Chapter 107: I’m Done Watching This! (Part 2/?)

"Speak! I can give you my word."

Hu Dayou did not take long to consider. In fact, he did not consider it at all.

However, Li Changjiang still did not speak. Instead, he stared fixedly at the major behind Hu, his meaning crystal clear. Hu Dayou immediately grew irritated. This brat! He really had grown bold, daring to play games with him!

"Zheng Hai, get the hell out of here! Tell Hu Biao to surround this area with his men. If anyone dares to enter, I'll shoot them on sight!"

There was still no movement.

"Are you deaf, kid?"

"Yes, Commander!"

The major named Zheng Hai immediately broke into a trot. A moment later, his commands could be heard, followed by a dozen men with bare arms and sweat-streaked, flushed faces rushing over. Still radiating heat, they rapidly assembled and fanned out, positioning themselves about ten meters around the field tent, tightly sealing off the small command post.

At that moment, Li Changjiang could not help but feel his blood surge. If anything could move him in a situation like this, it was this army, these men possessing iron-willed determination and perseverance.

They obeyed orders strictly and stood as immovable as mountains.

Yet, Li Changjiang remained clear-headed; he did not let his emotions override his principles.

"There's no one else now! Speak, kid!"

"The Chinese the Americans are looking for isn't me—it's my father, Li Lin!"

"What?"

Hu Dayou was stunned. Had the American intelligence been wrong? If that were the case, it meant the person they were targeting was Li Lin, not Li Changjiang, and Li Changjiang had already returned to the country earlier. Could it be...?

"Commander, I can confirm that my father doesn't know anything about that intelligence!"

Li Changjiang seemed to have seen through Hu Dayou's thoughts. He had already probed the matter indirectly; his father, Li Lin, knew absolutely nothing. Not to mention the intelligence, he had never even met Wu Delong. It was impossible for him to have had the opportunity to come into contact with such sensitive information.

"Are you certain?"

"Certain. If you have enough intelligence, you must know that two others returned on the same day as me: Wu Delong and Wu Sisi of the Delong Construction Company. It was Wu Sisi who obtained the intelligence. As for why it was leaked that my father had taken it, I think you should look for them."

Hu Dayou nodded. He was naturally aware of Wu Delong and Wu Sisi. However, both were currently being detained and vetted by the national security department. Wu Delong was a veteran of the Eastern Theater Command who had founded Delong Construction, while Wu Sisi's identity was simple: a journalist. But the identity of a journalist was often very special. If she were the one who had obtained the intelligence, the matter might ultimately have to be pursued through her.

"You go first. I promise to keep this matter confidential."

Hu Dayou did not linger long and soon returned to the command post.

"Old Hu, how is it? Did the kid say anything?" Xiang Guofang asked as soon as Hu entered.

"He spoke, but Old Xiang, this matter has become even trickier. The Chinese person the Americans and the Libyans are looking for is not that kid Li Changjiang, but his father, Li Lin. However, Li Changjiang has confirmed that Li Lin knows nothing about the intelligence. Currently, there are only two people who know the situation: Wu Delong and Wu Sisi."

"Wu Delong?" Xiang Guofang repeated the name. "Are you talking about the Wu Delong from Delong Construction?"

Hu Dayou nodded.

"Then we're in trouble! The Ministry of State Security is currently vetting them. Our authority may not be enough to see them, and this matter cannot be made public on a large scale, except for—"

"Old Xiang, leave this to me. I also want to report the situation of this operation to our old commander. You talk to that kid again and see if you can keep him. He is a rare talent; I doubt you could find a few like him in the entire army. If the conditions are right, we should test him. If he truly is an ace, we can make an exception and have him serve as an extra-budgetary operative."

"You mean a sniper proficiency test?" Xiang Guofang hesitated.

Subjecting Li Changjiang to such a test was technically against regulations. If it were a standard shooting test, it would be simple; they had the authority to decide that even for ordinary marksmen. But when it came to an ace sniper test, procedures required filing an application with higher authorities. The military had its own rules. Even for ace fighter pilots in the Air Force, becoming an "ace" required not only basic flight hours and passing assessments but also one or more comprehensive ability tests. It was a complex but necessary process.

Because both the Chinese military and the top brass of any army in the world knew clearly that in the modern age, where large-scale wars of destruction were unlikely to erupt, a soldier with the title of "ace" held immense significance for local conflicts. This was of absolute strategic importance.

However, the number of soldiers who could become aces was extremely small—one in ten thousand would not be an exaggeration. One must remember that this "one in ten thousand" referred to soldiers who had already been screened through layers of selection to enter special forces; ordinary people were nowhere near that level.

"Yes, it is necessary to test him. If he can pass, he will be a strategic reserve talent, and we will have options."

"I will arrange it! That kid is truly stubborn; I have never begged anyone like this before."

"Hahaha! Old Xiang, you are just cherishing talent; everyone loves talent! In the future, this country will eventually be handed over to the younger generation."

The two smiled at each other.

On the parade ground:

"Attention!"

"At ease!"

Li Changjiang had been watching from the sidelines for a while. He understood why Xiang Guofang and Hu Dayou had opened all training subjects to him. He certainly wanted to put on that uniform and train under the scorching sun just like the men before him, but he could not. Once he wore that uniform, he would no longer be his own master. The stars on his shoulders—whether one, two, or the plum blossom insignia—carried immense weight. They represented responsibility, honor, and a heavy burden.

Having experienced the cruelty and intensity of the Libyan war, Li Changjiang did not want to become a sword sealed away in a scabbard. He wanted to be a hunting knife that had tasted blood—a blade that, once unsheathed, would be invincible.

"Li Changjiang!"

"Hmm?"

Turning around abruptly, Li Changjiang looked with confusion at the officer who was still wearing his major's uniform in the sweltering heat.

"This is the material the Commander asked me to give you. You are only allowed to read it, not speak. Return it to me immediately after reading. If you have any objections, ask the Commander when you see him. Do you understand?"

"I—"

"Comrade Li Changjiang, please answer yes or no!"

Stunned!

Li Changjiang was momentarily speechless. Damn, it was truly a military style. But seeing the expression on the officer's face, he immediately knew this guy was still fuming about what happened earlier. A streak of stubbornness suddenly flared up in his heart. Damn it, he wasn't going to follow the rules either.

"I don't understand! Either let me read it, or I'm not looking at it at all!"