110: Chapter 110 A Policeman Picked from the Crowd! A Concise Speech

At a secret training base in the Beijing Suburbs, the air was mixed with the smell of sweat, dirt, and a faint hint of gunpowder.

Three hundred elite retired special forces soldiers from all over the world had undergone brutal elimination trials, leaving only the final one hundred and eighty. They were now conducting their final assessment—unrestricted mixed martial arts.

In the center of the training ground, several circles with a diameter of ten meters were marked out with white lime. Inside the circles, shirtless men were engaged in primal combat. There were no rules, no referees; the only standard was to knock the opponent out of the circle or render them incapable of resistance.

The dull thuds of fists striking flesh, the sound of colliding bones, and heavy, ragged breathing echoed over the training ground.

On the sidelines, He Jun stood expressionless, holding a tablet and recording the situation in each circle. Several assistant instructors beside him were responsible for dragging away those who had been eliminated or seriously injured.

Lin Zhou stood not far behind He Jun; he had come specifically to watch the final day of selection.

Lin Zhou watched the figures fighting in the arena, each one exuding a fierce ruthlessness. Their eyes were filled with suppressed ferocity and a desperate hunger for survival; there was no sign of the discipline found in ordinary soldiers.

A burly former Navy SEAL was caught in a tricky lock by a slim Asian figure. The SEAL had solid muscles and great strength, but he couldn't break free. In the end, he was choked unconscious.

The Asian man released his grip, staggered to his feet, and made a throat-slitting gesture toward the outside of the circle, his face twisted in a savage grin.

Lin Zhou's eyelid twitched, but he said nothing.

What he wanted was a group of desperados who could be summoned at will and dismissed just as easily, not traditional soldiers. For these people, honor and country were no longer important; only the dollar was their sole pursuit.

The elimination tournament lasted the entire day.

When the sun set, the list of one hundred and fifty people was finally finalized.

They all bore injuries to varying degrees and were exhausted, but everyone's eyes were terrifyingly bright because they were the victors.

He Jun stepped forward, glanced at the eliminated individuals lining up to receive their severance pay, and then turned to face the one hundred and fifty who remained.

"Attention!"

With a roar, one hundred and fifty untamed men instinctively straightened their bodies. Although the formation was not tidy, a palpable murderous aura hit them head-on.

Lin Zhou walked slowly to the front of the formation.

Everyone's gaze was fixed on him. They sized up this employer who looked excessively young, their eyes filled with scrutiny and suspicion. In their world, strength and seniority were everything; by what right did a young man who looked like a college student get to command this group of killing machines?

Lin Zhou did not offer any opening remarks, nor did he give a passionate speech.

Lin Zhou simply looked around calmly, then spoke. His voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone's ears.

"I know why you came here. For money, for dignity, or for a job that allows you to continue your old line of work."

"Your past, who you served, how much blood is on your hands—I don't care about any of that."

"I only require one thing."

Lin Zhou held up one finger.

"During the contract period, I demand absolute loyalty. My orders are your only standard of execution. Whoever pays is God. I believe you all understand this principle."

Lin Zhou paused, then continued.

"Your benefits will all be modeled on the highest standards of the French Foreign Legion. Salary, insurance, and vacation time will only be better than theirs. If you die in battle, your families will receive a pension enough to last them a lifetime. If you are injured, you will receive the best treatment and rehabilitation until you can pick up your guns again."

"I will not shortchange you a single cent. All you need to do is apply your professionalism and solve problems for me."

"I have finished speaking. Those willing to stay, sign the contract. Those who are not, you can go over there to collect your money and leave now."

After Lin Zhou finished, he turned and left without any hesitation.

The entire training ground was silent.

Those veterans looked at each other; they had imagined many scenarios, but they had never imagined it would be like this.

This method was simple and direct.

He didn't mention any hypocritical slogans or patriotism, only the naked spirit of the contract.

This actually made them feel at ease and respected.

