Chapter 64: Face-off

Chapter 64: Face-off

In a corner of the rest station, Ma Biao frowned.

A rookie?

A small group of people did recently arrive on Taiyue Star.

The southern region reportedly got about a hundred of them, mostly concentrated in the military headquarters of the eastern city. His southern half-region got only ten. Last month, after assigning them to different districts, he had been swamped with defending districts 1 and 2, and hadn’t paid much attention to the situations at various district stations.

After all, if there were any serious emergencies, someone would surely call to inform him.

So, it was only today that Ma Biao heard about a new recruit making waves at several stations in the southern city.

The soldier who brought him the news was a bit excited: "I was on leave that day and passed by my brother’s station in district 14 to check out the buzz. That night, I followed them into the clearing zone and noticed that the devil swarm’s breeding lines had pulled back a lot!"

"Later, my brother told me that this new recruit has an uncanny ability to sense source crystals, with a clearing efficiency dozens of times better than others... Whether it’s exaggerated or not, I’m not sure, but Chief Ma, maybe we could consider asking this new recruit for help?"

Ma Biao, with a cigarette in his mouth, didn’t seem convinced.

He manages half of the southern region; how could he not have noticed such an impressive new recruit? If it’s district 14, that must be under Lin Xuan’s command.

A new recruit under Lin Xuan? He wouldn’t lower himself to using him!

Using him would mean admitting defeat to Lin Xuan!

Ma Biao and Lin Xuan each manage half of the southern region. Although there’s no overt conflict like between the southern and western cities, their ways of running things are totally different, as are their personalities. Splitting the region in half naturally leads to comparisons, and both have silently acknowledged the other as a competitor, striving to outperform each other.

The soldier hesitated, "I really don’t know if he’s under Lieutenant Colonel Lin."

"Because before I returned, while resting in places like districts 6, 7, and 8, I also heard them mention this soldier."

"Everyone praises his skills, but he’s pretty hard to pin down. The station personnel can’t control him; he wanders all over the southern city."

"But it’s said that in the disaster areas he’s visited, everyone has seen him quickly find the mother bodies of small I-class devils, teach the local guards to sharpen their senses and timing, and even how to command... So Chief Ma, why don’t we try asking him for help?"

The word "ask" seemed to rub the prideful Ma Biao the wrong way.

Veins popping on his forehead, he angrily retorted, "Ask? Are you implying that I’m not doing well enough and you want to replace me with another commander?!"

His fierce look made the scar on his forehead even scarier.

The soldier who made the suggestion didn’t expect such a strong reaction and quickly shook his head, "Chief Ma, I absolutely didn’t mean that!"

"I just thought you’ve been looking pretty worn out lately, and with the critical situations in districts 1 and 2, having someone skilled to help would be great..."

Ma Biao exploded in anger, "Get the hell out!"

His loud voice instantly silenced the noisy rest station, drawing everyone’s attention to Ma Biao and the scolded soldier.

"I can hold districts 1 and 2! Instead of worrying about me, worry about yourselves!"

"You’re all weaker than Sister Lin! Soldiers from other departments can last at least four or five hours on the field, but you can’t even last an hour before needing a replacement! This is Tianlong, Taiyue, Shangnanzhou! Even if we brought the whole base here, it wouldn’t be enough to cover your shifts!"

In his youth, Ma Biao had left Tianlong to serve in other star systems, so he had some understanding of the combat situations there. He returned mainly because of his hot temper; whenever someone in the same unit mocked his background, he would immediately resort to violence.

Unfortunately, in the more prosperous star systems, S-class wasn’t considered rare.

His training resources at the Tianlong Military Academy weren’t as thorough or comprehensive as those in other star systems, and his skills weren’t as good. He didn’t win every fight. Moreover, his background wasn’t as favorable as most, and after too many incidents with no one to back him, he was eventually sent back to Tianlong.

After Ma Biao finished speaking, he stormed out of the rest area and entered Zone 2.

Everyone exchanged glances, feeling dejected from the scolding, and no one spoke.

A rugged off-road vehicle zoomed past on the quiet road.

The scattered blue-black devil horde regrouped with a gurgling noise after the vehicle passed.

Ma Biao sat in the car with a stern expression.

When he first returned to Tianlong, many people gossiped behind his back, saying he was sent back because of his poor abilities. So, he proved his strength to make people here realize the dignity of being an S-class, and after becoming the leader of half of Nan City, his temper grew worse.

