Ji Chenjiao had an impression of the place. “I know it, but I’ve never been inside.”

“I went inside once, secretly, but I got caught and dragged back by Sister Xiao Chen,” Ling Lie said. “Sister Xiao Chen is the teacher with the scent of lily of the valley. She said it was dangerous for a kid like me to go there, asking what would happen if I got kidnapped. She also said I was mischievous. But I just wanted to find someone to play hide-and-seek with me in the maze.”

Ji Chenjiao looked at Ling Lie’s profile. His forehead and ears were covered by a hat, making the bridge of his nose appear exceptionally straight and elegant.

“Do you still want to play now?” Ji Chenjiao blurted out.

Ling Lie was somewhat surprised. “Really?”

Ji Chenjiao pressed a hand on his head. “Who seeks whom?”

“I’ll seek you!”

The two entered the maze from opposite directions. Both were specially trained individuals, their footsteps as light as cats. Shortly after entering, Ji Chenjiao stopped moving completely, reducing his presence to the absolute minimum, listening to the airflow around him to judge Ling Lie’s location.

Before long, he heard the sound of Ling Lie gripping the wall with both hands and vaulting over it.

Ji Chenjiao: “…” You can do that? Isn’t that cheating?

Since his opponent was cheating, he couldn’t just be a sitting duck. After making a preliminary judgment of Ling Lie’s position, he also used the wall-vaulting method to shift his location.

The two had reached a point very close to each other, separated by only two walls. The moment Ling Lie vaulted over a wall, Ji Chenjiao also leaped onto the top of the wall.

“Wah—” Ling Lie cried thief while being the thief, “You cheated!”

Ji Chenjiao: “You say that as if you’re innocent.”

That round was voided. Before restarting, Ling Lie bragged, “I could catch you even if I were deaf.”

Ji Chenjiao frowned. “Don’t jinx it. Wear your hat properly!”

“Really, just to save you from worrying blindly.” Ling Lie reached into Ji Chenjiao’s pocket, fished out Bluetooth earphones, and quickly put them on. Then he pulled his hat down to cover them securely, started playing music, and made a ‘go’ gesture at Ji Chenjiao.

The music cut off external sounds; Ling Lie could no longer judge Ji Chenjiao’s position by hearing. Ji Chenjiao didn’t play as freely this time, constantly worried that Ling Lie had the volume up too high.

One was filled with worry, the other was determined to win. The result, naturally, was Ling Lie easily catching Ji Chenjiao.

“How did you find me?” Ji Chenjiao asked.

Ling Lie pointed at his own eyes with his index and middle fingers. “Eyes to see, nose to smell, skin to sense.” Ling Lie made a heart shape with his hands over his chest, then poked Ji Chenjiao’s chest with a finger. “I can sense your heartbeat.”

Ji Chenjiao laughed. “That mystical?”

Ling Lie looked proud. “That’s right!”

They swapped roles and played again. Ling Lie was very restless, knocking on the walls from time to time to deliberately lure Ji Chenjiao to catch him. But when Ji Chenjiao came, he would cheat and vault over the wall. Ji Chenjiao adopted a stationary tactic; no matter where you scratched at the walls, he wasn’t going!

Ling Lie scratched for a long time, but no one came. He got anxious, so he simply vaulted over to the wall right next to Ji Chenjiao and continued scratching. Still no movement.

Ling Lie sighed, leaped atop the wall, poked his head over, and met Ji Chenjiao’s gaze. “Why didn’t you come catch me?”

Ji Chenjiao reached out both hands toward him. “Aren’t you delivering yourself to me right now?”

Ling Lie: “.”

---

On the day of the field training, after entering the mountains, Ling Lie didn’t give the team members any rest time and immediately started a weighted cross-country march. The mountains seemed quiet and secluded, but they hid traps the team members couldn’t imagine. Simulated explosives could trigger at any moment, and once the smoke filled the air, it was impossible to tell the direction.

Ling Lie carried the same weight as everyone else, yet he still had to shout and shoot. His physical exertion was actually greater. But he acted as if it were nothing; when he was happy, he’d fire off a clip of ammo, and when he was unhappy, he’d still fire off a clip.

