144: Slap in the face

Ye Anhe retracted her wings, landed on the ground, and walked quickly to Yang Ning, who had stepped out of his mecha. She straightened her messy hair and military uniform, gave a solemn military salute, and spoke with a voice full of relief and sincere gratitude for surviving the ordeal: "Thank you to our friends from the Lujiang Base for the timely rescue! I am Lieutenant Colonel Ye Anhe from the National Government Honors Conferment Group. We truly owe it to you this time; otherwise, I'm afraid we would have all perished here today!"

"You're too kind, Lieutenant Colonel Ye. It was our duty." Yang Ning returned the salute and reached out to lightly shake Ye Anhe's hand, his tone calm.

At that moment, Li Xian, who had been lying on the ground "unconscious," heard the battle end and the surroundings quiet down. He let out a "perfectly timed" groan of pain and then "struggled" to stand up, looking heavily injured. He brushed the dust off his clothes. Seeing the Captain rank on Yang Ning's shoulder and noticing that the ranks of the surrounding Lujiang Base soldiers were generally low, his sense of superiority instantly returned, as if he hadn't just been faking death.

Enduring the sharp pain in his chest, he walked up to Yang Ning, head held high, and pointed at him with his chin, questioning sharply: "How do you people do things?! This rescue operation was so sluggish! Do you have any idea who we are? If something had really happened to us, could a tiny Lujiang Base like yours even handle the responsibility?!" He immediately took the posture of a superior reprimanding a subordinate, though his pale face and tattered uniform made him look less than imposing.

Yang Ning's brow furrowed instantly as he looked at this blustering coward like he was an idiot. He really couldn't fathom how such a weak, characterless, and ungrateful fellow had managed to reach the rank of Colonel. He didn't even bother to respond, simply let out a cold snort, turned his head away, and began checking on his team members, completely treating Li Xian as if he were invisible.

"You! Captain! What kind of attitude is that?! Contempt for a superior officer! Disregard for military discipline! Is this how your commanders train their troops? As expected, just a bunch of unrefined country bumpkins!" Li Xian was completely enraged by Yang Ning's dismissive attitude. Especially in front of Ye Anhe and his many subordinates, he felt he had lost face entirely, and he began to lash out wildly, his previously maintained demeanor of a noble family scion vanishing without a trace.

"Brother Li! Please watch your tongue!" Ye Anhe couldn't take it anymore and interrupted him coldly. "They are our saviors! Without them, you would be a corpse by now!"

Li Xian's face turned shades of blue and white from Ye Anhe's rebuke. He opened his mouth but ultimately didn't continue his outburst at her. Suppressing his rage, he stiffened his neck and ordered Yang Ning: "Take us to the aircraft immediately! I want to go to Lujiang Base to see your Colonel Jiang Xin! I'd like to ask him just how he manages his subordinates!"

Yang Ning remained deaf to him, not even lifting an eyelid, continuing to communicate with his teammates. Li Xian and the members of the Honors Conferment Group were left standing there awkwardly as the mountain wind blew past. Li Xian clenched his fists so hard his nails nearly dug into his palms, mentally cursing this arrogant Captain. He swore that once they reached Lujiang Base, he would make Jiang Xin punish him severely and teach him the consequences of offending him!

Not long after, another apollo fighter jet roared into the nearby airspace and slowly landed. The hatch opened, and a figure stepped down unhurriedly. He wore an ordinary combat uniform, but his imposing presence, like a steady mountain, instantly drew everyone's gaze.

Li Xian, with his sharp eyes, immediately saw the Major rank on the newcomer's shoulder boards. Like grabbing a lifeline, he quickly composed himself and hurried forward to meet him, speaking first with a tone of interrogation and command: "Major! You've come at the right time! Your subordinate, this Captain (pointing at Yang Ning), has openly shown contempt for a superior and defied orders! I demand that you discipline him immediately and severely! He must be punished without leniency!" He still maintained the high posture of a superior inspecting a subordinate, as if the other party hadn't come to rescue him but to receive his reprimand.

Zhang Lei paused in his tracks. Looking at this guy who had inexplicably rushed up with such a boorish tone, he frowned slightly. Instead of entertaining him, he turned to the approaching Yang Ning and asked casually, "Yang Ning, who is this weakling? Chirping away here, so arrogant?" His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the silent valley.

"Pfft..."

"Hahaha..."

Zhang Lei's blunt and pointed words instantly amused the surrounding Lujiang Base members, and their suppressed laughter finally erupted. The words might have been crude, but the logic was sound! A guy who had been beaten into faking death by a Second-Tier Monkey King was now bossing around the elites who had just slaughtered the Monkey King and scattered the troop—if that wasn't a weakling, what was?

Some of the Special Ops members and Evolvers from the Honors Conferment Group also had their lips twitching, trying hard to stifle their laughter until their faces turned red. They were disciplined and didn't dare to be as reckless as the Lujiang Base people, but they were laughing inside, finding it incredibly satisfying.

"You! You bastard!" Li Xian was so angry he nearly spat blood, his finger shaking as he pointed at Zhang Lei. But looking at Zhang Lei's calm yet unfathomable eyes, and the fierce, menacing Lujiang Evolvers surrounding them, he didn't dare to actually lash out.

Yang Ning suppressed his smile and stepped forward to give Zhang Lei a standard military salute: "Reporting, sir! This should be the leader of the National Government Honors Conferment Group, Colonel Li Xian." He deliberately emphasized the word "Colonel."

