Strongest Soldier King

After about half an hour, Luo Zheng suddenly felt that there might be someone ahead. He was startled and looked around. The rendezvous point was not far away; why would there be someone here? Could it be pursuers? At this thought, Luo Zheng was shocked. He took cover cautiously and observed his surroundings. Not detecting any sign of enemies, he carefully moved forward, probing his way ahead.

Soon, Luo Zheng noticed a large group of people lying in ambush in the woods, their guns pointing forward, waiting solemnly. He was greatly alarmed. Moving forward a short distance, Luo Zheng hid behind a large tree and observed. He quickly discovered that the group had set up an ambush circle, waiting for their prey to come to them. Ahead was a mountain ridge with a clearing on top, precisely the rendezvous point.

The rendezvous point was empty, and Luo Zheng watched the people preparing to ambush in surprise. He couldn't understand how they had found this place. Quietly, he withdrew a bit and planned to look for an opportunity to act. Suddenly, he heard a bird call from the surrounding woods, prompting Luo Zheng to swiftly turn his head. The bird call came from deep within the dense forest, the exact location invisible.

As he pondered, the bird call came again. Luo Zheng listened clearly and couldn't help but laugh. He also pinched his mouth to mimic the bird call twice and quickly rushed over. Shortly, a familiar figure emerged from the dense forest, clad in a camouflage suit and holding a Type 95 Assault Rifle, smiling with joy. It was none other than the scout, Golden Eagle.

"Brother, I didn't expect it to be you, that's great," Luo Zheng ran up to him, overjoyed.

"Seeing you alive is wonderful," Golden Eagle thumped Luo Zheng's right chest with a punch and laughed joyfully. He looked Luo Zheng up and down, noting the absence of injuries, and nodded in relief, giving a thumbs up. He motioned Luo Zheng to hide behind a large tree deep in the forest and whispered, "Damn, it's a trap. Do you know if the captain and the others are aware?"

"They moved here before me. Didn't you see them?" Luo Zheng asked back, surprised.

Golden Eagle's expression turned grave. After a moment of contemplation, he said, "No, we must find the captain and the others as soon as possible. I've scouted the area; the rendezvous point is already surrounded. Rushing in would be suicide. I guess the captain has also realized this and is hiding somewhere waiting for us to meet up. It's just that..." Golden Eagle paused, looking up into the dense jungle with a wry smile. In this vast wilderness, where should they even start looking?

"How about 'beating the grass to startle the snake'?" Luo Zheng suggested.

"Beating the grass to startle the snake?" Golden Eagle furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and then said, "We have no other choice, but once the guns fire, the enemy will come after us. Are you sure you have the stamina for that? And once we run, the captain won't be able to find us, making it impossible to meet up all the same."

"I'm fine. We'll do this: I'll lead them in circles, and you hide here. When the captain and the others arrive, you meet up with them. After I shake off the pursuers, I'll rush back here to join you," Luo Zheng suggested.

"No, I should be the one to lead them away," Golden Eagle immediately objected.

"Let me do it. The jungle here is dense. It's hard to find even someone nearby, and I don't know how to contact the captain and the others, plus..." Luo Zheng waved his hand, cutting off Golden Eagle's objection, and continued, "Once the gunfire rings out, the pursuers will know they've been exposed. They'll probably abandon their plan to ambush the rendezvous point. If I can't find you all, I'll head to the rendezvous point. It's decided." Saying this, he got up, and without waiting for Golden Eagle's objection, dashed off in another direction.

"This guy," Golden Eagle hadn't expected to be commanded by a newbie and felt utterly helpless. Luo Zheng had already run far away, and there was no use for Golden Eagle to try and divert the enemy himself, as that would nullify Luo Zheng's efforts. Resigned, he looked around, quickly spotted a muddy area blanketed with fallen leaves, rushed over, and jumped into the mud. In just a moment, he squished down into the mud and then covered himself with it, even using dead leaves to hide his eyes. Even if one came close, without paying attention, it was impossible to notice him. His skills in camouflage and hiding were indeed superb.

After completing this, Golden Eagle heard gunshot sounds and saw a large number of ambushers rush over, quickly passing nearby. Perhaps due to the mud, and with nothing to raise their suspicions, the pursuers charged past and soon disappeared from view. Golden Eagle crawled out of the mud, looked in the direction from which the gunfire had sounded, and silently prayed. He quickly climbed a tall tree, searching for any glimpse of the captain and the others.

Before long, Golden Eagle spotted branches moving atop a distant tree, at least four thousand meters away from him. At first glance, the branches seemed to be swaying in the wind, but upon closer observation, it was clear they were circling clockwise. He couldn't help but rejoice; he broke off a branch, lifted it, and started circling counterclockwise. This method of jungle communication could only be understood by someone familiar with it.

Soon, Golden Eagle noticed the branches in the distance had stopped moving, and he breathed a sigh of relief. He slid down the tree, found a place to hide, and waited patiently. About half an hour later, he heard a "thud thud" sound, three quick and one slow with varying lengths, but rhythmically consistent—it was the sound of knocking on wood. Golden Eagle listened for a while; it was Morse code. After careful discernment, he was overjoyed and used his rifle to knock against the tree, creating a regular sound. In a short time, three people emerged from deep within the forest, completely clad in camouflage suits. Had they not been moving, they could have been mistaken for part of the undergrowth.

"Captain," Golden Eagle greeted the group joyfully.

"Is it really you? That's fantastic. We finally found you. Any news on Zhengzi? What was that gunfire about?" Shan Hu rushed over, shouting excitedly.

"It was Zhengzi who fired. He's drawing away the pursuers so I can wait here for you guys," Golden Eagle explained, feeling dejected.

"What? You let a newbie draw away the pursuers?" Shan Hu looked at Golden Eagle with astonishment, his face turning ashen.

"Golden Eagle, what are you doing?" Mountain Leopard spoke up, displeased, while Duke of Thunder also showed blame.

"Me? Ah—" Golden Eagle said, deflated like a punctured ball, utterly frustrated.

"Tell us what happened," Shan Hu asked sternly.

After a brief explanation from Golden Eagle, the others' attitudes softened slightly. Mountain Leopard explained, "Brother, it's not that we have any issues with you. If it weren't for Zhengzi, the three of us wouldn't be seeing you right now. We were a little hasty just now; don't take it the wrong way. Captain, now that we know the situation, what should we do next?"

"Let's spread out and stay hidden. Wait for Zhengzi to get here," Shan Hu said calmly.

"But with nearly a thousand pursuers, can Zhengzi make it alone?" Duke of Thunder asked, surprised.

"Don't worry. With his physical fitness, none of us can catch up to him. He should be fine. It's been so long, there's no way for us to chase after him now. If we went after him blindly, what would Zhengzi do if he can't find us when he returns? The most urgent matter is for us to regroup, and then we can address the next steps," Shan Hu explained seriously.

"You're right," Mountain Leopard agreed. "Golden Eagle, since you've seen Zhengzi, how is his stamina?"