Facing doubts and saving face were the two things he cared about the most.

After being praised by everyone for so long, if he couldn't even hold the two main areas he was responsible for and needed an unknown soldier to help with command, what kind of leader would that make him?!

The car drove for over an hour before stopping in front of a house.

The hanging lamp at the door flickered, clearly about to break, but no one bothered to replace it.

The lights were on inside the house, and the microwave devices around the house were also operating, so the wandering Class IV devils didn't dare to approach at night.

As the door opened, three children rushed out and hugged his legs, exclaiming, "Daddy, you're back!"

The youngest girl, with red eyes as if she had just cried, said in a tiny voice, "Daddy, I'm scared."

Ma Biao asked, confused, "What's wrong? What are you scared of?"

The woman in the house then came out of the kitchen and explained, "I heard that a small Class I devil got into the bathroom of Mrs. Wang's house next door today and bit their child."

Ma Biao frowned, "A Class I? What happened after that?"

"It's okay, the patrol in Zone 2 acted quickly and dealt with it immediately," the woman said with a helpless smile, "It just caused a lot of commotion in our neighborhood, and the children got scared."

As she spoke, her face grew more worried, "But with Class I devils starting to break into residential areas... are things in Zones 3 and 5 really bad now? Is Zone 2 also about to fall soon?"

Ma Biao paused, then comforted her, "Don't be silly! The zones are so close, it's normal for a few to slip through occasionally!"

Ma Biao was also a native of Taiyue Star, with his hometown in Shangnanzhou.

Most of his family, friends, and relatives are now concentrated in Zones 1 and 2 of Nan City, so he is especially committed to protecting these two areas and has taken on the greatest responsibility himself.

He heard his seven-year-old eldest son declare proudly, "It's okay, with Daddy here, our home will definitely be safe!"

Ma Biao patted his shoulder and smiled, "You're right, I'm that strong!"

The people of Zones 1 and 2 are relying on him.

He is the most powerful leader in this half of Nan City, so he will definitely hold on, and there's no need for any other untrustworthy individuals to help!

Meanwhile, at the military camp in Zone 12 of Nan City.

The off-road vehicle slowly drove into the camp, and more soldiers appeared.

The guards standing by or passing by saluted Lin Xuan and Lin Ya in the car with smiles on their faces. Although Lin Xuan is a leader, he is down-to-earth, and when entering the camp, he would greet vehicles coming out to work.

It's clear that the atmosphere in the military camp of Zone 12 is very good.

Xu Qingran followed them out of the car.

The buildings here were even more rudimentary compared to the main camp in the East City.

They were all square, unremarkable houses, with large warehouses in the distance dedicated to storing combat vehicles and fighter jets. Even the medical facility was just a simple building.

Xu Qingran glanced around and noted that the basic infrastructure was barely sufficient.

"Lieutenant Colonel Lin," Lin Xuan led him towards his resting quarters when someone in engineering uniform pushed a cart of items over, "These are all the old weapons we've cobbled together from the warehouse. Can you test their quality?"

The cart was filled with psychic guns cobbled together from various parts.

Although the specs weren't top-tier, they were barely functional.

Lin Xuan casually picked up one and fired at a sandbag in the distance.

The psychic energy blast was compressed to the thickness of a little finger, and the attack power was decent, with good accuracy, hitting the target in one shot.

"Not bad, a bit rough around the edges, but they get the job done."

Lin Xuan seemed quite satisfied: "Give them all a thorough check, make sure there's no risk of psychic energy feedback causing explosions, then distribute the weapons."

"By the way, is the armored vehicle we talked about last time ready?"

The engineer nodded: "Nearly done, just need to run the final checks!"

Lin Xuan planted his hands on his hips, his tone firm: "Good, as long as everything is ready by next week!"

After seeing off the engineer, Lin Xuan waved to Xu Qingran: "Kid, come with us!"

Xu Qingran followed Lin Xuan and Lin Ya into a house, where a small living room had a few beat-up couches, and there was what looked like a break room nearby.

"I'll grab you some water." Lin Ya walked over, her long ponytail swishing behind her.

At the same time, Xu Qingran heard Lin Xuan, standing beside him, ask: "By the way, kid, catch any rumors on your way here?"

He didn't turn around or respond, just stood there listening as the other continued.

"Well... there's been talk of a mysterious figure showing up in the South City."

