Gao Wu: A centenarian old man, many children and good fortune! Chapter 029

Lin Wei led Xiao Yan to a spacious and brightly lit office. The office was located on the top floor of the Special Operations Brigade barracks, offering an excellent view that overlooked most of the training ground. The interior furnishings were simple and practical: a heavy alloy desk, several military-standard chairs, and an entire wall of tactical information display screens, currently in standby mode.

“Captain, this is your office.” Lin Wei’s attitude was respectful, almost humble, completely devoid of the initial coldness and scrutiny she had shown. “The relevant permission keys and system access certifications have all been configured for you. Daily document processing and mission briefings will be synchronized to this terminal.”

Xiao Yan merely scanned the room calmly, nodding slightly. “Got it.”

He walked to the large floor-to-ceiling window, hands behind his back, and gazed out.

Lin Wei stood a few steps behind him, eyes downcast, not daring to breathe. The devastating scene on the training ground earlier had completely shattered all her lingering hopes and calculations. The disparity in strength was too vast; they weren’t even on the same level! Any background or connections seemed pale and powerless before Xiao Yan’s god-like absolute strength. Her only task now was to understand her place and dutifully serve as his deputy.

“Deputy Captain Lin,” Xiao Yan said, without turning, his voice flat. “Notify all team members to assemble on the training ground in ten minutes. I will be holding the first full team briefing.”

“Yes, Captain!” Lin Wei dared not delay, immediately stood at attention, then quickly turned and strode out of the office to execute the order.

…

After leaving the office, Lin Wei finally let out a sigh of relief.

Was the intelligence from the Social Security Bureau true?!

The encrypted report she had received earlier about the Social Security Bureau incident detailed how Xiao Yan had killed a Blood Ghost Cult cadre and a traitor, specifically mentioning that he had killed a cadre-level enemy whose strength was suspected to have reached Transcendent Second Grade!

When she had first read the report, her heart was filled with doubt!

An old man who only broke through at a hundred years old? How could he possess such combat power? Most likely, the report was exaggerated, or the cadre was in extremely poor condition at the time, allowing him to take advantage! It might even have been “euphemistic writing” by Zhao Meng to promote an old comrade!

But now it seemed…

A casual palm strike had crushed Zhou Kui, a Transcendent Second Grade expert who was fully unleashing his power, like swatting a fly!

At this moment, Lin Wei realized she had been terribly wrong!

Every word written in the report was likely true! That so-called Second Grade evil organization cadre was really killed by this seemingly unremarkable old man?!

She had originally thought of using Zhou Kui to test Xiao Yan’s true capabilities, even secretly causing him trouble and sidelining him… Now, those ideas seemed utterly ridiculous! How naive! How… ignorant of death!

…

The order quickly spread throughout the camp via the internal communication system. Whether they were engaged in physical training, maintaining equipment, or resting in their dorms, all soldiers immediately put down what they were doing, straightened their uniforms, and assembled on the training ground at the fastest possible speed.

They had all heard about the new Captain, and about the “sparring” that had just taken place on the training ground and Captain Zhou Kui’s “accidental” injury. Various speculations and discussions were swirling privately, filling the air with an invisible tension and curiosity.

Ten minutes later, the training ground was filled with over a hundred soldiers in black combat uniforms. They were arranged into ten neat squares according to their respective squad formations, utterly silent, standing at rigid attention. The sunlight illuminated their chiseled faces, reflecting determination and… a hint of undeniable apprehension.

Lin Wei stood at the very front of the formation, her expression serious. Xiao Yan, behind her, slowly walked to the front of all the soldiers.

When the soldiers of the First Squad saw all the other squad leaders present, but their own captain, Zhou Kui, was missing, and Deputy Captain Lin Wei stood respectfully beside a powerful, unfamiliar figure, an ominous premonition welled up in their hearts.

Especially in the ranks, several trusted soldiers who were close to Zhou Kui and usually quite unruly, had their expressions subtly change, their eyes filled with uncertainty and surprise. They tried to exchange glances with acquaintances from other squads, wanting to figure out what had happened.

When the news that “Captain Zhou actively challenged the Captain, was ‘accidentally’ severely injured by the Captain, his entire arm was crippled, and he has been sent to the military hospital for emergency treatment” quickly spread through the First Squad’s formation, the atmosphere of the entire First Squad instantly dropped to freezing point!

