Strongest Soldier King

Everyone wasn't foolish. When the captain spoke to that extent, what more could be said? Everyone opted for silence, and a stifling atmosphere filled the office. Luo Zheng, seeing his brothers affected by his involvement, was filled with guilt and anger. After a while, Luo Zheng suddenly asked, "Captain, have you been implicated as well? What did the organization say?"

"Yeah, it's clear that someone above us wants to target us. You stepped up for us and you're also our immediate superior. You need to assume leadership responsibility; they will surely deal with you as well," Shan Hu said, and the others also looked towards the captain with concern.

"I'm fine; thank you for your concern, brothers. But I assure you here, I will definitely seek justice for us. Please believe in me," the captain said with a sense of guilt, standing up solemnly, saluting everyone as a form of apology, his determined face full of seriousness.

Luo Zheng knew that the captain had strong backing. The Song family targeted him and would not offend the captain. Unlike Shan Hu and the others who did not have such backing, the captain was exempt.

"We believe in you," Shan Hu and the others said in unison, rising to their feet to return the salute. At this point, everyone knew it was time to leave; the organization's decision wouldn't likely change now. They needed to go back and calmly discuss which of the two options to choose.

Luo Zheng walked out last, stopping at the door to reflect briefly before closing it. He turned to the captain and asked in a low voice, "Is Commissioner Song from the Song family?"

"…" The captain paused for a moment, then nodded slightly and said, "You're a smart man. Enduring might not be a bad thing; it can temper a person's will and patience. Remember, don't confront this head-on at this time, lest you give others leverage against you and then no one can help you."

"Understood, thank you, and sorry for the trouble," Luo Zheng said, his heart filled with raging fury, yet his expression was as calm as iron.

Seeing that Luo Zheng hadn't lost his rationality and knew how to bide his time, the captain smiled with satisfaction and said, "There will be a chance eventually. Gold always shines. Don't make me look down on you, and don't let my sister down. Go report to the mess duty; I've already spoken to them there."

"Heh, I'm fine; it's not the first time for the mess duty. The Song family's tactics are nothing more than this—keeping sending me to the mess duty; it's tedious. Captain, this loyalty—" Luo Zheng pounded his chest with his fist, turned around, and left with a resolute gaze, an upright stature, and firm, powerful strides as if nothing had happened.

Seeing that Luo Zheng was neither disheartened nor out of control, the captain breathed a sigh of relief, smiling with satisfaction.

Luo Zheng exited the office building and looked over at the dormitory building across. Feeling no need to feel ashamed in front of Shan Hu and the others, he then saw a group of people coming over, with Song Yang among them. Luo Zheng keenly noticed Song Yang's smug cold smile, ignored it, and turned to head towards the mess duty.

The kitchen unit was located right next to the dormitory building in a separate structure, one story high but with a height of four and a half meters. The dining hall was spacious, directly adjacent to the kitchen, with a row of storage rooms and bedrooms next to it for the use of the kitchen crew members. Behind it was a vegetable garden and livestock shed where they grew vegetables and raised pigs to supply the troops.

Luo Zheng arrived at the kitchen unit and saw a veteran with an amputated arm cutting meat. The meat was frozen lamb, emitting a chill and weighing over ten kilograms. The veteran held a military dagger in his hand. Just as Luo Zheng was about to greet him, he noticed the veteran's eyes sharpen, a gleam of brilliance bursting forth. His face was as resolute as iron. He wielded the knife like the wind towards the lamb, effortlessly slicing it into strips, each nearly identical in size, with neat cuts, and his movements flowed like water.

Following that, the veteran skillfully handled the knife with one hand to slice the meat. Luo Zheng merely saw a blur of knife lights, dazzled by the sight. In the blink of an eye, there was a pile of meat slices on the cutting board, each as thin as paper, uniformly cut, piece by piece, making Luo Zheng gasp in astonishment. The words "true master" flashed through his mind.

Witnessing this scene, Luo Zheng smiled. His anger about being assigned to the kitchen unit vanished, replaced by a sense of anticipation for the future. After waiting a while, Luo Zheng saw that the tens of kilograms of lamb had been turned into a large pile of neatly cut slices, as if they had been machine cut, uniform in size and cut. He quickly approached and saluted respectfully. He was well aware that he was in the presence of a master, and more importantly, a master with a story. The firm, accurate, and fierce cuts, along with the unmistakable killing intent in his eyes, could not be hidden. Faced with such a genuine master, Luo Zheng showed ample respect and politely said, "Reporting, new recruit Luo Zheng arriving for duty in the kitchen unit."

"Ah, it's been a long time since we had a newcomer in the kitchen unit, welcome, welcome." The solemn expression of the veteran relaxed, replaced by a playful smile, his demeanor changing as drastically as day and night. He asked with a smile, "Zhengzi, right? I've heard about you, even defeated Shan Hu, the top expert of our squadron, impressive indeed, truly fearsome youth. By the way, I'm just in charge of chopping here, call me Elder Chang; the squad leader is Elder Liu, he'll be back shortly."

"Brother Chang, I look forward to learning more from you," Luo Zheng responded, not taking any chances and spoke with respect.

"No need to be so formal, once you're in the kitchen unit, we're all family. I can't promise much, but there will always be meat to eat. Later, I'll treat you to a mutton hot pot," Elder Chang said cheerfully, moving to the doorway with a low stool, picking up a water pipe, lighting it, and taking a deep inhale. He leaned against the door frame, slowly exhaling the smoke, clearly enjoying himself.

"Elder Chang, is the meat ready?" A voice called from outside, and soon, a veteran in his thirties walked in, carrying the rank of Sergeant on his shoulders, stout and plump, his face exuding prosperity rather than the firmness and sternness of a soldier, more resembling a wealthy merchant. Upon seeing Luo Zheng in the courtyard, he expressed his surprise and asked, "Young man, it's not mealtime yet, what brings you here looking for food?"

Dressed in camouflage, without any military rank on display, the visitor did not recognize Luo Zheng's status. Luo Zheng awkwardly explained, "I'm here to report for duty."

"Oh? You must be Zhengzi?" Upon hearing this, the man smiled and said, "The squadron leader mentioned you. I'm the person in charge here, just call me Elder Liu. We have enough people here, no vacancies, but you can do whatever you want. If the other brothers get too busy, just lend a hand. When there's nothing urgent, you can manage your own time freely."

From these words, Luo Zheng sensed care. This arrangement likely also had the squadron leader's influence; being attached to the kitchen unit allowed him to manage his own time, avoiding interruptions to his training. Since the regulations stated that non-combat personnel need not undergo systematic training, if he wanted to train, he'd have to do it alone. Fortunately, Luo Zheng had experienced this situation before and felt assured. Gratefully, he smiled and said, "Thank you, Brother Liu."