Strongest Soldier King

After the village chief's explanation, Luo Zheng finally understood that the middle-aged man was expressing his gratitude by gifting a small silver knife, forging a good relationship. Luo Zheng pondered for a moment, accepted it, and exchanged a few simple words. He learned that the young man's name was Little Lang, named because he hunted a wolf at the age of twelve. The village had this tradition. Luo Zheng didn't expect that this guy had hunted one of the most ferocious jungle animals at twelve, which reminded him a bit of his younger self, raising his estimation of the young man a bit.

After saying their goodbyes, they started to retreat. Along the way, Ghost Hand kept trying to tease Little Lang, but Little Lang seemed to hold a grudge against Ghost Hand, ignoring him completely and instead spoke with Snow Leopard and Mountain Eagle. Unfortunately, they didn't understand each other, so a frustrated Ghost Hand went ahead to clear the path.

Luo Zheng and Lan Xue lagged behind, recounting the events during their time apart. Hearing that Tang Tian had escaped, Luo Zheng's expression turned serious, and he fell into thought. After a while, he sighed and said helplessly, "Let her run. I'm sure she'll come back, and when she does, I'll settle things with her."

"Okay, make sure to take good care of your body when we get back, to avoid any aftereffects," Lan Xue replied. Seeing Luo Zheng's troubled expression, she continued, "Song Tao committed suicide by jumping off a building."

"What? How did that happen?" Luo Zheng asked in shock.

Lan Xue recounted the incident of capturing Song Tao and added her grandfather's analysis, finally adding, "There's definitely the shadow of Sam Country in Tang Tian's case. We'll settle the scores with them later. The national security has already started a special operation to target espionage activities as a warning."

"Hmm, it's not that useful. It's more about showing an attitude, maybe capturing a few of my grandfather's spies, but they don't hold much value. There will be more spies recruited. It's better to monitor them, which might be more effective. Anyway, it's not our concern now. What about Little Lang? How do we arrange his situation?" Luo Zheng asked.

"Their family has lived in these mountains for generations, so there shouldn't be any issues with political vetting. As for his abilities, let's find someone to teach him the language. The youth training camp is expanding its recruitment, so let's put him in there," Lan Xue suggested.

"Will that be against the rules?" Luo Zheng asked worriedly.

Lan Xue pondered for a moment and said, "It might not fully adhere to the rules, but he saved your life and is half one of us. Putting him in training will be best, and if it doesn't work, it won't be a big deal. We can arrange a job for him in Beijing later. With his daring nature and lack of understanding of modern society, school isn't an option. I'll discuss this with the team leader and my grandfather later."

"Alright, but the kid seems to have a lot of spirit; he should be a good prospect if guided correctly," Luo Zheng agreed, his gaze involuntarily drifting to the happily walking Little Lang ahead. Seeing him reminded Luo Zheng of his own mischievous childhood.

The team engaged in a rapid march and reached the national border by noon the next day, where a transport helicopter arrived to pick up Lan Xue Team and others. By dusk, they arrived at the National Blade Base, where someone came to take Little Lang away. Confused, Little Lang brandished the Tiger Teeth knife gifted by Ghost Hand, preparing to attack. Luckily, Luo Zheng managed to calm him down, and a base language instructor fluent in Little Lang's native tongue explained things, eventually leading Little Lang to follow along.

Luo Zheng and others were also arranged for treatment by Wu Miao, as everyone was injured, though none were life-threatening. They were worried about any lingering effects. Lying on hospital beds was quite boring, but upon hearing about Luo Zheng's situation, the team leader issued a strict order preventing Luo Zheng from leaving the hospital as long as Wu Miao hadn't signed the discharge papers.

After spending three days in the hospital, their bodies finally recovered. Lan Xue and others' wounds healed considerably. They all found Wu Miao and, after some persuasion, he didn't insist too much. After conducting a full-body exam, he signed off on their discharge, and everyone joyfully rushed out of the ward.

Two days later in the morning, Lan Xue gathered everyone in the conference room with a serious expression. Everyone was taken aback, fearing a new mission, and quickly sat down, ears perked. Luo Zheng questioned suspiciously, "Is it a mission? Our bodies haven't fully recovered yet."

"No, it's something we need to respond to as a team. I need to consult with you all," Lan Xue casually replied. Seeing the puzzled looks, she continued, "You've all heard bits about the military reorganization. Should our team be in charge of a regional area or be part of the headquarters' Special Service Team?"

Hearing this, everyone fell into thought. Luo Zheng had already made his stance clear to Lan Xue and remained silent, looking at the others. Everyone fell silent, contemplating their paths.

After a while, Ghost Hand said, "It doesn't matter if we're responsible for a specific area or remain at the headquarters. It's all fighting for the country, not much of a difference, just facing different enemies. I still hope we brothers fight side by side."

"Yeah, we've gotten used to it. A new environment might not be as adaptable. I'm not leaving; I don't mind what you decide, just don't make me leave," Snow Leopard agreed.

Mountain Eagle didn't speak but nodded at Lan Xue, the intent clear. Lan Xue glanced at Luo Zheng and then said, "Brothers, thank you for your support and trust. As Ghost Hand said, it's much the same wherever we go, just facing different enemies. Remaining at headquarters might involve more challenging and dangerous tasks. We're not getting any younger; in three years, we might not even be able to fight anymore. I hope you consider it carefully. At least in the region, you could get a real military position, whereas at headquarters, anything is possible."

"None of that matters to me. In a few years when I can't fight anymore, I'll retire and spend my later years comfortably. I'm not interested in being an officer. I have no financial pressure," Ghost Hand laughed.

"My family is eager for me to return and take over the business, so a few years would be just right," Snow Leopard said.

"When I retire, I'd like to stay at headquarters as a sniper instructor. Ghost, your sniper tactics are better than mine. You need to teach me well over the next three years; my future depends on you," Mountain Eagle said nonchalantly.

"Thank you all. I understand your choices now," Lan Xue smiled gratefully, looking at Luo Zheng and nodding to herself, then continued, "I've discussed with the deputy team leader, and we've decided to stay at headquarters. I won't hide it from you; he needs to undertake high-difficulty tasks continuously to improve his strength and achieve the goal of being the 'Strongest Soldier King.'"

"Strongest Soldier King?" Ghost Hand looked at Luo Zheng, eyes shining brightly with excitement, "To witness Ghost becoming the Strongest Soldier King, what an honor! I'm not leaving."

"Neither am I," Snow Leopard and Mountain Eagle chimed in enthusiastically.