Strongest Soldier King

After joining the Special Forces, Luo Zheng learned that the main tasks of a Special Forces soldier include raids and sabotage, reconnaissance behind enemy lines, intelligence theft, emergency rescue, psychological warfare, special security, as well as counter-subversion, counterintelligence, counter-assault, counter-terrorism, and anti-hijacking. These tasks differ greatly from those of reconnaissance soldiers in the general sense. The National Blade Special Team, in particular, faces even more formidable enemies and bears much more arduous and heavy responsibilities. Without exceptional strength, one simply could not shoulder such burdens.

Having returned to the base successfully, Captain Wu summoned everyone to his office for encouragement. Then, as Lan Xue had predicted, he took advantage of the Spring Festival to give everyone a two-week vacation to adjust their state and reunite with their families. After leaving Captain Wu's office and arriving at the outdoor training ground, Luo Zheng pulled the Drunken Master aside and asked, "You're not going home?"

"Of course I am, is there a problem?" the Drunken Master replied in surprise. Seeing a hint of helplessness flash across Luo Zheng's face, he chuckled angrily and scolded, "You're hesitating, doesn't seem like a man. Out with it, what's up?"

"If you're going home, never mind. I was going to ask you to teach me, to learn your secret techniques," said Luo Zheng.

"Secret techniques?" The Drunken Master blinked, then quickly realized what Luo Zheng meant. After thinking it over, he said, "I won't have time during the Spring Festival; I have a lot of matters to handle with the rare holiday we have. But if you're not going home, take advantage of this half-month to train systematically at the base. Learn whatever you can, and we'll see how it goes after the holidays."

The conversation wasn't conclusive, but Luo Zheng knew that learning the Drunken Master's tricks wouldn't be easy. After all, with no close ties, why would he teach? Agreeing with a nod, he said goodbye to Lan Xue, and followed Ghost Hand and others to the dormitory, to change clothes, take a shower, and then slept soundly for a few hours. When he woke up, it was already time for dinner.

Ghost Hand leaned in with a mysterious expression and said, "Brother, you're not going home for the holiday, right? How about this, come home with me, and I'll teach you urban Special Forces combat skills, how's that? That stuff you can't learn at the base, you have to go deep into the city. You can go shopping, check out beautiful women, and get on-the-spot training—I guarantee you'll learn in one week."

"Forget it, you're just afraid of going home and getting an earful from your mom about not having a girlfriend, and you want to use Ghost Brother as a shield, right? If you want a shield, it's better to find a female one, isn't it? Or, shall I introduce my sister to you?" Snow Leopard laughed from the side, "Ghost Brother, in my opinion, you should still get out and about, don't just stay in the base. Tension and relaxation is the way to go; training around the clock will only damage your body and might not necessarily improve your strength."

Luo Zheng felt very grounded looking at his brother talking to him while packing up. Thinking of the promise to Lan Xue's grandfather and considering that visiting someone else's home during the Spring Festival might be disturbing, he said with a laugh, "Let's not."

"Not what? Come with me to Beijing, you might even manage to meet up with the Captain and have dinner or something," Ghost Hand tempted, seeing Luo Zheng show some interest, he continued, "Having just returned from Ba Country, I suggest you adjust a bit, relax. Don't push yourself too hard. As far as I know, you've been fighting continuously for the past six months. Have you felt any mental oppression, insomnia, anxiety, or similar symptoms?"

"Somewhat, what about it?" Luo Zheng thought for a moment and asked in surprise.

"It's a precursor to post-war psychological syndrome, a mental illness resulting from long-term combat. You can't keep training, or there will be trouble later. I suggest you see a psychologist," Ghost Hand said seriously, and upon hearing this, Snow Leopard and Mountain Eagle put down their things and gathered around, looking at Luo Zheng with concern.

"Is it really that serious?" Luo Zheng said, unconvinced.

"Yes," Snow Leopard said urgently, his expression grave and solemn. He glanced at Ghost Hand, then continued speaking to Luo Zheng, "This is a terrible latent danger, one that could torment you for life. Some with weaker psychological endurance at the base have chosen suicide, preferring death to enduring such agony — it shows how painful it can be."

Luo Zheng knew nothing of post-war syndrome. He felt Snow Leopard might be exaggerating, but out of concern for him, he simply smiled wryly without responding. Snow Leopard could easily read Luo Zheng's thoughts and went on, "Post-war syndrome is a type of 'post-traumatic stress disorder', also known as post-traumatic stress syndrome, post-traumatic stress symptom, post-traumatic stress disorder, or the aftermath of a major blow. It refers to the psychological sequelae resulting from encountering or opposing major stress."

Hearing this, Luo Zheng suddenly thought of his hatred for the Song family. It grew deeper and deeper, even influencing his emotions and judgement. Whenever this hatred erupted, he would become nervous, lose control, and even entertain radical thoughts. Could this be post-war syndrome? He became vigilant.

"Brother, when you experience nightmares, personality changes, emotional detachment, numbness, insomnia, avoidance of traumatic reminders, irritability, hypervigilance, amnesia, and being easily startled, it means you have this syndrome. I noticed something was wrong with you while we were in Ba Country. If you hadn't been so calm and resilient, it could have been serious. This is not something to be taken lightly," Ghost Hand continued.

"Alright, keep scaring me then," Luo Zheng said with incredulous laughter, yet he became more cautious inside.

Seeing Luo Zheng deep in thought, Ghost Hand breathed a sigh of relief. He exchanged a glance with Snow Leopard and Mountain Eagle; everyone dispersed to pack their bags. Luo Zheng knew Ghost Hand and the others wouldn't lie to him. The post-war syndrome might indeed be tricky, and he seemed to have some signs of it. It seemed he really needed to make some adjustments.

With this in mind, Luo Zheng suddenly realized that after meeting Lan Xue, life had turned upside down — nothing but training and combat, without proper rest. Everyday wound up like a tight spring. Indeed, he needed to unwind, otherwise, even the spring would snap. He turned to look at Ghost Hand.

Having been keeping an eye on Ghost Hand, Luo Zheng approached and asked, "How's it going?"

"Good, I'll go with you, thanks for the heads-up," Luo Zheng said gratefully.

"Don't thank me; we're brothers in arms. To tell you the truth, this was Captain's idea. She knows you best. She wanted to tell you herself, but was afraid you wouldn't accept it, so she told me to pass on the message," Ghost Hand said quietly, peering outside as if to ensure no one was eavesdropping. Seeing that no one was around, he continued, "The Captain cautioned me not to reveal her involvement; you must keep it a secret for me."

"I understand," Luo Zheng said, surprised it was Lan Xue's idea. He thought of her constant concern for him, her implicit reminders on the plane, and felt a warm smile spread across his face, "Will this cause you trouble?"

"What trouble could it cause? Anyway, going back is just to assure my parents I'm still alive and in good health; that'll make them happy. It will be even better with you joining, more lively. Guys, if you have time during the New Year's, stop by for a visit," Ghost Hand replied with a laugh, looking at the others.

Everyone smiled in a friendly manner, a thick bond of brotherhood enveloping the dormitory.