The meeting room was in the typical style of a new recruit barracks, where simplicity reigned. Even the walls were bare, made of rough, blue stone with metal brackets clearly visible.
The only decoration was a hand-drawn map of the imperial territories that covered an entire wall, done in a style at least a thousand years old when the Star of Void Valley was still part of the highest planetary belt. Over seven hundred years ago, it fell out of orbit, dragging the two upper continents and their inhabitants into hell. The shattered remnants floating in the void, however, became the richest source of rare minerals for humanity.
The meeting room’s doors and windows were wide open, but to little effect; the air inside was hazy and filled with smoke. Around the long conference table, more than a dozen military officers, most of whom were puffing away, were engaged in heated debates. Despite their young ages, they all held high ranks, the lowest being that of a lieutenant colonel, or even full colonel.
At the head of the long table, there was even a brigadier general! This young and strikingly handsome brigadier, who looked no older than thirty, sat in the position of honor.
Spread across the table were hundreds of candidate files, marked differently on their covers, passed back and forth among the officers. Sometimes, two officers would argue intensely over a single file, their faces flushed with passion.
These officers represented various elite units, tasked with the recruitment. The files on the table had been specifically selected according to certain criteria. Those candidates whose files were not present here had already lost their chance to join the elite forces.
The seemingly chaotic meeting room had a subtle order. All files were first examined by the individuals seated at both ends of the table before being passed on to others.
One end was occupied by the young brigadier, while the other by a robust, chiseled-faced officer, appearing to be around thirty-five or six.
At each end of the long table lay a file, each bearing a special mark. One was a wingless, headless angel, and the other, a vivid red scorpion.
The young brigadier held another file, which belonged to Qian Ye. After a brief look, he tossed it on the table with disdain, “Almost seventeen and barely able to endure twenty rounds of primordial force tides. We, the Wingless Angels, have no interest in such mediocre talent!”
Hearing this, the eyes of the other officers lit up, and a dozen gazes fixed on Qian Ye’s file. Twenty rounds of primordial force tides! Someone the Wingless Angels dismissed could be a trump card in their units.
As soon as the file landed on the table, several eager hands reached for it, ready to fight over Qian Ye’s fate.
But at that moment, a powerful, yet unobtrusive wave of primordial force enveloped Qian Ye’s file. The middle-aged officer at the other end of the table reached out and, without touching it, the file slid across the table and came to him.
With a firm slap, the middle-aged officer’s large hand pressed down on Qian Ye’s file, “We, the Red Scorpions, will take this one!”
The room filled with sighs of disappointment.
The young brigadier sneered, “Who would have thought that the renowned Red Scorpions would stoop to taking such garbage? No wonder you’ve only managed third place in the last three military competitions.”
The middle-aged officer remained calm, replying, “The Red Scorpions seek soldiers who can kill for the Empire, not mere paper champions.”
The brigadier stood up abruptly, his anger evident, “What do you mean by that!”
The middle-aged officer replied leisurely, “The meaning is clear on the Empire’s Military Merit List.”
On the list, the Red Scorpions consistently outranked the Wingless Angels, holding the second position for three consecutive tournaments. Behind their illustrious record lay the grim toll of Red Scorpion bones.
The brigadier was livid, his face pale, then he grabbed a file with a stamped mark from the table, shaking it, “See this, Wei Qi Yang! Born into a noble family, inheritor of profound martial arts, he is a true future powerhouse! How can your trash compare?”
The middle-aged officer chuckled, “I heard he was beaten by someone deemed trash in a combat arena.”
The brigadier snorted, “Wei Qi Yang just lacks experience. Your so-called ‘trash’ has already exhausted his potential in the Yellow Springs Training Camp. What room for growth does he have left? A mere mongrel plucked from the trash heap. Your Red Scorpions don’t need to go to such lengths just to curry favor with Marshal Lin Xitang!”
The middle-aged officer’s expression turned stern, “You should show respect to Marshal Lin.”
“We’re not afraid of him!” The brigadier slapped the table, “How about a duel between them a year from now? Let’s see if your trash can defeat our chosen candidate!”
Without hesitation, the middle-aged officer agreed, “Fine. What’s the wager?”
The brigadier leaned forward, grinning falsely and exaggeratedly, “A sixth-grade primordial force rifle. How about it?”
At the mention of a sixth-grade rifle, every officer inhaled sharply. Such a weapon was typically reserved for the deputy commanders of elite units!
