"X-43B," Qin Fen murmured, looking down at the fighter jet that had just completed its landing, "The former US spent 1.06 billion dollars to develop this super fighter back then. Mach 10 speed, hailed as the fastest aircraft of its time." He paused. "It once held the title of the Mobile Armor Killer."

The veteran piloting the helicopter gave a thumbs-up. "Kid, once you finish recruit training, interested in joining the Air Force? I can pull some strings for you."

Qin Feng smiled and shook his head. If he wanted to join the Air Force, it would be much simpler to just join the Deadweight Squad under the Deadweight Captain; he wouldn't need any introduction.

Du Peng looked at Qin Fen with utter bewilderment. This guy, who had seemed like a complete greenhorn rookie upon first joining the military, had somehow become knowledgeable about everything in such a short time.

As Qin Fen gazed at the ground, a flicker of confusion crossed his eyes. Two Caucasian servicemen emerged from the X-43B. Judging by their uniform insignia, they were also new recruits, specifically those from the American contingent.

American recruits? Qin Fen frowned slightly. What were they doing here?

While he was contemplating this, the X2 zipped away from the airspace above the recruit camp.

The two new recruits, dressed in American uniforms, stepped down from the X-43B and looked up at the departing X2.

"Oh, Thomas, see that ancient aircraft? The East is still so backward. Did we come to the wrong place?"

"Who cares. James, our mission from above is to come to the East Asian recruit camp and exchange some pleasantries. Let’s see if this year's East Asian recruits have anyone capable of threatening America's continued dominance in the Rookie Competition."

"Oh, Thomas, East Asia has already declined," James, who had a shaved head, chewed his gum and dismissively waved a finger. "I feel like there's no point in being here. They should have sent us to Europe or Africa. I heard West Asia has some good rookies this time. In short, we shouldn't have come to this East Asia, whose strength declines every year."

Thomas pulled out a comb and groomed his short, golden crew cut. "Since we're here, let's just treat it as an outing. And while we’re at it, we can just blow away all the trash here."

"Who are you calling trash?"

Jizen Genichi’s voice was not loud. Barefoot, he slowly walked onto the tarmac, his expression dark as he fixed his gaze on the two outspoken American recruits.

Thanks to the squad leader's help, the pain in Jizen Genichi's body had just subsided. He had rushed to the airfield after inquiring about their location, but he was still too late to settle the score with Du Peng. However, he happened to overhear the words of these two American recruits.

"Oh, Tang Shou?" Thomas casually put on his headset, listening to the intensely rhythmic music, and sauntered towards Jizen Genichi, adopting a boxer’s stance with both arms held ready. "Interested in a spar?"

"Tang Shou? Do you two need to come up together?"

Jizen Genichi let out a cold laugh. Even when his compatriot, Steelman Wu, was defeated, there hadn't been a trace of anger on his face. Only the reputation of Shin Karate could not be sullied by anyone.

"No, no, no, we Americans also possess what you call the spirit of the warrior," Thomas stopped walking and swayed his body to a steady rhythm. "One-on-one. Let the two of us have some fun."

"Fine!"

Jizen Genichi had no intention of being polite. He fully activated the Level Two Fusion Bio-Beast within him. His skin took on a metallic sheen, and his feet slammed onto the ground as he charged forward in a continuous burst. His body rose and fell like a wild horse galloping, reaching Thomas in an instant. His wrist snapped, transforming his palm into a blade, carving an arc that cut through the air, aimed directly at the temple.

A hint of a teasing smile played on Thomas's lips. His two arms, guarding the sides of his head, blocked the path of the blade-hand with an upward parry.

Jizen Genichi's mouth curved into a smile as well. Bio-Beasts are not all the same! The Bio-Beast fused within him was an exceedingly rare Metal Bio-Beast! Even without intentionally practicing hard conditioning, the fortitude of his body surpassed ordinary imagination. Furthermore, his Extreme Shin Karate placed great emphasis on hard conditioning, even referencing defensive techniques like the Iron Shirt Qi absorption. He was confident that with this single palm strike, he could cleave a bear in half—let alone a human built like a grizzly bear.

The moment they collided, the muscles on Thomas's arms suddenly tightened completely, giving off a faint tactile impression of twisted steel rebar.

Steel Body? Before Jizen Genichi could fully react, his right palm-blade struck what felt like genuine hardened steel. The intense pain caused his bones to emit a faint groan.

