11: Chapter 11: The Marines are poaching our talent!

The setting sun dyed the jungle blood-red. Su Han crouched among the branches of a banyan tree, like a cheetah poised to strike.

His camouflage uniform was covered in mud and leaves, and even his cheeks were painted with black and green greasepaint, making him blend almost perfectly into the canopy.

*Snap—*

From thirty meters away, the sound of a dry branch snapping reached his ears.

Su Han's pupils constricted slightly, his right index finger resting lightly on the trigger.

Five Marines advanced in a fan formation, their muzzles alertly scanning every suspicious shadow.

They wore the latest digital camouflage, and the night vision goggles on their helmets were already turned on—even though it wasn't completely dark yet.

"Stay alert," the leading non-commissioned officer lowered his voice. "That guy is nearby."

A cold sneer curled at the corners of Su Han's mouth.

He had intentionally left tracks ten minutes ago specifically to lure this squad into his ambush.

As the last member passed beneath the tree, Su Han dropped down silently like a ghost—

*Thud!*

A precise knife-hand strike landed on the nerve plexus of the soldier at the rear; the man collapsed without even a groan.

Su Han caught the falling rifle while simultaneously kicking up a handful of sand with his right foot, flinging it into the face of the second squad member.

"Ah! My eyes!"

The startled cry shattered the silence of the jungle.

The remaining three turned quickly, but Su Han had already rolled behind a tree under the cover of the flying sand.

"Three o'clock!"

Bullets whistled through the air, sending bark flying.

Su Han calmly counted the shots. During the gap while they were reloading, he poked his head out like a flash of lightning and fired three times in quick succession.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Red smoke billowed simultaneously from the helmets of the three Marines.

"Fuck!" the sole surviving NCO roared as he lunged for cover, but Su Han had already circled to his side and took him down with a sweeping kick.

A cold muzzle pressed against the NCO's chin.

"You're dead." Su Han's voice was as calm as if he were discussing the weather.

The NCO glared indignantly at his elusive opponent. "Who the hell are you? A regular Army soldier couldn't possibly have such skills!"

Su Han didn't answer, simply and efficiently stripping the man of his magazine and communication equipment.

Urgent footsteps and shouts echoed from the distance—reinforcements had arrived.

Su Han vanished into the jungle like a wisp of smoke, leaving the five "KIA" Marines staring at each other in bewilderment.

...

Aboard the Navy command ship, Long Zhan's face was so grim it looked like it could drip water.

"Another squad wiped out?" He stared at the tactical screen, his voice suppressed with rage. "That's already the seventh one!"

The staff officers didn't dare to even breathe loudly.

On the screen, the blue dots representing their own forces were disappearing at an alarming rate.

"Chief," the communications officer suddenly reported, "the 'Sea Wolf' squad reports that they've found the target's trail and are in pursuit."

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Long Zhan's eyes. "Tell Lin Jian he must stop that kid for me, no matter what!!"

...

"Report! Enemy spotted! Requesting permission to fire!"

From a vantage point several hundred meters away, a sniper locked onto Su Han through layers of tree shadows!

A slightly excited voice came through the earpiece: "Are you sure it's the person we're looking for?"

"Likely! Judging by his movements, he's no rookie. Over!"

"Good! Permission to fire granted!"

"Copy that!"

Deep in the dense forest, Su Han suddenly stopped in his tracks, his muscles tensing instantly.

Danger!

His sixth sense screamed a warning—something was aiming at him from the ten o'clock position.

At the critical moment, Su Han suddenly rolled to the side!

*Swoosh!*

A bullet whizzed past his ear, leaving a smoking bullet hole in the tree trunk behind him.

A sniper!

Su Han didn't hesitate; he raised his hand and fired a shot even as he rolled.

Bang!

In the canopy at ten o'clock, a perfectly camouflaged sniper let out a muffled groan as red smoke billowed from his helmet.

"I..."

The sniper stared blankly at the red smoke rising from his body, completely stunned!

"What kind of god-tier marksmanship is this?"

"It's one thing to dodge it, but how did you find my position so quickly and hit me while moving at high speed?"

"Is this guy using cheats?"

The crisis wasn't over—Su Han heard at least five different sets of footsteps approaching simultaneously from all directions!

"An encirclement..." He narrowed his eyes and quickly surveyed the terrain.

To his left was a steep slope, to his right was dense forest, ahead were three enemies advancing in a triangular formation, and the rear was blocked by a sniper—a textbook "death trap."

A regular soldier would have no choice but to surrender in this situation.

But Su Han just sneered and suddenly accelerated toward the steep slope!

