“Look at this shameless creature. Haven’t you ever felt ashamed?” Xue Tian’s sarcastic tone sounded slowly behind Qin Fen, the piercing high pitch likely grating on the ears.

Zuo Lin’s otherwise handsome face flushed a burning red. To be the controller of the entire situation yet haggle with a future subordinate felt like a severe blow to his pride.

Zuo Lin’s expression darkened. He didn't look at Xue Tian, but instead stared coldly at Qin Fen and spoke, “Qin Fen, if you don’t want to help your friend, you could have simply refused my terms. There was no need to bring someone else in to speak for you.”

Shifting the blame? Qin Fen sneered inwardly, his expression unchanging. With Morade’s assassination attempt preceding this and now his capture, arguing with Zuo Lin held no meaning. The priority was getting Morade back.

“Hmph!”

Qin Fen’s response was as simple as before. Hearing that resounding single syllable, Zuo Lin on the other side of the screen was profoundly shaken. That single word felt like a thousand-pound stone, striking his heart even through the layers of screens.

“Qin Fen, your answer was at least manly,” Zuo Lin said, his fingers adjusting the rhythm of his tapping on the desk. “But bringing in someone later to speak for you, attempting to block my other demand—that shows a lack of loyalty. Abandoning a captured comrade at a time like this, even just getting others to argue on your behalf—weren’t they acting under your instruction? That disappoints me deeply, Morade risked everything for you…”

“State your conditions,” Qin Fen cut in abruptly, forcing the words out. “Say them.”

Morade, pinned down on the ground, saw the expression on Zuo Lin’s face when his words were cut short, and a sliver of vengeful pleasure crossed his features. Advertisement break!

Zuo Lin sensed Morade’s satisfied gaze. Knowing his attempt at instigation had failed again, he coughed into his fist to mask his awkwardness. “I assume you won’t agree to give up your slot and then defect to become my subordinate. I know, in your eyes, why would someone like me, who hasn’t even reached the Martial Arts Master realm, be the master of a Martial Arts Master like you? But I’ll tell you, a wise man wins battles a thousand miles away. Take this for example: because of Morade, you are completely under my control.”

Qin Fen stared silently at Zuo Lin. Retorts relying on quick wit were useless, and what Zuo Lin said was fact. Due to Morade’s capture and the vast distance separating them, he was indeed forced into a disadvantageous position.

“How about we play a… game,” Zuo Lin spread his palms outward. “Of course, this game is also a wager. I will tell you where Morade is being held. If you manage to rescue him within the specified time limit, you win. If you fail to rescue him, it’s simple to save his life then: become my subordinate and serve in my military division after we settle on Saturn.”

“How about it?” Zuo Lin watched Qin Fen anxiously. Logically, he hadn’t fully tamed this wild horse, but passing up such a good opportunity now would be too costly! Bring him under control first, and deal with him properly later! He feared Qin Fen might refuse now…

Qin Fen slightly raised an eyelid, his expressionless gaze fixed on the projected image of Zuo Lin as he asked faintly, “Are there any other demands?”

Zuo Lin’s heart leaped. Qin Fen’s tone suggested he might even agree to the wager.

The joy was quickly followed by hidden shock. Zuo Lin stared at the impassive Qin Fen; daring to take on such a gamble suggested his mettle was even greater than rumored. The matter of proposing marriage at Qilin Mountain now seemed true.

Zuo Lin’s lips curled into a subtle smile, his heart swelling with hidden ecstasy. If he could recruit Qin Fen as a vanguard, it would prove his superiority over Qin Fen. Then, Qilin would look down on Qin Fen even more as a mere pawn, and wouldn't Zuo Lin then have a chance with the granddaughter of the Divine Beast Martial Artist?

The image of a woman flashed through Zuo Lin’s mind: Lin Jiamei. The thought of this woman with whom he had an engagement brought a wave of headache. Back then, he only sought to leverage her father’s power, never expecting that the Serpent King’s single strike would obliterate General Lin’s entire influence. Now, due to certain events, she was under investigation, and even if released later, she would be useless. Zuo Lin wanted to shake off Lin Jiamei. This young lady, who once seemed spoiled, had somehow become incredibly resilient; no matter the blow, she stubbornly persisted.

He had to ditch Lin Jiamei quickly! Absolutely! Zuo Lin made a fierce resolution. Securing Qin Fen as a vanguard would allow him to prove to the Divine Beast Qilin that he was far stronger than Qin Fen.

