Strongest Soldier King

"Believe it or not, I'll blow your brains out," Lan Xue said coldly, her icy murderous aura flashing like a blade, enveloping the young man, the cold barrel of the gun aimed at the young man's forehead, showing signs of erupting into violence without a word, her face an iron blue with suppressed fury, on the verge of losing control. Ghost Hand and the others watched the scene with wry smiles, but no one moved to intervene or dissuade her.

"You know that doesn't work on me," the young man said casually, his defiance burning in his gaze as he stared deeply at Lan Xue. His expression changed as if he were an unsheathed sword, emitting a suffocating radiance, and his eyes sharpened as if they could destroy everything. He spoke seriously, "I'll win you over with sincerity, I believe it, just wait and see," he said and then turned and drifted away.

"You bastard," Lan Xue, with a face blue with rage, fired a shot at the young man.

"Bang!" The bullet, carrying Lan Xue's anger and anxiety, whistled past as the young man, as if he had eyes in the back of his head, slightly tilted his head and dodged the incoming bullet. He turned around, somewhat surprised by Lan Xue's reaction; he remembered all the years of his persistent pursuit, Lan Xue had never taken it so far as to shoot. He glanced at the emergency room and his expression shifted slightly, then he strode away without looking back.

"That's the difference," Ghost Hand and the others commented as they watched the young man easily dodge the bullet. They were all Soldier Kings, but the gap between them seemed too vast. Ghost Hand exchanged understanding glances with Snow Leopard and Mountain Eagle, and they nodded to each other and went outside to stand guard, to keep any more disturbances at bay.

Once in the corridor, Ghost Hand, seeing Lan Xue wasn't paying attention to them, lowered his voice with worry and said, "Guys, our captain is too outstanding, one of the three great beauties of our team, the 'Ice Beauty,' pursued by a sea of admirers. Like that Snow Fox just now, will Brother Luo make it in the future?"

"Yeah, Snow Fox is an Elite Soldier King, and we're just Ordinary Soldier Kings. One Elite Soldier King can take down several of us, and Brother Luo is even less skilled than us. Once it's out, his relationship with the captain will definitely be exposed; dealing with her suitors is going to be brutal," Mountain Eagle said with a touch of emotion, worrying for Luo Zheng.

"I heard that recently Snow Fox went abroad and rescued hostages from the hands of warlords, single-handedly taking down nearly a thousand armed men. That guy seems nonchalant but carries a heavy murderous aura. There are several suitors like Snow Fox; can our old brother survive this?" Snow Leopard also expressed concern.

"I don't know, let's not worry about that now. We're too weak to be of any help. Besides, we should look at it from the other side; pressure is motivation, right? They wouldn't dare go too far anyway, the worst he'll get is a beating, he won't die. I'll pass on the Quick Blade technique to him later; Snow Leopard, your joint locks, and Mountain Eagle, your Heart Sniping Skill, we need to make him stronger as soon as possible. We're brothers in life and death after all, let's do what we can," Ghost Hand said earnestly.

"No problem for me, I just worry Brother Luo might not appreciate my modest skills. As for the Heart Sniping Skill, the captain is more skilled than me. I've noticed Brother Luo's sniping technique is somewhat similar to the captain's, so it might not be my place. What do you think, Snow Leopard?" Mountain Eagle said with a wry smile.

"No issue with me, it's not like it's something valuable; he can learn it if he wants," Snow Leopard said nonchalantly.

───.

Beijing, within a meeting room at a secret military base, an amiable elder gazed at the young man sitting across from him with eyes full of admiration and asked, "Little Wu, why did you leave the squadron to come here? Out with it, you're not one to come without a reason. What difficult matter brings you here this time?"

"Mr. Li, it's about your granddaughter; she has gone on a rescue mission and asked me to inform you," replied the young man known as Little Wu, who was in fact the squadron leader of Lan Xue's unit. Faced with the elder to whom he owed much, the squadron leader did not conceal any details and recounted the matter from start to finish. Finally, he added, "In her rage, Lan Xue went to save someone and might have acted violently. I am not yet aware of the specifics. What do you think about this?"

"How is that young man named Luo Zheng?" the elder asked calmly, with a tranquil expression as if nothing could perturb his emotions.

"He has great potential," the squadron leader stated objectively. Seeing the elder's puzzled look, he then detailed the information he had, including the ties between Lan Xue and Luo Zheng, the competition, and the joint operation from a few days ago. He remained strictly impartial, presenting the facts without any personal sentiment.

The elder listened quietly without interrupting, his face leisurely. When he heard about the competition, his ordinarily serene expression turned more serious, and at the mention of the joint operation, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. A trace of curiosity and satisfaction showed on his face with a faint smile. Once the squadron leader had finished, the elder fell into deep contemplation.

Knowing the elder to be a rare wise man, the squadron leader patiently waited, sitting upright and considering measures for handling the aftermath. After a while, the elder smiled lightly and said, "This young fellow is quite interesting. Bring him to see me once he recovers from his injuries."

"Yes," the squadron leader promptly understood, rose respectfully, saluted, and took his leave. A simple phrase from the elder conveyed much meaning, and without needing further questions, the squadron leader knew what to do next.

"Wait a moment," the elder said, clearly not ready to let the squadron leader leave. He smiled lightly and said, "You're always in such a rush, my boy. While you're here in Beijing, visit home. See your wife, and how about your grandfather? I haven't seen him in some days. That old chap is always so leisurely, with his birds and dogs. Call your grandfather over and come to my place for a simple dinner tonight. I'm off to Zhongnanhai shortly, so I won't keep you."

"Yes," responded the squadron leader, straightening up and giving a formal salute before turning to leave. The elder's initial words were just polite chit-chat; the important message was his mention of a later gathering. To save Luo Zheng and mitigate the negative impact of Lan Xue's armed rescue, only the top leader at Zhongnanhai's approval would suffice. Otherwise, coping with the Song family's rage would not be easy.

After leaving the meeting room, the squadron leader exhaled deeply, relieved at heart. He had not anticipated the elder's deep concern for Lan Xue, and he made a mental note to keep her from dangerous situations in the future, so as not to disappoint the benefactor from the meeting room. With this thought, the squadron leader hurried off, dialed the base as soon as he got into the car.

Learning that Lan Xue had returned from the rescue and was in urgent surgery, having also disabled Song Zhi, a member of the Song family, the squadron leader didn't know whether to laugh or cry and was at a loss for words. Reminded of Mr. Li's promise to intervene, he felt a weight lifted off his chest. Success would now depend on the interplay of various forces, and the rest was beyond his intervention.

Lan Xue, unaware of all this, was consumed with worry in the hospital, anxiously waiting outside the operating room. As soon as the doors opened, she hastened forward and asked eagerly, "How is it?"