Chapter 114 A Beautiful Misunderstanding Chapter 115 The Solution

Fortune never comes singly, and misfortune never walks alone. The very second Zhao Li realized the strange changes in his internal energy, a familiar fragrance drifted into his nostrils.

"Zhao Li!" A sharp voice rang out, and Zhao Li recognized the familiar tones of Christine. Just as he was about to slip away, he was stopped dead in his tracks. With a bitter expression, he forced himself to turn around. "Christine, is there something you need?"

"Why do you always run away the moment you see me?" Slightly displeased that Zhao Li seemed to be actively dodging her, Christine gave a pouty complaint before her eyes fell upon his face. "What is wrong with you? Why are you so pale?"

Along with her words of concern, a small hand had already reached out to touch his forehead. "You don't have a fever! Come with me!" Pulling Zhao Li over to a nearby bench, she made him sit down. "I have questions for you."

With practiced ease, she poured a glass of water and handed it to him. The gesture faintly resembled something Ban Yunchan might do—equally gentle, yet lacking a certain je ne sais quoi; the feeling was entirely different.

"Zhao Li, tell me the truth. How on earth did Li Mengdie make such a complete recovery?" Christine stared directly into Zhao Li's eyes, as if determined to verify that he was not lying. "Don't lie to me. I can tell."

"I can't tell you!" Zhao Li shook his head. At this point, no words would work; he had to keep his mouth shut. Since the truth was impossible to reveal, he had to stick to his story to the end. There was no need to fob Christine off with some excuse about military secrets either—such an excuse would likely only breed more trouble.

"I've checked all the medical records. The military has never possessed a technology capable of restoring injuries as severe as Li Mengdie's back to pristine condition in such a short span of time." True to form, Christine's opening statement left Zhao Li completely speechless. "I even had my superior check every single state-of-the-art medical technology within his clearance level. But I am sorry to say, no such technology has ever been heard of. When my instructor heard the injury report, his immediate reaction was to tell the patient's family to prepare for the end."

Thud. Christine braced both hands on the table, leaning her upper body forward so her face was inches from Zhao Li's. Her exquisite figure presented a stunning view right before his eyes. However, the expression on her face bore no connection whatsoever to that beautiful scenery.

"What on earth are you hiding?" Christine noticed Zhao Li staring at her body. Though she usually took pride in captivating his gaze, she had no room for such thoughts right now. "Do you have any idea what that kind of rapid-recovery technology means for human society as a whole?"

Of course Zhao Li knew precisely what it meant. Yet he also knew that it wasn't that Sanders was unwilling to speak; those mysterious sand grains were likely exceedingly rare, even if one possessed them. Even if Zhao Li reported it to his superiors, there was no guarantee that ordinary people would ever get to enjoy that tier of treatment. Moreover, that substance carried such a "terrifying" side effect.

From the standpoint of his duty, Zhao Li ought to make such a thing public. Yet doing so would mean facing Sanders' wrath. No matter what, Sanders had pulled that life-saving item out and given it to Li Mengdie purely for his sake. If he betrayed Sanders just for the sake of potential merit, Zhao Li knew he simply couldn't stoop that low.

This conflicting state of mind, coupled with Christine's cross-examination, left Zhao Li with nothing to say. He simply remained silent, looking at Christine with a complex gaze.

Seeing the look in his eyes, Christine likely realized she was pushing a bit too hard. She straightened up from across the table, gracefully sat down opposite him, and softened her tone. "You know, Zhao Li, when I examined Li Mengdie just now, she told me her internal energy cultivation has increased by at least thirty percent. Do you have any idea what it means for someone at her level to suddenly experience a thirty percent boost in internal energy within a day or two?"

"You haven't reached this realm, so you don't understand. How much hardship and fortune does an eighth-tier master require just to break through the barrier to the next level? It takes far more than mere diligence and hard work." Seeing that Zhao Li still maintained that same look, Christine tried to reason with him earnestly. "If this method could be popularized, it would be a hundred times more effective than any practical experiment run by the Genius Academy."

Naturally, Zhao Li understood the principle that the higher a cultivation technique's grade, the harder the breakthrough. However, this particular method was not something just anyone could use. Zhao Li knew why, but unfortunately, he couldn't speak of it—or rather, he didn't want to. He certainly didn't want Li Mengdie to carry any psychological burden of owing him a favor because of this.

Besides, the mere thought of everyone practicing that technique and having to absorb internal energy from someone else's body made Zhao Li shudder with cold revulsion. He could never speak of it.

