Fatal Strike: Paladins Mercenary Road

Chapter 825 Direction
The fact that Mountain Eagle, a super strongman in everyone's mind, showed nervousness made everyone's hearts jump.

Only Xiaowan could tell that her husband was deliberately creating a tense atmosphere.

Although she didn't know the reason, Xiao Wan didn't raise any objections when Shan Ying was assigning tasks. Instead, after he finished assigning his son the tedious tasks and herded the excited children upstairs to set up their positions like sheep, she pulled Shan Ying to a corner of the room...

"What the hell are you doing?"

Seeing Xiao Wan's serious expression, Shan Ying thought for a moment, gave her a tight hug, and then put his arm around her shoulder and walked to the porch in front of the door...

The biting cold wind made Xiao Wan shrink her neck slightly. After Shan Ying skillfully adjusted her hat and zipper, he organized his thoughts and said, "I only realized something was wrong with my son today..."

Perhaps I was too happy before, or perhaps it's my current profession that makes me subconsciously overlook some issues.

Actually, I always thought that being aggressive wasn't a bad thing, but after seeing my son's stress response today, I realized that he seems to be losing control.

PTSD is not a rare problem. In the past, I always thought that my child was still young, and that once he had playmates and socialization training, he would quickly overcome the shadows of the past as he grew up.

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle hugged Xiao Wan from behind, resting his chin on her head as he looked at the bustling village bathed in the afterglow of the setting sun. He sighed and said, "But I overlooked one thing..."

Xiao Wan, Zack, Angel, Luna, and Ava are not normal children either.

Ava is too young; she can quickly adapt to changes in her environment. Zach and Angel, on the other hand, are eager to integrate into our family. They have always been reserved, and now it seems to me that they are forcibly suppressing their aggression and compressing their personalities.

Only Luna is 'normal', so she can play with Xiao Yi without any problems.

Xiao Yi's emotional issues are normal for Luna.

This child has experienced more brutal situations, so she can easily process Xiao Yi's negative emotions. Most importantly, Luna's ability makes her unafraid of being hurt by Xiao Yi.

Xiao Wan, this is not normal!

It only dawned on me today that these children are actually 'fellow patients,' but each of them wants something different.

Zack needs to find a sense of belonging, Angel needs a sense of security, Luna needs love and attention, and Little One needs companions who can understand him.

We can do nothing but let them stick together for warmth, and that will allow them to find what they want within their small groups.

But I am their father. Although I cannot predict their future, I know how society works. I know they cannot rely on this small team forever. One day they will need to step out of their comfort zone to compete and protect...

They need socialization training and to learn how to get along with others.

I certainly can't do this better than you, because you have more patience and time than I do. I can only use some simple and crude methods to cultivate their sense of responsibility.

Don't be fooled by Zack and Angel's gentle and respectful demeanor; they are actually wolf cubs who have seen blood. Luna has seen more dead people than many people in Dongda University's social circle, and Xiao Yi is a little wolf cub who bares his teeth when he gets nervous.

I don't expect my children to become suited elites or artists; I just hope they are responsible people.

Be responsible to your family, your friends, your career, and those who will work for you in the future!

After listening, Xiao Wan frowned, turned to look at her serious-looking husband, and said, "They are still children?"

"Isn't it too tiring to involve them in things that should be done by adults?"

Looking at the bustling scene in the distance, the mountain eagle sighed and said, "Carefree, burden-free play isn't suitable for them..."

The so-called business I've been involved in has left me with black hands and a bloody body, and it's also dragged you all down with me, causing you to say goodbye to your easy lives.

We have a lot of money, so of course you can continue to pamper them, but have you ever thought that they are completely different from ordinary children?

They are wolf cubs; their physical abilities dictate that they are meant to eat meat. If we don't put the noose of 'responsibility' on them beforehand, they will hurt people when they grow up.

Xiao Yi is still young. At worst, if he loses control and throws a tantrum, he might break a classmate's face, but what will happen when he grows up? Who would want to associate with someone like that?

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle released Xiao Wan, sat on the bench on the porch, rubbed his cheeks wearily, and said, "I know what that feels like."
When your peers are afraid of you and adults are annoyed with you, no matter what you do, it seems like there will always be an invisible wall blocking your way.

I learned to 'please' others when I was very young. I stood up for the kids in the tenement building, got into fights, and even stole scrap metal from the factory to sell for money and buy ice cream for other kids.

