Dangerous Deal With Billionaire Mafia

Chapter 3. Physical Test

After putting away their luggage, everyone gathered in the yard at Edward's command. In front of them was Inpo - his assistant, a man with a sturdy build and sharp eyes. He stood in front of the group, his voice resounding loudly:

"Today, you will undergo a basic physical test. I will evaluate each of you to rank you and adjust your training program accordingly."

Remi stood in the middle of the group, panicking when she heard these words. She had never had any experience with physical training, let alone a physical test. She was not mentally prepared! But before she could react, Inpo had already ordered the first test to begin.Round 1: Endurance Running

"Everyone run around the yard three times! Whoever comes in last will lose points!"

The whistle blew. Everyone rushed forward, but as soon as they started, Remi realized her disadvantage. She hadn't even run half a lap when her heart was pounding, her breathing was rapid, and her legs felt like they were about to fall off. While the others were still maintaining a steady pace, she was far behind. After three laps, Remi was the last one. She put her hands on her knees, sweat pouring down, feeling like her heart was about to jump out of her chest.

Round 2: High Jump

"Each person steps forward and jumps over the 1.2m barrier. If you fail more than three times, points will be deducted."

Remi saw the others jump over easily, some even went higher. When it was her turn, Remi stepped back to gain momentum, then tried to jump up... But as soon as her feet touched the ground, her whole body lost momentum and fell down. A small laugh rang out from the people around her. Remi bit her lip, tried a second and a third time, but the result was still the same. In the end, she was the only one who didn't pass the minimum barrier.

Round 3: Long Jump

"Jump from the starting line, whoever has the farthest distance will get points."

Remi saw others jump more than two meters, some even almost reached the three meter mark. When it was her turn, she tried to gain momentum and jump... but her weak body only allowed her to jump a pitiful distance. Remi didn't even dare to look at her own score, she only knew that she was still at the bottom of the table.

Round 4: Basic Defense

"When someone suddenly attacks, your reaction will determine your score."

Remi shuddered when she heard this. She had never fought before, nor had she ever been attacked. When it was her turn, a coach suddenly rushed from behind. Remi panicked and raised her hand to block, but she was too weak to resist. In just a moment, she was knocked to the ground. The fall hurt her so much that tears welled up, but she gritted her teeth and endured, not daring to cry out loud. The results were announced, Remi ranked last.

Remi hugged her chest, her heart filled with despair, tears welling up in her eyes. She couldn't stop crying: Why? Just after being reborn, she had to endure such harsh trials? If God was testing her, then it was too cruel!

Edward silently observed Remi from beginning to end. His expression didn't change, but his eyes were a bit colder. This guy... was pitifully weak. If it was like this, how could he survive in this dangerous world?

Edward stood in the middle of the field, holding the physical assessment that Inpo had just sent. Under his sharp gaze, the crowd of people who had just finished the test stood in neat rows, holding their breaths as they waited for the results. Some people were visibly nervous, others were more confident, but all of them understood that each score would decide their position and fate in this place. After reading the evaluation, Edward coldly said:

"Those who scored above average can return to their rooms to rest. The rest, stay where you are."

Some people breathed a sigh of relief and quickly left. But the five people with the lowest scores, including Remi, remained standing in the yard, their faces pale. She swallowed hard, a feeling of unease spreading throughout her body when she realized she was in the weakest group.

Edward glanced over the five of them with a cold gaze. His eyes lingered longer on Remi, the boy with the weakest physical strength. He spoke in a low voice, carrying a majestic and absolutely unforgiving air:

"The five of you, because you did not meet the minimum standards, will have to participate in a supplementary test. If you do not pass, you will be demoted to become a janitor or a guard."

Hearing this, Remi felt more than enough to be afraid. But Edward's next words really made her panic: "Also, before the test, each of you will receive two punishment lashes. That is punishment for the mistakes you made before coming here as my bodyguards."

