Faced with Li Chonglou's refusal, Fan Lei not only wasn't angry, but instead showed a mysterious and unfathomable sinister smile. His gaze fell upon Liu Ping'er. "You don't have to go, but don't forget, she has to leave."
Uh...
Li Chonglou fell silent. He hadn't expected Fan Lei to be so cunning and shameless. He was actually threatening him with Liu Ping'er to accept the mission. It was fine if he lost the competition; half the reason he came to Xiong Ying was to protect Liu Ping'er's life. He himself wasn't afraid. At worst, he'd deal with problems as they came. So even if he was kicked out of Xiong Ying, as long as Liu Ping'er was still there, everything would be fine.
"Li Chonglou, don't force yourself because of me. It's okay if I don't join the army," Liu Ping'er said with concern when she saw his predicament. She still didn't know that if she wasn't in Xiong Ying, she would be in mortal danger of being silenced. She only thought Li Chonglou felt pity for her being alone and brought her to the special forces. But for her, this was optional. She didn't want Li Chonglou to be in such a dilemma.
"Alright, I promise." Li Chonglou glanced at Liu Ping'er, took a deep breath, and gritted his teeth. Fan Lei was truly ruthless, using him as a pawn and making him risk his life for him. But who told him to hold his weakness?
"I believe you won't disappoint me. Go on, I'll wait to watch your match the day after tomorrow," Fan Lei said with a villainous grin, showing no trace of the demeanor of a high-ranking official. He was full of rascality.
Liu Ping'er's beautiful eyes sparkled, filled with emotion. She gazed at Li Chonglou, her heart surging with feelings. She thought Li Chonglou was doing all this just so she could smoothly join the special forces and fulfill her childhood dream. What woman doesn't like romance? Low-class women only like men who give them benefits and money – that kind of low-level romance. High-class women, however, have an irresistible urge for men who can fulfill their childhood dreams. Li Chonglou's unintentional actions instantly shattered the psychological barriers Liu Ping'er had built over the years, tunneling into her heart. Unfortunately, the person involved was completely unaware of this.
Soon, Liu Ping'er was assigned to the communications team, and Li Chonglou left the office. He naturally wouldn't need to buy makeup tools and materials anymore. After all, he was going to lose anyway. Fortunately, he didn't place too much importance on winning or losing, considering it as repaying Fan Lei's favor. Although he had brought a lot of trouble upon himself, he felt it wasn't so bad after all, since he wouldn't have to stay in this monotonous barracks. Moreover, he could engage in his specialty and passion, antiques, and investigate the smuggling group. It could be considered a blessing in disguise.
Li Chonglou copied the information onto his phone, returned to the dormitory, and began to study it intently. This so-called cultural relic smuggling group turned out to have intricate ties with Li Hanlong. He wondered if it was related to the influential figure behind Sun Rufang. According to investigations, in just over a decade, they had smuggled hundreds of thousands of cultural relics, making profits so enormous they were appalling. Reading this made Li Chonglou's scalp tingle. Furthermore, in this document, he saw a familiar name: Zeng Qiang! The guy who had competed with him for the Shi Qiang Plate in Qin Prefecture. In his previous life, he had been enemies with Zeng Qiang due to smuggling cultural relics. He never expected that fortunes would turn, bringing them back together. It turned out Zeng Qiang was just a small fry in this group. He had been wondering how Zeng Qiang alone could smuggle so many cultural relics out; how strong must his connections and influence be? Now, it all made sense.
After reading the information, Li Chonglou deleted and shredded it, then lay on his bed in deep thought. Fan Lei wanted him to infiltrate this smuggling group, identify all their personnel and criminal evidence, and then capture them all in one fell swoop. Additionally, the Ministry of Public Security's cultural relic team would be responsible for the other criminal accomplices abroad. Xiong Ying would arrange an assistant for him, whose identity was currently unknown. Li Chonglou rehearsed the process and dangers in his mind.
*Knock...*
Just then, the dormitory door was pushed open. Da Liu and Mi Mi Yan, sweating profusely, returned to the dormitory. Chen Yong was with them. Seeing Li Chonglou lying on the bed, Chen Yong's eyes immediately widened, and he barked, "Get up!" "What time is it? Is this the time for you to sleep?"
Li Chonglou rolled over and got up. Without a word, he understood. This dormitory had four beds, and one of them belonged to Chen Yong. What a narrow encounter, and he was his immediate superior. Even if he was reluctant, he had to put on a show. "You, you'll be on duty tonight, replacing Xiao Zhang. Do you hear me!" Chen Yong's voice was booming. Xiao Zhang referred to Mi Mi Yan.
"Yes!" Li Chonglou's expression didn't change, and he replied crisply. For him, sleeping at night or being on duty made no difference; he could still practice his skills while standing. Anyway, there were only two days left. After the match, he would seize the opportunity to slip away. "Patience is a virtue; a moment's impatience spoils a great plan." Seeing this, Mi Mi Yan secretly winked at him, giving him a look of "good luck."
Soon, it was evening. After the three of them ate at the mess hall, they brought Li Chonglou to his post. Then Mi Mi Yan and Da Liu returned to the dormitory.
