Chapter 473: Setting a Precedent! Meeting That Girl Again!
Colonel! In today’s Federation system, one only needed to advance one rank further and he or she would be a major general, a general!
G.o.d knows how many soldiers had toiled until their hair turned white on this rank, and how many more could only get to the rank of colonel right before they retired.
Generals, especially if they had risen from the ranks of real military attaches, could only get to this rank in the Federation by the age of forty, even if it was a very outstanding soldier.
Qin Fen looked at the young colonel who was coming over. Judging by the aura radiating from his body, Qin Fen conferred him to be about the age of twenty-five. A faint smell of iron and blood was wafting from his body, meaning he was a true military attache; he had gone through the test of blood and fire on the battlefield. He hadn’t risen through the ranks through some military’s art and literature system; even a civilian who had sung two popular songs could casually rise to the ranks of a major general.
Looking at the entire Federation army, only a few people could become a colonel at such a young age.
An unfamiliar name that he had once heard through some soldier crossed Qin Fen’s mind. Zuo Lin! According to the rumors, Zuo Lin possesses a decent martial strength, but the most outstanding part about him is his intellectual talent, as well as his schemes.
Zuo Lin got to observe Qin Fen from up-close for the first time. Immediately, his evaluation of Qin Fen improved a bit. Not only does he have a strong and robust body, but more importantly, he is calm.
Zuo Lin, observing Qin Fen, nodded his head. Even when he encountered Koreans during the a.s.sessment interview who came to protest, he was so calm. This kind of mentality doesn’t match his age.
Similarly, Qin Fen was observing Zuo Lin. Fourteen-star level, level two true energy oscillations. Apart from extremely few heaven-defying monsters, with such martial strength at his young age, along with his outstanding commanding ability as well as his long military career, he really deserves to be a colonel and the regimental commander of the main force today.
Qin Fen, staring at Zuo Lin, nodded slightly and cast a few approving glances in light of his calculated evaluation.
However, Qin Fen’s approving glances only brought a lot of dissatisfaction in Zuo Lin’s heart immediately. It’s not admiration but approval!
Admiration and approval might seem the same but they were two different things. Peers could admire each other. A junior could admire his elders’ style. Similarly, a subordinate could admire his commanding officer’s style.
However, approval! This was always seen in the eyes of elders when they looked at juniors. Only when the superiors were looking at lower ranks could they have this expression.
A young lieutenant colonel, who had not been in the army for more than two years, dares to look at me with approval? The dissatisfaction in Zuo Lin’s heart continued to rise. Only I, Zuo Lin, can a.s.sume a higher position and look down at you, Qin Fen! Why are you, Qin Fen, looking at me, Zuo Lin, with that kind of gaze?
Zuo Lin’s disdainful cold snort broke the silence of the quiet promenade. He took not another glance at Qin Fen and made his way to the a.s.sessment room.
This wasn’t a thoughtless expression from a playboy but rather, Zuo Lin dared to express his dissatisfaction directly because he had absolute confidence in himself.
Qin Fen withdrew his attention from Zuo Lin and came to a s.p.a.cious room bearing the ‘wait’ word, under the guidance of the captain.
Rows after rows of wooden chairs were lying quietly inside. The hundreds of seats looked more like the seatings in the auditorium for elementary students to attend the general a.s.sembly.
A total of thirteen soldiers sat quietly in the s.p.a.cious room. Judging by their ranks, the lowest among them was the rank of colonel. There were also two generals.
Most of these people were in their forties. Only, one or two among them were in their thirties. And except from one woman, all others were male.
A faint b.l.o.o.d.y smell of blood and iron was lingering around them. They had a stronger military spirit than Qin Fen.
Everyone in the room was astounded when they saw Qin Fen walking into the room. Almost everyone’s gaze was locked on his military rank; everyone’s first reaction was of surprise and shock.
Lieutenant colonel! What are military heads thinking? For a planet as large as Saturn, even a lieutenant colonel can submit the application…
Very soon, everyone’s attention s.h.i.+fted to Qin Fen, which drew everyone’s repeated gasps or hisses of surprise.
A lieutenant colonel at this age? Immediately, a name flashed in everyone’s mind together: Qin Fen!
Immediately afterward, a series of data flashed quickly in everyone’s mind. Swept through the elite recruits of several continents almost alone like a super versatile ace soldier in the recruit tournament. Finished several special anti-terrorist missions in a row. Once entered the Sacred Martial Hall to cultivate martial dao and killed the martial G.o.d of State of Korea, Bae Seong-Joon, and new karate master of State of j.a.pan, Kyokus.h.i.+n Kouten on Hallasan just after exiting the Sacred Martial Hall.
Such extraordinary strength at his young age! Shock, dread, admiration, and approval were visible in the eyes of everyone. Two colonels even considered backing out.
In short two years, Qin Fen had already made a name for himself with his own hands. Everyone in the room knew that Qin Fen might be young but the number of people who had lost their lives in his hand was no less than theirs, he might even have killed more than anyone else present.
Qin Fen took a seat and sat down calmly, staring at the door leading to the promenade. There was a slight bit of doubt on his face. He could clearly hear the sound of footsteps that was quieter than ant’s, but he was unable to sense the strength of the person coming in!
Slowly, the door was pushed open by someone. A smile appeared on Qin Fen’s face as he saw the person standing by the entrance. He lightly raised his hand to the person standing by the door. Lin Ling, who he had not seen for a long while, was still just as beautiful and was still always wearing a calm and cold expression.
