He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

Since the Iron Fist Regiment was reorganized and incorporated into the Navy, Lao Gao, due to his seasickness, was transferred to the military region's mess hall, becoming the head chef while still serving as a squad leader. Although he was reluctant to leave his old unit, there was nothing he could do about it.

Old Gao, who was getting food at the window, spotted Zhang Beixing and the others at a glance and immediately greeted them warmly, loudly proclaiming that he would add a few more hearty dishes for them.

Zhang Beixing had previously fused with super soldier cells, which completely depleted his physical strength. Now, seeing Lao Gao in the canteen, he completely unleashed his appetite, stuffing himself with food. His eating habits even surprised Lao Gao.

Looking at him like this, Lao Gao said exaggeratedly, "Oh my goodness, Zhang Beixing, can you eat a little slower? I'm here, how could I let you go hungry?"

Then, he looked at the people next to him and joked with a smile: "And you guys, how many days have you been starving? You're wolfing down your food. If people didn't know better, they would think the special operations brigade was mistreating you."

Li Erniu's mouth was stuffed with food as he mumbled, "Squad leader, you don't know, we fought a drill for a whole day and night yesterday, and our stomachs were empty. We were really hungry!"

"How could I not know?" Old Gao said with a smile. "Zhang Beixing has been praised by the deputy commander. He's even more famous now than he was back in the Fourth Company!"

Zhang Beixing was so engrossed in eating that he didn't even look up. He devoured each dish as soon as it was served, continuing to churn out the food with gusto. It wasn't until Lao Gao called his name that he mumbled a reply, "I need to eat quickly; I need to go to the library to borrow books later."

Old Gao asked with a smile, "Zhang Beixing, why do you still love reading so much?"

Zhang Beixing nodded, his tone matter-of-fact: "Of course, you're never too old to learn. I need to catch up on the boat and ship piloting skills I missed before."

Upon hearing Zhang Beixing's words, the other members of the Red Cell team all looked over, their eyes filled with doubt. Why was he so eager? Had he heard something?

Then, Zhang Beixing continued, his voice filled with determination: "There will be opportunities to operate cruisers, battleships, and aircraft carriers in the future. There's still so much I don't know, so I must hurry up and learn!"

Upon hearing this, the people near the dining table were speechless, and couldn't help but think: My God, flying helicopters and tanks wasn't enough for Zhang Beixing, he actually wants to fly an aircraft carrier?

The red blood cell team members shook their heads helplessly, a wry smile on their faces. They really couldn't keep up with their captain's train of thought, and could only silently give him a thumbs up in their hearts: Captain, you're awesome!
Old Gao took Zhang Beixing's words as a joke and chuckled, "Studies really can't be neglected. Here, order whatever you want to eat, and I'll go make it for you right away."

Zhang Beixing thought carefully for a moment, then quickly rattled off a list of dishes: "Sweet and sour carp, braised lion's head meatballs, braised pork intestines, stir-fried pork kidneys, crispy pork belly, deep-fried pork tenderloin, pan-fried tofu, and stir-fried tripe with soy sauce!"

After reciting the menu, he saw Lao Gao's astonished expression and quickly added with a smile, "Ten more bowls of rice, please!"

The red blood cell team members were stunned. Their captain was being incredibly rude! He was showing absolutely no respect!
Old Gao nodded, both amused and exasperated: "You're really not going to be polite when I tell you to order? Fine, you wait, I won't let you, the future king of soldiers, go hungry!"

……

The next morning at 10:00 AM, Fan Tianlei convened a report meeting for the Red Cell Team's exercise in the base office. The content of the meeting was similar to usual, praising their good performance and not disgracing the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade, but also reminding them to guard against arrogance and complacency, and to continue their efforts in the future.

Furthermore, although Zhang Beixing's performance in this exercise was even better than in the last one, Fan Tianlei did not mention any promotion. After all, the regulations of the People's Liberation Army are what they are; there is no precedent for promoting someone to officer twice in less than six months.

Zhang Beixing had anticipated this and wasn't disappointed. He already had 500 merit points, and was currently focused on learning new skills; he had no time for such trivial matters. Besides, an exercise was just an exercise, not a real battlefield. He couldn't rely on exercise performance for promotions every time, and that wasn't what he wanted.