Remi's whole body trembled. She was so frightened that her legs almost lost strength. What grudge did she have against Edward? Why did she have to endure all this torture after being reborn? Her eyes were filled with tears, her throat choked. The rest of the group also had pale faces, but no one dared to protest.

Edward glanced at the frightened people at his feet, the corners of his lips curled up into a cold smile. Edward spoke calmly but authoritatively.

"The auxiliary test will re-evaluate your endurance and mentality. If you continue to perform poorly, don't expect to be a bodyguard, prepare yourself for other jobs."

He signaled Inpo to start the punishment.

First was the Physical Test. The five people were required to do 30 push-ups, if they failed to complete them, points would be deducted. Remi struggled to do push-ups, but from the fifth one, her hands were shaking, sweat pouring out. The rest of them were also visibly tired, but at least they were still holding on.

Next was basic combat. Inpo attacked each person in turn with a soft wooden stick to test their dodging and defense abilities. Those who couldn't dodge in time would be hit. Remi had no combat experience, and had just dodged one attack when she received another one to the shoulder, almost collapsing in pain.

Finally, endurance under pressure. Edward suddenly stepped forward, not touching anyone, but his sharp eyes seemed to penetrate their minds.

"Stay kneeling, arms straight out in front. Whoever can hold on the longest will get points."

Remi was terrified, trying to keep her arms straight, but after a while, her arms started to tremble. The rest of the group was also gritting their teeth to endure. But the test wasn't just that.

"Do you think you can survive on the battlefield?" Edward said in a low voice. "When surrounded by enemies, when you see your teammates die in front of you, when you yourself could lose your lives at any moment... What will you do? Cry? Beg for forgiveness?"

His voice gradually became more terrifying, each word was like a sledgehammer hitting the spirit of the five people. Remi swallowed hard, feeling her chest being pressed down, her breathing difficult. She had never experienced combat, never thought she would have to face these things. She was just an ordinary girl, a weak student worker, why did she fall into this situation?

Every second that passed was like torture. Cold sweat ran down her temples. One of the group couldn't take it anymore, both hands fell to the ground, breathing heavily.

"First loser. Eliminated." Edward coldly declared.

Remi panicked, gritting her teeth to endure, but her body almost didn't listen to her will anymore. She was trembling, her consciousness starting to blur.

"If you can't handle this little thing, don't even think about being on my team."

Edward's words seemed to strike a blow to her pride.

"I can't... collapse here..."

Remi gritted her teeth, trying to muster all her strength to maintain her posture. But in the end, as soon as the third person let go, she couldn't take it anymore. Her hand fell to the ground.

"Third place in this challenge." Edward glanced at the list. "But the total score is still low."

Remi gasped, before she could rejoice, Edward continued:

"As I said, those with the lowest scores will be punished before the next position is decided."

Remi's heart sank. She had never seen such a harsh life.

After completing the supplementary test, Remi and the other four people stood waiting for the results. Edward observed each person one by one, his sharp eyes scanning the group of five weakest people. Inpo stepped forward, handing him the results report.

Edward quickly glanced over the list before speaking: "Those who scored high at the beginning were allowed to go back to their rooms to rest. But for the five people with the worst results, only one will pass, the next two will be put under special training supervision. The two people at the bottom will be punished and have to change to be guards."

Remi swallowed, her heart beating fast as Edward continued to announce the rankings. "The only one who passed is Felix, you can go back to your room." Felix breathed a sigh of relief, nodded slightly, and left the training ground.

Edward continued: "Han and Remi, you are ranked 2nd and 3rd, but you are still not qualified. You two will undergo special training and be closely monitored. If you still do not meet the requirements after a few days, you will be removed from the bodyguard group."

Han clenched his fists, and Remi was stunned. She tried her best but still could not escape being monitored. She pursed her lips, silently blaming her fate.

Edward turned to look at the last two people. "The remaining two, you are not qualified. As I said before, the punishment is two lashes before you receive your new job." Both of them paled but still bowed their heads in acceptance. "Since you both chose to be guards, from tomorrow, you will start your work."