Commotion? No, they dared not.

Incredulous? Yes!

Shocked? Yes!

And… deep fear!

What was Captain Zhou Kui’s strength? Transcendent Second Grade! In the entire brigade, besides Deputy Captain Lin Wei, he was the strongest! He was actually… crippled by this new Captain with one punch?! And they called it an “accident”?!

The hearts of all the First Squad soldiers sank, and their gazes towards Xiao Yan were filled with awe and fear. The few trusted subordinates of Zhou Kui turned pale, instinctively lowered their heads, and dared not make any more small movements.

Xiao Yan slowly walked to the front of the formation and stopped.

He did not deliberately release any pressure, but the profound aura on him, forged through a hundred years of trials and tribulations, of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, naturally merged with the immense life force field inherent in a Transcendent Fourth Grade expert, forming an invisible yet mountain-heavy pressure that enveloped the entire training ground.

His gaze calmly swept over the hundred or so faces before him, some young, some bearing the marks of time, taking in everyone’s expressions.

“I am Xiao Yan,” his voice was not loud, but it clearly reached everyone’s ears, carrying an undeniable authority. “From today, I will serve as the Captain of the Special Operations Brigade.”

A simple and direct opening.

He paused, his gaze seemingly intentionally or unintentionally sweeping over the First Squad’s formation: “Just now, Captain Zhou Kui voluntarily proposed a sparring match, wanting me to give him some pointers. Unfortunately, as I am new to the Transcendent realm, my control over my power is not precise, and I accidentally injured him. I deeply regret this. I hope Captain Zhou will recover soon and return to duty.”

These words, especially to the soldiers of the First Squad, made their hearts tremble even more than a direct threat! “Accidentally”? Who would believe that! This was clearly a naked display of power!

Xiao Yan ignored the varied thoughts of the crowd and continued: “The Special Operations Brigade is the sharpest blade of the City Defense Army, the elite force guarding the Fourth New Nanjing! I don’t care whose people you were before, or what backgrounds you had. From today, you have only one identity—soldiers of the Special Operations Brigade!”

His voice suddenly rose a few octaves, carrying an unyielding resolve: “My requirements are simple: First, absolute obedience to orders! Second, extreme self-discipline! Third, unwavering loyalty to the Alliance!”

“Those who can do it, stay. Follow me, and strive for the glory and future you deserve! Those who cannot, can submit your reports and leave now! In my team, Xiao Yan’s team, I do not tolerate good-for-nothings, and certainly no disloyalty!”

As he finished, a sharp glint flashed in his eyes, and a subtle yet terrifying aura, which made everyone’s hearts sink, swept across the entire field like a cold tide!

The entire field was silent, so quiet you could hear a pin drop!

The soldiers felt the invisible pressure, looking at Xiao Yan’s calm yet seemingly penetrating gaze, no one dared to meet his eyes. All previous speculations, doubts, even disdain and a spectator’s mentality, vanished at this moment!

All that remained was awe of absolute power and… a glimmer of anticipation for the future!

This new Captain, though ruthless in his methods, seemed… not entirely unreasonable? Moreover, what he said about “striving for glory and future” didn’t seem like empty words.

After all, a being who could severely injure a Transcendent Second Grade expert with one punch—perhaps following such a strong individual could truly lead them to see a different kind of scenery?

Xiao Yan observed the changes in the soldiers’ eyes below and understood. The purpose of establishing his authority had been achieved; next, it was time to truly take control of this team.

He turned his gaze to Lin Wei. “Deputy Captain Lin.”

“Here!” Lin Wei immediately responded, her posture even more respectful.

“Proceed with the daily training according to the original plan. Additionally, compile detailed information on all brigade personnel, recent mission reports, and the defense deployment map of the zone, and send them to my office.”

“Yes, Captain!”

Xiao Yan said no more, nodded, turned, and with steady steps, left the training ground under the respectful gazes of the assembled troops.

His figure disappeared into the entrance of the barracks building, but that invisible pressure seemed to linger in the air of the training ground, long after he was gone.

What remained were special operations team members, each with their own thoughts, but none dared to show the slightest disrespect.