With everyone watching, Ethan Xu and Evan Lin walked out together, found a quiet spot, and sat down.
Ethan Xu studied the young man before him, feeling a strange sense of familiarity—especially the sharp edge in Evan's brows, like he was seeing someone else.
He considered his words for a moment, then finally spoke: "Grant Yuan was a bit too impulsive just now. He’s always treated every soldier who came out of Tiger Special Forces like his own child. That’s why, when he saw Tiger Fang get hurt, he jumped into the ring."
"So, please don’t take it personally."
Ethan Xu chuckled, a bit worried that the young man might hold a grudge over what happened.
"No need to apologize, I get it." Evan Lin shook his head, completely unfazed.
Ethan Xu admired Evan’s calm demeanor, then asked, "Mind telling me your name?"
"Evan Lin."
"Lin?" Ethan Xu’s face froze for a moment, his eyes flashing with an odd emotion.
After a pause, he seemed a bit nervous as he continued, "Where are you from?"
"Seacrest Prefecture," Evan replied, his tone perfectly calm.
He noticed that Old Master Xu actually seemed relieved after hearing he was from Seacrest, like a weight had been lifted.
Evan found this pretty strange.
"Didn’t expect Seacrest to produce someone like you. It’s rare," Ethan Xu nodded, his face quickly returning to normal. Smiling, he said, "I called you out here for something else."
"Earlier, I wanted to invite you to join Tiger Special Forces as an instructor. But then I realized, someone like you probably wouldn’t enjoy the boring routine of army life. So, I thought—maybe there’s another role that suits you better."
At this point, Ethan Xu deliberately paused for effect.
He thought his dramatic pause would catch Evan’s interest, but Evan didn’t even ask what he was getting at. Xu’s plan fell flat, and he had to cough awkwardly.
"Here’s the deal: outside the military, there’s a special national apparatus. They handle the kind of problems regular troops can’t touch."
"Everyone who gets in is insanely strong, and the most important thing is—they’re willing to spill blood for the country. They’re the nation’s solid shield, protecting the land and the people! Anyone who joins earns supreme honor!"
Ethan Xu’s face was deadly serious, his tone ringing with conviction.
"So?"
Evan glanced at him.
Ethan Xu was thrown off by that one word. He opened his mouth, but Evan’s question made his mind go totally blank.
He’d honestly never met anyone as calm as Evan Lin.
"That’s why I want to invite you to join Nightstar. It’s independent from the regular army. Inside, you’ll meet powerful teammates, support each other, take on life-or-death missions, and push yourself to become even stronger!"
"Plus, once you join Nightstar, you get the same treatment as a major. At your age, if you rack up some achievements, making general isn’t out of reach!"
Ethan Xu finished, his eyes blazing as he looked at Evan.
"Above Nightstar is Moonshade, and above Moonshade is Hidden Dragon! If you make it to Hidden Dragon, you’re a general, no question. In Nightstar, there’s no red tape—promotion is all about what you achieve. Say you’re eighteen now; if you crush it in Nightstar, you might go straight to Hidden Dragon!"
You could be the youngest general in the country’s history! That would be the highest honor for you and your family!
The more Ethan Xu talked, the more fired up he got.
A teenage general—almost unheard of in peacetime. Watching Evan, Ethan Xu felt like he was witnessing the birth of a legend.
"Finished?" Evan looked at Ethan Xu.
Ethan Xu was stunned, then instinctively nodded.
"Then I’ll head out." Evan said, hands in his pockets, turning to leave.
Deep down, Evan genuinely wanted his country to be strong. If needed, he’d handle tough problems for the nation—no complaints.
But right now, Evan didn’t care much about status or rank. Joining would mean restrictions and checks from all sides—exactly what he wanted to avoid.
Most importantly, Evan didn’t want the state tangled up in his life. Too much trouble.
Seeing Evan just turn and leave, Ethan Xu was caught off guard and shouted, "Hey! Go home and think it over! You don’t have to answer right away! Kid, I believe in you! You really should consider it!"
Yelling after Evan’s retreating figure, Ethan Xu lost a lot of his usual dignified air. As Evan walked farther away, Xu could only shake his head again and again.
"Never met a kid this interesting before. Is he really that indifferent to fame and fortune?"
Ethan Xu sighed, muttering to himself, "Why do people named Lin always turn out to be monsters? Good thing he’s not from the Beijing Lin family—if they had another freak like this, it’d be way too scary."
Still, Evan managed to crush Grant Yuan at such a young age—and it didn’t even look like he was trying his hardest. Should I…
Xu weighed his options, his expression shifting. He considered having someone investigate Evan’s background, but quickly exhaled and gave up on the idea. "Better not. Don’t want to bring trouble on myself."
In Xu’s mind, any family capable of raising someone like Evan Lin must be a terrifying hidden force. Offending them wouldn’t end well for anyone.
At the exact moment Xu dropped the idea, Evan turned the corner—his fingertip flame quietly went out.
Evan’s face was calm as ever. He tilted his head, glancing up at the sky.
As long as Ethan Xu didn’t cross his bottom line, Evan wouldn’t take action.
No matter what, Evan absolutely didn’t want anyone disturbing Joy Zheng’s life.
"Nightstar, Moonshade, Hidden Dragon… Just how strong are the people in there?"
Evan murmured to himself, thinking that maybe the world on Earth was even bigger than he’d imagined.