Chapter 15, Section 3 Equipment List of Miao Township Wu Zu, Part 1

Hao Wenming took out a pack of cigarettes, lit one without asking for our consent, and said, "Open the boxes. The code is 501215."

"Director, does this code have any special significance?" I asked while dialing the code.

"It's not particularly meaningful. December 15, 1950, is Director Gao's birthday. By the way, don't forget to show your appreciation when the time comes," Hao Wenming replied.

Appreciation? I started to feel uneasy. Nevertheless, the boxes were open, which diverted my attention. The box was divided into two layers. The top layer neatly held a Type 92 pistol, with four magazines on the right. On the left was a leather bag that resembled a mobile phone pouch.

The second layer was even more intriguing, containing various types of identification cards. There were customs, inspection and quarantine bureau, public security bureau, and prosecutor's office IDs. The most bizarre was a Central Internal Security Bureau work permit, and every identification card had my photo affixed to it.

Chubby Sun flipped through nearly every ID card, saying, "Director, these fake IDs are well done, much better than the ones you can get on the street for two hundred bucks." Before Hao Wenming could respond, I chimed in, "Monkey, how come you're so well-versed in this?"

Chubby Sun blinked his eyes a few times, struggling to come up with an explanation, and finally blurted out, "I guessed."

I had no mood to play games with him any longer. I turned to Hao Wenming and asked, "Director Hao, may I ask you a question?" Hao Wenming exhaled a smoke ring and said, "Ask away, I might not answer."

"Today is our first day reporting here, right?"

"Hmm? Is that a question?" Hao Wenming cocked his head and looked at me. "Not to criticize, but you don't need to ask me that. You should know yourself."

"I know that's not a question. The question is, why do our photos appear on these IDs when it's our first day here? Moreover, the photos aren't pasted; they're printed using laser technology and then scanned onto the cards. It would take some time to print so many photos, and it's impossible to do it in such a short period."

Contrary to my expectations, Hao Wenming didn't show any surprise at my words. Instead, he blinked his eyes like Chubby Sun and said, "You should ask Director Gao about this; it's his preparation, not mine."

Chubby Sun, holding more than ten IDs, remarked, "Director, these IDs must have cost a fortune."

Hao Wenming, looking somewhat exasperated, glanced at him and said, "Who said they're fake? Every single one of these IDs is genuine. Not to criticize, but you both know that our agency can't attract too much attention, and we can't reveal our official designation when we're out on assignments. These IDs are convenient for that purpose."

"Wow, there's more!" Chubby Sun pulled a short stick out of the box, gave it a flick in the air, and it straightened, revealing itself as a police baton.

Chubby Sun swung it a few times and asked, "Does the Survey Bureau need batons?" Hao Wenming, growing somewhat impatient, said, "These are all part of the basic equipment you'll need in the future. There's something else I need to inform you about. Before you officially start working, both of you will have to undergo three months of specialized training within the Survey Bureau. Only after successfully completing the training can you begin your assignments."

"Director, are you saying that if we don't pass the training, we can't work? Does that mean the contract we just signed is void?" I was already regretting the contract I had signed earlier, never expecting that an opportunity would come so soon.

"Void?" Hao Wenming looked at me with a wry smile. "You're dreaming. Not to criticize, but if contracts could be voided, I would have quit long ago. Ninety-nine years, do you think I'm joking? If you don't pass the training period, it will be extended until you do, and during the extended training, there won't be any salary."

Chubby Sun chimed in, "So, we'll be working for free during the extended period?"

Hao Wenming tossed the spent cigarette butt on the ground and said, "Alright, enough chit-chat. Before introducing the equipment, let me give you a brief overview of our Survey Bureau's internal structure.

"As I mentioned earlier, the Survey Bureau is divided into six sections. We belong to the First Section, also known as the Comprehensive Section. As the name suggests, we're responsible for a bit of everything. The Second Section handles domestic affairs, and you've met Director Hugo from the Third Section, responsible for Western mainstream religions within the country. The Fourth Section is the Field Operations Section, and the Fifth Section, led by Director Ouyang Pianzuo, is responsible for summarizing and screening incidents reported from all over the country before relaying them to the various sections. They are also in charge of your equipment.

"All of this would typically be covered in the training program and explained by Ouyang Pianzuo, but he had an unexpected matter to attend to, so I'm filling in for him."