Sitting face to face, Christine could clearly read the shifting expressions on Zhao Li's face. Suddenly sensing that his condition might be critical, she grabbed his arm and forcefully channeled a jolt of inner qi directly into him.

This was no medical examination; it was a genuine attack. Taken by surprise, Zhao Li could only watch as Christine's internal energy easily breached his pathetically meager meridians and surged straight toward his visceral organs.

Fortunately, Christine was only probing and had no intention of harming him. After penetrating a short distance, her internal energy ran out of momentum and gradually dissipated into nothingness.

Yet this brief probe revealed the stark, pathetic truth about how little internal energy remained in Zhao Li's body. Looking as though she found it hard to believe, she covered her small mouth with one hand, staring at Zhao Li with exaggerated eyes as if looking at a total stranger.

"Your... your internal energy? Where is it, Zhao Li?" A look of fright appeared on Christine's pretty face. To Zhao Li, she looked utterly charming and deeply pitiable.

Perhaps connecting the dots, Christine slowly lowered the hand covering her mouth and looked at him. The heartache, disbelief, and helplessness revealed in her gaze sent a chill through Zhao Li.

"She doesn't know yet?" Christine asked inexplicably, before offering a bitter little smile to herself. "Right, of course she doesn't." Having just received the news from Li Mengdie, if Li Mengdie hadn't told her, it naturally meant she remained completely in the dark.

Though Christine had long known that Li Mengdie was the woman of Zhao Li's dreams, upon guessing that Zhao Li was willing to sacrifice his own cultivation just to save her—and even throw in a boost to her cultivation—she couldn't help feeling a slight, bitter ache, despite priding herself on having witnessed all sorts of hypocritical or passionate men.

"What kind of cultivation technique are you practicing?" Producing such an effect clearly wasn't the function of a combat technique; it had to be a special property of the cultivation method itself. After just a brief pang of heartache, Christine's mind immediately began racing.

"I don't know. Got it from some prisoner. It doesn't have a name." On this point, Zhao Li didn't need to hide the truth. Aside from omitting that it came from the old warden, it was essentially accurate.

"You actually dared to practice a haphazard, nameless technique! I really have to hand it to you!" Letting out a long sigh, Christine chided him before steering the topic back to Li Mengdie's injuries. "What did you inject her with? During the subsequent examinations, all of Li Mengdie's hormone levels were at least three times higher than a normal person's, and they've only just returned to normal now."

With that, she looked Zhao Li up and down once more. "With internal energy as weak as yours, you charged into a drug refinery alone and subdued all those people?" As she spoke, a realization seemed to dawn on her, and she cursed anxiously, "Damn it, you didn't use those hormonal stimulants just to pull that stunt, did you?"

Before Zhao Li could even confirm it, Christine stood up and gave him a sharp rap on the head. Then, grabbing his wrist, she dragged him forcibly toward the medical ward. Powerless to resist, Zhao Li could only match her pace, stealing a moment to feel the warmth radiating from her hand. It was pure, unadulterated concern, free of any ulterior motives.

"Lie down!" The moment they entered the medical room, Christine's voice brooked no argument. Zhao Li obediently lay down on the bed, watching as she bustled around him.

Drawing blood, placing it into the diagnostic analyzer, and checking all his vital signs—at this moment, Christine seemed to have purged all other thoughts from her mind, dedicating herself entirely to her role as a doctor.

Soon, the results appeared on the terminal screen before her. Looking at the data, and then at Zhao Li's seemingly carefree face, Christine was utterly at a loss for words. For the moment, she simply had no idea what to do with him.

"You need to rest right now, and you are dropping all work!" Before Zhao Li could react, her right hand flashed forward, and a pre-prepared hypodermic needle was plunged directly into his neck. Zhao Li felt a sensation akin to a mosquito bite, his mind clouded instantly, and he only had time to call out, "Christine!" before plunging into a deep slumber.

A medical corpsman present in the room grew panicked upon witnessing Commander Zhao Li being "ambushed" in such a manner by Christine, and instinctively stood up.

"Don't be nervous. Take a look at his physiological data—he was still running around everywhere in that state!" Knowing what kind of status Zhao Li held in the eyes of these soldiers, Christine hurriedly explained, "This idiot actually relied on hormone stimulants to single-handedly wipe out a drug refinery. He's completely courting death!"

