Chapter 1235
[Immortal Realm Chapter] Star Martial Special Agent, on Duty in the Holy Capital
Three months have passed since I arrived at Laifeng Martial Arts School.
The Department of Homeland Security's recruitment order finally came through, and the martial arts school submitted its draft list of three people. Before long, they received approval.
Lin Shan, Xiao Zhong, and Ze Yu were all accepted by the Customs and Immigration Enforcement Bureau!
Xiao Zhong, being a Star Warrior, was naturally chosen without a doubt. Lin Shan had discussed the matter with Master Lai Feng and ultimately nominated himself and Ze Yu. Whether they were accepted or not depended on what the higher-ups said.
Surprisingly, all three of them were officially hired!
Ze Yu was still incredulous, because even after three months of hard training and with so much financial support from Lin Shan, he had only barely reached the seventh level of Star Warrior. Logically, he shouldn't have failed to meet the minimum requirements, so how could he have passed?
"The new president of the Federation recently took office and is looking to build a team that is obedient and capable of fighting. Therefore, he decided to triple the number of recruits in ICE and relax the minimum requirements. Star Warrior Level 7 is just the minimum threshold."
Xiao Zhong explained with a smile, genuinely happy for his senior.
He had personally witnessed how diligently these two studied over the past three months, and how they managed to pass the civil service exam despite cramming at the last minute. It was truly a moment worth celebrating.
Master Lai Feng also specially held a ceremony for them, setting a good example in front of all the martial arts students.
However, two of them did not look too good.
They were originally disciples of Master Laifeng, and had long been Star Warriors at the seventh level. They were originally supposed to be registered, but if Lin Shan hadn't suddenly appeared, then those two spots would have belonged to them!
But now that the die is cast, it's too late to say anything, so all he can do is silently swallow his anger.
late at night.
The three of them started packing their luggage and then got into Xiao Zhong's van.
"Senior brothers, you can sleep in the back first. Remember to take turns driving along the way. We should be able to reach the federal capital, Waghha, by tomorrow morning."
The world of steel furnaces is vast, with hundreds of countries of all sizes scattered throughout. The Ether Federation ranks fourth in land area and second in overall national strength. Although its capital, Wagha, is not as large as Copenhagen in terms of economy and population, it is still the political center.
After saying goodbye to their master and family, the three of them left Laifeng Martial Arts School together, drove overnight, and headed to their workplace the next morning.
The next morning.
Waghtah, Central Administration Avenue, Customs and Immigration Bureau Headquarters Building.
Colonel Bren inspected all the members who had come to report for duty in the spacious hall. A total of eight thousand people had been recruited across the entire Federation! And all of them were Star Warriors. What an enormous law enforcement force this was!
It should be noted that most humans are unable to cultivate, and those with the talent of Star Warriors are extremely rare, yet so many elites have gathered here!
In other times, those federal political parties would have thought they had rebelled.
But now that a new president has taken office and is undertaking sweeping reforms, he needs a sharp knife to deliver on his promises to federal voters and achieve his own political goals.
"Listen up, everyone. From now on, you will only obey the orders of the President and your direct superiors. No one else can stop you. You must complete the tasks assigned to you. Even if there is bloodshed, don't worry, the President will cover for us!"
Everyone listened quietly, and a chilling atmosphere could be felt. To be given such a lecture right from the start, it was easy to imagine that this job was not as easy as it seemed.
Colonel Brun's eyes were sharp, his eagle-like gaze piercing into everyone's hearts like a knife!
"I want you to be brave enough to fight, to fight, and to crush all enemies. Don't bring your so-called compassion and saintly heart here. You must be ruthless killing machines to better protect our country. Do you understand?"
"understand!"
A powerful echo resounded in the hall, and the colonel nodded in satisfaction.
Next, we conveyed some mission information to them, making them more aware of the political correctness behind their actions and the risks they were about to face.
Customs and Immigration Enforcement primarily screens illegal immigrants from other countries and interstellar travel. These immigrants flood into Free Aetherland, crowding out job opportunities and social welfare for native citizens and creating many uncertainties, thus requiring regular clearance.
However, recently, terrorist attacks have occurred frequently in the Steel Furnace World, and after investigation, they have all been found to be related to the legendary cultivators!
"Those cultivators refine living people, manipulate poisonous corpses, spread viruses, create biological crises, spread cults, and disguise themselves in our cities and countryside, constantly creating all kinds of terrifying news, causing panic among the entire nation!"
"The president campaigned on the slogan of eradicating these cancers and restoring a bright and clear world to Free Atherland."
