"The Mountain and River List is actually just an official ranking recognized by Zhonghai City. Anyone who makes it into the top ten not only gains official status but also enjoys various official benefits. Thus, every five years, there’s a competition to see who is the strongest, of course. The top ten of the Mountain and River List aren’t set in stone; if you have more strength than those experts, you can challenge them. If you win, you take their spot on the list. The selection for the Mountain and River List is arranged by the CIA. Since the CIA has always been dedicated to national intelligence, there aren’t many experts among them. To expand the CIA’s strength, they hold various size selection competitions annually to pick out the more capable and potential experts to train,"
"There’s such a competition? That’s quite fresh. Seems like the country really cares about the experts from all walks of life," Lin Zifeng said with a smile.
However, he was still shocked by the government’s miraculous approach, creating a Mountain and River List that made all the experts from Zhonghai City compete. Whoever won could claim a spot on the list, and then they would provide the best treatment and benefits, along with an official status.
Wasn’t this essentially bringing them under the government’s control? In the future, if anything big happened in Zhonghai City, the terrifying experts from the top ten of the Mountain and River List would show up; wouldn’t that shock everyone?
What a clever move! Not only winning people’s hearts but also incorporating all the experts under its wing.
Lin Zifeng praised inwardly. It seemed he had still underestimated the strength of the CIA.
Watching group after group of experts successively entering the fighting ring, Lin Zifeng could tell at a glance that these people were no ordinary individuals; he even couldn’t gauge the strength of some.
Soon enough, however, Lin Zifeng’s gaze lingered on another group of people behind those in the fighting ring.
He saw five tall men in black suits standing in front of the second row of seats below the arena, each looking spirited and majestic. Merely the aura they emitted made people nearby somewhat uncomfortable, a testament to the oppressive presence of a strong person.
Moreover, each of them wore black sunglasses, as if guarding something.
"Who are they?" Lin Zifeng asked.
"Them?" Long Yunfei pointed.
"Yeah, those guys in black suits," Lin Zifeng asked, puzzled.
"They are security experts sent by the Dragon Team for this selection competition to prevent any incidents from occurring,"
"Just the five of them?" Lin Zifeng couldn’t believe it; what could just five people do? Even if something like a riot happened, who could guarantee they could defeat all the experts here?
"You really shouldn’t underestimate these five; combined, their strength is terrifying! I just didn’t expect even the Dragon Team’s people to show up today,"
"Are they all from the Dragon Team?" Lin Zifeng turned his head, puzzled, still clueless about what exactly the Dragon Team was, as described by Long Yunfei.
"They are the Dragon Team’s ’Wind,’ ’Rain,’ ’Thunder,’ ’Lightning,’ and ’Fire.’ I’ve heard they are all incredible. Though, I’ve never seen them in action myself, so I don’t know their true strength. Anyway, my grandfather told me that everyone in the Dragon Team is formidable. If it’s about intelligence, the Dragon Team is nothing compared to our CIA, but if it’s about who has more experts, the Dragon Team’s members are almost all freaks of nature. The only ones we can compare to them are the experts from the Mountain and River List, which have been privately established by our CIA over the last twenty years. But that still doesn’t compare to the Dragon Team,"
Speaking this, Long Yunfei’s tone clearly felt a bit despondent.
"That impressive?" Lin Zifeng was also surprised. To be praised by Long Yunfei, the Dragon Team of Huaxia must really be formidable.
Nowadays, basically every country in the world has its own secretly trained organizations, like Lin Zifeng’s former organization, Heavenly Gate, which is undoubtedly a covert force trained by foreign countries.
But which country they obey, that remains unknown.
No wonder that old bastard Long Zaitian wanted to subdue Lin Zifeng and speak lightly of the conditions—it seemed Long Zaitian was also keen on nurturing Lin Zifeng as a vital force for himself.
"I also understand that the Dragon Team is a special organization of the state, which is quite different from our CIA. While Dragon Team is in Yanjing, our CIA is based in Zhonghai City. Essentially, both are national departments that do not intersect, each serving the nation. So, this Mountain and River List selection is actually just for our CIA to recruit some experts. My grandfather didn’t say much more, and I didn’t ask. I guess my assumption is pretty close to the truth," he said.
"So, aren’t the Dragon Team and the CIA similar to the Eastern Factory and the West Factory of the Ming Dynasty?"
"Pretty much, both departments are nurtured for the same purpose—to protect Huaxia."
"It seems I still underestimated the strength of the nation," Lin Zifeng mused.
Just then, as more and more people gathered in the boxing ring below, all the hidden experts of Zhonghai City made their entrance one after another.
Each one carried an air of supreme pride.
About ten minutes later, the number of people in the boxing ring below had also gathered substantially.
An old man with a goatee walked up from behind the three-foot-high platform of the boxing ring.
The height of the ring made the old man appear somewhat diminutive, but no one below dared to disrespect the elder.
The elder was dressed in a black Tang suit, not very tall, with a square face and high nose bridge, and his face bore a thick, cheerful smile.
It gave off a kindly aura.
"Good evening, everyone," the elder greeted the several hundred people below as he took the stage. His smiling face, nobody would be foolish enough to doubt his power.
"Who is that elder?" Lin Zifeng asked, pointing at the elder in the ring below.
"He’s a master close to my grandfather," Long Yunfei said, clearly a bit excited.
"A master close to your grandfather?" Lin Zifeng muttered under his breath, who knows how many masters are behind your grandfather.
"His name is Fang Yizheng. He’s the judge for the selection competition for the Mountain and River List ranking that happens every five years."
"It looks like today is the day for the Mountain and River List ranking competition. No wonder there are so many people here, even that freak Zhang Xiaohua came," Long Yunfei muttered with a smile.
"Oh," Lin Zifeng nodded.
He didn’t continue to ask further.
Just a moment ago, Old Man Long Zaitian had already hinted that Lin Zifeng should go and fight later. It seemed that he was played by that old bastard again.
"My name is Fang Yizheng. I am pleased to see everyone again. Today is a special day for me, and it is also a special day for you all. I believe everyone is aware that today is the joyful day for the new selection of the Mountain and River List every five years. I won’t say much more. You all must be aware of the Mountain and River List in Zhonghai City. Today, we follow the old rules. Just now, I have counted nearly four hundred new participants from various experts. Later, we will form four teams, each with a hundred people. Everyone will take the stage, and whoever stands last will have the right to challenge the top ten of the Mountain and River List. If you win, you will be among the new generation of the Mountain and River List masters. Of course, if there is an accident, you will handle it yourselves. But let me state in advance, if anyone uses hidden weapons or other despicable methods during the competition, well, you all know what I mean, so I won’t say more."