"He randomly appears at different stations, claiming to be a new recruit just reporting to Shangnan Continent."

At this point, Xu Qingran suddenly felt the cold press of metal against his head.

Lin Xuan, wielding a gun he'd seemingly conjured out of nowhere, pointed it at his forehead and tilted his head slightly, asking: "What’s your take on that, recruit?"

Unbeknownst to him, Xu Qingran had been running roughshod over South City for a month.

Perhaps other places in Shangnan Continent hadn't heard about it, but in South City’s military scene—especially among those like Lin Xuan who liked to roam around and exchange information—there were some related rumors.

Lin Ya in the break room was still hunched over making coffee, apparently oblivious to the commotion.

Or perhaps she knew but had no intention of intervening.

Xu Qingran stayed cool as a cucumber, only asking Lin Xuan in return: "Mind if I ask, Lieutenant Colonel Lin, what has that recruit done?"

Lin Xuan thought for a moment, then clenched his teeth and rattled off: "He's been throwing his weight around and causing chaos, training the guards at every station, forcing them not to slack off or rest, insisting on enhancing their physical and technical training, increasing their workload and efficiency, uh..."

As he spoke, his tone shifted from initially domineering to trailing off uncertainly.

"Pfft," Lin Ya, in the tea room, couldn't help but laugh, carrying two steaming mugs of coffee to the small table outside. She said to Lin Xuan, "Oh, it doesn't sound like he's done anything that bad, has he?"

Lin Xuan paused, then frowned and said, "But he's been beating people up and killing them!"

"Didn't that bully from District 10 deserve to die?" Lin Ya retorted. "Not to mention this young man, even I had some bad intentions towards him, but I beat him up last time."

"You're quite the badass," Lin Ya said to Xu Qingran, giving him a thumbs up.

Lin Xuan was stunned.

He had been traveling around various districts lately, hearing about some mysterious new recruit. At first, he was pretty pissed, wondering who this cocky guy was, training his people and seemingly challenging his authority.

But just now, as he summed it up out loud, he suddenly thought... maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all?

On second thought, it even seemed kind of useful.

He wiped his nose but kept the gun out. "So why would a new recruit do something like this?"

"To grab your attention," Xu Qingran answered frankly.

Lin Xuan: "?"

Is this really a challenge?

Xu Qingran gave him a sideways glance, the lower half of his face hidden behind a mask, but his eyes conveyed a casual smile.

Seizing the moment while Lin Xuan was silent, he pushed the gun aside from his head and walked over to sit on one of the sofas. Even though it was a three-seater sofa, it suddenly seemed full when he sat down.

Filled with his intimidating presence.

Lin Xuan was taken aback by his calm and natural demeanor, thinking it had been a while since he'd seen such poise in a young recruit. When Lin Ya came out with the third cup of coffee, Xu Qingran on the sofa had just taken off his mask.

The cup fell to the ground with a crisp shattering sound.

Lin Xuan, who was still marveling at Xu Qingran's strikingly handsome face that didn't seem fit for a soldier, looked worriedly at Lin Ya upon hearing the noise.

But he saw his sister, who was usually indifferent to all men, wide-eyed, her red lips slightly parted, pointing at the man on the sofa in surprise and excitement: "Xu... Young Master Xu?!"

Her eyes were sparkling.

As excited as if she had met her idol.

Lin Xuan was astonished.

What is this 'Young Master'? Is this some ridiculous title from a cheesy novel?

Xu Qingran neatly put away his mask, looking at Lin Ya with some surprise: "You know me?"

Of course, Lin Ya knew him.

She was an internet-savvy girl who loved surfing the web and gossiping, so she often took her internet-enabled phone to the military headquarters in East City to sneak some internet access.

Anyone who loves gossip knows Xu Qingran!

Moreover, being part of the military, she paid more attention to the affairs of the Grandis Military Academy, her dream school.

So not only had she watched the live broadcast from the Linglong City base, but she had also seen the final ultimate exercise! Initially, she was among those who disliked Xu Qingran, but as the truth unfolded, she didn't jump on the bandwagon until she saw his outstanding performance in combat, becoming a hidden 'i-crazy' fan.

Little crazy... oh no, Xu Qingran was just too handsome, hitting right at her heart!

Who wouldn't fall for a top-tier warrior with an angel's face and a devil's moves? Anyone who doesn't like him just doesn't have good taste!

So she excitedly replied, "Of course I know you!"

