Chen Jinzhao had already seen through the vanity of the world.
For five thousand years, from ancient times to the present, all struggles have been for power.
Any ray of idealism is eventually tainted.
Idealists either become corrupted, gradually becoming part of the evil dragon, or their light is obscured by the murkiness of the world.
Chen Jinzhao dared not claim to be an idealist, but he was willing to sacrifice for the light of ideals.
Li Tiannan nodded, agreeing to Chen Jinzhao's request.
"Is there anything else you wish to say? I might be able to convey it to them," Li Tiannan added.
After a moment's thought, Chen Jinzhao said, "My hometown lies to the south. Do not let me die facing north."
Li Tiannan's expression faltered slightly, a newfound respect growing for Chen Jinzhao. His posture straightened involuntarily, "I promise you."
Chen Jinzhao sighed, looking up at the sky.
After a long pause, he said, "Then, I have nothing more to say."
Facing forty to fifty guns, there was no path to survival.
Li Tiannan turned his back and said to his subordinates, "Fire, to see off Candle Dragon."
Chen Jinzhao closed his eyes, awaiting the sound of gunfire.
However, he and Li Tiannan waited for several seconds, neither hearing any gunshots, prompting them to look towards the Canglong special forces.
Before Chen Jinzhao could speak, Li Tiannan roared, "Are you deaf? I told you to fire!"
These men still showed no intention of firing.
"What are you playing at?" Li Tiannan was furious.
Clatter!
Dozens of soldiers dropped their weapons, no longer aiming at Chen Jinzhao's head.
One soldier puffed out his chest and asked, "Report to Canglong, our mission is to protect our country, not to commit evil deeds!"
Once the first person stood up, others followed.
"Candle Dragon is a hero of China, the soul of the Candle Dragon special forces, and a great role model for us soldiers!"
"We cannot kill him!"
"Whoever kills General Chen will be a sinner in history!"
"Our guns are for killing enemies, not for power struggles!"
"..."
More and more men stepped forward.
Li Tiannan was exasperated, pointing at these men and yelling, "You, you are all ungrateful wretches. If I hadn't looked after you back then, would you be where you are today?"
"If you won't kill him, I will!"
Li Tiannan forcefully snatched a gun from one of the men and aimed it at Chen Jinzhao's head.
This turn of events was beyond Chen Jinzhao's anticipation.
A feeling called gratitude coursed through his heart.
Just as Li Tiannan's gun barrel was aimed at Chen Jinzhao's head, a continuous stream of soldiers stepped in front of Chen Jinzhao. The one leading them shouted, "If you want to kill Candle Dragon, you'll have to kill us first!"
"I am willing to sacrifice my life to protect Candle Dragon!"
Li Tiannan was so angry he was panting.
He aimed his gun at the soldier shielding Chen Jinzhao and roared, "Aren't you afraid I'll shoot you dead?"
"Yes!" the soldier shouted loudly.
"Then why don't you get out of the way? I don't want to shoot you!" Li Tiannan urged the soldier to move aside, believing even the hardest heart would soften.
The soldier stood tall and said with a resonant voice, "I cannot move!"
"Behind me lies the justice I must uphold!"
Li Tiannan grew even more enraged, his entire body trembling.
"I am not joking when I say I will shoot you!" he gritted out.
The soldier spoke again, "Then shoot me. Consider it repayment for your kindness, and we will be even."
"You—"
Li Tiannan was practically beside himself with fury.
This was clearly forcing him to commit murder, yet Li Tiannan truly did not wish to do so.
After taking several deep breaths, Li Tiannan finally made a decision, his eyes as sharp as a falcon's, "I will say it one last time, get out of the way!"
The soldier did not budge.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out.
Chen Jinzhao's mind went blank as he watched the soldier fall before him.
Just as the soldier had declared before his death, he had sacrificed himself for righteousness!
Li Tiannan, forced to shoot the soldier, wanted to quickly resolve Chen Jinzhao's execution and not waste time on such pointless matters. He scanned the surroundings and coldly ordered, "Anyone who doesn't get out of the way will suffer the same fate."
The expected scene of the soldiers retreating did not occur.
Instead, something that enraged Li Tiannan happened: these men silently walked up to Chen Jinzhao, forming a wall in front of him!
"What... what are you doing?!" Li Tiannan was inwardly seething and utterly shocked.
Were these men not afraid of death?
"I told you to get out of the way! Are your ears deaf? Do I have to kill you all one by one before you're willing?"
Li Tiannan began to plead with these men to move aside.
The forty-odd soldiers responded with silence.
Chen Jinzhao was deeply moved.
Though the courtyard was silent, he could hear a unified roar in his heart!
The silence—
Was deafening!
Li Tiannan's voice, amidst this silence, sounded hysterical, insignificant, and utterly exasperated.
Bang, bang, bang!
Li Tiannan fired shots into the air!
He gave these men his final ultimatum, "I'm giving you ten seconds. If you don't move, I'll kill every last one of you! But if you're smart and step aside, I'll let bygones be bygones, and I might even promote you."
"Ten!"
"Nine!"
"..."
"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
Ten seconds passed.
Still, no one moved, pushing Li Tiannan's patience to its limit. He repeatedly said, "Fine, fine, fine! You're forcing my hand, don't blame me!"
Since these men wouldn't listen, he'd just kill them all!
He didn't absolutely need this group of subordinates!
Just as Li Tiannan was about to move to kill them all, Chen Jinzhao suddenly spoke, "Wait. There's no need to take your anger out on them!"
Chen Jinzhao stepped out from behind the crowd.
Meeting Li Tiannan's furious gaze, Chen Jinzhao said calmly, "I will step forward to meet my death. Please let them go."
"General Chen, you must not!" one soldier exclaimed.
Another soldier added, "You cannot die! You are a great hero in our hearts, a pillar of the nation!"
"It doesn't matter if we die, but you cannot!"
Seeing that he couldn't persuade Chen Jinzhao, this soldier picked up his rifle again and raised his arms, shouting, "Our mission is to eliminate evil and promote good, to maintain order in this land! We must bear this responsibility today and not flee!"
Inspired by this soldier's courage, the rest of the soldiers picked up their rifles.
This scene filled Li Tiannan with fear. These were his own brothers, yet why were they aiming their guns at his head?
He couldn't even understand why these men, who had never met Chen Jinzhao, were so fanatical about him.
They were even willing to sacrifice themselves for him!
Why was this happening?