When they reached a river, the assault team needed to swim across with their gear and then set up a rope traverse. By this time, the team’s stamina was severely depleted, and a rope traverse was a test of endurance and willpower. The line was set up, but as the team members hung from it, moving forward was incredibly difficult. Ling Lie, however, kept firing his gun, causing river water to constantly splash onto the team members’ faces and bodies.

Someone fell from the rope line. Once one fell, it was like dumplings dropping into a pot—the ones behind followed suit. Ling Lie also climbed onto the rope line, firmly grabbing the nearest team member. “You want to go down too? In actual combat, falling down could mean death.”

The team member gritted his teeth fiercely, eyes erupting with anger. Using all his strength, he flipped back onto the rope, let out a roar, and struggled to crawl toward the opposite bank.

The trend of “falling dumplings” stopped. The members behind all clenched their teeth, crawling on sheer spite and breath. If anyone else started to slip, the people immediately in front and behind would desperately hold onto them.

Ling Lie stood in the river, squinting at them, and smiled lightly.

After the river crossing concluded, there was a very brief rest period. Ling Lie was looking at the map; their route was blocked at the southeast corner, requiring a detour.

“We can’t go directly through here?” Ling Lie asked.

The logistics officer accompanying the team explained, “That side is the territory of an outdoor club. Normally they could lend it to us, but didn’t we decide on this field training last minute? It just so happens a company is holding a team-building event there today; it’s already booked.”

Ling Lie nodded, not minding the details.

Rest over, new challenges arrived. At this time, the sun had not yet reached its zenith. They had started their march at midnight, so for the rest of the world, it was just a vibrant morning.

A luxury bus parked in the outdoor club’s parking lot. The employees of Fanfei Electrical had arrived. They were wearing autumn/winter outdoor jackets issued by the company, some wearing hats. It was a group of over twenty people, mostly male employees.

The club staff welcomed them enthusiastically, leading them to an air-conditioned hall while explaining safety regulations and handing out liability waivers to sign.

“Who is the person in charge?”

Zhao Jie stepped forward. “Me.”

The staff member said, “Please come over here to sign.”

Once everything was ready, everyone was led into the mountains. The male employees discussed the activities with high enthusiasm, their competitive spirits ignited before things even began. The only three female employees lagged behind. One, named Xiao Huan, said, “I really didn’t want to come. My stomach hurts so bad.”

Xiao Xin said, “Are you on your period? You could have asked for leave.”

Xiao Huan sighed. “It wouldn’t look good. It’s the first group activity. It’s not easy to establish a foothold in the workplace.”

After hiking for two kilometers, they arrived at the first activity point—the Via Ferrata (parallel climbing).

Participants needed to walk across a steep cliff face. Although it looked scary, everyone had a set of safety ropes, so there was fundamentally no danger.

As the person in charge and a senior to the new employees, Zhao Jie led by example. He walked at the very front, his body pressed against the damp cliff face, a narrow wooden plank beneath his feet. He looked down, and a cluster of small pebbles fell. Suddenly, he let go with both hands and leaned backward. The employees behind him screamed in fright.

But he didn’t fall like the pebbles; the safety rope held his waist firmly.

He pressed back against the cliff, smiled at the employees behind him, and gave a thumbs up. “See, it’s fine. Everyone, walk with confidence.”

Applause and flattery immediately erupted from the team.

“Brother Zhao is mighty! Brother Zhao is amazing! What’s there to be afraid of with Brother Zhao leading!”

Zhao Jie turned around, back facing the employees, and his smile instantly faded.

Half an hour later, everyone had safely completed the first project. The only interlude was that halfway through, bursts of gunfire suddenly rang out in the distance. Everyone froze; gunshots were a rare novelty to them.

The staff quickly explained that there was a drill on the other side of the mountain today and there was no need to be afraid.

“A drill?” Zhao Jie asked. “Whose drill?”

The staff member said, “That, I don’t know.”

After a short rest, the second project began. Employees needed to climb up a high platform built of steel bars and jump to a platform opposite it. The distance between the two platforms was adjustable; wider for men, narrower for women.