The middle-aged officer took a deep breath, slowly nodding, “Deal.”
“I’ll be waiting for that rifle!” The brigadier laughed loudly, striding out of the meeting room, his voice echoing behind him, “This year’s batch is all trash!”
Qian Ye woke from his slumber the next afternoon.
A beautiful but stony-faced female medic entered the recovery room, flinging his clothes at him and unleashing a torrent of words.
“Get dressed and get out in three minutes! There’s a queue of people waiting! What, still not putting on pants? Planning to keep that thing in front of me? Think it’s big enough? If it’s not gone in thirty seconds, I’ll cut it off and preserve it as a decoration on my desk!”
Despite the harsh realities of the Yellow Springs Training Camp, Qian Ye was utterly defeated by this monstrous woman. He dressed at lightning speed and fled.
As Qian Ye escaped the hospital, he suddenly had a peculiar thought: Why not ask the fearsome beauty for her contact information?
Startled by his own thought, Qian Ye wondered if he’d gone mad after leaving the training camp.
Upon exiting the inner camp, Qian Ye saw Shi Yan waiting for him.
Shi Yan, usually as silent as a rock, grinned widely, clapping Qian Ye on the shoulder, “Good job, kid!”
Qian Ye was confused.
Shi Yan slapped his forehead, “Sorry, I got a bit muddled. You’ve been accepted by the Red Scorpions!”
“The Red Scorpions?” Qian Ye didn’t quite catch on. Recalling the names of the recruiting elite units, he couldn’t remember any called the Red Scorpions in the lower or higher ranks.
Qian Ye’s heart raced, his excitement making him stammer, “You mean… the Red Scorpions?”
“Yes, the Red Scorpions, consistently ranked in the top five of the Empire!”
Breathless, Qian Ye was overwhelmed with joy. He never expected to join either the Wingless Angels or the Red Scorpions, given his mediocre performance in the primordial force tests. Twenty tides were just the passing standard.
“You report to the Red Scorpion base in three days. Time’s tight, but you have one night to prepare. Let’s go, I’ll buy you a drink!”
Shi Yan, uncharacteristically enthusiastic, dragged Qian Ye toward the camp. Just as they stepped out, Wei Po Tian appeared, blocking their path.
Qian Ye scrutinized Wei Po Tian, a peculiar look on his face, asking, “Do you like getting beaten?”
Wei Po Tian, posing with arms crossed, blanched, tempted to vomit blood. But Qian Ye’s serious tone suggested he wasn’t joking.
Though their interaction was brief, Wei Po Tian understood Qian Ye’s nature; he genuinely believed it, and was bluntly honest.
That was the most infuriating part!
“Linqiannye, I’ve been selected by the Wingless Angels. I’m the only one from this test site to join them!” Wei Po Tian declared proudly.
Qian Ye smiled, “So what? Want to fight again? I think you just like getting hit.”
Wei Po Tian, alternating between pale and red, fumed, “Let’s try something else! A real man is also a champion in liquor. Let’s compete in drinking tonight. Are you man enough?”
“What else do you have to lose?” Qian Ye shrugged.
Wei Po Tian shouted, “If I lose, I’ll take off my belt right away!”
His words silenced the area. The crowd’s movements slowed, and all eyes turned to Wei Po Tian.
Several men, intrigued by Wei Po Tian’s robust, rugged appearance, leered. Some younger, fair-skinned men even flirted with him.
Speechless, Qian Ye, thanks to Wei Po Tian, also became the center of attention.
Shi Yan’s lips twitched. He recognized the insignia on Wei Po Tian’s belt, identifying him as a direct descendant of the Wei family, and noticed the pendant hanging from Qian Ye’s neck. Connecting the dots, he grasped the situation.
The Wei family, with roots in the Far East, maintained relations with the Wang family and held influence over two provinces. They had neither friendship nor enmity with Lin Xitang. It was wise not to make enemies with such a prestigious clan.
“Let’s leave!” Shi Yan swiftly pulled Qian Ye away from the awkward scene.
Later that evening, Shi Yan took Qian Ye to a bar in the city. Soon after they sat down, Wei Po Tian showed up uninvited.
He planted himself across from Qian Ye, slammed the table, and roared, “Linqiannye! Did you think I wouldn’t find you here? My Wei family has plenty of people in Xiangyang City.”
“What do you want?”
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