"As Star Warriors, you must fight on the front lines to screen and examine those evil servants, root out dangerous sources of pollution, eliminate the poisonous corpses spreading the virus, and finally wipe out the terrifying cultivators in one fell swoop!"
"Remember, cultivators were once a great enemy of our Microcosm. Tens of thousands of years ago, they invaded and almost enslaved our entire world. The President said that such a thing must never be allowed to happen again."
"Now they are trying to use terrorism to break and destroy our will, and to use cult ideology to fool and educate our citizens. They will be resisted by everyone!"
"Let's fight, newbies!"
Colonel Brun appears to be a fervent supporter of the new president; every three sentences he utters are invariably laced with his own agenda, going beyond simply instilling a mission to subtly guide him.
Lin Shan listened quietly amidst the crowd, a hint of surprise in his heart.
Wasn't it supposed to be that cultivators in this universe are like rats crossing the street, hated by everyone? Why are they so high-profile lately, and even dare to carry out terrorist attacks everywhere?
What is the point of doing this?
In the era of the end of the Dharma, the thin air has no endurance, and the spiritual energy in one's body is used up little by little. Normal people would have long since huddled up and hid away. Why would they go out and wander around for no reason?
Xiao Zhong and Ze Yu, who were standing next to him, were both young men in their early twenties. They were young, impulsive, and energetic. They were so excited that their faces turned red and their necks bulged. They couldn't wait to get rid of evil and act as righteous messengers, like gods descending to earth!
Finally, the long and detailed explanation above is over. Next, we will distribute equipment and form squads.
First, they are assigned according to their cultivation level. Star Warriors are in charge, Star Warriors are captains and team leaders, and Star Warriors are ordinary team members. Above them are special agent supervisors and special supervisors, each with their own rank.
Under the basic tactical unit division, one supervisor is in charge of ten special teams, each team has four special operations groups, and each group has five members.
Xiao Zhongxing, a first-level warrior, was appointed as the team leader, and Zeyu became his team member.
At a crucial moment, Lin Shan also revealed his Star Warrior cultivation level and was appointed as the leader of the group next door. He was assigned to a squad with them, and there was a Star Warrior level nine captain above him!
This startled Xiao Zhong and Ze Yu. "Weren't you a level nine Star Warrior? When did you break through to Star Warrior? How come we didn't know?"
Lin Shan just laughed it off and brushed it off lightly.
If he wanted to break through, wouldn't that be easy? If he wasn't afraid of being too shocking, he would have already taken off in a spiral with his left foot on his right.
In the future, if we want to investigate the situation of cultivators during missions, as a team member, I will definitely have to follow the orders of my superiors, which is not suitable for me to do things on my own.
Team leaders have some degree of autonomy and relatively few personal restrictions.
After the organizational structure was determined, the next step was to distribute various equipment. Everyone had to register and claim their own, but what was most surprising was:
As agents of the Free Federation, they had to buy their own equipment on their first day of work!
"???"
This series of actions completely baffled everyone.
Shouldn't the equipment be provided by the government? Why do we have to pay for it ourselves? Are we a regular army?
The colonel told them that this was the president's private army, which had not yet been approved by Congress and the Senate, and the budget allocation had not yet been approved, so they could only wait for the time being. Those with money could buy a couple more bulletproof vests to save their lives, while those without money could just get a small pistol to shoot.
"."
This really shocked everyone, and they all started choosing equipment with bitter faces.
What goes around comes around. Before, Lin Shan borrowed money from Ze Yu, and now it's Ze Yu's turn to borrow money from Lin Shan.
He didn't have much savings to begin with, and he had already spent it all in three months of last-minute cramming. He had no choice but to humbly ask Lin Shan to buy equipment.
We're all brothers, why are you distinguishing between yours and mine?
"Take whatever you like, I'm not short of money, what kind of relationship do we have!"
Lin Shan generously paid for his bill. A pistol was standard equipment, a submachine gun was used for assaults, a shotgun was used for breaching doors and suppressing enemy forces, a sniper rifle was used for precise control of the situation, a helmet and bulletproof vest were basic self-defense items, goggles and night vision goggles were also essential, a thermal imaging camera and a tactical flashlight were also provided, and pepper spray and an extendable baton were used to deal with troublemakers.
After a round of shopping, it only cost a little over 30,000 star coins, which was spent in no time at all.
Although he is a Star Warrior, he might as well use his firepower. Why waste words with a scourge like cultivators?
Just grab a gun and start shooting!
