Hua Qingqing drove me to a scrap recycling company on the outskirts of the capital. The car snaked its way into a colossal elevator. Hua Qingqing got out, swiped a card, and the elevator didn't ascend but plunged rapidly underground.

It felt like descending at least one hundred and fifty meters before the elevator stopped. Hua Qingqing drove me out into a giant tunnel. The car pulled over beside a massive iron gate, and after we both disembarked and passed through layers of stringent security checks, we finally entered the laboratory.

“You’re finally here. If we can’t figure out a way to pacify those three special forces operatives, I’ll have to request permission from the Chairman to destroy them,” Professor Chen looked utterly dejected. The experiment, which he thought was foolproof, had yielded this result, and his mood was predictable.

Hua Qingqing knew the gravity of the situation and didn't see fit to blame Professor Chen for impulsively conducting human trials. “You didn’t inject them with sedatives?”

Professor Chen’s face was a mask of helplessness. “Even a high-caliber tranquilizer gun couldn’t penetrate their skin. I think the only option left is to send them to the laser cutting room and dismember them.”

So brutal. They were special forces operatives, after all. This was too reckless.

Hua Qingqing also frowned deeply. “Let’s go see the situation first. Are they still coherent?”

Professor Chen led the way, replying, “No, they are fully conscious. All three say they don’t understand why they feel so agitated, only that they want to destroy everything in front of them.”

Hua Qingqing quietly murmured to me, “When the time comes, subdue the three of them. Try your best to save them; after all, I am a doctor, and I don’t want to see anyone die in front of me.”

I whispered back to Hua Qingqing, “Are you serious? You want me to take on three mutated special forces soldiers? I don't even know if I can handle one, and you want me to subdue three? You really think I’m Superman.”

Hua Qingqing’s voice held a hint of petulance. “I don’t care. You have to help me either way. And if I’m in danger later, you are absolutely forbidden from standing by idly.”

“Fine, I’ll do my best.”

The sheer size of this underground laboratory surpassed my imagination. After turning a corner, I saw a group of fully armed soldiers ahead, all incredibly tense, pointing their submachine guns at a thick iron door.

“This is it. The three special forces operatives are temporarily contained in the modification room. You can check the situation inside on this closed-circuit television,” Professor Chen pointed toward a small room nearby.

Looking at the monitors, the modification room was unrecognizable. The equipment inside was smashed to smithereens, and the three special forces soldiers were fighting amongst themselves. Seeing the speed and power of their movements made me jump. At this level, they must possess at least mid-B-class physical fitness. If the three attacked in concert, I truly might not be able to handle them.

After fighting for a while, the three suddenly stopped. A muscular special forces soldier with short hair shouted toward the camera, “Professor, kill us quickly, or we won’t be able to control ourselves and will hurt everyone when we break out!”

Professor Chen turned to me and Hua Qingqing. “That one is Xu Wenqiang, the squad leader. The one with the longest hair is Wang Aiguo, and the one without a shirt is Lu Bing. All three had extraordinary constitutions to begin with, and their abilities have increased greatly after gene modification. Look at the instruments inside; they can twist an iron rod twenty centimeters in diameter into a pretzel. This iron door is no obstacle for them either; it’s just that they still retain a sliver of reason and are forcibly restraining themselves from breaking through.”

Just as he finished speaking, the three special forces soldiers stared wide-eyed and rapidly advanced toward the iron door. It looked as if they could no longer endure the changes within and were about to break out in a frenzy.

We have to stop them! With that thought, I rushed out of the monitoring room and stood alongside the contingent of soldiers.

The heavy iron door suddenly flew open with a loud bang, knocking two soldiers to the ground. However, the massive door continued its trajectory unimpeded, speeding toward Professor Chen and Hua Qingqing.

Hua Qingqing was still a girl, after all. She let out a soft cry and closed her eyes. I lunged forward swiftly, catching the iron door with both palms. A massive impact shot through my entire body. The concrete floor beneath my feet actually sank two to three centimeters under the immense force.

