The Syrian military had no way to handle Bravo Team here and lacked the capacity to send reinforcements in pursuit.
After experiencing a series of ordeals, Bravo Team finally resolved all the dangers and entered Iraqi territory unscathed.
When they returned to the Sykes Forward Operating Base, Mandy and Eric, to everyone's surprise, were waiting outside to greet them.
At first, Long Zhan found this a bit strange, as it deviated from the usual "routine" after missions. However, when Mandy and Eric approached Lei to offer their heartfelt congratulations, his doubts dissipated.
It turned out that during Bravo Team's retreat, Lei's wife had successfully given birth in the hospital. Both mother and child were safe, and there were no complications.
The difficult labor was due to the hefty baby boy weighing 8 pounds 7 ounces, who had playfully tangled the umbilical cord around his neck.
Lei had completed a perilous mission and, almost simultaneously, became a father—double blessings arriving at once, truly a reason for everyone to celebrate.
After learning the whole story, Lei also understood why Jason had chosen to keep this from him.
They exchanged a glance and shared a knowing smile.
Having been friends through life-and-death situations for over a decade, nothing needed to be said aloud.
Three days later...
After a brief recovery period, Bravo Team returned to the Naval Base in Virginia Beach.
Life resumed its usual rhythm.
Their everyday lives were indistinguishable from those of ordinary people; walking down the street, aside from their imposing physiques, they seemed entirely unremarkable.
However, they would occasionally vanish for a period, only to reappear in the public eye later.
This was the way of life for Tier-1 operators—the elite among the elite, the most formidable combat force within the Navy's DG Unit. Year after year, they adhered to this routine.
For Long Zhan, who had just completed his second mission as an external operative for Bravo Team, the experience had been immensely rewarding.
During his first operation as an external reinforcement, Bravo Team's formal members simply regarded Long Zhan as an exceptional newcomer.
The command officers of Red Team had merely noted that Green Team had someone like Long Zhan and were impressed by his individual capabilities.
There was still a degree of estrangement, and they did not see Long Zhan as a true insider.
Now, during his second mission as an external operative, Long Zhan once again demonstrated his intelligence and skills, ultimately earning everyone's full recognition.
This marked a significant leap—a qualitative transformation. It symbolized that Bravo Team had finally accepted Long Zhan as one of their own.
Furthermore...
Through discussions with Jason, it was confirmed that in Eric's consecutive post-mission reports, Long Zhan's outstanding performance had been consistently highlighted.
This led the DG higher-ups to start paying close attention to this remarkable newcomer.
For instance, Major Blackburn, Red Team's commanding officer, summoned Jason to his office as soon as Bravo Team returned to the base.
After an unspoken agreement during their discussion about the toxin evidence, Major Blackburn specifically brought up Long Zhan, inquiring about Jason's views on the newcomer and whether he might be a fit for Red Team.
Jason, having been a team leader for years, naturally understood his superior's intentions.
Coupled with his genuine admiration for Long Zhan, Jason provided glowing feedback in response to Blackburn's questions. He even jokingly added,
"I think he's perfect for Bravo Team!"
As a commander, Blackburn naturally hoped his personnel would grow stronger. Jason's words struck a chord with him, and he smiled back,
"I think so too, but we'll have to see if the other five team leaders agree."
While Bravo Team's leadership had essentially reached a consensus, Long Zhan himself remained unaware of these developments.
After reporting back to Green Team upon landing, he invited Clay and Brian—who were both envious to the extreme—for drinks and storytelling at a bar that evening.
Perhaps it was the proverbial "truth comes out when drinking."
Maybe it was seeing Long Zhan's team-focused accomplishments that continued to rise higher and higher without acting as a lone wolf.
Or maybe the buffer period had allowed Clay to fully understand what it truly meant to become a Tier-1 operator.
While not intoxicated, Clay sincerely expressed his heartfelt apology to Long Zhan and Brian.
He apologized for all the wrongs he had committed in the past!
The moment he uttered the word "sorry," both Brian and Long Zhan smiled—a genuine smile of relief.
They could both sense it—Clay had finally stepped into maturity.
It was clear he had come to understand…
To truly excel, one must strive to surpass their previous self, not obsess over whether helping others might make them stronger.
The essence of teamwork lies not in acting like a lone wolf, hoarding all glory and success, but in uplifting and growing with the group.
Brian consistently improved himself by assisting his comrades and advancing together.
This embodied the core philosophy of challenging oneself.
Long Zhan, too, held himself to a rigorous standard. His unwavering discipline included pre-dawn workouts and ironclad routines. Mastering seven languages and continuing to learn new ones, he upheld the same ethos of self-improvement.
By persistently adhering to this path, both had grown increasingly exceptional.
Moreover, their remarkable abilities did not isolate them. Instead, they garnered strong camaraderie and became highly valued within their units.
Clay's acquaintance with Brian and Long Zhan was both a misfortune and a blessing.
The misfortune was that no matter how hard he tried, within the Navy SEALs' Team Six—a group centered on teamwork—he would never surpass the "Team Sunshine" Brian or the "Prodigious Ace" Long Zhan.
The blessing was encountering these two friends, who helped him realize his missteps in time, steering him away from an irreversible path.
In the long journey of military life ahead, having such exceptional companions would undoubtedly be a lifelong benefit.
Clay's thorough acknowledgment of his mistakes, coupled with Long Zhan and Brian's acceptance of his apology, marked a deeply significant moment.
It transformed what would have been an ordinary evening of drinks at the bar into something uniquely meaningful.