Chapter 7 Chapter 4

After three years at the training base I had to take the so-called graduation exam.This is the final test of my training.It was also the most torturous and upsetting period of my training career.A man who fails the exam twice will be expelled from the party, leaving him to spend the rest of his life in humiliation. The exam is divided into three parts: physical fitness test, written test and field test and takes a full week.Each test is extremely rigorous and is scored on a 100-point scale.All three tests require a score of 90 to pass. Weeks before the exam, I was full of worries.The same goes for other students taking the exam.In the past three years, all the skills we have learned through hard work are all in the exam.It is said that usually only one-third of the people can pass.Only in this way can the party retain the best talents as spies.

In the early morning of the first day of the exam, the sky was gloomy and chilly.It was September, and a layer of hoarfrost had already appeared on the ground, indicating that winter was approaching.I got up at six o'clock in the morning as required, feeling nervous.I put on my sports clothes and prepared to eat something, but I was so nervous that my hands were shaking, and it was hard to get the food into my mouth.What is more uncomfortable is that due to tension, the throat becomes dry and food is difficult to swallow. Sook Hee took the test with me, and she was just as nervous as I was.We didn't talk much at breakfast, trying to eliminate tension as much as possible.I recalled what I had learned in the Transcendence of Silence class and murmured words.But after a while, I slipped away, shaking all over, and feeling worse.

At 6:30, a whistle sounded outside, and the exam was about to begin.We ran into the yard in unison.There are fifteen people in total, one-third of whom are women.On the opposite side stood two instructors, a man and a woman, dressed in combat uniforms and military caps.After we assembled, the tall and strong male instructor named Lei Hong clapped his hands and asked us to calm down and listen to him. Comrades!He said aloud, the breath out of his mouth turned white in the cold wind.The first exam starts now.Take the mountain trail for fifteen kilometers (about ten miles) along the valley to the east.There are small yellow flags for road signs along the way, and Mai An (he pointed to the female instructor) and I ran with you as invigilators, and other instructors were on the other side of the training ground to time you.The less time it takes to complete the course, the higher the score.There is no score for those who do not complete the course.do you understand?

clear!We answered in unison. Ready, run!After speaking loudly, he turned to the side of the road.Seeing that we were all ready, he blew his whistle and started on the road.We followed immediately. His pace was really quick for me.Instead of always worrying about not being able to keep up with him, it is better to adjust your pace and master the rhythm.Like any race, the ones who start out ahead don't necessarily make it through.I try to ignore how other people are running and just focus on running my own well.Anyway, I can't stop.I thought to myself, I will not stop until I fall to the ground.

The first mile was hard work.I was so distracted along the way that I just wanted to forget about the race and sit down.I tried my best to dispel this idea, and tried to think about other conversations with Shuji last night and the books I read recently.Just like that, I ran the first mile, and the pace was much better after that. The road twists and turns into the mountains, adding to the difficulty of long runs.The valley below looks very beautiful on an early autumn morning, with brightly colored plants everywhere.The surrounding mountains are silent, and the birds are singing in unison in the distance.The temperature gradually rose, and I was sweating profusely after a while.

After running forward for a while, we split out from the original team, some fell behind, and some were far ahead.Sook Hee and I are still together, exchanging words of encouragement.After running two-thirds of the way, I started to descend, so I had to adjust my pace.But at this time, my feet started to hurt.But even if it hurts, it's not what I'm worried about.In any case, I will maintain the rhythm of breathing and run four steps in one breath.I know very well that if the rhythm is not right, I will not be able to complete the course. Towards the end of the race we came across several injured people.A boy and a girl fell down on the way and sat on the grass crying.Passing by them, a wave of sympathy arises spontaneously, and I silently hope that they will pass the next exam.

By the last two kilometers, my lungs were burning and I had to cut back to three strides, then two.Sook Hee stumbled beside me with an indomitable look on her face, her eyes staring hopefully at the finish line ahead.She was out of breath and collapsed from exhaustion.At this moment, I shouted to her: Come on, Shuji, it's not far, we'll be there.She rolled her eyes, and I knew my words had worked. None of us actually know exactly where the finish line is, which adds another headache to running: an ambiguous goal.Finally, after a lot of hard work, when I felt that I could no longer run, I saw a group of candidates who had finished running standing beside Instructor Lei Hong talking to him, and other instructors stood there with stopwatches.I rallied across the finish line and collapsed to the ground.Sook Hee lay beside me.

Two hours, four minutes and twenty-seven seconds.A timekeeper yelled and wrote it on a clipboard.Good run, 93.5. Damn it, Shu Ji gasped and said, "If it weren't for you, Yuhua, I would never have finished the run. I'm already half dead from exhaustion." me too.I gasped for breath as I answered.Then he turned over and stared at the blue and transparent sky. His head suddenly throbbed and he felt dizzy.For a while I thought I was going to die.However, Lei Hong strode over and pulled me up. You have to move around.Lying down and resting is the worst thing you can do, it will hurt your heart.It will be fine in a while.

