A senior colonel? That's outrageous!

Dragon Xia Kingdom, Military Headquarters.

The Marshal's Office.

The atmosphere was oppressive.

Xiao Zheng stood to the side.

He kept his eyes on his nose and his nose on his heart, not even daring to breathe loudly.

In front of him...

Lu Chengfeng, the military Prodigy who had been high-spirited not long ago, claiming he would personally gauge the worth of the Lin Family's eldest son.

At this moment, he was like a puppet that had lost its Soul, standing there straight and rigid.

The sharp, valiant Aura he once possessed had completely vanished.

In its place was a deathly stillness.

It was the kind of silence left behind after one's pride has been utterly crushed and one's convictions completely overturned.

He had been like this ever since he returned from the Lin Family home.

He didn't speak, didn't move, and didn't communicate with anyone.

It was as if his entire world had completely collapsed within that small backyard.

Behind the desk...

Marshal Zhao Lie's eyes, sharp as a hawk's, lingered on Lu Chengfeng for a long time.

He wasn't angry.

He wasn't disappointed.

There wasn't even a single trace of surprise.

After a long while...

On his face, which was lined with the marks of time and war, a brilliant smile suddenly bloomed.

"Hahaha... Hahahaha!"

The laughter went from low to booming.

Finally, it was filled with an endless sense of hearty satisfaction!

"Good! Excellent!"

"What a fine Qilin of the Lin Family!"

"What a fine true Dragon who is too lazy to even roll over!"

Zhao Lie slammed his hand on the desk.

The entire building seemed to tremble for a moment.

The admiration and excitement in his eyes were almost tangible, threatening to burst forth!

"I take back what I said before!"

His gaze burned as it swept over Xiao Zheng and Lu Chengfeng.

"This young man is not only not a major threat to my Dragon Xia Kingdom!"

"He will be the most indestructible pillar of my Dragon Xia Kingdom in the future!"

Xiao Zheng: "?"

He was completely bewildered.

Was the Marshal... was he so angry that he'd gone senile?

One of his two capable subordinates was questioning his life, and the other was directly catatonic. It was one thing for the old man not to be angry, but why was he getting excited?

This script wasn't right!

"Marshal..." Xiao Zheng spoke with difficulty, trying to remind him, "That Lin Yuan... he rejected us..."

"Rejected?"

Zhao Lie gave a cold laugh.

"He didn't reject us; he was disdainful!"

"What do you think those conditions we offered amount to in his eyes?"

"Secret national archives? Cultivation Holy Lands?"

"Hmph, for a true Dragon who can see through the secrets of heaven while sleeping and break through multiple Realms just by stretching!"

"The priceless treasures in our eyes probably aren't even worth a pile of trash to him!"

Zhao Lie's words were powerful and resonant!

Every word was like a heavy hammer, smashing into Xiao Zheng's heart.

He was speechless.

Because everything the Marshal said was the truth.

"Pass down my order!"

Zhao Lie stood up abruptly, the majesty belonging to a blood-and-iron commander erupting forth!

"Effective immediately, cancel all recruitment plans for Lin Yuan!"

"No person or department is allowed to disturb him again for any reason!"

"Violators will be dealt with by military law!"

When this order was issued, Xiao Zheng was even more dumbfounded.

This... this...

Was he giving up completely?

However, Zhao Lie's next words caused his brain to crash on the spot.

"Furthermore, in the name of the Military Supreme Committee, draft a document immediately!"

"Grant Lin Yuan the title of 'Longxia Country Special Grade Honorary Consultant'!"

"This rank is equal to Lu Chengfeng's!"

"No specific post will be assigned, and he will bear no actual obligations!"

"The only thing he needs to do is whatever he wants to do!"

Boom—!!!

It was as if a hundred thousand thunderclaps had exploded in Xiao Zheng's mind at once!

He was completely stunned.

Special Grade... Honorary Consultant?

Equal to Lu Chengfeng?

Lu Chengfeng was a Senior Colonel!

How many years had he fought to reach this step, and Lin Yuan just got it directly???

What... what the hell kind of concept was this?!

This wasn't just showing goodwill anymore!

This was practically treating him like an ancestor to be worshipped!

"Marshal! You can't!"

Xiao Zheng finally reacted, crying out in shock!

"If this gets out, the entire military will explode!"

"How can a playboy with no achievements, who has even repeatedly humiliated our military officers, receive such an honor?!"

"Even if his strength is indeed extraordinary... this... this won't convince the masses!"

Xiao Zheng's words made sense.

The military had always been known for its strict discipline.

Where had there ever been a guy who wasn't even a soldier reaching the heavens in a single step and becoming a Senior Colonel?

"Convince the masses?"

Zhao Lie turned around and looked at him coldly.

"Do I need them to be convinced?"

"I only need them to look!"

"To see clearly the insurmountable chasm between a Genius and a Mortal!"

...Ten minutes later.

Dragon Xia Kingdom Military, Strategic Meeting Room No. 1.

This was the highest decision-making place for the entire military.

At this moment, inside the meeting room...

Dozens of iron-blooded generals with gold stars on their shoulders and Auras as deep as an abyss were already seated.

They were the true pillars of Dragon Xia Kingdom!

Each of them was a big shot who could make a region tremble with a single stomp of their foot!

Yet right now...

The faces of these big shots were filled with confusion and incomprehension.

"What's going on? The Marshal suddenly called us all here, saying we're going to watch some top-secret footage?"

"I don't know. I just rushed back from the Northern Border front; my seat isn't even warm yet."

"I heard it seems to have something to do with that kid from the Lin Family who's been making a name for himself lately."

"The Lin Family? You mean that playboy young master who taught Xiao Zheng and Lu Chengfeng a lesson?"

"Shh! Keep it down! This hasn't spread yet!"

Amidst the discussions...

The doors to the meeting room were pushed open.

Marshal Zhao Lie walked in with his hands behind his back, moving with a dragon's gait and a tiger's stride.

All the generals stood up instantly and gave a crisp, standard military salute!

The sound was thunderous!

"Sit, everyone."

Zhao Lie waved his hand and walked straight to the head seat.

Without a single word of nonsense, he pressed a button in front of him.

Buzz—

The giant tactical screen at the front of the meeting room lit up instantly.

The next second...

The scene of the peaceful backyard of the Lin Family, with one person, one chair, and one nap lasting until the end of time, appeared before everyone.

The room full of generals: "..."

The entire meeting room instantly fell into a deathly silence.

The same bewildered expression Xiao Zheng had earlier appeared on everyone's faces.

This... this was the incredibly important... top-secret footage the Marshal spoke of?!

Having dozens of us generals with heavy troops under our command drop all our military duties and rush back in an emergency... just to watch a kid sleep?!

...Silence.

A deathly silence enough to suffocate the living.

Dozens of gazes, heavy as mountains, were now all focused on the giant LCD screen in front.

On the screen...

There were no enemy movements, no territorial sand tables, and no top-secret military intelligence documents.

There was only a youth.

He was lying on his side in a rattan rocking chair, sleeping soundly.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the tree shade, casting dappled spots of light on him.

A breeze drifted by, blowing the black hair on his forehead.

Through the high-fidelity audio equipment, they could even clearly hear the waves of cicada cries coming from the distant woods.

In the entire environment...

The atmosphere appeared so harmonious and tranquil!