Niu Da rushed back to the military camp, shut his door, and began reading the document Liu Feng had given him. The more he read, the deeper his frown became. When he finished, he locked the file in a reinforced steel safe.
Only a few people, like Niu Da and his brothers, owned safes like these, and they used them to store top-secret materials.
In the event of a major incident, this steel safe would be the first thing evacuated. It contained classified documents for West Sun City’s future development.
“Whew… looks like things are about to get busy.” Niu Da sighed. The document outlined military layouts and requirements- highly confidential materials.
He had only just gotten married and always went home late at night. If his wife weren’t so understanding, he would have lived in the military camp full time.
“Right, need to select people for the Police Department!” Niu Da picked up the test papers. When he opened them, one page fell out. He read it carefully.
“Not bad benefits… bet all those kids will want to transfer.” Niu Da chuckled and shook his head.
Carrying the papers, he stepped outside and ordered the soldiers to assemble.
It didn’t take long. Over a hundred soldiers quickly filled a tenth of the training ground.
Dragging troops outside the city every time just for drills would waste time and risk exposing formations to enemy spies.
So moving the military camp was something Niu Da strongly supported. And once West Sun City expanded, the east side would still be enveloped by the city. They were just moving early.
Of course, the move wouldn’t happen immediately. It had to wait until the new eastern barracks were complete. Winter was approaching- camping outside in tents for too long could literally kill people.
Niu Da cleared his throat and looked over the group. “There’s an announcement today- something that should be good news for many of you.”
The soldiers stayed silent, eyes slightly widened. Their rigorous training had taught them the importance of discipline. They were no longer the civilians and hunters they’d once been.
“The Lord Mayor has established the Police Department. 30 of you will be selected to join. The benefits will be explained after selection. Anyone interested can sign up.”
He didn’t reveal the benefits- doing so would only hurt the morale of those not chosen, which would be bad for unity.
“If you’re not interested, step out and continue training.”
Not a single person moved. Everyone stared at Niu Da, waiting for more information. After all, he himself said that it was good news for them.
“…” Niu Da was speechless. No one left? Did they think the Police Department was some paradise?
“Go bring over the dining hall’s tables and chairs. Also, grab the pens you use for evening literacy classes.” Niu Da ordered immediately.
Everyone scattered. They might not know what the Police Department was, but that didn’t stop their curiosity.
Tables and chairs were set up across the training ground, spaced two meters apart. Niu Da even summoned the War Wolf Squad to supervise them.
“You only get one chance. Anyone caught whispering, peeking, or causing a disturbance will be disqualified.”
Niu Da read aloud from Liu Feng’s paper. “Answer with your true thoughts. You need at least 80 out of 100 points to pass. Each question is worth one point. One hour to finish. Begin!”
The test was quickly handed out. Each person got one paper, filled with multiple-choice and true/false questions to evaluate their values, worldview, and sense of justice.
You catch a thief. What do you do?
A: Take them to the Police Department for detention and investigation.
B: Beat them up and pocket the stolen money for yourself.
C: Kill the thief and keep the money.
D: Warn the thief and let them go.
Simple questions were mixed with traps- like replacing “thief” with “a beautiful woman” or “a family member.”
Anyone scoring above 80 likely had a strong sense of justice and moral clarity- ideal qualities for a patrol officer.
Liu Feng’s long-term plan was to build a police academy to cultivate loyalty and ethics from an early age. For now, he could only screen people through this test.
Many soldiers were as anxious as monkeys and scratched their cheeks so much they turned red. Some couldn’t resist peeking- and had their papers confiscated by War Wolf Squad.
Fuji was among the test-takers. He already knew what the Police Department was about. Two days ago, when he was on duty at the bank, he saw a building across the street open with a sign: Police Department.
That, plus what happened today, made it clear- even to an idiot like Fuji. If he joined, he’d get to see Lan Er every day. Even if he couldn’t see her, just seeing the bank’s front door would be enough to make him happy.
Time ticked away. Sweat trickled down many faces. By now, they realized this Police Department wasn’t so simple after all.
“Time’s up. Collect the papers!”
Niu Da carefully put away his pocket watch- his prized timepiece, which he intended to pass down as a family heirloom. Even his wife wasn’t allowed to touch it.
He took the completed exams back to his room and began grading them with Liu Feng’s answer key. The more he graded, the more he shook his head. Many answers were just guesses, and more than half the papers were half-blank.
In the end, only 22 people passed. Fuji was among them. As for the remaining eight slots, Niu Da reluctantly pulled from candidates who scored in the high 70s.
Liu Feng had anticipated this and made it clear: anyone who failed the trap questions wouldn’t pass.
In the end, only three more were added. Niu Da couldn’t fill all 30 spots- only 25 passed.
The list was quickly posted. The selected would report to the Guard Department the next day. Fuji was the only beastman who made it.
“Yes! Lan Er, I’ll definitely marry you!” Fuji clenched his fist with determination.