Special forces soldier demobilization: Starting from the county government compound, a meteoric rise

With Elder Lin's resounding announcement of "The ceremony is complete," the banquet hall at Diaoyutai State Guesthouse instantly transitioned into a toasting and drinking session.

The aroma of wine.

That was a bottle of Moutai specially supplied for state banquets, aged for decades. Its spiciness was accompanied by a mellow richness, which spread subtly through the air.

Liu Ming changed out of his sharp Zhongshan suit and into a dark suit that fit his figure better. He gently linked his left arm with Xi Wanqing's, and held a crystal glass in his right hand as he moved among the faces he usually only saw in the headlines.

But Liu Ming didn't drink a single drop of the wine.

the reason is simple.

Behind him stood six steel-like "gatekeepers" side by side.

Tank, Lone Wolf, Ghost Hand, Poison Doctor, Vulture, Wild Boar.

These six men, whose codenames are worth hundreds of millions of dollars on overseas dark web bounties, are all dressed today in their first ever bespoke black suits.

Because of their overly developed muscles, the expensive fabric was stretched taut, as if the fabric would burst open at the slightest exertion, revealing granite-like muscles underneath.

"Boss, this table is full of veterans from the National Development and Reform Commission, I'll take theirs."

Tank strode forward in a gruff voice. His face, covered in thick, fleshy skin and bearing several shallow scars, did not appear refined under the black suit; instead, it exuded a chilling aura of ferocity.

He reached out and snatched the wine glass from Liu Ming's hand, then grinned at the stunned senior officers at the table.

"Gentlemen, our boss has a sensitive stomach, so I'll take over. Please help yourselves!"

Gudong!

After downing half a glass of strong liquor, Tank didn't even blink. On the contrary, the old drivers were so shocked by the murderous aura emanating from him that their hands trembled and they almost dropped their glasses.

"This...this young comrade is quite skilled." An older director wiped away his cold sweat, chuckled dryly, and sat down.

This scene repeated itself over the next half hour.

Originally, at such weddings where wealthy families were united and powerful figures gathered, there were always some spoiled brats from the capital who considered themselves to be of extraordinary status and wanted to show off their connections by "making a ruckus in the bridal chamber" or "urging others to drink."

On the other side of the banquet hall, several young men dressed in designer suits and with impeccably styled hair were holding oddly colored special cocktails called "Deep Water Bombs" and exchanging winks and glares.

"Hey guys, did you see that? That's Xi Wanqing, the famous ice queen of Beijing's entertainment circle back in the day."

The leader was a member of a collateral branch of the Zhao family who had a previous feud with Liu Ming. Although the Zhao family had fallen, he had been accustomed to being in the business circle for many years and always felt that weddings were a gray area where one could "find a place to hold a show".

"Today we absolutely have to make this newly appointed Vice Minister Liu crawl under the table, otherwise he'll really think that Beijing is a place where an outsider like him can do whatever he wants."

"Let's go! Increase the intensity!"

Several people gathered around, laughing and joking, holding bottles of wine and looking at each other with provocation in their eyes.

However, before they could even get within three meters of Liu Ming, a black shadow silently blocked their path.

It's a lone wolf.

This former chief sniper of "Dragon Fang" stood there silently, like a sheathed military knife. His eyes were devoid of warmth, like a cold pool in the deep mountains, coldly locking onto the young master of the Zhao family who was leading the group.

"What's up?"

The lone wolf's voice was extremely low, yet it carried a chill that could cause the surrounding air to drop several degrees.

Young Master Zhao shivered, but glancing at his brothers behind him, he forced a smile and called out, "Celebrating the wedding! What's wrong? Minister Liu's become a high-ranking official, and you're even afraid to drink with your old classmate (though not really)? Move aside, buddy's here to bring warmth to the groom!"

The voice just fell.

A soft "click" sounded.

The tank appeared at the side and rear of the young master of the Zhao family without anyone noticing.

His tiger paw, twice the size of a normal person's, gently rested on the shoulder of the young master of the Zhao family.

In that instant, the young master of the Zhao family felt as if he were being held down by a brown bear weighing several hundred kilograms.

