Under the force of an extreme, high-speed impact, the rider was thrown into the air and emerged unharmed—a feat impossible for those seasoned veterans of the biker gangs.

The motorcycle, having lost its master, did not crash and skid across the pavement; instead, it coasted to a smooth stop right by the roadside. Only a tiny strip of paint near the lane markings had been scraped off; the body remained entirely pristine. This level of control was utterly bewildering.

Qin Fen vaulted back onto the bike. The gang leader snapped back to his objective, dropping his own motorcycle and using a swift movement technique to intercept Qin Fen: “Interested in becoming the leader of the Bōsōzoku?”

“Huh?” Qin Fen paused. “Not interested.”

“Then, can I become your apprentice?” The gang boss was clearly not defeated.

Qin Fen glanced toward the darkness where Yuwen Qian had vanished, remembering the person helping collect weapons from the sniper platform. Fearing a sudden complication or reinforcement for Yuwen Qian, he stated flatly, “I’m very busy. No interest.”

“Character! I like that! Then be my Master!”

Qin Fen sized up the gang leader—this young man, barely past twenty, was proving remarkably persistent. “Is there a difference?”

“No difference,” the leader shook his head. “Master, your technique was too cool! Dodging our bike formation and then that miraculous stop—you were clearly sent to this world specifically to become a Bōsōzoku!”

Qin Fen rubbed his forehead. Unable to comprehend the gang’s mindset, he could only shake his head. “I really am busy.”

“Master…” The leader sighed, slowly backing up two steps and spreading his arms wide. “You have to agree, otherwise, you can’t leave.”

The hundred or so motorcycles ceased their formation, linking tightly together to surround Qin Fen’s bike in the center. Unless Qin Fen could fly, escape seemed impossible.

Qin Fen was caught between laughter and tears. What was going on since he arrived in Hanzhou? Even the bikers were this eccentric.

He surveyed the nearly one hundred gang members. He held no grudge against them; surely, he couldn’t start a fight just because they forcefully tried to become his disciples? Besides, as members of a Bōsōzoku, their physical skills were generally respectable.

In this confined space, offering virtually no room to maneuver, could one man defeat a hundred? Even if they weren't Four-Star level, assuming he couldn't kill anyone or leave them permanently disabled, his chances of winning wouldn't exceed five percent.

“Master, look at my sincerity!” The leader’s eyes burned with fanaticism. “For years, our gang has lacked a truly top-tier rider. We’re constantly mocked by professional racers. With you here today, I believe our Bōsōzoku will surely become the ultimate representative of motorcycling!”

Qin Fen sighed lightly. If they were in the city, he could simply use his speed to blast a path open, hail a taxi, and leave. But this was the highway. Running back on foot, relying on his own strength, would take a considerable amount of time. Worse, he might encounter Yuwen Qian’s associates, risking the loss of the five thousand yuan bounty.

“I am a soldier and must return to my unit. I don’t usually have time to teach.”

Qin Fen’s smile was filled with helplessness. Against vicious terrorists, he could shoot them dead; against robbers, he could fight; but against these harmless fanatics forcing discipleship, he could only explain patiently. If he resorted to violence, he risked being discharged from the military, forfeiting all his retirement bonuses.

“No problem, no problem. Just accept me as your disciple first.” The leader grinned smugly. “When you, venerable Master, finally have time, I will come learn from you.”

Qin Fen looked at the smug grin of the leader, suspecting the young man had calculated that the leader knew Qin Fen’s weakness—his inability to harm civilians because of his military status—which was why he was acting so shamelessly.

“You are a bit of a scoundrel,” Qin Fen stated his opinion plainly.

“Thank you for the compliment, Master, thank you for the compliment!” The leader felt no shame but wore it as an honor, cupping his fists and nodding repeatedly. “Master, please accept me.”

“If I accept you, I can leave?”

“Of course!” The leader slapped his chest. “Once you are my Master, you become the Supreme Captain of our fleet. Whatever you say is an order.” Qin Fen sighed deeply. While deceit was permissible in war, in reality, he preferred to be honest. At least, what he promised, he must deliver absolutely. If he agreed to be a master, there was no turning back.

Qin Fen shrugged. “To ensure my departure, I have no choice but to agree.”

“Thank you, Master. Your disciple, Wei Yingxiong, pays his respects.”

“Wei Yingxiong? A Chinese name? Are you Chinese like me?” Qin Fen was surprised that the leader of the Hanzhou biker gang was actually Chinese.

“Yes,” Wei Yingxiong puffed out his chest with pride. “Because of family circumstances, I’m staying here temporarily. Master, would it be convenient to exchange phone numbers? It will make contact easier.”

