Atlas of Heaven and Man.

Chapter 147: Going to the Exam

By the end of May, Chen Chuan had already made preparations to go for the assessment. He had informed his aunt's family in advance, on the grounds that he and Cheng Zitong would be going out for special training recently and might spend some time in the wilderness, so it might be difficult to pass on the message.

He had already written some letters, and would ask Cheng Zitong to mail them when the time came. This would both comfort his family and create the illusion that he had been staying somewhere.

This type of letters not only includes family members, but also familiar people in the company, classmates from the college, and even old classmates such as Ding Jiao. However, in order not to be too deliberate, these are just preparations and do not need to be sent out unless necessary.

He had to be so cautious because that was where Shen Zheng's experience happened. Not to mention that the latter had already passed the unlimited defense certificate at that time. He hadn't passed it yet, so naturally he had to be doubly careful.

To those students he was familiar with, he had already mentioned in his conversations before that he was going to practice with an instructor, so the students already had some vague ideas about this. When it was brought up at this moment, they did not feel it was abrupt at all, and many of them wished him success in his practice.

On the evening of the 30th, around 11 o'clock in the evening, Chen Chuan carried a suitcase and got into Cheng Zitong's car with the Xuejun Knife packed in a box.

The vehicle headed west out of Yangzhi City and after more than six hours on the road, it arrived at Shangbu City, located southwest of Yangzhi City. This is the junction of two prefectural roads and is also an important water and land transportation hub.

According to the assessment process, he needs to make a phone call here, and a member of the assessment team will come over, hand him a train ticket, and let him take the train to the next designated station.

Once here, he needs to go to the examination location by himself.

After getting off the car, he said to Cheng Zitong: "Teacher, please go back. I have to walk the rest of the way by myself."

Cheng Zitong looked at him and said with some emotion: "You, my student, have grown taller than last year. Time flies so fast." He walked up and said, "Focus on the assessment. Your teacher will take care of things at school and at home, so you don't need to worry too much. Also, be careful outside. Your teacher is waiting for your news in Yangzhi." As he said that, he patted Chen Chuan's shoulder heavily.

Chen Chuan nodded and said, "Student will remember this."

"The teacher will be leaving soon. By the way, there are some things left for you in the box. You may need them. Please take a look at them when you have time."

Cheng Zitong waved at him and got back into the car. As the engine started, they drove back toward the road. After Chen Chuan watched him leave, he clicked on his hat and turned to walk towards the station square not far away.

He checked his watch. Although it was only a little before six in the morning, the streets were already crowded with people carrying large and small bags. The sun shone from behind him, falling on the square, and most of the thick walls of the train station were also illuminated.

He looked around and found a row of roadside telephone booths at the edge of the square. He walked over and found a place with less queues. After waiting for the people inside to come out, he went in, picked up the receiver, put in a coin, and called the number given by the assessment team. After waiting for a while, the call was connected.

He said, "I have arrived at the designated station."

The voice on the other end said, "Wait there," and then hung up with a click.

Chen Chuan came out of the phone booth and bought a newspaper and two story magazines when passing by a newsstand. He sat on a waiting chair in the square and waited.

Half an hour later, an ordinary-looking man sat down next to him, handed him a train ticket naturally, and said:

"The train ticket is at 7:50 this morning. Please call the number below when you arrive at the station. Someone will come to check your belongings and see if you have anyone to help you or follow you before you enter the chaotic land. Do you have any questions?"

Chen Chuan took out a piece of paper with a number written on it from the back of the ticket. He thought for a moment and said, "What should I do if the phone number is wrong or I can't contact anyone after I reach the boundary?"

The person replied: "You can call me again and I will reschedule you. The delayed time will not be counted towards your assessment, but you will have to pay for the extra expenses yourself. The assessment team will not be responsible."

Chen Chuan nodded, "Then I have no doubts."

The man rolled up the newspaper in his hand, stood up, walked away, and soon disappeared into the crowd.

