The small auditorium was silent, save for the rustling sound of papers being turned. The female reporter still couldn't believe what she saw in the report, rereading it once more, the look of shock slowly fading from her face, replaced by one of genuine admiration.

Beard Zhao leisurely took a sip of the now somewhat cool tea, a faint, mocking sneer lingering at the corner of his eye: "What? Do you still object?" The female reporter closed her bright, piercing eyes, struggling to calm her restless mind.

According to the documents, if the terrorist attack at the Han-zhou concert had succeeded, it would have resulted in countless casualties and had a devastating ripple effect. Being targeted by terrorism at an anti-terrorism concert...

the thought sent a shiver down the female reporter's spine. The female reporter could not comprehend the sheer value of the Nano Combat Suit, but even a three-year-old understood the immense harm caused by narcotics—that toxic tumor that could ruin families!

The Golden Triangle, a region of hopelessly complex circumstances; if a major drug lord, deeply familiar with police investigation patterns, were to act with impunity there, the ensuing destruction and social impact would be extraordinarily severe and far-reaching. The female reporter let out a long breath.

Based on these two accomplishments alone, Qin Fen had saved countless lives. The female reporter opened her bright eyes, her tone regaining its initial calm, professional journalistic demeanor: "General, I no longer object.

He is indeed qualified..." "Enough, you don't need to say more." Beard Zhao waved his hand dismissively: "Whether Qin Fen is qualified to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel is not for a little reporter like you to decide. This is a decision made by the Military Department!

The reason I showed you this was to prevent you from getting carried away and writing nonsense outside. Furthermore, you are strictly forbidden from revealing any of the documents you saw today.

If you violate this, I don't care how powerful your background is; I will ensure you learn a harsh lesson." "Why? Such a hero..." The female reporter puffed out her chest again, her eyes full of defiance: "Shouldn't the public know more about him..." Beard Zhao let out a cold snort, rudely interrupting the female reporter: "If you want Qin Fen to die faster, then go ahead and speak.

Regarding the sensitive matters above, his enemies still don't know he was behind them, and they can't locate him. If you expose this, you are simply aiding those who hate Qin Fen." The tone, laced with mocking arrogance, echoed softly in the hall.

The female reporter’s proud resistance vanished instantly. Although a flicker of insubordination remained in her eyes, she suddenly found no words of rebuttal.

The new recruits couldn't decipher the contents of the document, but they vaguely sensed that their comrade-in-arms from the competition was perhaps far more complex than they had imagined. Beard Zhao glared at Qin Fen with his ox-like eyes and barked, "Kid, still sitting there?

Waiting for me to come down and fetch you?" Qin Fen quickly stood up, walked swiftly onto the rostrum, accepted the Lieutenant Colonel insignia, and snapped his heels together with a crisp pa sound. The two Major Generals watching Qin Fen receive his rank allowed faint, bitter smiles to touch the corners of their thick lips.

Qin Fen had brought immense credit to the generals of the East Asia Military Region during the New Recruit Competition, but he had also caused the region considerable headaches in the past few days. To the East Asia Military Region, promotions to Major or Lieutenant Colonel, while envied by many, were practically nothing compared to former ranks like Marshal, General, or Lieutenant General.

Normally, generals never had cause to worry over a mere Lieutenant Colonel who was a new recruit, but this time, they were indeed troubled. Firstly, even these usually arrogant generals had to admit after reviewing the match footage that he was a soldier with immense potential; if everything developed smoothly, earning a star as a general officer in the future would not be impossible.

The problem was that currently, there was one influential person in the Federation who disliked Qin Fen: Song Wendong, the Earth's Martial God! The fact that a young man could challenge Qin Fen was hardly a secret, and the military intelligence system naturally learned most of the underlying reasons quickly.

The military was a rare behemoth within the Federation, yet they still had to consider Song Wendong’s opinion; after all, he was a Grandmaster hailed with the title of Divine Beast. Under these circumstances, vigorously promoting and cultivating Qin Fen, assigning him a promising, preferential post for focused training, would be tantamount to the East Asia Military Region directly confronting Song Wendong—a naked slap in the Martial God’s face.