Remi let out a sigh of relief when she didn't have to suffer the whipping punishment, but she still wasn't out of the woods. Edward glanced at Han and Remi, then raised his chin to signal Inpo. "You two must hand over your phones. You are not allowed to use them during the special training period."

Remi's eyes widened in surprise. "No way! I... I just want to keep it for contact when necessary!"

She looked at Edward with pleading eyes, but he still coldly replied: "No exceptions. If you want to prove your ability, focus on training instead of thinking about other things."

Remi bit her lip, trying to hold back her resentment. She held the phone in her hand, hesitating for a long time, but in the end, she still had to hand it over to Inpo. She looked at the phone being taken away with a feeling of disappointment. From this moment on, she would be completely cut off from the outside world, completely dependent on Edward's supervision and decisions.

Remi reluctantly handed over the phone to Inpo, feeling regretful and helpless. She turned around and left, returning to her room with a heavy heart. When she reached the door, she noticed a small box neatly placed on the floor. Opening it, she found her dinner—a bowl of rice with vegetables and meat, simple but nutritious. It turned out that this was the rule of this place: breakfast and lunch would be eaten in the communal dining room, while dinner would be distributed separately and each person would eat in their own room. Remi picked up the food box, opened the door, and entered the room. The room was small but clean, with a bed, a wardrobe, and a private bathroom. She sighed, put the food on the table, and began to undress, removing her bra to feel more comfortable. Stepping into the bathroom, she let the warm water wash away the dirt and fatigue of the long day. The harsh physical tests were still imprinted on her body, her legs were tired, her shoulders were sore. After taking a shower, she wrapped a towel around her body, dried her hair, and got dressed. She sat down at the table, opened the lunch box, and began to eat in silence.

While chewing, she angrily recalled the confiscation of her phone. Today was too bad for her! From the physical tests to the special supervision, and not being allowed to use the phone, everything was pressing on her to the point of irritation. She was so tired, but her mind couldn't stop thinking about Ivy. I wonder what Ivy is doing now? Is she worried that she can't contact her?

Thinking about that, Remi rolled back and forth on the bed, her anxiety growing. She couldn't stand it anymore. Suddenly, an idea flashed through her mind, why didn't she sneak into the place where the phone was kept, retrieve it, make a quick call to Ivy, and put it back? If she was careful, no one would find out!

Thinking is doing, Remi gently got out of bed, opened the door and carefully looked around the hallway. There was no one. She tiptoed out, each step as light as a cat. She had observed where Inpo had hidden his phone in the afternoon, now she just needed to go there and get it back in a moment.

Remi followed the hallway, each step carefully as if afraid of making a sound when touching the wooden floor. Her breathing became rapid as she approached the room where Inpo had brought the phone case in the afternoon. The door was unlocked, it seemed like this was where some of the items of those under surveillance were kept. Remi carefully looked around, made sure no one was there, then slowly pushed the door open and entered.

Inside was a small room, with only a few iron cabinets and a table in the corner of the room. She quickly rummaged through the darkness, looking for the phone case. As soon as she opened the box, her heart beat fast with excitement, her phone was right here! But at that moment, from outside the hallway, a steady sound of footsteps rang out, getting closer and closer.

Edward was passing by this area on his own business. He accidentally caught a glimpse of a figure moving furtively in the dark room. His eyes darkened, and he immediately walked quickly without making a sound. As he approached, the light from the hallway shone into the room, illuminating Remi's small figure who was busy with the box.

"What are you doing here?" The cold voice rang out, causing Remi to jump.

She turned around, her eyes wide with panic. Her hand was still on the phone she hadn't pulled out yet. A cold shiver ran down her spine when she saw Edward standing in the doorway, his sharp eyes staring at her.

Remi's heart stopped beating. Remi bit her lip, her hands shaking, trying to think of a reasonable excuse, but it was too late. She was caught red-handed. Remi tried to force a smile, but Edward's eyes made her understand that she was in big trouble.