The fiercest soldier of the border army

"Want to kill me? Go ahead and try, I'm right here."

Tang Shun smiled faintly, neither angry nor impatient. He reached out and pulled over an old wooden chair, then sat down with an imposing straddle.

The room fell silent instantly, the air seemed to freeze.

The team leaders present all had their pupils shrink slightly, their faces filled with astonishment.

Arrogant.

domineering.

They completely disregarded everyone else!

Zhu Hang stood frozen in place, his face turning purplish-red. He was seething with rage, wishing he could tear Tang Shun to pieces on the spot, but he clenched his teeth and dared not utter a single word.

"Hey, the newly appointed Captain Tang, you certainly have quite the airs of an official."

A group of three sneered, arms crossed, their eyes filled with utter contempt:

"A squad leader personally appointed by the commander, does he really have a rank higher than a colonel? Your superior hasn't even taken the seat yet, and you dare to sit there?"

Tang Shun ignored him completely, not even lifting an eyelid.

In the main seat of the hall, Colonel Wang Xianghong glanced lightly at Tang Shun, silencing the murmurs in the hall, and cut straight to the point.

"I have gathered everyone here today for one purpose only."

"We'll break up our four teams and reorganize them."

"Commander Shi's order is to finalize the new roster within three days and hand it over to the guards for verification and filing."

His gaze swept over the people below, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable sense of pressure, "Tell me, how should we deal with Team Three?"

Inside the government office, all was silent, yet undercurrents were surging.

It was obvious to everyone that Wang Xianghong was openly targeting Tang Shun, and he didn't even bother to hide it.

The other three teams looked on with amusement, each harboring thoughts of making things difficult for the other team.

Wang Quanhu, the leader of the second team, raised his chin, his face full of arrogance, and spoke first:

"In my opinion, we should just split up those three new squad leaders and distribute them among the various teams."

"We'll assign one person to each of our three teams to keep an eye on them. They can't cause any trouble, and if something does happen, someone will take the blame."

Liu Laosi, the leader of the fourth team, rubbed the walnut in his palm with his fingertips, and slowly replied in a sinister tone:

"Why not simply turn the Third Team into an auxiliary service team, with Tang Shun leading three new squad leaders to take on all the miscellaneous tasks for the entire camp?"

"The original auxiliary troops were all converted into combat troops and placed under the command of Zhu Hang. It was a clean and efficient substitution."

"Great, let's do it that way!"

Zhu Hang's eyes suddenly lit up, and he immediately clasped his hands in agreement, his face full of enthusiasm.

Qi Dasan slammed his hand on the table and laughed loudly, his gaze fixed on Tang Shun, full of provocation:

"It's settled then! Let these newcomers who got promoted through connections see for themselves that military ranks are never easily held!"

Faced with the group's elaborate schemes and relentless pressure, Tang Shun remained calm and composed, simply uttering, "You dare?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was so cold that it pierced through the noise of the room, leaving everyone stunned.

Wang Quanhu leaned forward abruptly, his face grim: "What did you say?"

"I'm saying, do you really dare to arbitrarily change the military system?"

Tang Shun raised his eyes and looked around at everyone. His smile gradually faded, and his eyes became sharp as knives. "A few mere captains and lieutenants dare to privately change the combat and auxiliary personnel organization? If you really have this authority, you might as well just declare yourselves emperors."

"presumptuous!"

Wang Quanhu slammed his fist on the table and stood up, shouting angrily, "Tang Shun! You're just a lucky newcomer. It's already a miracle you're even standing here discussing matters. Who gives you the right to interrupt and presume to discuss military affairs?"

That's enough.

Wang Xianghong frowned slightly and interrupted.

He originally wanted his subordinates to use subtle methods to force Tang Shun to his death, but these subordinates were narrow-minded and their underhanded tricks were too crude and easily seen through.

What he wanted was to kill without bloodshed, to leave no evidence for accountability, and at least to leave Commander Shi with no grounds for finding fault!

Suppressing his impatience, Wang Xianghong scanned the entire room and made his final decision: "My mind is made up."

"From today onwards, the three teams will be officially designated as auxiliary teams. All the old, weak, wounded, disabled, and redundant soldiers in the other three teams will be assigned to the three teams."

"From now on, the three teams will be responsible for repairing barracks, managing weapons, feeding horses, and handling all miscellaneous tasks in the camp, and will not be part of the main combat order."

"Cheng Feng, Liang Enyi, Wei Zong, and Zhu Hang will serve as squad leaders of the three teams, assisting Director Tang Shun."

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked directly at Tang Shun, his tone carrying a mocking pressure, "Do you have any objections?"

Zhu Hang's expression changed drastically. He was unwilling and was about to refuse when Wang Xianghong's cold and sharp gaze held him back, forcing him to swallow his words.

Tang Shun frowned deeply. "Old, weak, disabled soldiers, and redundant idlers? How can these people support the auxiliary duties of the entire battalion?"

That's your problem.

Wang Xianghong picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, and said in a cold and indifferent tone, "In the military, only results matter, not difficulties. If you can't do it, just hand in your resignation."

