14: A strange man descended from the sky

"Done."

Chen Xi put away the red slingshot. His voice wasn't loud, but like a pebble tossed into an icy lake, it suddenly shattered the deathly silence on the third floor.

The Soldiers behind him seemed to have been struck by a freezing spell, each frozen in place in a prone or crouching position, motionless.

Their faces still held the absurd and bewildered expressions from when they first saw the slingshot. However, their eyes had long since been drained of all spirit by the hellish scene three hundred meters away, leaving only a hollow daze—a mix of extreme terror and extreme adoration.

Shangguan Zhibiao was still holding his rifle in a firing position, but the Zhongzheng Rifle had already slipped from his hands, hitting the ground with a "clang," yet he remained completely unaware.

He just stood there with his mouth open, his throat making a wheezing "he... he..." sound like a fish thrown onto the shore, gasping in vain without taking in a single breath of air.

His worldview had shattered.

It was shattered more thoroughly than the rubble beneath his feet.

That was steel.

It was the hard, cold, and cruel steel that the imperialists used to knock open the gates of their country.

It wasn't mud.

It wasn't tofu.

But just now, right before his eyes, that steel had been shattered by a tiny pebble, as easily as snapping a biscuit.

And then, there were the people.

Those Japanese Soldiers, armed to the teeth, ferocious and malevolent, who viewed their lives as mere grass.

Their heads, like ripe watermelons, were shattered one by one, silently and efficiently.

"Thud."

"Thud."

That sound, those images, and that absolute power to dominate life and death with such nonchalance, seared into his brain like a red-hot iron.

What the hell... what kind of sorcery is this?

He whipped his head around to look at Chen Xi.

Chen Xi was dusting off his hands, his expression as relaxed as if he had just finished an after-school game; he even gave him a grin.

This smile became the final straw that broke Shangguan Zhibiao's nerves.

He could no longer remain standing.

His legs went weak, and with a "thump," he knelt straight down toward Chen Xi.

"Immortal..."

He tremulously squeezed out two words, his forehead thumping heavily against the dust-covered floor.

"Immortal above! Please accept the bow of Shangguan Zhibiao!"

He wasn't joking.

At this moment, he truly believed.

Suspicious origins, Japanese spies, traveling charlatans... to hell with all of that!

Could a spy have this kind of ability? Could a fraud have such divine power?

This was clearly an immortal descending from the heavens to rescue them, a group of mere mortals!

"Hey, hey, hey! What are you doing!"

Chen Xi was startled by this sudden kneeling and hurried forward to help him up.

"Get up quickly! We're all brothers here, why do all this!"

He didn't know whether to laugh or cry; what era was this, and people were still doing the kowtow routine?

But Shangguan Zhibiao was determined and refused to get up, his head thumping against the ground with extreme piety.

Chen Xi felt a massive headache coming on.

The surrounding Soldiers, seeing their own company commander kneeling, also snapped out of their daze. One by one, they dropped their guns and scrambled to kneel, kowtowing toward Chen Xi like they were pounding garlic.

"Grandfather Immortal, spare our lives!"

"We were blind to your greatness, please be magnanimous!"

In an instant, the third-floor position that was just under heavy fire underwent a sudden change in atmosphere, becoming like the scene of a large, disorganized temple fair.

The audience in the livestream room went completely wild with laughter at this absurd scene.

[Hahahaha! Master Xi has officially acquired the 'Immortal' title!] [A large-scale scene of ancestral superstitious activities.] [Company Commander Shangguan: Suspecting Master Xi → Understanding Master Xi → Becoming Master Xi's first believer.] [Master Xi: I just used a cheat, but you guys want me to be the Jade Emperor?]

Just as Chen Xi was in a fluster, not knowing how to deal with this group of "fanatic believers,"

A steady voice, though carrying a trace of imperceptible trembling, rang out behind him.

"All of you, get up."

It was Xie Jinyuan.

He had put down his binoculars at some point and slowly turned around.

His face remained calm.

But his eyes behind the lenses seemed to have weathered a violent tsunami; after the storm, only deep, solemn ripples remained.

Just by standing there, he exerted an invisible pressure that made all the kneeling Soldiers instinctively stop kowtowing and stand up awkwardly.

Shangguan Zhibiao also climbed up with a flushed face, keeping his head down and not daring to look at Xie Jinyuan, like a child who had done something wrong.

Xie Jinyuan paid them no mind.

