Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

Chapter 74 Aftermath

Communications room of the "Qianlong" base, Jinghua Military Region.

Long Qing stood in front of the encrypted communication device, the screen displaying Long Shou's serious face. She gave a detailed report of everything that had happened that night—from the hotel conflict to the standoff in the teahouse, from the police carrying guns to Lin Zhe's handling of the situation.

"...That's what happened." After saying this, Long Qing straightened up. "Chief Long, this matter started because of me, and I am willing to accept any punishment."

On the other end of the screen, the leader was silent for a few seconds, then slowly shook his head: "No, you did the right thing. Protecting one's own safety in the face of illegal infringement is a basic right of soldiers. And you handled it very well—restrained, reasonable, and without escalating the situation."

He paused for a moment: "I also agree with Lin Zhe's approach. In situations like this, the solution should be through proper channels, rather than abusing the privileges of 'Hidden Dragon.' This shows that you've remembered your identity—although we are a special forces unit, we are first and foremost soldiers of the Dragon Nation, and we must abide by the law and respect the rules."

Long Qing breathed a sigh of relief: "Thank you, Chief Long."

"However," Long Shou changed the subject, "this matter won't end here. There may be more people involved behind Wang Shaofeng's father, as well as those police officers and military officers who were taken away. You should be prepared for further investigations."

"clear."

At the same time, in a high-end residential community in Jinghua City.

Wang Tao sat in his study, his face grim. The clock on the wall pointed to three in the morning, but he was wide awake. His son, Wang Shaofeng, had been out of contact for three hours. He had made countless phone calls and tried every possible connection, but all to no avail.

This is not normal.

He is a member of the Standing Committee of the Jinghua Municipal Party Committee, a vice-ministerial level official, and has cultivated deep connections in the local area for many years. Under normal circumstances, even if his son had really committed a crime, someone should have given him a heads-up, or at least told him where he was.

But this time, nothing happened. It was like punching cotton; not even a sound was heard.

The study door opened, and his wife, Dong Li, walked in with red eyes: "Old Wang, still no news?"

"No." Wang Tao rubbed his throbbing temples. "I asked several senior leaders, and they all said they didn't know. I asked the Municipal Public Security Bureau, but they didn't know the details either."

"How could this happen..." Dong Li's voice trembled. "Who did Shao Feng offend..."

Wang Tao didn't speak, but he already knew the answer in his heart—someone who could silence so many people was definitely not an ordinary person. This time, his son had probably kicked a hornet's nest, and a red-hot one at that.

Just then, the doorbell rang.

Who will come at three in the morning?

Wang Tao's heart tightened, and he gestured for his wife to open the door. Dong Li walked to the door and looked through the peephole. There were four people standing outside, dressed in casual clothes, but with a cold and aloof demeanor.

"Who is it?" she asked.

"We're from the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection. We need to speak with Comrade Wang Tao to get some information." The person outside the door showed his identification.

Dong Li's legs went weak, and she almost collapsed. Trembling, she opened the door, and four people walked in. The one in the lead was a middle-aged man around fifty years old, with a serious face.

"Comrade Wang Tao," the middle-aged man greeted him, "We need your cooperation in some investigations. Please come with us."

Wang Tao stood up. Since they both worked at the municipal party committee, there was no need for formalities. He took a deep breath and asked, "Secretary Zhang, may I ask what's the matter?"

"You'll see when we get there," Secretary Zhang said firmly. "Please come in."

There was no arrest warrant, no search warrant, but Wang Tao knew he had to leave. The deputy secretary of the municipal discipline inspection commission personally came to his door at three in the morning, which said it all—the matter was so serious that normal procedures were unnecessary.

"Old Zhang," Wang Tao tried one last time, "we've known each other for a long time, can you give me a hint, what's going on...?"

"Comrade Wang Tao," Secretary Zhang interrupted him, "please cooperate with the organization's investigation. We'll talk when we get there."

