"From today onward, this place," Lin Mu pointed at the ground with his foot, "is mine to command!"

"Any objections?"

If he had said this before, Lin Mu would have certainly been beaten half to death. But now, they were already nearly half dead. Lin Mu alone had taken down every single one of them.

"No!" the still-conscious members of the Divine Machine Camp roared, mustering their last ounce of strength.

"Good," Lin Mu said. "Remember this. This is the first and last time! From now on, I don't want to hear a second voice in the Divine Machine Camp. My will, and my will alone, must be followed!"

Lin Mu's tone carried a chill that made every member of the Divine Machine Camp shiver.

"Understood!" the men of the Divine Machine Camp spoke in unison.

"Louder! I can't hear you!" Lin Mu said coldly, his voice landing like thunder in their ears.

Even those who had fainted sat up abruptly and shouted, "Understood!"

"Good!" Lin Mu said coldly. "Now all of you, get up and go back to sleep!"

Huh? The men thought they had misheard him. Not training, but sleeping?

"What? Are you defying my command?" Lin Mu asked coldly.

"No, sir!"

Jiaolong struggled to his feet and started toward the barracks. He had been the focus of Lin Mu's attention earlier, so his injuries were the most severe, leaving him with no strength at all. Gritting his teeth, Jiaolong headed for the dormitory. The others helped one another up and obediently went back to sleep as well.

***

"Huh? What's going on?"

At that moment, Zhang Ze and Xiao Du came to their senses. They were momentarily baffled to see all the men from the Divine Machine Camp heading toward the dormitories, looking utterly ragged.

"Old Huang, what in the world happened?" Zhang Ze asked, walking over to Old Huang, who was rubbing his arms and legs while wincing in pain.

"What happened?" Old Huang rolled his eyes. "Can't you see for yourself?"

Why so much resentment? Did he get beaten up? Zhang Ze wondered.

"Come on, Old Huang, tell me what happened."

Zhang Ze lit a cigarette for Old Huang, who chuckled, took it, and inhaled deeply. "Ah, that's the stuff. I needed that."

Looking supremely satisfied, Old Huang gestured toward the young man not far away. "Just now... he... took on all of us from the Divine Machine Camp. By himself."

"It was a total victory."

Zhang Ze's expression changed. "Old Huang, what are you saying? Instructor Lin challenged all of you by himself and won completely?"

"Old Huang, you're not pulling my leg, are you?" Xiao Du couldn't help but interject. "If it were the other guy, maybe, but him..."

It wasn't that Xiao Du looked down on Lin Mu. It was just that Shi Potian's earlier feat had been too astonishing. Lifting a boat while walking on water—what kind of person possessed such terrifying power and heaven-defying abilities? If anyone could take on the entire Divine Machine Camp alone, it had to be Shi Potian.

Lin Mu? No way.

"Believe it or not!" Old Huang grumbled, struggling to his feet. He swayed as he headed toward the dormitory, muttering, "Ouch, this is killing me. The kid has no respect for his elders."

Watching Old Huang's retreating back, Zhang Ze and Xiao Du exchanged a look, seeing the same shock mirrored in each other's eyes.

Could it really be true?

"Once the storm calms down, call for a boat to pick us up!" Zhang Ze ordered. "I need to ask the commander just where he found these two monsters."

"Instructor Zhang, do you really believe he took on the entire Divine Machine Camp by himself?" Xiao Du asked.

"Just do as I say! Stop asking so many questions!"

Xiao Du went to make the call while Zhang Ze approached Lin Mu.

"Instructor Lin, you..." Zhang Ze opened his mouth, but for a moment, he didn't know what to say.

"If you have something to say, say it."

Zhang Ze took a deep breath. "Did you... really beat them all down just now?"

Lin Mu offered a slight smile. "If you're curious, you could always give it a try."

Seeing that smile, Zhang Ze suddenly shivered. For some reason, this instructor's smile is terrifying.

