Yi Bai didn't hesitate for even a second. In the blink of an eye, he activated his Parasite talent on Chen Dafeng.
The parasitization was silent—Chen Dafeng was completely unaware. Only Yi Bai could see the new prompt in his mind.
[You have successfully parasitized the target "Human - Chen Dafeng." You may randomly copy one item or ability the target possesses each day.]
[You cannot switch hosts until the target's death.]
"Parasitization successful!" Yi Bai felt a surge of satisfaction. Before him, Chen Dafeng's perspective as a human appeared, and Yi Bai could distinctly sense some of his emotions—his helplessness, his fear. Yet, all of this was completely undetectable to Chen Dafeng.
Chen Dafeng raised his head and coldly looked at Wang Shi. "What's going on? Has your commander told you to release me yet?"
Now, with his contract signed, Chen Dafeng's tone had gained a lot more confidence. The moment he agreed to the contract, his internal stance had shifted.
First, the mysterious commander didn't seem inclined to kill him just yet.
Second, Chen Dafeng was now one of the commander's people. With his strength, he at least held a certain position in their eyes.
"Do you still think you can control me?" His eyes gleamed with defiance.
Suddenly, a voice crackled from the radio in the commander's hands. It was Lin Yue's voice.
"Wang, the commander says you can release him now."
"Understood." Wang Shi nodded and let go of his grip on Chen Dafeng.
A wave of relief washed over Chen Dafeng as his control over his own strength returned. The moment he regained his freedom, he vanished, almost as if by teleportation, retreating back to the crowd.
The eyes of the gathered people were filled with a complicated mix of expressions. They had witnessed the events unfold and had heard the general gist of it.
Their leader had just pledged allegiance to someone else. That meant no more Little White Bear Shelter. They were going to be absorbed by another faction. No one knew the new leader's personality or if they would treat them well, and a thick cloud of fear hung over them all.
But Chen Dafeng had no time to consider their thoughts. His eyes remained warily fixed on Wang Shi. However, to his surprise, Wang Shi didn't even acknowledge him and simply turned to walk away, rejoining the group of soldiers.
Only the Chief of Staff turned to Chen Dafeng, gesturing. "Chen Dafeng, return to the team."
Chen Dafeng's gaze sharpened as he looked at the Chief of Staff, a cold smile spreading across his face. "Are you talking to me?"
"You really think I still fear you?" He sneered inwardly. With the commander's backing, who could stand in his way?
"Soldiers must obey orders!" The Chief of Staff's glare was intense. "Since you've joined the commander's ranks, you are now a soldier of the army! During wartime, you must be in the frontlines. Do you intend to defy military law?"
The words hung in the air, and all eyes turned to Chen Dafeng, waiting for his response.
Yi Bai, meanwhile, was silently observing Chen Dafeng's inner turmoil. It didn't matter what decision the man made now. Yi Bai had already secured his Talent Copying ability, and as long as Chen Dafeng wasn't a threat, Yi Bai wasn't bothered by what happened next. Even if Chen Dafeng stirred up trouble, Yi Bai was unaffected.
Chen Dafeng could defy all the rules if he wanted—what could they do to him now?
But to Yi Bai's surprise, Chen Dafeng only stayed silent for a moment before he sneered and walked toward the Chief of Staff.
"Chen Dafeng, return to the team."
Chen Dafeng's gaze turned cold. It was clear that the Chief of Staff was pushing him too far. No one could easily swallow such humiliation.
End of the world, he thought. I have the power to rise and take control. I should be spreading my wings, but instead, I've become someone's subordinate…
His mind seethed with frustration, but the words that followed came out colder than ice. "I'll go to the command vehicle."
The Chief of Staff pointed toward the vehicle and added, "Tell your people to stop resisting and not delay the process of recruitment."
"I don't care, just do whatever you want." Chen Dafeng waved dismissively. "If you want to kill them, kill them. It's all the same to me."
He was never a soft-hearted leader. His pursuit of power always came first. Whether his subordinates lived or died meant little to him. With that, he walked toward the command vehicle.
The door of the command vehicle opened, and a soldier motioned for him to enter. As soon as he did, his eyes locked on two women sitting inside, a few soldiers, and... Xiao Liu and the others.
In that instant, Chen Dafeng understood the situation.
"So, you were the ones who brought them here?" He fixed Xiao Liu with a cold, piercing gaze.
Xiao Liu couldn't bear to meet his former boss's eyes. He quickly turned away, his face pale and silent.
Jiang Xiaoci, however, was sharp enough to notice Xiao Liu and the others trembling. Given the brutal way they had described Chen Dafeng's past methods, she could easily guess they were genuinely afraid of him.
"They brought us here," Jiang Xiaoci said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "They've played a big role in this. Without their guidance, we wouldn't have found this place."
She lightly emphasized Xiao Liu's importance in leading the way. Of course, finding the Little White Bear Shelter wouldn't have been difficult without them.
"A bunch of traitors!" Chen Dafeng's eyes darkened, his killing intent surging.
Before anyone could react, his figure blurred. In the blink of an eye, the sound of gunfire shattered the tension.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The heads of Xiao Liu and the others exploded as Chen Dafeng's speed reached its peak, his hands crushing their skulls with frightening precision. Blood sprayed, splattering across the inside of the command vehicle. Jiang Xiaoci's white dress was stained with crimson, and blood splashed onto her cheek.
"What are you doing?!" Lin Yue shouted in fury, instantly drawing her gun and pointing it at Chen Dafeng.
The soldiers around them also raised their rifles, eyeing him warily.
"What am I doing? Trying to kill me?" Chen Dafeng scoffed, looking disdainfully at Lin Yue and the soldiers. He wasn't the least bit afraid.
Bullets? He thought. They won't even touch me.
"You killed our benefactors!" Lin Yue's voice was icy with anger. "You're violating the rules of the settlement!"
"Well, if you're so keen on following the rules, then act on it," Chen Dafeng sneered. "Who says I can't kill a few traitors? Come on, try to stop me."
"Even if your commander were here, I'd still kill them."
He pointed at Jiang Xiaoci, clearly misunderstanding her role.
"It's fine," Jiang Xiaoci said calmly, wiping the blood from her cheek with a casual gesture. She looked down at the lifeless bodies on the floor and shrugged. "Lin Yue, put your gun down. Have the bodies taken out. We have work to do."
"Miss Jiang…"
"That's an order."
Jiang Xiaoci's tone became firm. Lin Yue had no choice but to lower her weapon. With a glance full of disdain for Chen Dafeng, she gestured for the soldiers to remove the bodies and clean up the vehicle.
"Well, looks like you're not as unreasonable as I thought," Chen Dafeng said with a sly grin, his eyes narrowing as he appraised Jiang Xiaoci. "You're kind of interesting."
Jiang Xiaoci adjusted her posture lazily and smiled back. "Mr. Chen, if your gaze continues like that, I can assure you I know a hundred ways to make you regret it, all while still respecting the terms of the contract."
"Hmph," Chen Dafeng grunted, turning his head with a frustrated sigh. "So, what does the commander want with me? Or are you going to punish me for killing these people?"
"I don't have the time for that," Jiang Xiaoci said, shaking her head. "And, for the record, I don't like traitors either."
She leaned back in her seat, her eyes glinting coldly. "And by the way, I'm not the commander. I'm just the manager."