Flames tore through the rainforest canopy, shooting straight toward the heavens.

The veteran had already managed to escape the blast radius of the grenade the moment it detonated, and in that exact instant, Lin Ling finally broke through the supposedly impenetrable encirclement.

A bullet from Satan struck the ground right beside Qin Fen’s foot—a bullet meant to claim a life.

Finally defeating this young recruit with equal strength, Satan couldn't manage a smile.

He had expected Qin Fen to be the one breaking out, but unexpectedly, it was Lin Ling who had succeeded in the breakout.

“Kid, in a true life-or-death scenario, would you have acted like that?” Satan didn't rush to pursue Lin Ling, but instead stood his ground and posed the question.

“I don’t know,” Qin Fen admitted frankly.

“Perhaps not.” “Good,” Satan waved his hand.

“Annihilate everyone remaining.” Instantly, screams from the new recruits echoed throughout the forest.

The veterans’ foolproof encirclement had been broken by a single recruit.

This realization made them get serious.

Not a single one of the new recruits brought by Du Zhanpeng for the counterattack managed to escape this sweep.

The purge only ceased deep into the night.

In the end, Lin Ling returned to the reporting station completely unscathed, having, in a way, defeated the veterans who hadn't even exerted their full power.

Every recruit except Lin Ling lay bruised and battered at the reporting station, and Qin Fen was no exception.

\Xiaoshuo520.

With a dozen veterans acting in concert, plus the instructor Satan, Qin Fen knew that even his Rage Surge wouldn't secure a victory.

He simply channeled his qi throughout his body, maximizing the defensive power of the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill, hoping it would at least reduce some of the pain during the inevitable beating.

The rainforest night was profoundly silent.

Qin Fen lay on the earth, gazing quietly at the twinkling stars above.

Despite having just been beaten, his mood was incredibly light.

At least he had learned a lot of 'face-taking' lessons.

A genuinely happy smile finally touched his lips.

Fighting with all his might—even being soundly thrashed by the veterans—was a great form of release.

Snakehead and Big Stone from the Serpent Head Trio were also smiling.

Today had been too joyful; if every day of the training was filled with such beatings, that would be fine too.

Mute sat on a branch, leaning against the large tree, looking up at the stars, an aura of faint sorrow radiating from him.

Seeing this, Big Stone let out a soft sigh from his mouth: “Sigh! Mute—” Snakehead raised a hand to pat Big Stone’s shoulder, also letting out a sigh: “Sigh, let him remember.

Although every memory brings him more pain, wouldn't a man without his memories suffer even more?” Big Stone’s eyes held the same sorrow: “But if he keeps going like this, he might really go mad.

/Xiaoshuo520.\” “He won’t,” Snakehead shook his head gently.

“If he were going to go mad, he would have done so five years ago.” A faint chill escaped him, and hatred instantly expanded and spread outward.

The recruits sleeping in the trees beside him were startled awake by this cold animosity.

Qin Fen turned his head to look at Mute in the tree.

What reason could he have for such profound hatred? Du Zhanpeng pushed his exhausted body up from the ground and walked with slow, heavy steps toward Mute.

Thud...

Du Zhanpeng stepped directly onto Du Peng’s abdomen as he lay sprawled on the ground.

As if feeling nothing at all, he continued walking forward.

“You—” Du Peng momentarily forgot his fatigue and physical pain, rising to his feet.

“Oh? Did I just step on you?” Du Zhanpeng turned around.

His swollen, bruised face gave no clue to his expression, only his indifferent voice carried over: “Then why haven't you apologized to me? Never mind, I won't stoop to your level.” “You—” Du Peng’s eyes twitched repeatedly.

He abruptly stepped forward, staring Du Zhanpeng down.

\Xiaoshuo520.

“Me?” Du Zhanpeng’s expression, this time, finally revealed a faint sneer: “What about me? Want to fight again? What right do you have? You’re too weak.

Want to fight? Fine, figure out how to get stronger first.

I’m not interested in bullying rookies.” The barrage of questions left Du Peng standing stunned, struck dumb by the gulf in their strength.

Watching Du Zhanpeng’s receding figure, Du Peng’s body trembled incessantly with hatred for his own powerlessness.

“Get stronger, get stronger…” Du Peng sank back to the ground, muttering the words softly, almost possessed.

Du Zhanpeng climbed with some difficulty onto the tree where Mute was perched, sitting on another thick branch.

“Can we talk?” Mute seemed not to have heard Du Zhanpeng, continuing to gaze vacantly at the stars.

Noticing the sudden tension in Big Stone and Snakehead, Du Zhanpeng continued: “You have two very good companions.” A flicker of vitality sparked in Mute’s vacant eyes.