The former Alpha member who had made the throat-slitting gesture earlier grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.

"I like this boss; he's straightforward!"

Mark Smith of the former Delta Force also breathed a sigh of relief. He was terrified of employers who tried to brainwash them and control them mentally. This pure monetary relationship with Lin Zhou was actually very stable.

"He Jun." Lin Zhou walked to the sidelines.

"Here!"

"Distribute the equipment and have them familiarize themselves with it as soon as possible. Also, everyone must change into our new Police Force uniforms."

"Yes!" He Jun replied. He looked at Lin Zhou's back, his eyes complex. He had originally worried that Lin Zhou wouldn't be able to suppress this group of unruly soldiers, but now it seemed he had been overthinking. This young leader understood how to deal with these people better than he had imagined.

Lin Zhou returned to the temporary base and had just taken a sip of water when Qin Yue knocked and entered.

Her face showed some fatigue, but her eyes remained sharp and capable.

"Leader, we just received news that the Republic of Burundi has officially replied, agreeing to establish Ambassador-level diplomatic relations with us."

"Oh?" Lin Zhou put down his water glass. "This is the fourteenth one."

"Yes." Qin Yue nodded, then looked troubled. "However, the momentum of establishing diplomatic relations has clearly slowed down. The attitudes of the dozen or so African countries we have contacted recently have become very ambiguous. The reason Burundi agreed was because of the great effort put in by Vatican City. The Holy See's influence in their country allowed them to withstand the pressure."

"It's the Americans." Lin Zhou's tone was flat.

"Exactly." Qin Yue took out a document. "According to information sent back from our overseas embassies and Vatican City channels, the U.S. Department of State has issued warnings to all countries in the Americas and most in Africa and Asia, demanding that they not engage in any official contact with us. Our diplomatic space is being rapidly compressed."

Lin Zhou tapped his fingers lightly on the table. This was the expected retaliation, but he hadn't expected it to come so quickly and so fiercely.

"There are two ways to break this deadlock. First, we provide enough benefits to make those small countries willing to risk offending the United States to establish diplomatic relations with us. Second, we must do something to make the Americans feel that the cost of blockading us is greater than the cost of recognizing us."

Qin Yue smiled bitterly. "But we don't have any bargaining chips in our hands right now."

Lin Zhou was silent. This was a fact. The Cyber Freedom Republic was still very weak; it had potential, but lacked the strength to immediately monetize it.

"Let's proceed at our own pace for now; don't panic. Continue to push forward with diplomatic work; one negotiation at a time."

"Understood."

Qin Yue put away the document and took out another one. "There is one more thing. This is an official notice just sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Egypt through our embassy in Cairo."

Lin Zhou took it and glanced at it.

The content of the notice was simple: Egypt would strictly abide by the two countries' "Memorandum of Understanding on Defense and Security Cooperation" and, on January 1st of next year, would formally dispatch a company-sized unit to station at the Bir Tawil military camp, hoping that the Cyber Freedom Republic would be ready for the handover and coordination work.

Between the lines, it exuded an official attitude that brooked no argument.

"They really can't wait even a single day." Lin Zhou tossed the notice onto the table.

"Leader, we…"

"Sign the order, agree to it." Lin Zhou interrupted her. "Not only agree, but welcome them warmly. Notify Zhao Li to fully cooperate with their stationing."

Qin Yue was somewhat confused but nodded in agreement.

Lin Zhou picked up the internal phone and dialed He Jun directly.

"He Jun, I order that the official founding date of the national Police Force be set for January 1st. Before then, all new police uniforms and equipment must be distributed, and basic integration training must be completed. On January 1st, we will hold an official Police Force induction ceremony in the capital, Oasis One. I want the whole world to see that our strength has begun to operate."

He Jun on the other end of the line was stunned for a moment, then replied loudly, "Yes! I guarantee the mission will be completed!"

Hanging up the phone, Lin Zhou looked out the window.

Since you want to come, I'll take the opportunity to make a big splash.