Zhang Lei nodded in realization, drawing out his words: "Oh—! So this is the leader of the Honors Conferment Group!" Only then did he slowly turn his head to re-examine the ashen-faced Li Xian. To regain some face, Li Xian intentionally puffed out his chest even more, tilting his chin so high it nearly pointed at the sky.

"What happened? Why is he insisting I discipline you?" Zhang Lei asked Yang Ning with a playful smile, completely ignoring the nearly exploding Li Xian beside him. Zhang Lei was famously protective of his own. Yang Ning was the second Heavy Infantry, a powerful veteran who had fought alongside Zhang Lei for a long time. How could he possibly blame his comrade because of a few words from some outside idiot?

Yang Ning concisely recounted how Li Xian had been ungrateful and put on airs to reprimand them.

As Zhang Lei listened, his frown deepened, and his gaze gradually turned cold.

"Major! Did you hear that?!" Li Xian still hadn't realized the gravity of the situation, or perhaps his arrogant heart believed this "Major" couldn't do anything to him. He continued to fan the flames haughtily: "This is how your subordinate treats a superior! You must give me an explanation immediately! Severe punishment! Otherwise, I will report this to the Military Department and hold your Lujiang Base accountable for lax discipline!"

Zhang Lei finally turned around slowly and walked step by step toward Li Xian. His tall and stalwart frame, combined with his calm gaze, carried an invisible pressure that made Li Xian's heart skip a beat involuntarily. Zhang Lei reached out—not to shake hands, but to use his palm to very dismissively pat Li Xian's cheek, making a light slapping sound.

"Really? Buddy?" Zhang Lei's tone carried an almost absurd sense of mockery. "Are you ordering me? Hmm? Do you know who I am?" His actions and tone were filled with ultimate humiliation and disdain.

"You... aren't you just a Major?!" Li Xian shook all over from Zhang Lei's actions, his cheek stinging, but feeling even more humiliated. He shouted with blustering bravado, but his voice involuntarily carried a hint of guilt and trembling. The powerful sense of oppression from the man made his heart pound so hard he could barely breathe.

"A Major?" Zhang Lei seemed to have heard something hilarious, his lips curling into a cold arc. "Can my, Zhang Lei's, strength and status be represented by the rank of Major?"

"Zhang... Zhang Lei?! You're Zhang Lei?!" Hearing those two words, Li Xian felt as if he'd been struck by lightning, and his mind went blank! The color drained from his face instantly, leaving only boundless terror and horror! Zhang Lei! The man who became famous across China during the Lujiang Zombie Tide Annihilation Campaign, known as the 'ice fire divine lord,' ranked second in the country in the National Government's latest assessment, and the cornerstone of the Lujiang Base!

A Third-Tier Expert! That was someone who could stand on equal footing with his father, Lieutenant General Li Shuofeng—someone even the big shots of the National Government would treat with courtesy! One must know that the National Government's only Third-Tier Expert, Lü Yan, was already a Major General and one who could participate in the highest-level meetings. He... he had just been ordering and threatening a Third-Tier Expert to discipline his subordinate?!

Extreme fear instantly crushed Li Xian's forced arrogance and dignity. Zhang Lei didn't even use any Superpowers; the sheer aura of a powerhouse and the cold killing intent accumulated from long periods at the peak and fighting on the battlefield were as oppressive as a ten-thousand-foot mountain!

Thump!

Li Xian's legs gave way, and he could no longer support himself. He collapsed onto his backside, shaking like a leaf. Cold sweat instantly soaked the military uniform on his back, and his lips trembled, unable to utter a single word.

"Comrade Zhang Lei! Please calm your anger!" Seeing this, Ye Anhe hurriedly stepped forward and blocked Li Xian. Although she really didn't want to care about him, she still gave Zhang Lei a solemn salute and apologized sincerely: "Brother Li was injured just now and might not be thinking clearly. His words were offensive, and I solemnly apologize to you and your subordinates on his behalf! He meant no malice. Please, in your greatness, do not lower yourself to his level!" When the other members of the Honors Conferment Group heard Zhang Lei identify himself, their eyes instantly erupted with fanatical worship! This was a legendary powerhouse! A top-tier expert in the country! If not for the constraints of discipline and the fact that Li Xian was still collapsed on the ground, they would have rushed forward to ask for photos and autographs.

Seeing Ye Anhe's sincere attitude and appropriate tone, the chill on Zhang Lei's face softened slightly. He returned a military salute, his tone much gentler: "Lieutenant Colonel Ye Anhe, right? I've heard much about you." He knew her name, and seeing her humble herself so much, he politely returned the gesture.

Officer Zhang Lei is too kind! It is my, Anhe's, honor to meet you today!"

Zhang Lei nodded, no longer looking at Li Xian, who was slumped like a pile of mud. His gaze swept over everyone, his voice returning to a calm and unquestionable authority: "This place isn't safe to stay for long; the smell of blood might attract other mutated beasts. Everyone, board the aircraft immediately and return to the base."

His words were law. No one raised any further objections. The Lujiang Base members began to quickly organize the boarding, and the members of the Honors Conferment Group helped up Li Xian, who could barely walk, as they headed toward the apollo fighter jet.

To Zhang Lei, the little episode just now wasn't even worth getting angry over. The strength of a Third-Tier Expert was, in itself, the highest authority. Never mind a Colonel who relied on family background to rise; even if the National Government sent a real General, they would still need to accord him equal respect in the face of absolute strength.