"Xu Qingran, I've caught all your live streams from Grandis, and I heard you chose Silver Dragon at the graduation ceremony! I was so excited, but I always thought someone as outstanding as you would be assigned to another galaxy. How did you end up being sent to Tianlong as just a soldier?"

Lin Ya's confusion only grew as she spoke.

The star she thought was untouchable had suddenly landed right next to her. Who else could understand this kind of fan excitement!

Xu Qingran smiled, "Actually, I'm not here to serve as a soldier."

Lin Xuan watched as his sister moved closer and closer to Xu Qingran, her face lit up with an almost embarrassing level of admiration. He quickly stepped in front of her to stop her.

—Just in case she made a move on him.

Then, he turned to Xu Qingran with a wary look and asked, "So, what are you really here for?"

Xu Qingran raised his eyes, tilted his head slightly, and replied, "To assume the role of the new colonel in your Shangnan Prefecture?"

Dead silence.

After a long pause, Lin Xuan finally stammered, "You—you're the new colonel?!"

The one who no-showed because he was supposedly too ugly, lazy, and old, pissing everyone off?!

Lin Ya was also stunned, "Xu Qingran, you're the new colonel?"

But unlike Lin Xuan's shock and suspicion, having followed the gossip, she instantly looked at him with pity, "Xu Qingran, you really drew the short straw. Fresh out of graduation with top honors, and now you're stuck suffering on Taiyue Star."

Lin Xuan: "..."

Hey sis, remember you're from Taiyue Star too, right?

Xu Qingran smiled gently, "It's not bad, I actually think Shangnan Prefecture is pretty nice."

Lin Ya pouted, "How is it nice? You were used to gourmet meals everywhere else, but here it's just cold leftovers. No mansion for you here, just these beat-up, war-torn houses with the rest of us."

Lin Xuan: "..."

Lin Ya pushed aside Lin Xuan, who was blocking her, and asked eagerly, "Xu Qingran, can I take a photo with you?"

This is the real deal! The person I never thought I'd meet in real life!

Xu Qingran's tone was quite friendly, "Sure, why not?"

Lin Xuan, however, said no!

"Hey, can't you act a little more ladylike? Don't just throw yourself at someone because they're hot!"

Then he turned back and glared fiercely at Xu Qingran, "I'm warning you, don't even think about taking advantage just because my sister's into you!"

Xu Qingran paused for a moment and said, "I've got a boyfriend."

Lin Xuan felt like he'd been hit by a ton of bricks, leaving him stunned and speechless.

For a moment, he was torn between reacting to Xu Qingran having a partner and being floored by the word 'boyfriend'.

Lin Ya nodded: "Oh right, brother, don’t worry, Mr. Xu has a fiancé."

"It’s to that young master Tianyi from the Golden Wing Battalion."

Lin Xuan, who doesn’t surf the internet much for gossip, frowned: "Who is that?"

Lin Ya: "He’s the young nephew of Admiral Shen Tingyu from the Golden Wing Battalion, probably about... almost seven years old?"

Lin Xuan was shocked once again.

His look at Xu Qingran was more like looking at a devil, as if amazed that he had such unusual preferences.

Xu Qingran smiled without saying a word, not intending to explain further.

In the end, Lin Ya was allowed by Lin Xuan to take a photo with him.

Even the photo was taken with Lin Xuan’s sullen face.

After taking the photo, he sat down with Lin Xuan to discuss business.

"So all you’ve done this month is to prove your capabilities to earn our recognition?"

After asking, Lin Xuan sneered and, without waiting for Xu Qingran to speak, firmly said: "Impossible."

"You high-ranking officials who drop in, don’t think about making us follow orders!"

Honestly, over the years, there have been colonels dispatched by the Silver Dragon Battalion who, upon taking office, worked hard to prove themselves and make us obey.

And the result?

These superficial efforts only lasted for a while. Once the people of the Southern Continent gave their trust, they would show their true colors. Either they started to order us around with various demands, or they secretly bragged about our 'training results' behind our backs.

It felt as humiliating as training a dog.

Lin Xuan had been disgusted and hurt in that way before.

He knew that no matter how well these colonels spoke or acted at the beginning, they were still inherently vile, looking down on the locals from the bottom of their hearts, believing that with their abilities, they could never achieve anything, and had no intention of genuinely assisting.

He had even heard their plans.

