Chapter 104: Rookies: They’re All Playing Us
“Impossible, I don’t believe it!”
Watching Chang Ning screaming in agony on the screen due to torture, Xiao Zhuang couldn’t believe that someone like Chang Ning would betray them.
“What’s so unbelievable about this? You want to know why he spilled the intelligence? Keep watching and you’ll find out.”
Seeing that Xiao Zhuang didn’t believe it, One-Eyed Dragon burst out laughing with a “puchi” sound. It was so obvious, yet this rookie still didn’t believe it—he was just too naive.
The video continued, and when the rookies saw Chang Ning succumb to the money offensive, their expressions grew complicated.
He had endured the earlier torture, but in the end he fell to money, and it was he who threw himself into it.
Seeing Chang Ning’s greedy look upon seeing money, no one dared to connect the person on the screen now with the Chang Ning who had trained and played around with them—the gap was too big!
“Sigh~”
Hui Lang sighed, his face full of disappointment.
“Accept reality. This is life, and it’s also the fate of us special forces soldiers.
You never know what your comrades will fall to.
The person on the screen now is not Chang Ning—Chang Ning died during the torture!”
Hui Lang’s words essentially sealed Chang Ning’s fate, no matter how much Xiao Zhuang refused to believe it inwardly.
“How’s your consideration going?
I keep my word. As long as you each reveal your name, military rank, commander, military unit number, and the details of this mission, I’ll give you a large sum of money and won’t trouble anyone.”
One-Eyed Dragon spoke up to persuade them while everyone was feeling down.
“Who wants your stinking money!”
Qiang Zi was full of anger: “You think everyone’s like that traitor!”
“Looks like some people still haven’t faced reality. Men!”
One-Eyed Dragon had them swap Ostrich out with Qiang Zi. By now Ostrich had been beaten unconscious, his whole face bruised and swollen.
You can’t keep shearing wool from just one sheep, especially since Ostrich couldn’t withstand the continuous beatings.
This was training—they couldn’t actually kill anyone, even though their training had death quotas.
“Come on, use whatever means you have on Grandpa here!”
Qiang Zi shouted loudly. Though his face was camouflaged, his unyielding spirit was still visible.
“Calm down! Don’t let anger control your thinking!
Remember four words and think them over carefully: survival, evasion, resistance, escape!”
Ma Da loudly reminded Qiang Zi.
“Looks like you’re the commander.”
The Dud Squad carried no identifying marks on their mission, but Hui Lang had been guiding everyone since they woke up—anyone could see he held a high position.
Hui Lang looked up at One-Eyed Dragon: “We are soldiers, so you must treat us according to the《 Geneva Convention》!”
One-Eyed Dragon said with a half-smile: “《 Geneva Convention》?”
His tone was full of mockery.
“We are soldiers. The《 Geneva Convention》 stipulates that prisoners of war must receive appropriate treatment! No abuse! No killing!”
“Hahahaha!”
One-Eyed Dragon was amused by Hui Lang, as if what Hui Lang had just said was a joke.
“Are you here to be funny?
Geneva Convention yet? You’re soldiers but I’m not—we’re drug trafficking armed forces. Isn’t it a bit funny to bring up the《 Geneva Convention》 with us!”
At this point, One-Eyed Dragon seemed to remember something. He squatted down next to Hui Lang: “Since you’ve brought up the《 convention》, I’ll execute it right now.”
With that, One-Eyed Dragon stood up and walked toward Xia Lan.
“According to the《 convention》, if soldiers don’t wear their own uniforms but wear enemy uniforms or civilian clothes, how can they be handled?
Tell me!”
“……Spy……spy.” Hui Lang said painfully.
“Pa”
Xia Lan’s assistant was taken out.
This scene left the rookies stunned, the blood flowing from the “corpse” telling them this was real, not training.
Fear instantly crept onto their faces.
“Xiao Zhao!”
Xia Lan cried out, drawing One-Eyed Dragon’s gaze to her as well.
“Oh, almost forgot there’s a woman here. Nice.”
One-Eyed Dragon’s demeanor made it clear to any man what he meant.
“I’m really pissed off right now, brothers. Watch these people for me. I’m going to vent first.
Don’t worry, you can have your turn after I’m done.”
Two gunners dragged Xia Lan straight toward the command post. Xia Lan struggled and screamed, her hair disheveled.
The small wooden house where Chang Ning was had no monitor showing the outside situation. There’d been no movement since Gao Zhong Dui agreed to let him help, and several times he wanted to go out and check.
But thinking that going out might expose him, Chang Ning turned back from the entrance.
He paced back and forth several times, annoying Assassin and Vulture.
“Bring Chang Ning on stage. The process is like this…”
Gao Zhong Dui’s voice came through the earpiece as the head director, instructing Assassin to relay the lines to Chang Ning.
They were using a public channel, so Vulture could also hear what Chang Ning was about to do next.
If they followed Gao Zhong Dui’s plan, Chang Ning would face estrangement from the other Rookie A Team members for a while, whether now or after the truth came out.
They were instructors, so it didn’t matter, but Chang Ning was one of their own. Being tricked by his own comrade along with the instructors would surely leave him feeling uncomfortable.
Chang Ning had thought through the consequences when he offered to help, but he still chose to do it for free.
Chang Ning didn’t know his exact position with Gao Zhong Dui and the others now, but he definitely wouldn’t join the Lone Wolf Commando Unit—his role would overlap with others.
Besides, it was just a joke. Xiao Zhuang and the others wouldn’t fall out with him over something like this—Chang Ning was confident of that.
