Chapter Forty-Six: Warning, Intrusion!

“Doctor Jiang, to be honest, I’ve always believed in one thing: there’s no such thing as a free lunch. That’s why your willingness to give without expecting anything in return makes me feel a little uneasy,” Colonel Luo said with a strained smile.

“Haha, just now you told me not to think the military’s vision was too narrow, and now you hesitate to accept a formula? It's just a recipe, is it really that hard to take?” Jiang An replied, picking up the pen and paper on the table. His hand moved swiftly, and he wrote out the formula from memory right in front of Colonel Luo. Tearing the sheet, he held it between his fingers and handed it over.

Colonel Luo glanced at the formula, took it, and slipped it into his bag. Then he shook hands with Jiang An and said, “In that case, I won’t stand on ceremony. On behalf of the military, thank you for your generosity, Doctor Jiang.”

“It’s nothing at all. But I imagine you didn’t call me here just for this. I suspect I won’t have much free time in the coming days,” Jiang An said meaningfully.

“It’s refreshing to talk to someone so sharp. You’re right, we have several risky experiments that we avoided before, but now we need your skills to keep us safe,” Colonel Luo said, curiosity growing about this young doctor.

“No problem, I’m happy to help.”

“Then please, follow me!”

Colonel Luo led the way out of the room. Jiang An followed at a measured pace, thinking to himself, The more you take from me now, the less stingy you’ll be when it’s time to give.

During their conversation, the national experts had already started their work. The two men walked straight out of the living quarters and then exited the research base.

“Doctor Jiang, please get in the car. I’ll take you for a tour of the military camp!”

Colonel Luo beckoned Jiang An into the car, and this time, he didn’t use the blindfold to cover Jiang An’s eyes—a clear sign that Jiang An’s selfless gift had made an impact.

The drive was short. They headed to the rear of the research base, and soon the sounds of training—shouts and cheers—could be heard. In a short while, a sprawling military camp appeared before them. The car stopped outside, and they entered on foot.

The camp covered a vast area. Soldiers stood guard and marched in formation while teams trained and competed on the sand. Aside from the buildings, the most striking features were the giant objects hidden beneath tarps—likely large weapons. As they walked, soldiers saluted Colonel Luo, and eventually, the two men entered a spacious indoor training hall.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The moment they stepped in, the sound of gunfire rang out. Jiang An saw three people shooting in a glass-enclosed range, hitting the bullseye at twenty meters with every shot—every bullet found its mark.

On the other side, the hall resembled a martial arts school, stocked with every imaginable weapon and defensive gear. In one corner, a collection of fitness equipment gleamed with cold, metallic light.

Colonel Luo halted and clapped his hands crisply. The trainees gathered in the center, including the three shooters, who hurried out. One of them—a woman—spotted Jiang An and blurted out, “What are you doing here?”

Jiang An recognized her instantly—the pride of the unit, Wan’er.

She was dressed in a thin training outfit that accentuated her well-developed figure. Colonel Luo, seeing her, winced and said helplessly, “Wan’er, why are you here again?”

“Where else would I be? I’m a member of the Dragon Squad,” Wan’er replied, arms crossed and brimming with pride.

“Let’s be clear, you’re a reserve member,” Colonel Luo reminded her.

“A reserve member is still a member!” Wan’er retorted angrily.

How will this tomboy ever find a husband? Colonel Luo decided not to provoke her further. Clearing his throat, he addressed the group: “Everyone, the man standing beside me is the person I brought in for you…”

“Instructor!” a young man in the squad interrupted loudly, his eyes fixed on Jiang An with excitement. “What a coincidence! The novel I’m reading has the higher-ups hiring a badass young instructor for the special forces, and now, Colonel, you bring us one. He must be a real expert!”

The group collectively rolled their eyes. At the head of the squad, a lean man snapped, “Xudog! Shut up! Stop talking nonsense or I’ll put you in detention. Apologize to the Colonel!”

The lean man’s gaze was stern. Xudog had no choice but to comply, though his expression showed some resentment: “Alright, Colonel Luo, I was a bit rash. Please forgive me.”

“It’s fine, but don’t interrupt again—and no reading novels during training!” Colonel Luo could only offer mild criticism; what else could he do? These dozen or so men and women were the prized elite of the Eastern War Zone’s special forces, directly commanded by the general. Each was fierce and unruly, respecting only strength. To them, Colonel Luo, a staff officer, was hardly someone to revere.

“Let me continue. This is Jiang An, an exceptional doctor. You’ve all hit a bottleneck in the first level of the ancient body refinement technique. Forcing your way through could damage your vitality or even be fatal, and the matching medicinal bath hasn’t been developed yet. Doctor Jiang has a unique skill that acts as a safeguard against going astray in your practice. So, until the medicinal bath is ready, Doctor Jiang will work with you for a few days, observing your training and refining his acupuncture technique.”

His words made the group’s eyes light up. They asked eagerly, “So, we can continue practicing the body refinement technique?”

“In essence, yes.”

The group grew excited. To these special forces soldiers, obsessed with strength, the body refinement technique was a treasure. After more than a month of training, their physical abilities had improved dramatically, but the bottleneck forced them to stop. It was like a lustful man being told to leave just as he enters—left to stand aside, frustrated and yearning. The chance to resume training was cause for joy.

Colonel Luo then introduced Jiang An: “These are our finest special forces, the Dragon Squad. Twelve in all, each codenamed after the zodiac—from Rat to Pig. Except for Dragon, the strongest, who protects the general, the rest are here. That one is Wen Wan, whom you’ve met. I’m telling you all this because I want you to get along well with them for a while.”

Jiang An felt a flicker of doubt—Colonel Luo was revealing a lot, especially considering Jiang An was an outsider. The talk of integrating acupuncture seemed a bit exaggerated. Could it be... Jiang An suddenly realized Colonel Luo’s true motive.

So, it was all about the Clear Vitality Elixir...

“Now then, let’s…” Colonel Luo began, but was suddenly interrupted by a piercing alarm.

“Warning! Warning! Research base is under attack, under attack!”

“Warning! Warning! Research base is under attack, under attack!”

“What!” Colonel Luo’s face changed dramatically. Impossible! How could the research base be attacked? This was headquarters! Who triggered the alarm?

Beep beep beep!

At that moment, the black wristwatches worn by the Dragon Squad began beeping in unison. Rat’s eyes narrowed, and he glanced down, immediately issuing an order: “Directive from higher up! Dragon Squad, arm yourselves and proceed to the research base for support!”

“Yes!”

The squad members moved with grim determination, swiftly heading to the inner training room and donning their gear with practiced ease. Wen Wan, trailing behind, was so excited she nearly shouted—finally, something major! Time to show her abilities!

“Where’s my gun? Where’s my gun?” she kept asking.

The squad’s only other female member, Snake, frowned and said, “You’re not a full member yet, Wan’er. No squad equipment for you. Don’t cause trouble!”

Rat also scolded her, “Wan’er, this is a real operation. Don’t hold us back, or I’ll show you what being an older brother means!”

Wan’er was both angry and anxious, but could only stamp her foot in frustration.

Within a minute, the fully armed squad emerged, their demeanor transformed from relaxed to fierce and focused. They boarded the vehicle and sped toward the research base.

Colonel Luo and Jiang An had already set off. Originally, Colonel Luo hadn’t intended to bring Jiang An, but Jiang An insisted that he could provide medical aid if there were casualties. Reluctantly, Colonel Luo agreed, and they raced away in their vehicle.