I tossed the door aside. Hua Qingqing opened her eyes, smoothed her chest, and said to me, “I knew you would protect me. Hurry and subdue the three of them; you must not let them escape the research base.”

Since being mutated by the B-substance from the giant python, I had never pushed my physical potential to its absolute limit. This might be a good opportunity for training. Three super-soldiers with mid-B-class fitness—they were indeed formidable opponents.

I shouted toward the three standing at the doorway, “Come on, let’s have a good workout!”

“Big Brother! You’re finally here. We, we…” Xu Wenqiang, the burly one, suddenly started crying like a woman. Wang Aiguo and Lu Bing had the same expression. Damn, I didn’t know them!

Professor Chen and Hua Qingqing were even more stunned. They had expected a bloody battle, but instead, it turned into a melodrama. Professor Chen asked me in confusion, “Xiao Zhao, do you know them?”

I didn’t answer Professor Chen, but turned to Xu Wenqiang and asked, “Do you, do you recognize me?”

Xu Wenqiang wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes. “No, we don’t recognize you.”

“Then why did you call me Big Brother? Don’t just claim relatives at a time like this!”

Xu Wenqiang replied, “I don’t know either. But the moment I saw your face, I felt a closeness, as if you were naturally our Big Brother. The words just slipped out.”

Professor Chen quietly tugged my arm. “Xiao Zhao, that’s a good sign. See, their emotions have already stabilized. Keep talking to them and distract them; this will greatly help alleviate their psychological pressure.”

I quietly nodded to Professor Chen and turned to ask Wang Aiguo and Lu Bing, “Do you two feel the same way as Xu Wenqiang?”

Both nodded. “Yes, Big Brother. It feels like we were family in a past life. Although this feeling is strange even to us, it’s very clear. You are our leader; let us follow you from now on.”

This sounded a bit like Taozi’s thoughts back then. Oh no, this is bad. Could there be some mutual attraction between B-substances? Taozi willingly became my subordinate, and the giant rat and giant snake also showed me great fear and deference. Now these special forces soldiers modified by B-substance are acting the same way—it’s almost certainly true.

Understanding this, I said to the three, “I was also a soldier once, and you are the envied special forces of thousands. Serving the country and the people is your responsibility. Also, fraternization is forbidden in the military. You can consider me a friend.”

“No!” the three said in unison. “Only by following you can we overcome this internal psychological turbulence. If you truly don’t want to be our Big Brother, then just let Professor Chen destroy us completely, so we don’t harm others when we go berserk.”

This situation wasn't like recruiting snakes and rats. These were active military officers. If I started gathering followers, the country might misunderstand me. So, I could only kick the ball back to Professor Chen; I’d let him handle the disposal.

Professor Chen pondered for a moment, then pulled Hua Qingqing back into the control room. Fearing the three special forces operatives might relapse, I stayed behind to keep them chatting.

Through our conversation, I learned that these three men had difficult backgrounds—both parents deceased, no relatives or close friends. They had endured hardship since childhood, and their tenacity allowed them to join the Great Dragon Nation’s special forces. It was precisely because they had no one to rely on that they were selected for the gene modification experiment.

The four of us grew more congenial, eventually sitting on the floor and sharing stories. The three had participated in numerous counter-terrorism operations and drug interdiction missions in the southern border jungles; their combat experience was exceptionally rich. Since I was once an ordinary soldier, I was filled with curiosity about their legendary combat careers, and the more I listened, the more engrossed I became, until Professor Chen called me, reminding me that we still had serious business to attend to.

