The comments said I was deeply affectionate, I just added points by using an alternate account.

Li Ce wanted to find a trace of pretense on Chen Guan's calm face.

But he found nothing.

Those eyes held no desire, no ambition, and not even the passion that a young person should have.

"So what is your goal?"

Li Ce's voice rang out again, this time not as a recruiter, but simply as a questioner.

People are always curious about the unknown.

Hong Yuan and Yin Chen both softened their breathing.

They also wanted to know the answer. Chen Guan was like a mountain shrouded in mist; you could only see a blurry outline, but you would never know his true face.

Approachable yet distant, aloof and taciturn.

Even as an adult, one can't help but be attracted to such a person.

Chen Guan raised his head, his gaze passing over Li Ce's shoulder, and looked at the sky, which was fragmented by the rugged rocks.

"I want to see what the end of this world looks like."

His voice was soft, yet it reached the ears of everyone present clearly.

Everyone was stunned.

Chen Guan wasn't talking nonsense. He had thought about it a long time ago. Once his original body awakened, he would lose the motivation to continue the storyline. At that time, what would he do?

Keep getting stronger? How strong is considered strong? And what will he do after he gets stronger?

There's no need to wait for that distant future; Chen Guan already has his own questions now.

What exactly is this world, and what is its relationship to the world I once knew?

What lies at the end of an anime world?

It is the author's pause, and the audience's departure.

What he wants to do is get everything he wants before the show ends, and then smash the stage.

That's why he wanted to go to the ends of the earth to find out everything.

Li Ce's expression froze; he had considered many possible answers.

But he didn't expect it to be like this.

This answer is so arrogant it's boundless, and so hollow it's impossible to refute.

What kind of answer is that?

The end of the world? What is that? Is it the pinnacle of power? An unknown realm? Or some philosophical ultimate goal?

When a teenager says such things, a normal person would only think it's a case of adolescent delusions.

But hearing these words from Chen Guan, combined with everything he had just done, sent a chill down Li Ce's spine.

Because he couldn't detect the slightest hint of a joke in that calm tone.

Yin Chen's pupils dilated for a moment. He suddenly understood why Chen Guan was so dismissive of military rank and resources.

When a person's goal is the stars and the sea, how can he care about a pond at his feet?

He considered himself a genius and believed he had a broad perspective, but compared to Chen Guan, he realized that his own vision was limited.

In Yin Chen's envisioned future, he only needed to become the pillar of the family step by step, without any need for struggle. Everything was known, predetermined, and uninteresting.

Hong Yuan looked completely bewildered. She scratched her head and whispered to Yin Chen, "What does he mean?"

The crow coughed at just the right moment, breaking the heavy silence.

He walked up to Li Ce and lowered his voice: "Colonel Li, he's still a student, a young man, and he always has some unrealistic ideas."

This gave Li Ce a way out.

Black Crow was also exhausted. He was just a junior instructor, so why was he made to deal with such troublesome matters?

Li Ce gave Chen Guan a deep look, then suppressed all his aura.

He stopped trying to understand; he knew that this young man was not the same kind of person as any of the geniuses he had ever encountered.

He is a river that cannot be bound by any dikes; forcibly recruiting him will only backfire.

Let Jing try to win him over; he doesn't think he has the ability, so he won't try to poach him.

"Good, a very good target." Li Ce nodded, his tone returning to its usual businesslike indifference.

He turned around and gave a series of orders to his adjutant, and the soldiers began to move efficiently.

After finishing his business, Li Ce walked back to Chen Guan.

He took a metal badge out of his pocket and handed it over. The badge was entirely black, with only a crossed sword and shield engraved on it.

"This is my personal contact badge. It's a non-military channel, a one-way connection. If you encounter any problems you can't solve within the Great Wall controlled area, or if you change your mind, you can contact me."

He didn't mention recruitment again, but instead opted for a longer-term approach: to build goodwill.

It's not a loss to know a genius; after all, we're all Chinese.

Chen Guan glanced at the badge, did not refuse, and reached out to take it.

Thank you.

This was the first time tonight that he had uttered words with emotion to Li Ce.

Li Ce's lips twitched slightly. So this kid wasn't indifferent; he just didn't want to talk to him before.

He sighed inwardly, turned and left, never looking back.

……

The subsequent inventory and moving work no longer required the involvement of Chen Guan and his two companions.

Red Kite was excitedly checking the list of spoils, calculating the points and bonuses.

Yin Chen leaned against a boulder, closed his eyes to rest and recover his depleted mental energy, but Chen Guan's words were still echoing in his mind.

Chen Guan's words ignited new possibilities for him. He wondered if he was destined to live such a routine life, and whether that was truly what he wanted.

He saw his future, therefore he could not see his future.

Yin Chen was unusually confused about the future.

Chen Guan found a secluded corner, where the fifth-tier cheetah leader lay quietly at his feet, like a most loyal guard, not allowing anyone to approach.

Just then, Black Crow walked over. He glanced at the cheetah at Chen Guan's feet, then looked at Chen Guan again.

"Colonel Li and his men have taken over this area. Our assessment is now officially over. You have reached the maximum score, so there is no need to continue."

There was a hint of weariness in Black Crow's tone that he himself didn't realize.

Taking care of these three students is more tiring than taking care of three hundred ordinary students.

It's too convenient, but sometimes it's actually more troublesome.

He paused, organizing his thoughts.

"You three have exceeded everyone's expectations. I will submit the report truthfully. Now, pack your things and prepare to return."

"Back to the academy?" Yin Chen opened his eyes and walked over.

"No." Black Crow shook his head and looked at the coffin.

"Your dear Instructor Jing said I can take you to him; he has a new little activity planned."

The military transport vehicle traveled along the rugged mountain road, and the interior of the vehicle was very quiet.

Hongyuan, clutching her giant axe, leaned listlessly against the carriage wall. The excitement in her eyes hadn't completely faded. She muttered to herself, calculating her gains, and occasionally let out a silly chuckle.

Yin Chen sat opposite her, his gaze fixed on the rapidly receding scenery outside the window.