Chen Chuan did not leave immediately, but read the newspaper for a while before getting up and walking into the station.

After entering the waiting hall, he glanced at the timetable and chose a seat near the side to sit down. More than an hour later, the announcement informed him that the train he was taking had arrived at the station and he could check his ticket and board the train.

He stood up, queued up and passed the ticket gate smoothly. After he walked out, a completely black train had already stopped there. He let a snack cart pass and walked up from the narrow entrance. After walking a few carriages, he found his seat, put his suitcase and Xuejun Knife on the luggage rack above, and sat down.

It seemed that the audit team was on a tight budget. He would have to sit on the train for nearly a whole day, but the ticket he was given was not a sleeper berth but a seat ticket.

But he didn't care. As a fighter with a tough physique, this requirement was not high, and he could rest even when standing.

He took out a tube of nutritional paste, tore it open and ate it, then continued reading the newspaper.

This was his first time traveling far away. The news and newspapers in Yangzhi City were usually all about the local area, with very little news about the outside world. This was still the case here. The most news came from Shangbu City, but as it was a transportation hub, there was also some news from cities along the railway.

At this time, a short man came over with the ticket. He checked it and knew he had found the right seat. However, his luggage bag seemed a bit heavy. He kept sliding down even after he stood on tiptoe to help him. He said to him with a bitter face, "Brother, can you give me a hand?"

Chen Chuan raised his head, stood up, and with a slight lift of his hand, he lifted the suitcase inside.

"Thanks, buddy. You're really tall, and you have such a physique. Are you a martial artist?" The man looked at Chen Chuan with envy. He glanced at the box containing the Xuejun sword on the luggage rack, took out a cigarette and handed it to him.

Chen Chuan indicated that he didn't and sat back. The man didn't care, but he was obviously a very outgoing person. After he sat down, he asked where Chen Chuan was going. Chen Chuan answered casually for a few times and then he talked the rest by himself. He talked about the people in his family and what business he was going to do this time. He also said that the roads were always unsafe and it was difficult to do business.

He talked incessantly, but his eyes kept looking around. Chen Chuan did not show any impatience, but just read the newspaper. At this time, a few people with bad eyes came over, saw him talking here, looked at Chen Chuan across from him, hesitated, whispered a few words, and left.

The man seemed relieved.

After a while, with a few whistle sounds, the train under him finally began to move slowly. The man also fell silent and looked at the scenery outside.

After only three stops, the man seemed to have arrived at his destination. He quickly put on his hat, jumped up and pulled off his luggage bag, and whispered, "Thanks, buddy," before leaving.

Chen Chuan looked up at him and nodded.

As the train passed from station to station, the passengers on the opposite side kept changing, and the sky outside changed from bright to dark, and then fell into complete darkness.

Seeing that the time was almost up, Chen Chuan went to the bathroom to wash up briefly, then returned to his seat and closed his eyes to rest.

At this moment he also discovered that after the alienation of his internal organs, the two were not simply merged into one. The alienated tissue was like another set of his organs, which could rest alternately with the original organs.

When one of them is dormant, the other can continue to be active. This can be said to be an organ born to adapt to combat.

Therefore, as long as there is a slight movement around him, or something that is inconsistent with the environment appears, his senses will immediately alert him and he will react quickly.

However, it might be because he looked like someone who was not someone to be trifled with, and he also had the invisible aura of a fighter, so even on a train where there was a lot of traffic, he never encountered any foolish people who would provoke him. Some people who were obviously pickpockets would consciously stay away from him after seeing him, obviously they had good eyesight.

The next day, when the first ray of sunlight appeared from the horizon behind him, Chen Chuan opened his eyes. He looked out and saw that the scenery outside the car had become extremely desolate. There were only a few passengers left in the car. All of them were silent, and a few of them obviously had a background in fighting.

He understood that these people most likely had the same destination as him, and were also heading to a chaotic land, because to go there the first thing was to have the military power to protect themselves.