I nodded and walked around the yard.There are already six people who have finished the whole course, five men and one woman plus Shu Ji and I are eight.After another half an hour, a few people ran over scattered.In total, only three were eliminated.The time is nine o'clock in the morning.The good show is yet to come. Lei Hong told us to take a shower first, change into uniforms, and then report to the sports center at 10 o'clock to continue the exam.I watched him walk away in amazement.He ran fifteen kilometers with us, and he seemed to be fine. Sook Hee and I staggered back to the room and took off our clothes.I let her shower first while I took a long hot bath, feeling refreshed and exhausted at the same time.I changed into another training suit, drank a large glass of orange juice, and headed to the sports center.

The sports center is a long, narrow building that houses two gyms, a weight room and a swimming pool.A large square house houses mirrors and martial arts equipment.The instructors are in the weight room.Since it was a few minutes before the ten o'clock exam time, I was competing with other students. Well, Lei Hong arrived on time at ten o'clock and said: Let's continue the exam.Start with weightlifting, first do barbell presses, and then do pull-ups on the horizontal bar. I hope you will do your best.Comrade Yuhua, it starts with you. Nervously, I walked up to the barbell, where two muscular assistants waited to help me.I think back to my usual training weight of fifty kilograms or about one hundred pounds.

I'll try seventy-five kilograms.After speaking, sit on the bench.Assistants pick up a barbell of equal weight and place it on the rack.I'm lying under the shelf.About one hundred and fifty pounds, really the maximum for a woman of my size.I have never lifted such a heavy barbell before, and 70kg is my best result so far. Besides, today's race has exhausted me.If I fail, I can do it again, so I might as well aim high. I took a few quick, deep breaths to get as much oxygen into my blood as possible, then grabbed the iron barbell tightly and lifted it from the rack with all my might. With a yell, I lifted the barbell up slowly and heavily.The barbell shook a few times, and I tried to control it as much as possible. After a while, I slowly lowered the barbell and let it stick to my chest according to the regulations of the test. Then, with all my strength, I lifted the barbell upwards while exhaling. But only halfway through it stopped.I yelled, my face contorted, and I pushed up with more force.I miraculously straightened my arms and completed the whole set of movements.The assistants came over and took the barbell from me and put it back on the rack. A burst of cheers erupted from the bystanders.A little dazed, I got up from the stool and sat down.marvelous.Lei Hong said in a low voice but forcefully: Yuhua scored ninety-six points.Want to try again? No, sir. OK, next one! When it was Sook Hee's turn, she lifted a respectable weight of sixty-five kilograms for ninety-two points.A muscular male student named Jin Bang created the best result. With a roar, he lifted more than 200 kilograms. Then do pull-ups.I have been practicing every day for the past three years, and I can usually do fifteen times.On the day of the exam, I did 17 times and got 94 points.Sook-hee did sixteen and Kim-bong forty-six, again scoring top marks. When we walked out of the weight room, Ming An asked us to enter the second fitness room. The next exam is designed to test our speed.The room was about fifty meters (about fifty-four yards) long, and they asked each student to run from one wall to the opposite wall, and then back again.Can try three times. I have full confidence in this test.I'm fast enough for a woman of my height.After three years of intensive training, I don't have an ounce of excess body fat.My best time was 19.4 seconds.Considering that you have to slow down when running to the opposite wall and then return, this score is not bad.Shu Ji did better in the test, the time was 19.1 seconds, she got 95 points, and I got 94.8 points. It was almost noon and we went to lunch, most of us exhausted.Everything I ate that day was given a double portion.But I still don't feel full after eating.The next exam starts at 1pm.Sook Hee and I collapsed on the bed and rested for twenty minutes to recover our strength. I just can't believe that they will test us so hard.She rubbed her legs and said. Not yet, I replied.All I have to say is that we've had a lot of trouble since we started military training at eighteen, and I couldn't even run a mile when I first got here. I couldn't even walk a mile then.She laughed. At one o'clock in the afternoon, we changed into the white robes worn by martial artists in Giho (Giho) as required and returned to the martial arts room in the sports center.Our martial arts