Chapter 38

In the police interrogation room, Fan Tianlei stared at Ruan Wenxiong with bloodshot eyes—this man had killed his old comrade, kidnapped his ex-wife and son, and torn him apart from his child by death.

He had utterly destroyed his own family; for countless nights and days, Fan Tianlei had longed to tear his flesh and flay his skin, yet he was utterly powerless against him.

Recalling the past, Fan Tianlei suddenly stood up.

The dog-headed man rushed forward and pinned him down, fearing he might do something foolish: “Old Fan, don’t act rashly—he’ll be executed soon. Don’t do something stupid.”

After being calmed by Doghead Gao, Fan Tianlei’s emotions gradually settled.

Looking at his former adversary, Scorpion sneered: "Never thought my former defeat would come to interrogate me. If I hadn't been betrayed by my company's top brass, Fan Tianlei, you'd never have caught someone like you."

Seeing Scorpion still defiant, Doghead Gao mocked:

“This is the difference between mercenaries and soldiers. You fight for money, so you betray your comrades for money—but we who fight for belief will never betray our own.”

Hearing Doghead Gao’s mockery, Scorpion said nothing, only remembering his days in Vietnam, fighting for his homeland, when he had his country behind him and reliable comrades beside him.

But later, he became a mercenary for money; from the moment he chose that path, he could rely on no one but himself. Still, he was confident in his strength—he believed no one in this world could capture him.

Though the enemy had the advantage of resting and waiting, they still knocked him unconscious before he could react—his strength far surpassed his own.

He never imagined there were people in this world far stronger than him, and they were so young. Scorpion couldn’t help but sneer at himself.

Watching Scorpion’s expression, Doghead Gao asked curiously: “You’re already a prisoner. Given your crimes, the court will definitely sentence you to death—no other outcome. How can you still smile?”

“I’m not laughing—I’m mocking myself. If I hadn’t left my homeland back then, I’d probably be a soldier like you, not standing here to be tried by you.”

Scorpion’s tone carried a hint of nostalgia.

Watching Scorpion’s remorseful expression, Fan Tianlei sneered inwardly—now he regrets it? What did he do all those years? But he was glad Scorpion had defected—if he hadn’t, avenging his old comrade He Weidong would have been endless.

Looking at Fan Tianlei and Doghead Gao before him, Scorpion sighed:

“Those four young men are yours, aren’t they? Their strength is incredible—they captured me without breaking a sweat. I’ve never seen anyone so powerful.”

Here, Scorpion fixed his gaze on Fan Tianlei and Doghead Gao: “Tell me—who are they?”

“Of course. You’ll be executed in a few days anyway.”

Doghead Gao answered readily.

Scorpion listened intently to what Doghead Gao would say next.

“They are all soldiers who defend our homeland.”

Scorpion laughed bitterly at this—he’d actually believed it for a moment. How could Doghead Gao possibly reveal their identities?

After leaving the room, Doghead Gao and Fan Tianlei were met by the battalion commander, who clapped Fan Tianlei on the shoulder and comforted him: “Old Fan, we’re all soldiers. From the moment we enlisted, we’ve had to be ready for anything.”

Fan Tianlei stepped forward to Guo Jing and the other four, shaking each of their hands in gratitude—especially at Nie Huaishang, he gripped his hand tightly, tears welling as he whispered:

“Thank you, thank you for avenging my old comrade and my son. Without you, I never would’ve avenged them.”

Watching Fan Tianlei weep, Nie Huaishang felt sorrow and stepped forward to comfort him:

“Commander Fan, we are all soldiers defending our homeland, comrades sharing honor and disgrace. We fight for the nation’s interests—your enemy is not just yours, but ours too. You don’t need to thank us.”

Looking at the four young men before him, Fan Tianlei sighed: “Though you’re all young, still mere boys, you’re stronger than I am.”

After his sigh, Fan Tianlei sincerely praised Battalion Commander He Zhijun: “Commander, Nie Huaishang and the others are outstanding. I’ve wanted to carve that beast Scorpion into a thousand pieces for over a decade—and never succeeded. These four caught him in less than two months.”

“You think I need you to tell me? My boys are definitely better than you.”

He Zhijun was also pleased—Nie Huaishang and the others were only in their twenties, with vast room to grow. He must get them commanding independently as soon as possible to accelerate their development. Thinking this, he said to Fan Tianlei:

“Old Fan, I remember over a month ago, you made a bet with Nie Huaishang—whoever caught Scorpion first would lead the Red Cell Special Operations Team.”

At this, Fan Tianlei immediately declared: “Commander, I understand. I agree Nie Huaishang is fit to lead the Red Cell Special Operations Team. But I want to stay in Red Cell—I’ve poured too much of myself into it. Is that acceptable?”

Fan Tianlei looked at He Zhijun with pleading eyes.

He Zhijun didn’t answer right away. He turned to Nie Huaishang: “Now you’re the Red Cell Special Operations Team leader—what’s your opinion? Do you want Fan Tianlei?”

Nie Huaishang absolutely could not keep Fan Tianlei—his own and his men’s lives depended on getting rid of him. If he let Fan Tianlei betray him, he’d die with his eyes open.

But he had to be tactful—he couldn’t say outright, “You’re too treacherous, I don’t want you.” So he said politely to Fan Tianlei:

“Commander Fan, you built the Red Cell force based on information warfare and trained us all during this time. Your contributions are indispensable—you’ll always be our first team leader.”

Here, Nie Huaishang shifted tone: “But, Commander Fan, you’re a senior officer with over ten years more service than I have. Me leading you would look bad.”

“So you mean you don’t want Fan Tianlei?”

He Zhijun narrowed his eyes—he knew this slippery kid had said all that flattery just to avoid taking Fan Tianlei.

Nie Huaishang smiled awkwardly:

“Commander, even history’s great Wei Qing couldn’t command Li Guang, despite his rank. When Li Guang got lost in the northern desert battle, Wei Qing didn’t even have the authority to execute him under military law—and everyone still thought Wei Qing bullied the veteran and drove Li Guang to suicide.”

“I often wonder why Wei Qing didn’t just leave Li Guang behind and avoid all that trouble.”

Hearing this, Fan Tianlei understood—Nie Huaishang feared he’d defy orders based on seniority. He quickly explained: “Commander, I fully respect Nie Huaishang. I won’t defy him because of my seniority.”

Nie Huaishang insisted he couldn’t keep Fan Tianlei nearby and quickly protested: “Commander, even Wei Qing, who first defeated the Xiongnu and won seven major victories, was looked down upon by veterans like Li Guang—how much more so me? I can’t compare to Wei Qing at all.”

As Nie Huaishang protested, He Zhijun pondered—Fan Tianlei, as a senior officer, would never truly submit to a young commander like Nie Huaishang. Conflict between commander and subordinate was inevitable.