Evan Lin spoke with a cold indifference. Just two sentences, and the whole training camp felt the tension ratchet up again.
The faces of the nearby soldiers shifted. Frank Xu, who’d reached out his hand, looked a bit dissatisfied. "I can apologize for how we acted toward you just now."
Give me one good reason to accept your apology.
Evan stood there, sizing up Frank Xu from head to toe. "With your so-called mid-stage internal strength, your fighting power in my eyes is no different from an ant's!"
Frank Xu’s face changed dramatically at Evan’s words.
That mid-stage internal strength had already earned Frank Xu a lot of respect in the company—even Deputy Commander Su favored him.
Frank Xu had never been treated like this before. "Just mid-stage internal strength? You talk pretty big! Guess I’ll have to see for myself!"
No sooner had Frank spoken than he took up a Wing Chun stance, eyes locked on Evan, face serious. "I’ll admit you’re strong, but when it comes to technique, I want to see what you’ve got!"
Please!
As Frank finished, the other four soldiers stepped aside, clearing out a space and turning their eyes to the showdown.
Frank Xu was their squad leader, and his strength was well known. Maybe he couldn’t outmuscle this so-called instructor, but when it came to a real fight, the other four still had faith in Frank.
Evan Lin’s eyes flashed. Hands behind his back, he stepped out, using himself as the center to draw a circle, then stood right inside it.
Frank Xu and the others stared, dumbfounded by Evan’s move.
“Beating you is no challenge. I’ll give you five minutes. If you can touch even a corner of my shirt or push me out of this circle, you win.”
Evan shook his head slightly.
He had zero interest in crushing a so-called mid-stage internal strength ‘expert’ just for fun.
One-move knockouts were even lazier—Evan couldn’t be bothered.
Why smash him with a single punch, when you could let him stew in fear? Slow knives cut deeper than quick ones.
You’re way too arrogant!
Frank Xu’s eyes went wide, and without another second of hesitation, he lunged in fast.
He shot forward like a fish in water—one blink and he was right in front of Evan!
Ha!
Frank Xu shouted, his fists a blur as they crisscrossed and struck at Evan.
Every punch carried a gust of force. The other four couldn’t help cheering Frank on from the sidelines.
Evan stood firm, hands behind his back, face cold as ice. Every time a punch came close, he’d shift just enough to dodge—evading every blow by a hair!
He can dodge even that?
The ones who’d been cheering for Frank started looking more and more grim.
Sweat beaded on Frank Xu’s forehead. He was sealing off every angle with his fists, but Evan kept slipping through the tiniest cracks!
This is just bullying!
Seeing Evan’s calm, effortless look, Frank grew desperate and suddenly swept at Evan’s legs.
But what looked like a sure, unstoppable sweep was dodged perfectly—again!
Five minutes later, Frank Xu was furious. He threw a punch at Evan’s face, only for Evan to raise a foot and kick him in the gut, sending him flying.
Squad leader!
The other four’s faces twisted in shock as they rushed over and helped Frank up off the ground.
Frank clutched his stomach, face ashen. When he looked up, that teenager was already standing in front of the Wing Chun wooden dummy.
"I’ve only ever heard about the Wing Chun wooden dummy. Today’s the first time I’ve actually seen one."
Evan stood in front of the dummy and yawned.
Frank and the others had no idea what he was up to.
A moment later, Evan suddenly threw a few casual punches—just a couple of simple moves, and the wooden dummy split apart!
Bang!
With a thunderous crash, the dummy cracked from the inside out. Wood chips flew everywhere, and when Frank looked closer, he saw the granite base that held the dummy in place had been shattered to dust!
Silence.
None of the five said a word.
Evan’s face was cold as he glanced over at them. His voice was flat: "I agreed to teach you a few things, not because Deputy Commander Su is so capable or important, but because I want you trash—if you ever go to war for the country—to kill a few more enemies and live a little longer."
Right now, you have no strength at all in my eyes. Don’t test my patience. If I say one, you don’t get to say two.
Did you hear me?
Evan’s voice was calm, betraying no emotion.
Frank and the others stood there, heads bowed, shaken to the core. "Heard!"
Only true strength could earn their respect. What Evan had just shown was enough to win it—even Frank, at this point, was full of awe, all his arrogance gone.
Evan swept his gaze over them. Back in the day, if anyone had acted like that toward him, the first slap and the final punch would’ve left them in the hospital, waiting to die.
Now, if you five want to stay and learn something from me, get out there and run a hundred laps around the track.
When Evan arrived, he’d already checked out the camp’s track—one lap was about a kilometer.
A hundred laps?
Frank and the others froze at his words.
That’s enough to run someone into the ground.
Any problem with that?
Evan’s eyes narrowed.
"Sir! No problem!"
They snapped to attention, shouted as one, and immediately lined up, heading out to the track and starting their run.
Once they’d left, Blade finally stepped up, a little worried. "A hundred laps—isn’t that a bit much? Sure, they’re Deputy Commander Su’s men and a bit tougher than average, but a hundred laps…"
Blade didn’t finish his sentence.
A hundred laps meant a hundred kilometers! Even special forces might not be able to pull that off.
Let’s see how many laps they can manage. Relax—if I’m here, they won’t die.
Evan shook his head. If you want strength beyond ordinary people, you need willpower beyond ordinary people. Be ruthless to your enemies—and even more ruthless to yourself. Only by constantly pushing past your limits can you unlock your true potential.
Blade nodded at Evan’s words, finally convinced, and didn’t say anything else.
To Blade, Evan was a walking mystery—and an unbeatable force. He wouldn’t dare interfere.
Meanwhile, in a two-story building elsewhere in the military district, a small meeting room was packed with people.
Everyone present was at least a major; even the lowest-ranked were battalion commanders. Eldest Brother Su sat at the table, looking grim.
Not far from him sat Sean Chen, and next to Sean stood Ray ‘Thunderhawk’ Lei—the very same guy Evan had publicly beaten.