In the room, a group had already been formed, but the captain and secretary continued their conversation outside the room.
"Didn't you realize? Just a moment ago, you mentioned that this boy seemed honest and straightforward, but deep down, you didn't actually believe him... It seems he was just pretending. Hahaha..."
The secretary remained serious while the captain laughed, but after a couple of coughs, he spoke, "He has been in Eastwood for quite some time. His personality is similar to the people from Eastwood – stubborn and rough. We need to tame his temperament and make him understand that the world doesn't yield to his desires if he wants a promising future."
"Shouldn't we first make him understand the power and strength? He's a young man with ambitions. I don't agree with your approach. Besides, you wanted these military academies to protect him. What if he holds a grudge against our fourth military region?" The secretary disapproved and shook his head. "You mentioned the commander's interest in him. What if he seeks revenge?"
"He's just a kid. If he can't handle this humiliation, then what's the use of him? Besides, our military region has dealt with grudges before," the captain taunted. "This brat has caused me so much trouble. A mere beating is nothing."
"By the way, what's the boy's name? Xu Le, right? That name sounds somewhat familiar. I feel like I've heard it somewhere before." The captain yawned and glanced at the room nearby.
The captain had been treated like a dog by the outstanding students of the Westwood military academies for the past few days. These proud young officers were fuming with anger. The captain had been stuck with Xu Le all this time, and he thought that Xu Le must have been beaten badly by now. The captain knew he needed to resolve this situation soon. Otherwise, how could he face the young lady? What would he say if he stopped the military academy students from beating Xu Le but ended up being questioned tomorrow?
The captain pushed open the cabin door and led the secretary out, but his expression immediately stiffened.
...
...
Inside the room, the sound of punches and kicks suddenly erupted, but just as suddenly, it stopped. In the blink of an eye, three people lay on the ground beside Xu Le. He swiftly moved, with a combination of swift hand movements and body positioning, taking down two more people. Xu Le's legs twisted, returning him to the bedside as he looked around cautiously. In an instant, he had taken down five people. Although he was injured and exhausted from the intense fight, with his lips bleeding and using his sleeve to wipe it away, he assessed the remaining people in the room who hadn't yet attacked. He noticed their hands slowly moving towards their waistbands, and he criticized them in his heart. Did they really need to draw their guns if they couldn't win?
While squatting, Xu Le held his head with both hands, not as a sign of surrender, but as a strategy to avoid sustaining severe injuries. After all, he wouldn't resist anyway. These Westwood military academy students would never shoot him. In this crouching position, he calculated earnestly. If he stunned two people and used his arms to shake off the grip of two more, like the proudest young leader, his face would be covered in blood, appearing as if he had been beaten. By doing so, even if there were a few more manipulators behind the scenes, they would think he had been rendered unconscious.
Reluctant to accept, Xu Le stubbornly prepares to be hit, but just as the cabin door opens, the captain, a portly man, surveys the chaotic scene before him. The officers lay in pain on the ground, their expressions filled with shock. The captain notices a few officers who still stand, their guns drawn but visibly apprehensive. He marches forward, delivering a sharp slap to the back of one officer's head, berating him sternly, "You shameless fool! Have you no sense of dignity? Is this how your teachers have taught you? How did the fourth military region produce such hopeless individuals?"
A beautiful female student, startled by the captain's sudden outburst, attempts to explain, "We suspected he was causing trouble, we..."
Interrupting her, the captain dismisses her words indifferently, then approaches Xu Le, who remains squatting on the ground, feigning innocence like a defenseless rabbit. The captain is filled with countless doubts—just who is this young man? It is not uncommon for an 18-year-old retired soldier, but to have single-handedly taken down five outstanding officers from the Westwood military academy in such a short time is inconceivable. Though the Westwood military academy may not be the pinnacle of the Federation's military academies, it is known for producing exceptional officers. Yet this young man managed to defeat five of them?
The captain examines the injuries on the officers and furrows his brow. The wrestling style employed suggests a military background, but the level of ruthlessness displayed is unexpected from someone who appears so harmless.
Without warning, the portly captain launches a swift and violent attack towards Xu Le, his body transforming into a steel-like figure in an instant. He emanates a terrifying presence as he directs his attack at Xu Le's upper body.
Xu Le, resigned to his fate, does not anticipate the officers retracting their guns. Nor does he expect the seemingly cumbersome captain to launch an attack without warning. The attack is swift and powerful. Xu Le, relying on his instincts honed through four years of combat training, narrows his eyes, shielding his face from the blows. He uses his arms to block the initial assault, but the force is overwhelming. In a split second, he twists his body, blocking with one arm while dragging the other slightly to create an opening. He conjures a three-dimensional caret in the air, shielding himself from the captain's terrifying attack.
