Start with push-ups to gain experience

Nine o'clock in the morning.

Sunlight streamed through the treetops of the protective forest, casting slanting rays onto the asphalt road leading to the foot of the mountain.

Fang Cheng, wearing a black T-shirt, pulled up the blue canvas shoulder bag on his left shoulder and carried a heavy bag in his right hand, standing in front of a wide wrought iron gate.

On the marble pillar next to the door hangs a plaque with white background and black characters: "Xishan Cuigu Sanatorium".

Beyond the imposing gate and the staggered buildings in the front yard, one can vaguely see the main peak of the Western Hills stretching behind the sanatorium.

On the surface, this place looks like a high-end resort, but in reality, it belongs to an important unit of the Special Search Team's logistics system.

Several heavily armed guards stood outside the post, their expressions solemn, their eyes scanning the pedestrians and vehicles passing by warily.

After finishing his morning exercise, Fang Cheng took a shower and had breakfast at home, then hailed a taxi and came directly here to report for duty.

As for his own Land Rover SUV, he gave it to his uncle to drive around on business.

Because the buildings near Jinshui Fish Market have been completely renovated.

Today, my uncle took Jiang Yun, Pang Hu, and the other new members to the new headquarters of the Illuminati to familiarize themselves with the environment.

Speaking of which, as an orderly underground organization, the Illuminati is gradually increasing its manpower and does indeed need to find time to purchase a few more new cars.

In order to facilitate the daily travel and mission execution of the members, it is not possible to rely on taking a taxi or squeezing onto a bus for every operation.

Fang Cheng collected his thoughts, placed the bag in his hand at his feet, and then took out the Special Investigation Team's identification and personnel transfer order from his satchel, handing them over together.

The guard carefully checked the photo and official seal, and after confirming that everything was correct, handed the document back with both hands.

Then he raised his hand in salute, turned around and pressed the switch of the barrier gate.

Fang Cheng carefully put away his documents, picked up his bag, and stepped through the gate.

Stepping inside, the outside noise seemed to be instantly shut out by an invisible barrier.

The sanatorium is built against the mountain and has a very spacious interior.

Several rows of low red brick buildings in the early Republican era style are scattered among the lush trees.

The road is lined with tall metasequoia and camphor trees, their branches and leaves intertwining to cast large patches of dense shade on the asphalt road.

The air was filled with the bitter scent of pine needles, and upon closer inspection, a faint smell of disinfectant could also be detected.

In the distance, beside the garden lawn, several wounded soldiers wearing striped hospital gowns sat on wooden chairs basking in the sun.

Some people, leaning on crutches, slowly moved their feet under the shade of the trees to carry out rehabilitation training.

The entire campus exudes a tranquility and serenity, far removed from the hustle and bustle of the world.

Fang Cheng followed the road signs, observing his surroundings as he walked.

Following the address on the transfer order, we crossed two artificial lakes and stopped in front of a building that was mostly covered by ivy.

"Building No. 3, this is it."

Looking at the five-story red brick building in front of him, Fang Cheng stepped into the lobby and went up the stairs to the second floor.

The walls of the corridor were painted a light green halfway, and the floor was terrazzo, which was spotless.

Two nurses in white coats, carrying stainless steel trays and wearing flat shoes, hurried past him.

Not far away, a caregiver was pushing an injured person in a wheelchair toward the elevator. The wheelchair rolled over the floor, making a slight thud.

Fang Cheng followed the door numbers and finally stopped in front of an office at the end of the corridor.

The acrylic sign by the door has the words "Traditional Medicine Rehabilitation Department" printed in bold.

The red pine door was ajar, and a strong, smoky scent of mugwort could be faintly detected.

Fang Cheng raised his hand and tapped the door twice with his knuckles.

There was no response.

He knocked a couple more times with slightly more force, then pushed the door open halfway and called out:

Is anyone home?

As he spoke, he looked up and gazed into the room.

This office is very large, and its layout is very similar to that of traditional Chinese medicine clinics outside.

Three physiotherapy beds are placed side by side against the wall on the left, with each bed separated by a sky-blue curtain.

On the other side stood several rows of large medicine cabinets, their dark paint indicating they had been around for a long time.

The surrounding white walls are covered with a dense array of diagrams depicting the human body's meridians and acupoints.

Behind the desk near the window, an elderly man with gray hair was looking down, holding a magnifying glass and examining a prescription.

Upon hearing the sound, the old man slowly raised his head and pushed up his reading glasses.

"Huh? Are you here to see a doctor or to get medicine? If it's for physical therapy, go lie down on the bed over there and wait for Xiaolin to come back."

The old man's voice was hoarse and lacked strength.

Fang Cheng walked over with his bag and laid the transfer order flat on the table:
"Hello, I am Fang Cheng, the new rehabilitation therapist who reported for duty today."

"what?"