"No, that's not necessary!" Zhang Ze said with a forced, awkward laugh. "Right, Instructor Lin, the Divine Machine Camp's authorized strength is one hundred men. Including Old Huang, we only have ninety-eight right now, so we need to recruit some new blood. We need at least three."

Lin Mu nodded. "You handle it. Of course, I'm in charge of the Divine Machine Camp now. They'll need my approval to join."

Although Lin Mu's tone was flat, Zhang Ze could feel an undeniable authority in his words. He didn't dare object. Since Lin Mu was now the chief instructor, he called the shots.

"Understood, Instructor Lin. There are a few promising recruits at the base, all with the potential to become members. I'll bring them over for your review."

For some reason, when facing Lin Mu, Zhang Ze felt the same caution he felt when facing his commanding officer. No, it was even more daunting.

This young man is like a behemoth in human form. Placid if left alone, but a man-eater once enraged.

***

Zhu Tao was ecstatic. He was about to become a member of the Divine Machine Camp. Once he joined, his career would skyrocket! A comrade had even told him that with his skills, he was a shoo-in. The thought made Zhu Tao even more thrilled.

Lin, just you wait! Malice flickered in Zhu Tao's eyes. I hear you're the chief instructor of the Southeast Military Academy? Once I'm in the Divine Machine Camp, you'll be nothing to me! The Divine Machine Camp operates independently of the Southeast Military Region, and I've already heard the chief instructor position there is just for show. When the time comes, I'll challenge you personally! My grandfather and younger brother will be avenged! Just you wait!

「The next morning.」

Zhu Tao set off early. Today was his assessment for the Divine Machine Camp. As long as he passed, he would officially become a member. Besides, his friend in the camp had told him last night that their new instructor was incredibly strong; following him was a guaranteed way to improve rapidly. His friend had sworn on it.

Looking at the other candidates traveling with him, Zhu Tao's face radiated confidence. There were only three spots available. Anyone who failed would be sent back to their original unit, so Zhu Tao cherished this opportunity.

When Zhu Tao stepped onto the Divine Machine Camp's training island and saw the advanced equipment scattered about, his eyes lit up with excitement. This was the place he had dreamed of! He was going to make a name for himself here.

Led by Zhang Ze, Zhu Tao and the other candidates walked toward a large tree. To Zhu Tao's surprise, the island was full of people, but they were all lazing around. Some were sunbathing, others were... playing cards?

This is the Divine Machine Camp? It's nothing like I imagined.

It wasn't just Zhu Tao; even Zhang Ze was a bit bewildered.

"Alright, listen up," Zhang Ze said. "I'm about to take you to meet Instructor Lin of the Divine Machine Camp. All of you, be on your best behavior and show some respect!"

Zhang Ze had confirmed it yesterday: Lin Mu had single-handedly defeated the entire Divine Machine Camp. He knew how proud every single one of those men was. If it weren't true, they would never speak of Instructor Lin with such reverence. The last thing Zhang Ze wanted was for these elite candidates to lose their chance by offending him.

"Don't worry, Instructor Zhang!" Zhu Tao said with a smile. "We won't let you down."

"Good." Zhang Ze nodded in satisfaction. "Zhu Tao, you're my most prized candidate. I'll put in a good word for you with Instructor Lin to make sure you get in."

"Instructor Lin?" Zhu Tao asked, startled.

"Yes, that's him over there." Zhang Ze pointed toward a young man under the tree, his face filled with admiration. To tame the Divine Machine Camp in just half a day—this Instructor Lin was the real deal.

"How can it be him?!"

The moment he saw Lin Mu, the color drained from Zhu Tao's face, leaving it a ghostly white.

"Let's go," Zhang Ze said, pulling the stunned Zhu Tao along.

"Instructor Lin, I've brought the candidates. How would you like to assess them?" Zhang Ze pointed at Zhu Tao. "This is Zhu Tao. He's an excellent soldier—trains hard, has a solid foundation, and his potential is astounding, so..."

Before Zhang Ze could finish, Lin Mu spoke, his voice indifferent. "The others can stay. Tell him to get lost."

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