The Silver Dragon high command wanted us to handle the toughest and most grueling tasks first, and then send those elite troops to take over once other star systems stabilized. Once those elite people replaced us, we small soldiers would be kicked out, and all our busy years would have been spent making wedding dresses for others, and the territories we defended would no longer be ours.

The more Lin Xuan thought about it, the sicker he felt: "Don’t even think about it, not just me, the entire Southern Continent will never follow your lead."

Xu Qingran sat back against the sofa chair, his posture quite upright.

He looked at Lin Xuan, did not continue to persuade, but asked him: "I’ve nearly toured all of Southern City during this period and found something quite interesting."

"I see that other places struggle to cope with being near one or two devil-plagued disaster zones, but areas 12 and 13 are surrounded by devil-plagued disaster zones on all sides. How have these two areas managed to hold out until now?"

Even when coming from the checkpoint to the camp area, the number of Class IV devils in the area was fewer than in other places.

Lin Xuan paused, seeing the genuine confusion in Xu Qingran’s eyes, coughed lightly, raised his chin, and said: "Of course, you should see who’s in charge of protecting these two areas?"

Lin Xuan’s governance philosophy has always been unity above all.

The special nature of areas 12/13 meant that few people were willing to come, so most of the soldiers stationed and cleaning around were from these two areas. To protect their homes, they worked more diligently and energetically, with high efficiency.

And most of the military personnel on duty were people known or familiar to the residents, so everyone got along quite harmoniously.

In addition, Lin Xuan is actually quite a capable leader, responsible and innovative. While he strictly enforces discipline, he also interacts with everyone in a brotherly manner, making him seem approachable outside of work.

People like him, so they naturally cooperate with him.

Improved teamwork and rapport lead to smoother work progress.

This outcome aligns closely with Xu Qingran's expectations.

This is also why he is interested in these two districts. Rather than being interested in the districts themselves, he is more curious about their leading figures. Having met Lin Xuan today, Xu Qingran is quite satisfied with his first impression.

At least he can see that not everyone in Upper South Continent has completely lost hope.

Facing severe crises isn't the issue; the real problem is when the locals have already given up. At least from his recent observations, most people in Upper South Continent still have the heart to protect this land.

With this heart, he has a way to change the current situation of Upper South Continent—and even the Celestial Dragon System.

Xu Qingran sincerely complimented, "You've done very well."

Lin Xuan raised his chin even higher, reacting like a proud dog being praised, which was quite amusing.

But he quickly snapped back to reality, realizing Xu Qingran might be trying to get close, and quickly cooled his expression to clarify his stance: "Don't think a few kind words from you will sway me. Anyway, Upper South Continent has already unified its stance—we will never serve the Silver Dragon Battalion!"

They wear Silver Dragon uniforms solely because they are from the Silver Dragon District, but that doesn't mean they are loyal to the Silver Dragon Battalion's military.

After all, the Empire and the Silver Dragon Battalion abandoned them long ago, so these places are now their own territories, guarded by themselves. No one else can claim credit!

"I think you've misunderstood something," Xu Qingran said softly.

"What I seek from you is not obedience or allegiance to the name 'Silver Dragon,' nor to the Silver Dragon Battalion, nor even to the Kayan Empire."

"It's to me personally—Xu Qingran."

The room fell silent once more.

Lin Xuan's gaze toward Xu Qingran gradually shifted to one of looking at a madman.

Xu Qingran, however, said, "As you said, Kayan and Silver Dragon chose to abandon this place long ago."

"Now that I've picked it up and restored it, why should I return it?"

Even if it were to be returned, it would only be after stripping them to the bone and taking a piece of flesh.

And even then, it would only be a nominal return.

Xu Qingran is willing to undertake great deeds, but he doesn't want to simply walk away afterward, leaving his achievements unrecognized.

The soldiers in the Celestial Dragon System are very individualistic. If he helps them reclaim their land, then they must recognize only him for the rest of their lives. He would be above factions and empires, someone they would unhesitatingly betray the Empire for if he needed them to.

If they can't do that?

If they can't, then if he can elevate this place, he can also plunge it into deeper chaos.

After all, he has always relished the process; the rewards are merely a bonus.

But if those rewards choose to betray him, then he won't let them have a good ending either.

Lin Xuan was shocked by Xu Qingran's bold words, spoken so casually.

He never expected Xu Qingran to express his true thoughts and desires so openly in front of them. In a way, it aligns quite well with the rebellious spirit of the people in the Celestial Dragon System.