Professor Chen pulled me aside. “Xiao Zhao, the situation is very special now. From all perspectives, our super-soldier modification is a complete success. You’ve seen their terrifying power, and their minds are very clear, unlike the Star Nation’s bio-warriors who turn ordinary people into walking corpses. As for their earlier riot, I have a theory. You told Qingqing that the snake pearl came from that giant cicada, and you have inherited and advanced everything from that giant python. I believe there is an overwhelmingly absolute attraction between B-substances—that a B-substance modifier with stronger ability exerts a fatal attraction on a lower-level B-substance modifier. Their sudden rage after successful modification, I think, was because they hadn't found a stronger modifier, an impulse born from an urgent desire to find their master that drove them mad. Now that you are here, future matters will be much easier to handle.”

Professor Chen’s ideas were always too fanciful, just like last time when he wanted me and Yi Xiaorou to be the human stock for him. So I had to get clarification; I absolutely couldn't fall into his trap. “Professor Chen, what exactly are you implying?”

“It’s like this,” Professor Chen explained. “I’ve already reported to the Central Committee. Comrade Zhao Qian, you have been officially appointed as the team leader of the Great Dragon Nation Super Soldier Special Group by the Central Military Commission, reporting directly to the Central Military Commission’s orders. You must assume the post immediately without delay.”

Damn it! I knew something good wouldn’t come of it. Now I have more troubles—listening to this order and that order, when will I have time to earn money and pursue the girls? Thinking of Zhang Xiaoya’s sweet kiss this morning, and her full, yielding curves—which had a firmness that Yi Xiaorou lacked, making one desperately want to squeeze those two protruding peaks—I felt even more agitated.

Seeing the troubled look on my face and my silence, Professor Chen reluctantly dropped his authoritative demeanor and pulled me aside for a quiet discussion. “Xiao Zhao, give me some face, won’t you? We’ve shared drinks before. Besides, the Super Soldier Project benefits the nation and the army. For the revitalization of our Great Dragon Nation, what is a little hardship and grievance? In the future, if we have tens of thousands of super soldiers, our army will be like adding wings to a tiger. Which country in the world would dare look down on us then?”

I replied to Professor Chen, “You know I’m a patriot, but I’m also aware of my own capabilities. Firstly, I don’t have enough time now with my business ventures. Secondly, these special forces soldiers are all powerfully skilled and highly experienced. Asking me to lead them—isn't that embarrassing me?”

“Xiao Zhao, you are mistaken. With your current true strength, I doubt the Great Dragon Nation can find many who can match you. As for your point about experience, you only need to lead them and assign tasks. Do you need to handle every small detail yourself? Moreover, I’m not asking you to stay at the experimental base every day. You only need to visit after each modification to get acquainted with them. The country won't deploy super soldiers anytime soon anyway; first, it’s not conducive to secrecy, and second, they need time to adapt to their new abilities.”

Frankly, I was just the missionary, coming here periodically to recite a few ‘Amens.’ Oh well, who told me to be a passionate youth? The nation’s need is our command. I reluctantly accepted.

When I emerged from the experimental base, Hua Qingqing saw my sullen face and tried to console me. “Alright, Zhao Qian, don’t be angry. Why do you seem so unwilling to hold an official position? It’s something countless people dream of, and you’re unwilling to take it.”

Hua Qingqing didn't know that in the past, I would have been thrilled about this, but now I was different. My goals in life had naturally changed. I was on the verge of becoming the richest man in the world, capable of building planes and cannons to dominate the field—why would I care about being a missionary-style group leader?

Seeing that I was still sulking, Hua Qingqing tried to enlighten me. “Zhao Qian, you hold several important positions now, something many people envy: First-level Research Assistant at the Huashi Pharmaceutical Group, Dermatology and Venereal Disease Expert at the 101st Army Hospital, Team Leader of the Great Dragon Republic Super Soldier Special Group, and Sales Manager for the Iron Bull Brand Tofu Company. I wonder what other titles you’ll acquire in the future.”

I thought to myself, You don’t know about the Commander-in-Chief of the Beast Army either. Never mind. Since the saying goes, ‘ability means more responsibility,’ and since I have the ability, I might as well accept everything with an open mind. Whether this leadership role is nominal or not doesn’t matter much.