Although they were strapped to a safety rope, many still didn’t dare to jump.

Xiao Huan froze up top, terrified. Zhao Jie went up and jumped across right in front of her, saying from the other side, “Come on, nothing will happen.”

Although the cheers this time contained elements of sucking up, some employees genuinely felt that Zhao Jie was a good team leader—approachable and brave enough to demonstrate. After all, Zhao Jie had already jumped earlier; there was no need for him to go up again.

Xiao Huan was evidently encouraged. She pumped herself up, sprinted, leaped, and landed steadily on the opposite platform.

Observing boundaries between men and women, Zhao Jie didn’t hold her but gave her a thumbs up. This action caused Xiao Huan’s impression of him to skyrocket.

After completing the next project, it was lunch time. In the afternoon, there were still hiking and rope bridge crossing activities. During the lunch break, Zhao Jie took a map and said he wanted to go check out the activity points first. A staff member went with him.

Past two o’clock, the hiking began. When they reached the rope bridge, a strong wind picked up in the mountains. The bridge, made of ropes, swayed precariously, looking very unsafe.

The rope bridge spanned between two mountains. Below was a dry valley floor covered in sharp rocks. This was the only project that didn’t require a safety harness. Many scenic spots had similar rope bridges; as long as one walked according to the rules and didn’t recklessly bounce around like it was a disco, accidents basically wouldn’t happen.

Zhao Jie started encouraging everyone again. He went onto the bridge alone, walked across, and walked back, earning a full house of cheers.

“Don’t be afraid. Since when have we programmers been afraid of difficulties? Right?!”

“Right!!!”

With the experience of walking on walls from the morning, the employees had let loose and become much bolder. They lined up to walk toward the other side. Zhao Jie prepared to go last. When he turned around, he saw Xiao Huan standing behind him.

“Quick, follow up!”

Xiao Huan, however, took a step back. “Brother Zhao, can I walk with you?”

A gleam of unusual light flashed in Zhao Jie’s eyes, but he quickly smiled. “Sure, follow behind me.”

At this moment, there were over a dozen people on the bridge. Only seven remained on the cliff edge.

Those on the bridge were in high spirits; someone even started singing. Zhao Jie watched with a smile and shouted, “Pay attention to safety.”

Just then, the wind blew harder. A strange friction sound arose, but the people’s laughter and singing were too loud, drowning out the noise.

Closest to the far side of the bridge was a chubby guy, nearly 1.9 meters tall, burly and large. Before the project started, he had specifically asked the staff if his tonnage was acceptable. The staff had guaranteed: “No problem.”

“Here I come!” The chubby guy waved his fist and stepped onto the rope bridge.

The bridge shook violently, but the people didn’t perceive the danger.

The chubby guy walked forward carefully. Zhao Jie directed another person onto the bridge.

Right at that moment, a rope suddenly snapped. First one, then two, then three!

The bridge tilted entirely. Employees who hadn’t reacted didn’t even have time to scream before falling straight down.

The catastrophe happened in an instant; there was no time to stop it. The few remaining ropes couldn’t bear the gravity and snapped all at once with a crash. Intense screams erupted in the mountains as people swung violently toward the opposite side along with the ropes!

Some desperately grabbed the ropes; others were flung off. The screams covered the dull thuds of bodies hitting the ground.

Xiao Huan stood at the spot where the ropes had snapped, falling to the ground in terror, her vision almost entirely blood-red.

“Call the police! Quick, call the police!” someone shouted.

Zhao Jie hurriedly took out his phone, but his hands shook so badly he couldn’t hold it steady. The phone slipped and fell off the cliff edge!

In the river valley, some people had stopped moving, while others were crying out in pain. Those hanging on the ropes had barely scraped back their lives, but if rescue was delayed, what awaited them was still a fall.

Everyone panicked. One staff member even ran away on the spot. Xiao Huan watched all this numbly until she felt a force shaking her shoulder. She snapped back to reality to see Zhao Jie shouting, “Xiao Huan! Xiao Huan! Is your phone there? Call the police!”