Worst case, he’d use a month’s allowance to treat everyone to a special meal at the military region’s guesthouse.
“Alright, stop pacing. It’s your turn. Your mission is…”
Assassin relayed Gao Zhong Dui’s instructions to Chang Ning.
After hearing Assassin’s retelling, Chang Ning’s expression was odd—he would be acting part of One-Eyed Dragon’s role.
“Got it memorized?”
After reciting, Assassin asked again to confirm if Chang Ning remembered his task.
“Got it.”
Memorizing lines was as simple as eating or drinking for Chang Ning.
After adjusting his expression and mood at the door, Chang Ning opened the wooden house door and walked out.
This was his first time acting, so he felt a bit nervous.
“It’s Chang Ning!”
Xiao Zhuang spotted Chang Ning coming out.
“You’re all here. Just surrender with me. Let me tell you, that…”
“Get lost!
I didn’t think you’d really betray us!”
Before seeing Chang Ning, Xiao Zhuang had clung to a sliver of hope, but now seeing him like this, his heart filled with anger.
It was the anger of misjudging someone and being deceived, mixed with a touch of feeling wronged.
He had truly treated Chang Ning as a brother—who would have expected this result.
“Chang Ning, get out of here. If I survive this, I never want to see you again!”
Lao Pao looked at Chang Ning with utter disappointment.
“Traitor!”
Ostrich’s eyes were swollen shut; he barely opened the slit to look at Chang Ning.
Everyone looked at Chang Ning with eyes full of disappointment. Even knowing it was acting, Chang Ning still felt deeply sad.
But the play had to go on.
“This is for your own good. That agent the drug trafficking armed forces use is really painful—it’s like being roasted over a fire.
Listen to me. A few million dollars each, and no one will know afterward.
As long as…”
At this point, Chang Ning paused, then looked toward Hui Lang, Earth Wolf, and the other veterans.
“Chang Ning, don’t!”
Geng Jihui knew what Chang Ning meant.
“Think about it—how well Hui Lang took care of you before. You really going to kill him?”
“Xiao Geng, we have to kill now.”
With that, Chang Ning drew his gun and fired several shots at Earth Wolf and the others.
All the veterans except Hui Lang were taken out.
Chang Ning turned his gun muzzle toward Hui Lang to shoot, but he was stopped by One-Eyed Dragon who rushed over.
“Stop! Who told you to shoot?”
“Boss couldn’t wait anymore. I have to show my loyalty!”
“I still need this guy—you can’t kill him!”
One-Eyed Dragon pointed at Hui Lang.
“No need to trouble yourself twice. Why don’t you let me interrogate him.”
One-Eyed Dragon handed the task of interrogating Hui Lang to Chang Ning.
“Fine.”
Chang Ning pretended to struggle for a bit before agreeing to One-Eyed Dragon’s request.
He couldn’t agree right away, or it would seem too fake and fool the other Rookie A Team members.
“Chang Ning, let go of Hui Lang—come at me!”
Xiao Zhuang shouted at Chang Ning across the fence, but Chang Ning ignored him, having two goons escort Hui Lang to a concrete platform.
Once the two goons secured Hui Lang’s hands, Chang Ning picked up the sledgehammer: “Hui Lang, they want to know who your direct superior is, and the information on the real person in charge of this mission.”
“Chang Ning, you know me—do you think I’ll talk?”
“Not necessarily. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”
Chang Ning casually walked between the rookies and Hui Lang, his body perfectly blocking the rookies’ line of sight.
“Chang Ning, make sure you aim right in a bit.”
Hui Lang was a bit uneasy. If Chang Ning missed, his career would be over—he wasn’t ready to retire yet.
“I’ll try.”
As soon as he spoke, Chang Ning slammed the sledgehammer down hard on the pre-prepared meat patty.
“Ah~”
Hui Lang’s scream was layered—first fear, then enduring immense pain.
The scream was utterly convincing and highly infectious; the rookies all believed Chang Ning had really struck Hui Lang.
They glared at Chang Ning one by one.
“Fuck!”
“You bastard, don’t let me get a chance!”
……
Curses erupted all at once, the content too filthy to repeat—it would corrupt children.
“Will you talk!”
Seeing Hui Lang wouldn’t talk, Chang Ning followed the script and smashed the meat patty on the platform several more times with loud bangs.
The rookies had never experienced anything like this—a comrade sacrificing right in front of them, Hui Lang’s hands being brutally smashed while they were powerless.
Frustration filled everyone’s hearts, but now they were all prisoners, able only to wait for the right timing.
“Hui Lang’s hands are ruined. It’ll be our turn soon.”
The medic said dejectedly. He saw no hope of escaping to counterattack anyway.
“Brothers, just surrender.”
Chang Ning dropped the sledgehammer and earnestly persuaded everyone.
“Right now I really want to stab you to death!”
Xiao Zhuang said through gritted teeth, eyes red.
“Since he’s no use, just kill them all.”
One-Eyed Dragon grabbed an AKM and aimed at the rookies, about to shoot.
Geng Jihui was anxious like an ant on a hot pan—he didn’t want to die here with his comrades.
Even if dying, it should be charging forward, not this frustrated powerlessness.
As One-Eyed Dragon raised his gun, Geng Jihui stared him down hard, determined to remember his face.
“Wait, I’m willing to talk.”
It was Xiao Zhuang who spoke.
One-Eyed Dragon lowered his gun. He had only raised it for show—naturally, Chang Ning would give him a way out later if no one surrendered.
If you have extra monthly tickets, please cast one.