"Brother, why are your hands shaking?" Tank leaned close to the other's ear, his low voice carrying a metallic, battlefield scent. "Trying to get me to drink? I'll keep you company."

Tank picked up an unopened bottle of Moutai with his other hand and bit off the cap with his teeth.

"Bang!"

He slammed the wine bottle on the table and glanced at the arrogant young men who had been so cocky just moments before.

"I'll finish this bottle. Who did you say you wanted to crawl under the table?"

Tank's eyes changed.

That was the look in their eyes that only those who had truly seen piles of corpses and carried out massacres could possess. That intense, almost tangible killing intent was like a heavy hammer, directly shattering the last bit of courage in these spoiled brats.

Young Master Zhao's legs went weak, and the wine glass in his hand fell to the ground with a "clatter".

"No...nobody, I...I was just passing by, just passing by."

He shrank back, his face pale, abandoning even the expensive cocktail, and stumbled back to the corner with a few followers.

The guests at that table, who had originally wanted to watch the excitement, were now all silent with fear.

Everyone finally understood.

This looks more like a groomsmen party than a groomsmen party.

This is clearly a special operations field team dressed in suits, hidden in the bustling city!

They stood behind Liu Ming, needing neither to speak nor make any movements; their mere presence created a forbidden zone that no strangers could enter.

"Boss, these cowards are really no fun. Not a single one of them can hold their liquor." Tank returned to Liu Ming's side, curling his lip in disdain.

Looking at these brothers who had risked their lives together, Liu Ming felt a gentle touch on the softest part of his heart.

He turned his head and looked at Xi Wanqing, who was also trying not to laugh.

"These guys are used to being wild in the camp, they didn't scare you, did they?"

Xi Wanqing's beautiful eyes flickered, and she took Liu Ming's hand, looking at the six tough men, a breathtaking smile curving her lips.

"How could that be? I think they're the coolest people tonight."

Upon hearing the bride's praise, the six burly men, who had been exuding a murderous aura, all blushed.

Tank scratched the back of his head somewhat awkwardly, almost ruining his hair that he had just styled with hairspray.

"Alright, stop standing around here." Liu Ming waved his hand with a smile. "Go sit over there and have something to eat. Tonight's mission is to enjoy the drinks, not to raid the enemy command post."

"Alright!"

The six brothers breathed a sigh of relief and quickly gathered around a round table closest to the head of the table.

The table was originally reserved for several foreign representatives, but when those foreigners saw these six menacing figures sitting down, they didn't dare utter a sound and made an excuse to slip away and share a table with others.

Late at night, after several rounds of drinks.

Most of the guests had left, leaving only the closest people in the industry in the huge banquet hall.

Liu Ming took Xi Wanqing's hand and walked to the table where the brothers were.

"Boss!"

Tank suddenly stood up, holding a full bowl of baijiu (Chinese liquor). Immediately afterward, Lone Wolf, Ghost Hand, Poison Doctor, Vulture, and Wild Boar—six men in total—stood up in unison, their movements perfectly synchronized, as if they weren't at Diaoyutai, but back at the Dragon Fang training ground of yesteryear.

Tears welled up in everyone's eyes.

They followed Liu Ming, fighting their way from the quagmire of the border to the political arena of Ningzhou, from the dark interrogation room to this magnificent auditorium today.

They had waited far too long for this drink.

Tank sniffed, his voice still loud, but tinged with an undeniable sob.

"Boss, this drink is a toast to you, brothers! A toast to the life you saved back then, and a toast to how you've led us to this bright and prosperous world we live in today!"

"Respect to the boss!" the six men roared in unison, their voices so loud that the crystal chandelier swayed slightly.

The liquor goes down, fiery yet refreshing.

After putting down their bowls, the six men, who had shed blood but not tears on the battlefield, suddenly looked at each other and revealed a mischievous smile that only comrades-in-arms could understand.

Tank loosened his nearly broken tie, refilled his glass, grinned at Liu Ming and Xi Wanqing, and shouted loudly.

"Wishing you a speedy birth of your son, boss!"