“Are there any other demands?” Qin Fen’s voice carried a hint of impatience.

Zuo Lin snapped back from his thoughts, shaking his head repeatedly. To become the son-in-law of the Divine Beast Martial Artist, he couldn't press Qin Fen further now, forcing him to reject the wager. Even if he gained a young Fifteen-Star Martial Arts Master, the loss would be too great.

“No more,” Zuo Lin replied decisively. “As long as you can rescue Morade within twenty-four hours, you win. I will inform you of the location later.”

The call ended, and Zuo Lin vanished from the projection screen.

A hint of cold, grim laughter touched Qin Fen’s expression. He swiftly sent out a signal.

Three seconds later, a new projection signal popped up before Qin Fen. This time, it wasn't Zuo Lin’s handsome face, but the visage of a classic Western beauty. Young, yet shouldering the rank of Colonel; her loose military uniform still couldn't conceal her shapely, seductive figure.

Jessica Weaver, the Colonel he had cooperated with during the raid in the Sahara Desert.

Qin Fen remembered her file clearly; her greatest asset was her mastery of computer networking, possessing top-tier hacking skills.

“Colonel Qin Fen, long time no see,” Jessica Weaver adjusted the red frames of her glasses. Her beautiful eyes sparkled with joy. After just one mission, she had taken a liking to this immensely powerful, battlefield-dominating young Lieutenant Colonel. “Why the sudden call? Are you treating me to dinner? I need to check my schedule.”

Qin Fen was momentarily stunned. During their last mission, this Western beauty hadn't been nearly as humorous or fond of joking.

“I need help.” Qin Fen unceremoniously used his phone’s recording function to play the conversation with Zuo Lin for Jessica Weaver. “This is a call I received recently. I need to know if you have a way to trace his location.”

“Piece of cake. Colonel Zuo Lin’s thinking was meticulous enough, but unfortunately, he didn't account for you coming to me,” Jessica Weaver pushed her red stylus against the red frames on her nose. Her red lips curved into a charming smile. “Colonel Qin Fen, you owe me a dinner.”

“No problem. Don’t order anything too expensive; my stipend is limited.”

With Jessica Weaver’s assurance, the anxiety in Qin Fen’s heart eased considerably.

He watched as, in the projection, Jessica Weaver manipulated the keyboards of two computers simultaneously. Her index fingers danced across them like a virtuoso playing a blazing fast piano piece, creating a sequence of sounds that might or might not be considered music.

The computer projections around her flashed rapidly with data. In just fifteen minutes, Jessica Weaver stopped her operations. Her red-lipped smile revealed a look of pure confidence. She casually removed her glasses and shook her long hair, radiating the mature, seductive charm of a woman.

“Found it.”

Two sets of projected data appeared on Qin Fen’s screen. One was clearly the signal location traced through the mobile communication network; the other was a pure image, annotated with various data comparison analyses.

Qin Fen studied the second data projection for several seconds, realizing that besides hacking into the mobile network to find Zuo Lin’s signal emitter, Jessica Weaver had also analyzed the graphics of Zuo Lin’s location and cross-referenced all recorded environmental data to calculate the probable location. It matched the mobile signal emitter’s location perfectly.

“Colonel Qin Fen, you owe me two dinners,” Jessica Weaver playfully pouted at Qin Fen, blowing an air kiss before closing the projection screen.

A few seconds later, Zuo Lin’s call came through again: “Qin Fen, Morade is being held in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia. Someone will contact you when you arrive. I look forward to seeing an unexpected performance from you. Remember, you must go alone.”

Zuo Lin tapped downward to end the call, happily spinning in his chair with his hands resting on the armrests, a triumphant smirk fixed on his lips.

“This time, I’m betting I won’t lose.” Zuo Lin, unusually, propped his feet up on his desk, gazing contentedly at the chair back. “With a complete defense system bolstered by two Martial Arts Masters working together, even Qin Fen cannot break through. Even if he were lucky enough to break through the layers of defense, then advertisement break!

Zuo Lin suddenly clenched both fists, deforming the armrests in his grip. A cold, resolute glint flickered in his eyes. “Then I will order someone to kill Morade and frame Qin Fen for it. Sacrificing one Martial Arts Master will invite the wrath of a powerful family against Qin Fen, pushing him to a dead end, at which point he will naturally follow me devotedly.”