training draws on various styles of Korean martial arts, including Taekwondo, Karate and Aikido.These similarities and separate styles of martial arts were fused into a mixed martial art, which was specially used to train spies.The grades of the section identification tape are: white for the primary, then yellow, green, blue, red and brown, and finally ten grades of black.Few people can legally obtain the advanced level of black in their lifetime, but our instructor, An Cheng, has the fifth level in these three types of Korean martial arts.After three years of training, we have reached at least the first level, and each subsequent level requires several years of hard work. An Cheng has two assistants with third-level black belts, named Yang Lei and Kang Yi.After the two of them led us to do some warm-up exercises, An Cheng sat at the front of the house with a clipboard, Yang Lei and Kang Yi stood aside, Lei Hong and Ming An were second-level black belts themselves, so they had to sit nearby. Start with unarmed combat first, Lei Hong said: Everyone fights with Yang Lei for five minutes.Considering the accuracy of test scoring, your bodies can be in full contact without pads.Boys can wear groin protectors.Many fighting techniques are allowed, from kicking below the thigh to hitting the head, falling or hugging the opponent, and are scored for both control and technique.The person who is skillful, easy to use, well controlled, and only inflicts minimal damage to the opponent will receive the highest points.Anyone who intentionally causes another person to break a bone will be immediately disqualified from the exam.Do you understand?OK, let's start. Thank goodness I'm not the first one out there.I have never played against Yang Lei before, and I am very happy to have the opportunity to see him now.He was a tall, lean, strong man with long hands and quick feet, capable of many difficult kicks.I once saw him take a leap, do a beautiful spin in mid-air, and kick an eight-foot concrete brick wall to pieces. Some fighters were counterattacking, but Yang Lei became more courageous as he fought more and more, constantly launching offensives on his own initiative.He was agile and skilled. After a few beautiful fake moves, he hit the first candidate several times in a row.I couldn't help but wonder if I could handle him.At the end of the five minutes, the young male student, traumatized, still scored ninety points for being able to fend off the master's attack. After three more exams, it was my turn.I stood up and walked slowly to the center of the field, bowed to Yang Lei, and then we both bowed to the instructor.Kang Yi nodded for us to start. Yang Lei immediately approached me aggressively. The fact that I am a woman has become meaningless here and now.I have seen many female trainees beaten with bruises and broken ribs just like the male trainees.He kicked several times in a row, and I managed to avoid it.I didn't want to counterattack immediately at all, I just tried my best to protect myself from being knocked down. He finally took a few steps back and waited for me to attack.As a lower-level student, I had to attack him immediately, otherwise I would be punished for delaying time.I took a step forward with my left foot, and I aimed at his face and punched him a few times quickly. He raised his arm to block it, and at the same time I stretched out my left foot to hook, a beautiful sweeping leg, and knocked him to the ground.His right leg immediately turned around and kicked at my stomach, and I couldn't help but take a few steps back.He jumped up and hit me hard in the ribs, and then I hit my jaw again.I was afraid, angry, and anxious, forgetting the pain, grabbed his hand in front of him, pulled him over suddenly, and aimed my fist at his abdomen.He staggered a few steps for a while, and I grabbed his shoulders again and knocked him down to the ground from behind.As expected, he kicked me in the air, but this time I was on my guard.I grabbed his leg in mid-air and kicked him in the groin. stop!Ming An shouted: Yuhua won the first game.Yang Lei stood up.At this moment, he was already in a state of desperation, and he struck harder and faster. He punched my waist several times in a row, and I couldn't resist it at all.If this goes on, he will knock me down in a short while.I tried my best to avoid his defense, elbowed his breastbone hard, and grabbed his legs to throw him to the ground.He reacted quickly, and the other leg immediately clamped over, clamped my leg with both legs, and knocked me down instead.His legs became tighter and tighter, his upper body sat up, and he slashed at my face.I grabbed his wrist and twisted it backwards, and he instinctively let go of my legs. stop!Lei Hong yelled. We stood up and bowed to Ming An, and then bowed to each other.The instructors took a while to figure