Proofreader&Editor: Lotas
Training Camp.
The camp, once half-obliterated by a missile strike, now stood restored to its former glory. Even the guiding signs on the roads had been freshly repainted. Had it not been for the faint scorch marks on some buildings, one might never believe that a great calamity had once befallen this place.
The spacious mess hall, once bustling with new recruits, was now quiet. A handful of instructors sat leisurely around a long table, enjoying their lunch.
"Sigh, I gotta say, life's gotten a bit dull without those new recruits around," one instructor remarked.
"Feeling uncomfortable without anyone to yell at?"
"Ha ha ha, well, if you put it that way, maybe a little…"
"Speaking of which, it's been a while since we've seen Han Li. Where did that kid go?"
"No clue. It's not just him; several instructors have disappeared from camp, supposedly on some secret mission."
"Secret mission?" An instructor raised an eyebrow slightly. "Could it be related to the previous enemy attack?"
"I don't know, but I've been feeling that something about the camp's atmosphere is off lately…"
"What's off about it?"
"I can't quite put my finger on it, just this inexplicable sense of oppression…"
"I think you're just overthinking it."
"…"
The instructors chatted back and forth, and just as they were about to finish their meal, two figures entered the mess hall.
Upon seeing the leading figure, the instructors quickly stood up and saluted.
"Commander!"
"Good day, Commander!"
Yuan Gang, with a stern face, slowly approached them, his gaze fixed on one of the instructors, exuding an inexplicable aura of authority.
Behind him, Instructor Hong held several documents, his expression utterly calm.
Under Yuan Gang's intimidating gaze, the instructor's face turned pale, his lips pursed, and his saluting arm began to tremble slightly.
The other instructors sensed the shift in the atmosphere and dared not even breathe too loudly.
"Why?" Yuan Gang spoke slowly.
The instructor opened his mouth, his voice hoarse, "Commander, what do you mean by this…"
"Li Yaoguang, enlisted in 1989, I remember you. Back when I was a captain, you were a soldier under my command," Yuan Gang calmly stated his name.
"Commander…"
"Why?"
"…" Li Yaoguang's body shook uncontrollably, his head bowed, his face devoid of any color.
"Li Yaoguang." Instructor Hong, who had been standing at the back, spoke calmly, the documents in his hand now open, "On the night of November 14th at 9:42 PM, the surveillance at the southeast gate captured you sneaking out of the camp. Where were you going?
"On November 26th, during the third outing for extreme training of the new recruits, you disappeared from the footage for two hours. Where did you go during that time?
"On December 7th, two large sums of money of unknown origin were deposited into your parents' online bank account—one for 2 million, the other for 3 million. Where did this money come from?
"On the day the training camp was attacked, you sent out two encrypted messages using a satellite phone. Half a minute later, another 3 million appeared in the bank account. You…"
"Stop talking!"
Li Yaoguang suddenly shouted, his strength seemingly drained, his face as pale as paper. He covered his face with his hands and wept bitterly:
"I didn't want to… I didn't want to, but they took my parents back home, I…"
Yuan Gang watched Li Yaoguang, and after a long pause, he averted his eyes and said calmly, "You don't need to explain to me. When you get to the Night Watchman's Tribunal in Shangjing City, someone will ask you…
Unless there's a surprise, you'll be spending the rest of your life in the Fasting Facility."
As everyone was still reeling from the shock, Yuan Gang called out two more names.
"Wang Gui, Wu Ruotong."
The two instructors whose names were called trembled, their complexions turning equally grim.
"Who would have thought… In my humble new recruit training camp, that group had planted three moles. What a bold move!"
Yuan Gang sneered.
The other instructors turned their heads sharply towards the two, their eyes filled with disbelief, while Wang Gui and Wu Ruotong exchanged a quick glance and suddenly sprang into action!
Clang!
Two short daggers appeared in their hands, thrusting lightning-fast towards Yuan Gang's throat!
Their movements were so swift that the other instructors couldn't react in time, and only afterimages were left in the air!
Yuan Gang snorted coldly, and a golden ripple exploded from him, the terrifying force hitting Wang Gui and Wu Ruotong's chests like hammers, sending them flying backward.
They crashed into tables and chairs, overturning a swath of utensils with a clattering noise, and struggled to rise, spitting out mouthfuls of blood.
Yuan Gang, with his hands behind his back and an expressionless face, approached them, his eyes as cold as deep pools.
"Heh heh…" Wang Gui struggled to rise from the ground, and despite the overwhelming disparity in strength, his eyes revealed a hint of madness instead of despair.
"Yuan Gang, Lord Delirium has sent us to deliver a gift to you…"
Wang Gui and Wu Ruotong's mouths twisted into a grotesque grin, and the next moment, their bodies swelled like balloons, a strange red light bursting from within!
Yuan Gang's brow furrowed, and with a cold snort, he stamped his right foot on the ground. A golden ripple rose like a tangible bell, enveloping the two men, completely isolating them from their surroundings.
Pop!
Their bodies exploded under the red light, bits of flesh splattering against the bell, the visible red shockwaves churning inside, unable to break through, and ultimately erupting vertically, creating a deep, bottomless circular trench in the ground.
As the red light dissipated, Yuan Gang waved his hand to disperse the golden ripples. The messy remains of flesh trickled down the trench walls, and a foul stench spread.
The faces of the surrounding instructors changed instantly.
"Delirium?" Instructor Hong frowned at the scene, speaking solemnly, "So they were brainwashed… When exactly did the Ancient God Church get to them?
Yuan Gang looked down at the blood and flesh on the ground, a towering rage flickering in his eyes, his chest heaving violently.
He snorted coldly, turned, and walked out of the mess hall, his eyes taking on a faint golden hue, a formidable suppression radiating from him, making it hard for others to breathe.
"This farce has gone on long enough; it's time to end it…"
He exited the mess hall, his steps toward the camp's gate not hurried, yet his figure left a trail of afterimages in the air.
In an instant, Yuan Gang's silhouette vanished from everyone's sight.
Instructor Hong, watching Yuan Gang's departing figure, murmured to himself:
"The Commander… is angry."