Strongest Soldier King

Two hours later, Luo Zheng spotted Golden Eagle emerging suddenly and greeted him with joy. After exchanging pleasantries, they quickly left and found the other brothers. Luo Zheng saw that everyone was hiding in a dense forest, under a makeshift rain-shelter made of branches that was hard to spot in the pouring rain, and he too ducked inside. Seeing Luo Zheng's return, everyone was overjoyed, examining him from head to toe and relieved to see he was unharmed.

"It's good to see you back, good to see you back," the team leader, Shan Hu, said with a sigh, "You know the situation. We were just discussing it, and we want to hear your thoughts as well, whether to stay and find out the truth or call for support and pull back? Golden Eagle, you share your thoughts too."

"Of course, we should find out the truth. Anyone who dares to provoke us must pay a price," Golden Eagle declared immediately.

Everyone looked toward Luo Zheng, with four of the five already opting to stay. Luo Zheng thought of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group; their appearance likely wasn't simple. There might be a huge conspiracy involved, possibly even targeted at him. Recalling the combat prowess of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, it seemed unlikely they could handle it unless they had someone with the fighting skills of Lan Xue. There might still be a chance to fight back. The members of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group came prepared, possibly in large numbers, staying would only lead to a passive situation.

Just as Luo Zheng was about to oppose the idea of staying, he saw the fighting spirit in everyone's faces and knew their thoughts. He gave a bitter smile, "I understand everyone's feelings, but let me remind you all, these people come with ill intentions, and there definitely is a conspiracy we're unaware of, with unclear enemy situations. I suggest we first retreat."

"Heh," everyone laughed it off, ignoring Luo Zheng's concerns. In their view, it was natural for a rookie facing a large force of thousands to think of retreating. Suggesting to stay was what worried them. Seeing Luo Zheng's embarrassed expression, the captain eased the moment, "Your caution is valid, and I will seriously consider it."

Hearing this, Luo Zheng knew that his suggestion wasn't taken seriously. He was very clear that without bringing up the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group, nobody would pay attention, but the name of the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group was strictly confidential and absolutely could not be disclosed. Under the current circumstances, he could only comply with the majority's decision.

"Captain, should we, perhaps, contact the higher-ups and arrange for a helicopter to evacuate Luo Zheng first?" Mountain Leopard suggested.

Shan Hu looked at Luo Zheng, who responded with a wry smile, "If I pull out now, I'll never be able to hold my head up in the military again. Since everyone has chosen to stay, then let's stay. I'll go with the majority. The more people, the more guns. Captain, what's your plan?"

Everyone found this reasonable. Since Luo Zheng had chosen to stay, they no longer dwelled on the issue, and all eyes turned to Shan Hu. Shan Hu pondered for a moment and then said, "I was also thinking about this issue. With pursuers numbering over a thousand, there are only two possibilities: either the Government Army or the armed forces of the Kuntai Group. Neither is easy to deal with. Also, why was our intelligence wrong?"

"Exactly, should we contact home?" Golden Eagle suggested.

"No, I suspect the pursuers have brought high-power field radars. As soon as a signal goes out, they would be able to locate us, which could get very troublesome. Besides, even if we contacted home, what good would it do? Don't forget we have spy satellites above us. Home must have already realized something went wrong, and since we haven't contacted them within the designated time, they must be on alert, investigating the intelligence," Shan Hu denied.

Everyone agreed that it made sense, so they didn't insist further. Shan Hu thought for a moment and then said, "There's a village not far from here, you guys remember, right?"

"Remember, a minority ethnic village, a drug transfer station," Golden Eagle, in charge of intelligence gathering, knew the details best and immediately answered, while looking puzzled at Shan Hu. He suddenly realized and said, "Captain, do you mean?"

"Exactly, we disguise ourselves as drug dealers to go there. Since that place is a gathering spot for drug dealers, a drug transfer station, disguising ourselves as drug dealers shouldn't be a problem; we should be able to blend in. Once there, we'll play it by ear. We might even gather some useful intelligence. A thousand people hunting us, such a big deal, I don't believe nobody knows about it," said Shan Hu with a serious face, his tone resolute.

Everyone could see that Shan Hu had made up his mind, so they naturally chose to follow. Luo Zheng wanted to speak but then held back, sighing to himself and admonishing himself to be cautious in everything. On second thought, staying and squaring off with the Wild Wolf Mercenary Group was also good; seeing the gap between himself and them, the battlefield was indeed the fastest place to grow.

In the torrential rain, nobody noticed Luo Zheng's worries. Once the plan was set, everyone packed up. Golden Eagle led the way, and they advanced through the rain, maintaining a distance of five to six meters from each other, in a triangular formation for a rapid march. In this formation, no matter from which direction the enemy attacked, they would face the counterattack of at least two people, the best defensive formation which also allowed for sudden advances and countercharges when needed.

An hour later, as it grew darker, the torrential rain stopped. They found a place to camp, took out sleeping bags from their packs, set up guard shifts, and then crawled into their sleeping bags to rest. The post-rain temperature in the tropical jungle was high, and the ground was stiflingly hot, making it hard to fall asleep. Luo Zheng slept for a while, then, feeling uncomfortable all over, he simply sat up and started the Breathing Skill passed down in his family to recuperate and restore his strength.

He didn't know how much time had passed when Luo Zheng suddenly opened his eyes, grabbed the pistol next to him, and looked around cautiously. It was pitch-dark all around; nothing was there. His comrades' tents were not far away. A figure slid down from a tree—it was Golden Eagle, who was on guard. Luo Zheng got out of his sleeping bag and asked in a low voice, "Any danger?"

"You're awake? That's great. I'm on guard; wake everyone else up and get ready to fight," said Golden Eagle sternly, stepping forward while aiming the cold muzzle of his gun into the pitch-dark jungle, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Luo Zheng realized something had gone wrong and was just about to call everyone when he noticed that everyone was hurriedly loading their rifles in their sleeping bags. Shan Hu asked in alarm, "What happened?"

"Not sure, seems like wild wolves," Golden Eagle answered calmly.

"Wild wolves? A lone wolf or a pack?" Shan Hu asked, alarmed.

"Probably a pack, the number uncertain, can't be sure," Golden Eagle responded.

"Looks like we're in trouble. Can't shoot. Like this, pack up and climb a tree," said Shan Hu decisively. Everyone strapped on their packs and grabbed their sleeping bags to quickly climb a tree. Luo Zheng, having hunted from a young age, knew that a pack of wild wolves was troublesome. Knowing that Shan Hu's decision was the right one, he didn't hesitate and rapidly climbed up a large tree.

"Howl—!" A wolf's howl shook the forest, and soon, a wild wolf the size of a calf emerged from the woods, its eyes emitting a cold light. It stopped six to seven meters away from them, coldly sizing everyone up. Shortly afterward, three more wild wolves appeared from the underbrush, standing in a triangular formation.