out the average, and I sat by and waited. Comrade Yuhua scored ninety-eight points. There was a burst of applause from the crowd.Even I am amazed.I know that in a real battle, I am not his opponent at all, I am just trying my best to resist the attack of a martial arts master.Although I had the upper hand this time, I lowered my head, not daring to look him in the eye. It seemed that because of his poor performance in the fight with me, he felt that it was a little embarrassing, and Yang Lei was even more merciless when he knocked down other students to the ground.Either clamp them tightly, catch them and throw them into the air, or kick them hard at their vital parts. After all the students finished the exam, Yang Lei sat down and Kang Yi stood up. Now start the second item, Ming An said: Every student has to pass the test of Comrade Kang Yi.He was holding a twenty-five centimeter long plastic knife.Give you three chances to disarm him and subdue him with a knife or something.Is there a problem?No?start! The third is my turn.After saluting, we walked around carefully. The blade design of this kind of knife can be retracted into the handle, and the depth of the blade can be calculated according to the length of retraction after stabbing the opponent.Kang Yi swung his knife at me, and those black eyes stared at me intently.Eyes are also a powerful weapon in those martial arts masters, and I forced myself to focus on his knife hand.Suddenly he took a quick leap forward, and the blade pierced my stomach.I panicked and couldn't resist, his knife was pressed against my stomach, the blade retracted into the handle. Kang Yi won the first round.Ming An yelled: Work harder, Yuhua, concentrate. Annoyed, I got into a fighting posture, and Zhong and Kang Yi turned around on the spot.This time I stared firmly into his eyes, believing that I could see through his intentions.The knife in his hand changed from one hand to the other, with a smug smile on his face, waiting for the opportunity.Suddenly, I put my feet together, then turned around and kicked him in the face.I didn't expect to hit it.Kang Yi covered his face with one hand, screaming and staggering back.Immediately afterwards I punched him twice hard on the sternum, and if I had done it quickly, I could have ended the fight in no time.I didn't put my knee in his crotch or hit him in the throat because that would have got me suspended by the umpires.I grabbed his knife and clamped his elbow with my other hand, he had to let it go and I bent over to pick it up.But Kang Yi has calmed down from my attack.As soon as I bent down, he kicked at my chest.It was a solid kick that knocked me back about ten feet, and I fell on my back in humiliation.He followed immediately, but fortunately I still held the knife tightly in my hand.I struggled to get up and stabbed him with a knife.He stopped his feet, dodged the knife, and put on a fighting posture.We circled back and forth again, but now I had the upper hand. He came at me, forcing me back, his front foot poised to strike.Kang Yi is as firm as a rock and is a difficult opponent. I really doubt that I can break through his defense.I decided to take another tactic.I swung my knife back and forth in front of him, and for a moment his eyes looked up.It was too late to say it, but it was so fast, I inserted one step into his crotch, and punched him hard on the chin. He was shocked and fell to the ground on his back. stop!Ming An shouted: Yuhua won. I helped Kang Yi, who was in a panic, stand up. After saluting, I sat aside and waited for the rating. Ninety-four points.Lei Hong announced loudly. It was already afternoon, and there were no other items to test on this day.Sook Hee and I went back to our room and slept until 7:00 pm.Surprised even myself.I'm still a piece of spy material. Much of the second day was devoted to weapons testing, which was less strenuous than the first day. The first involved shooting a target from a distance of one hundred meters (about 109 yards) with a powerful rifle.Fifty rounds per person.I hit the target forty-seven times.Shu Ji got 50 exams and got full marks, and many others also got full marks. Everyone did well in the exam. Then there was pistol shooting, this time at a distance of twenty-five meters.I hit the target forty-six times this time, only Shu Ji surpassed me, and she hit fifty times. I think you have found the right feeling.I said while eating breakfast. I'm so glad I did well.she replied.After being put down by Yang Lei yesterday, he has been in a bad mood.Good guy, my leg still hurts now. My legs hurt too.I grinned.In fact, I could hardly get up this morning, it was so painful.Not to mention the numerous scars left by yesterday's martial arts test. On this day, I also tested a series of items such as archery, armed combat, and throwing grenades. My grades were