The boy’s maturity beyond his years surprised James somewhat. He looked closely at Ethan Brooks and said earnestly, “It’s best that you think this way. You will have a brand new identity and take on dangerous, even brutal work, where you could lose your life at any moment. Unless you retire due to old age, once you join, quitting midway is not allowed. However, the probability of surviving until retirement is less than one in a thousand.”

Ethan Brooks smiled nonchalantly. “Sir, I’ve thought it through very clearly. I’m very interested in this kind of risky work.”

James sighed. “For someone with an IQ over two hundred, perhaps I’m just being overly cautious.”

“What? My IQ is over two hundred?”

Ethan Brooks exclaimed in surprise, “That’s hardly possible!”

James shrugged. “I don’t believe it either, but it’s the truth. If it weren’t, Director of Security Harold wouldn’t have made an exception to approve your recruitment.”

“I’ve been accepted?”

“Yes. After an emergency resolution, the General Security Agency has recruited you as a member of the newly established Superpower Task Force—Thunder Shield. However, you still need to undergo a series of training assessments. If you fail, you will be immediately dismissed.”

“Thank you, Mr. James.”

“Remember, even if you recall your past, you must resolutely forget it. You can no longer have any involvement with people you once knew. Otherwise, what awaits you will be the severe internal purge of the General Security Agency.”

James paused, then said in a low voice, “Which means death.”

Without any hesitation, Ethan Brooks said, “When do I start the training assessment?”

“Now. The helicopter is waiting outside to take you directly to the training base in Lausanne, Switzerland.”

Ethan Brooks slowly extended his hand. “Then I should say goodbye to you, Mr. James. I truly appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”

James let out a low sigh and pressed the doorbell on the wall. Two fully armed soldiers immediately entered at the sound, leading Ethan Brooks out of the building toward the helipad.

“Using this person is always a bit of a gamble.”

Suddenly, the wall of the sealed room split open, revealing a hidden door. An energetic old man with a head of silver hair slowly stepped out, gazing at Ethan Brooks’s departing figure.

James smiled. “Director Harold, haven’t you always liked taking risks?”

“Our work requires an extremely clean background. If he didn’t have such a high IQ and astonishing physical condition, plus the fact that he’s lost his memory, I wouldn’t have considered using him.”

James patted the file in his hand. “After physical, psychological, and mental evaluations, Ethan Brooks has no bad habits or criminal tendencies, and seems to have received a good education. His background shouldn’t be a major problem. For work as highly classified and risky as ours, someone who’s lost their memory is actually quite suitable.”

Harold mused, “James, even though you recommended him, if he ever violates internal discipline, I won’t show any mercy.”

“I understand.”

James replied softly. He took out a lighter and set fire to Ethan Brooks’s file. Page after page of typewritten paper slowly turned to swirling black ash in the flames.

A day later, the helicopter slowly landed on a desolate hillside on the outskirts of Lausanne.

Surrounded by mountains blanketed in white snow, more than a dozen lakes of various sizes were scattered like stars. The sapphire-blue waters looked like mirrors inlaid with gems, reflecting wisps of white clouds in the blue sky.

Accompanied by several soldiers, Ethan Brooks stepped out of the helicopter. A dark green off-road vehicle was parked opposite, and a burly middle-aged man climbed out, his sharp gaze fixed on Ethan Brooks’s face, appearing rather intimidating.

“I am George Hill, currently the chief instructor of the training base under the United Nations General Security Agency.”

The man’s voice was steady and powerful. Although it was their first meeting, for some reason, Ethan Brooks instantly grasped the man’s general character: decisive, resolute, and not one for idle talk.

“Hello, my name is Ethan Brooks.”

“Address me as ‘Sir.’”

George Hill said in a deep voice, “You will undergo training and assessment here. If you have any questions, raise them now.”

“No questions, Sir.”

“Very well, then follow me.”

George Hill led Ethan Brooks into the off-road vehicle. They drove down the winding mountain road for about half an hour before stopping in front of a lake halfway up the mountain, its surface smooth as a mirror.

By the lakeside, the trees were lush and the flowers in full bloom. Amidst the dense grass stood a tall stone stele, strikingly conspicuous.

George Hill got out of the car, took a remote control from his pocket, and quickly pressed more than ten buttons while aiming it at the stele.

“Three, seven, one, six, A, ￥, $, @, nine, nine, Z...”

In a flash, Ethan Brooks had clearly seen each key George Hill pressed on the remote—eighteen characters in total.

With a “ding-dong,” a liquid crystal display magically appeared on the surface of the stele.

“Please complete fingerprint identification within fifteen seconds.”

A gentle voice sounded from the display.

George Hill strode forward and pressed the middle finger of his right hand onto the screen.