"Is he crazy?" the ambushing Marines exclaimed. "There's a twenty-meter cliff down there!"

But in the next second, their expressions froze—

Just as he was about to fall off the cliff, Su Han whipped out a rope with his right hand, accurately looping it around a protruding tree root, and swung like a pendulum toward a hollow on the side of the cliff!

"There he is! Fire!"

Bullets poured down like rain, but Su Han had already disappeared into the hollow.

"After him! Don't let him get away!"

The five Marines rushed to the edge of the cliff, only to see a dark figure suddenly spring out from the vines on the side!

Su Han had actually used the rope to perform a flanking maneuver, circling around to the pursuers' flank!

Bang bang bang!

Three shots rang out, and the helmets of three squad members smoked simultaneously.

The remaining two turned in a panic, only to find Su Han already upon them—

An elbow strike took down one, followed immediately by a spinning back kick that sent the last man flying off the cliff!

"Ahhh—"

Amidst the scream, Su Han threw out a rope that wrapped around the soldier's waist, pulling him back at the very last second.

"Th-thank you..." the shaken Marine stammered his thanks.

Su Han patted his shoulder. "It's just an exercise, no need to risk your life."

With that, he quickly gathered their ammunition and equipment before vanishing into the jungle once more.

"Report! Reef Squad has been entirely wiped out!"

At the warship's command post, a captain cautiously reported to Long Zhan.

*Bang!*

Long Zhan slammed his water cup down, smashing it!

"Bastard! Who the hell is this guy?"

"Even in the Falcon Army Special Forces, there shouldn't be anyone who can take down so many of our men so easily!"

"Where is the Sea Wolf squad?"

"Reporting, they are on their way there now!"

...

Night fell, and visibility in the jungle dropped to its lowest.

Lin Jian, the captain of the "Sea Wolf" squad, crouched at a hidden observation point, his infrared binoculars scanning every inch of suspicious terrain.

"Damn it," he cursed under his breath. "Can that kid turn invisible or something?"

Beside him, his deputy Wu Gang also looked grave. "We've already lost twelve men. If this continues..."

"Shut up!" Lin Jian interrupted sharply. "We are the 'Sea Wolves,' the Navy's most elite Special Forces squad! If we can't even catch an Army recruit, we might as well all retire together!"

Suddenly, static crackled through the communicator. "Captain Lin, target trail found to the east, moving toward your position!"

A flash of excitement crossed Lin Jian's eyes. "He's finally shown himself... All units, attention. Prepare to close the net!"

Seven "Sea Wolf" members quickly took up advantageous positions, forming a perfect ambush circle.

Five minutes passed...

Ten minutes passed...

The jungle was terrifyingly quiet, with only the rustle of the night wind through the leaves.

"Something's wrong..." Lin Jian suddenly realized something, his face changing drastically. "Retreat, fast! This is a diversion!"

But it was too late—

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Successive gunshots rang out from behind them, and the helmets of four squad members instantly began to smoke.

Lin Jian dove behind a tree with a roll, looking in horror toward the direction of the gunfire—that was clearly the "safe zone" they had just checked!

"Come out!" Wu Gang roared. "If you have the guts, face us head-on!"

His answer was a precision grenade (for exercise use only), landing right in the thicket where they were hiding.

*Boom!*

Red smoke filled the air; two more members were "KIA."

Now, only Lin Jian and Wu Gang remained of the entire "Sea Wolf" squad.

"Dammit!" Lin Jian ripped off his helmet and slammed it to the ground in a rage. "Come out and fight me one-on-one if you've got the balls!"

Silence.

Then, a figure slowly stepped out from the shadows.

Su Han had removed all his camouflage, wearing only a standard training uniform, and had even placed his weapons on the ground.

"As you wish," he said calmly.

Lin Jian and Wu Gang exchanged a glance and lunged forward simultaneously!

Lin Jian swept a whip kick toward Su Han's head while Wu Gang threw a punch from the side aimed straight at his ribs—this was a classic Marine Corps combined attack tactic that had taken down countless opponents.

However, Su Han simply leaned back slightly, blocking Lin Jian's kick with his left hand while his right hand formed a claw that clamped onto Wu Gang's wrist, pulling him along with his own momentum—

*Thud!*

Wu Gang lost his balance and slammed heavily onto the ground.

Lin Jian's second attack followed immediately, a straight punch aimed at the face. Su Han tilted his head to avoid it while simultaneously driving his right knee upward, striking Lin Jian square in the abdomen.

"Ugh!" Lin Jian grunted and stumbled back.

Wu Gang scrambled up from the ground and lunged again with a roar.