not bad, only archery was low, with only 82 points.But my total score in each test is above 90, so I'm not in a hurry. We also took the driving skills test, which required driving a Mercedes-Benz car to cross obstacles at high speed, such as horizontal poles, ice layers, and U-shaped sharp turns.Each person has two chances to complete within a limited time.I get excited every time I drive, because driving is very rare in the daily life of North Koreans.People in western countries drive around in cars, and driving is still something new to me.Three years of driving training has been quite fruitful.I got second place in the exam and got ninety-six points. At the end of the whole test, my overall average score was 94.63.Two students did better than me in the test, and only eleven of the original fifteen students took the written test. In many ways, written tests are harder than skills tests.The exam is divided into two days, four hours a day, and the subjects are quite complicated. On the first day, philosophy and the history of Kim Il Sung were tested.There are no multiple-choice questions, only 200 declarative question-and-answer questions, which can be answered with one word or one sentence.Then there are three essay questions on North Korea's socialist ideology.Answering questions such as the North Korean government's superiority over capitalism in less than ten pages is a useful check on our understanding and appreciation of propaganda and education. On the second day, math, foreign language and other subjects are tested.There is a part of the special examination of weapon functions, such as: What is the favorite pistol of the secret agents of the Soviet National Security Council?How many rounds can this gun hold? , List the names and specifications of the aircraft used by the North Korean army, etc. I was very nervous throughout the exam and couldn't answer many questions, and besides, I didn't know which questions should be included in the minimum standard of 90 points. It is not known how the examiners decide the marks for each part.After the written test on the second day, that is, the fourth day of the test, I was exhausted physically and mentally.The duty station during the week of the exam is exempted.I sleep ten hours a night, and Su Ji is no better than me. With only eleven students, results came out faster.Three students were eliminated, and among the remaining eight, my overall average score was 93, ranking second.Shu Ji scored 92.18 points.We ticked off each other's fingers to show encouragement.At this time, two exams have been taken, and there is one left. The last exam is the most difficult, and it is said that each student's test questions are different from person to person; the test questions are determined according to the position he will hold in the intelligence agency, and candidates take the test individually.It is called a field exam, and it can also be called a mock exam.Therefore, it is required to be as thoughtful and precise as possible in the design of the scenes encountered in the actual espionage life. My field exam is scheduled for Friday night.On the morning of the exam, Lei Hong gave me a brief description of the requirements. As soon as the sun goes down, you start your mission.Over Jingshan, through a pine forest, six miles north of the camp, the party built a three-story house there, which counted as a mock foreign embassy, ​​also known as the embassy.Give you a topographic map and a floor plan.The building is surrounded by walls and guards patrol the ground floor.When you look at the floor plan, you will notice that there is a safe in a room, and there are documents written in Japanese in the cabinet. Your task is to sneak into the embassy before 6:00 tomorrow, remember the contents of the documents, and put the documents back in place. Then get away safely. Almost everything is simulated to perfection.The bedroom of the embassy was occupied by agents posing as diplomats.The guards are always waiting for your arrival.Secret agents in the role of guards and diplomats will give you points based on how well you complete missions.Everything is designed to be realistic You have to keep an eye out for sirens, hidden monitors, microphones, everything. You can have the following equipment for this test: two pistols, one AK︱47 automatic rifle, three knives, one can of foam spray, one rope with grabbing hook, one flashlight, one metal detector tool, a glass knife, a compass and a lockpicking tool.Knives are plastic, and guns shoot paintballs, which sting but don't hurt.Guards also use the same weapons.If you are hit, it will be counted in the score. If you are hit in a vital part, the score will be reduced accordingly.There was a silencer on the gun, and there were eight rounds for the pistol and two for the automatic rifle.Since this is also a test for