“Hohhot?” Yang Lie frowned. “He moved Morade? Qin Fen, you’re going alone…”

“We go together,” Qin Fen turned back and smiled at the group. “Originally, I planned to follow the rules of the game and complete this selection process. Since I already agreed to Zuo Lin’s demand to withdraw, I will certainly withdraw. Now that I’ve withdrawn, the game rules no longer apply to me. From this moment on, I don’t want to be led around by the nose anymore.”

“So! The game rules—from this moment on, I set them! We are not going to Hohhot. We are still going to Shengjing! The location Jessica Weaver gave us—Zuo Lin should still be there.”

Xue Tian and the others exchanged glances, all showing happy smiles. Being pushed around by Zuo Lin on the phone earlier, feeling completely controlled, was detestable. Now, Qin Fen was using the located coordinates to turn the tables, avoiding the trap Zuo Lin set in Hohhot and going straight for Zuo Lin himself. That way, they wouldn’t have to worry about Zuo Lin playing dirty tricks during the rescue, or whether capturing Zuo Lin would be enough to trade for Morade.

“Let’s go, let’s go, hurry up! I can’t wait,” Xue Tian rubbed his palms back and forth, jogging towards the airport. The others exchanged knowing smiles, the frustration from being suppressed by Zuo Lin earlier significantly diminished at this moment.

The huge luxury aircraft lifted off from the airport. Today, Qin Fen and the others occupied first-class seats. Although the cost was a bit high, Qin Fen had already decided that after kidnapping Zuo Lin, during the exchange with Morade, he would definitely demand some medical expenses for his friend, along with the cost of a few first-class tickets. He figured Zuo Lin wouldn't haggle over such a small sum.

The most expensive tickets naturally bought the fastest flight. The massive airliner streaked across the sky, heading straight for Shengjing.

Zuo Lin sat in his comfortable, spacious office, monitoring the ambush in Hohhot via the projection screen. To finally capture Qin Fen in one fell swoop, he had even secured the temporary deployment of two Sixteen-Star Martial Artists specially approved by his grandfather.

“Two Fifteen-Star Martial Arts Masters equipped with high-level bio-beasts, plus two Sixteen-Star Martial Arts Masters equipped with high-level bio-beasts—this lineup isn't just luxurious, it’s extravagant!” Zuo Lin watched the four busy Martial Arts Masters, a self-satisfied smile returning to his face. So what if these Martial Arts Masters were stronger than him? They still had to follow his orders! With the addition of Qin Fen and Morade, they could seize even greater benefits on Saturn before the Divine Beasts emerged.

“Heaven’s Gate, Earth’s Underworld?” Zuo Lin looked at the virtual characters typed out on the computer, his smile widening. “Heaven has been kind to me! With these two opposing forces on Saturn, I won’t have to struggle for survival between them like my predecessor did.”

Zuo Lin snapped his fingers, disdain flashing in his eyes. “The former commander was too foolish; one shouldn't contest for Divine Beast influence without sufficient capability. Our military has its own power. Against the balanced power between these two factions, all I need to do is declare which side I will support, and I’m sure they will both concede substantial benefits to court me. Instead of chasing the illusory title of Divine Beast Martial Artist, seizing maximum profit during this time is the true sovereign way.”

“Saturn, wait for me!” Zuo Lin slammed his fist hard onto the desk. “When I arrive, I’ll flip this place upside down!”

“You won’t have the chance.”

A deep voice echoed from the adjacent room. With a loud boom, the thick wall disintegrated, and Qin Fen slowly emerged from the dust and debris.

Carrying over sixty pounds of gear, I sprinted up six flights of stairs today and suddenly realized I’m truly not young anymore. Sitting in front of the computer for long hours has given me all sorts of occupational hazards, and my stamina has become unbelievably poor. I even felt a bit dizzy.

Sigh... I’m getting old! Should I start practicing the Dragon-Elephant Prajna? I suddenly realize how much I’ve sacrificed just to write. Before, carrying sixty pounds up six floors, while I wouldn't say I was completely winded, at least I didn't feel exhausted! After sleeping for an hour and a half, I’m up to write again... Finally finished this chapter! If everyone thinks carefully, Qin Fen still has quite a few unknown trump cards, like this Jessica this time. Next, things will get really intense, one wave after another, so please give me monthly votes!!!

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