Of course, there are also special emergency situations where Star Warriors instinctively use melee weapons such as daggers and short swords, which are then distributed free of charge so that they don't have to pay for them themselves.
The vehicles were also rugged, armored jeeps provided by government agencies. Each vehicle could comfortably seat a group of five, and the rear seats were quite spacious, but there were no refrigerators, color TVs, or large sofas.
Uniforms and combat boots cost money, just like you have to buy work clothes to work in a factory. It's an extremely ugly way to make money. Despicable capitalists!
In addition, there are special packages prepared for wealthy men.
"Monitoring drones, intelligent robot dogs, exoskeleton armor, rocket flight engines, and solar energy shields."
These technologies aren't exactly new, but they're still unaffordable for the average person. Sometimes, money differentiates social classes, which is why the wealthy feel superior when they spend money on these products.
If everyone can afford it, and all beings are equal, how can capital exploit them?
Lin Shan even saw an air-wave hand cannon inside, developed by Hangrui Interstellar Company, which costs 30,000 star coins!
He remembered that back in the garbage camp on Coal Condensation Star, Qu Ying only got 100 star coins for finding an old antique to resell. The difference between the two is so big.
In the end, he spent all his savings on a detection drone and an air-wave cannon, and now he's back to being penniless.
When he learned that the team leader earned 8,000 star coins a month, he couldn't help but lament how cheap human life was. He was a Star Warrior, which would be considered Foundation Establishment stage in the cultivation world, so how come he earned less than an ordinary person?
To earn eight million star coins like in interstellar travel, how long would it take?
A Star Warrior like Ze Yu only earns 5,000 Star Coins a month. What's the point of risking your life for a monthly salary of 5,000?
"The capitalist world is indeed unreasonable. Ordinary people can rise above low-level Star Warriors as long as they have money. Maintaining this order has its advantages and disadvantages. Perhaps only high-level Star Warriors can break out of this circle."
His eyes flashed, and he seemed to understand the coexistence of Microcosm Technology and Star Martial Arts. If there were only the Star Martial Arts system, then those with cultivation talent would inevitably be superior to others, while ordinary people would have no rights whatsoever.
However, technological advancements have limited Star Martial Arts, or more accurately, they cannot limit the top-tier Star Martial Arts experts. But they can still maintain the normal operation of society by using methods to make these lower-level martial artists serve as cannon fodder. This shows that it is still relatively difficult.
After everything was arranged, it was already afternoon. Colonel Bren adjourned the meeting and announced that they would officially begin fighting tomorrow!
Upon exiting the Immigration Bureau headquarters, Lin Shan and his two companions exclaimed in disbelief.
"Should we still try to find a place to rent?"
That's right. This is the capital of the Ether Federation, a prime location where every inch of land is precious. Who cares where they live?
So you traveled all that way just to get here, and then you have to pay for your own work??
Zeyu and Linshan looked pitifully at Xiaozhong. They were both penniless and couldn't possibly sleep under a bridge, so they had no choice but to borrow money from their companion.
Xiao Zhong smiled wryly and had no choice but to drive their beat-up van around the city. Finally, they found a small, run-down apartment in a remote slum. It cost 1,500 star coins a month, which was just enough to live in.
Day two.
"ICE enforcement, please cooperate and show us your identification!"
Lin Shan, wearing a mask and uniform, was on duty for the first time. He skillfully stopped an old, dilapidated secondhand car and rolled down the window to find a black man inside.
"Oh no, meat, why are you stopping me?"
The four team members behind him exchanged glances and immediately confirmed that the skin color was correct!
The Commonwealth of Aetherland is a genuine light-skinned nation, so racial discrimination exists to some extent. When immigration is investigated, black people will definitely be the first to be checked, without a doubt.
They were all Star Warriors, each one tall and burly, and they surrounded the man. There was no way he could escape, after all, the gas-guzzling Jeep behind him was no joke.
Lin Shan remained expressionless and told him to stop talking nonsense and quickly take out all his documents.
"Open the car door and get out. Keep your hands in front of me. If you move, you'll face the consequences. ICE is acting first and asking for permission later. It's a presidential order. Don't force me to shoot!"
The black guy was completely dumbfounded!
What kind of organization is so violent, threatening me to shoot right away?
"Oh no, you can't do this! Nobody can force me out of the car. I have the right to remain silent until my lawyer arrives."
A lawyer?
Lin Shan casually waved his hand, and his four team members understood. They immediately stepped forward, opened the car door, and forcibly dragged the man out of the vehicle, staging a violent law enforcement operation right in the street! (End of Chapter)