the guards, you can knock them unconscious if they don't surrender.We asked everything to be as realistic as possible. Once you find the file, you go through it right away, memorize the contents, and put it back where it came from.When you return, we will question you about the contents of the document.Do you understand? I actually had a lot of questions to ask, but I just stared at him blankly with a bewildered expression.I can't believe I've been sent on a mission like this.I was amazed by the thoughtfulness of the instructors.Finally I said: Sir, other students also take the same test? Of course, he replied: at least a lot of them.A practicing spy must be fully prepared to deal with any contingencies.Only by passing this test can we decide who is really qualified to go to the Foreign Intelligence Service, which is why we spend a lot of money to maintain this useless building. Also, I tried my best to say it in a nonchalant tone: what do I need to do to pass this exam?Can do anything? He laughed.I have nothing to say about this.You'd better focus on getting the job done.In actual combat, there is no minimum requirement for this item, Yuhua, one is to complete, and the other is not to complete. I nodded to express my understanding, and I didn't want to show uneasy emotions in front of him, but I was always worried about the prospect of this exam in my heart.I don't know where to find the confidence to make it through, but are there other options?Refuse the exam and quit the party?No, I just have to grit my teeth, strengthen my confidence, and do my best. Ray Hong stood up.Well, if there is no other problem, you are free to move around in the afternoon, and all the equipment, clothes, etc. you need will be delivered in a few hours.At six o'clock in the afternoon, I will come to see you off officially.Now I suggest you go to rest.By the way, don't talk about it with others, understand? I nodded again.Lei Hong walked out.When I returned to the dormitory, I flung myself on the bed. It was impossible to fall asleep. I was so nervous that my whole body trembled, my teeth chattered, and I shrank pitifully into a ball, wrapping my whole body tightly with a blanket.I got more and more afraid every minute, and it went on like that for hours.If I had any confidence in the past few days, now I don't have it at all.My future in the party depends on tonight, and I am terrified that I will fail. Sook Hee was out of the dormitory all afternoon, which may have been to her advantage, because I couldn't control my fear, and I might tell her everything.Maybe she's taking an exam right now, but I wish her all the best.The afternoon passed minute by minute.I did my best to get some sleep before getting up at 5:30.After getting up, I went to the living room and saw a big box, which contained all the things I needed, including guns, clothes and accessories.I sighed and took my clothes back to the bedroom to change. What they prepared for me was a black jumpsuit, a black coat, and a black mask. After I put it on, only two eyes were left exposed, just like an old ninja.One pistol was slung across his shoulder, the other slung from his hip.There is also a belt for hanging a knife, flashlight and bullet clip.There's also a backpack with rope, metal detectors, bullets, and a bottle of foam for concealed cameras. At six o'clock in the afternoon, I was ready to go. Lei Hong came to see me off. He looked at my outfit with approval and said that it would be nice if he had a camera with him. I am no longer humorous.The clothes are very comfortable to wear, but the mask and the AK︱47 rifle hanging on the shoulder make me feel very ridiculous. Well, Comrade Yuhua, he raised his wrist and looked at his watch.You have twelve hours to complete the task, good luck! Thanks.sir.I muttered a few words into the mask and walked out the door. There was no moonlight that day, and I took advantage of the growing twilight to make my way towards the house, following the path through the Kermon Hills and into the pine woods, a long way to go.I have memorized the route to the embassy, ​​but just in case, I still brought the two maps, and the location of the safe has also been confirmed in the library. The woods are getting darker, and only a compass can guide me.I listened to the familiar bursts of Lin Tao at dusk. The birds stopped singing, and the small animals came out in a hurry to look for food.As I walked, I paid attention to the heavy footsteps of the tiger. It is not impossible to run into a tiger at this time. Soon it was completely dark.I walked on as quietly as I could, half-believingly thinking that perhaps some of Lei Hong's agents were lying in wait around the woods and watching me.I turn on the flashlight.But I shaded the light with my hands and only removed them when necessary.The forest melted into the silence of night. I