I was extremely proud of myself at the time, but I later realized that flattery cannot earn true friendship and respect.

What truly makes others take you seriously and even look at you with respect is a sense of responsibility... The reason I've gotten to where I am today is because one day I suddenly realized that all the good qualities in people in this world can ultimately be summarized as a sense of responsibility.

Because that's human nature; the 'good' that human nature defines must be altruistic!
The old saying goes, "When poor, one should cultivate one's own virtue; when successful, one should benefit all under heaven." My understanding is that when one is down on one's luck, one should treat oneself as a human being and take responsibility for oneself; when one becomes successful, one should treat others as human beings and take responsibility for society.

In my view, this is actually the ultimate manifestation of 'responsibility' and 'altruism'.

I have always followed my own ideas. Whether it's work or management, I bring a sense of responsibility to it and try my best to take care of the interests of most of my colleagues. That's how I got to my previous position and became quite popular.

I have proven that my idea was right, and I hope that whatever these children want to do in the future, they will do things with a sense of responsibility.

These wolf cubs, as long as they have a sense of responsibility, will be respected even if they need to eat meat.

Like lions on the savanna, when they're not hunting, they can coexist peacefully with herbivores!

Xiao Wan understood Shan Ying's thoughts, but when it came to her son, she hesitated and said, "But that would be very tiring, and Xiao Yi is already..."

Mountain Eagle waved his hand to interrupt Xiao Wan and said very seriously, "Only those who are not determined enough will feel that 'responsibility' is a heavy burden!"

The old saying "starting a family and establishing a career" is essentially about using "starting a family" to cultivate a sense of responsibility and help people truly mature!
If we look through the yearbook, we can see that, as long as people who are married have a stable life, they are better at managing their lives, saving money, and establishing themselves than those who are not married.

They are certainly tired, but can you say they are not as happy as those single guys?

My children don't need to develop a sense of responsibility through something as uncertain and risky as 'getting married'. We have enough money, enough time, and enough ability to create a suitable environment...

Make these children feel 'needed'!

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle looked at Xiao Wan, who was deep in thought, and suddenly smiled and said, "Do you remember when we were little?"

The teachers at school always tell us, 'You are the successors of socialism, you must have a sense of ownership'...

We didn't understand at the time, but looking back now, what they said was absolutely right.

The greater one's own abilities, the greater the responsibilities one is willing to take on, and the rights that come with them!

To be honest, I don't know if what I did was right. If our son were just an ordinary person, I might also think that it would be enough if he lived a peaceful and healthy life.

But he was unlucky to have a father like me, so his life was destined to be different from others.

This was the first time Xiao Wan had discussed this kind of topic with Shan Ying...

There was a hint of pride in the mountain eagle's voice, along with a sense of helpless weariness...

Xiao Wan held Shan Ying's hand and sat down beside him, whispering, "I can't say whether you're good or bad now, but you're my husband, you can't escape, so Xiao Yi and I can't escape either..."

Whatever you want to do, just do it!
Xiao Yi is your son, so whatever you say, I'll cooperate with you!
Whether the road ahead leads to heaven or the abyss of hell, we, as a family, will walk forward together!

Upon hearing this, the mountain eagle felt completely at ease...

Compared to usual, this time Mountain Eagle didn't express any excessive emotions. Instead, he simply held Xiao Wan's hand and said, "Whether it's the road to heaven or the abyss of hell, let me walk that road."

I have many bad habits, but I do have the ability to create a safe space for you all!

As he spoke, Mountain Eagle slightly tilted his head to look at the children crowded at the door. He leaned close to Xiao Wan's ear with a serious expression and whispered, "Be serious later..."

Xiao Wan, who had experience working in offices, took a deep breath, her face becoming serious. Then she turned and pushed open the door, leading the children upstairs...

Mountain Eagle sat on the bench, trying to build up the tension a little more. Just when he thought it was about time, two fully armed Malinois and two large Dobermans wearing cotton-padded coats and protective vests rushed out the door...

The four dogs behaved very well, first paying their respects to Barron, and then, under the command of the dog controller, began patrolling around the cabin.

After Balang and the four war wolves were liberated, they expanded their territory to the entire village.

Baron and his group's actions caused a slight commotion in the village. Razer, who had already finished setting up the warning traps, loudly called for the villagers to return to their homes. Then, he and his wife, Uya, strode towards the cabin where Mountain Eagle and his group were...

(End of this chapter)