Qin Fen knew the gang leader was still somewhat uneasy about him leaving.

When the antique mobile phone reappeared, Wei Yingxiong’s eyes lit up immediately. There was surprise flickering within them, but absolutely no contempt. Qin Fen found this incredibly comforting.

He looked up and realized that of the nearly one hundred bikers, not a single pair of eyes showed scorn. Their gazes held only curiosity, astonishment, and even admiration.

“It’s fine if Master doesn't wish to give his name,” Wei Yingxiong said magnanimously, putting away his phone. “Everyone, make way. My Master has other business.”

The hundred motorcycles parted in an orderly fashion. Qin Fen mounted his bike again, waved a hand at Wei Yingxiong, and sped off toward Seoul.

“Young Master Wei, we wasted some time. Should we immediately—” A gang member whispered cautiously into Wei Yingxiong’s ear.

“Good! Go!” Wei Yingxiong waved his arm decisively, discarding his previous roguish demeanor. A trace of heroic authority, typical of martial men, hinted beneath his surface.

The clamor of the highway soon returned to silence.

Qin Fen rushed back to the concert venue, parking his motorcycle as close to its original spot as possible. He squeezed back to the entrance, showing his credentials to regain access to his sniper position.

The dozens of signed T-shirts from Yafei and Yaxin here were likely worth almost as much as the 5,000 yuan bounty on Zajjade.

The concert was still ongoing. With his mind finally relaxed, Qin Fen listened to the show that had excited him just as much.

When the concert ended, Qin Fen watched the two young women taking their bows, feeling even greater admiration. Their not-so-strong bodies had just carried them through five straight hours of heavy metal rock performance—that was superhuman stamina.

Qin Fen packed up his gear and descended from the sniper platform, heading to the pre-arranged rendezvous point where Phoenix and the others were already waiting.

Though not part of the entertainment industry, Qin Fen knew that after finishing the concert, the two young women would face tedious interviews and grand celebrations. Meeting them face-to-face for a goodbye now was impossible.

“The mission was a success. We are dismissed here; return to your respective units,” Phoenix commanded crisply. She then added to the group, “It was a pleasure working with you all. I hope we get to cooperate again.”

Iron Hand looked deeply sympathetic, sizing up Qin Fen and Xue Tian with eager eyes. “I truly wonder what kind of shock you two will give me the next time we meet. I hope your progress is even greater then. Keep it up, boys! Make Asia proud in the upcoming Rookie Competition!”

Xue Tian sighed. “Ah! That damned competition. If only I didn’t have to participate. But if I didn’t, Master would probably kill me…”

Qin Fen clenched his fists with interest. “I will strive for a good rank.”

“A good rank?” Xue Tian clapped Qin Fen on the shoulder again and whispered, “Are you eyeing the competition prizes?”

“Yes.”

Qin Fen never hid this. Making money was nothing shameful.

“How about this: if we meet at the competition, I’ll secretly cooperate with you to help you secure a better rank. After we’re discharged, you come work as mercenaries with me?” Xue Tian once again presented his devilish temptation.

“I’ll think about it, think about it.”

“Good, I’ll wait for you.” Xue Tian patted Qin Fen’s shoulder, turned around stylishly, raised his hand, and called back to the group, “Farewell until we meet again.”

The professionalism of the soldiers shone through at that moment. Everyone exchanged a crisp salute and began returning via the routes they had taken in.

It was only once he boarded the aircraft that Qin Fen handed Zajjade’s severed head to Phoenix. “I took him down.”

Phoenix accepted the head, wrapped in its distinctive leather pouch, completely unfazed. “Understood. We’ll process your commendation later.”

Butcher spoke slowly as well. “Everything from this operation, we need to review thoroughly when we return.”

“En,” Qin Fen nodded heavily. He had learned too much on this mission and needed time to let it settle.

Silence settled over the military helicopter. Qin Fen sat cross-legged, beginning to cultivate his internal energy—the only useful thing he could do in this transit time.

Six hours later, Qin Fen stepped onto the soil of the Rookie Barracks.

Taking a deep breath of the air he hadn’t smelled in several days, Qin Fen suddenly felt filled with energy.

“You go back first. We’ll resume normal training tomorrow,” Butcher patted Qin Fen’s shoulder.

Having not seen his comrades for several days, Qin Fen was eager to reunite and readily agreed, walking quickly toward the barracks.

The training ground, usually bustling with activity, was unusually quiet today; almost no one was out on the field.

Qin Fen walked along, feeling strange, until he suddenly recalled something: today was the first official rest day for the Rookie Camp.