As the night deepened, Li Chonglou stood tall and straight, gazing into the deep woods. Countless mosquitoes and insects swarmed from the damp ground, drawn to his scent. However, these insects stopped at the periphery of Li Chonglou's body, unable to land on his clothes. The moment they touched down, they were repelled by an invisible vibration from his skin. The sheepskin scroll cultivation method, after breaking through the second level, had shown no new breakthroughs for a long time. But that didn't mean Li Chonglou had become complacent. Controlling his body to produce imperceptible high-frequency vibrations was the ability of the second level, Shen Gu. It not only greatly enhanced his defense but also provided protection against mosquitoes and insects. This brought Li Chonglou a little joy, and in the desolate night, he found a way to entertain himself.
As the night grew quiet, and he checked his phone, it was past eleven at night. Li Chonglou suddenly heard the gurgling stream in the woods making splashing sounds. It sounded like some animal was disturbing the water. The sound was quite regular, sparking Li Chonglou's curiosity. The mountains in Wuning County were often home to wild boars, deer, and monkeys. He had only seen these creatures in zoos. Since he had nothing else to do, it would be interesting if he could see a wild animal.
With that thought, Li Chonglou quietly moved towards the stream where the noise was coming from. He controlled his body so that even when stepping on fallen leaves, he made no significant noise, approaching the stream silently. Gently parting the thorny branches in his way, he peered into a small pool below the stream by the moonlight. Instantly, his pupils dilated dramatically, and he felt his blood rush to his head. It wasn't some small animal at all. It was a person! And not just any person, but a beautiful woman with long hair and skin as white as jade, standing sideways in the stream, showering herself. Her graceful curves, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared incredibly sacred. Her profile was delicate and sculpted, though her facial skin was slightly darker than her body, tanned by the sun. But it did not detract from her captivating beauty. Even Li Chonglou, whose disposition was as firm as a rock, couldn't help but feel his heart race at the sight. He swallowed hard, intending to return to his post immediately. However, in his haste, he had lost his earlier caution.
*Crack!*
A dry branch snapped in two under his foot, making a crisp cracking sound in the silent night.
"Who's there?"
The long-haired beauty bathing in the stream instantly let out a sharp cry. Her eyes shot towards Li Chonglou's location. The next moment, she rushed ashore and put on her military uniform. "Stop right there!"
Li Chonglou inwardly cursed his luck but remained in place. Running away was beneath him; he would never do that. Moreover, this was an unintentional mistake, not deliberate peeking. His conscience was clear, and explaining himself was the only way to avoid misunderstanding. Soon, after putting on her clothes, the beauty rushed in front of him, her pretty face frozen with ice-cold anger, looking incredibly stunning and aloof. This kind of aloofness was different from Jiang Yuxin's. Jiang Yuxin's aloofness was actually an act; her upbringing had forced her to maintain a cold demeanor to avoid further harm. Inwardly, she was passionate, as evidenced by her attitude towards Li Chonglou. But the aloofness of the woman before him radiated from her core, a disdainful contempt for everything. Such people were likely to possess such proud and indifferent eyes due to their exceptional abilities.
"Why were you peeking?" the woman asked Li Chonglou directly, her voice cold.
"A misunderstanding. I was on duty, heard a noise, and thought it was a small animal. I apologize," Li Chonglou said, meeting her gaze fearlessly. Seeing that his eyes showed no flicker of evasion, the cold glint on the woman's face gradually subsided. There were no harsh words or actions. She calmly asked, "Which group are you from? Why haven't I seen you before?"
"Group Four. I just arrived today," Li Chonglou replied truthfully.
"Looking at you, you really only deserve to be in Group Four," the woman sneered threateningly. "Forget what happened tonight. Don't mention it to anyone. Otherwise, I'll show you that the Xiong Ying Brigade is hell within hell!" She had gotten covered in sweat during training today, and the hot water was cut off at night. So, she had taken advantage of the late hour when no one was around to wash herself by the stream, only to be seen by a recruit. If she were to resort to force, it would be beneath her dignity. But if this matter were to get out, it would be even more embarrassing. She could only threaten and scare this recruit.
"Understood," Li Chonglou replied indifferently, showing no fear. This made the woman feel somewhat uneasy. She pressed further, "Tell me your name."
"Li Chonglou."
"Good. I'll remember you. We have plenty of time," the woman said, giving Li Chonglou a deep look before walking away潇洒ly. After she left, Li Chonglou finally let out a long sigh of relief. Women were usually not rational beings, but he hadn't expected this woman to be an exception. He dismissed the incident as a minor interruption and didn't dwell on it, returning to his post.
The next day, Chen Yong didn't let him sleep peacefully either, having Mi Mi Yan wake him up for training. A day of high-intensity training, even for Li Chonglou with his superior physical fitness, left him exhausted. He had no energy to get to know the other members of Group Four. He fell asleep as soon as he returned to the dormitory.
As dawn broke the following day, Da Liu woke him up: "Hurry up and get up. Brother Yong is already waiting for you on the training ground. Today is the day of your competition. Don't be late!"