Chapter 12: A Terrifying Past?

Song Ziyou stepped off the helicopter with a cigar dangling from his lips, wearing a beaming smile. He took the initiative to reach out his hand, "Mr. Qin Yuan, whenever you wish to visit Hong Kong, the Royal Casino's helicopter is at your beck and call. This specific chopper has been reserved just for you! Furthermore, should you encounter any trouble while in Hong Kong—provided it isn't drunk driving—I, Song of Taiwan, can resolve it for you perfectly."

Qin Yuan offered a calm smile and shook Song Ziyou’s hand. "Very well! I shall trouble you when I visit Hong Kong in the future. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, Mr. Qin." Song Ziyou smiled and climbed back into the helicopter.

Rumble.

The helicopter took off once more, quickly circling away and vanishing from sight.

A helicopter! That was a rare sight indeed.

The arrival of Qin Yuan caused an instant sensation at the gates of Southeast University.

"Hey, Doggy, what year is that student in? How can he have such a massive background? Does he really need to fly in by helicopter just to attend class?"

"Screw you and your 'Doggy'! My name is Wang Gou! It’s just that he has a wealthy father, obviously! Didn't you see that butler-looking guy? How could an ordinary rich kid have such a refined-looking servant?"

"Wow, Xiaomin, what year is this handsome guy in? Do you know? The way he opened the helicopter door was just too cool!"

"Not just that, the way he stepped off the plane was so suave too!"

...

Passing students were all filled with shock. Some young girls, experiencing their first stirrings of romance, were completely captivated the moment they saw Qin Yuan step off the aircraft.

It couldn't be helped! He took a helicopter to school! It was just too shocking and too imposing!

"Hi there, classmate, can I add you on WeChat?" A daring internet celebrity with a striking face and heavy makeup approached him.

Qin Yuan offered a regretful smile. "I'm sorry, I'm in a rush."

"Huh? He just rejected me, clean and simple?" The beautiful influencer froze, stunned. She had used this approach on many men and it had never failed, but to meet a dead end with Qin Yuan?

Qin Yuan walked up to Tang Xinyi and smiled calmly, "Hello, you must be the guide sent by Chief of Staff Fan to pick me up, right?"

"You are Qin Yuan?" Tang Xinyi felt a jolt of shock, her surprise evident! She had assumed this was just some wealthy young master coming to school, but she never expected him to be the very person she had been waiting for all morning.

And so, amidst the astonished gazes of everyone present, Qin Yuan climbed into the military jeep. Tang Xinyi slammed on the gas, and they vanished into the crowd, leaving the onlookers stunned and bewildered in the wind.

In the end, everyone reached a conclusion: not only was he a super-rich heir from a powerful family, but he clearly possessed an formidable military background! This student was simply too incredible!

Unfortunately, no matter how much effort everyone spent trying to find out which grade Qin Yuan was in, they couldn't uncover a thing. Their efforts were naturally in vain, as Qin Yuan’s records had been temporarily pulled by Tang Xinyi on behalf of the military. It was no wonder they couldn't find anything!

Speeding along, Tang Xinyi’s driving skills were on full display—fierce, aggressive, and even drifting through corners. The ride was quite an adrenaline rush for Qin Yuan. If not for the resilience he’d developed during his seven-day trip to Hong Kong, he would have been terrified!

*Tang Xinyi looks so quiet on the outside, but her driving is so wild! Still, her skills are quite impressive,* Qin Yuan mused. After a while, he relaxed completely. Perhaps the young lady was just venting her frustration over his late arrival by trying to scare him.

At the military district, in the Chief of Staff’s office, Lei Zhan sat with his legs crossed, looking relaxed and ready to mock Fan Tianlei.

"Chief of Staff, in my opinion, you were wise for a lifetime only to be foolish for a moment! You let 100,000 yuan just drift away into the water, feeding it to an ingrate!" Lei Zhan took a sip of Longjing tea, looking completely at ease. As the ace of the Langya Special Operations Brigade and an elite major, he certainly had the right to be arrogant.

Fan Tianlei smiled and glanced at Lei Zhan. "Thunder God, look at you, gloating... Can I say that in this life, I have no interest in money?"

"No interest in money? Haha..." Lei Zhan laughed. "Chief of Staff, do you think you're Jack Ma? 100,000 yuan is no small sum for us soldiers." As a soldier himself, Lei Zhan had never even saved 100,000 yuan in his own account. He spent freely and sent most of his money home, as there wasn't much to spend it on in the military anyway.

"So, Chief of Staff, if your heart aches, just cry. Men crying isn't a crime; why endure it so miserably?" Lei Zhan’s smile was undisguised.

"Heartache? Thunder God, you really underestimate me. In fact, for the past three years, I’ve had no interest in money or material life," Fan Tianlei said with a helpless smile, shaking his head. He stood up, took a sip of tea, and looked out the window. On the training ground outside, the special forces elites were training hard in the sunset. His heart remained calm, like a still pond.

"Three years ago?" Lei Zhan's heart stirred. Three years ago was the day Fan Tianlei’s son, Benben, was struck by a stray bullet. That period was a painful memory for Fan Tianlei; because of the mercenary known as "Scorpion," he had lost his wife and son, and his home was destroyed.

"I'm sorry, Chief of Staff. I... I didn't mean it." Lei Zhan finally dropped his smile. The atmosphere became awkward.

Fan Tianlei gave a magnanimous smile. "It’s not your fault, Thunder God. Wealth is like dirt to me. My greatest wish is to train as many cadres and special operations elites for the military as I can while I'm still alive. As for Qin Yuan? I believe he had his reasons. I trust him!"

Lei Zhan wanted to say more, but just then, a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in." Fan Tianlei looked toward the door, his expression returning to normal. In truth, he felt a great sense of regret over Qin Yuan, a man who had truly impressed him. It was a huge loss that he hadn't reported for duty, and not because of the money.

But just then—a youthful, beautiful, and spirited figure walked in, accompanied by a dashing Qin Yuan.

"Qin Yuan?" Fan Tianlei’s eyes widened in surprise!

Beside him, Lei Zhan was equally incredulous, looking as if he’d just swallowed a fly. "Qin Yuan didn't leave? How... how did he come back?" Lei Zhan was completely bewildered.

"Reporting to the Chief of Staff! New recruit Qin Yuan, reporting for duty!" Qin Yuan smiled and gave a standard military salute to Fan Tianlei.

At that moment, a crisp system notification finally chimed in his head:

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission and becoming a Langya new recruit! Two new system slots have been unlocked!"