Chapter One: I Am the Mad Dog, Part Four—You Are the Devil!

“Falcon returns to nest.”

The message was brief, but when Lei Tian Gang received it, An Jing nearly wept. It had been less than five days since Lei Dong set off with the Fourth Squad, yet those days felt as if centuries had passed.

During this interminable period, An Jing had not slept peacefully even once.

Worry, longing, and myriad tangled emotions gripped her heart, leaving it suspended in midair.

Now, at last, she could set her mind at ease...

The message came from the southernmost artificial island reef of the Republic. There, the Fourth Squad of the Wrath Dragon Battalion, alongside Shui Yao Xian, had safely escorted all the passengers of Flight 740. After seventy-two hours of nonstop full-speed sailing across three days and nights at sea, they disembarked from the research vessel Snow Dragon. They then boarded a waiting Y-20 large military transport plane, setting off for Hanjing.

During those seventy-two hours, Captain Wang Laiyu of the Snow Dragon and his crew, aside from necessary identity verifications, scarcely spoke a word to the over two hundred-strong squad. They simply offered their utmost enthusiasm and finest service, providing the team with the most attentive and meticulous care.

Yet, by merely observing the squad’s brisk stride, the radiance on their faces, and the light shining in their eyes, everyone understood the depth of their exhilaration.

They had already guessed who these people were. At the same time, they felt an indescribable curiosity and reverence toward the few special forces soldiers still bearing camouflage paint on their faces. The visible bloodstains, lingering scent of gunpowder, and the overwhelming murderous aura rising from them provoked silent speculation: what grueling battle had these soldiers endured, and against whom?

When they saw the apparent leader clutching a fallen comrade’s lifeless body tightly, refusing to let go no matter what, their gaze held not just sorrow but profound respect.

Yet, no one asked questions. Even without Captain Wang Laiyu’s order to keep silent, they all knew this would remain a secret forever. Perhaps only years later, when age had dulled the sharpness of this memory and the matter was no longer confidential, would they speak of it to their closest kin or record it in their memoirs.

For now, their most crucial duty was to swiftly and safely escort this band of survivors to their destination—the Republic’s southernmost island reef, transformed to house a two-kilometer-long airport runway.

What the Snow Dragon’s crew did not realize was that they were not the only ones puzzled. The passengers of Flight 740, fresh from boarding, also had no idea what had truly happened to them.

Hours earlier, while resting en route to a certain territory, they had inexplicably fallen into a collective sleep. Upon awakening several hours later, the large soldier who had been guarding them declared the crisis resolved. Soon after, they were led to an abandoned dock and boarded the massive scientific research ship.

No one knew how or why. Their memories stopped at the moment they fell asleep. Yet the tangled, trampled grass, the pervasive smoke, the thin layer of ice and snow clinging to their bodies, the suddenly vanished statue of the Radiant Emperor, and the special forces member quietly resting in Lei Dong’s arms all whispered that something extraordinary had occurred.

They tacitly refrained from questioning. Beyond the joy of survival and silent gratitude expressed through their eyes, they quietly boarded the ship, disembarked, boarded the plane. Even Elder Cao Jingren merely regarded Lei Dong, Shui Yao Xian, and their comrades thoughtfully, offering no words but a meaningful sigh.

Only Chen Weizhe, whose right forearm had been shattered by Lei Dong’s bullet, lay on the stretcher with tightly closed eyes and a mournful expression, silently refusing to speak. When it came time to board the plane, he struggled violently, refusing to get on the aircraft bound for Hanjing.

The young men carrying the stretcher swayed a little, nearly stumbling to the ground. Already aware that this man was one of the hijackers, they were full of resentment carrying him around. Now, with his sudden outburst, they lost patience:

“What the hell are you playing at?”

“Beat him senseless!”

Amid the raucous shouting, a large hand suddenly parted the crowd. A figure clad in camouflage strode toward Chen Weizhe, holding Huang Xiwen’s lifeless body in one arm and gripping Chen’s neck with the other. With a slight jerk, Chen’s body shot up several meters and was flung into the cabin, landing heavily on the floor, dazed and nearly unconscious.

Lei Dong!

Those already on the plane and those waiting in line were stunned by the scene.

Who was this man? Someone weighing over a hundred pounds, thrown single-handedly like a straw doll over ten meters high?

Wu Yun glanced at the stunned crowd and sneered, “You’re scared by this? You haven’t even seen what this guy’s capable of when he goes ‘crazy’!”

Before anyone could react, Lei Dong dashed into the cabin in two strides. The next moment, a beast-like, agonized scream erupted from inside the plane, piercing every ear.

Wu Yun’s expression shifted: What madness had the leader unleashed now? Before she could ponder further, Lang Tianyu and Bei Shiliang simultaneously exclaimed, “Damn, this brat!” as they hurried onto the plane.

Wu Yun sighed and had no choice but to help Song Jingang and Luo Haoran organize the passengers to board.

Once everyone was on board, the plane doors closed, and it began taxiing down the runway, the anxious Wu Yun hurried into the cabin within minutes.

Throughout that time, the screams inside had not ceased. As Wu Yun approached, Chen Weizhe’s voice was nearly hoarse, emitting short, dry cries of “Ah! Ah!” His body convulsed on the floor.

Lang Tianyu and Bei Shiliang each restrained Lei Dong, preventing him from striking again.

“I must warn you, our military’s policy is always to treat prisoners humanely! Your actions violate discipline!” Lang Tianyu declared solemnly.

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