Strongest Soldier King

Twenty minutes later, everyone had changed the tire and started the car. Gardener drove, with Monk sitting in the passenger seat to help check for tracks on the road, ensuring they were not following the wrong direction. Scholar pulled Luo Zheng into the back compartment, and looking at Luo Zheng's solemn face, Scholar said in a deliberately casual tone, "Brother, don't worry. With the car, we can quickly catch up to the enemy. You fought well just now, killing sixty-seven enemies. We've gotten over a hundred of their dog tags. It's said the East Yi Yun Members have about a thousand armed combatants, so we've taken out about one-tenth of their force."

"Is that so?" Luo Zheng replied noncommittally, his mind full of the image of Farmer being brutally beaten by the enemy.

"Are you worried about Farmer?" Scholar asked. Seeing Luo Zheng nod, he continued, "Everyone here is worried, but you have to stay calm, otherwise, it could spell trouble. It's my responsibility that Farmer was captured. I won't lie to you, I'm so furious right now that I want to charge in and kill to my heart's content. This emotion is clouding my judgment, so I suggested that you take over as team leader; you're calmer than I am."

"Is that so? I don't feel it. I almost lost control just now," Luo Zheng said with a bitter smile.

"Yes," Scholar insisted earnestly. Seeing Luo Zheng's disbelief, he continued, "Perhaps you haven't realized it, but throughout our journey, you've taken the most actions and killed the most enemies. Every time we discuss tactics, you can calmly offer different opinions which later prove to be correct. I, on the other hand, let emotions influence my decisions to some extent, focusing on ensuring everyone's safety. But the battlefield has its own rules—all decisions should be based on the battlefield, not personal wishes. The more you try to ensure everyone's safety, the more things go awry. Farmer's situation is a case in point. I was wrong to be emotional and not calm enough. But you're different, you have the Sniper's calmness, and in this, I am not your equal, nor are the other brothers."

"Maybe," Luo Zheng said noncommittally, watching the sunset over the mountains, its afterglow about to dissipate, night about to fall. If they didn't keep on the enemy's trail, they'd likely lose Farmer's lead in the vast wilderness, and rescuing him would become an impossibility.

"It's not maybe, it's certain. On the way here, I shared my thoughts with Gardener and Monk, and both agreed with my analysis. They're not against you being team leader, they're just not familiar with you. You performed brilliantly in the recent firefight. I believe they'll accept you soon," Scholar said earnestly.

"If you were an East Yi Yun Member, where would you take Farmer?" Luo Zheng suddenly asked, his expression serious.

"Ah?" Seeing that Luo Zheng wasn't concerned with the team leader issue and was entirely focused on Farmer, Scholar's respect for Luo Zheng grew. Looking at the darkening sky, he said worriedly, "They'd definitely take him back to their main base, and then rescue would become difficult."

"Yeah. The fight just now took ten minutes, changing the tire took twenty, which means the enemy got a half-hour head start. Assuming they can travel at fifteen kilometers an hour, which should be their limit, normal people do about twelve, so in half an hour, they would have covered roughly seven kilometers. We've been driving for ten minutes, at about eighty miles an hour, which is over ten kilometers, but we haven't spotted anything," Luo Zheng analyzed with concern.

Scholar looked at Luo Zheng in surprise, not expecting Luo Zheng to have been calculating all this, and his estimation of him rose even further. After thinking for a moment, he said, "The visibility here is open, with a visual range of 10 to 20 kilometers. We haven't spotted the enemy along the way, leaving only one explanation: there's a vehicle rendezvous."

"That makes sense. Given the terrain, the enemy has two choices: east or west. Judging by the direction they previously appeared from, east is very likely. East Yi Yun Members are entrenched along the border and familiar with the surroundings; heading west would be safer for them. The map suggests their main camp is more likely to the west, so I suggest we go west first and look for vehicle tracks." Luo Zheng proposed thoughtfully.

"Thump, thump, thump!" Scholar pounded on the dashboard, bringing the vehicle to a halt. Gardener poked his head out of the window, surprised, and asked, "We haven't found any clues ahead. What's the situation with you guys?"

"West, look for vehicle tracks on the ground, the enemy might have arranged a pick-up," Scholar shouted.

"You got it," Gardener replied, retracting his head, and soon, the car swerved off in a new direction.

"Aren't you afraid that I'm wrong?" Luo Zheng asked Scholar in surprise.

"I am, but fear doesn't solve problems. Your judgment has been very accurate before; this has been proven, so I'm going to listen to you this time and see what happens. Also, your analysis just now makes a lot of sense, so why shouldn't I listen? Let's head west first, and if necessary, we can always turn back east later. We won't leave any regrets. Besides, our ultimate route is east, so it doesn't delay things. Since the enemy captured Farmer alive, they're unlikely to kill him immediately. With Farmer's skills, he can hold out for a few days and suffer some flesh wounds," Scholar said seriously.

Luo Zheng nodded and closed his eyes to rest. Continual combat had drained a considerable amount of his strength and energy. He'd just dozed off when the car screeched to a halt. Opening his eyes, he saw Scholar banging on the dashboard, asking what was happening. Gardener leaned out, calling out excitedly, "Damn, we found vehicle tracks up ahead. Looks like we were on the right track after all; we almost missed it."

"You were right," Scholar said to Luo Zheng, surprised and delighted.

Luo Zheng hadn't expected his guess to be correct and gave an awkward smile, saying loudly, "Hurry and catch up."

"No problem, these bastards can't get away. When it gets dark, they'll have to use lights, making them easier to find. Captain, you're inspired. If it wasn't for your reminder, we would've missed this chance. These bastards are really cunning, actually heading west," Gardener called out joyfully.

"It wasn't me; it was Luo Zheng's suggestion," Scholar corrected earnestly, with no intention of taking the credit for himself.

"Luo Zheng?" Gardener called out in surprise, and seeing Scholar nod, he said sincerely, "Luo Zheng, you're amazing. Brother, I'm impressed."

"Let's get going, shall we?" Scholar laughed.

"You got it!" Gardener replied excitedly, flooring the accelerator.

"See? They've accepted you. Don't put it off any longer. I've thought it over carefully these past days. When it comes to tactical operation and decision-making, I'm not behind you, but in strategic planning, I lack your calmness, so it's most suitable for you to be the team leader," Scholar spoke sincerely.

After considering it, Luo Zheng still didn't reveal the appointment letter. As long as everyone had trust, whether he brought out the letter or not didn't really matter. But being the team leader was a great responsibility. Could he really be up to the task? After pondering for a while, Luo Zheng said, "Let's talk about all this after we rescue Farmer."

Scholar gave Luo Zheng a serious look, didn't push the matter further, and nodded, asking, "Do you have any plans?"