He reached out and pushed a roster with curled edges in front of Tang Shun: "This is the roster of soldiers assigned to your command. Take a look for yourself."

Tang Shun reached out and took the roster, slowly unfolding it.

There were a total of thirty-seven people on the paper.

The few familiar names were all veterans who had been wounded while guarding the border in their early years and had retired from the battlefield. Some were lame, some were missing a hand, and some had old wounds, making them no longer fit for fighting.

The remaining dozen or so men were all conscripted laborers who had never held a weapon or been on the battlefield.

Some of them were even nearly seventy years old, very old.

This lineup is so poorly made that it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a collection of defective products.

Wang Quanhu leaned forward and glanced at the roster. He couldn't hold back any longer and sneered, "Congratulations, Captain Tang, on acquiring a 'divine weapon' that has fallen from the sky."

"Thank you, Captain Tang, for cleaning up all the unnecessary and useless stuff in the entire battalion."

Qi Dasan's spirits lifted, and he couldn't hide his smile: "So, does that mean the three original elite combat teams will all be divided up among us?"

The crowd mocked and ridiculed, filling the room with sarcasm and ridicule.

Tang Shun remained expressionless, slowly folded the roster, and carefully put it away close to his body.

A sinister smile flashed across Wang Xianghong's eyes.

A dignified captain has plenty of ways to manipulate and suppress a newly promoted squad leader.

On the surface, the restructuring appears to be compliant and no one can find fault with it, but in reality, it can drive people into a desperate situation.

"Do you have anything else to say?" Wang Xianghong asked calmly.

Tang Shun raised his eyes, his tone calm, "May I ask, Captain, have the provisions, pay, and weapons for the three teams been distributed in full as usual?"

Wang Xianghong's lips curled into a playful sneer: "Auxiliary soldiers are not combat soldiers; each member of the team is only equipped with a broadsword."

"No armor, no helmet, no bows and crossbows, no weapons, not a single type of main combat weaponry."

Tang Shun's five fingers suddenly clenched, his knuckles turning white, then slowly relaxed after a moment, suppressing the anger in his heart:

"We previously killed twenty-one barbarians, and all the warhorses and weapons we captured were handed over to the main camp. When will the promised reward be issued?"

Upon hearing this, the smile on Wang Xianghong's face vanished instantly, replaced by a cold and stern expression.

"Aren't the ranks of squad leader and platoon leader considered official titles and rewards?"

"If I hadn't ordered your unit to cover the rear and hold off the enemy, how would you have had the chance to earn merit?"

At this point, the meaning is clear—the merit is nullified, the reward will be reduced, and nothing will be returned.

Tang Shun understood and said no more.

"If there is nothing else, I will take my leave."

Wang Xianghong leaned back lazily in his chair and said casually, "Tomorrow morning, we'll review the troops at the drill ground. Then, everything will be clear."

Once Tang Shun's figure had completely disappeared outside the yamen, Zhu Hang knelt down with a thud, pleading anxiously, "Captain! I don't want to be a squad leader in the third team! I'm a squad leader, how can I be demoted to lead a bunch of useless people!"

"Shut up."

Wang Xianghong raised his hand to interrupt his sobbing, his eyes deep and cold, "Zhu Hang, you know in your heart how I have treated you."

Zhu Hang was taken aback, then quickly replied, "The Captain's kindness is as heavy as a mountain, and I will remember it forever, but..."

"Just remember that, no need for further words."

Wang Xianghong stood up and paced back and forth, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. His tone was sinister: "Do you really think that by turning him into an auxiliary force, Tang Shun can live a peaceful and secure life?"

"dream."

"The three teams remain in their original organizational structure and will continue to operate under the name of combat troops!"

"I'll slowly wear Tang Shun down, and once he falls from power, the position of team leader will still be yours."

Zhu Hang suddenly understood, his tense expression brightening as he repeatedly thanked the captain, saying, "So the captain had planned this all along! But what if he deliberately shirks his duty and refuses to accept the order? What should we do then?"

"snort."

Wang Xianghong snorted coldly, full of confidence, "Military orders are absolute. If he dares to disobey, I dare to execute him according to military law!"

"I have a solid argument regarding Shi Hanshan's case, and there's not a single fault to be found."

"Perfect timing. These old, weak, and disabled soldiers are useless and waste food and supplies. With this reform, we can give them all to Tang Shun to consume."

"Once these useless people are either dead or crippled, I will conscript new soldiers and rebuild the army."

Upon hearing this, the other three team leaders in the hall instantly realized what was happening and burst into laughter, their expressions filled with sinister smugness.

"Brilliant! Captain, your strategy is absolutely brilliant!"

Qi Dasan gave a thumbs-up, his face full of flattery, "You've not only gotten rid of Tang Shun and his gang of troublesome newcomers, but you've also cleared out the redundant soldiers in the camp, eliminating all potential threats in one fell swoop!"

"What's even better is that new recruits can apply for brand-new military equipment and pay upon joining the camp, saving the old and weak from the expense of pensions!"

"A single move yields three benefits, leaving no room for error!"