Deep in the jungle, the veteran overseeing the command assessment lightly stroked his gleaming scalp, quietly observing the scenes displayed across a dozen monitors before him.

Shhh...

One of the monitors suddenly dissolved into black and white static.

"Interesting. Not only did they hijack the X's onboard weaponry, but they can also operate it individually, and they found the hidden surveillance equipment. Which little brat is this? Are they giving me a taste of my own medicine right after arriving at Paradise? It seems I need to give these... Wait a minute?"

The veteran’s words died in his throat as a flash of surprise crossed his eyes. A soldier who had breached the perimeter from another direction had just destroyed another monitor.

The veteran laughed happily. "It seems the higher-ups finally feel sufficiently embarrassed. They've actually sent some recruits with genuine quality this time."

Qin Fen and the other followed the map's directions to the supposed central training location, freezing in place as they took in the surroundings.

The so-called assembly point consisted of only a single, squat room. Judging by its size, it would be incredibly cramped even for three or five people, let alone the dozen or twenty they expected.

The sign hanging by the door—"Officer’s Quarters"—only confirmed that this structure was not intended as accommodation for the new recruits.

Surrounding the hut was nothing but dense rainforest. Forget housing; Qin Fen couldn't even find a designated training ground.

This place was nothing like the recruit camp. The two of them had been here for over three hours, and not a single person had emerged to greet or guide them. If it weren't for the concealed structure and the map's markings, Qin Fen and his companion would have suspected they were at the wrong location.

With no one assigned to host them, naturally, no food was provided either. Qin Fen took this opportunity to showcase the wilderness survival skills he had learned from his instructors.

Using simple materials and common ingredients, he prepared a meal that smelled quite appetizing.

A faint rustling passed through the rainforest, and two soldiers emerged, clad in camouflage and adorned with foliage for cover.

"Smells good..."

The one leading the way had a look of considerable surprise in his eyes; such simple tools shouldn't have been able to generate such an aroma.

Qin Fen looked up and saw the first soldier emerge, a slight jolt of surprise also stirring within him. The appearance of this soldier shared at least a seventy percent similarity with Du Peng.

He glanced back at Du Peng. His companion, usually reserved and showing little emotion, instantly exuded a very clear hostility the moment the other appeared.

"You must be one of the new recruits here for the training camp, right?" The soldier bearing a strong resemblance to Du Peng approached Qin Fen. "Hello, I am one of the instructors here. That skill is impressive; let me have a taste as well."

Clack!

The six dark muzzles of the M134 instantly locked onto the soldier who was sitting casually on the ground.

"What are you trying to do to an officer?"

Faced with being targeted by the weapon, the instructor’s expression darkened, but his eyes showed no panic; instead, they carried an air of arrogant authority.

Whirrrrrr...

The M134's electric motor began to spin at high speed. Qin Fen watched the man calmly. "You are composed, and you certainly carry yourself with authority. Someone less experienced might be intimidated by you. But facing me? Lies rarely work. Your identity isn't that of an instructor; you're a soldier in the training camp, just like me. As for tasting the food, that’s out of the question, because my companion doesn't seem to welcome you."

Having his ruse exposed, the man showed no embarrassment; instead, his eyes glimmered with appreciation. "Interesting. You saw through my lie instantly. Can you tell me where I slipped up?"

Qin Fen shook his head and remained silent, handing a 'bowl' of the stew he had prepared to Du Peng—a vessel temporarily fashioned from a piece of soft wood.

Du Peng looked at the newcomer with unconcealed hostility and accepted the bowl of stew in silence.

Qin Fen could feel Du Peng's hand tremble slightly as he took the bowl.

A martial artist at the peak of Four-Star strength shouldn't tremble holding even a hundred pounds of weight. Could a small bowl of stew cause such a reaction?

Qin Fen understood that Du Peng’s trembling wasn't due to a lack of strength, but because the appearance of this man standing before them had caused an extreme emotional shift, resulting in such a physical response.

Du Peng’s silence reminded Qin Fen of his good friend, Inzaghi. These two quiet men might seem unapproachable to others, but Qin Fen felt an inexplicable sense of kinship with them. Even with his limited interaction with Du Peng, he could sense that Du Peng held no malice regarding his title as the strongest new recruit fighter, perhaps only exhibiting the appropriate fighting spirit a martial artist should possess.

Qin Fen rarely developed a dislike for strangers, but today, perhaps due to shared association, he felt no warmth toward this newcomer.