What would the Martial God’s reaction be then? No matter how powerful the military’s intelligence system, it still couldn't predict the thoughts of this Grandmaster.

People only knew that Song Wendong never showed leniency to anyone who defied his decisions. Granting the Lieutenant Colonel rank was easy, but what should this Lieutenant Colonel do?

The East Asia generals had more than just this single issue plaguing them; it also brought forth another complication. Namely, wherever Qin Fen was placed seemed problematic.

The military camp he was assigned to was highly likely to face an astonishing number of challengers in the short term. A quiet, solemn military camp could easily turn into a bustling marketplace due to the constant influx of civilians.

Although the current Federation emphasized a unified military-civilian spirit, allowing people to treat military camps like marketplaces and challenge soldiers daily was unacceptable. If such a thing truly occurred, where would the Military Department save face?

The two generals watched Qin Fen’s retreating back and exchanged looks that confirmed their mutual headache. The Military Department had held not one, but several meetings recently regarding this minor Lieutenant Colonel issue.

One proposal even suggested simply tossing Qin Fen into the [Sacred Martial Hall]! He had, after all, received an invitation from the [Sacred Martial Hall], and attending for advanced study as a soldier could be justified, even if he wasn't yet discharged.

However, it wasn't unheard of for Federation soldiers to receive invitations from the [Sacred Martial Hall], but never before had one been sent there before being officially discharged. Could they break this precedent just for Qin Fen?

If so, wouldn't every person who received a similar invitation, requested advanced study, and counted that period as active service be allowed to do the same? If that happened, wouldn't the status of the Federation Military Department appear significantly lower than that of the [Sacred Martial Hall]?

While in the minds of many citizens, and even among members of the military establishment, the Military Department's status was indeed somewhat lower than the Sacred Martial Hall, this was something they absolutely could not admit proactively. If this step were truly taken, how would the generals of other military regions view this?

How would the generals of other planets view it? Wouldn't the East Asia Military Region be ridiculed for years to come?

Would they mock the Eastern Military Region for being inferior to the Sacred Martial Hall? Or would they say the East Asia Military Command lacked promising young talents, and upon finding one, they catered to his every whim, treating him like a revered elder?

How would the East Asia Military command ever show its face in public again? The congratulatory reception eventually concluded.

Other new recruits had mostly received their assignments, except for Qin Fen, who remained without a concrete plan. "Qin Fen..." The general seated to Beard Zhao's left said with a headache: "The Military Department has not finalized your assignment order.

For now, you will stay in Shengjing for a while." "Yes!" Qin Fen stood up and saluted again, just as the general to Beard Zhao's right interjected: "Oh, and you won't be staying in the barracks like before. We’ve arranged a hotel for you; you’ll stay there temporarily." A hotel?

Qin Fen looked confusedly at Beard Zhao, and the general leading these new recruits also looked strangely at his two colleagues. The two generals pulled long faces and roared simultaneously: "Lieutenant Colonel Qin Fen, execute the order!" "Yes!" Qin Fen snapped his answer, chest out, but still unable to understand the situation.

Why would the Military Department rather spend money renting a hotel than let him stay in the barracks? Did the taxpayers' money have no end, requiring the military to act as reckless spendthrifts?

Seeing Qin Fen’s bewildered expression, the two generals again shook their heads in helpless, bitter smiles. This was truly a last resort.

Placing Qin Fen in the barracks would turn the solemn environment into a noisy marketplace, which was certainly not desirable. "General..." The female reporter looked timidly at Beard Zhao, the fierce-looking general who seemed difficult to cross: "May I interview Lieutenant Colonel Qin Fen?" Beard Zhao glanced at the reporter a couple of times, feeling the young woman looked vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place where.

