The morning sun shone on the training ground, where sixteen soldiers stood in neat rows.

A moment later, Han Feng, dressed in combat gear, walked over and announced to the group, "Today is your final assessment! The rules are simple." Standing on the command platform in the center of the simulated city, Han Feng's voice, amplified through the loudspeaker, resonated throughout the training area: "Four teams against four members of the Dragon Abyss. No weapon restrictions, no area restrictions."

The sixteen soldiers stood in four groups, each fully equipped with tactical gear. The third group, led by Liu Xiaoran, consisted of a Marine, a People's Armed Police sniper, and an electronic warfare expert, making it the most well-balanced squad.

"There are two conditions for victory," Han Feng continued. "First, 'kill' your corresponding Dragon Abyss member; second, seize the target item and have one person successfully escape."

As he finished speaking, four members of the Dragon Abyss emerged from the shadows—Iron Tower, Night Owl, Ghost, and Viper. Each carried only basic equipment and wore relaxed smiles.

"Each group has ten minutes to prepare." Han Feng pressed the timer. "The monitoring system will record the entire process once the competition begins. Good luck to everyone."

Liu Xiaoran immediately gathered his team members in a circle: "Listen carefully, the Iron Tower is a power-type character; we have no chance against it in a head-on confrontation. So, I plan to utilize the environment of the small factory in Area B." He brought up a 3D map of the simulated city. "Area B has a large number of pipes and ventilation systems; we'll lure it here and divide and conquer it."

Electronic warfare expert Li Ming tapped rapidly on his tablet: "I can interfere with his communication equipment for about 5 seconds, but I need to get within 20 meters."

"That's enough." Liu Xiaoran pointed to a point on the map. "Xiao Wang will lure him in, Lao Li will find opportunities to disrupt him, and I'll lead the attack. Remember, our goal is to prove that teamwork can compensate for individual weaknesses, not to actually defeat him."

The timer emitted a sharp beep.

\"start!\"

The four groups immediately dispersed and disappeared into the streets and alleys of the simulated city. In the monitoring room, Han Feng and Su Wanwan were faced with dozens of real-time feeds.

"I bet a hundred bucks, the Iron Tower team will be the first to go under," Su Wanwan said, a lollipop dangling from her mouth.

Han Feng didn't reply, his gaze fixed on the screens of the four groups.

Team A soon received devastating news—Night Owl, using light and shadow camouflage, silently slit the throats of all four team members in less than three minutes. The team members didn't even see where the attack came from.

"What did I tell you?" Su Wanwan raised an eyebrow smugly. "Even you praised Night Owl's stealth abilities."

Han Feng remained noncommittal and continued to observe. The situation for Group B against the Ghost was equally dire. The Ghost used the complex terrain of the simulated city to set up multiple traps, and all four soldiers triggered the "booby traps" one after another, resulting in the annihilation of the entire group.

Group C had an even more frustrating experience facing the venomous snakes—they didn't even have a chance to fire before being taken down by various "poisonous gases" and "anesthesia needles," with the last one "dying from poisoning" after tripping over his own shoelace.

"This is too horrible..." Su Wanwan covered her eyes. "This isn't a selection process, it's a massacre."

Han Feng suddenly sat up straight: "Look at Group D." The screen clearly showed Liu Xiaoran's group.

Liu Xiaoran's team had successfully lured the iron tower into the designated area. The tower, over two meters tall, looked clumsy in the narrow pipe, while Marine Xiao Wang was using his height advantage to harass it.

"Prepare for interference!" Liu Xiaoran gestured.

Li Ming suddenly leaned out of the ventilation duct and pressed the jamming button on the tower's communicator. The tower grunted and instantly became "deaf and mute"—this was exactly the opportunity Liu Xiaoran had been waiting for.

\"Now!\"

The three launched their attack simultaneously. Xiao Wang drew attention from the front, Li Ming threw a smoke bomb, and Liu Xiaoran leaped down from the ceiling, his dagger aimed directly at the iron tower's "throat"—which, according to the rules, would be a fatal blow.

But Iron Tower was, after all, a veteran of Longyuan. At the critical moment, he dodged to the side with a speed beyond his physique, while simultaneously slapping his giant palm towards Liu Xiaoran in mid-air.

\"Bang!\"

Liu Xiaoran withstood the blow, but the dagger still managed to sever the carotid artery marker on the Iron Tower—a serious injury according to the rules, but not fatal. He himself was sent flying by the Iron Tower's palm strike, coughing up blood as he crashed heavily into the wall.

"The tower is injured!"

Su Wanwan whistled: "Wow, is this the first time a member of Longyuan has gotten injured?"

A look of admiration flashed in Han Feng's eyes: "Excellent tactics."

On the simulated battlefield, Iron Tower was enraged. He tore off the marker band around his neck and charged at Liu Xiaoran like a raging bear. Xiao Wang and Li Ming tried to stop him but were easily thrown away.

Liu Xiaoran quickly rolled away to avoid the first attack, shouting at the same time, "Plan B!"

Li Ming immediately pressed the remote control, activating the pre-set rope trap and temporarily imprisoning the iron tower. Liu Xiaoran then seized the opportunity to rush towards the target—a silver briefcase.

"Damn it!" the Iron Tower roared.

But it was too late. Liu Xiaoran grabbed the suitcase and tossed it to Xiao Wang: "Let's go!"

Xiao Wang dashed towards the escape point like an arrow. The Iron Tower broke free of its ropes to give chase, but was desperately stopped by Liu Xiaoran and Li Ming. In the end, Xiao Wang successfully crossed the escape line.

"Team D, mission accomplished," Han Feng said.

The training ground was silent. The other three groups of candidates, all wiped out, stared in disbelief at the scene. Could someone really have escaped from the hands of the Dragon Abyss members?

Iron Tower reluctantly pulled Liu Xiaoran up: "Kid, you've got some skills." He rubbed his neck, "Are you alright after that slap?"

Liu Xiaoran, panting, could vaguely see blood at the corner of his mouth; his tactical uniform was soaked with sweat: "Just lucky, nothing serious."

Su Wanwan, with a lollipop dangling from her mouth, said, "I guessed right, you lost 100 yuan to me, and tonight I want to eat sauerkraut fish!"

Han Feng ignored her, and simply stood up and said to the others, "Gather everyone and announce the results."

This infuriated Su Wanwan, who then plotted how to get revenge on Han Feng.

When the sixteen soldiers lined up, the atmosphere was so heavy it could drip water. Most of them hung their heads dejected, only Liu Xiaoran's group managed to maintain their military posture.

"In today's competition, only Group D completed the mission," Han Feng said emotionlessly. "But the selection criteria aren't just about winning or losing."

He approached a member of Team A: "You successfully issued a warning signal before you were 'killed.' That awareness is commendable."

He then pointed to a member of Group C: "You discovered the trap set by the venomous snake. Although you couldn't avoid it, your observation skills are excellent."

Finally, Han Feng announced the list of eight people. Those whose names weren't called were quite disappointed.

"The above eight people are officially becoming reserve members of the Longyuan Special Operations Team," Han Feng said. "You will have one day to rest and recuperate. The day after tomorrow, you will begin training with the official members of Longyuan. We don't have much time left."