The old man was stunned for a long time, then threw down the magnifying glass, picked up the transfer order, and looked at it carefully.

About half a minute later, the old face that was originally full of wrinkles suddenly smiled like a chrysanthemum.

"Oh, I remember now. They contacted us a couple of days ago, saying they were going to assign a new person. Your name is... Xiao Chen, right?"

"My name is Fang Cheng."

"Yes, Fang Cheng. How old are you?"

The old man took off his reading glasses and wiped them with the corner of his clothes.

"twenty four."

"Twenty-four is a good age, young and strong. Where do you live now?"

Wanghu Town.

"Wanghu Town is a nice place, not far from here, nestled against the mountains and by the water."

The old man nodded with a smile and pointed to an empty desk across from him:
"You can sit in that spot. The drawers should all be empty; feel free to do with your things as you please. By the way, what was your name again?"

"..."

Fang Cheng paused for a second, then patiently replied, "My name is Fang Cheng."

"Oh, Xiao Fang."

The old man slapped his forehead, looking embarrassed, and said:

"Look at my memory! My surname is Sun. From now on, just call me Master Sun like they do. This place is quiet; it's usually just me and..."

Before he could finish speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.

Immediately afterwards, a young man wearing a white coat and with bangs walked in quickly, carrying a stack of clean bed sheets.

A few beads of sweat clung to his forehead, and as soon as he entered, he shouted at the top of his lungs:
"Master Sun, has the cupping done on the patient in bed 58 of building 2? Time's almost up!"

After shouting, he turned around and saw Fang Cheng standing to the side, and his eyes lit up immediately.

"Oh, a newcomer has arrived?!"

The young man tossed the sheet onto the treatment bed, strode forward, and warmly extended his hand to Fang Cheng:
"Hello, my name is Lin Yue. You can call me A Yue or Xiao Lin, it's fine. I've been waiting for this for ages, and finally, my savior has arrived."

Seeing this, Fang Cheng also extended his hand and shook hands with him:

"Hello, my name is Fang Cheng. Please take care of me in the future."

"no problem!"

Lin Yue grinned and readily agreed. "Xiao Fang, fill out the form first."

Master Sun chimed in from the side, rummaged through a drawer, pulled out an employment registration form, and handed it over.

Fang Cheng nodded, took the item, and sat down at his workstation.

"You've got a good physique, you must be a trained fighter, right?"

Lin Yue curiously examined Fang Cheng's broad shoulders and the muscular physique revealed beneath his short sleeves, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes:
"Why did you come to our obscure government office? Was it arranged by your family?"

“Normally, someone as young as you with a good physique would be desperate to join a front-line combat team and become an investigator.”

Fang Cheng sat down to fill out the form, his tone calm:
"Working on the front lines is too stressful, so I just want to find a quiet and peaceful place to make a living."

"Then you've come to the right place, no, not entirely."

Lin Yue pulled over a chair, straddled it, and leaned on the back, chatting with him in a senior-like manner:

"When things are quiet here, we can be incredibly idle. But if there's a major incident in the Xishan restricted area or on the front lines, we have to go with the emergency medical team to the front lines to rescue the wounded. When things get busy, we don't even have time to eat, let alone take a piss."

Fang Cheng nodded, glanced around at the equipment in the room, and casually asked:
What are the main tasks that our department is responsible for on a daily basis?

"That's too many."

Lin Yue counted on his fingers, as if reciting a familiar story:
"Massage, bone setting, cupping, acupuncture and physiotherapy, as well as the preparation of internal ointments for sprains and bruises."

"Most of the patients living in the sanatorium are retired frontline soldiers and veteran cadres. They have many hidden injuries. Our place is to help them relax their muscles and improve their blood circulation, and to help them recover."

Fang Cheng filled out the form, handed it to Master Sun across from him, and turned to look at Lin Yue:
"Are they sending seriously wounded soldiers directly from the front lines here to us?"

"How could that be? All the seriously injured are being treated in the surgical ward or the headquarters hospital."

Lin Yue waved his hand and explained:
"Most of those sent to us have passed the critical period and need to have their meridians cleared and their functions restored."

"Of course, some are contaminated with special energy residues that ordinary Western medicine cannot remove. We have to use ancient methods to force the poison out."

Fang Cheng nodded thoughtfully, his gaze sweeping over the acupoint chart and physiotherapy bed on the wall, gaining a general understanding of the nature of the work here.

"Alright, stop rambling on with Xiao Fang."

Master Sun carefully put away the forms, then took a pre-prepared key from the drawer and handed it to Lin Yue:

"No new patients have come into the hospital yet, so the department is quiet. Xiao Lin, take Xiao Fang to the dormitory to put down his luggage and familiarize him with the place. I'll tidy up his workstation for him later."

"Got it."

Lin Yue readily agreed and waved to Fang Cheng:
"Come on, buddy, I'll take you to the dorm. It's right behind our building."

