Qin Fen departed, leaving Squad Leader Hao staring blankly on the gunwale. Several other squad leaders who had been eavesdropping nearby approached the railing, their faces mirroring Squad Leader Hao’s astonishment.

“Old Squad Leader, did you show your Meteor-level strength in front of him?”

“Could it be that he’s also a man of influence? Someone who had people investigate in advance?”

“Surely not a Three-Star expert who could see through a Meteor-level master deliberately hiding his power?”

The squad leaders spoke one after another. Squad Leader Hao gazed thoughtfully at the departing Qin Fen. Any martial artist’s gait subtly revealed their martial nature; when a master observed a lower-level martial artist, they should see through them instantly. Yet, Qin Fen gave him the feeling that every martial art was both present and absent in him.

Chaotic. A truly messy sensation!

Qin Fen returned to the barracks shared by Second Battalion, Third Company, First Platoon, Second Squad. Du Peng was already lying on his bunk, wearing his wireless combat net helmet, deep within the Sky Fighting Net.

The other six were not as energetic as Du Peng. They had all been completely exhausted of stamina and internal force by Squad Leader Hao before being knocked down, and then immediately subjected to the first set of military drills.

Compared to the new recruits in other squads, the new recruits of Second Battalion, Third Company, First Platoon, Second Squad—those who had challenged the squad leaders—could arguably be the most fatigued group today.

The six men lay quietly on their bunks, conserving their strength. There were still new training modules scheduled for the evening, but these would not require them to be on the deck; they could be completed while lying down.

Qin Fen’s bunk was the lower one. Instead of being empty, it was occupied by Deng Biao, a towering figure of one meter ninety. His solid muscles, accentuated by his undershirt, gave an impression of explosive power.

Qin Fen glanced again at the bunk’s identification tag. He spoke softly to Deng Biao, who was lying down reading a newspaper, “Excuse me, could you please move? This is my bunk.”

“What did you say?”

Deng Biao’s voice, laced with clear provocation and threat, emerged from behind the newspaper.

The other new recruits resting on their bunks all opened their eyes, watching with keen interest how the coward—whom even the company commander dared not challenge—would handle Deng Biao, the physically strongest and seemingly most powerful man in the squad.

“Your bunk is the one above,” Qin Fen offered with a slight, benevolent smile. “This bed belongs to me.”

Crash!

Deng Biao carelessly tossed the newspaper aside. He sat up on the bunk, eyes wide open, two beams of fierce light shooting out, fueled by the anger from being beaten by Squad Leader Hao that afternoon: “I’m tired. I’m sleeping in this bed today. If you want to rest, get up to the upper bunk!”

Laozi [a rough, assertive term for 'I']? Get lost? Qin Fen frowned slightly. The words Lin Liqiang had spoken at the drinking table replayed in his mind.

“I tell you, Old Qin, I heard even soldiers in the army bully the weaklings. When you need to be tough in the army, you must be tough, or you’ll be bullied to death.”

“What? You disagree?” Deng Biao sprang up, his chest muscles quivering slightly.

Qin Fen smiled. He hadn’t expected Lin Liqiang’s words to be such an accurate, dark prophecy.

Sensing a hint of disdain in Qin Fen’s smile, Deng Biao jumped off the bunk. With a shake of his shoulders, his arms were already raised, intending to grab Qin Fen and teach this coward a lesson about who ruled the room.

The moment Deng Biao’s muscles tensed, Qin Fen’s martial sense, far exceeding his rank, instantly perceived the intent behind the movement. The Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill surged through his body.

Instead of retreating, Qin Fen advanced. His ankle twisted sharply, initiating a twist in his waist, and his body flickered several times in an instant. [Dragon Concealment] allowed him to slip past the outstretched arms and into Deng Biao’s embrace. His palms flipped into the Shaolin Arhat Fist move, [Double Pressing Palm], unleashing a sharp burst of internal force!

Bang!

Deng Biao was sent flying sideways, crashing against the bulkhead.

Qin Fen didn't spare Deng Biao a glance. He casually rolled up the bedding on his bunk, cleared it, then reached up to take down all the bedding from the upper bunk, and meticulously remade his own bed.

The watching new recruits were stunned. The barracks space within a starship was cramped, making extensive dodging difficult. To think that [Dragon Concealment], a technique from the physical conditioning set, could be used effectively in such a confined environment—and even evade Deng Biao’s grasping attack?

Qin Fen only hoped that in his future military life, he wouldn't encounter too much trouble and could complete his service peacefully. To achieve that, demonstrating the effect of 'killing the chicken to scare the monkeys' was necessary.

Deng Biao initially felt a sharp pain in his chest, followed by the impact against the bulkhead. The chest pain suddenly subsided, but as he puffed out his chest, trying to rise for another round, he felt an agonizing, piercing pain precisely where the two palms had struck. The force was so potent that he couldn't muster any strength at all, forced to sit rigidly on the spot.

Defeated! Deng Biao’s gaze shifted towards Qin Fen, showing a mixture of shock and a touch of fear. The instantaneous exchange reminded him of the feeling he had when Squad Leader Hao finally subdued him earlier that day—the superior hadn't even used his full power.

Although Deng Biao had also held back, not using his full strength due to underestimating his opponent, he clearly understood that even at his physical peak, he could not have won against this new recruit who was calmly making his bed.

The pain in his chest eased somewhat. Deng Biao got up, gathered his scattered bedding, and gave Qin Fen, who stood beside the bunk, a thumbs-up with some resignation: “You’re tough! Let’s have a proper chat after I practice my skills more.”

After dropping that polite formality, Deng Biao painfully climbed into the upper bunk. The others who had been watching also immediately silenced themselves. It turned out this man wasn't a coward; he had simply assessed the squad leaders’ true strength and avoided challenging them for that reason.

Deng Biao was no weakling. The new recruits in Second Battalion, Third Company, First Platoon, Second Squad who had been watching knew in their hearts they couldn't defeat him, nor were they qualified to issue a new challenge.

Warming up his limbs, the desire for combat rose again within Qin Fen. He picked up the Sky Fighting Net helmet from his bedside table when a voice crackled from the barracks speakers.

“Attention everyone, attention everyone! Log out of the Sky Fighting Net, or stop whatever you are doing right now. See that other red helmet by your bed? Put it on immediately! Anyone not connected to the program within sixty seconds, and I will strip your clothes off and hang you from the flagpole overnight!”

Qin Fen glanced at Du Peng, who was still logged in, and was about to wake him when he saw Du Peng had already exited the Sky Fighting Net. Their eyes met.

Du Peng paused briefly, then instantly understood what Qin Fen had been about to do. He was silent for a moment before uttering a single word: “Thanks.”

P.S.: Recommendation votes. I have never craved recommendation votes as much as I do today. I strongly, urgently request recommendation votes. As for why, I won't elaborate further. I truly need everyone’s support this time.