just keep going, like it never ends.There was an eerie silence in the woods, and the occasional night wind that blew through the treetops was unnerving, and I knew it was part of the psychological test, and walking a few miles alone in the forest at night was an important skill in itself.I always want to run away but where?With no houses nearby, the only option was to return to the camp the same way, which I did not want to do. Suddenly, I saw distant lights through the trees.I snapped off the flashlight and stuck it in my belt, put away the compass, and crept forward quietly. After a dozen yards or so, I was at the edge of the woods and I could see the front door of the embassy building. A street lamp was installed on the wall on either side of the gate, and a guard stood beside each lamp.Inside was a small brightly lit, whitewashed room for the guards, some fifteen feet high.Behind the wall, if I remember correctly, were flower beds, and a long sloping lawn leading up to the house, which could be seen in the distance through the gate. I stared at the guards carefully for a while. Besides the two guards, there was another one in the room. There was no doubt that there was a phone in the room directly to the embassy.After a while, the patrol team came over, a total of three people, talking and waving to the guard. Under the cover of the bushes, I moved to the right of the gate along the perimeter of the field.When I reached the corner, I continued to climb along the other wall leading to the house, and another patrol came.I hid in the shadows and waited until they were far away before attaching the grappling hook to the end of the rope, and then I dashed out of the woods and slammed the rope against the wall.The hook caught the wall, and I grabbed the rope and climbed up to the top of the wall, took a breath, put the rope away, and jumped down the other side. I was on the front lawn of the embassy, ​​about a hundred feet from the house, and about two hundred feet from the gate, and I fell to the ground where the street lamps stood neatly spaced along the gravel driveway from the gate to the front door.The light from the house shone onto the road.I noticed that the patrol was approaching the house, and farther away from me, and I rushed forward close to the wall until I was next to the house. The house is a neoclassical building with Greek columns and a wide terrace in front of the house.There was perhaps fifty feet of open lawn between me and the house, and looking through the window I saw a brightly lit library of the house.At this time, I squatted in the shadows and opened the floor plan to study it on the spot. Above the library is a platform roof with stone railings. The stone railings are connected to a bedroom in a suite. When I look up, the windows of all bedrooms are black. .Considering the safe is in the library, this is the best place for me to get in. I took another look into the library, and a waiter had just walked in to serve tea to one or several people I couldn't see.Should I wait until the library is empty, or enter the house now and hide inside?I decided to go in now.I'm getting colder and colder, and people might go in the bedroom later, even if the people in the library are gone, it would be foolish to go in from the outside, because there must be a closed-circuit television in the room. How to enter the platform?I moved closer, looking carefully for the alarm system, and found a drainpipe in the back corner of the house.Looking around, I saw no one, I hurried across the lawn, and came to the wall with a low waist.I clung to the wall, searching again for signs of the guards.A patrolman seemed to be approaching the front corner of the house opposite me, and I could hear his footsteps and muffled voice.I immediately grabbed the drainpipe and climbed up to the top bit by bit.As soon as I climbed over the railing, the guards appeared. My heart was pounding, and I lay down under the ornately decorated railing and waited for them to walk over.One step later and they will find out. I looked at the bedroom window, which was still dark, and climbed across the platform and moved carefully towards the window so that the people in the library below would not hear their footsteps.When I got to the first window, I tried to push it open, but it was either locked or nailed.I went across the bedroom to try another window and it was also locked. In the end, I had to go and try to open the door.Not only was the door locked, I noticed a warning sign with an alarm tape on the window.It's not a good idea to go in through the door. I went back to the other window, this one at the end of the house, and I took the glass cutter out of my backpack and made a small hole where I thought it was the lock, and after I got the glass out, I put my hand in Found the latch before opening the window.The window slid up smoothly and I found the entrance to the house. I slid down into the house and closed the window.Refill the scratched piece of glass into the small hole, and it looks solid from the outside.Then I checked the surrounding environment. I could see nothing but an empty bedroom.Against the walls was a luxurious four-poster bed, and an ornate mantelpiece.There were velvet curtains hanging from the ceiling, and it was hard to tell whether the bedroom was occupied or empty.There were three doors in the room, one leading to a closet, one to the bathroom, and one to the hallway on the second floor; the last door was ajar.