I got out of the car when we passed the National Bank, saying I needed to go in and handle some business, letting Hua Qingqing go ahead by herself.

I intended to withdraw some cash to take home, quickly finalize the paperwork for my company, then rent a factory, hire production workers, and build a workshop. With money, all these things would be easy to manage.

“Comrade, I’d like to withdraw one million in cash.” I handed my card to a very pretty female staff member inside.

“One million?” The staff member hesitated and didn't take my card. “I’m sorry, sir, but our bank has regulations: cash withdrawals exceeding fifty thousand require advance reservation.”

I had never had fifty thousand in cash before, so I didn't know these rules. “Fifty thousand is fine then. I need the money urgently. Can I withdraw the rest tomorrow?”

The pretty staff member took my card and began processing it. “Sir, if you need to withdraw one million, it will take two days. I’m sorry, but those are our regulations here. Or you could go to the main branch…” Ah…”

The pretty female staff member suddenly covered her mouth. “Sir, please wait a moment.” She then hurried into the office.

Shortly after, a middle-aged man with a prominent belly emerged from behind the heavily secured counter. He shook my hand. “Mr. Zhao, is that right? I am the Director of this branch of the National Bank, my surname is Xiao. Could you please wait in the VIP lounge?”

I thought to myself, Could this be the cliché scene from a novel where they try to cozy up to me once they see I’m rich? Although I dislike such scenes, I had to play along for appearances.

The two of us entered the lounge. Director Xiao said frankly, “Mr. Zhao, I’ll be direct. I happened to glance at your account balance just now. Of course, maintaining customer confidentiality is our duty, but I wanted to suggest you switch to an account with a higher security level. This will better protect your assets, and withdrawals will be much more convenient and fast.”

Although I suspected Director Xiao might be trying to poach my deposit, he was right. This account was the salary card I opened when I worked at the Huashi Chinese Medicine Factory. Any ordinary person could check the balance, which was certainly unfavorable for a sum of one hundred and ten million.

I nodded. Director Xiao seized the opportunity. “How about you let me handle this matter, Mr. Zhao? You only need to sit here for a moment, have a cup of tea, and fill out a few forms.”

“Alright, thank you for your trouble, Director Xiao.” Having someone handle it for me was great. Having money really did upgrade the level of service. It seems I need to work hard to earn more money in the future.

After filling out the forms, Director Xiao cheerfully went to the counter to open the new account. Because my hearing had increased, I clearly caught the conversation happening over there.

A male employee said, “Director, you’ve hit the jackpot this time. Developing a platinum member earns you a bonus of several tens of thousands! I really couldn’t tell that ordinary-looking young man had so much money. Could he be a robber?”

Director Xiao hissed, “Shh, keep your voice down, don’t let the client hear. Have you forgotten the principle of deposit and withdrawal confidentiality and freedom? Little Xu, you also contributed to this. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to give you a suitable portion of the bonus when it comes.”

The female staff member from before said, “Thank you, Director. If you could just help me get my salary raised to the level of a permanent employee, that’s all I ask for; I have no other demands.”

Director Xiao replied, “I’ll see if there’s a chance. Don’t rush. This isn't my final say, but you haven't met your deposit quota for the past two months, so you need to work harder, or even if I want to help, I won’t be able to.”

Before long, Director Xiao returned to the lounge. “Mr. Zhao, here is your platinum card. Because your deposit amount reached one hundred million, all fees are waived. As you requested earlier, the ten million in your original account has been kept; here is the fifty thousand cash you requested to withdraw. Please check it carefully.”

Anxious to get home to discuss the company matters with Zhu Da, I took the items and stood up to take my leave. Director Xiao escorted me to the door, where I saw the female staff member surnamed Xu from the counter was also finishing her shift, and the two of them were waiting for the bus at the same stop.