He replied casually: "Fine, but certain matters cannot be published." "Understood," the female reporter said, clutching her camera as she approached Qin Fen: "Hello, allow me to introduce myself—Tian Jing, Military News reporter." Qin Fen was baffled. His instructors had never taught him how to handle interviews, and he had never considered being interviewed before.

How was he supposed to respond? "Can I take your picture first?" "Oh..." "I'm talking," Tian Jing said, her head peeking out from behind the camera, "Can you strike a pose?

Just standing stiffly isn't very handsome." "Okay..." Qin Fen cooperatively adopted a posture. "Arhat Fist?" Tian Jing murmured softly, "That's a bit too static.

How about something more dynamic?" Qin Fen then assumed the 'White Crane Spreads Its Wings' pose from the twenty-four simplified Tai Chi forms. Tian Jing immediately regretted asking.

If she had known it would be poses like this, she should have stuck with the Arhat Fist. Why were the poses getting more like aerobic exercises?

Was he that afraid of exposing his true skills? After several photos, Tian Jing adjusted her composure: "In recent years, the East Asia Military Region’s results in the New Recruit Competition haven't been outstanding.

As the champion of this competition, what was your motivation for participating?" "Because winning the championship comes with generous rewards." Qin Fen told the truth. Tian Jing’s expression grew strange; someone was motivated purely by rewards?

Seeing Tian Jing’s peculiar look, Qin Fen smiled. How could this young mistress, accustomed to having everything provided, possibly understand?

But then again, she didn't need to understand. Earning money through one's own efforts was not shameful!

A proud smile flickered across Qin Fen's face. Liking money was not wrong!

As long as it was clean money, anyone could hold their head high. "I heard you graduated from a prestigious high school and were accepted into a good university.

Why did you take a leave of absence to join the army first? Wouldn't joining the army after university have allowed you to serve the Federation better?" Tian Jing’s question quickly received another answer revolving around earning money.

She froze in place, unable to proceed with her prepared series of questions; the subject simply wasn't interested in offering any pleasantries. After a few questions, Tian Jing confirmed one thing: this young man was not genuinely trying to answer her questions.

This time, Tian Jing guessed correctly! Qin Fen truly wasn't in the mood for an interview; his mind was entirely focused on how to leave the military camp later without being discovered by challengers.

If the challengers were strong martial artists offering a hard-fought, evenly matched battle, Qin Fen would have eagerly accepted, looking forward to learning various boxing styles and furthering his martial arts cultivation. A five-star martial artist coming to challenge him?

The thought brought a fresh wave of impatience to Qin Fen’s brow. "Next..." Tian Jing's sharp reporter's instincts caught the flicker of impatience in Qin Fen's expression.

She closed her notebook and turned around: "Alright, my interview is over. Thank you for agreeing to speak with me." "You're welcome, goodbye." Qin Fen stood up, dropped a parting sentence, and hurried toward the rostrum to collect the key to his hotel.

Tian Jing stared at Qin Fen's retreating back, dissatisfied. Was this recruit’s attitude due to her earlier objection?

Was he that petty? "See if I don't scrap your entire report..." Tian Jing muttered under her breath, her lips pursed, and she quickened her pace leaving the hall.

Scrap the report? Qin Fen’s ear twitched, and a slight smile touched his lips.

It seemed his earlier tactics were finally having an effect. This female reporter was somewhat impulsive; who knew if she hadn't gotten the answer she wanted, she might get carried away and write a massive feature in the Military News.

Although the Military News was an internal publication, who could guarantee those reports wouldn't find their way to the Golden Triangle? Who could guarantee terrorist organizations wouldn't obtain them?

In this world, nobody wanted to be targeted by the Golden Triangle, much less by fanatical terrorists whose minds had turned completely insane—those people happily engaged in acts like human bombings. The ringing of a phone interrupted Qin Fen's thoughts.

From the other end came Chen Feiyu's calm, slightly grim voice: "The few people at the entrance were all handled by me after picking a fight. There are no challengers around now..." Qin Fen hung up the phone and smiled.