從裂縫處往外一看，走廊裏燈火通明，五、六十英尺外才是房子的另一端。走廊中段有個樓梯口，我把門又推開了幾英寸，想回憶一下平面圖。就在這間房外有兩扇臥室門，每邊走廊一扇。還有兩扇門在二十英尺以外的地方。然後是樓梯和另外五扇門，每邊兩扇，而另一扇門在走廊盡頭，正對著我。 我關上門看了看手表，已是晚上十時，大使館人員可能會在半夜回來睡覺，此時我只得等待。 我打開通向壁櫥的門，擰亮手電筒。裏面很大，放滿了睡袍和西式衣服。我走到後部，藏在一幅貴重的窗簾後面，關掉手電筒，如果這房子真有人住，我就只好等他睡著了才摸下樓去，現在找不到更好的藏身之地，在走廊裏行走太冒險了。 又過了一小時。整個情形使我覺得有點荒唐可笑，我這樣一個二十出頭的年青女子，半夜悄悄溜進一座假想的大使館，為的是要通過外國情報部的這場考試。這使我想起母親，想起她做的飯菜，想起父親用餐後躺在安樂椅上的神情，想起吱吱喳喳的弟妹。這與我以前所熟悉的生活相差太遠了。 此時此刻他們都在幹甚麼？她們是否也像我想念他們一樣地在想念我？ 突然，有人打開臥室的門，開亮了燈，我的思緒也被打斷。我聽到了腳步聲和說話聲一個男人和一個女人。儘管不能聽清楚確切的意思，但我聽出來他們講的是日語。我緊張起來，心跳得很厲害，盡量縮進壁櫥裏面去。我的ＡＫ︱四七靠在牆上。女人的聲音更大了，壁櫥裏的燈突然亮了。就是隔著衣服，我的眼還是給燈光刺得發痛。女人大笑起來，說了點甚麼，大概是關於住在開羅那六個月的種種苦惱。衣架向我滑過來，堆擠在我面前。女人換衣服時傳來一陣窸窣的聲音，換好衣服後又從另一個衣架上取了點甚麼，接著啪地一聲將燈關掉了，留下我呆在黑暗之中。她的聲音遠去了，我不知道那男的是否會進來。時間一分鐘一分鐘地過去，那男的似乎不會進來了，我隱隱約約地覺得臥室的燈熄滅了，不一會兒，一切都恢復了寧靜。 我的脈搏還在猛跳，還得等上半個小時，待這對夫婦睡著後，我才能走到別的地方。我合上雙眼，倚在牆上，好像是在盡力完成一件危險的差事。考慮到限定的時間，我能做甚麼別的呢？只有從從容容地打發時間，然後再開始重要行動。 等了大約足夠長的時間後，我小心翼翼地撥開衣服站了起來。壁櫥的門半開著，屏聲靜氣地聽了一會兒，我便推開了門。此時我的眼已習慣了黑暗，能清楚看出床在十五英尺開外的地方，上面兩個人的身影朦朦朧朧，那男的已是鼾聲大作。我爬過地氈朝廳門移動。 突然響起了喘氣聲，我翻轉身來見那女的已從床上坐了起來，一會兒，燈也亮了，討厭的燈光照得我痛苦地直眨眼睛。 Do not bark!我用日語厲聲喝道，然後拔出手鎗，向她逼近。她是個中年亞裔女人，燙著時髦的西式髮型，穿著一件質地很好的杏黃色睡袍。她微張著嘴，用手捂住臉，當我離她只有幾英尺遠時，她突然笑了起來，並放下雙手。 行了，她用韓國語說：到了這一步，我們不是死就是不省人事了，就當我們被消滅了吧！ 我遲疑了一下。別擔心，玉花，她安慰我說：我們知道你遲早會來的。你沒對我開鎗，我很感動。 我在面罩後笑了。希望你至少能將燈關掉並保持安靜，行嗎？ sure.她答道：祝你順利！ 整個過程中，那男的一直在打呼嚕，好像甚麼也驚動不了他。我收好鎗走到門口。燈熄滅了。 我悄悄來到走廊裏，還剩下幾盞燈沒關，發出幽幽的亮光。我躡手躡腳地來到樓梯旁，這樓梯轉彎下去通向下面的一樓。梯子是大理石做的，我穿著軟底鞋走在上面，一點聲音也沒有。我握好手鎗，輕步下樓來到一間寬大的前廳，與坐在前門的桌子旁的衛兵打了個照面。 我們同時發現了對方，但他還來不及動手，我就抬起手鎗對著他連開了幾鎗。彩彈射在他前胸襯衫及左邊面頰上啪嗒作響，不一會兒，他衝著我咧嘴一笑，就倒了下去。 我站在樓梯腳察看四周的情況。燈光昏暗的走廊可分為左右兩邊，每邊都排著很多扇房門。左邊走廊的盡頭是圖書室，該室的門已關上。從門底下看去，不見一絲光亮，估計已沒人在裏面了。就在那時我抬起頭來，發現一個閉路電視的鏡頭正轉過來快對準我了。我立即趴下，躲過它的視線向牆角滾去，停下來時發現一隻電眼就鑲在我頭上幾英尺高的牆上。我的心又猛跳起來，我辦事還是有點毛躁，再出一個差錯可就完蛋了。當攝影機鏡頭搖過去對著另一個方向時，我站起來衝到走廊上朝圖書室跑去。門鎖上了，我在摸索著撬鎖的工具。過了好一會才撬開門進到屋裏，然後隨手關上了門。 記得保險櫃是放在門邊的一幅畫的後面，我擰亮手電筒往牆上照了照，停在那幅水彩風景畫前。拿開畫一看，果然不出我所料，保險櫃就在那兒。 我放下背袋，取出金屬探測器對著保險櫃門。一邊撥數字，一邊聽著轉筒的聲音，聽到咔嚓聲就拉一下。不一會兒，保險櫃打開了。 伸過手去一摸，只找到一張紙條。我一把抓起，全神貫注地讀了起來。 玉花，上面用日語寫著：你已完成了一半的任務！今早見到雷宏教官時，盡可能將原話向他複述，祝一切順利！ 我把紙條放回原處，關上櫃門，旋動號碼把門鎖上，心中一陣歡喜。把畫掛回了原處，終於能成功地完成這種荒唐的任務了。 就在那時，我聽到砂礫地上響起了嘎吱嘎吱的聲音。抬頭一看，只見一輛軍用吉普車高速向大使館開來，我不由大吃一驚，馬上熄滅手電筒跑向窗戶。他們怎麼知道的呢？ 突然想起來了。我可以避開攝影機，但衛兵的屍體當然瞞不了人。 吉普車猛地一煞掣，發出刺耳的尖聲，兩個男人跳下車來。聽到開前門的聲音，我猛然意識到要馬上脫身。 我推了推窗，所有的窗都鎖上了。實際上像是漆封的一樣，木窗框是折不斷的。唯一的辦法就是從我剛才進來的走廊上衝出去。 走廊裏已響起了腳步聲，一會兒門被撞開了。我馬上蹲下來等待著。屋裏很黑，他們看不到我。我握緊手鎗，作好了準備。 突然燈啪地一聲亮了。我馬上打出了幾鎗，擊中了兩名在外待命的衛兵。他們扔掉鎗倒在地上，身上滿是紅色顏料。我站起身從他們身旁衝過去，一邊跑一邊往手鎗裏壓子彈。 我還記得在前廳裏電眼的位置，所以避開它的視線，從下面滾了過去。其實我不必如此。這兩個衛兵很明顯已讓全館的人知道了我的到來，我聽到了樓上的腳步聲和外面的叫喊聲。我衝出前門，全速穿過平台向草地跑去。大門口肯定有人在把守，唯一的希望是照原來的方法從某個地方攀牆逃出去。還只走了幾公尺，一隊巡邏兵從房子那一角包抄過來了，他們一共三個人。衛兵們趴在地上，架好了機關鎗，我退到多利斯柱子後面，一排彩彈射在我身邊的石頭上。我一隻手從背上取下ＡＫ︱四七自動步鎗，朝他們一陣亂射，另一隻手仍緊握著手鎗。然後穿過平台，一邊不時向他們打幾鎗。聽到一聲痛苦的驚叫聲，肯定又打中了一個，我跑到平台的盡頭，翻過欄杆，在草地上狂奔。兩名衛兵一邊窮追不捨，一邊用機關鎗掃射，幾顆彩彈打進我腳邊的地裏。我一邊跑，一邊回身用ＡＫ︱四七向他們反擊。雖沒有打中，但他們卻不得不趴下，這給我一點時間。我到了牆邊，高牆的影子遮蓋著草地，借著夜色的掩護，我沿著牆跑了一段距離。然後停下來，給ＡＫ︱四七上好了子彈，拿出繩子往牆頭扔去，讓鉤子抓住牆壁。把背袋和ＡＫ︱四七背在肩上。就在這時我突然聽到狗吠聲，我的血都要凝固了，那些狗剛牽出來，狂吠不止，來勢洶洶，離我愈來愈近了，我嚇得馬上往牆上爬，雙臂軟弱無力，腳剛踩上石頭又往下滑。聽到有人大叫一聲；他們肯定是看到我了，狗愈跑愈近，我拚命爬上牆頭，氣喘吁吁地從另一邊跳了下去，重重地摔在地上。不一會兒，狗狂吠著來到我剛才呆過的地方。 我喘了口氣，然後朝松林跑去。右手拿著手鎗，等著衛兵的出現。在我離房子的東南方約三十英尺遠時，果然有一隊巡邏兵搖搖晃晃地闖入了我的視野。我大叫一聲，向他們掃去七、八發子彈，一邊繼續往前跑。他們進行了還擊，但我繼續猛烈射擊，直到子彈打光為止，士兵們倒在一堆，身上滿是彩色顏料。 幹得真漂亮！從他們身邊跑過時，我聽得有人這麼說。我急匆匆地鑽進了樹林，用空著的手摸出手電筒來照路。我感到心都要跳出來了。我知道停下來休息一會是絕對必要的，但我想先離使館大院遠點兒再說。儘管我不願用手電筒，但現在別無選擇，否則我可能一下就撞到樹上去了。 走了好幾百碼後我才停下來。一下子靠在樹幹上，關掉了手電筒。一生中我從來沒像現在這樣透不過氣來，心跳到了喉嚨。我迷迷糊糊地給手鎗壓上子彈，不知道過多久自己才有力氣繼續趕路。 沒多少時間容我來作決定。不一會兒，我就聽到遠處傳來了狗吠聲，我本能地猜出他們是順著我的蹤迹追過來了。 我搖搖晃晃地站起來往前走。這些狗肯定是讓人牽著的，所以只能和牠們的主人走得一樣快。我重新擰亮了手電筒，在樹林中東躲西閃地往前走。還要過幾分鐘牠們才能嗅出我的氣味如果一切順利的話，我有足夠時間將他們甩掉。 又走了四分一英里，來到了一條小溪旁。這條溪只有三、四英尺寬。我跳下去，涉水向上游走去，我的腿感到溪水冰涼冰涼的。順著小溪走了幾百英尺，我跳上岸，走進樹林，想找一棵樹爬上去。幸虧松林裏多的是這種樹。 五分鐘後，我已爬上了一棵巨大的落葉松樹頂。仍可聽到遠處的狗吠聲，甚至可看見從手電筒射出的閃爍亮光。追我的人，像是真的尋到了我的蹤迹，但在小溪邊又失去了方向。我屏住呼吸等待著，他們停止了追蹤，返回使館大院去了。 我如釋重負地吁了口氣，甚至是哭了好幾分鐘。真是精疲力竭，身心交瘁了。抬腕一看手表，已是凌晨二時二十分。我還有幾英里路要走，剩下的時間已不足四小時。我從樹上下來，拿出指南針和手電筒。該動身趕路了。 我一步一步，機械地往前挪動。由於前段時間渾身是汗，現在經晚上的涼風一吹，身上冷冰冰、濕漉漉的。沒甚麼特別的感覺，也沒有了緊迫感，大腦一片空白，只是悶悶地往前走去，相信自己馬上就可回到營地了。 當我好不容易來到景山時已是早上五時。我的雙腿，尤其是膝蓋和踝骨，一陣一陣地作痛，我感到自己發燒了。我一步一拖地往山下走去，最後終於回到了院子裏。這時，我幾乎高興得要哭了。一心希望能在床上睡上一、二天。我打開門，跌跌撞撞地進到屋裏。 雷宏和明安一邊坐在裏面等我，一邊在沙發上打瞌睡。我進來時驚醒了他們，看到他們的眼裏滿含著期待之情。 但在那時，我只能像機械人一樣重複著那些幾小時前銘記在我的腦海裏的話：玉花，你的任務已完成了一半！今早遇見雷宏教官時，你盡可能向他複述原話，祝你好運！ 我最後看到的是雷宏的微笑，然後便倒在地上失去了知覺。 一天後，所有的報告分析完畢，他們決定給我實地測試九十八分。這是有史以來最高分數之一。不能拿滿分的唯一原因是我開鎗打死了那麼多衛兵，引起了一場大騷亂。