His gaze fell straight and deeply onto Chen Xi.

It was an extremely complex look.

There was shock, confusion, and inquiry, but more than anything, there was a massive, soul-swallowing daze.

He remained silent for a long time.

So long that the air seemed to solidify.

Then, he finally spoke slowly, emphasizing every word.

"Mr. Chen."

His voice was raspy, as if every word was being painfully squeezed from the depths of his throat.

"Please follow me."

After saying this, he turned and walked toward the stairwell.

His back was still straight, but his steps had a trace of imperceptible instability.

Chen Xi knew that this iron-blooded scholar-general's worldview was likely undergoing a violent collapse and reconstruction, just like his Soldiers.

He followed him.

Shangguan Zhibiao hesitated for a moment, then hurriedly picked up his gun and followed closely behind the two.

Along the way, all the Soldiers who saw them stopped their work and stood at a distance, pointing at Chen Xi with eyes full of awe and curiosity.

The "miracle" that had just occurred on the third floor had already spread throughout the warehouse like the wind.

They returned once again to the crude command post.

Xie Jinyuan did not sit down.

He simply stood before the large military map, silently watching the red and blue arrows representing the enemy and themselves for five whole minutes.

Chen Xi and Shangguan Zhibiao stood there, neither daring to make a sound to disturb him.

Finally.

Xie Jinyuan let out a long, long breath.

That breath seemed to expel all the fatigue, pressure, and despair he had carried since the start of the war.

He slowly turned around and looked at Chen Xi.

This time, his eyes no longer held the previous scrutiny and suspicion.

Only a sense of candor, determination, and a solemnity that was almost like a sacred entrustment remained.

"Mr. Chen."

He spoke, his voice having regained its composure.

"I will no longer ask about your origins."

"Because that is no longer important."

He walked up to Chen Xi and gave him a deep look.

"Whether you are an immortal, a demon, a remarkable person from overseas, or a divine Soldier descended from the nine heavens... since you have appeared here, in my Sihang Warehouse, at the most critical moment for my Eight Hundred Heroes."

He paused, his voice taking on a burning intensity.

"Then it is Heaven protecting China, unwilling to let our nation sink into ruin!"

Shangguan Zhibiao felt his blood boil, his chest heaving violently.

Xie Jinyuan ignored him and simply looked at Chen Xi, speaking slowly with a tone that was almost a plea:

"Mr. Chen, I, Xie Jinyuan, in the name of the Commander of the 524th Regiment of the 88th Division, implore you to help us defend this Sihang Warehouse and protect the final dignity of our China!"

After speaking, he suddenly took a step back.

Then, under the shocked gazes of Chen Xi and Shangguan Zhibiao,

He snapped his feet together, straightened his back, and gave Chen Xi a standard military salute, representing a Soldier's highest respect!

At this moment, Chen Xi's heart felt as if it had been struck hard by something.

He looked at the hero before him, who would be revered by billions in the future, and saw those eyes filled with sincerity and trust. He suddenly felt that his previous thoughts about "games," "livestreams," and "contribution points" were laughably shallow.

He took a deep breath and, mimicking the other's posture, stood at attention and solemnly returned an equally standard military salute.

"Commander, your words are too kind."

His voice was firmer than ever before.

"Defending our home and country is an inescapable duty."

Xie Jinyuan looked at him, and a gratified smile finally appeared on his face.

"Good!"

He nodded heavily.

"From now on, you are no longer our prisoner, nor a guest."

He turned, took a blank commission form and a fountain pen from a drawer, and quickly wrote a few words on it.

"In the name of the Regiment Headquarters, I officially appoint Mr. Chen Xi as our regiment's 'Special Combat Advisor.' You are non-combatant personnel, but in times of battle, you may act freely and have the authority to mobilize the combat squads belonging to Company Commander Shangguan's company!"

He solemnly placed the commission, still smelling of fresh ink, into Chen Xi's hands.

"Advisor Chen."

Chen Xi took the commission and looked at the powerful brushstrokes of the characters; for a moment, he felt somewhat dazed.

"Furthermore," Xie Jinyuan added, "having suffered such a heavy blow, the Japanese Army will surely not dare to attack again easily. The warehouse will have a precious period of rest and reorganization. Advisor Chen can take this opportunity to familiarize himself with the environment."

These words were equivalent to giving Chen Xi the highest degree of freedom and trust.

Chen Xi nodded.

He knew that from this moment on, he had truly become a member of this isolated army.