[part:gemini-3.1-flash-lite]

This time, Su Han did not dodge. Instead, he rushed forward and executed a shoulder throw, slamming the big guy hard onto the ground!

Lin Jian seized the opportunity to launch a sneak attack from behind, but Su Han caught him with a back kick right in the chest, sending him flying backward to crash into a tree.

In less than thirty seconds, the two most elite Special Forces Soldiers of the Marine Corps were already lying on the ground, groaning in pain.

Su Han picked up his gear and turned to leave.

"Wait!" Lin Jian struggled to sit up. "Who... who exactly are you? An ordinary soldier couldn't possibly have such skills!"

Su Han turned back, his profile sharp and defined under the moonlight. "356th Regiment, 7th Company, Private Su Han."

After saying this, he stepped into the jungle, and his figure was quickly swallowed by the darkness.

Lin Jian and Wu Gang sat there in a daze, unable to recover for a long time.

"Private?"

"Did he just say he is a Private?"

Lin Jian slightly turned his stiff head and asked Wu Gang beside him.

Wu Gang also nodded with a dazed look in his eyes, filled with deep shock. "It... it seems so..."

A moment later... "Damn!" "That's bullshit!"

The two could no longer sit still. They stood up directly and shouted in frustration, "How could a Private have such powerful fighting skills?"

"That shooting, those tactical movements, those cunning methods! And the final hand-to-hand combat! Is this the level of strength a Private should have?"

"Even the elite Soldier Kings from our two ace Special Forces teams in the Marine Corps couldn't do what he did!"

But their complaints could only be heard by themselves.

At this moment, Su Han had already retreated!

At dawn, the naval command ship was deathly silent.

Long Zhan stared at the operational sand table, his face ashen.

"Chief..." The staff officer cautiously handed over the latest battle report. "We... we have already lost 65% of our forces."

According to the exercise rules, a combat loss exceeding 60% is judged as a failure.

Long Zhan's hand trembled slightly. He suddenly grabbed the communicator: "All units, stop the attack immediately! Repeat, stop the attack immediately!"

Putting down the communicator, he took a deep breath: "Contact the 356th Regiment command post. Tell them we lost, and we are withdrawing from the battle."

When he said the last four words, the Navy Colonel's voice was almost squeezed out through his teeth.

Inside the Army command post in the center of the island, cheers were deafening.

"We won! We won!" "Those bastards from the Navy admitted defeat!"

Regiment Commander Wang Tiejun couldn't stop smiling and patted Zhou Haitao on the shoulder hard. "Well done! Your 7th Company has made a great contribution this time! Especially that Su Han..."

He turned to the operations staff officer: "Quick! Call that kid over here! I want to personally request a commendation for him!"

Half an hour later, on the beach on the east side of the island.

Wang Tiejun stood with his hands behind his back, his military boots treading on the fine sand. Watching the Navy speedboat approaching from a distance, a smile he couldn't hide hung on the corners of his mouth.

The speedboat docked. Long Zhan jumped off with a straight face. His uniform was crisp, but it couldn't hide the frustration in his eyes.

"Old Wang," Long Zhan said stiffly, "You were lucky this time."

Wang Tiejun exaggeratedly picked his ears. "Oh, Old Long, your words of admitting defeat are truly unique."

"Don't get cocky!" Long Zhan's face flushed red. "If it weren't for that... that ghost soldier of yours, we would have already..."

"Already what?" Wang Tiejun stepped closer and deliberately lowered his voice. "Already been completely wiped out by my men?"

The two old comrades stared at each other, then suddenly laughed at the same time.

"Damn it," Long Zhan shook his head. "Five years, you finally won once."

Wang Tiejun patted his old friend's shoulder. "Let's go, let's go to the command post and have some... er, drinks."

Just as the two turned around, they saw a muddy figure emerge from the jungle.

"Report!" Su Han stood at attention and saluted. Camouflage paint and sweat were mixed on his face, but only those eyes were startlingly bright.

Long Zhan's eyes went straight instantly. "Is this that..."

"That's right," Wang Tiejun proudly puffed out his chest. "The 'Ghost' of our 356th Regiment, Private Su Han!"

Long Zhan circled Su Han twice as if looking at a rare animal.

Suddenly, he grabbed his shoulder. "Kid, come to our Marine Corps! I'll apply for a commission for you, and you'll go directly into our Marine Corps' 'Dragon Shark' Special Operations Squadron!"

Wang Tiejun immediately exploded. "Long Zhan! Are you poaching right in front of me?"

"What about it?" Long Zhan raised his eyebrows provocatively. "Your 356th Regiment temple is too small to accommodate such a big Buddha."