Why bother worrying about the challengers? In the future, if challengers were a bit too heavy-handed, the number of people queuing up would surely decrease.

However, having no challengers blocking the entrance was a rare opportunity! Qin Fen slightly bent his knees, sprang forward, and, utilizing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Art coupled with the Dragon Form Movement Technique, shot towards the direction of the military gate at high speed.

Tian Jing was walking across the compound when she felt a blur streak past her, the rushing wind sweeping over her back. The green figure covered twenty meters in a single up-and-down movement, looking like a small green dragon churning through the clouds.

"Is that Qin Fen? What a strange Dragon Form Movement Technique; I’ve never seen it.

Is he trying to fob me off? Do you think I won't follow?" Tian Jing’s eyes shone with confidence, and she twisted her slender waist, quickly pursuing the direction Qin Fen had taken.

Bang... Bang...

Two young challengers near the military gate flew back over ten meters, curling up in pain. Qin Fen shook his wrist.

Song Wendong’s influence was unexpectedly potent. It had been such a short time since Chen Feiyu cleared the area, yet more people had already gathered at the entrance.

"You are not my match, and it won't matter if you have Bio-Beasts," Qin Fen didn't leave immediately. Instead, he stood still, coldly scanning the defeated opponents: "I assume people like you have a small, specialized group in Shengjing?

Tell them this for me: any challenger should be prepared to spend half a year recovering in the hospital." Qin Fen took two steps, then turned back to say: "Oh, right. What is the name of the recognized strongest young martial artist among Shengjing’s younger generation?" ...

The two men curled on the ground were foaming at the mouth, their bodies convulsing from the intense pain, letting out nothing but groans. Qin Fen sighed and shook his head, regretting acting too rashly.

He should have asked everything before resorting to blows. "There isn't a single strongest in this generation of Shengjing; there are the Four Heavenly Kings...

Oh! Wait, it should be Three Heavenly Kings and one Heavenly Queen..." Tian Jing pressed a hand to her chest, catching her breath as she answered for the two beaten men.

She looked with surprise at the two figures on the ground; there were no visible signs of a fight nearby, suggesting they were instantly neutralized. Although most of the bloodshot look had faded from their eyes, she could still vaguely see that both had used Bio-Beasts.

Four Heavenly Kings? Qin Fen’s expression remained impassive.

This wasn't the music scene where a 'Four Heavenly Kings' group popped up every few years. "Chen Muli, Gao Yan, Zhou Miao, and one woman, Wang Ting," Tian Jing gasped for air before continuing: "If you had to pick the strongest, it would probably be that crazy woman named Wang Ting." "A woman?" Qin Fen was somewhat surprised.

He hadn't expected the strongest in Shengjing to be a woman. This one could be completely ruled out.

If he could knock down the remaining three men, things might quiet down considerably. Tian Jing moved closer to Qin Fen: "You want to find those three strongest men?" "Mhm." Qin Fen saw no need to hide it.

He figured this couldn't be hidden from this woman for long; being a reporter, and apparently having some connections, secrecy was futile. "I'll take you!" Tian Jing slapped her chest, her eyes darting around: "But on one condition: you must agree to a proper interview with me." Qin Fen glanced back at the two men still huddled on the ground: "Are those three men very famous?" Although they couldn't speak, they could nod.

Seeing Qin Fen's fists suddenly clench, they nodded quickly to confirm. Qin Fen turned back to Tian Jing with a grin, revealing his neat, clean row of teeth: "They are very famous." Tian Jing blinked, then understood Qin Fen's refusal of the interview.

"You are Qin Fen, right?" A provocative voice sounded from not far away. Qin Fen placed his hands on his hips and sighed; it seemed he needed to expedite finding those three men.

Ps: I have to visit my in-laws, so the third chapter tonight will probably be delayed until 23:23:30. For those who have a habit of sleeping early, checking in the morning will be the same.

Heh heh, wishing everyone a great weekend.