"Ah!"
A scream suddenly pierced the air, silencing the merry crowd inside the house as they all turned to look towards the source of the noise.
Ye Qing's expression changed; the sound came from the backyard, which meant the two there were not faring well. Now, with the attention of the seven or eight people inside the house drawn, what would happen if they all rushed to the backyard?
At this moment, Ye Qing could not afford to hesitate any longer and burst through the door into the living room.
The people in the living room were still puzzled by what was happening in the backyard when someone burst in through the front. The two nearest to the door had not yet grasped what was happening when Ye Qing charged at them, knocking them both to the ground with an elbow strike and a knee jab.
Panic ensued within the room, and everyone reacted, with two people yelling as they charged towards Ye Qing.
Ye Qing didn't retreat an inch and took a step forward to meet them head-on. The two threw punches simultaneously, but Ye Qing ducked and countered with a swift backhand attack.
These two were not weak; previously, Ye Qing had almost been stealthy in taking down those few men. But now, with the element of surprise gone, fighting them off wasn't going to be easy.
Ye Qing's counter-attack failed to hit the two men, and instead, two more approached, surrounding him in the middle with the four of them together.
The remaining two headed toward the backyard to check what had happened there.
All four were battle-hardened Special Forces soldiers, launching deadly moves in an attempt to kill Ye Qing. But Ye Qing did not hold back either. After dodging several attacks, he rolled on the ground and got back up with a dagger in hand.
All four had already drawn their daggers, it seemed they too wanted to avoid alarming the villagers by not using guns, a sentiment Ye Qing shared.
Ye Qing gripped his dagger tightly, took a swift step forward, and charged into the encirclement of the four men. They didn't hesitate to strike simultaneously, stabbing rapidly and precisely towards Ye Qing.
However, just as Ye Qing was about to be pierced by the daggers, he suddenly leaped up. Although only over a meter high, he barely avoided the blades, and, in that moment, his own dagger swiftly cut across one man's throat, who immediately collapsed to the ground clutching it.
The remaining three were startled and didn't dare to delay, hastily wielding their daggers to pursue Ye Qing.
As soon as Ye Qing landed, a dagger stabbed towards him. Unable to leap again, he quickly bent down and rolled to avoid the strike. As he stood up, another dagger was stabbing down at his head.
Ye Qing immediately raised his left hand, blocking the attacker's hand, while his right hand thrust the dagger into the assailant's abdomen. As the remaining two came to assist, Ye Qing had already extracted the dagger, coldly eyeing the two men.
Both were stunned; the four of them combined weren't a match for Ye Qing, let alone facing him individually.
The two exchanged a glance and simultaneously threw their daggers at Ye Qing, drawing their guns in a fluid motion.
Ye Qing dodged the daggers and was now faced with the barrels of two guns. Not daring to take any chances, he turned and dashed out of the house.
The two men followed hot on his heels, but just as they reached the door, two gunshots rang out, and each man's forehead sprouted a bloody hole, causing them to fall in unison.
The marksman was none other than Eagle Eye, who occupied the village's highest vantage point and could accurately eliminate any visible target.
"Captain, everything's taken care of!" At that moment, Cheetah also rushed into the yard. Spotting the vehicle, he immediately approached and stabbed the tires with his dagger several times before getting up and saying, "Now, it's really clean!"
By the time Ye Qing had charged into the room, the commotion in the backyard had ceased, and two men burst into the living room—it was Black Bear and Green Wolf. Black Bear had some blood on his left arm, a minor injury that wasn't serious.
"Everyone be careful, Kun Cuo is upstairs, and he must have heard the fight. There will definitely be preparations," Ye Qing gestured with his hand and said solemnly, "Spread out, don't go up the stairs."
The three immediately dispersed, each climbing up toward the second floor from different locations. Ye Qing did not go elsewhere but rather climbed up the stairs. However, upon approaching the second floor, he took off his coat and threw it upwards.
"Pop, pop, pop, pop..."
A burst of rapid gunfire shredded the coat, which had multiple holes by the time it hit the ground—the firepower from upstairs was strong.
Using this distraction, Ye Qing could now see that the gunfire was coming from a room with a pure steel door and no windows, only a small hole, resembling a miniature bunker.
As feared, they had encountered a bunker.
On the other side, the other three had already reached the second floor. But the bunker offered a good view, catching sight of them as well. The machine gun swung around for another barrage of fire, forcing them to retreat and take cover.
They tried several times but could not get close to the bunker, let alone take it down.
Ye Qing was silent for a moment before suddenly turning to Cheetah and signaling to him.
Cheetah hesitated briefly, but by that time, Ye Qing was already charging up to the second floor.
The machine gun immediately targeted Ye Qing, bullets flying as if they cost nothing.
Ye Qing immediately turned and ran to the side as soon as he reached the top of the stairs, daring not to run in a straight line. The bullets were almost chasing his heels, riddling the floor behind him with holes.
While Ye Qing was drawing the machine gun's fire, Cheetah also charged out, running along the wall to the opening and casually tossing a smoke grenade in.
Before long, the machine guns ceased firing, and violent coughing could be heard from within; thick smoke even billowed from the entrance.
Green Wolf took the opportunity to dash over, rushing to the door and sticking a rubber bomb on it.