The corpsman was half a professional medic himself. Upon seeing the data on the terminal, he naturally understood that Christine's handling of the situation was correct. Hearing her subsequent remarks, he couldn't help blinking in a daze, keeping his silence. However, as he looked at the sleeping Zhao Li on the bed, an unusual gleam flashed in his eyes.

***

Zhao Li had not experienced such a deep, carefree slumber, entirely free of psychological burdens, in a very long time. Even when he had spare time, he usually spent it on cultivation. This time, however, forced by Christine's coercion, he had caught up on his sleep.

The first thing he saw upon waking was Li Mengdie's face. In truth, Zhao Li didn't feel he needed such a heavy, sound sleep, but the aftereffects were wonderful—he felt refreshed and energized, especially upon seeing Li Mengdie looking at him by his bedside with a gaze full of tender affection. On Li Mengdie's face, the usual cold detachment was entirely gone; whenever she looked at him, her expression was utterly sincere. Yet, perhaps out of habit, there still seemed to be a lingering trace of frost.

This look made Zhao Li immensely happy. In the presence of his girlfriend—and a girlfriend he had already slept with—Zhao Li felt no need to put on airs. He let out an exaggeratedly large yawn, stretched his limbs to their absolute limits, and then sat up grinning from ear to ear.

"Ah-Die, have you been sitting here long?" Reaching out, he pulled Li Mengdie's small hand against his cheek. Her hands always seemed perpetually cool, and doing this could warm her up slightly, even if she didn't strictly need it.

The intimate gesture caused the frost on Li Mengdie's face to melt away into a faint smile. Having rarely smiled like this in a long time, she looked somewhat unaccustomed to it.

"No, I just got here." Li Mengdie looked at Zhao Li, a sudden blush spreading across her cheeks. Whether it was the recollection of that frenzied, delirious state during her coma, or simply the realization that she and Zhao Li had already crossed the line into intimacy, was hard to tell.

"How long was I asleep?" With Li Mengdie present, Zhao Li didn't bother asking Christine anything. He figured Christine must have had his best interests at heart to knock him out like that, not to mention that his secrecy had caused her worry and misunderstandings. Those were personal debts he would have plenty of time to explain away later.

"Ten hours!" Li Mengdie replied effortlessly. Yet between her words lingered a profound depth of affection—an expression Zhao Li had never once seen on the Li Mengdie he knew. His immediate reaction was a jolt to the brain: Li Mengdie knew.

To be frank, Zhao Li didn't want Li Mengdie feeling any sense of indebtedness toward him over this. Moreover, explaining the specifics would drag in his own deepest secrets, so he would rather she remained completely oblivious.

"You know everything?" he asked softly. Li Mengdie did not speak; she simply nodded gently and let her head rest naturally against his chest.

Zhao Li wrapped his arms tightly around her delicate frame, wanting to say something, yet unsure where to begin. He opted for silence instead, the two of them basking in a wordless communion where silence surpassed speech.

"Don't let your mind wander; I'm fine." After an unknown length of time, Zhao Li was jolted back by a faint sound from outside. He lowered his head to inhale the fragrance of Li Mengdie's hair before speaking slowly.

"Mmh." Li Mengdie remained nestled against his chest without lifting her head. "I won't let my mind wander, don't worry. If it had been you in that situation, I would have gladly traded anything to restore you."

That simple sentence dissolved every last bit of Zhao Li's worries. Li Mengdie was right: under those circumstances, had the roles been reversed, she wouldn't have hesitated either. Since they loved one another, making such a tiny sacrifice for your beloved was nothing at all—let alone treating it as someone's charity or the other's burden. This was simply what lovers ought to do.

"There is one thing I need your help with, though." The moment he thought of how the nameless internal energy residing in his meridians was blocking his condensed qi ball from entering the nameless technique's pathways, Zhao Li developed a headache. Fortunately, the cultivation method Li Mengdie practiced possessed that peculiar trait, which happened to resolve his immediate problem.

"What is it?" Suspecting nothing, Li Mengdie lifted her head to ask.

With an air of great mystery, Zhao Li brought his mouth close to her ear and whispered a few words. Before he could even finish, Li Mengdie's face flushed crimson, and she raised a delicate fist to hammer playfully against his chest, drawing a smug, triumphant chuckle from Zhao Li.

***

Naturally, Zhao Li couldn't just offer any random explanation. Fortunately, spending so much time following Kong Hongyuan hadn't gone to waste; at least when it came to spinning tall tales, he could now manage it without batting an eye or flushing red. Fobbing off Christine might prove a bit difficult, but for Li Mengdie, it was more than enough.

