A small police precinct in the capital. Due to its location in a busy downtown area, the officers, enjoying relative peace, usually just leaned over their desks, playing games, waiting for their shifts to end.

The usually light and cheerful precinct today was draped in a suffocating tension. All of it stemmed from the young man sitting on the bench: a Lieutenant Colonel!

Before the squad car that brought him in had even fully stopped in the courtyard, the precinct chief, after receiving a call from the military command, rushed out with unprecedented speed to personally receive the Lieutenant Colonel who had been arrested for assault in public.

Almost every officer stared blankly as their most authoritative chief—with more caution than he showed his own father—escorted the Lieutenant Colonel, brought in under orders from the Deputy Chief, into the inner sanctum of the precinct.

Not long after, sounds of a fierce argument drifted from the chief’s office, where the usually amiable chief was fiercely clashing with the ever-energetic Deputy Chief.

People could only vaguely pick up snippets: "General Zhao," "the Du family," "General Li," "General Cao."

General. General. And still more—military...

The two officers who brought Qin Fen in felt their hearts pounding wildly. Generals! Both the Chief and Deputy Chief mentioned generals, one after the other.

If police ranks were directly converted from military ranks, the Chief, holding the rank equivalent to a First Class Police Superintendent, and the Deputy Chief, equivalent to a First Class Police Inspector, held positions only comparable to Lieutenant Colonel and Major, respectively.

The two officers secretly glanced again at the man they had brought in, Qin Fen. This young master held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel! If converted to police rank, he was at the level of the Precinct Chief! It was only at this moment that the two young officers realized things were not as simple as the Deputy Chief had privately instructed them. Look at this young man who was arrested—from start to finish, he hadn't shown an ounce of nervousness or worry, only an occasional, self-deprecating smile flickering at the corners of his lips.

Even in that smile, he exuded an unmistakable composure! Yes! Absolute calm. Too calm!

While Qin Fen remained calm, the internet was on the verge of complete chaos.

Young Lieutenant Colonel Seriously Injures Man in Public Assault The Most Badass Young Lieutenant Colonel! Only Nineteen Years Old! Suspicion of Inside Dealing: How Did He Achieve Lieutenant Colonel Rank Before Turning Nineteen? Lieutenant Colonel Assaults Man, Then Woman, in Street Fight Lieutenant Colonel Wields Weapon, Commits Assault in Public Lieutenant Colonel Fights Over Romantic Rival, Leaves Man Crippled

A stream of sensational, eye-catching posts, disseminated by vested interests, rapidly swept across the internet.

The massive headlines, the clear photographs, and the "miserable" state of the injured party immediately incited the fury of netizens.

Forums on almost every major website quickly erupted in discussions condemning the Lieutenant Colonel for public violence.

Li Mingzheng sat behind his computer, watching the barrage of outraged replies, a more venomous, wicked smile creeping onto his face: "The most conscientious, righteous, and passionate people in this world are netizens. Of course, with the right method, you can ignite their conscience, sense of justice, and passion to serve your needs."

Old Madam Diao’s eyes were narrowed into slits from smiling. This move was unexpectedly brutal. Even Snake King Du Hen would find it difficult to protect Qin Fen now.

If he tried to protect him forcefully? Old Madam Diao knew instinctively that Du Hen’s military career would be over. Even the Eastern Asian Snake King could not withstand the full onslaught of enraged netizens.

The two police officers sighed repeatedly, shaking their heads. They had no idea what kind of powerful figure stood behind this young master. It seemed this matter would not be easily resolved.

The high-ranking officials at the military command had temporarily suspended their meeting. Qin Fen could only leave a message on General Zhao’s private line.

However, Squad Leader Hao and the others could call directly into Old Man Zhao's office.

Old Man Zhao’s adjutant received the call and immediately entered the conference room.

Almost simultaneously, the Snake King's adjutant also walked into the meeting room.

The meeting paused as the two adjutants appeared. The calls, channeled through different routes—like a rising tide—began flooding into the usually tranquil police precinct chief’s desk, arriving even before Qin Fen did.

"Interesting," the Snake King mused, touching his chin, watching the posts that constantly appeared on the major forums like ocean waves. "Li Mingzheng seems to have improved significantly." Du Yu stood silently beside him. As a son, he understood his father best: when Du Hen smiled like that, it meant he was at his most dangerous.

