He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

Zhao Fenglei smiled without saying a word.

Zhang Beixing said no more, and turned to glance at Liu Guangwu, whose face was full of shame and indignation.

"Your legs are your own, and how you walk your path in the future is entirely up to you. If you don't even have that much willpower, you might as well drop out of school as soon as possible."

Liu Guangwu loosened his tense fingers and slowly lowered his head: "Yes, instructor, I understand."

—Rat-a-tat-tat!
—Da da da…!
Gunfire echoed incessantly, and the battle between the two sides remained intense.

Bullets continued to fly towards the cover where both sides were hiding, piercing the vehicle with a series of bullet holes.

On a mountain path, a lithe, black figure leaped and sped by.

He leaped high from behind a small hill, instantly charging into the assassin organization's position. He dodged and weaved, moving with unparalleled speed, so fast that all the pursuing bullets missed their mark. The screams of pain from the assassins echoed along the mountain path.

The drivers of all three vehicles were seasoned reconnaissance soldiers. In addition to guarding the prisoners, protecting the safety of the trainees was also part of their duties.

Even with scouts holding the line, one trainee still suffered a serious gunshot wound and was immediately sent down for treatment. It is unknown whether he will survive.

Once on the battlefield, even the bravest and fiercest soldier's life or death is entirely up to fate.

"Fire cover!"

Yu Dalei roared and charged forward with his rifle, firing a series of precise bursts.

An assassin attempted to jump out from behind a vehicle to launch a sneak attack, but as soon as he peeked out, his head tilted to the side and he fell backward, instantly killed.

Yu Dalei turned around in surprise and saw Zhang Beixing holding a sniper rifle and waving at him.

Thanks!

The three veteran reconnaissance soldiers, with the cover of fire and the obstruction of vision by smoke grenades, continued to advance towards the assassins' position with Yu Dalei, bringing the assassins an extremely strong sense of pressure that almost made them breathless.

Caesar weaved through the hail of bullets, occasionally launching a fatal blow against a lone assassin. Their coordination was flawless, and the assassins immediately began to consider retreating.

This is China. Even the world's most dangerous assassin organizations cannot easily bring weapons of mass destruction into the country.

The disparity in firepower between the two sides was stark. The fact that the first wave of attacks failed to break down the convoy members' morale sealed their fate.

"Damn it, we ran into a tough bunch and lost more than ten brothers. This deal wasn't worth it, let's get out of here!"

"Retreat! Move out!"

"—Chirp!"

A loud whistle suddenly rang out, and all the assassins began to retreat while firing.

Seeing the assassins flee, Yu Dalei dared not continue the pursuit and immediately waved his hand to make a tactical gesture to stop advancing.

"Cease the pursuit!"

Zhang Beixing, who had been observing the battle from the sidelines without actually making a move, saw this scene, bit off a piece of apple with a "crunch," threw the core aside, and glanced at Liu Guangwu.

"Keep an eye on him, don't let him get away."

Liu Guangwu straightened up abruptly, gripping his steel spear: "Yes!"

Zhang Beixing nodded, turned around, and quickly left in the direction the assassins had fled.

Since you've come here all bared your teeth and claws, do you think you can leave without leaving something behind?
You must be dreaming!

Activating just one super-powerful skill nearly depleted Zhang Beixing's entire merit point base. How could he possibly let such readily available merit points slip through his fingers?

Ha ha.

Leave your life behind!
In the afternoon, dark clouds suddenly rolled in on the horizon, and a light drizzle began to fall.

The convoy resumed its journey. Zhang Beixing, who had suddenly disappeared midway but later returned to the vehicle, sat in the passenger seat with his eyes closed, resting.

There were some water stains on his body, and an indescribable smell of blood.

Yu Dalei and Liu Guangwu remained on either side, keeping a close watch on Zhao Fenglei, who was handcuffed in the middle.

Zhao Fenglei looked at the rearview mirror ahead, and saw Zhang Beixing's handsome and calm profile reflected in the mirror. He felt a chill run down his spine.

Whether it was when he was a reconnaissance soldier ten years ago, or after he accidentally embarked on a path of crime, he has killed dozens, if not hundreds, of enemies.

However, taking a life is still murder. Zhao Fenglei knew he could never be as nonchalant as the young man in the passenger seat after killing someone, as if nothing had happened.

Although Zhang Beixing sat in the car without saying a word and didn't ask where he had gone, everyone knew the truth.