"Hey, Young Master Du is asking you a question."

The other new recruit finally lost his patience. If not for the M134 in Qin Fen's hands being ready to fire at any moment, based on his demeanor, a physical confrontation was not out of the question.

"Xing Wuyi, it's fine." Young Master Du smiled kindly at the corners of his eyes and mouth. "We are all new recruits here. We share a common enemy: the instructors. How about we get acquainted? My name is Du Zhanpeng. I don't believe I caught yours?"

Both sharing the surname Du? Qin Fen glanced at Du Peng beside him, secretly guessing: it seemed highly probable these two were related.

Crackle...

Another female soldier, dressed in a recruit uniform, emerged from the dense rainforest. She was alone and carried no visible weapons.

Upon entering the strange outpost, the female soldier did not look at Du Zhanpeng, nor was she drawn to Qin Fen by the smell of food, as if no one else registered in her field of vision.

She casually found a large tree and swiftly scaled it. A tropical viper, coiled up to rest on a high branch, was disturbed. Its body twisted, and it shot out like an arrow, mouth agape, aiming for the woman's throat.

Snap!

The female soldier, without even looking at the striking snake, casually reached out a hand and clamped down precisely on the viper's fatal point. She squeezed slightly, and the snake’s body rapidly began to swell, like an overinflated balloon...

Finally, with a bang, the entire snake carcass exploded, spraying cold venom onto the trunk of the tree and the surrounding area.

Qin Fen, who had been focused on his food, also directed a look of admiration toward the woman in the treetop.

On his way here, Qin Fen had noticed signs of ambushes. Although he didn't know why they had retreated early, it indicated the journey to this location had not been peaceful. For a lone woman, unarmed, to arrive here seemingly unharmed was no easy feat.

The technique used to kill the snake, while seeming to show off internal energy, was actually the most effective way to deter other venomous creatures from approaching. In nature, killing a territorial venomous creature is a declaration to all other predators that this area now has a new owner.

After offering his appreciative glance, Qin Fen did not immediately shift his gaze back to his food as usual; instead, his attention lingered on the female soldier.

Xing Wuyi noticed Qin Fen’s focus and spat dismissively. "Staring at a woman like a lovesick fool. Is she that attractive?"

Qin Fen ignored Xing Wuyi’s provocation; this woman in the treetop gave him a very strange feeling.

In terms of sheer beauty, this female soldier fell slightly short of Song Jia. But when it came to finding fault with her appearance, he couldn't pinpoint a single flaw.

According to the teachings of concealment expert Ge Rile, no being in this world is truly perfect. Even the world's most beautiful woman possesses some subtle flaw in her features, though such defects are usually masked by her overwhelming allure. As a master of concealment and counter-concealment, discerning these hidden flaws was a rigorous form of practice.

Qin Fen had certainly undertaken this practice extensively, and as Ge Rile had asserted, he had never failed to find an imperfection in anyone's appearance.

Yet, this female soldier truly had no flaws. She wasn't the most beautiful, nor was her figure the most curvaceous, but she was the most perfect, the most harmonious. Her perfection was so complete it made one easily overlook it—like the meticulously crafted, harmoniously proportioned NPCs in virtual reality games built on the golden ratio.

The female soldier seemed oblivious to being watched. She leaned against the main trunk of the tree, eyes slightly closed, quiet as a sleeping child. But everyone present knew that if the slightest sound disturbed the surroundings, it would be impossible to escape her notice.

Du Zhanpeng sat down without hesitation across from Qin Fen's small fire. Xing Wuyi crouched down next to him, advising, "Young Master Du, is it necessary to sit with them?"

Du Zhanpeng didn't even look up. "Wuyi, remember this: I don't need to hide from anyone. I sit where I want to sit. I will never get angry over someone else's attitude, because there are very few people in this world qualified to anger me."

Qin Fen continued to watch the food simmering over the fire. Too many people in this world took themselves too seriously. That fellow named Ge Bing whom he met in Hanzhou was one such person. Qin Fen was accustomed to it and unfazed.

The hostility emanating from Du Peng grew stronger, yet Du Zhanpeng seemed oblivious, focusing with interest on the food Qin Fen had prepared. Of course, Du Zhanpeng had no intention of actually touching the aromatic meal; the M134 pointed at him gave off a very real threat of discharge.

The atmosphere gradually became peculiar.