"Using public sentiment to suppress Qin Fen?" Du Hen shook his head. "These articles are well-written. On the surface, they attack Qin Fen, but they subtly keep asking who granted this young man, under nineteen, the rank of Lieutenant Colonel, constantly guiding public opinion toward a stronger offensive."

"This must be the work of Li Mingzheng in league with the Cao family?" Du Yu added quietly. "Otherwise, for a mere General from Hanzhou to stir up this much trouble in Shengjing so quickly would be difficult. It seems Li Mingzheng is truly a handful..."

"A handful..." Du Hen sneered with disdain. "Xiao Yu, do you remember a soldier's duty?"

Du Yu was slightly surprised. That duty was essentially the Du family motto; one couldn't forget it even if they forgot their own surname.

"A soldier’s duty is to protect the lives and property of the people!"

Du Hen nodded with satisfaction. "Precisely. We soldiers exist to protect the populace’s lives and property. This Li Mingzheng has forgotten that duty and is using the public to launch an attack against the military. He’s nothing but a cowardly rat hiding his head. What is there to fear? If he had the guts to openly seize power, I might respect him for his backbone. But now?"

Du Hen let out two cold sounds of contempt, then gently shook his fingers a few times. "Go. Find out who wrote these posts and took the photos. They must know each other. Tonight, you go talk to them alone, and have them post another set of articles revealing the real truth. If anyone’s innate 'sense of justice' is too strong, just kill them." Du Yu nodded silently and withdrew. Having followed the Snake King for so long, some matters didn't need explicit explanation.

Du Yu believed that many would view the Snake King's action as simple self-deception. But he knew his father was simply muddying the waters first. Once the water was turbid, everything else would become easier.

As for killing? Du Yu understood even better that those who dared to frame a heroic new recruit weren't truly 'the people'; they were enemies!

The Du family never showed mercy when striking back against enemies.

"I wonder how things are going in Australia?" Du Yu thought of those few special veterans at the recruit camp, and a hint of warmth touched the ice in his lips. "Damn it! This Old Madam Diao really wants to crush Qin Fen!" Gerile roared, smashing his fist onto the sturdy computer desk, leaving a deep indentation. "Old Hao, what are we going to do?"

"What to do?" Phoenix snapped, "If the Cao family throws the first stone, they need to be ready for us to throw the fifteenth! Daring to use such vicious tricks against my little brother-in-law!"

"I agree," the Gun King said, blowing on his modified sniper equipment, which had an effective range of five kilometers and could pierce a Jungle Ranger. "Let’s just kill them."

"Then Qin Fen can get out? Even if he gets out later, seeing that the people you killed..." Squad Leader Hao spoke slowly and methodically. "Why the rush? Qin Fen is our apprentice; of course, we will protect him. Didn't we just jointly call the Snake King a while ago? Are you worried Qin Fen will suffer?"

"But..." Mang gestured frantically at the automatically scrolling posts on the screen. "Look at this..."

"Sigh..." Squad Leader Hao sighed deeply and looked up at his old friends. "Do you believe it? Qin Fen right now is sitting comfortably in the police station, completely free of worry. You all are inferior to that kid. Aren't you ashamed..."

Knock, knock, knock...

Slow and firm knocking interrupted Hao's speech. The instructors exchanged curious glances. They were all here; who could it be this time?

Creak...

The somewhat aged door pushed open slowly. The instructors froze as they saw who entered.

Zhang Xiangyang. A recruit from the same intake as Qin Fen at the training camp. Usually slightly scholarly, carrying a subtle self-confidence, but possessing military qualities that weren't particularly outstanding.

At this moment, everyone noticed that the usually obedient, standard-recruit demeanor of Zhang Xiangyang was gone. His face was filled with confidence, radiating composure and ease.

"Greetings, Instructors," Zhang Xiangyang said. Instead of a military salute, he gave a slight nod. "First, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Zhang Xiangyang. I joined the military not to serve the Federation, but to observe one person closely, occasionally offer him some assistance, and, when necessary, appear before you all to convey a message from someone."

"Someone?" Squad Leader Hao asked immediately. "Who? What message did he bring this time?"