The four of them quickly scattered, and with a loud bang, the door was blown off its hinges. Inside was still filled with rolling smoke; the four rushed into the chamber, barely making out a man and a woman crouching on the ground, coughing. The man was indeed Kun Cuo.
Black Bear went over and lifted Kun Cuo out like he was picking up a chick.
Ye Qing walked over, grabbed Kun Cuo by the neck, and punched him in the face. Kun Cuo immediately doubled over, holding his face, and Ye Qing lifted his knee sharply into his chest. With a crack, several of Kun Cuo's ribs broke under the impact.
None of the other three were surprised by the scene. Everyone knew Ye Qing's temper; he was avenging the two girls who were victimized downstairs.
Ye Qing went to the doorway and set off a firework to signal the people outside.
In less than fifteen minutes, several police cars drove into the village, led by none other than Director Zhou.
Walking into the yard and seeing everything that laid before him, Director Zhou was completely stunned. Then he turned to see the nearly unscathed Ye Qing and his seven men, scratching his head in disbelief.
Ye Qing approached Commander Chen, stood at attention to salute, and said, "Reporting, sir, the mission has been successfully completed. Due to enemy resistance, seven criminals were killed in action, nineteen apprehended, and two victims rescued!"
Commander Chen smiled and nodded, saying, "Well done. The Night Wolf Squad has achieved another merit. Ye Qing, you take your squad back for some rest. The city police will handle things here!"
"Yes, sir!" As Ye Qing turned to leave, Commander Chen suddenly called out to him, "Wait, there is a letter for you here, sent by your father."
Commander Chen handed a letter to Ye Qing before turning to Director Zhou. In fact, there was no longer any need for the city police; they were merely there to take the criminals away.
"Commander Chen, the Night Wolf Squad is truly remarkable!" said Director Zhou, somewhat excitedly, grasping Kun Cuo firmly. This was indeed a significant contribution.
"Hehe..." Commander Chen chuckled lightly, looking at the two victimized girls, and remarked, "These criminals wouldn't have had to die if they hadn't committed such atrocities."
Director Zhou was taken aback before looking towards Ye Qing and the others, whispering, "You... you mean... "
Commander Chen watched Ye Qing's retreating figure and said with a hint of regret, "These seven were definitely the finest soldiers, and Ye Qing is the finest commander. It's just a pity that his temperament means he can only be a soldier and never an officer."
Having helped Director Zhou with all the paperwork, this was part of the military's cooperation with local law enforcement in fighting criminals—a collective effort. Of course, most of the credit went to the local police force.
After everything was dealt with, Commander Chen drove back to his base. Just as he reached his room's door, he was startled to find someone standing there.
Commander Chen looked closely; it was none other than Ye Qing.
Commander Chen was slightly taken aback and asked curiously, "Ye Qing, what are you doing here?"
"Commander, there's something I need to apply for," said Ye Qing in a low voice.
"What is it that can't wait until tomorrow?" Commander Chen inquired with curiosity.
"I..." Ye Qing hesitated for a moment, then clenched his teeth and said in a firm voice, "I want to be discharged from service!"
"What!?" Commander Chen's eyes widened in astonishment as he looked at Ye Qing, blurting out, "What... what did you say?"
"I want to be discharged!" Ye Qing lifted his head to meet Commander Chen's gaze and repeated, "Commander, you know about my family's situation. My younger brother has been missing for two years, and last month, a fellow villager spotted him in Shenchuan City!"
"That's great!" Commander Chen nodded and responded, "If he's been found, then promptly bring him back home. A family reunion is a wonderful thing. What does that have to do with you wanting to be discharged?"
Ye Qing slowly shook his head and explained, "The villager said when he saw him, he had lost an arm and a leg and was lying on a flatbed cart begging. My fellow villager wanted to take him away but ended up getting beaten by several people. Later, my father went to Shenchuan several times but didn't see him again!"
Commander Chen's brow immediately furrowed—he understood what Ye Qing was implying. Although he was mostly at the base, he had some understanding of the outside world. Particularly in prosperous coastal cities, such conditions were prevalent. Many disabled beggars were controlled by malicious forces, and it seemed Ye Qing's brother had fallen into similar circumstances!
"Do you want to go to Shenchuan to find him?" Commander Chen looked at Ye Qing and suggested, "Alternatively, you could take some leave to go and look for him. If you find him, bring him home, and then you can come back."
Ye Qing shook his head and said, "Commander, I've made up my mind. I don't want any involvement with the military this time I go to Shenchuan!"
Commander Chen knew what Ye Qing's words meant; it seemed that Ye Qing had prepared himself for a major upheaval in Shenchuan. His desire to keep the military out of it meant he didn't want the military to take the fall for him!
Understanding Ye Qing's temperament all too well, Commander Chen knew he couldn't dissuade him and slowly nodded, advising, "Since you've made your decision, I won't stop you. However, I want to remind you of something. Shenchuan is not like here; you can't use the same measures against others that you do against drug traffickers. Drug traffickers are essentially brutal criminals, and fighting them is a matter of life and death. Killing them defends the country. But when you go to Shenchuan, it's different. Wherever you are, I hope you remember, you're the finest soldier, not a ruthless criminal!"