"Bullshit!" Wang Tiejun pulled Su Han behind him. "Su Han is the treasure of our regiment! I wouldn't trade him even for a Major rank!"

The two Colonels were arguing until their faces were red, like old hens protecting their food, almost coming to blows.

Su Han stood in the middle and coughed awkwardly. "Um... two Chiefs..."

Long Zhan suddenly lowered his voice. "Kid, the Navy Special Forces have the latest equipment, the annual salary is 30% higher than the Army, and there are sea deployment subsidies..."

Wang Tiejun directly covered Su Han's ears. "Don't listen to him! This bastard just loves to make empty promises!"

"Report!" Su Han suddenly interrupted loudly. "I am an Army man, and I only want to develop in the Army!"

The scene went silent instantly.

Wang Tiejun proudly winked at Long Zhan. "Did you hear that? Give up, right?"

Long Zhan stared at Su Han unwillingly. "Kid, you will regret this!"

After saying this, he turned around and left angrily.

Wang Tiejun shouted at his old friend's retreating back. "Hey! Didn't we agree to have drinks?"

"Drink my ass!" Long Zhan waved his hand without turning his head. "Next exercise, I will definitely beat your 356th Regiment so hard you won't even find your mother!"

Watching the Navy general's back as he left dejectedly, Wang Tiejun let out a long sigh of relief, turned around, and punched Su Han hard. "Good kid! You didn't let me down!"

He lowered his voice. "When we get back, I'll apply for a commission quota for you! With your ability..."

Su Han shook his head. "Regimental Commander, let's talk about it after participating in the All-Army Special Forces Competition. It starts in a month."

Wang Tiejun was stunned, then immediately slapped his head. "How could I have forgotten about this."

At the victory celebration after the confrontation ended, Su Han became the absolute protagonist.

The Regiment Commander personally poured him wine (a drink), the Battalion Commander picked food for him, and the Company Commander Zhou Haitao... um, was being forced to drink.

"Brother Han!" Wang Hao leaned in and asked mysteriously. "I heard the Navy was ready to give you a commission? Are you really not going?"

Su Han smiled without answering, just raised his drink cup. "Come, cheers to victory!"

"Cheers!"

The morning sun spilled onto the Sea Training Ground camp, and the loud bugle call pierced the sky.

The entire regiment's officers and soldiers lined up neatly, their camouflage uniforms gleaming with a solemn green in the morning light.

Wang Tiejun stood on the temporarily erected reviewing stand, the medals on his chest shining in the sun.

He looked around at the more than eight hundred officers and soldiers under the stage, his voice as loud as a bell:

"Comrades! In this Sea Training confrontation exercise, our 356th Regiment has created history!"

"Facing the elite forces of the Marine Corps, we not only held our position but also showed the prestige of the Army!"

Wang Tiejun waved his arms excitedly. "Especially Comrade Private Su Han from the 7th Company, who single-handedly eliminated 48 enemies, including two combat squads comparable to Special Forces Soldiers!"

The entire regiment's officers and soldiers turned their heads in unison, their eyes focused on Su Han in the 7th Company line.

This new recruit, who had only been in the army for half a year, had now become the pride of the entire regiment.

"After research and decision by the regiment party committee," Wang Tiejun's voice suddenly rose, "we are reporting Comrade Su Han for an individual Third-Class Merit! At the same time, he is listed as a priority candidate for promotion this year!"

"Clap—clap—" The whole audience erupted into warm applause and cheers again.

Wang Hao and other soldiers of the 3rd Squad excitedly patted Su Han's shoulder, and 7th Company Commander Zhou Haitao couldn't stop smiling.

Wang Tiejun raised his hand to signal for quiet. "Comrade Su Han has proven with his strength that the soldiers of the 356th Regiment are all excellent! I hope all officers and soldiers of the regiment will take Comrade Su Han as an example, practice killing skills hard, and strive to be a model of martial excellence!"

After being dismissed, Su Han was immediately surrounded by officers and soldiers of the entire regiment.

"Brother Han, you have already received two Third-Class Merits! That's amazing!!"

"God Han, do you take apprentices?"

"..." The next day. In the early morning at the Sea Training Ground, the waves gently lapped against the beach.

The soldiers of the 7th Company had just finished their warm-up exercises when a sound of neat footsteps suddenly came from afar.

"Holy shit! Isn't that the people from the Black Shark and White Shark squadrons?" Wang Hao's eyes widened, pointing at a camouflage team rapidly approaching the coastline.

Zhao Xiaohu frowned. "What are they here for? Didn't the exercise end?"

A veteran next to him spat out the grass root in his mouth. "Are you stupid? This Sea Training Ground is originally the Navy's territory; we are just borrowing it."