Wang Tao fell silent. He looked at the three unfamiliar faces behind Secretary Zhang, their eyes cold. He knew that if he left today, he probably wouldn't be coming back.

Before leaving, he glanced back at his wife and whispered, "Call Dad."

Dong Li was stunned for a moment, then realized that her father, Dong Ming, worked in the Central Military Commission and might be able to help.

Watching her husband being taken away, Dong Li slumped onto the sofa and dialed her father's number with trembling hands.

Jinghua, the military family compound.

Dong Ming had just gotten up and was practicing Tai Chi in the yard. Hearing the phone ring, he frowned—who could be calling so early?

When he answered the phone and heard his daughter's tearful voice, his expression gradually turned serious.

"Dad, Wang Tao has been taken away by the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection! Shao Feng has also been arrested! You have to think of something!"

Dong Ming was silent for a few seconds: "What happened?"

"Shaofeng got into some trouble outside, he might have offended someone... Now even Wang Tao is involved! Dad, you have to help them!"

"Who did you offend?" Dong Ming asked in a deep voice. "Explain clearly."

Dong Li recounted what she knew—her son had harassed a woman at a hotel, resulting in him being beaten up. He then called the police and military discipline inspection commissioners to arrest the woman, but they ended up being dealt with by her instead.

"Who are that woman... and those people?" Dong Ming asked.

"I don't know... but Shaofeng said that group of people seemed to be soldiers, and they were very good at fighting..."

A soldier? Dong Ming's heart tightened. If it were an ordinary soldier, the Municipal Commission for Discipline Inspection wouldn't have mobilized so much. For Wang Tao, a vice-ministerial level official, to be taken away directly, without even following normal procedures…

He had a bad feeling.

"Dad, say something!" Dong Li cried out on the other end of the phone. "Wang Tao is your son-in-law! Shaofeng is your grandson!"

"I understand," Dong Ming said calmly. "Don't worry, let me find out what's going on."

After hanging up the phone, Dong Ming stood in the courtyard, motionless for a long time. A cool breeze blew by in the early morning.

He returned to his study, picked up the phone, and dialed a number.

"Hey, Lao Zhang, this is Dong Ming." After the call connected, he got straight to the point, "I'd like to know about what happened at the teahouse in the western suburbs of Jinghua last night."

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the phone, then Zhang Dajiang's voice came through: "Old Dong, you know?"

"My son-in-law and grandson have both been arrested, how could I not know?" Dong Ming said with a wry smile. "Old Zhang, give me the inside scoop, what exactly happened?"

Zhang Dajiang sighed: "Old Dong, you'd better not get involved in this. Your grandson has messed with the wrong person this time."

"Who is it?"

"Hidden Dragon".

The two words struck Dong Ming's heart like two heavy hammers.

The Hidden Dragon... that legendary unit, the nation's most mysterious and powerful blade. Every member is a top-tier soldier, handpicked from among thousands, reporting directly to the highest levels of command. Even a general, let alone a vice-ministerial level official like Wang Tao, wouldn't have the authority to interfere in the affairs of the Hidden Dragon.

"The woman your grandson was harassing was a member of the 'Hidden Dragon' team," Zhang Dajiang continued. "There were seven of them that night, all members of 'Hidden Dragon.' Just think about it, seven 'Hidden Dragon' members, with police pointing guns at them, and threatened with arrest by the military discipline inspection commission... At best, this is an abuse of power; at worst, it's a threat to national security."

Dong Ming's hands began to tremble.

"Wang Tao used his connections to get the police and military discipline inspection personnel to arrest members of the 'Hidden Dragon' team. This has crossed the line." Zhang Dajiang's voice was heavy. "Old Dong, I know you're in a difficult position, but this matter... you really can't handle it. Not only can you not handle it, but you might also be implicated."

"I..." Dong Ming opened his mouth, but could not say a word.

"Before things escalate, you should take the initiative to go to your superiors and explain the situation to gain the upper hand," Zhang Dajiang suggested. "As for Wang Tao and your grandson... let them face legal judgment. They deserve it."