His explanation went as such: the cultivation technique he practiced possessed a specific characteristic. At regular intervals, it failed to purge the internal energy impurities naturally generated within his body, causing them to accumulate until a certain threshold forced him to expel them externally in order to progress further. Li Mengdie's cultivation method happened to neutralize those very impurities. In short, the two of them could be considered a match made in heaven, both romantically and in terms of their cultivation arts.

Crucially, this course of action held no drawbacks for either Zhao Li or Li Mengdie. The so-called internal energy impurities from Zhao Li were absorbed and refined by Li Mengdie, augmenting her own cultivation, while Zhao Li likewise advanced further along his path. Everybody won.

As for Christine, he would simply postpone explaining things to her. In any case, since he and Li Mengdie had already consummated their relationship, a young couple acting intimately every once in a while wasn't some scandalous outrage in this era. As long as they minded their influence and kept the soldiers from finding out, it would be fine.

Having resolved all his problems in one fell swoop, Zhao Li was in high spirits. Seizing the mood right there in the medical room where he had just been sleeping, he carefully locked the door, and pulling a blushing, bashful Li Mengdie into his arms, he reenacted what had transpired when she was out of her mind the previous time.

This time, Li Mengdie was entirely lucid. While she could hardly be said to cooperate with Zhao Li's demands, she didn't reject them either. Flushing red, she offered only token resistance before Zhao Li pulled her firmly against his chest. Following another intense kiss, Li Mengdie seemed to abandon those meager struggles entirely.

Even so, she still had no clue how to reciprocate. Years of rigorous training and discipline had locked her into an ingrained mindset; she had never had the chance—nor the inclination—for such activities. In that sense, Zhao Li had completely shattered the placid, unruffled composure Li Mengdie had maintained for years, though he could only hope it wouldn't disrupt her cultivation.

After a lingering kiss, Li Mengdie gradually grew heated, clumsily following his lead and stepping into the rhythm step by step. Zhao Li secretly savored her shyness, his heart bursting with unadulterated joy.

The Glacier Art was a bizarre technique that tended to dull physical sensations of pleasure. Utilizing every ounce of his skill this time around, Zhao Li finally coaxed Li Mengdie across the peak of ecstasy once more. True to his expectations, the moment that happened, that eerie gravitational pull manifested inside Li Mengdie's body once again, sucking clean every last shred of the pathetically scarce internal energy residing within Zhao Li's meridians.

With this repetition, the condensed qi ball paid no heed to the pull whatsoever. Under Zhao Li's control, it slipped effortlessly back into the nameless technique's meridians, flowing smoothly. Having undergone the tempering of the previous instance, this second time felt entirely natural and unhindered.

To Zhao Li's pleasant surprise and quiet delight, when he subsequently ran through the Basic Body-Tending Technique while still in high spirits, he felt as though he had received divine assistance. Endlessly enduring, he repeatedly swept Li Mengdie up to the peaks of pleasure over and over again.

That peculiar sensation of consciousness shifting into another realm manifested once more, clearer than before. The majestic momentum of a massive planet spinning on its axis, along with an indomitable aura, deeply branded themselves into Zhao Li's mind. Subconsciously, he manipulated his internal energy, repeatedly mimicking that mighty rotation and steadfast, unyielding solidity, reaping boundless benefits.

Li Mengdie had reached the peak multiple times, and the internal energy within her body seemed to have slipped past her conscious control in that instant. While the qi surging from Zhao Li's body astonished her, it also allowed her to experience another miraculous facet of her cultivation art. The spontaneous circulation of internal energy within her—free of her conscious direction yet utterly natural—gave her yet another layer of profound insight into her own technique once she experienced it with a clear mind.

When Zhao Li finally had his fill, neither of them was willing to separate. They simply remained locked in an embrace, familiarizing themselves with each other's bodies. After a long while, Zhao Li leaned down to press a kiss to Li Mengdie's heat-flushed skin before slowly parting from her.

Succeeding in bringing Li Mengdie to multiple climaxes filled Zhao Li with supreme satisfaction. "Was it good?" he asked.

"Mmh! You're amazing!" Li Mengdie buried her face against his chest once more, replying in a voice so soft it was barely audible. Though the volume was low, Zhao Li, holding her tightly, heard it clearly. Hearing those words filled him with a pride and joy that defied description.

