The soldiers and police officers' eyes were bloodshot. Protecting their citizens was a duty that ran deep in their veins—they were always prepared to die for their country and people. But now, a civilian had been killed right in front of their eyes, and they were powerless to stop it.
The camera returned to Liam, who said, "I'm a naturally kind person, so I'll stop at just one death. But my kindness has its limits. If you don't move within five minutes..." He smiled maliciously before his image disappeared, and the broadcast switched back to Sian and the others.
The officers' hearts were unwilling, but they had no other choice. Orders were quickly given for all forces to withdraw to a safe distance from the forest while they regrouped to devise a plan.
---
At the city's military headquarters, in a spacious conference room, numerous individuals were seated around a large rectangular table. Most of them were older men, some likely in their sixties or beyond. With stars and medals adorning their uniforms, each carried an aura of seriousness and sharp determination.
"We can't just sit around like this! The army's prestige will be completely destroyed! Those terrorist scumbags have wiped the floor with our dignity!" one general exclaimed, his voice filled with anger and frustration.
"Calm down, General," another interjected. "Now that things have escalated, we must carefully strategize a successful rescue. Only then can we prove the army's strength is not to be underestimated."
"We've received confirmation that the terrorist group executed a hostage to force our forces to retreat from the forest. If we make any rash moves now, we'll lose more hostages. Everything is being broadcast live. If we abandon the hostages and attack the forest, public outrage is inevitable. It could even escalate into a civil war, which we absolutely cannot allow."
"So, are you suggesting we just sit here and do nothing—"
"There must be another way—"
The conference room erupted into heated arguments, tension thick in the air. Amid the chaos, an elderly man sat calmly, his sharp features betraying his age. Despite the wrinkles lining his face, he still looked remarkably well. What was even more striking was his uncanny resemblance to Lan Qisheng.
"General Lan," someone addressed him with a thinly veiled smirk, "it seems your grandson and his team are in the forest. Why not let him handle this situation? After all, I've heard how capable he is—just like his grandfather in his youth. Surely, he'll do an excellent job saving the hostages."
General Lan looked at the man calmly. Just when everyone expected a fiery exchange of words, the elderly general burst into laughter.
The entire room fell silent, stunned. What was wrong with him? Had he lost his mind? Or had the stress of his grandson's potential demise driven him mad?
After laughing heartily, General Lan straightened in his chair and spoke with feigned politeness. "Ah, pardon me. I just remembered a rather amusing conversation I overheard from a certain child. This child is so clever that he predicted General Fou's thoughts even before he voiced them."
General Fou, the man who had suggested leaving the matter to Lan Qisheng, visibly reddened. His plan to shift all the blame onto Lan Qisheng and his team in case of failure had been exposed.
"What are you insinuating, General Lan? Speak plainly and stop with the riddles," General Fou demanded, his tone defensive.
General Lan didn't reply. Instead, he gestured to his subordinate, who quickly moved to the room's projector and switched it on.
The screen displayed a strikingly handsome young man with amber eyes, glowing skin, and bright red lips. His long hair was tied back loosely, giving him an almost ethereal appearance. Standing against the forest backdrop, he looked like an elf prince straight out of a fantasy tale.
Just as General Fou was about to mockingly comment on the irrelevance of watching movies or idol videos during such a crisis, a melodic yet sharp voice echoed from the speakers. The words, however, were nothing short of explosive.
"The army, you say? Because of your leaders' greed for glory, countless innocent lives... Your military didn't do that. Do you know why? Because your army didn't want to incur the massive losses—resources, weapons, funds, logistics—required for such an operation."
This was a recording of Sian criticizing and exposing the military's policies during an argument with one of Lan Qisheng's subordinates. Though it lasted only three minutes, every word carried immense weight. Sian's sharp tongue spared no one, and he mercilessly aired the dirtiest truths about the military on the live broadcast.
General Fou slammed his hand on the table in rage, his face a deep shade of crimson. Sian's final remark had struck a nerve, leaving no room for his intended scapegoat strategy.
"Who is he? Who is that insolent brat? How dare he disrespect us like this?!"
"General Fou". General Lan said with a sly smile:"there's no need for such anger. Ours is a democratic nation, and everyone has the right to express their opinions, even if you don't like them. Besides, the boy explicitly stated his respect for the soldiers' bravery and sacrifices. He only criticized those unworthy of their positions. Surely, his words don't apply to you, do they?"
If Sian had been present, he would have finally understood where Lan Qisheng had inherited his twisted sense of humor.
After the tense exchange between the generals, the meeting resumed, with strategies and arrangements discussed in detail. It wasn't until an hour or so later that the meeting finally adjourned.
Returning to his office, General Lan immediately tuned in to the live broadcast. His assistant stood nearby, overhearing the old man muttering, "That brat doesn't even know how to properly ask for help."
The assistant sighed inwardly. It seemed the general wasn't worried about his grandson's life at all. In fact, he didn't even seem fazed by seeing his grandson kneeling before someone. This family was truly something...
---
Meanwhile, as the military withdrew from the forest, events continued to unfold on Sian's side...
Lan Qisheng was still kneeling before Sian, who regarded him with an amused, intrigued expression. The two men locked eyes as if sparks were flying in the air between them. However, the strange atmosphere was abruptly interrupted.
"Apologies for saying this, but Marco has a point, sir. I don't think this boy will be of any help to us. If anything, he'll hinder our progress," Kim Hyun said in a steady, calm voice. Though his tone lacked Marco's disdain, his rejection was evident.
"I... I think Sian is perfectly capable," Tong Xiao said hesitantly but with conviction. "He saved me, after all. That alone proves his skill." Though nervous about siding with Sian against the others, he couldn't remain silent after recalling how Sian had helped him. Besides, considering the uncertain fate of the two participants who had surrendered and exited the program earlier, Tong Xiao would rather stay in the forest, where his chances of survival seemed higher. For that, he was genuinely grateful to Sian.
Michael Cheng, who had been silent until now, spoke up. "If it weren't for Sian, we wouldn't have even known we were being hunted down. He was the one who intercepted the terrorists' plans to kill us all here. He even helped fend off that bear. As a soldier and as a man, I recognize his abilities."
Aaron Wang and Ben Wang, though quiet, sided with their friend. As close companions, they stood united, even if they harbored doubts about Sian's strength.
The remaining participants, however, remained silent. Some were too fearful to speak, others indifferent, while a few, like Liang Zhu, were preoccupied with thoughts of their families and whether they could make it out of this nightmare alive.
Of the 20 original participants, two had withdrawn, and one had died, leaving 17 still in the game. Excluding Lan Qisheng and his five-member team, along with Sian, that left 10 participants. Among them, three were still paralyzed by shock, unable to breathe properly...
-------------------------------------
ERATO-SAN has something to say:
Good morning, my delightful readers! (ノ^_^)ノ; I just had to drop by to say a cheerful hello and share a little something with you all!
For everyone diving into this fantastic novel, get ready to see Sian's Power and his thrilling battles! The next chapter is going to be a real treat... but shhh, I won't spill the beans just yet!
But I can tell you there will definitely be a battle! So, let's have some fun—who can guess what Sian will face this time? Will it be another wild animal ready for action? Or perhaps a human? *\0/*
What do you think? How about making it a little bet? Hehe! Can't wait to hear your guesses! >.<
-----------------------------------------