However—

"You're just a parachuted-in colonel, with a bigger attitude than your predecessors?"

Lin Xuan's tone carried a hint of disdain: "We're not even willing to bow to Silver Dragon, and you expect us to listen to a nobody like you?"

"Totally ridiculous, a pipe dream!" Lin Xuan finished, kicking the coffee table and storming off the couch, slamming the door behind him.

Lin Ya, who had been listening to the exchange between Xu Qingran and her brother, was impressed by the little lunatic's boldness, but also felt somewhat conflicted.

The little lunatic certainly dares to dream, but this is not easy to achieve.

...At least, convincing her brother won't be easy.

Lin Ya shot Xu Qingran an apologetic glance before chasing after him: "I say, Lin Xuan, when are you going to drop that stubborn attitude of yours?!"

The person on the couch remained relaxed, unfazed by Lin Xuan's rejection.

He picked up the coffee from the tea table and took a leisurely sip.

Suddenly, his phone rang.

As soon as Xu Qingran answered, he heard Sun Hongbing's voice, on the verge of tears, panicking: "Boss, what do we do? Brother Ma is coming to our station to confront us!"

"You're the one who killed Little Sweetie, you can't really stand by and watch us take the fall for your actions and get killed by Brother Ma, can you?!"

·

Ma Biao wasn't one to back down, but this didn't conflict with his desire to find out which new recruit was so formidable.

He decided to use the military's downtime to do some digging.

Sun Hongbing and his team at the South City 6-7 station were people he often dealt with, so he planned to visit them to inquire about the new recruit.

He could also take the opportunity to check on the big catch he'd hauled from the sea.

After arranging the work for zones 1-2, Ma Biao boarded the small train and set off.

On the way to the 6-7 checkpoint station, he stopped and checked the work conditions at the stations along the way. To his surprise, the people were unusually active, no longer the disorganized mess they once were during his surprise inspections.

Even the progress in the cleaning zones was commendable, just managing to hold their own against the devil hordes on the alert line, not as pressured as before.

This put his mind at ease, allowing him to focus more on the emergencies in zones 1-2.

After asking around, Ma Biao found that the areas that had made changes had one thing in common.

That was the so-called 'new recruit' had visited them.

But the new recruit was mysterious, and after asking around, not many knew his identity, only that he was a newcomer sent to Shangnan Zhou with the recent batch of reinforcements.

Ma Biao made his way through several stations and finally arrived at the South City 6-7 checkpoint.

The weather was gloomy, with a light drizzle outside.

Before he even got off the train, he saw Sun Hongbing and his team lined up outside, smiling to welcome his arrival.

Ma Biao was quite satisfied with these bootlickers, and just as he was about to chat casually with them, his nose caught a whiff of food.

Changing his words, he slapped one of the soldiers on the head and joked: "Hey, you guys throwing a party here?"

It smelled just like teppanyaki grilled food.

The seasoned aroma made everyone's mouth water.

Sun Hongbing forced a smile: "Ahahaha, we knew you were coming, Brother Ma, so we prepared this!"

But inside, he was screaming.

When they got Ma Biao's call and realized he was coming, they immediately called Xu Qingran for help.

Xu Qingran showed up, but this fearless soldier didn't solve their problem—he made it worse. Instead, he brought a pile of meat and veggies, grabbed the leftover octopus from the freezer, and decided to throw a big teppanyaki welcome party for Ma Biao.

Sun Hongbing thought Xu Qingran had lost his mind.

After killing Ma Biao's pet, he wanted his boss to eat it. What kind of monster was he?

But they couldn't warn Ma Biao because Xu Qingran threatened that if they spilled the beans, they'd be the ones on the grill next time.

"Oh? How thoughtful," Ma Biao said, his expression softening as he casually walked to the lounge.

Sun Hongbing and the others trailed behind, on edge.

Ma Biao pushed open the door and was greeted by the sizzle of meat on the grill before he even saw what was inside.

When he looked closer, he saw a young guy with brown hair sitting by the window.

He wore a dark mask with vampire fangs on it, his eyes down as he focused on grilling meats, potatoes, carrots, onions, and greens.

He didn't even look up at Ma Biao.

Ma Biao thought he looked familiar.

His vibe reminded Ma Biao of the new recruit he'd once sent to some remote post.

When the word "recruit" crossed his mind, he froze for a second.

...Was it him?

