Just as Han Feng finished speaking and was about to leave, Liu Xiaoran's voice rang out, "Report!" It was half a decibel louder than the prescribed volume, and it sounded impatient.

Han Feng turned around and asked, "What's the matter?"

Liu Xiaoran strode forward, his dusty combat uniform and the bloodstains on his mouth gleaming in the sunlight.

"Captain! I want to know when we can participate in official missions." Liu Xiaoran stood ramrod straight. "Especially about the gene warriors."

Han Feng raised his eyelids slightly and said, "Reserve team members will only be eligible for missions after three months of regular training."

"But I've already passed the selection!" Liu Xiaoran's voice suddenly rose, then quickly fell back down. "Sorry, Captain, I meant... I've seen those monsters in the Northern Territory, I think..."

"Seeing it and fighting it are two different things." Han Feng didn't give him a chance to continue. "Right now, besides me, no one here has ever truly faced a gene display, and at your current level, you wouldn't survive three seconds against a gene warrior."

Liu Xiaoran's face flushed instantly, and veins bulged on his neck: "Give me a chance, Captain! I can learn through real combat!"

Han Feng finally looked up at him. Something familiar burned in the young officer's eyes—not just fighting spirit, but an almost obsessive desire. He'd seen that look in too many people, and it rarely ended well.

"Want to join my team?" Han Feng suddenly asked.

"Yes!" Liu Xiaoran's eyes lit up.

"Spar with me for three moves first." Han Feng stood up. Although he wasn't as tall as Liu Xiaoran, his imposing presence made Liu Xiaoran take a half-step back. "Now, the training room."

The training room was one of the most sturdy buildings in the Longyuan base, with walls and floors covered in special cushioning material capable of withstanding direct impact from rockets. As Han Feng and Liu Xiaoran walked in one after the other, followed by the team members who had passed the selection that day, the team members who were training in the room immediately retreated to a corner, not wanting to miss this good show.

Liu Xiaoran warmed up for ten minutes, getting her joints into optimal condition, and then put on protective gear. Han Feng, on the other hand, simply took off his jacket and didn't even put on gloves.

"Rules?" Liu Xiaoran assumed a fighting stance, his leg muscles taut like springs.

Han Feng stood still, his arms hanging naturally at his sides: "You win if you can even touch me."

These words ignited Liu Xiaoran's fighting spirit. He pounced like a cheetah, his right fist aimed straight for Han Feng's throat, while his left hand concealed a deadly intent, preparing to change tactics and capture Han Feng when he blocked. This was his most proficient combo, which had once taken down the military region's fighting champion.

Then his world suddenly spun around.

Han Feng's movements were so simple they were almost perfunctory; he merely turned slightly to the side and lightly tapped Liu Xiaoran's neck with his right hand, which resembled a knife. But this seemingly casual strike caused Liu Xiaoran's vision to go black, and he collapsed to the ground, motionless like a piece of wood.

The onlookers collectively gasped. They knew Han Feng was strong, but they hadn't expected him to be this strong. Liu Xiaoran was the most outstanding newcomer in the selection process!

"Take him to the infirmary." Han Feng clapped his hands. "When he wakes up, tell him that if he can't even withstand it with half his strength, he shouldn't even think about fighting the gene warriors."

When Liu Xiaoran regained consciousness, the first thing that caught her eye was the glaring incandescent light of the infirmary, followed by Night Owl's playful smile.

"Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds." Night Owl glanced at his watch. "Woke up half a minute earlier than expected. His physique is indeed quite good."

"Oh, right, the captain told me to tell you that he didn't even use his full strength, so don't think about fighting the gene warriors for a while, and focus on training."

Liu Xiaoran tried to sit up, but found his muscles aching all over as if they had been run over by a heavy truck. He asked in a hoarse voice, "How much force...did the captain use?"

"Fifty percent." Night Owl handed him a glass of water, standing by the bedside watching him. "And it's just the most basic 'dragonfly skimming the water,' not even a proper move."

The water glass trembled slightly in Liu Xiaoran's hand, and tiny ripples spread across the surface. He recalled that moment, not even seeing how Han Feng made his move; he only felt a gust of wind pass by, and then he knew nothing more.

"Trying to catch up with him?" Night Owl showed a hint of interest in this newly joined reserve member. "In all the time I've been with Dragon Abyss, I've seen no more than three people last ten moves against him."

A strange light flashed in Liu Xiaoran's eyes. He struggled to sit up, ignoring the protesting muscles all over his body: "How did he train?"

Night Owl raised an eyebrow. Most people would be either frustrated or terrified after being crushed like this, but this newcomer was even more excited.

"I don't know," he answered honestly. "Captain Han never talks about his training methods." While tidying up the medical equipment, he casually added, "But...once you become a full member, you might have the chance to be personally trained by him."

Liu Xiaoran thoughtfully touched the bruise on his neck. Just then, the door to the infirmary was pushed open, and the massive figure of the Iron Tower squeezed in.

"Awake?" Iron Tower grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth. "Don't be discouraged. The first time I challenged Captain Han, I was unconscious for six hours and even peed my pants."

Night Owl rolled his eyes at Iron Tower and walked out the door. Iron Tower leaned close to Liu Xiaoran's bedside and whispered, "Want to get stronger? I have a way."

Liu Xiaoran immediately perked up his ears.

"Team Leader Han will give us intensive training once a week," Iron Tower winked. "You'll get to experience it for yourself then."

At lunchtime that day, Liu Xiaoran watched Han Feng from afar in the canteen. The lieutenant colonel, younger than him, sat alone in a corner, eating at an astonishing speed, yet maintaining an eerie elegance. Liu Xiaoran noticed that even in this relaxed moment, Han Feng's seat allowed him to simultaneously observe all the entrances and windows.

"Engrossed in watching?" Li Ming sat down next to him with a tray. This was his teammate who had passed the selection with him. "Don't even think about it. That kind of monster is beyond our reach."

Liu Xiaoran shook his head, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "You don't understand. That move today... was too perfect." His voice carried an almost religious devotion, "There wasn't a single superfluous movement; even the trajectory of the muscle exertion was as precise as if it had been measured with a ruler."

Li Ming and the other team members exchanged a "this guy is hopeless" look. Liu Xiaoran's admiration for Han Feng at this moment had almost reached a crazy level.

"I've made up my mind!" The group was startled by Liu Xiaoran's sudden announcement. "From today onwards, Captain Han is my idol!"

Because he had promised Lin Zhengguo to help with the selection process, but the selection was now over, Han Feng took Su Wanwan back first. Along the way, Su Wanwan kept pestering Han Feng: "You're not allowed to go back on your word. You promised to give me 100 yuan!"

Han Feng drove on, ignoring Su Wanwan. Just as Su Wanwan was about to explode, Han Feng said, "I'll make you sauerkraut fish tonight."