Cadre Hao looked at Qin Fen and Du Peng with undisguised satisfaction, his smug smile saying it all.

The expression of the Hanzhou soldier darkened slightly. Qin Fen had defeated the new Hanzhou recruit Park Jong-hwan, subtly claiming the top spot in the recruit brawls, and now held the advantage. There was no way he would condescend to challenge the Hanzhou barracks; the soldier clearly wouldn't get the chance to teach Qin Fen a lesson himself.

“Xuan Yi, stand up!” the Hanzhou soldier suddenly barked, his voice sharp. “Our martial spirits only allow us to stand! If you are still a warrior, then stand up.”

Ji Zhen Xuan Yi shakily rose, his ashen face turning ashen-blue. Cadre Hao’s kick would certainly not have been gentle; though it hadn't physically injured him, the pain was no less real.

“Little Du, let’s not be fools trying to save face when we’re already embarrassed. If you still feel pain, don’t stand up yet.” Cadre Hao put on an air of concern, subtly including the Hanzhou soldier in his reprimand: “The body is a martial artist’s only capital; we absolutely cannot mess that up.”

The Hanzhou soldier snorted coldly, executed a crisp military turn, and said, “Xuan Yi, come back with me. When your body has recovered, I will officially bring you to challenge them.”

“This…” New recruit Du Peng, who had remained seated and mostly silent, suddenly interjected with a hint of hesitation: “In our room, there is also a Hanzhou martial artist who is unconscious. If it’s possible... perhaps you could take him yourselves…”

Pfft…

Cadre Hao burst out laughing. This guy, usually so cool, speaking in such a hesitant tone sounded utterly mocking rather than offering a well-meaning reminder. He realized he needed to spend time cultivating Du Peng’s ability in this area; it was a superb weapon for crushing enemy morale.

At this moment, Qin Fen dialed the New Recruit Barracks medical bay, describing the injured condition of Cha Can.

“Qin Fen, thank you. But I will challenge you again,” said Cha Can, lying on the ground. The dominance he usually exuded had momentarily vanished, yet his spirit and energy suggested growth.

Qin Fen nodded. “Next time, don’t try to extort money.”

“Got it,” Cha Can chuckled too. “This time, he was just too arrogant. If you’re going to challenge someone directly, just target them. Pushing others aside—what’s that supposed to mean? Does it make him seem noble?”

Qin Fen smiled in agreement. Although Cha Can was devastatingly aggressive in combat, he was fundamentally forthright. It was a pity that Qin Fen couldn't hold back when fighting him, as Cha Can's strength was undeniably considerable.

Before long, Cha Can was carried away by the arriving military medics.

Cadre Hao clapped Qin Fen on the shoulder, speaking with great pleasure. “Kid, well done. You brought us real honor. Among the younger recruits in this camp, you were just considered highly competitive by the veterans from other regions. As for the title of Top New Recruit in combat, most people leaned towards Cha Can or Ji Zhen Xuan Yi. After today’s fight, you’ve truly made a name for yourself in our barracks.”

Du Peng moved his chest, letting out the trapped, stale air from his abdomen in a long exhale.

Cadre Hao then turned to Du Peng and asked, “You don’t have a Bio-Beast, do you?”

Du Peng paused slightly before nodding, admitting the fact.

“That explains it then,” Cadre Hao said with a smile. “Setting aside all external factors, I also favored you to beat Ji Zhen Xuan Yi. But did you know, Ji Zhen Xuan Yi has a Bio-Beast, and it’s stronger than the Level One Fusion that Gang Benwu possesses? It’s a Level Two Fusion. Actually, Cha Can also has a Bio-Beast, but he prefers fairness in martial combat, so he’d rather lose than use it. That’s why they are jointly called the strongest new recruits in combat.”

Du Peng understood Cadre Hao’s implication. Ji Zhen Xuan Yi might not hesitate to deploy his Bio-Beast in a critical moment, causing the scales of victory to tip instantly.

Qin Fen frowned slightly. Bio-Beasts were prohibitively expensive. Even with all the money he had earned lately, his entire savings couldn't afford a single Bio-Beast egg. No wonder the young disciples following Song Jia looked down on everyone else. Even those raised with elite education, no matter how broad their exposure compared to ordinary people, harbored a deep-seated sense of superiority that began the moment they were born—a very difficult trait to correct.

Du Peng’s expression was equally grave; the words “Bio-Beast” felt like a barb digging into him, making his face look terrible.

Cadre Hao also looked at Du Peng curiously. This young man possessed considerable strength, and based on his demeanor and conduct, he should have come from a powerful military family. While a good Bio-Beast egg could easily bankrupt someone, for many capable military families, obtaining one of decent quality was not impossible.