After the meeting, Zhang Beixing was kept behind by Fan Tianlei. After a deep conversation, seeing that Zhang Beixing had no complaints about the promotion, Fan Tianlei stopped bringing up the topic and went straight to the point: "Old Kang's Iron Fist Regiment was recently incorporated into the Marine Corps, have you heard about that?"

Zhang Beixing nodded absentmindedly: "I know, we saw Lao Hei at the cafeteria entrance yesterday."

Fan Tianlei nodded, his tone becoming slightly serious: "It's like this, I just received the latest instructions from headquarters." As he spoke, he gestured for Zhang Beixing to sit on the sofa next to him.

Zhang Beixing didn't stand on ceremony and sat down directly on the guest sofa in the office, facing Fan Tianlei.

"Since you've met Lao Hei, you should also know something about the potential dangers at sea, right?" Fan Tianlei asked.

Zhang Beixing nodded again, then frowned as he looked at Fan Tianlei, whose expression seemed a bit off today: "Number Five, what's wrong? Can you just say it directly? Why are you beating around the bush? Are you trying to fool me again?"

Fan Tianlei couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this: "Hahaha, alright, I'll get straight to the point. The reason I kept you behind is so that you can go back and do some pre-match mental preparation for the team."

"Go to war?" Zhang Beixing keenly caught these two words, his eyebrows instantly rising. A thought flashed through his mind like lightning: Could it be that they really are going to go to sea... no, go to sea to carry out a mission?

Seeing the thoughtful expression on Zhang Beixing's face, Fan Tianlei chuckled: "Looks like you've already guessed something?"

Zhang Beixing immediately looked up at Fan Tianlei: "The higher-ups are planning to send us to sea? But... shouldn't matters at sea be under the navy's jurisdiction?"

Fan Tianlei did not deny it: "The Army and Navy are indeed not part of the same system, and they rarely have close contact under normal circumstances. But the Iron Fist Regiment has just been incorporated into the Marine Corps, which is a golden opportunity to strengthen ties between the two sides. The leaders of both military regions share this idea. That's why this joint operation came about." Fan Tianlei paused slightly, organized his thoughts, and then slowly told Zhang Beixing the ins and outs of the mission: "At four o'clock this morning, a group of Somali pirates of unknown numbers secretly infiltrated international waters. We received intelligence that they intended to hijack a Chinese merchant ship, but we haven't yet determined which one. Therefore, we were instructed to conduct a joint operation, with the Navy and Army jointly responsible for maritime escort and timely expelling any pirates that might appear."

Hearing Fan Tianlei's words, Zhang Beixing was somewhat puzzled and immediately voiced his question: "Since you know that pirates have infiltrated our territorial waters, why don't you just drive them away or kill them?"

Fan Tianlei shook his head and said with a smile, "Zhang Beixing, I admit you are very talented, but you may have never been to sea and do not know the specific conditions at sea."

Zhang Beixing couldn't deny this. He had never been to sea before. Before enlisting, he had only ever driven his own yacht in the nearshore waters. He had never been to the deep sea.

“The weather at sea is unpredictable, and unlike on land, radar positioning isn’t very accurate. Finding pirate ships on the vast ocean is extremely difficult,” Fan Tianlei sighed. “Most importantly, if these pirates don’t carry weapons, they look no different from ordinary fishermen, making it very difficult for us to wipe them out at the source.”

After listening to Fan Tianlei's explanation, Zhang Beixing nodded in understanding. Indeed, many pirates were fishermen before becoming pirates. Even if the navy encountered them, unless they actively revealed themselves, there was no way to determine their identities, which was indeed a thorny problem.

"I understand," Zhang Beixing asked calmly. "When do we depart?"

A strange smile suddenly appeared on Fan Tianlei's lips: "Those pirates are all ruthless characters who kill without blinking an eye. Aren't you afraid at all?"

“Bloodshed and sacrifice are the duty of soldiers,” Zhang Beixing replied matter-of-factly.

Fan Tianlei smiled with satisfaction: "I'm not surprised that you have such awareness. The key is the other people in the team. You need to do a good job of persuading them. After all, this trip could very well be life-threatening."

Zhang Beixing raised his hand to interrupt him, saying casually, "I will tell them the truth, but I believe that even knowing there is danger to their lives, none of them will back down. Because there are no cowards in the Red Cell Team!"

