44: Chapter 44 Lin Mo? Late Stage Two?!

The night was deep.

By the time Lin Mo led Lin Sisi and the other two girls back to the temporary base, it was completely dark.

“We're here, this is the place!”

The searchlights on both sides of the gate swept back and forth, illuminating the open space in front of the gate as bright as day.

The soldiers on guard duty saw four figures walking from a distance and immediately became alert.

“Halt!”

The muzzles were raised, aimed at the newcomers.

The four figures stopped more than ten meters away from the gate.

Moonlight fell upon them—four young people, three girls and one boy, their bodies covered in blood and filth.

“I am Lin Mo, a temporary member of the Seventh Battalion's Elite Assault Team. Please open the gate,” Lin Mo said loudly.

The veteran at the gate post was stunned for a moment.

Lin Mo?

This name had spread throughout the base this afternoon.

He killed Zhao Zhongliang, a late-stage tier two Awakener, with a single strike. Not only did Major Li not punish him, he even drove away Zhao Wenbin and Zhou Daqing. This person is Lin Mo, that legendary ruthless man? And he's so young??

The veteran suppressed the shock in his heart and said in a deep voice, “Alright! Wait a moment, I'll go report now.”

He turned and ran into the guardhouse, hurriedly grabbing the walkie-talkie...

...

Li Chengxi was talking to Uncle Zheng in the tent when the communicator suddenly rang.

“Major Li, four people have arrived at the gate, three females and one male. The leader claims to be Lin Mo, a temporary member of the Seventh Battalion's Elite Assault Team.”

Li Chengxi stood up abruptly.

“Lin Mo? He's back?”

He looked at Uncle Zheng, who had also stood up.

“Let's go take a look.”

He strode out, stopped after two steps, and turned back to the guard behind him: “Gather some people and come with me to receive him.”

The guard was stunned: “Major, you're receiving him personally?”

“Stop talking nonsense and go.”

...

Outside the gate.

The group had been waiting for about ten minutes, and the three girls were feeling a bit uneasy.

Suddenly, a series of hurried footsteps came from inside the gate.

The beam of the searchlight flickered, revealing a group of figures. The one walking at the very front was none other than Li Chengxi.

Behind him followed seven or eight people, all second-order elites. With such a lineup, those who didn't know better would think he was welcoming some big shot.

Li Chengxi walked briskly to the gate, his gaze falling on Lin Mo, and a smile instantly bloomed on his face.

“Brother Lin Mo, it's so late, why are you only getting back now!”

He stepped forward quickly and grabbed Lin Mo by the shoulder, looking him up and down, his voice brimming with warmth.

“I heard you went to the 17th Patrol District to provide support. The situation there is even worse than here. I was worried something had happened to you. Good, good, it's good that you're back!”

Li Chengxi slapped Lin Mo's shoulder heartily, acting as warm as if he were meeting his own brother.

Lin Mo looked at him without any expression on his face.

“Mm.”

A single word.

The smile on Li Chengxi's face stiffened for a moment, but it quickly became warm again.

“These three must be the students who came back with you? Hard work, hard work. Come, come, let's go inside first!”

As he spoke, he stepped aside and made a gesture of invitation.

Lin Mo nodded and stepped inside.

At the moment they brushed past each other, Li Chengxi clearly saw Lin Mo's gaze sweep over his face as if he were just a stone by the side of the road.

No gratitude.

No politeness.

Not even a second look.

Just a sweep like that.

The smile on Li Chengxi's face completely froze.

He stood there, watching Lin Mo lead the three girls inside without looking back, having no intention of stopping to wait for him at all.

The officers behind him looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

The guard's mouth hung open, and after a long time, he managed to squeeze out: “Major, this...”

Li Chengxi raised his hand, cutting him off.

“Hmph!”

He snorted heavily, the stiff smile on his face long gone, replaced by a dark and gloomy expression.

This kid really didn't give him any face at all.

But what could he do?

Uncle Zheng's words were still ringing in his ears: Try your best to win him over; if you really can't, don't offend him.

Li Chengxi let out a breath and stepped forward to follow.

Walking beside Lin Mo, Lin Sisi couldn't help but look back.

That was a major just now, specifically bringing people to welcome them, just students?

She looked at Lin Mo again.

Finding that Lin Mo was still walking forward expressionlessly, as if he hadn't seen Li Chengxi at all.

Lin Sisi suddenly felt like laughing.

She thought of Li Chengxi's overly warm attitude just now, Lin Mo's “Mm”, and the smile that froze on Li Chengxi's face...

This young major actually ran out personally to welcome him, only to get an “Mm” in return.

She pursed her lips, unable to suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.

Shen Yi wasn't as restrained as her, whispering: “Lin Mo, that was a major just now, wasn't it? Isn't it a bit too disrespectful...”

“Mm,” Lin Mo said.

Shen Yi: “...”

Ye Zhixia glanced at her and gently shook her head.

Shen Yi shut up.

But she couldn't help but think: My goodness, that's a major, and you treat him like that? Even our battalion commander only has the rank of lieutenant colonel...

Li Chengxi stood there, watching the backs of Lin Mo and the three girls as they walked away, the forced smile on his face slowly collapsing.

“This kid,” he cursed under his breath.

Just now, he had taken the initiative to greet him, patting his shoulder and offering warm greetings, practically sucking up to Lin Mo!

And what happened?

In the end, Lin Mo only replied with three words—

“Mm”, “Good”, “Okay”!

Not a single extra word.

His warm face had met a cold backside.

With Li Chengxi's background and status, when had he ever suffered such treatment?

He turned to leave, only to find Uncle Zheng standing still, eyes fixed on the direction Lin Mo had disappeared, his brow furrowed tightly.

“Uncle Zheng?”

Uncle Zheng didn't respond.

Li Chengxi walked over and followed his gaze, but saw nothing.

“What are you looking at?”

Only then did Uncle Zheng snap back to his senses and lower his voice: “Young Master, did you notice Lin Mo just now?”

“Notice what?”

“His realm.”

Li Chengxi was stunned; he was too busy making small talk to notice any realm.

Besides, he himself was only at the early stage of the second order, so how could he see through Lin Mo's depth?

Uncle Zheng leaned closer to him, his voice even lower.

“When he and I exchanged blows this afternoon, I tested him; his realm should have been around the early stage of the second order, definitely not the middle stage.”

“And now?”

“Middle stage of the second order, and very close to the late stage!”

Li Chengxi's pupils shrank violently.

...