In that instant of pain, a dark shadow flashed before Jizen Genichi's eyes—it was the technique he knew so well from Shin Karate: the Rock-Shattering Straight Punch! As the thought crossed his mind, a massive fist smashed into Jizen Genichi's face. The searing pain made tears well up uncontrollably. A large hand grabbed his shoulder, instantly lifting his feet off the ground, causing him to lose all balance and center of gravity. He slammed heavily onto the ground. The sheer force not only scattered his protective True Qi and dissolved his Bio-Beast fusion but also knocked him completely unconscious.

"Truly weak," Thomas muttered. He didn't even glance at the prone Jizen Genichi, shook his head, picked up his gear which had fallen during the fight, casually slung it over his shoulder, and nodded towards James. "Let's go meet the highest-ranking officer here. Our vacation starts today..."

The X2 flew for a distance before hovering over an island that was not particularly large. From the high altitude, one could make out the entire layout of the island. Two active volcanoes continuously spewed thick black smoke, indicating they were in a highly unstable state. Apart from these two conspicuous volcanoes, the entire island was blanketed in green vegetation. From above, Qin Fen couldn't even spot the location of the training barracks, nor could he find a suitable spot for the X2 to land.

The X2 now began a slow, steady descent, finally hovering just above the canopy of the jungle, choosing not to land fully.

The veteran sitting next to the pilot tossed a map each to Qin Fen and Du Peng. "Kids, this is the training ground you need to reach. You can leave now."

Leave? Qin Fen glanced at the altitude of the helicopter above the ground and could only offer a wry smile. "What's the point?"

"Kids, you were recommended, but this place doesn't necessarily accept everyone who is recommended. Everyone who arrives on this island must face a trial. Those who fail are eliminated..." The co-pilot stopped mid-sentence, staring wide-eyed at Qin Fen. "Kid, what are you doing?"

With no tools in hand, Qin Fen once again displayed his mastery from the battle net—disassembling weapons. But this time... it was in reality, in a genuine combat scenario!

Du Peng remained silent, also working with a quiet intensity, dismantling the ammunition box at a pace slightly slower than Qin Fen’s, offering his assistance.

"I don't know what dangers and trials lie ahead," Qin Fen said without looking up. "But I know there must be more than just this one test. If I get sent back as a failure, my instructors will chew me out. To avoid embarrassing them, I need to pass this with the easiest margin possible. So... sorry..."

"Kid, I order you to stop! Otherwise..." The co-pilot quickly drew the pistol from his waist. When he looked up, the M134 mounted on the X2, with its six dark, hollow barrels, was pointed directly at his forehead.

"My apologies," Qin Fen said with an apologetic expression. "My instructors taught me that anyone who draws a weapon on you can be immediately classified as an enemy, and a counterattack must be launched. So, could you please hand your weapon over to my companion?"

Although he spoke in a tone of request, the co-pilot sensed Qin Fen's genuine seriousness. This was absolutely not a negotiation; it was a pure command.

"May I also request that you give me the two defensive High Explosive Fragmentation grenades and the two Offensive High Explosive Incendiary grenades on your belt?" Facing the veteran who had just surrendered his firearm, Qin Fen directed a slightly apologetic gaze towards the four grenades at the man's waist. Those two offensive incendiary grenades would be invaluable weapons in this tropical rainforest environment.

The veteran’s smile became utterly bitter. After so many years in the service, this was the first time he had been mugged by new recruits.

Du Peng took the four grenades and gave Qin Fen a soft thumbs-up. Truly a recruit who followed Squad Leader Hao; daring to rob a senior—that level of nerve was exceptional.

Qin Fen tossed two ropes down from the helicopter. While gripping the M134 Vulcan cannon and rappelling down, he offered one last 'friendly' reminder to the two veterans: "If you decide to cut or untie the ropes, I might panic and reflexively pull the trigger on the Vulcan cannon. If such an event were to occur, please bear with me."

The expressions on the faces of the X2 pilot and co-pilot were priceless. The one thing they were considering doing last was precisely what this recruit had warned them against in advance.

Watching Qin Fen and Du Peng descend and drop into the jungle, both pilots murmured in unison: "The identity of a rookie, the strength of a Special Forces operator."

Entering the jungle, Qin Fen frowned slightly. He had only simulated jungle environments in the training rooms before, but nothing compared to this reality. The humidity in the air was so thick it felt as if one could squeeze water from it.

Du Peng crouched beside Qin Fen, his eyes warily scanning their surroundings. Both felt the sensation of being watched by hostile eyes.

"The two recruits possess weapons exceeding the planned allowance. They pass the assessment immediately. Notify those lying in ambush nearby: if you don't want to die, retreat. These two recruits have a murderous look in their eyes; they are truly ready for a fight to the death."

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