"If I recall correctly, you are Li Xiaozhong?" Chen Jin Chao asked hesitantly.
Upon hearing this, Li Xiaozhong became even more agitated, stammering, "Mr. Chen, I never expected you to remember me. I was just an unknown nobody back then."
"Don't say that about yourself. The fact that you were selected for the Northwest's strongest special forces team already proves your capabilities," Chen Jin Chao replied. He remembered Li Xiaozhong due to his outstanding performance in a military martial arts competition. Chen Jin Chao believed that with proper cultivation, Li Xiaozhong would achieve great things in the future. However, he couldn't understand why Li Xiaozhong was here now, working as a security guard at Linxi Villa.
Li Xiaozhong was deeply grateful that Chen Jin Chao still remembered him and had such high praise. Chen Jin Chao hesitated and then asked, "That's right, why are you here?"
The excitement in Li Xiaozhong's eyes gradually faded, replaced by a hint of melancholy. "Mr. Chen, it's a long story, and it's my own doing. By the way, is there a reason for your visit to Linxi Villa?"
Since Li Xiaozhong didn't wish to elaborate, Chen Jin Chao didn't press the matter. He nodded and said, "Yes, a friend's daughter might be around here. She's been missing for a day and a night."
Li Xiaozhong hesitated for a moment before saying, "I'll open the gate for you then."
This made Chen Jin Chao feel a bit awkward. "Won't this get you into trouble?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing..." Li Xiaozhong waved his hands dismissively.
Chen Jin Chao pondered for a moment. "Thank you. If you ever encounter any trouble in the future, you can come find me at Gou Chen Group. Of course, you can also work as a security guard at Gou Chen Group. The compensation won't be any worse than here." It would be a profit to recruit a retired special forces member as a security guard, and Yu Meng Zhi should not refuse.
Li Xiaozhong raised the retractable gate, and Chen Jin Chao stepped on the accelerator, driving into Linxi Villa.
Xu Nian Qing, sitting beside him, looked at Chen Jin Chao suspiciously. "That 'Candle Dragon' special forces team the person just mentioned, I've never heard of it."
Xu Yao Yao immediately chimed in, "Of course. That's China's most mysterious and powerful special forces unit. Since its establishment, it has made great contributions to the nation, defending our borders from enemies beyond the northern frontier."
There was one more thing Xu Yao Yao didn't say: as the 'Eye of the Candle Dragon,' Chen Jin Chao had accompanied several high-ranking officials from the capital on visits to other countries multiple times, ensuring their personal safety. This illustrated just how formidable Chen Jin Chao was.
"Yao Yao..." Chen Jin Chao cautioned. These things shouldn't be spoken of carelessly, lest Xu Nian Qing get involved.
Xu Yao Yao stuck out her tongue. From a young age, her dream was to enlist in the army, but Xu Han Chen had always refused her request. He worried that people would fast-track Xu Yao Yao's promotions due to his influence, which would deviate from Xu Han Chen's original intentions. Since he couldn't stop her, he could only eradicate the problem from the source.
"Ah?" Xu Nian Qing's expression changed slightly. "Then, aren't you very dangerous? Someone as capable as you must be considered a thorn in the side by other countries or some extremist organizations, right?"
Chen Jin Chao was taken aback. Initially, he thought Xu Nian Qing would look at him with admiration after learning about his background. To his surprise, she was worried. This made him feel ashamed for judging her with a narrow mind. When they were in college, Xu Nian Qing had never been a vain girl. Now, in his effort to maintain distance, Chen Jin Chao had almost forgotten her good qualities.
Chen Jin Chao shook his head and said, "Those people are nothing to me. At most, they're just tickles."
Xu Nian Qing seemed to want to say something but ultimately remained silent. The car sped through Linxi Villa and soon stopped in front of Villa No. 27.
Chen Jin Chao said to the two women, "Stay in the car and don't go anywhere. I'll go in and see what's happening. Understand?"
Xu Nian Qing was about to say something when Xu Yao Yao spoke to her, "Sister Xu, don't worry. Even if Brother Jin Chao encounters difficulties, we can't help. Instead, we'd just be a burden to him. Besides," she added, "those people are definitely no match for Brother Jin Chao."
With that said, Xu Nian Qing couldn't insist further. She turned to Chen Jin Chao and said, "Then you must be careful. If things get too difficult, don't force yourself."
"Alright," Chen Jin Chao nodded.
After getting out of the car, he quickly walked towards the entrance of Villa No. 27. The villa grounds were mostly gardens, with only a single building. Two burly men in black stood on either side of the main entrance. Seeing Chen Jin Chao park his car not far away, one of them walked forward and shouted, "Move your car immediately. This is private property, not a public parking lot."
Chen Jin Chao remained unfazed and walked step by step towards the entrance. The two men sensed something was wrong. They exchanged a glance and became fully alert. If Chen Jin Chao made any sudden moves, they would immediately apprehend him.
"Halt!" the man shouted again. "If you don't stop, don't blame us for taking action."
Chen Jin Chao stopped. "I'm looking for someone."
The man frowned and waved his hand impatiently, as if shooing away a fly. "Go, go, go. We don't have anyone you're looking for here. Get your car out of here within half a minute."
"I'm looking for a girl named Mo He," Chen Jin Chao said, as if he hadn't heard the burly man.
*Swish!* The brows of both men twitched involuntarily. Chen Jin Chao instantly realized that Mo He was most likely inside the villa. He took a step forward and shouted, "Move aside!"
The two men realized Chen Jin Chao was there to cause trouble, so they dropped all pretense of politeness, flanking Chen Jin Chao. Their imposing auras felt like two small mountains, exuding immense pressure.
"What kind of stray dog is barking in front of us?!" the man scoffed. Immediately, they attacked Chen Jin Chao from both sides, intending to capture him.
Chen Jin Chao's impatience reached its peak. He lashed out his right leg, kicking the thigh of the man on his right. With a *crack*, the tibia in that man's thigh instantly snapped. With a yelp of pain, the man fell to the ground.
That wasn't all. Chen Jin Chao swung his left fist, meeting the opponent's fist head-on. Another sound of bone cracking echoed, accompanied by another burly man's wail. Chen Jin Chao's punch had smashed the opponent's fist. Without a doubt, the burly man's fist was shattered. Dealing with these individuals only required one move.
The two men lay on the ground, their eyes filled with horror as they looked at Chen Jin Chao. They deeply realized they were no match for him; this guy was simply a human beast. Chen Jin Chao looked down and stepped on one of the men's heads, applying a little more force. The burly man smelled death and didn't doubt for a moment that Chen Jin Chao could stomp his head in. "Good sir, spare me! We're just two guard dogs; we don't know anything."
"I'm asking you, is Mo He inside?" Chen Jin Chao asked with a grim expression.
"Yes!" the burly man replied.
Having obtained the answer he wanted, Chen Jin Chao knocked both men unconscious, then broke the door lock with his bare hands, easily entering the villa's garden area. The wrath of the 'Eye of the Candle Dragon' needed to be quenched with blood!