Killing wasn't Lei Zhengyang's style. Sure, he'd pull the trigger if the mission demanded it, but in his heart, slaughter was just a means to an end—a messy one at that.
The submarine mission was clear: get the vessel to the designated coordinates. Done. No need to paint the walls red with the blood of thousands. Besides, taking on an entire crew single-handedly? Even for someone like Lei Zhengyang, that was a fantasy. If the orders had specified eliminating the captain, though, he wouldn't have hesitated. The man's fate would've been sealed.
Even the pleading eyes of the pretty female crew member couldn't sway him. Those soft, desperate gazes? Just noise.
"Captain, till we meet again—or not." The signal crackled through his earpiece, confirming the submarine assault was over. Mission accomplished. Flawless.
In the blink of an eye, Lei Zhengyang vanished from the submarine—or rather, the submarine vanished around him. He was back at base, standing in his quarters. Two instructors awaited him.
Unlike the usual mix of excitement and worry in Instructor Two's eyes, today her face was a storm cloud. She didn't even glance his way. Lei Zhengyang smirked inwardly. Finally, that drama queen's fixated on someone else.
"001, stellar work," Instructor One said, voice clipped. "Luck's on your side, as always. Congrats, you've cleared another hurdle." With that, he was gone.
Instructor Two stormed over, her stunning face twisted in fury. Before Lei Zhengyang could react, her hand cracked across his cheek. The slap echoed. "You filthy, shameless, despicable dog! Don't ever speak to me again!" she snarled, then vanished in a huff.
Lei Zhengyang clutched his stinging face, baffled. That diva had the nerve to slap him? A few lashes from an electric whip? Fine. He was a man; he could take it. But a slap? That was humiliating. Next time, he'd demand answers. What had he even done to her?
"Confused, kid?" A gravelly voice cut through his thoughts. The old man rolled into view on his wheelchair, his tone calm but heavy. "Xiao Feng's pissed. Word is, you got a bit too handsy with that female crew member's backside. A little charm's fine, but crossing into sleaze? That's a line you don't cross."
Lei Zhengyang broke into a cold sweat. It clicked. Instructor Two—that drama queen—was jealous.
"Success takes sweat, grit, and a whole lot of luck," the old man continued. "You've got the last part in spades. Next week, you're up for the Six-Chain Trials. I call it the gauntlet. Good luck, kid. You'll need it." Without another word, the wheelchair rolled out of sight.
Please, let the old man be wrong, Lei Zhengyang prayed. No way that diva's jealous. No way. The thought of her—a fiery beauty with a vicious streak—having feelings for him sent shivers down his spine. A woman's affection was a badge of honor. But a diva like her? That was a tragedy he'd rather avoid.
The next day, the Six-Chain Trials began, just as the old man promised.
The Six-Chain was a brutal gauntlet, each stage set in a distinct environment, each more punishing than the last. The submarine assault was child's play by comparison. The lineup: Forest Slaughter, Wasteland Breakout, Desert Assassination, Ice Peak Annihilation, and Urban Defense.
Forest Slaughter flipped the script from his last forest mission. No longer the hunted, Lei Zhengyang became the hunter. His prey? Dozens of scattered enemy soldiers. His task: track them down and pick them off, one by one, in a deadly game of cat and mouse.
Wasteland Breakout was a nightmare. Trapped in a barren expanse with no cover, Lei Zhengyang faced three thousand pursuers. To survive, he buried himself in the dirt, lying still for a day and a night. When midnight finally offered a sliver of escape, he bolted, collapsing in exhaustion after three days of recovery.
Desert Assassination pitted him against a terrorist cell hiding in the endless sands. The army had lost their trail in the brutal desert, so Lei Zhengyang went in alone. Amid swirling dunes and blistering heat, he clashed with the hardened criminals in a life-or-death showdown, taking down their leader to claim victory.
Ice Peak Annihilation tasked him with destroying an enemy weapons research base. The mission was a pyrotechnic spectacle—explosions lit up the frozen sky in vibrant bursts. Lei Zhengyang barely escaped with his life, diving into an underground ice stream to avoid being incinerated. Half-roasted by fire, then frozen in icy waters, he emerged convinced he was an unkillable warrior.
Urban Defense was a first. For once, Lei Zhengyang wasn't the aggressor. His mission: protect two high-profile officials from waves of shadowy enemies. Playing bodyguard, he waged a covert war in the heart of a bustling city.
Three months later, the trials were done. Each time he returned, Instructor Two's attitude had been lukewarm at best. But after the final mission, something shifted. When she saw him, a flicker of joy sparked in her eyes. She didn't speak, only let out a soft sigh, murmuring something too faint for Lei Zhengyang to catch.
"Congratulations," the old man said, rolling in again. His tone was grave, unlike his usual gruffness. "You've completed every stage of the Hell Training Program for super soldiers. But don't get cocky. Starting tomorrow, you face the Dragon Gold. If it rejects you, all your efforts—everything you've bled for—will be erased. And you? You'll die quietly in the process."
Lei Zhengyang didn't flinch. He'd heard this spiel too many times. At first, it terrified him. Now? It was just noise. Fate was fate. If he couldn't dodge it, he'd charge head-on.
"There's good news, too," the old man added. "If you survive the Dragon Gold, you'll step out just as the Time Machine fires up again. Whether you walk out alive, though—that's up to the heavens." He paused, a faint smile creasing his face. "If you make it, I've got a little gift for you."
With that, the old man vanished. Lei Zhengyang collapsed onto his bed, too exhausted to care about the cryptic words. The trials had drained every ounce of strength from him. All he wanted was sleep. The rest could wait.
As he drifted into a deep slumber, Instructor Two reappeared. She sat by his bedside, her gaze soft, almost tender. Her hand brushed lightly across his face, her eyes filled with a mix of heartache and reluctance. With a quiet sigh, she vanished.
In the underground command center, Instructor Two faced the old man, her voice trembling with barely contained fury. "General, I question your judgment. As soldiers, we serve the nation, even at the cost of our lives. But you've turned 001 into a human guinea pig for an untested program. That's unconstitutional. And now you want to use the Dragon Gold? Without presidential approval, that's a court-martial offense. I won't let you do this."
The old man was silent for a long moment before turning to face her, a faint smile on his lips. "Xiao Feng, you think you can stop me? Do you have the authority?"
"I'll report you!" she snapped, her anger boiling over. "I'll file a complaint for abuse of power!"
"Do what you must," the old man replied calmly. "But one call from me, and you're out of here—permanently. Yet I won't do that. Want to know why?"
Instructor Two faltered, her fury faltering. "Why?"
The old man's voice softened. "Because I know you'll protect him. You've grown attached, haven't you? You've broken the first rule of the training base: no personal attachments. But that's exactly why I trust you to keep him safe."
Her eyes widened, confusion swirling within them.
"Believe me, Xiao Feng," the old man said, his voice barely above a whisper. "In this world, I'm the last person who wants to see him hurt."