"First, I must state that the person who sent me said you all know him." Zhang Xiangyang smiled as he swept his gaze across everyone in the room. "Qin."

Those two simple characters instantly altered the atmosphere in the room!

The Gun King momentarily forgot to continue polishing his prized weapon. The gold-rimmed glasses on the Butcher's nose slipped down significantly. The knife in the Butcher's hand slid from his palm and stabbed into the bunk board.

Squad Leader Hao naturally gave a thumbs-up. He knew Qin Zhan wouldn't abandon his younger brother; he had clearly planted an operative nearby. But he wondered if there were other operatives close to Qin Fen?

If Qin Fen were here to hear this, he would immediately understand why Zhang Xiangyang possessed such strong calculation skills, knew about that secret black market website, and why he often fed him valuable information, even taking the initiative to manage the [Dragon Hall] on Sky Combat Net.

Phoenix was the first to jump up from his seat, grabbing Zhang Xiangyang by the collar: "Where is Qin Zhan?"

"That..." Zhang Xiangyang shrugged. "I don't know."

"Phoenix, what's the rush?" Squad Leader Hao gestured with his chin. "He wouldn't expose his identity to us for no reason. Is he just bored enough to reveal himself? For Qin Fen to become the most popular internet celebrity right now? Then tell Qin Zhan that we instructors can guarantee his safety; let him go handle his own business."

"It's not like that," Zhang Xiangyang straightened the wrinkled collar Phoenix had grabbed. "I came to inform you all that Brother Zhan means for you not to interfere in this matter. If a fledgling eagle is always protected under the wings of an old eagle, it will never become a true soaring raptor. Sometimes, the teacher must kick the young one off the cliff. If he climbs up, he can move forward; if he doesn't, so be it." The room fell silent again, but Squad Leader Hao’s expression grew darker.

"Instructors, I have relayed Brother Zhan's message," Zhang Xiangyang nodded lightly. "I will take my leave now..."

"Go to hell, Qin Zhan!"

The silence was shattered by Squad Leader Hao's roar. He kicked the small dining table in front of him high into the air, straightening his body like a spike: "I don't care who you are! Just because he's Qin Fen's older brother makes him superior? Does that mean Qin Fen's life is just his to arrange and play with? Boy, I’m telling you right now! Go back and tell Qin Zhan that Qin Fen is not just his apprentice—he is damn well my apprentice too! You might have a heart of stone, but I care about my apprentice! Get out! Get out right now!" Zhang Xiangyang stared dumbfounded at Squad Leader Hao. This usually easygoing instructor was terrifying when enraged.

The room returned to quiet after Zhang Xiangyang left.

Squad Leader Hao’s fingers tapped incessantly on the chair armrest. Qin Fen had many different methods of tempering; even throwing him onto a battlefield where death was likely wouldn't be excessive. If he died, it would mean his skill wasn't enough. But they absolutely shouldn't abandon him at this moment.

Currently, Qin Fen wasn't involved in a simple incident. High-level military factions were engaged in a power struggle. One wrong move, and he could be torn to shreds. Against such political might, he had no strength to fight back. He was too weak in this area!

Everyone remained silent, waiting. Waiting for the Snake King's call. Since the Snake King and Old Man Zhao had promised to handle things, the best course of action now was to wait, not to strike immediately.

"Brother Zhan... that's how things are..." As soon as Zhang Xiangyang finished speaking, the connection on the other end was lost. He stretched leisurely and walked towards the barracks. The remaining matters were beyond his capacity; he might as well focus on managing the [Dragon Hall] on Sky Combat Net.

"Ah, Hao Ren... I know exactly what you are thinking. But Qin Fen's growth rate is beyond normal. Perhaps none of you have noticed, but while his current strength doesn't seem overwhelming, that is temporary. His potential has been unlocked recently. Even I can't fully see through that kid anymore... A temporary suppression might not be a bad thing for him..."

On the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, a figure stood silently, moving slowly across the water. Suddenly, a massive column of water shot into the sky—it was the spout of a blue whale.

If viewed from high altitude, one would be astonished to realize this person was not standing on the water, but atop the back of a gigantic blue whale!

A single person traversing the vast ocean—what spirit!