This intimacy served both as affection and as a novel cultivation experience. Neither of them dressed immediately afterward; instead, staying right where they were, they assumed the most standard cross-legged meditation postures and began to cultivate.

By the time Zhao Li completed his consciously directed seven-by-nine celestial cycles and emerged from his meditative trance once more, Li Mengdie had already dressed and was sitting nearby, watching him. Catching his gaze as soon as he opened his eyes, she blushed, yet met his look with steady bravery.

Zhao Li immediately realized he was still stark naked. Scrambling clumsily under Li Mengdie's amused, snickering gaze, he let her help him pull his clothes back on. That sense of fullness returned to his body once more, and he felt as though he possessed an endless reservoir of strength.

The sensation of mastering power felt incredible. After a silent sigh of appreciation, Zhao Li was struck by a wave of annoyance: if things stayed like this, didn't it mean he would have to get intimate with Li Mengdie every few days? While Zhao Li would never turn down such pleasure, as a soldier, he knew the trouble involved. Should an emergency arise while Li Mengdie wasn't around or unable to drain those nameless internal energy impurities, Zhao Li would be forced to endure the feeling of becoming a mediocrity once again.

Once both were fully dressed, they opened the door to the medical ward only to find Christine sitting at the outer desk with an ambiguous, knowing smile, fixing both of them with a deeply teasing gaze. For some reason, the moment Zhao Li met those eyes, a sense of guilt washed over him—as if he had committed some heinous crime and couldn't face her.

Why was that? Was it because he had hidden the secrets of his cultivation? Or because he had been intimate with Li Mengdie? But why should being intimate with his own girlfriend make him feel guilty? Regardless of the cause, the sensation left Zhao Li thoroughly uncomfortable. Putting on a composed front, he smiled at Christine. "Christine, when did you get here?"

She shot him a fierce glare. Whether it was his imagination or not, the grievance and dissatisfaction in that look were expressed with crystal clarity. Meanwhile, Li Mengdie seemed utterly oblivious to it all. Before Zhao Li could say anything else, Christine spoke up. "Ah-Die, how are you feeling?"

Since when had Christine started calling Li Mengdie "Ah-Die"? That was the affectionate nickname Zhao Li used for her. Zhao Li cast a startled glance at Christine, only to be hit with another glare that forced him to swallow his words and hold his tongue. It seemed Christine's cultivation breakthrough didn't bode entirely well for him.

"I'm fine." In Christine's presence, Li Mengdie reverted to her ice-queen persona, offering a concise reply devoid of any superfluous fluff. Half-convinced, Christine led Li Mengdie off for another medical checkup, finally granting Zhao Li his freedom.

Catching sight of familiar silhouettes among the soldiers, Zhao Li finally recovered his decisiveness as a military commander. Let Li Mengdie handle whatever was going on inside; he genuinely had no desire to face Christine's current gaze.

Next on the agenda was preparing the funeral for the fallen soldiers.

No band, no pastor, and not even an abundance of military flags. Including Christine and Li Mengdie, Zhao Li led all the troops in a neat formation, holding a solemn funeral for the comrades who had perished during the eradication of the Black Prison Mercenary headquarters.

The coffins had been crafted by the soldiers themselves using timber harvested from the dense jungle, bearing the remains of their five brothers. Zhao Li was the first among those carrying the coffins; the rest were junior officers and enlisted men.

Since Christine and Li Mengdie served as medical officers, they weren't among the pallbearers, but each held a wreath woven from fresh flowers gathered personally in the jungle, leading the procession. Not far away, Sanders and Kong Hongyuan, though not standing within the formation, also followed along to see them off.

Everyone wore their single set of military dress uniforms. Although wearing formal uniforms in this region and season was sweltering, no one cared; everyone simply wished to send their comrades and brothers off with the most solemn rites possible.

The cemetery lay right beside the camp, carved out of a specially leveled patch of ground where everyone had tirelessly planted emerald pines, cypresses, and green grass, even having the headstones carved in advance.

Eight men carried a single coffin, stepping in unison to a disciplined cadence. They walked to the edge of the gravesites, and at a leading command, lowered the coffins slowly and gently into the freshly dug plots. As the earth was shoveled back over them, everyone stood at rigid attention, watching the coffins of their comrades slowly disappear beneath the soil.

Wreaths had been placed at the very front of the headstones. Several soldiers detailed to ceremonial duties stood shoulder-to-shoulder nearby, listening with solemn gravity to the squad leader's commands: "Ready! Raise arms! Fire!"

