chuckled and dimples formed at the edge of her charming smile as she said, “Mr. Xiao Luo, you are so funny.”
As they both stepped through the main entrance, the armed guards saluted them smartly.
They pa.s.sed by a ground where there were many soldiers in training. Their drills were similar to the army’s, but Xiao Luo could tell that these were not ordinary soldiers. Every muscle on their lean bodies was well-toned with hardly any excess body fat, and while they didn’t look ripped with large muscles, their explosive power was extraordinary. It was a joy to watch them training—Xiao Luo observed a man punch through a sandbag with a single blow, another shattered a boulder with a strike of his palm, and several were pulling a big truck behind them effortlessly. These gallant men were continually working on their strength and physical fitness, and they were tanned from spending hours in the sun.
The ground was divided into two training camps based on gender and was separated by high barbed wire. Both the men and women training with enthusiasm, and shouts resounded from the grounds, which Xiao Luo found inspiring.
“They are all elite soldiers selected from the various special forces groups across the country. You see only a small portion of them, as many more have gone on secret missions for the NSA. These missions include security detail for VVIPs, intelligence gathering, and other covert operations. Perhaps it won’t be long before the NSA a.s.signs missions to Mr. Xiao Luo as well,” Ji Siying said.
Xiao Luo raised his eyebrows in mock surprise, but, in truth, he was already mentally prepared for this.
Changing the topic, he posed a question to Ji Siying, “According to Gu Zhanguo, the NSA has two S-grade soldiers?”
Ji Siying nodded, “Yes, their code names are ‘King Kong’ and ‘Lady Poison."”
King Kong? Lady Poison?
Xiao Luo couldn’t help feeling that these two code names were rather strange.
Ji Siying scanned the two training grounds to see if the S-grade soldiers were present. “They are not on the training ground, but, honestly, with their abilities, they don’t need any additional training. If they are not out on a mission, I’m sure that Director Gu will introduce them to you later, Mr. Xiao Luo. You don’t have to be on your guard against King Kong, but you must definitely be wary of Lady Poison.”
“Why?” Xiao Luo was very curious to know.
“Every part of Lady Poison’s body is highly toxic—from her blood, bodily fluids, and even the breath she exhales. Anything she touches will succ.u.mb to her poison. Mr. Xiao Luo, when you meet her, please remember not to get too close.” Ji Siying stared directly into Xiao Luo’s eyes to emphasize her point.
Hearing this, Xiao Luo was incredulous. “Her body is poisonous?”
“Yes, I’ve always thought that they existed only in wuxia television shows before this, but after seeing it with my own eyes, I now believe that there are such people in this world. It’s difficult to explain scientifically.”
Xiao Luo shook his head in disbelief at the thought that even such strange phenomena like toxic bodies could exist.
“Mr. Xiao Luo, I must remind you not to get too close to her, the poison she carries in her body is deadly. Researchers once experimented with the toxins in her body and compared it to the venom of Africa’s deadly black mamba. One drop of the black mamba’s venom can kill a two-hundred-and-sixty-pound pig in forty-five minutes, but the poison in her body is even stronger than the black mamba’s, taking only fifteen minutes to kill a pig of the same size,” Ji Siying cautioned.
Xiao Luo drew in a breath of air, and even with his usually steady demeanor, he felt a sudden chill. No wonder Gu Zhanguo mentioned to him once that S-grade warriors were terrifying, and now he understood why. With the Lady Poison’s abilities, killing someone would be as simple as breathing.
…
When they arrived at the tech building, Xiao Luo finally met Gu Zhanguo.
Gu Zhanguo still looked as fit as he’d ever been. His upright posture gave him a look of authority, his eyes were bright and observant, and he perpetually wore a wizen smile. His silver hair didn’t make him seem old at all, but instead, it lent him a dignified air.
Next to him was a middle-aged man, who was perhaps a little younger than Gu Zhanguo. He seemed to have kept himself in good shape, with significantly fewer wrinkles on his face than Gu Zhanguo, and his hair was completely black, without a single strand of white hair visible.
They were both dressed in dark suits, and the only contrast being that one had a head of white hair and the other black.
“Mr. Mie, I’ve heard of your name for a long time now, and it’s a pleasure to finally meet you in person.” The man with black hair smiled warmly and shook Xiao Luo’s hand.
Ji Siying introduced him to Xiao Luo. “He is our Deputy Director, Mr. Dongfang Shuoyu,” she said.
“h.e.l.lo, it’s nice to meet you,” Xiao Luo said and nodded politely.
“According to the results of the investigation, Mr. Mie, you are very skilled in combat. You haven’t been evaluated and graded yet, so I’d like to conduct the evaluation now.” Having heard so much about Xiao Luo, Dongfang Shuo Yu was eager to see how he’d do in the evaluation.
“This….”
Xiao Luo looked at Gu Zhanguo. When he was recruited at the NSA branch in Jiangcheng, he had come to an understanding with Du Zhanguo that he would not be a.s.sessed. He was concerned that the machines used would be able to detect the presence of the system, and should they come into conflict, it would possibly harm his body.
Gu Zhanguo coughed dryly and said, “Dongfang, it is not urgent, it can be done later. Let us first take Mie to meet our computer engineers. The priority is to enhance their skill levels; otherwise, our nation’s virtual gateways will continue to be at risk. What’s the point in paying them if they can a.s.sure our security, we might as well disband the department.”
The compulsory a.s.sessment was part of the NSA protocol, and without exception, everyone had to be a.s.sessed. Gu Zhanguo personally felt that Xiao Luo could forego the evaluation, but Dongfang Shuoyu was in charge of NSA’s disciplinary matters and a stickler for rules. Everything had to be done according to protocol. Even Gu Zhanguo, as a director, was reluctant to blatantly circ.u.mvent these rules and set a precedent. Hence, he decided to delay the process for the time being to see which side he could convince first, and one party had to compromise when the time came.
Dongfang Shuo Yu thought for a while and said, “Alright then, let’s go meet them first.” Patting Xiao Luo’s shoulder, he said, “Mr. Mie, you must help them improve and enhance their skills, please.”
“I’ll try my best,” Xiao Luo said.
…