[COD] Newbie's Rise to Power

You said matter-of-factly, "Where would you be without Auntie? And without Auntie teaching you, how could you make such delicious soup? You even used the supplements Auntie gave you. Shouldn't you thank Auntie for making you so outstanding?"

Wang Zhiqiang was stunned for a few seconds by your seemingly twisted yet logical arguments, and then he seemed to laugh in anger.

"Okay! I'll pass on your thanks to my mom! But since you're not going to thank me, give the soup back to me."

You immediately moved the thermos closer to your chest and smiled reassuringly at him.

"Thank you, thank you. Of course, I should thank you the most, brother. Without you, I would be a pitiful patient. Thank you for the warmth and love you brought me. I'm so touched! You're the best!"

Wang Zhiqiang rubbed his arms exaggeratedly, then turned to you and waved.

"Alright, alright, stop talking. Here, have some water."

You chuckled and then continued eating.

But the corners of your mouth never seem to turn down.

What you said is true...

When you arrive in a strange world, you are always surrounded by unease, and you force yourself to work hard, so you dare not stop for a moment.

This chicken soup, with its familiar hometown flavor and the feeling of being cared for, truly touches your heart.

And your current mood is just like this comforting and warm feeling...

Perspective - Ghost

"Lieutenant, someone is looking for you."

The soldier on duty knocked on the door today.

The ghost put down its teacup, somewhat puzzled: "Who is it?"

He always acted discreetly, rarely contacting outsiders except his team, so he had few friends. The leadership? But they didn't need to apply to the base to come.

So, who could it be?

"He said his last name was Kruger."

Kruger?

I remember Ghost; he's a member of the Chimera, an Austrian with a heavy accent, and has a rebellious personality, but he's surprisingly cautious and reliable in battle.

I've only worked with him once or twice, so why is he coming to me?

Cooperation, intelligence gathering, or a deal?

Regardless of the reason, given the other person's personality, they wouldn't contact you for no reason; you'd have to meet the ghost to find out.

But he never expected that Kruger would bring him a girl.

Yes, the girl, because she looks too young.

This Chinese girl, who appeared out of nowhere, could accurately state the information about the people in his base, which made him suspicious of her identity.

But she looked so thin and frail, and the unease in her eyes was hard to hide, yet she pretended to be calm.

It would be far too simplistic for spies or criminal organizations to use such people to infiltrate bases.

While the girl and Zimo were talking alone in the room, he and John were outside, monitoring the situation inside via their mobile phones.

Despite not understanding Chinese, after seeing the girl's tears and Zi Mo's compromise, Ghost had a premonition that the girl was going to stay here.

Sure enough, Zi Mo submitted a document that very evening.

Ah, a document with flaws, yet impossible to scrutinize.

He didn't care; the base needed new recruits anyway. He just wondered how long that girl, with her thin arms and legs, could keep going.

But the girl gave him a new impression the very next day.

A light box of tea may not be expensive, but it suits my taste perfectly.

He had never received a gift from a new recruit before; this was the first time. Perhaps this was a unique cultural custom in China?

What is this, a bribe? But it's just a box of ordinary tea.

But he had to admit that this improved his impression of the girl somewhat.

Cautious yet tactful, they strive to enter an unfamiliar field.

It's hard to dislike someone like that.

However, that was the end of it. He wasn't very interested in the girl, so he didn't pay much attention to her.

He just didn't expect that Soap would be interested in girls and would always share things about girls with him.

This led him to passively receive the girl's message.

The ghost didn't understand, but the soap explained to him: I see my own reflection in her, she is very similar to me, isn't she?

Does she look a lot like Little John? Ghost didn't think so at first, until Soap told him about the girl's grades.

You got third place in the first stage of the assessment?

He's very competitive, which is good; he'd be suitable to be a soldier.

This was the first time he had a genuine change of opinion about girls.

Whether it was because of what the soap said or the girl's behavior, he began to pay attention to this Asian girl.

Indeed, as Soap said, she is hardworking, persistent, competitive, and has a lively personality.

The ghost undeniably admires lively and passionate people, like Soap.

People with this kind of personality are likely to have grown up in a stable environment, without an abusive or gambling father, a weak or pitiful mother, or a fatal betrayal by friends.

They live in the sunshine, laughing freely.

Instead of living in a dimly lit room filled with the stench of alcohol and cries, or amidst gunfire and piles of corpses.

If someone can maintain their enthusiasm after going through all that, then he will admire them even more.

He admired soap not only because of its lively and humorous personality, but also because of its indomitable competitive spirit and resilient mentality.

After observing for a period of time, he finally believed what the soap said.

That girl... does have a similar personality to Soap, but she lacks a resilient and stable mindset.

After all, they haven't experienced the trials of the battlefield yet, and their mentality isn't calm enough.

If someone maintains this kind of personality, they are likely to run into trouble on a dangerous battlefield. They are also prone to causing problems in daily life.

Ghost decided that she needed some training.

Survival of the fittest is the law of nature. He hopes that the girl, and everyone in the base, can become better and live longer!

Therefore, he adhered to strict teaching and extreme training, just so that they would have a better chance of winning on the battlefield in the future.

But he ignored the girl's body.

Her face was pale, her eyes were closed, and she lay quietly on the hospital bed. It was so peaceful...

Although the ghost always keeps to himself, he doesn't like quiet environments.

Like a young boy, covered in wounds, lying on the ground in the dead of night...

It was like the suffocating feeling of his cries for help going unanswered as he was buried in mud...

It was like his teammate had died beside him, and no matter how he called out, there was no response...

In his mind, silence was often accompanied by pain and helplessness.

Therefore, when faced with quiet, he always finds something to do.

There was no alcohol or smoking in the infirmary, and his work report wasn't with him either. Besides his gun, all he had on him was a lighter.

He idly fiddled with the lighter until he felt the girl's gaze and snapped out of his reverie.

He poured the girl a glass of water, but he didn't expect that she was too weak to sit up.

Seeing that the girl was about to fall, he instinctively grabbed her arm.

Then, he froze.

Aside from the rescue mission, he hadn't had such close physical contact with anyone for a long time.

Since that ordeal, he has become averse to physical intimacy with others, which brings him uncontrollable negative emotions.

But now, he felt nothing but worry and doubt.

To test his theory, he reached out and put his arm around the girl's back.

What appeared to be a helpful gesture was actually a test.

Without any negative thoughts, he could even quietly and sensitively smell the faint fragrance emanating from the girl.

It was confirmed that it was a lie to say that Ghost was completely unmoved; it was just his habitual restraint and composure.

So on the surface, he still maintained a calm and composed demeanor.

After saying some comforting words to the girl, he made an excuse to leave.

But the "thing" he mentioned wasn't work-related.

Instead, she dialed the number of her therapist.

Is this only targeting her?

Perhaps we could try asking someone else.

This is because your emotional or psychological defenses have been broken down; you've subconsciously developed feelings for her and accepted her. It could also be that your psychological defenses against her are low, she's the type you can accept, or the type you perceive as harmless, making you more tolerant of her both emotionally and physically.

This is a breakthrough. You could try spending more time with her; it might help.

This is the feedback he received after talking to his psychologist.

Do you have a lot of contact?

He nodded; he didn't reject the suggestion.

ch.20: Repaying Kindness

After resting and eating, you feel much better.