At around six o'clock in the morning, the train finally arrived at the last stop of its journey. The friction sound between the axles and the tracks gradually weakened. The train slowly stopped and the steam valve opened. As the residual steam was released, a long exhalation sound came from the exhaust pipe and the surrounding sounds became clearer.

Chen Chuan took his luggage, put the box containing the Xuejun Knife on his back, and got off the car. When he walked out of the station, he felt a cold wind blowing towards him. There was still snow on the ground. Many people around him were wrapped in thicker clothes, but he felt very comfortable. In order not to be too conspicuous, he also took out a scarf and put it on.

The passengers coming and going here are all walking in a hurry, and few of them gather together. On both sides of the station are security personnel with guns. They all have sharp eyes and occasionally glance at the people coming and going in the square.

After looking around for a few times, he found a telephone booth at the edge of the square, put a coin in it, and dialed the number given by the man. When the call was connected, he said, "I've arrived at my stop," and reported the number on a piece of paper.

A female voice with a smoky voice came from the other side: "Coming right up."

He waited for less than a quarter of an hour before he saw a modified off-road vehicle driving over and stopping not far in front of him. The person in the driver's seat shook his head at him and said, "Get in."

Chen Chuan saw that this was a woman of about 27 or 28 years old, wearing a short coat and goggles on her forehead. At first glance, she was quite pretty, but there were many traces of weathering in the corners of her eyes. Her eyes were very sharp, and she looked like someone who was not someone to be trifled with.

He walked over, opened the door and got in the car. After he sat down, the man spoke first, "Are you Brother Chen for this assessment?" Chen Chuan nodded and asked, "May I ask your name?"

"No need to bother, my surname is Hu, Hu Xian."

Chen Chuan said: "It's Ms. Hu. Please come and pick me up. Is Ms. Hu also a member of the review team?"

Hu Xian said carelessly, "Yes, I am the auditor. I am also responsible for providing you with intelligence, weapons, and logistical support. Of course, I will also..." She glanced at the rearview mirror, "collecting your bodies."

When she said this, she stared at Chen Chuan, as if trying to read something from his face, but Chen Chuan's eyes were calm. She said, "I can see that you have experience, but every year there are students who are seriously injured or die in the assessment here. I hope you won't become one of them, so as to avoid causing me more trouble."

Chen Chuan asked, "Has Ms. Hu been here for a long time?"

"It's just a job. No one else wants to come to this crappy place. I have no connections and can't be transferred back even if I want to. Besides, I've been here for a long time. Every time a new boss comes in, they think I'm doing a good job. They take a look at my file and say, 'Hey, you're a veteran employee and have never made any mistakes. Okay, you can stay here.'"

Hu Xian laughed at herself for a few words, stepped on the accelerator, and drove the SUV very fast. After about ten minutes, it stopped at an old-fashioned hotel. She walked in with Chen Chuan, asked the pretty woman at the reception desk for the key, and threw it to Chen Chuan.

"I own this inn. It's my private property. The first three days are free, but you have to pay for the rest. If you need anything, tell Lao Wan. The big bearded guy at the gate, don't be fooled by his rough look, he's very thoughtful. After all, he can run horses on his elbows and embroider on his fingers. You can ask him for anything."

Chen Chuan followed her up to the second floor and entered a room. The living room floor was covered with thick carpet and there was a chandelier hanging above. There was a long wooden table in the middle and a dartboard hanging on the wall.

Hu Xian walked over and opened the window. "The view here is good, and the sun shines in. Of course, if you don't like it, you can change it, but the conditions here are like this. This one is the best."

Chen Chuan took a look and nodded, saying, "No need to change it." He put the suitcase down and gestured, "Do you need to check it? The person who took care of me said there is such a process."

Hu Xian glanced at him and said indifferently, "No need. How much can you bring? What can't be found here? Wait for me." She turned and went out, and came back a few moments later, throwing a stack of books on his desk and saying, "Your assessment target."

……

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(End of this chapter)