All those assassins died at the hands of this young man, without exception.

Zhao Fenglei frowned, an indescribable surge of blood energy coursing through his veins, and a sense of horror filled his heart.

Is this what special forces are like?

Absolutely unparalleled in power!

That's truly impressive!
If I had been selected to join the special forces and become a true professional soldier, perhaps everything I'm experiencing today would be different.

Unfortunately……

Zhao Fenglei shook his head and chuckled to himself.

He still didn't say much.

After the fierce battle, the inexperienced trainees, baptized in blood, have grown and are no longer as nervous as when they first boarded the vehicle.

As for the bodies scattered on the outskirts, several veteran reconnaissance drivers had already contacted the Army Academy, which then contacted the local police. With the military and police working together, even if the media were involved, they would not dare to expose the incident, so it is unlikely to cause a major sensation.

The rest of the drive was very peaceful, with no further danger, making one even a little drowsy.

Just then, Liu Guangwu suddenly spoke.

"Yu Dalei, I admit it, I am not as good as you."

Yu Dalei was taken aback and turned around to look at him with some surprise.

But Liu Guangwu didn't look over; his gaze remained fixed straight ahead.

Yu Dalei's lips curled up slightly, revealing a warm smile. He thought to himself that even this ambitious classmate had moments of admitting defeat. However, Yu Dalei himself wasn't particularly proud, because he knew his own limitations—during his first battle, he wasn't much better than Liu Guangwu.

Although he wasn't looking over, Yu Dalei was certain that Liu Guangwu was talking to him.

"To be honest, I kind of regret it."

"Regret what?" Yu Dalei asked casually.

"The letter I submitted was blank."

Yu Dalei raised an eyebrow in surprise: "Why?"

Without hesitation, Liu Guangwu replied, "Because I've always believed I could be different, that even bullets wouldn't kill me on the battlefield. But today..."

Liu Guangwu gave a wry smile.

"I only realized today that bullets really don't dodge people. If there's another mission, I'll definitely write everything I want to say in a letter, so I won't have any regrets."

In the front row, Zhang Beixing closed his eyes, feigning sleep, while Caesar stubbornly and earnestly continued disassembling the leather chair. Zhao Fenglei watched his two junior classmates with a smile in his eyes, then slowly closed his eyes.

Talented people emerge in every generation, and his era has passed, but the will of a soldier will never be extinguished.

……

After the rain stopped, the convoy safely arrived at the first special prison codenamed "Tianluo".

The prison stood tall in a desolate suburb, surrounded by barren, grassy hills for miles around. The entire prison was surrounded by a thorny fence, and faint arcs of electricity could be seen on the riot netting.

The surrounding walls are dozens of feet high, and the entire surface is coated with a glazed gel, making it absolutely impossible to climb by hand.

Due to the weather, the huge searchlights were turned on early, like two giant brushes, slowly sweeping across the open space in front of the prison gate.

A convoy of military vehicles covered in steel protective netting drove up, and dozens of fully armed soldiers jumped off, took Zhao Fenglei into custody, and escorted him into the prison.

Zhao Fenglei appeared calm and showed no intention of resisting.

Just before leaving, he turned back and said something sincere to Zhang Beixing.

"If I, Lao Zhao, still have the chance to get out, I will definitely go and see the special forces."

Zhang Beixing remained noncommittal, but not wanting to discourage the man who had suddenly aged, he simply smiled and said, "Welcome."

Two soldiers carrying rifles escorted Zhao Fenglei through the prison gate, his figure slowly disappearing into the towering archway.

A man who looked to be about thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old strode up to Zhang Beixing. His rank insignia was two bars and four stars—he was a senior colonel.

As the officer was one rank higher, Zhang Beixing, out of military discipline, was the first to salute.

The man immediately returned the greeting: "Thank you for your hard work!"

Zhang Beixing calmly replied, "I'm used to it."

The man's expression shifted slightly as he sized Zhang Beixing up and down.

"Colonel Zhang Beixing?"

"It's me," Zhang Beixing said, neither humble nor arrogant.

The man smiled slightly: "As expected, heroes emerge from among the young."

"Thank you for the compliment. Now that we have brought the person to you, shall we take our leave?"

The prison in front of him was not a pleasant place to behold, so Zhang Beixing had no intention of lingering there.

The colonel chuckled twice, his eyes deep and calm, making it impossible for Zhang Beixing to discern his true intentions.