Xiao Huan hurriedly grabbed her phone. “Hello, hello, is this 110? We’ve had an accident, we…”

Before she could finish, she started crying. Zhao Jie snatched the phone and, trying to remain as calm as possible, reported the location and the accident. Xiao Huan looked at him and heard his voice shaking violently.

Two mountains away, the SWAT team had finally completed today’s hellish tasks and were lying on the ground, gasping for breath. Ling Lie was in a good mood and even wanted to find a few unlucky guys to spar with.

Just then, the logistics officer ran over holding a phone. “Instructor Ling, we just received instructions. An accident occurred at the outdoor club opposite us. Emergency rescue is required!”

The playfulness in Ling Lie’s eyes vanished. He took the phone, and after hearing Ji Chenjiao’s words clearly on the other end, he leaped onto the off-road vehicle. By this time, the team members who had been exhausted just moments ago were already standing in formation.

Ling Lie shouted, “Move out!”

The field training team marched toward the mountain where the accident occurred. At first, some members thought it was a rescue drill—after all, the Special Action Team focused heavily on real-combat scenarios, and their devil instructor could come up with anything. It wasn’t until they saw the tragic state of the valley floor and the people barely hanging onto the ropes that they felt like a bucket of ice water had been poured over their heads—this wasn’t a drill, it was a real rescue!

This place was far from the city area; medical assistance would take time to arrive. Fortunately, the field training was equipped with a medical vehicle that could provide emergency aid.

But the biggest trouble now was how to get the people up. The SWAT team’s loadout didn’t include equipment for large-scale rescues. And if they waited for the city’s rescue team to arrive, some lives might already be lost.

Ling Lie squatted on the cliff edge and looked down, quickly deciding to rappel down to the cliff below first to find a way to save the people on the ropes.

Both the cliffside and the valley floor were filled with crying and shouting. The team members had never seen such a tragic scene, nor had they executed such an arduous rescue mission; many were at a loss.

Ling Lie fixed the ropes while organizing the team. He stood like a pine tree in the mountains, his voice like a piercing bugle. The team members couldn’t help but all look at him, listening to his orders with solemnity.

Ling Lie called out five names to step forward and rappel with him to check the condition of the people on the ropes. These five were the members with the best performance and physical fitness during training.

“Yes, sir!” The five immediately prepared to rappel.

Ling Lie then appointed a group of twenty to take as much medical equipment as possible and go down the mountain path to save people on the valley floor. The remaining members were to stand by on the cliff to handle any sudden situations that might occur above.

The operation unfolded rapidly. Ling Lie was the first to leap off the cliff. With a rope tied around his waist and hands wearing fingerless gloves loosely gripping the line, his toes lightly tapped the cliff face as he swept down as light as a swallow.

“Help, help me!” A young man with somewhat curly hair was clutching the broken bridge, shaking all over. The moment he saw Ling Lie, a bright flame erupted in his eyes.

Ling Lie flew close, observing his condition. “Can you still hold on?”

Curly Hair gritted his teeth. “Save me, quick!”

Ling Lie nodded, casting his gaze forward, silently counting the number of people. There were eight hanging, all male. There were only three women in the group; one was lucky and hadn’t gotten on the bridge yet on the opposite cliff, while the other two had already fallen.

He sighed, quickly grabbed the rope thrown down from above, wrapped one arm around Curly Hair, and used the other to snap a steel carabiner onto the man’s waist. Then he tugged the rope to test the tension.

Curly Hair screamed in fear. Ling Lie patted his shoulder. “It’s okay. We’re here; you’re safe.” After speaking, he blew a whistle toward the cliff. The SWAT team above received the order and began pulling the rope.

Curly Hair rose slowly, his body stiff with tension. Ling Lie watched him leave his protective range, saluted, and immediately flew toward the next trapped person.

The other five team members were also in action. Soon, everyone hanging on the broken bridge was rescued. Weeping filled the cliff top. Ling Lie roughly checked their injuries; some had severe abrasions, some had hit their heads, and some had broken arms, but fortunately, none were fatal. The situation in the river valley was far more severe.