"Bang," "Bang," "Bang"... A string of gunfire echoed across the entire camp like a twenty-one-gun salute. At Zhao Li's command, "Attention, salute!"

"Swish," over a hundred hands rose in unison to pay highest respects to their departed comrades. Though Sanders remained outside the formation, he too stood at attention and saluted, while Kong Hongyuan stood solemnly in place.

"Order arms!" With the conclusion of the funeral rites, Zhao Li turned to face the assembly and announced the latest news on this special occasion.

"Our fallen brothers have each been awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the Silver Oak Leaf Cluster, and the title of Combat Hero!" These were the commendations Zhao Li had requested from General Lucas after reporting the victory results, which had received full approval yesterday. "In addition, all wounded soldiers have been awarded the Purple Heart."

"The corresponding medals will arrive with the next resupply ship. The medals for the fallen brothers and their war insurance claim notifications will likewise be sent out with the supply vessel and delivered directly to their families." He was fulfilling the promise regarding war insurance made previously.

"All brothers present have been enrolled in war insurance policies according to their respective ranks, and the insurance documents will also arrive with the resupply and be handed to each of you." Zhao Li made his calm announcement, then swept his gaze across the neatly aligned formation, noting a sea of stirred expressions.

"To offer some comfort, the Black Prison Mercenary Corps has been thoroughly shattered. Statistics show three hundred twenty-three eliminated, six hundred fifty-seven captured, and over four hundred missing or fled." This was the victory bought with the blood of their brothers, and Zhao Li promptly shared the intelligence obtained from the police with everyone. "We will continue our efforts to completely pacify this region."

"Dismissed!" With the funeral concluded, Zhao Li issued the dismissal order. Yet most of those present did not leave immediately; instead, the formation broke apart as men gathered in small groups to converse in low tones.

From this day onward, the cemetery beside the camp gained two sentry posts manned around the clock, as if forever guarding their living brothers.

Three days later, the monthly resupply arrived smoothly, bringing medals and insurance documents for everyone to receive. However, the officer in charge of delivering the supplies brought a coded briefcase straight to the commanding officer, Zhao Li, handing it over with great solemnity. During the handover, he explicitly stated that this had been entrusted to him personally by General Lucas, and if he had any questions, he could consult the general directly.

Being handed a briefcase without even the combination—let alone knowing how to open it or what lay inside—posed a puzzle. But since the general had given special instructions, Zhao Li naturally contacted the general via comms at the earliest opportunity.

"General!" Upon seeing General Lucas's figure appear on the comms screen, Zhao Li snapped a textbook military salute. The general returned the salute casually before asking, "Did the resupply ship arrive?"

"Yes, General!" Zhao Li answered. With General Lucas cutting straight to the point, he undoubtedly knew the purpose behind Zhao Li's call.

"Did you receive the case?" General Lucas asked again, though the question was somewhat redundant.

"Yes, General!" No matter the circumstances, Zhao Li maintained sufficient respect toward General Lucas. Showing necessary deference to one's direct superior was the proper attitude, and a trait Kong Hongyuan had taught him was essential for anyone wishing to climb the ranks.

"Inside is a secret account; the password is your birthday. You can change it as soon as you like if needed," the general said, looking quite cheerful. "Additionally, inside you'll find a piece of state-of-the-art ballistic body armor to give you an extra layer of safety. Though I sincerely hope you never have to use it."

A personal piece of body armor sent directly to him? Zhao Li didn't know whether to feel grateful or curse his luck. Regardless, the higher-ups' intent to protect him was glaringly obvious. The secret military stockpile likely held plenty of body armor, yet they had singled out this particular piece—it was bound to be high-end gear.

"The funds aren't much, which isn't entirely fair to you, but too many factors are involved. I hope you understand," General Lucas chatted in a natural tone, seemingly meant to put Zhao Li at ease. "Also, in light of your outstanding performance this time, you will be awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Keep up the good work!"

"Thank you, sir!" Zhao Li snapped to attention and saluted in gratitude. As for the money, Zhao Li hadn't harbored any grand delusions about pocketing a massive sum anyway; what mattered was that the war insurance matters had been settled.

"Do not conduct any military operations in the near future. Rebel activity is increasing, with vague signs of expansion toward this sector. Don't be overly conspicuous at the moment." With the general's final instructions and warnings, the two severed the connection. (I went out today and ran a bit late, hope everyone understands!)