"Deputy Commander Su, the chief is present now. Don't you think you owe me an explanation? I came to your father's birthday banquet out of goodwill. If you didn't want me there, fine, but then you let someone beat up one of my men. How do you plan to settle that?"
"That day, out of respect for your father's birthday, I didn't press you for answers. Now it's been days, and with the chief here, you should give me a clear explanation. After all, Ray 'Thunderhawk' Lei is one of the top fighters in our Flying Eagle Company. For him to be injured by your people is a serious loss for the country!"
Chen Yonghan sat there, tapping the table with one hand, his gaze fixed on Eldest Brother Su with an unfriendly expression.
Standing beside him, Ray 'Thunderhawk' Lei's arm hung limply, and he looked visibly drained.
"Old Chen, that's an interesting way to put it. That day, it was clearly your Ray 'Thunderhawk' Lei who went looking for a fight!" Eldest Brother Su snorted coldly, his face full of anger.
"If it hadn't been for that guy provoking him first, Ray wouldn't have made a move!" Chen Yonghan shot back, glaring angrily at Eldest Brother Su.
Many of the people nearby watched this scene, most of them adopting a 'none of my business' attitude.
The Su family has had too many troubles lately, and rumor has it they've even received a war post from the Southriver Sword Sect. Right now, they're barely keeping themselves afloat.
Word of what happened at Victor Su's birthday banquet has reached the military, but most people aren't too concerned about the so-called master who showed up. No matter how powerful he is, he can't possibly be a match for the Southriver Sword Sect.
Of course, if that master were Master Baiyun, maybe someone would be willing to help the Su family. Everyone knows how truly formidable Master Baiyun is, but unfortunately, he's been missing for ages and hasn't left a trace.
"Ahem, could this whole thing be some kind of misunderstanding?"
On the other side sat a man with a perpetual, friendly smile.
His name was Major Hugh Hu, a battalion commander in his early forties. Although he was only at the battalion level now, his father had once fought alongside Victor Su as a national hero, so his status in the military was very high.
Not only that, Hugh Hu was still young, just over forty, with a long career ahead of him. Plus, the Grant family patriarch had once served under his father, and now the Grants are an affiliated family of the Southriver Sword Sect. If you lay out all these connections, it's clear how influential the Hu family is.
"Misunderstanding? Old Hu, you've seen Ray 'Thunderhawk' Lei behind me, right? He used to be one of the sharpest soldiers around. When we went up against the Knife-Edge Company, he was worth three of their men! But look at him now—ever since that day, he's been in and out of the hospital, still not feeling well, and his strength has dropped off a cliff! If you ask me, it's just because Old Su saw me beat his unit and win the SA341 Little Gazelle military helicopter he wanted most, so now he's holding a grudge!"
Chen Yonghan slapped the table. "If you've got a problem with me, just come at me directly! Beating up my men and weakening my Flying Eagle Company is one thing, but injuring a soldier is injuring national strength! I demand an explanation!"
"Or is this all part of your scheme? You hurt my men on purpose so when the next exercise or individual combat test comes around, you can pull the rug out from under me?"
Chen Yonghan spoke with absolute certainty.
Eldest Brother Su's face turned ugly; he was practically itching to curse out loud.
Major Hugh Hu hesitated, then managed only a bitter smile, glancing apologetically at Eldest Brother Su.
The Chen family's arrogance isn't baseless. Sitting at the head of the table was an elder with the rank of major general—powerfully built, still energetic in his sixties. This was none other than Major General Gavin Yue, division commander of the Jinnan Military District.
Chen Yonghan's father had been a squad leader under Gavin Yue, once taking a bullet for him and dying heroically. With that kind of connection, plus Chen Yonghan's own strength and the fierce soldiers he trained, it's no wonder he thrived in the district.
After slapping the table, Chen Yonghan fell silent, staring at Eldest Brother Su. Eldest Brother Su snorted coldly, about to speak.
Gavin Yue took a sip of tea and tapped his ceramic cup on the table. The crisp sound made everyone instantly quiet and turn to look at him.
"Alright, alright, I know all about this. Since it happened, we need a solution, right? We're all soldiers, all warriors—on the battlefield, we'll be helping each other out of the trenches, risking our lives together. If there's a conflict, solve it and move on. No need for so much heat." Gavin Yue spoke in a slow, commanding tone that brooked no argument.
Then he looked at Eldest Brother Su. "Little Su, I fought in the same era as your father. Back then, your dad carried a comrade's body a hundred li to bring him home—a story I've always admired. How's Old Su's health these days?"
"My father's in great health, and he often thinks of you," Eldest Brother Su nodded, showing genuine respect to Gavin Yue.
"That's good. In the end, both you and Xiao Chen share some blame here. But looking at things now, your side hasn't lost anything, while Xiao Chen's side is down a fighter. You can't deny that, can you?"
Gavin Yue looked at Eldest Brother Su, who begrudgingly nodded. Then Gavin Yue turned to Chen Yonghan. "So, tell me—how do you want to resolve this?"
"My solution is simple." Chen Yonghan cleared his throat and continued, "Right now, my Flying Eagle Company is short a top fighter, and with the next team exercise and individual combat competition coming up, this puts us at a disadvantage."
"So I'm requesting that higher-ups assign me a new soldier. Isn't Wade 'Tiger Fang' Wei from the Tiger Special Forces about to rotate out? Perfect—no need for a special selection, I've already got my eye on him!"
"With his 'Tiger Fang' reputation, he'd be the ideal replacement for my Ray 'Thunderhawk' Lei in Flying Eagle Company! If you agree, this whole thing is settled, and I promise not to pursue that kid for beating up my nephew."
Chen Yonghan pretended to be magnanimous, waving his hand as he spoke.
But as soon as he said this, quite a few faces in the room changed.
"So that's what you were after all along!"
"Hey, Chen Yonghan, have you been eyeing Wade 'Tiger Fang' Wei for a while now?"
"You've got quite the appetite!"
A lot of people nearby looked disgruntled.
Anyone rotating out of the Tiger Special Forces is a rare talent!
Trading one injured Ray 'Thunderhawk' Lei for a Tiger Fang is a win-win deal!