"No rush. I will send these trainees back safely. Colonel Zhang, you might as well stay here for a few more days. I have already made arrangements with your Southeast Military Region. I hope you can take a good look around our place."

what?
Visiting a prison?

Upon hearing these words, Zhang Beixing was momentarily stunned.

And they've already made arrangements with the Southeast Military Region?
What is this operation?
What exactly are He Zhijun and the conman up to...?

"Oh right, I forgot to introduce myself."

The colonel's eyes were bright and piercing, but Zhang Beixing read a hint of malicious mockery in them.

"I won't mention my name, my code name is Woodpecker. I used to be the deputy captain of the Second Special Operations Brigade of the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade! How about that? As a soldier of Wolf Fang, you should recognize me, right?"

Although it appears to be a question, the tone is actually one of self-assurance and assertion, as if it would be against all reason if you, as a member of the Wolf Fang, didn't know me.

Zhang Beixing suddenly realized something.

Oh, no wonder I didn't like this old guy. Turns out, he was just putting on an act in front of me.
Zhang Beixing has always been the only one who can show off his skills in front of Zhang Beixing!
Ha, pshaw!
If it weren't for the fact that your rank is higher than mine, I would have punched you long ago.

The history of the Wolf Fang Army must be memorized; it's a mandatory course for every special forces soldier. As the captain of the Red Cell team, Zhang Beixing certainly knew who he was.

However, Zhang Beixing still shook his head expressionlessly, looking completely bewildered as if he were listening to gibberish.

"Woodpecker? Who's that? I don't know him."

The colonel's face stiffened: "!!!"

Haha, the attempt failed.

Alas, people's hearts have changed; once someone leaves, the tea grows cold...

The bright and clean office is a stark contrast to the otherwise gloomy and terrifying prison, making it hard to believe that such a clean and comfortable place exists inside.

A cup of warm tea was handed to Zhang Beixing's desk, and Colonel Lin smiled and sat back down on the sofa opposite the coffee table.

"How are you doing, Captain? How's your health lately?"

Colonel Lin greeted them with a smile and asked.

Zhang Beixing wasn't particularly thirsty, but after eating apples along the way, his throat was a little dry from the sweetness. Without any hesitation, he picked up the tea on the table and drank it all in one gulp.

"I don't know how he was when you were in Wolf Fang, but he's still quite robust now. Apart from a few more gray hairs, he can eat and fight a lot, and doesn't look like an old man at all."

Upon hearing that He Zhijun was in good health, Colonel Lin smiled with relief.

"Hehe, that's good. Ever since I left Wolf Fang, I've been thinking about going back to visit, but things are too restless here, so I've never had the time. When you go back this time, please give my regards to the captain. I'll definitely visit him when I have time."

Zhang Beixing put the teacup back on the table and looked at Colonel Lin with a half-smile.

"You went to such lengths to keep me here, it couldn't be just for this, could it?"

Colonel Lin shook his head: "More than that, I mainly want to see you, the rising star of Wolf Fang."

"The army remains, but the soldiers come and go. The development of the new generation of troops cannot be separated from the influx of fresh blood. I have heard a lot about your legendary experiences, which has made me, an older person, very curious. I was thinking about when I could meet you. Now that I have the opportunity, of course I can't let you leave like this."

"As a veteran of Wolf Fang, I have a responsibility and an obligation to see if the wolf cubs still have sharp fangs."

Lin Daxiao smiled and spoke frankly, without any hint of subtlety.

In short, they wanted to see if Zhang Beixing, the new generation special forces captain of Wolf Fang, was qualified.

As he spoke, Colonel Lin took off his regular military uniform.

Zhang Beixing raised an eyebrow slightly, as if he had suddenly thought of something, and asked.

"Is Zhao Fenglei still able to come out?"

While flexing his wrists, Colonel Lin answered casually.

"It's already good enough that he wasn't executed immediately for the heinous crime of murder. If it weren't for his past service in risking his life, he probably wouldn't even be qualified to be sent here."

Colonel Lin glanced at Zhang Beixing, who seemed lost in thought, and gestured with his chin toward the towering prison walls outside the window.

"The people locked up in this Tianluo Prison are all hardened criminals, none of them are easy to deal with. Unless there are special circumstances, they can forget about ever getting out of here."

"Alright, enough talk. We've come all this way, let's go out and practice our skills?" (End of Chapter)