Chapter 56: Sure! But with conditions!

Hangcheng, Third Prison Refuge, underground command center.

The huge alloy door slid open slowly, Zhang ZhenGuo walked into the office, wearily rubbing his brow.

This office is not large, the furnishings are very simple: a camp bed, an office desk, several metal cabinets filled with documents.

A huge map of Hangcheng hangs on the wall, with more than a dozen red circles starkly marking dangerous areas.

Each circle represents a mutant beast's nest.

He sat down on the cold metal chair, took out a crumpled pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

He pulled one out, but didn't light it, just held it under his nose and inhaled a familiar tobacco scent deeply.

"Thump thump."

The office door was knocked.

"Come in."

Zhang ZhenGuo put the unlit cigarette back, sat up straight, and regained his usual dignity.

The heavy alloy door slid open slowly, two figures entered one after another.

The one in front was Gui Ying.

He still wore that black "Specter" exoskeleton armor, but his helmet had been removed, revealing a face as sharply chiseled as if carved by knife and axe.

Behind him was the captain of the "Black Feather" Special Forces, Wu Ya.

Unlike Gui Ying's taciturn nature, he always had a faint, sneering curve at the corner of his mouth.

"Commander, are you looking for us?"

Gui Ying's voice was as concise as ever, without a trace of extra emotion.

"Have a seat."

Zhang ZhenGuo pointed to the two chairs opposite him.

The two didn't stand on ceremony, sitting down straight away, but even while seated they maintained a posture ready to explode into lethal action at any moment.

Zhang ZhenGuo fell silent for a moment, looking at the two strongest Soldier Kings of the refuge before him, a sense of helplessness inevitably rose in his heart.

He knew such people too well; that pride was etched into their bones.

"I just received a call from Mr. Lin Yue."

Zhang ZhenGuo spoke slowly, breaking the silence.

"He hopes you two can go to Xuanwu City to help him train that newly formed guard unit."

"What?!"

As soon as his words fell, Wu Ya was the first to snort with laughter, leaning back in his chair with arms crossed, looking at Zhang ZhenGuo with an absurd expression.

"Commander, I didn't mishear, right? Are we supposed to go be instructors for that bunch of rookie rookies?"

Although through daytime combat his impression of that group has somewhat changed, but to have him be their instructor?

"Dream on!"

Gui Ying spoke without hesitation:

"Have him train the new recruits? How could that be possible! He'd rather go kill mutant beasts."

"I also refuse."

Wu Ya shrugged his shoulders,

"Commander, you'd better leave this to someone else. I kill monsters, I don't teach people!"

Zhang ZhenGuo seemed to have anticipated their reaction all along, his face showing no surprise whatsoever.

He didn't get angry, just calmly stood up, walked to the holographic projection device in the center of the office, and pressed the activation button.

"Hum—"

A blue light flashed, and the large screen in the command center immediately displayed combat footage of the Black Tortoise Purge of the "Rotten Corpse Spider Nest" and the "Iron-toothed Giant Rat Nest".

This was compiled from the aerial view of drones and the first-person perspective of the tactical helmets of the "Night Blade" team members.

The office fell into a deathly silence once again.

Gui Ying and Wu Ya stared intently at the screen, their expressions gradually growing solemn.

"Do you understand now?"

Zhang ZhenGuo turned off the projection, turned around, his voice low and powerful.

"This is Lin Yue, this is the power of the Black Tortoise. Such power has already surpassed what we can comprehend."

He stepped before the two, his eyes blazing like torches.

"I ask you, without the Black Tortoise, could we clear out the Rotten Corpse Spider Nest? Could we capture that granary?"

The two fell silent.

The answer goes without saying.

"No."

"Even if we could, we would inevitably have to pay an extremely heavy price."

"I know, asking you to train a bunch of new recruits is a grievance to you. I know better than anyone your pride."

Zhang ZhenGuo's tone eased slightly, and he continued:

"But! This is not a simple training mission! This is a political mission!"

"Lin Yue allowing our people to set foot on Xuanwu City is in itself a sign of trust! And we must respond with sufficient sincerity to repay that trust!"

"You think I'm sending you just to train those twenty new recruits? Wrong!"

Zhang ZhenGuo slammed the table hard and growled:

"I want you to find out exactly what kind of person that young man named Lin Yue is! What he wants, where his bottom line lies!"

"Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will never be imperiled in a hundred battles! Facing an 'ally' we know nothing about, who can control terrifying giant beasts, we cannot be like a blind man, placing all our hopes on their goodwill!"

Zhang Zhengguo's words struck like a heavy hammer, smashing hard into the hearts of Gui Ying and Wu Ya.

Their facial expressions shifted violently.

They were both smart people, instantly grasping Zhang Zhengguo's deeper meaning.

Yeah, rather than saying they were going to be instructors, it was more like going to be "spies".

To observe up close this entity that is both an ally and possibly the greatest threat.

The mockery in Wu Ya's eyes gradually faded, replaced by the excitement of a hunter spotting prey.

"I'm starting to get a bit interested in this mission."

He licked his dry lips and said hoarsely,

"Going to Xuanwu City to be an instructor isn't bad either."

Gui Ying remained silent, but he was no longer resisting as he had at first.

What magic does that city hold?

How could it make a group of survivors who had just escaped death, in just a few days, erupt with such cohesion and fervor?

He wanted to see it with his own eyes.

After a long while, Gui Ying slowly lifted his head, his tone still icy,

"We can go."

Zhang Zhengguo felt relieved, about to say something.

But Gui Ying added another sentence.

"But, I have one condition."

"Go ahead."

Gui Ying stood up, his tall figure casting a long shadow in the lamplight,

"Since we're acting as instructors, the training method must be decided entirely by us. No one, including Lin Yue, may interfere."

"During the training, everything will follow our Special Forces Unit's standards. We won't treat them as civilians, only as reserve soldiers."

He paused, then continued in an icy tone:

"Life and death are up to fate. If they can't even pass this test of ours, they aren't qualified to face the monsters outside."

"If that bunch of rookies can last three days under our command, we'll agree to be their instructors for a month."

……

The next morning.

Lin Yue received a call from Zhang Zhengguo.

On the other end of the line, Zhang Zhengguo's voice carried a hint of apology.

He conveyed Gui Ying's conditions to Lin Yue.

"I agreed."

Lin Yue agreed without even thinking.

"Mr. Lin... Mr. Lin, are you... sure?"

On the other end, Zhang Zhengguo almost thought he had misheard.

"Life or death? Three days?"

He had expected Lin Yue to fly into a rage, but he never imagined that Lin Yue would agree without even thinking.

"Of course."

Lin Yue's voice carried a faint, almost imperceptible smile.

"Without weathering storms, how can one see a rainbow? The people of Xuanwu City aren't that delicate."

"Perfect, I also want to see just how big the gap is between my people and your Soldier King."