Chapter Fifty-Six: Visiting the Secret Agent Training Camp

“Who says our royal family in Saudi Arabia started out as bathhouse attendants?” The old prince emerged from the wine cellar, where he now often hid away, savoring his solitude.

“Then what did your family start with?” Liu Yunfei asked.

“Our great ancestor was named Abdulaziz al-Saud,” the old prince replied, his face radiant with reverence.

“And what did his family do in the beginning?”

“They cleaned stables for feudal lords,” the old prince admitted, the light fading from his expression.

“So they really did start as bathhouse attendants, only scrubbing horses instead of people!” Liu Yunfei burst out laughing at his accurate guess.

“All right, all right, let’s go—I’ll take you somewhere special, I promise you’ll love it.” The old prince, not wanting to dwell on the topic, grabbed Liu Yunfei by the arm and led him outside.

“What? It’s almost evening—where are we going?” Liu Yunfei complained. After his passionate embrace with Yu Qing earlier, his desires had been fully aroused, and he’d been planning to join her in the bathroom for a steamy rendezvous. He was hardly in the mood to go out now.

“Come on, don’t be like that. You’re young, you should learn some self-restraint. You can’t be doing that in broad daylight! If our Muslim brethren saw, they’d shun you. May the great Allah guide this lost lamb.” Clearly, the old prince had noticed Liu Yunfei’s earlier hesitance to leave the hall, his arms wrapped around a beautiful woman.

“Who says I was doing anything in broad daylight? What did I do?” Liu Yunfei protested feebly, but could only follow the old prince outside, where a fleet of luxury cars stood ready in formation. The old prince loved such displays; every outing had to be grand, the more cars the better. Even the servants’ cars seemed to want to join the parade through the city.

As they drove along the winding mountain road, Liu Yunfei noticed an obvious increase in people and vehicles along the way. “Wait, something’s off today,” he said, eyeing the unfamiliar faces through the car window.

“Oh, those are CIA agents. We’ve heard that Hadina and his people may be planning some operations soon, so we asked Belgrade to send some agents over. This way, you can take an occasional break too—it’s to ease your burden,” the old prince explained, careful not to sound distrustful.

“That’s just as well. I was beginning to feel like I couldn’t step a foot away from Awari, no freedom at all. Now I can actually go on some dates with my girlfriend.” This arrangement suited Liu Yunfei perfectly; now he could spend more time with Yu Qing.

They drove for a long time. By Liu Yunfei’s estimate, they’d long since left Florence behind. It was nearly dark when they finally arrived at their destination. There were checkpoints that made the place look almost like a prison, with inspections beginning far from the entrance. After passing through three checkpoints, they were finally asked to get out and walk into the main building. Only when Liu Yunfei saw Belgrade’s endearing, goofy smile did he realize they had arrived at the secret agent training camp jointly operated by the CIA and the Italian National Intelligence Agency.

“My dear Arab friends, welcome to the Lake Trasimeno Training Camp. This is the most modern agent training facility. Please, allow me to give you a tour. Normally, visits aren’t allowed, but you are our staunch partners, so today is an exception.” Belgrade led Liu Yunfei and his party inside. At every door, sentries stood guard; each required Belgrade to swipe his magnetic badge and verify all five fingerprints before it would open.

“Many areas here are top secret. Apart from trainees and instructors, even I can’t enter most of them, so we’ll skip those. Let’s start with the fitness training center,” Belgrade explained as he walked.

It was dinner time, so the large hall of the fitness center was empty. It looked like a gigantic gym, filled with every kind of exercise equipment, a small swimming pool in one corner, and a boxing ring in another.

“This is where general fitness and basic combat training take place. The real physical training happens in the valleys around Lake Trasimeno, combining wilderness survival with fitness. That’s the most important part, simulating real-life outdoor environments to truly enhance the agents’ survival and reconnaissance abilities,” Belgrade continued.

They next visited the vehicle simulation rooms, where Liu Yunfei and the old prince took turns playing at driving tanks and helicopters. They weren’t there to study, just to have fun. Finally, Belgrade brought them to the firearms and shooting center, which interested Liu Yunfei the most. He quickly mastered the assembly and use of several common firearms. The old prince found shooting entertaining and went wild with various guns, firing in all directions. Liu Yunfei’s eyesight and coordination far surpassed the average person’s, and he hit the bullseye with almost every shot.

At last, they dined with Belgrade in the agents’ mess hall, enjoying a meal designed for operatives: mostly meat, with vegetables, fruit, and milk. All in all, it tasted far better than Arabian cuisine.

Back at the knight’s castle, night had fallen. Liu Yunfei went to his room to find Yu Qing already deep in sleep. After a shower, he lay beside her, watching the beauty in his arms and thinking, “Tomorrow, I’ll tell you all my secrets.”

The next day, over lunch, they discussed their visit to the Lake Trasimeno agent training camp. Awari clamored to go as well—boys naturally found such things fascinating. Pestered relentlessly, the old prince finally called Belgrade. But Belgrade explained that visits were impossible during training, since the agents’ identities were classified; if their faces were seen, it could compromise future missions. In the end, they arranged to visit again at dusk, during the agents’ rest period.

This left Liu Yunfei feeling a bit dejected, as he had planned a dinner date with Yu Qing that night—he’d already reserved a table at a Chinese restaurant that morning. He could have canceled or rescheduled, but he was tired of delay. Yet the old prince had mentioned that Hadina’s group might soon be taking action. No one knew their exact aim, but Awari was widely recognized as the primary target. Liu Yunfei shared his concerns with the old prince.

The old prince was unconcerned. “Go ahead, don’t worry. Do you think the world will stop turning without you? Weren’t we out last night, leaving Awari at home?”

“But last night there were CIA agents standing guard,” Liu Yunfei pointed out.

“We’ll have them all follow us this afternoon as well. Do you know why it was safe last night?” The old prince had a new idea.

“Why?” Liu Yunfei asked, curious.

“Because this will be a sudden arrangement, known only to us here. We won’t tell the servants or drivers. At the time, we’ll send out two large groups ten minutes ahead, then Awari and I will follow behind with just two agents. Everyone knows I love a show of force—who would guess that today I wouldn’t? If anything goes wrong up front, we’ll turn back at once. How’s that, my dear Awahid brother?” The old prince lit a cigar, looking at Liu Yunfei with a triumphant air.

“Great idea! Why didn’t I think of it? Look at you—all dignified on the outside, but sharp as a tack, sly and cunning. The way you wave that big, dark hand of yours while puffing on a cigar—you’ve got the bearing of a true leader; those beady eyes glint with grand ambition; even your broom-like mustache has an air of noble arrogance. My deepest admiration!” Liu Yunfei’s words left it unclear whether he was praising or mocking the old prince, whose face flushed green, then red.

Awari, Yu Qing, and Ram all stifled their laughter nearby.