Fang Cheng picked up his bag from the ground and followed Lin Yue out of the office.

“Master Sun is actually a very good person. It’s just that his ears were injured by a stun grenade a few years ago, and his hearing has deteriorated. In addition, he is getting old and forgetful. Please bear with him when he works here in the future.”

Once outside, Lin Yue deliberately lowered his voice and explained a few words.

"I see."

Fang Cheng smiled and nodded.

The midday sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows that were so bright they made it hard to open one's eyes.

After leaving Building No. 3, the two walked along the tree-lined path deeper into the campus.

"Our place is far from the city center. To make it easier for employees to work shifts and reduce their commute, the hospital has arranged dormitories, all of which are single rooms."

"If you find it troublesome to travel back and forth, you can stay overnight at your workplace; if you want to go home, you can drive yourself or take the commuter bus back to the city."

Lin Yue walked ahead, pointing to the buildings along the roadside and introducing them:

"Building 1 over there is the administration building and pharmacy, Building 2 is the intensive care unit for trauma, Building 3 is our physiotherapy department and several regular outpatient clinics, and the largest buildings, Buildings 4 and 5, are the rehabilitation center and the cultural and sports activity center."

"As for our staff dormitory, it's in Building 6 up ahead. I live in 702, and you live next door in 704."

As they spoke, the two entered a 10-story dormitory building with white tiles on the exterior walls.

Upon reaching the seventh floor, Lin Yue took out his key and opened the door to room 704.

Fang Cheng glanced around inside.

The room wasn't big, about 20 square meters, but it was quite clean.

A single bed, a set of metal wardrobes, a desk and chair by the window, and a separate bathroom and toilet.

"The canteen is in the row of bungalows behind Building 5. You can eat for free with your work ID."

Lin Yue leaned against the door frame, tossed the key to Fang Cheng, and continued his introduction:
"Breakfast is at 7:00 AM, lunch is at 11:30 AM, and dinner is at 5:30 PM sharp. You have two hours to eat, so please try not to be late, because we won't wait for you if you are late."

Fang Cheng caught the keys, took off his shoulder bag and hung it on the back of the chair, placed his travel bag on the bed board, and nodded:

"I've got it. Thank you for accompanying me on this trip, Brother Lin."

"Hey, no need to be so polite. We're all colleagues, it's only right to help each other out."

Lin Yue waved his hand, indicating that it was no trouble at all.

Then, as if remembering something, he paused, his previous jovial expression vanished, and his tone became somewhat serious:

"Oh, and there's one more rule you need to remember. After midnight, unless you receive a call for the night shift emergency, never leave the dormitory building and wander around the courtyard."

"Especially the area behind the mountain that is surrounded by barbed wire, that is a secret stronghold of our special search team, and it is very strictly controlled. Even internal staff will be taken down as intruders if they cross the line."

Fang Cheng put down his bag, turned around to look at Lin Yue, and nodded:

"clear."

"Okay, then you can start packing."

Lin Yue straightened up and patted the wrinkles at the hem of his white coat:

"There are bedding in the closet. If you need anything, go to the logistics warehouse this afternoon to get it. I'm going back to my office to take a nap. See you at the cafeteria later."

After saying that, he waved his hand casually, turned around and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

As the footsteps in the corridor gradually faded away, the dormitory returned to silence.

Fang Cheng walked to the window, pushed open the two glass windows, and let the wind in to ventilate the room.

From here, you can see the lush green mountains and forests behind the sanatorium.

Among the layers of branches and leaves, towering barbed wire and black surveillance cameras are faintly visible.

The line of sight extends beyond the fence into the depths, where several heavy, gray-white fortress-like buildings are built along the steep mountainside.

From the outside, fully armed soldiers could be vaguely seen carrying rifles, patrolling in formation along a predetermined route.

On a wide open space in the distance, a military helicopter is slowly landing, creating a strong whirlwind.

"That place... seems to be a defensive fortification or secret facility where the special investigation team is hiding some kind of core plan?"

Fang Cheng's eyes flickered slightly before he looked away.

He immediately turned around, unzipped his bag, and began to tidy up his belongings in an orderly manner.

He went into the bathroom, wet a rag, and carefully wiped the tables, chairs, and wardrobe inside and out.

Several changes of casual clothes and uniforms were hung in the metal wardrobe, and toiletries were neatly arranged on the washbasin stand.

Finally, he bent down and pulled out a rolled-up old bamboo mat from under the bed.

A layer of dust settled on the mat, and the edges were slightly yellowed.

Fang Cheng dusted off his hands, thinking to himself.

If there's not much to do in the department in the afternoon, you can fill a basin with water, wash the mat, and hang it on the balcony in the corridor to dry. Then you can lay it down and sleep on it at night.

After finishing all this, it was nearly 11:30 a.m. (End of Chapter)