Those four softly spoken words, delivered in a measured tone, instantly captured the attention of everyone in the conference room.

The Serpent King, long regarded as the spiritual anchor of the East Asian Military Region, often held the deciding voice in the final direction of any meeting.

"If Qin Fen leaves the military, how others choose to suppress him is not the army's concern. But..." Du Hen paused, swirling the decidedly subpar green tea in the room, "before he leaves, he is still one of us. If a general cannot even protect his own subordinates, who will follow him into a fight where they risk their lives?"

Li Mingzheng twitched the corners of his mouth, an expression of easy dismissal crossing his face. Qin Fen wasn't some new recruit in Hanzhou; he hardly qualified as a subordinate, so why should they risk offending Song Wendong over a mere Lieutenant Colonel?

The Hanzhou faction of generals smirked; Li Mingzheng's sentiment was theirs too. However, the Serpent King’s reputation was too formidable—a top figure across the entire Federal Military Zone, and often the unspoken leader of the East Asian contingent. He wasn't someone they could casually challenge or mock like they might someone of Hui Yuanwu’s stature.

Du Hen didn't spare Li Mingzheng a glance for his thinly veiled dissatisfaction. He tapped his fingers lightly on the tabletop. "Regarding Qin Fen, my personal opinion is to focus on cultivating him, to give him a bright future."

In previous military meetings, once the Serpent King declared his stance, the room would invariably fill with echoing affirmations. Today, however, after the Serpent King finished speaking, the conference room fell into an unnerving silence.

This declaration surprised most attendees. They understood perfectly what this attitude signified: he was siding with my personal opinion and stance, without demanding consensus from the rest of them. "Concerning Qin Fen," the Serpent King continued, his eyes sweeping over the newly quiet assembly, "I will reiterate my position. If anyone dares to openly move against Qin Fen again, do not blame me for being impolite."

Sitting not far from Old Man Zhao, Cao Bo stiffened. These words were clearly aimed at him. The Serpent King’s intelligence network surely knew what Qin Fen had faced that day.

"General..." Li Mingzheng rose again. "I deeply respect your view, but for the future development of the East Asian Military Region..."

The meeting dragged on until noon.

Time passed, and the meeting still hadn't reached any clear resolution; the Serpent King remained silent after his second statement.

The session was recessed. The generals, their shoulders bearing the weight of stars, filed out of the conference room, forming small clusters to murmur about the day's developments.

Cao Bo practically sprinted out, rushing back to his office before snatching up his personal phone to call home.

The instant the connection was made, Cao Rong's heart-wrenching sobs roared through the receiver. Cao Bo irritably set the phone aside, staring coldly at the instrument that continued to wail.

After several minutes, realizing Cao Bo offered no comforting words, Cao Rong’s crying subsided slightly, though it remained thick with distress as she shrieked, "Brother! Your nephew is dead! Do you know? He’s dead! I know it, he definitely wasn't killed by terrorists. It was Qin Fen, it must have been Qin Fen! You have to avenge Liang Tao! He’s my only son~ If he’s gone, who will I depend on for the rest of my life?"

"Qin Fen?" Cao Bo scoffed. "Qin Fen had no history with Liang Tao. Why would he go out of his way to kill your son?"

"Brother~" Cao Rong let out a shrill, agonized scream. "Even if Liang Tao made a small mistake, it was only to teach that arrogant Qin Fen a minor lesson..."

"A minor lesson..." Cao Bo looked at the phone in his hand, the frost on his face capable of freezing hot coals solid. "I know the details. Liang Tao gathered fifty men, two AK-47s. He wanted to cripple Qin Fen permanently, ensuring he couldn't even move a finger, destined to be bedridden for life. And you call that 'minor'? What would constitute a major incident?"

"What are you talking about, Brother? He is your nephew, your blood nephew!" Cao Rong squeezed the phone, her shrieks unrelenting. "What is a Qin Fen to matter! If he killed him, he killed him!"

"Shut up!" Cao Bo finally couldn't suppress the fury boiling in his chest and roared. "Your precious son nearly dragged the entire family into an abyss! Why won't you reflect on who was truly at fault! The Serpent King issued a decree today—if anyone dares to openly use those kinds of tactics against Qin Fen again, he will show no mercy."

"The Serpent King?" Cao Rong paused, a sharp look returning to her face. "So what if it’s the Serpent King? It’s not his son or grandson who died, of course he can make such threats! I don't care who it is, I will kill Qin Fen, I will have my revenge!"

"Cao Bo..." Old Madam Diao entered Cao Rong's room, taking the phone. She gently rotated the prayer beads in her right hand and spoke with chilling serenity. "How can you be so muddled when you’re usually so shrewd? If Qin Fen dies, what benefit does the Serpent King gain from being angry? Then, simply offering him a share of the family's interests, I believe he would understand that the value of a dead boy is less than the value of the entire Cao Clan. You don't need to worry about Liang Tao's matter."

Cao Bo listened to the dial tone in the receiver, an expression of endless exhaustion settling on his face. Qin Fen might just be a minor Lieutenant Colonel, but why couldn't the people at home see? The forces backing him were growing stronger! Moreover, the mysterious person who had so easily repelled the ninth-ranked operative on the Blood List that day, thereby saving Qin Fen's life, still remained untraced—and that suggested something highly unusual.

If the military's might couldn't identify the martial artist who repelled Qin Fen and flew away that day, shouldn't that warrant serious attention?

Qin Fen! Behind this seemingly insignificant Lieutenant Colonel, there might be an unimaginable power supporting him! Otherwise, how could he dare to offend Song Wendong?

Cao Bo rubbed his forehead hard, slowly rising from his leather chair and walking to the window ledge to look at the scenery outside, seeking a moment of calm.

"That is..."

Cao Bo froze. On the road below the building stood the central figure of the meeting's discussion, Qin Fen, standing beside Old Man Zhao—Old Man Zhao, who was usually so volatile but had remained completely silent throughout today's meeting!

"Do you think this matter is highly confidential?" Old Man Zhao smiled, looking at Qin Fen's earnest expression. No matter how bravely a young man charged forward, killing someone in Shengjing still required a steady nerve. "The Serpent King spoke today, saying he would protect you. He even stated in the meeting that if anyone dared to make another assassination attempt like this morning's, he would mercilessly help you fight back."

"The Serpent King? Du Hen?"

Qin Fen was genuinely astonished. Although he didn't fully grasp the inner workings of the higher echelons, such an openly declared threat would surely offend many powerful people. His relationship with the Serpent King wasn't close enough to warrant such a move. Why would the Serpent King intervene, adopting the posture of a lion protecting its cub?

Old Man Zhao smiled without offering an explanation. The military had expended considerable resources trying to identify the mysterious expert who saved Qin Fen's life, yet they failed—that was exceptionally abnormal! Of course, that wasn't the sole or primary reason for the Serpent King’s willingness to assist; only the Serpent King himself knew his true motives.