In the blink of an eye, the portly captain transforms from an ordinary figure into a fierce and formidable killing machine. He effortlessly evades Xu Le's attempts to block his leg, which emits a deafening howl as it strikes with incredible force. Xu Le's eyes narrow, his years of combat experience kicking in. Despite the distraction of the wind against his face, he maintains his focus, protecting his head and separating his two arms. One arm extends forward while the other pulls back, forming a barrier against the approaching captain.
In the midst of the chaos, only Xu Le and the captain remain, and no one else can discern the captain's fearsome power as he effortlessly breaches Xu Le's defense. With an incredible speed imperceptible to the naked eye, he sweeps Xu Le's final arm aside, leaving him vulnerable.
In that fleeting moment, Xu Le's fingertips brush against the rushing air, the cotton material of his pants. He clenches his knuckles, summoning his strength, and seizes hold of the captain's ankle. With a firm grip, he numbs the joint with his fingers, causing the captain to lose his strength. However, it is just a fleeting hope. The captain's leg strength is overwhelming. Within an instant, Xu Le's abdomen is met with a numbing pain that spreads and dissipates. Unable to maintain his hold, Xu Le can only await the impending outcome of being swept away by this formidable opponent.
Instinct kicks in, and Xu Le's familiar response takes over in this perilous moment. Something mysterious trembles within him, sending signals from his every muscle fiber. A tremendous surge of strength gathers, transmitting through his arms and fingertips. Yet, at the same time, Xu Le appreciates the effectiveness of his composure, which is owed to his training as a machine repair master. He suppresses the internal tremor, unleashing his strength to resist the captain's onslaught.
Toppling the military academy students was an impressive feat, and if Xu Le could use his wrestling skills to block this devastating leg strike, he might have a chance. However, Xu Le dares not let anyone discover the mysterious power within him. The tremors within, the unknown outcome they might bring, remain unclear to him. But he knows that if someone were to connect these tremors with the sealed powers within him and his uncle, all investigations by the Federation would undoubtedly be unleashed, exposing his disguise.
...
...
In the blink of an eye, in this lightning-fast battle, there is no room for hesitation or surrender. With a swift movement, Xu Le is swiftly kicked by the captain, his powerful leg aimed directly at Xu Le's chest. The force behind it is beyond what Xu Le can withstand with his arms alone. A dull thud resonates through the air as Xu Le crashes heavily onto the bed, emitting a pained grunt. Yet, amidst the pain, a flicker of doubt flashes through his eyes.
The portly captain's leg remains in a fixed position, angled downward at 30 degrees, as if cast in steel, exuding an aura of unwavering command and fear.
If the captain's leg had truly connected, it would have been enough to cause Xu Le severe injury or even death. After a brief moment of silence, the captain furrows his brow, slowly retracting his right leg, before leaving the room without a word.
"The boy shows promise, but... it's a pity he's not the talent we're looking for," murmurs the captain, strolling lazily through the corridor, his tone tinged with regret.
His secretary, who has been following closely, is taken aback by this seemingly ordinary captain. Little does he know that this captain, though appearing unremarkable, was once the most formidable special forces soldier in the Fourth Military Region. He was not just a member of Lake's special machine armor squad, but a secret ace in the military region, trusted and highly regarded by Commander Sir. Otherwise, the military region would not have entrusted him with the task of escorting the young lady to the capital star. As for his leg strike, the secretary knows full well that the captain had held back, delivering only thirty percent of his full power. If he had unleashed his true strength, the young man would have been left with broken bones. Reflecting on the captain's comment about the boy's talent, the secretary realizes that the young lady has stumbled upon an extraordinary individual despite her current predicament.
"Talent in the military can be cultivated. If the military region wants to recruit again, it won't be difficult. There have been many such cases in the past," the secretary offers his opinion.
The captain does not halt his stride, shaking his head and replying, "Ordinary talent, though valuable, is not rare. True talent, however, is hard to come by. It seems that the boy is not the type of talent the commander is seeking. Keeping him around would be pointless."
"Which type of talent?" the secretary asks, puzzled.
"The kind found in the old Li family," the captain says with a bitter smile. "The kind of talent our federation cherishes, rooted in moral and cultural upbringing."
The secretary chuckles, saying, "That's true. After all, his family has quite the patriarch."
...
...
The following day, Xu Le, now thoroughly cleaned and dressed in freshly laundered clothes, is guided by the staff to the upper level of ancient Zhonghao. Uncertain about what awaits him, he reminds himself to maintain a low profile since the capital is not far away.