The deputy commander expressed his inability to understand. "This is an exercise, for Pete's sake! All the top leaders of our Yanjing Military District are here, and then you, as the commander-in-chief, suddenly, out of nowhere, just say there's no need to prepare anymore. You're blatantly throwing the game!" Su Dakai might have had his fill of that position, but he himself hadn't; he was still eager to climb higher!

Su Dakai, hearing the deputy commander's outburst, realized he hadn't explained clearly and hurriedly clarified. "No, I didn't make myself clear. When I told you there's no need to prepare, it wasn't about handing victory over to others. It's because we've already won!"

Upon hearing this, the deputy commander was even more baffled.

Seeing his confusion, Su Dakai recounted the events from the phone call in meticulous detail. "Though it might sound absurd, the reality is... the core of their Blue Team, the 'terrorist' Zhou Fan we were supposed to capture, was actually taken to the police station by our enthusiastic citizens of Yanjing."

"This exercise can't continue. We've already... won..."

When he uttered the words "we won," Su Dakai's tone was incredibly complex.

Ostensibly, they had achieved victory in the exercise, defeating the formidable Blue Team, which should have been a cause for celebration. Yet, for some reason, his heart felt like a knocked-over spice rack—a whirlwind of mixed emotions! Happy? The victory had nothing to do with them; they'd won purely because some enthusiastic citizens had taken Zhou Fan and his team to the police station. Unhappy? But they had damn well won! He couldn't really blame the citizens for being too enthusiastic, could he?

"What in the world is going on?" he muttered, frowning.

It wasn't just Su Dakai; all the Red Team soldiers present shared the same sentiment.

Although they had the 'Sharp Blade' unit and great overall strength, given the Blue Team's natural advantages, plus Zhou Fan, the King of Soldiers, holding the fort for them, the odds were, at best, sixty-forty in Red's favor—Red Team six, Blue Team four. Not to mention, before the exercise, the Blue Team had even received emergency additional training from their specially hired Martial Arts instructor, Liu Pan. Their disadvantage was promptly nullified, making it a fifty-fifty chance.

They had been preparing for a tough fight. They were ready for it.

And now, because of such an utterly preposterous reason, the exercise was over.

What the hell!

It's like I've taken off my pants, only for you to show me this? This thought couldn't help but rise in the minds of the Red Team soldiers, expressing how preposterous they felt.

But no matter how preposterous they found it, it was no use. What had happened, happened.

If anyone was to blame, it could only be Zhou Fan for not holding up his end. Or blame this batch of citizens for being so unfairly effective!

Honestly, with all that talent, why slave away for capitalists, 'enjoying the blessings' of a 996 work schedule, instead of honing oneself in the military and serving the country? What was the point? To be a 'great hermit hidden in the city'? Did they think that even as workhorses, powerful people were somehow 'premium' workhorses?

"So what do we do now?" the deputy commander asked, still confused.

Su Dakai took out his e-cigarette and took a deep drag. "What else can we do?" he said. "Head over to the Exercise Directorate to meet up, then go to the police station to get the specifics. Otherwise, what do you suggest?"

"Okay, okay! I'll recall the 'Sharp Blade' unit right away. They shouldn't have gone far," the deputy commander said, then stepped aside to make the call.

「......」

Mingling with the Blue Team, Liu Pan replayed the news he'd heard in their tent. Even now, he still felt utterly baffled.

How could the people he trained be turned over to the police by some enthusiastic citizens? What in the world was going on? Liu Pan was very clear about Zhou Fan's fighting capabilities; He definitely shouldn't have lost to an ordinary citizen!

Unable to make sense of it, Liu Pan scratched his head, deciding he'd go take a look later.

Then he remembered that before this incident, Liu Yi had sent him a long message—a "short essay" of sorts—which he hadn't yet had a chance to read. He pulled out his phone and found the message from Liu Yi. Every line practically vibrated with excitement, unease, nervousness, and... a touch of smugness.

To sum it up, it was basically: "Bro, if I'm going to receive the 'Outstanding Citizen Representative' award, what should I wear?"

Liu Pan's reply was concise: "Pajamas. They'll go perfectly with your daydream!"

After sending the reply, he pocketed his phone, putting the matter out of his mind. Liu Pan continued walking with the Blue Team forces.

「Before long, outside the Exercise Directorate.」

Su Dakai and Wang Fengyi, representing the Red and Blue Teams respectively, met there.

The two were old rivals. Upon seeing Su Dakai, Wang Fengyi snorted coldly, not showing him any courtesy.

Su Dakai, on the other hand, pulled a long face at Wang Fengyi's treatment. However, he quickly recovered. Thinking of something, he looked at Wang Fengyi with a grin and said, "Old Wang, impressive! I hear your men were taken to the station by an enthusiastic citizen. Are these the elites you picked? You've got a real eye for talent!"

As soon as he said this, veins bulged on Wang Fengyi's forehead. He glared at Su Dakai. "Don't get cocky, Su Dakai! This just proves that Yanjing is a place of hidden dragons and crouching tigers, brimming with capable people. We were just unlucky, and perhaps there are other hidden reasons for our failure. It doesn't mean you're stronger than us, got it?"

"Yes, you're right. Our people certainly weren't taken in by enthusiastic citizens. Throughout the history of our Yanjing Military District, an incident like this seems to be a first, Colonel Wang. You've really brought honor to our Yanjing Military District."

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