33: Chapter 33 The Passionate Li Chengxi

A roar exploded.

Zhou Qiming, like a maddened lion, unsheathed his combat knife and charged forward!

His Rank Two, Level Six aura fully erupted, his blade light chilling as it aimed straight for the young major's head!

Li Chengxi was terrified, stumbling back several steps and clutching his head as he hid behind several subordinates.

Clang—!

The blade was parried.

It wasn't Li Chengxi who acted.

It was the three veterans beside him.

These men were the Rank Two Awakeners Li Chengxi had taken from the 16th Patrol District.

"Vice Commander! Do you know what you are doing?"

The leading veteran, in his forties, spoke up in questioning.

"Attacking a superior—what is the punishment according to military law?"

Zhou Qiming's eyes were bloodshot. "This piece of trash deserted his post! He caused the deaths of so many brothers! You have the damn nerve to talk to me about military law?!"

The veteran did not argue.

But he did not withdraw his blade either.

He simply held Zhou Qiming's blade at bay, the threatening intent in his eyes obvious.

"Zhou Qiming, you can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want. For slandering an officer and ignoring military regulations, I could execute you on the spot right now!"

Wu Feng immediately stepped forward, firmly pressing down on Zhou Qiming's arm that held the knife.

He looked into Zhou Qiming's eyes and gently shook his head.

"Old Zhou, don't be impulsive!"

The remaining two also walked over, helping Wu Feng restrain Zhou Qiming, who was on the verge of a rampage.

"Vice Zhou, attacking a superior is a serious crime. Don't be foolish!"

Zhou Qiming's blade trembled violently.

He wanted to strike.

He wanted nothing more than to mince these four people into meat paste.

But he couldn't bring himself to do it.

It wasn't because the opponent's blade was parrying his, nor because Wu Feng and the others were holding his arm.

It was because he couldn't afford to die yet.

If he struck Li Chengxi, he would certainly die; Li Chengxi still had a dozen guards brought from Headquarters.

With one order from Li Chengxi, these people would rush forward and hack him to death.

If he died, what would happen to the wounded and remaining soldiers behind him?

They would surely be used as cannon fodder by Li Chengxi and die in the next wave of beast attacks.

Zhou Qiming's chest heaved violently, and a beast-like low growl rolled from his throat.

But in the end, he slowly withdrew his blade.

Only then did Li Chengxi recover from his shock.

He pushed aside the soldiers blocking him, straightened his crooked military cap, and his face quickly filled with that nauseatingly fawning smile.

"Oh, a misunderstanding, just a misunderstanding!"

His voice was high-pitched, carrying a forced lightness.

"Old Zhou, I know you're upset, but you can't just say anything. When I left, I clearly gave the order to hold the position and wait for reinforcements. Besides, I wasn't deserting; I was going to the rear to seek help..."

"Bullshit!"

Zhou Qiming tried to rush forward again, but Wu Feng held him back firmly.

Li Chengxi shrank his neck back, not daring to continue his defense.

His eyes flickered as they scanned Wu Feng, Lin Mo, and the figures of Old Yu and Lao Hei behind them. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.

"Are you all... from the Sixth Battalion's Elite Assault Team?"

Li Chengxi asked tentatively.

Wu Feng said nothing, looking off to the side.

Li Chengxi, however, acted as if he had discovered a new continent, his enthusiasm bordering on sycophancy.

"Oh, I've heard so much about you! I've long heard that Commander Yuan Shoucheng of the Sixth Battalion has a force of elites under him, and seeing you today, your reputation is well-deserved!"

He took two steps forward, extending both hands to shake Wu Feng's.

"You've come to support the 16th Patrol District, right? Thank you for your hard work! The battle situation is urgent now; we need talents like you..."

Wu Feng did not shake his hand.

He just looked down at Li Chengxi's outstretched hand as if looking at a piece of rotten meat.

But Li Chengxi didn't mind. He awkwardly withdrew his hand, the smile on his face unchanging.

"Arrange the best rooms for these brothers. They've come from afar and have just been through a bloody battle; they need to rest well."

Li Chengxi turned to a Lieutenant beside him and said.

"Yes! I'll arrange it immediately!"

The Lieutenant nodded.

Then, Li Chengxi turned back to Wu Feng and said with a beaming face:

"Captain Wu, you all rest first. Captain Wang will take you to the base to rest. When we have time later, let's have a good chat!"

"As it happens, I'm short of a few experienced veterans to lead the recruits. The pay is negotiable, and the promotion opportunities are great..."

He didn't finish.

But everyone understood the meaning behind his words.

This was an attempt to win them over.

Using the best rooms, pay, and promotion opportunities to bribe this elite team that had accidentally stumbled into his territory, turning them into his private force.

Just like how he had incorporated those Rank Two veterans.

Li Chengxi was confident; no one could resist such temptation.

After all, he, Li Chengxi, had the power to back up these words. If he said it, he could make it happen.

Wu Feng stared at him, his expression full of disdain.

"We are not your soldiers."

"And I hate leading recruits the most!"

Li Chengxi's smile froze for a moment before returning to normal.

"Of course, of course. Captain Wu is from the Sixth Battalion; I wouldn't dare overstep. It's just mutual aid between comrades, as it should be, as it should be..."

He babbled on, waving his hand to signal the Lieutenant named Wang to lead the way.

Lin Mo hadn't said a word from beginning to end.

He just watched Li Chengxi quietly, looking at the nauseating soul beneath that hypocritical skin.

Though he wore a military uniform, he was no soldier.

In fact, it was hard to say if the thing wrapped in that uniform was even human.

...

Soon, Lin Mo and the others were led to several prefabricated houses; these were the temporary dormitories of the base.

The rooms were indeed very good.

Individual rooms, clean bedding, and even a small window that looked out onto the night sky.

In a frontline camp, this treatment was comparable to that of a battalion-level military commander.

Yi Xiaoyu was assigned to the room next to Lin Mo's.

Before entering, she glanced back at Lin Mo, hesitating before finally whispering, "Have you... changed the dressing on your wounds?"

Lin Mo shook his head. "Minor injuries, they're almost healed."

He hadn't taken much damage in the battle with the Wind Wolf pack, but the fight with the Earth Dragon had left him quite injured.

The external wounds were fine; several had already scabbed over.

It was the three broken ribs that were more troublesome and needed a bit more time to recover.

Yi Xiaoyu bit her lip, wanting to say something, but swallowed it back and lowered her head as she ducked into her room.

Lin Mo didn't rest immediately.

He stood at his door, quietly watching the night outside.

He was debating whether to go out for a stroll to gather those final eight slaughter value points.

But in the end, he closed the door.

No need to rush; his injuries weren't fully healed yet.

In any case, on the front line, there would be plenty of opportunities to farm slaughter value.

...