The phone hangs up.

Dong Ming sat in the chair, looking as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

He knew Zhang Dajiang was right. He couldn't and shouldn't interfere with this matter. "Hidden Dragon" was the country's bottom line; anyone who dared to cross it would pay the price.

He picked up the phone and dialed the office of the Central Military Commission leader.

"Commander, this is Dong Ming. There's something I need to report to the organization..."

Three days later, the Jinghua City government released a brief statement:

"An investigation has revealed that Wang Tao, a member of the Standing Committee of the Jinghua Municipal Party Committee, is suspected of serious violations of discipline and law and is currently under investigation. His son, surnamed Wang, has been arrested on suspicion of provoking trouble and threatening the safety of active-duty military personnel. Further investigations are underway into other related individuals."

The announcement was short, but it contained a lot of information.

Rumors circulated that Wang Tao not only abused his power to protect his son, but was also suspected of other violations of discipline and law. All the police officers and military personnel involved were punished—some were dismissed, some were expelled, and those with serious offenses were transferred to judicial authorities.

All of this stemmed from a minor conflict in the hotel.

But this small conflict exposed some deeper problems—some people abused their power and did whatever they wanted; others forgot their identity and responsibilities and became lackeys of the powerful.

The existence of "Hidden Dragon" is like a mirror that reveals all the demons and monsters.

Special operations training ground of Jinghua Military Region.

After a three-day holiday, all sixty trainees returned to their unit. They stood on the training field, their posture upright and their eyes resolute.

Lin Zhe stood at the front of the line, looking at these young people.

"After three days of rest, it's time to get back into the swing of things." His voice echoed across the training field. "Next up is the second phase of training—it'll be harder, tougher, and more dangerous than the first."

He paused for a moment: "The first phase focuses on the basics. The second phase focuses on real combat. You will learn real battlefield skills—infiltration and stealth, demolition and bomb disposal, hostage rescue, decapitation strikes…"

The students' eyes lit up. This was what they truly wanted to learn.

"But I must remind you," Lin Zhe's voice turned serious, "that live-fire training is dangerous and carries the risk of injury or death. Although we will take precautions, accidents can happen at any time. Now, does anyone want to withdraw?"

Nobody moved.

"Okay." Lin Zhe nodded. "Since you've chosen to stay, you must be prepared to fight to the death. I don't need you to become superheroes, but I need you to become warriors who can survive and fight in any environment."

He turned and pointed to a newly built area behind the training ground: "That's the simulated combat training ground. It has various scenarios such as urban warfare, jungle warfare, and mountain warfare. From today onwards, you will spend most of your time there."

"Furthermore, starting today, you will be handling real weapons and equipment—not training simulators, but live ammunition. You will learn to use various weapons in different environments, and to shoot accurately and with force."

"Finally," Lin Zhe looked at them, "you must remember—what you will face in the future are real enemies, a life-or-death struggle. Be ruthless, steady-handed, but clear-headed. We are soldiers, not butchers. We will never hesitate to kill when it is necessary, and we must uphold our bottom line when it is not."

"Do you understand?"

"Understood!" the sixty men roared in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

Lin Zhe nodded: "Now, let's begin training!"

A new training session has begun.

On the obstacle course, the trainees, fully equipped, traversed mud, barbed wire, and high walls.

At the shooting range, gunshots rang out, and the bullet holes on the target paper became increasingly dense.

In the fighting arena, fists and feet collide, and sweat flies everywhere.

In the simulated combat training ground, smoke filled the air, and gunshots, explosions, and shouts rose and fell.

Lin Zhe stood on high ground, watching all of this.

He knew that these young people were undergoing a transformative change. Three months later, most of them would become the new generation of special forces elites in the Dragon Kingdom.

While not as good as "Hidden Dragon," it is much stronger than ordinary special forces.

And this is exactly the result he wanted—to cultivate more weapons for the country, making it safer and stronger.