"Then I'm relieved." Fan Tianlei's smile faded, and he said seriously, "At 2 PM, a naval shipborne helicopter will come to pick you up. If all goes well, you should arrive at the warship at sea by evening."

As he spoke, Fan Tianlei quickly added, "Oh, by the way, the Navy also has its own special forces. When you arrive, you can learn from each other's excellent experiences."

Zhang Beixing asked curiously, "The Navy's special forces?"

“Yes.” Fan Tianlei paused slightly, then slowly spoke, enunciating each word clearly, “Jiaolong Commando Team.”

What? Zhang Beixing was stunned. It was actually the Jiaolong Commando Team!

The Jiaolong Commando Unit belongs to the Navy's Special Operations Brigade. Since 2009, it has accompanied naval escort fleets to Somali waters to carry out escort missions. This commando unit is mainly responsible for fleet surveillance, boarding inspections, maritime seizures, and special amphibious operations. It has achieved an astonishing record of 8:150, and its strength should not be underestimated.

But that's not the most important thing. The key is that this mission seems far more complex than it appears. Upon hearing about the joint operation with the Jiaolong Commando Unit, Zhang Beixing's eyes narrowed. Whether a coup d'état would occur in a country across the ocean would also become a potentially dangerous variable. He thought to himself: Since the Jiaolong Commando Unit is involved, this maritime operation probably won't end so easily!
Seeing the change in Zhang Beixing's expression, Fan Tianlei assumed he was feeling pressured, so he stood up, patted him on the shoulder, and comforted him, "Although the Navy has always held a hierarchy of contempt for the Army over the years, the soldiers of our Wolf Fang are definitely no worse than them!"

Zhang Beixing had initially been worried about the aftermath of defeating the Somali pirates, but upon hearing the words "hierarchy of contempt," his attention was instantly diverted. He frowned slightly: "What hierarchy of contempt?"

Fan Tianlei was taken aback for a moment: "You haven't heard of it?" After saying that, without waiting for Zhang Beixing's reply, he said directly: "There's a saying that's always been circulating in the Navy—Rookie, are you going home or to the Army?"

"What?" Zhang Beixing was immediately displeased upon hearing this. So, in the Navy's eyes, rookies could only go home or join the Army? Was the Army really that worthless in their eyes?
He cursed inwardly: Who gave them such a sense of superiority? No way, regardless of whether this was Fan Tianlei's scheme or not, even if it wasn't for the merit points, he had to teach these naval personnel a lesson this time!
Thinking of this, Zhang Beixing couldn't help but narrow his eyes slightly, a sharp glint flashing in them.

He stood up: "Number Five, I'll go back and have the team prepare." With that, he turned and left the office.

After Zhang Bei left, the office phone suddenly rang. Fan Tianlei answered the phone and said in a relaxed tone, "Old He, it's done."

He Zhijun's cheerful voice came from the other end of the phone: "Then I'm relieved. Hehe, the 199th Brigade wants to poach people from my Wolf Fang Army? They're dreaming!"

Fan Tianlei chimed in, "That's right, let them come tomorrow. If they can see any member of the Red Cell Team, I'll admit defeat!"

Zhang Beixing, who hadn't gone far from the office, overheard the entire conversation thanks to his exceptional hearing. His face immediately darkened: "Damn it, I knew you big liar were trying to trick me."

However, even knowing this, Zhang Beixing's mind remained unchanged. If Fan Tianlei could use tricks on him, he could use them in return!
Zhang Beixing walked straight ahead, a slight smile playing on his lips. He was just wondering what to do with his remaining merit points, torn between upgrading his elite-level skill or exchanging them for a master-level skill, when Fan Tianlei proactively gave him merit points—how incredibly "thoughtful"!

And then there's the Jiaolong Commando Unit, always so arrogant in the navy… Zhang Beixing's lips curled into a meaningful smile. Anyone who dares to be arrogant in front of him never ends well! Jiaolong Commando Unit, just wait and see the Red Cell Team arrives!
Before returning to the Red Cell Base, Zhang Beixing made a detour to the military library and borrowed a large number of books that he might need at sea. After leaving the library, he immediately ran to the mess hall of the military canteen, found Lao Gao, and asked Lao Gao to buy him several books from the bookstore while he was out buying ingredients.

Zhang Beixing stuffed all the books into his dimensional space, just in case. After completing these preparations, he clapped his hands in satisfaction, feeling much more at ease. (End of Chapter)