Strongest Soldier King

A day later, Luo Zheng woke up.

The walls were pristine white, as were the sheets and quilt, and the masculine sunlight filtered through the window, casting its glow on the white table. Luo Zheng glanced at the IV drip, slowly releasing drops. Memories flooded back like a tide, and a bitter smile spread across his lips. He never thought he'd overdo it this time; the alcohol really packed a punch.

"Tap, tap, tap!" The sound of leather shoes hitting the floor approached, someone came walking in, gently pushed open the door. Luo Zheng saw it was the captain and couldn't help but give a wry smile. "Captain, I..."

"That's enough, lie down. Are you feeling any better?" Captain Wu said with a grim expression, clearly preoccupied with heavy thoughts.

Luo Zheng was startled and keenly sensed something was wrong. His heart sank, but he carefully checked his body and, to his surprise, found it free of any sequelae. On the contrary, he was full of strength. He had never felt in such good condition and did not hesitate to remove the IV, saying, "I'm fine."

"Stop that, what do you think you're doing?" A voice scolded sharply. Walking in was Wu Miao. Wu Miao's face darkened with dissatisfaction. "What's the matter with you, do you have a death wish?"

"Has something happened?" Luo Zheng ignored Wu Miao's anger and looked towards the captain to ask.

"Military Doctor Wu, please check him," Captain Wu didn't answer Luo Zheng's question right away but turned his face and politely said to Wu Miao.

Wu Miao walked over to the window. Luo Zheng keenly felt something had happened, something related to him. He didn't resist the examination. He was very aware of his physical state but also knew that without letting Wu Miao check, Captain Wu probably wouldn't discuss the matter.

After the examination, Wu Miao was surprised to find all of Luo Zheng's indicators in very good condition, better than ever. She let out a sigh of relief and silently grew curious. Ordinarily, after someone has a brush with death, even if they recover, their brain cells should have sustained some damage and their body functions should decline, right?

In the face of scientific data, Wu Miao didn't make it difficult for Luo Zheng. She nodded to the captain, saying, "He has recovered very well, just a bit malnourished. Eat more meat when you get back to replenish yourself." Knowing the two men had business to discuss, she packed up her things and left, closing the door behind her.

"This isn't the place to talk. If you're alright, get up and come with me. I've had someone bring clean clothes for you." Captain Wu didn't want to discuss matters here. He glanced at Luo Zheng and left.

Luo Zheng was taken aback and felt an inexplicable anxiety brewing. After a while, someone came in with clothes, a full set of training uniform, even the shoes were brand new. Luo Zheng's size was registered in the team's database; the clothes and shoes brought to him fit perfectly. Luo Zheng thanked them, quickly got dressed, and hurried to Captain Wu's office.

"Tap, tap, tap!" Luo Zheng knocked on Captain Wu's office door and, upon receiving permission, pushed the door open, saluted, exchanged greetings, meticulously observing military etiquette. He then stood at attention to one side, looking towards Captain Wu with an air of worried surprise.

After signaling Luo Zheng to sit down, Captain Wu himself sat on the opposite sofa, his voice low and his expression somewhat grim as he said, "A week ago, Lan Xue led a team accompanying the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on an inspection to Bajisi as security. The mission was for two weeks. Just a few minutes ago, I received a call. The inspection team was ambushed by a large group of armed attackers en route to visit a construction project we're aiding. They specifically demanded Lan Xue, and for the safety of the inspection team, she was taken by them, her whereabouts unknown."

"What?" Luo Zheng shot to his feet, his face dramatically changed. He stared fiercely at the captain, his breathing turning rapid, his eyes brimming with rage.

"Sit down. Don't panic yet, listen to me until the end. With you all flustered, what does that look like? Calm down," the captain ordered. Once Luo Zheng had sat down with an iron-blue face and gradually regained his composure, the captain continued, "What's even stranger is that our Ministry of Foreign Affairs received an anonymous call, saying that you must go, otherwise Lan Xue's safety can't be guaranteed."

"Me?" Luo Zheng was startled, feeling suddenly enveloped by an aura of conspiracy. His mind became cooler, his thoughts sped up, and he looked at the captain with a grave face, his eyes flickering with a maturity beyond his years.

Seeing Luo Zheng calmly pondering over something, as if he'd also thought of something, the captain breathed a sigh of relief and continued with a serious face, "It seems you've thought of something. Share your thoughts."

"It's obviously aimed at me. They only kidnapped Lan Xue and didn't dare to touch the whole business delegation because they can't withstand the wrath of our country. Kidnapping the delegation would be an act of war, while abducting one person becomes a private matter. This indicates that the enemy's power is not very large—certainly not to be underestimated. What I'm curious about is how they knew the delegation's route?" In his composed state, Luo Zheng keenly identified several doubts.

"We're not sure about that," the captain said with a wry smile.

"There's another doubt. Why was Lan Xue performing this assignment? Was it randomly arranged by you?" Luo Zheng pressed on, some guesses forming in his heart, yet requiring more intelligence to confirm.

"What do you mean?" the captain's expression grew tense as he pondered. After a while, he continued, "You've actually reminded me of something. The mission was specifically assigned by the Ministry of Commerce, saying it was more convenient to take care of female members. Now it seems there might be something fishy going on. What do you think?"

Hearing this, Luo Zheng understood it all. This matter was probably inseparable from the Song family. Staying in the military camp, the Song family couldn't find an opportunity to act against him, so they targeted Lan Xue, had someone abduct her, then forced him to come out, and in the end, planned to eliminate them both. After all, they were relying on foreign forces; it would be impossible to trace. Even if traced, they could wash their hands clean. And even if he knew it was a trap, he had no choice but to jump in. What a malignant scheme, what a masterful overt plot.

However, all these were just speculations, not reliable enough to be voiced. Luo Zheng continued his inquiry, "Do you know who the perpetrator is? Where are they being held? What about Ghost Hand and the others?"

"We have no clues about all of this. The opponent has demanded you to come; you must reach a small town called Mogan within two days. We don't know anything else. As for Ghost Hand and his two companions, they were concerned for Lan Xue's safety on her own and willingly let themselves be captured to become hostages. That's the situation," the captain explained with a face full of anger.

"They're all good brothers. Please make arrangements, I can set off right now," Luo Zheng said calmly, looking at the captain with eyes filled with urgency and anticipation. Learning that Lan Xue was in trouble, Luo Zheng didn't want to stay for another minute and wished he could rush there immediately.

"I'll arrange for someone to go with you," the captain said immediately.

"There's no need. I fear someone within our country is colluding with the kidnappers. If more people go, the kidnappers will be alerted. It's best for me to go alone—they want me," Luo Zheng coldly stated, his eyes full of murderous fury.

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