“I don't know what happened to you five years ago,” Du Zhanpeng completely disregarded the rising tide of Mute’s anger and kept to his own rhythm: “But since you are so intent on joining the Special Forces, you can come find me after this training concludes.

\Xiaoshuo520.\” Mute mechanically turned his neck, focusing his attention on Du Zhanpeng.

“The Federation has many Special Forces units.

For example, Sword-Edge, Heaven’s Wrath, Reaper, Spark, Dragon-Like…” Du Zhanpeng counted on his fingers.

“But not every Special Operations unit participates in counter-terrorism missions.” Mute’s eyes lit up at that moment.

For a regular soldier with no significant backing, securing a spot in a Special Forces unit that frequently engaged in counter-terrorism operations was difficult, and the chance of actually being deployed was even slimmer.

“It seems you understand this situation well,” Du Zhanpeng pointed to himself.

“I can help you.

I have the ability to do so.” Mute didn't deny it.

The grandson of the Viper King, the son of General Du Yu—arranging a transfer for someone into a specific operational unit was not a difficult matter.

“The condition.” Mute spoke again, finally.

He didn't believe anyone was Santa Claus, coming specifically to grant others’ wishes.

Even Santa Claus wouldn't come today, because it wasn't Christmas.

Du Zhanpeng shrugged.

“No conditions, just remember that you owe me a favor.

\Xiaoshuo520.***\” In this world, for many people, money is the hardest debt to repay.

But for those who value integrity, it is obligation and favor that are the most difficult to settle.

“Fine.” Mute smiled with composure.

This price was considerable, but utterly worth it.

Du Zhanpeng pulled a card, smeared with mud, from his person.

“My phone number is on here.

Remember to find me after training.” Bribery! Every truly influential person had their own network of associates.

Du Peng knew this was a common practice for the Du family: identifying promising soldiers and establishing connections, offering them the precise support they needed.

“If you ever need anything, you can call me too.” As Du Zhanpeng passed Qin Fen, he also earnestly extended a card with both hands.

Qin Fen watched Du Zhanpeng’s hands.

Relying on the potentially vast influence of the Du family, finding his brother might indeed be easier.

But… Would he really have the face to see his brother if he found him by abandoning friendship? How would his brother view him if he said, ‘I found you by abandoning my friends’? Qin Fen quietly pushed the card back: “Du Peng is my friend.

He probably wouldn’t like me accepting your card.” “So what?” Du Zhanpeng used both hands to push the card back again.

“He has no standing to interfere in matters between you and me.” “I have very few friends,” Qin Fen’s arm also began to exert force as he pushed the card back once more.

“So, I value friendship greatly.

Since this matter involves my friend, he has every qualification.” Du Zhanpeng was quite astonished; Qin Fen’s pure physical strength was significantly greater than anticipated.

He had to utilize the breathing technique of his Seven Star Immortal Thunder Skill just to counter Qin Fen’s unexpectedly immense brute force.

“We can be friends too.” “Let’s pass on that.

I suspect my other friends wouldn't like you much either,” Qin Fen channeled the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill into his arm, increasing his raw power further.

“I can’t abandon the whole forest just for one tree, can I?” Many recruits burst into laughter.

Qin Fen was truly devious, rejecting Du Zhanpeng’s invitation using the same logic one might use to reject a woman.

It was clearly an insult.

Just as everyone expected Du Zhanpeng to become enraged, he casually tucked the card away.

“One tree can sometimes be a golden tree.

Since you value friendship so highly, then take good care of that friend of yours who has such a poor temperament.” Du Zhanpeng took two steps, then paused and looked back at Qin Fen.

“Kid, I welcome you to find me anytime.

That bastard has never had friends; he has no idea what friendship is, nor the mutual giving required between friends.

When you regret it, we can still be friends.” After Du Zhanpeng left, Du Peng didn't look at Qin Fen, merely staring blankly at the ground.

“He’s right.

I really haven’t learned how to interact with friends.

You might truly regret this.” Qin Fen lay back down on the ground, looking up at the starry sky.

“The way friends interact cannot be learned.

It is the manifestation of sincere emotion, and sincere emotion cannot be taught.

Any way of friendship that can be taught is false, and brittle.” Du Peng remained silent, also lying back down.

Since coming to this supposed paradise, seeing Du Zhanpeng had stripped him of almost all joy.

Perhaps… Du Peng watched the leaves swaying gently, whispering to himself, perhaps I truly don’t know what happiness is? What does real happiness taste like? The training ground fell silent once more.

Everyone was utterly exhausted and needed deep rest to replenish the massive expenditure of energy.

Shifting slightly, the blanket of stars had not yet faded when Satan, carrying his iron rod, emerged from his comfortable room with a yawn.

He glanced at the watch on his wrist.

“It’s already four-thirty? That late? Are these useless things still sleeping?”