Cadre Hao was genuinely puzzled why an elite young talent like Du Peng hadn't leveraged connections to enter the army, nor had any directive come down requiring special consideration for him. Cadre Hao, skilled in psychology, couldn't comprehend the situation. He even used some of his connections to investigate, only to find Du Peng’s entire file was virtually blank.

The assembly call sounded again, pulling Cadre Hao out of his contemplation. He addressed them once more: “The two of you do not have training today. Prepare yourselves briefly. You two are leaving immediately to attend that training camp.”

Hearing ‘training camp,’ Du Peng’s eyes immediately lit up—a light that reminded Qin Fen of a wolf spotting meat.

Watching Du Peng leave, Qin Fen also felt a degree of confusion. Why was Du Peng so excited by the mention of a training camp? Was he that desperate to prove himself? Why the urgency to prove himself?

“Kid,” Cadre Hao said, walking alongside Qin Fen. “The New Recruit Training Camp, while not gathering all the absolute top elite recruits in East Asia, certainly consists of very capable individuals. Many also possess significant backgrounds. If you find anyone whose personality meshes well with yours, make friends with them. It will be very helpful for your future.”

Qin Fen nodded in agreement. “Cadre, I might have heard some news about my older brother.”

“Oh? Is that so? Where is Old Qin?”

The interest Cadre Hao showed was clearly not much less intense than Du Peng’s excitement over the training camp.

Qin Fen replied, sounding slightly uncertain, “He might have become a mercenary…”

“Mercenary…” Cadre Hao shook his head repeatedly. “With Old Qin’s personality, he’s probably just dabbling, like when he played with guns or Mobile Armors back then. Once his interest fades, he’ll likely change again, right?”

“Still, we should check,” Qin Fen insisted, unwilling to let go of the first scrap of news about Qin Zhan he’d found.

“Of course, we must check!” Cadre Hao’s tone shifted. “I just don’t hold out much hope. But we absolutely must investigate; perhaps we can find clues about where he’s gone through that trail. I still want you, a guy we trained, to beat your brother and bring us some pride.”

Qin Fen shook his head repeatedly. These instructors were truly persistent, never forgetting revenge. He wondered if his brother’s departure was precisely because the resentment from these instructors was too strong, causing him to flee in desperation.

“Going to this training session will still be beneficial for you,” Cadre Hao said calmly. “It counts as an assessment. If you secure a good ranking in the future major competitions, your performance in this training will be recorded and scored by the major figures in the East Asia Military Region. You might even manage to secure a Lieutenant or Captain rank when final placements are made after the recruit training ends.”

Qin Fen began to rub his hands together in anticipation. The retirement benefits for a Lieutenant and a Captain were vastly different.

“Of course, the possibility of Second Sergeant First Class is slightly higher than Lieutenant,” Cadre Hao added, a hint of disdain in his tone. “Actually, it’s often better to be an executor than a decision-maker.”

Qin Fen didn't particularly care about the rank itself. A Second Sergeant First Class was essentially a Battalion Supervisory Officer; while they had to follow the orders of a Captain Battalion Commander, their position wasn't drastically different from a Captain's. At least, regarding the retirement benefits that Qin Fen cared about most, the difference between the two ranks was negligible.

As new recruits, there wasn't much to pack. Qin Fen and Du Peng only gathered their clothes and followed Cadre Hao to the New Recruit Barracks airfield.

An X2 combat helicopter, capable of speeds exceeding 430 km/h, roared with the deep rumble of its rotors. Its performance was significantly superior to the helicopter Qin Fen had ridden last time.

“Hey! Buttercup! Never seen this bird before?” the Air Force pilot in the cockpit shouted back loudly. “You two are staring like you’ve never seen one! Wait till I show you what speed really means!”

“The X2, maximum speed 463 kilometers per hour. Designed and manufactured by the American Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation before the Federation was formed, it’s a rotary-wing concept helicopter. It was once hailed as the world’s fastest helicopter,” Qin Fen stated expressionlessly and rapidly. “It features an intelligent rotor, an intelligent cockpit, stealth capability, fly-by-light controls, and six gun barrels, providing formidable firepower with a rate of fire reaching approximately six thousand rounds per minute. Furthermore, the X2 has a weapon pylon on each side of its fuselage, previously used to carry the Hellfire anti-tank missile as part of a new rocket system. With the advent of Mobile Armors, the Hellfire missile’s effectiveness has greatly diminished, and it's now semi-retired.”

The pilot driving the helicopter was stunned silent. It was already impressive enough for an Army recruit to recognize the model of a combat helicopter; this kid actually recited the X2’s primary performance metrics and combat capabilities entirely. No wonder he qualified for entry to Paradise Island.

The X2 soon lifted off. A fighter jet’s whistle echoed from the distance in the sky. A strikingly cool fighter roared overhead in a magnificent circle before rapidly landing on the ground.

The Air Force pilot in the X2 turned back, adopting a testing tone. “Kid, recognize that aircraft?”