Ma Biao, not used to being ignored, puffed out his chest and marched over, saying, "Kid, no matter where you are, you show respect to your superiors."

Xu Qingran glanced up and asked, "But I heard in Shangnanzhou, we don't have to follow those rules?"

"I heard if you're brave enough, you can even yank a colonel's pants down, right?"

As he spoke, he swapped out the grill ingredients, adding, "That's why I asked to come here—no rules in Shangnanzhou."

Ma Biao was speechless for a moment, then snapped, "Not following the rules means you don't have to obey Silver Dragon's big shots, but I'm your district major—show some respect!"

Xu Qingran looked up and asked coolly, "Isn't a district major part of Silver Dragon too?"

Ma Biao was about to blow up, but Xu Qingran called to Sun Hongbing and the others, "Food's ready. If you don't eat, I'll finish it all myself."

Sun Hongbing and the others were tempted, but with Ma Biao around, they were too nervous to dig in.

Xu Qingran didn't care, tossing a "sit wherever" to Ma Biao before digging in with his bowl.

Meat and veggies were pricey in Tianlong, and Ma Biao hadn't seen a spread like this in ages. He licked his lips, grabbed a chair, and sat down.

He decided to fill his stomach first, and then properly lecture this unruly new soldier.

The group happily ate for a while.

Ma Biao started asking about the new recruit who had recently been 'cleaning up' the districts of South City.

Sun Hongbing and the others fell silent for a moment, instinctively shifting their gaze toward Xu Qingran.

Though no words were spoken, it felt like everything had been said.

This answer wasn’t much of a surprise to Ma Biao.

He glanced at Xu Qingran, but ultimately said nothing, focusing on eating the grilled meat.

Leaving everything else aside, the crispy and chewy pieces in the pile of meat were especially tasty!

Xu Qingran was the one who spoke up first: "Brother Ma, you’re in charge of defending Districts 1 and 2, right?"

"I’ve heard things have been pretty rough in those two districts lately. Did Brother Ma come here just to ask about me, hoping I’d help out?"

He smiled, his eyes curving like crescent moons, but behind those seemingly dreamy peach blossom eyes was a sharp clarity.

He could easily read people’s intentions.

His voice was clear and pleasant, but there was always a hint of indifference in his tone, which really got under Ma Biao’s skin.

It felt like he was being belittled—even if that wasn’t the case.

Ma Biao immediately snorted in response: "You’re just a rookie, don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. A few pats on the back and you think you’re untouchable."

"Kid, Tianlong might not be like other star systems, but the military’s got plenty of tough guys! The reason South Continent’s still standing isn’t luck, it’s strength!"

"With those twig arms and legs, I’d be grateful if you didn’t get in my way, forget about helping!"

Ma Biao shot back: "I can handle Districts 1 and 2 by myself, I don’t need you!"

Xu Qingran shrugged it off: "Fine."

"But don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you turn me down now, next time you’ll be begging for my help."

He said the provocative words casually.

Ma Biao slammed his chopsticks down in anger.

Everyone at the table froze and put down their bowls and chopsticks, but Xu Qingran kept eating like nothing happened.

"Quit patting yourself on the back!" Ma Biao clenched his fists, but held back from taking action against Xu Qingran, considering the feast he had prepared for them today. "I’d rather die than bow to a rookie like you!"

He decided to change the subject to cool off, so he asked Sun Hongbing: "How’s my little pet been doing?"

"Have you been doing what I told you, finding 'toys' to keep it entertained?"

He meant grabbing random people to scare them.

After asking, Ma Biao noticed that Sun Hongbing and the others were eerily quiet.

His face darkened, veins bulging on his muscles: "You didn’t take good care of my little pet, did you?!"

Sun Hongbing and the others looked hopelessly at the grilled octopus on the table.

Ma Biao followed their gaze, and after a few seconds, he realized the situation, his expression growing even uglier.

Could it be?

Ma Biao shot up, furious, ready to lunge at Sun Hongbing.

Terrified, Sun immediately dropped to his knees in submission and pointed at Xu Qingran, who was still casually eating nearby, saying, "Ma, it really had nothing to do with us! It was Xu Qingran who killed your little darling!"

When they turned to look, Xu Qingran acted as if he was oblivious to the impending crisis.

With an unruffled expression, he grilled some octopus meat on the hot plate, then looked up and earnestly inquired about their preference: "Do you want it spicy or seasoned with cumin?"