In the recruit tournament, Qin Fen had steamrolled through his opponents in all the events he had partaken like a speeding tank. The only compet.i.tion he lost was the sniper tournament and that was to the hands of Lin Ling.
Lin Ling’s appearance that day broke Qin Fen’s legend of dominating all the compet.i.tions.
The rank of captain stupified all the people sitting here even more so. Monster-like Qin Fen, a lieutenant colonel coming to sign up is already a mishap. How can a captain be here as well? This girl is beautiful and perfect, like a porcelain doll. She is more like a movie star than a soldier. But does that have anything to do with this?
Lin Ling raised her head slightly, looking at Qin Fen’s greeting gesture. Nevertheless, she still kept an absolute quiet expression. Not even half a bit of surprise could be found in her eyes. Maintaining the same expression and a steady gait, she walked to Qin Fen and sat beside him slowly.
As usual, Lin Ling didn’t speak a word after she sat down. She was like a fairy tale princess who couldn’t speak or show emotions because she was caught in witch magic.
If Lin Ling was lying on a bed of th.o.r.n.y gra.s.s and vines, she would be exactly like the sleeping beauty from the fairy tale.
Lin Ling didn’t speak, Qin Fen didn’t speak either. He wasn’t the kind of person who could take the initiative to find some topic to talk about.
The waiting room was still quiet as usual but everyone could feel that the atmosphere here had already changed a lot.
Some even began to observe the silent Qin Fen and Lin Ling, and their aurae. Both of them were very different from each other but they seemed to be showing an inexplicable sense of harmony when they sat together, giving everyone the impression that these two could go on sitting for one or two centuries without needing anything or having any problems.
The door was pushed open once more. This time it was a lieutenant general who walked into the room! The aura of a martial dao master immediately drew everyone’s attention, once more.
Martial dao master!? Qin Fen looked at the entrance calmly. If only the army has this much strength, then there’s no need to go to Saturn. If the experts sent by Elysium to Earth were only at the level of martial dao masters, I’m afraid the local influence, Inferno, competing with them would be a bit stronger. These people…
Qin Fen shook his head. Even if the other people, apart from Lin Ling beside him, who didn’t seem to have any martial strength but had amazing martial strength, attacked Qin Fen together, he could get rid of them with just a wave of his hand.
The door was pushed open continuously as three more lieutenant general walked into the room. Qin Fen furrowed his brow slightly. Although these people entered the room at different times, he could guess their connection by the calm att.i.tude between them.
Especially the last person to enter the room. He was a seventeen-star martial artist! Qin Fen rarely encountered them! An Eternal-star level! Obviously, the three lieutenant generals were based around this lieutenant general.
Eternal-Star!? Qin Fen clenched his fists lightly as a gaze filled with more suspicion landed on the Lin Ling beside him. I can even see through the strength of the lieutenant-general, who had entered the Eternal-Star level, the seventeen-star level. But why can’t I see through Lin Ling even a bit? Is Lin Ling stronger than these people?
Qin Fen shook his head, again and again, rejecting this notion. There are many geniuses in this world but no matter how good of a genius one is, I’m afraid no one is more of a genius than Xue Tian when it comes to martial arts talent. That’s almost impossible.
Lin Ling’s strength!? Qin Fen furrowed his brow slightly. Perhaps she is using some special method to hide her strength? The martial dao is as vast as the universe itself. Someone might have created this special method, there is nothing to surprise about it.
Afterward, several more people came in one after another. But none of the rest appeared to have the strength of the seventeen-star level. Qin Fen shook his head weakly. It seems that only the major influences competing with each other have really strong martial artists. It seems like only a few experts have joined the army!
Qin Fen began to understand why the military failed in the struggle for the t.i.tle of the divine beast many times. Only a few powerful martial artists joined the system. The real strong martial artists didn’t kill their way through other planets to compete with the divine beast. Rather, they unified with other similar people and formed their own forces.
And the remaining powerful martial artists would choose to join the Sacred Martial Hall! They would rather practice in the Sacred Martial Hall. Even if they were unable to take the t.i.tle of Asura with their strength of the seventeen-star level, even if they could only be ordinary Sacred Martial Hall martial artists, they would not join the army.
Qin Fen was almost certain that the six strongest military personnel on Earth were Du Hen and the five people he had recently met.
The door of the room wasn’t pushed open again for a long time. Meanwhile, Qin Fen rested his chin on his palm, wondering why Du Hen did not send his own son, Du Yu to fight for the control of Saturn’s army.
Qin Fen didn’t forget. On second thought, Du Yu might not be as strong as Du Hen but he should have the strength of the seventeen-star level, right? If he came here to compete, I’m afraid almost everyone would choose to withdraw from the compet.i.tion!
Du Hen’s son never appeared. Rather, the one to enter through the door was the guy who went to the interview, Zuo Lin. The moment he caught sight of Lin Ling, his eyes flickered with a bright gleam immediately.
Qin Fen could very well understand the cold intent in that gaze. That was the gaze of a strong creature in the wilderness when it had encountered its prey, that gaze was meant for the people around it, announcing to them that this prey belonged to it.
Zuo Lin ignored Qin Fen’s gaze that carried a warning. His eyes never left Lin Ling after he entered the room. Qin Fen even suspected that if he took a high-precision microscope and look at his pupils, he could find a swathe of words written on them…
Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine! Mine!…
Lin Ling looked at the front of the room, her eyes bearing no expression just like in the beginning, as if she could not feel Zuo Lin’s burning gaze with strong possessiveness. As if the entire world seemed to have nothing to do with her.
Then, the six five-star generals pushed open the door and took their seats at the podium.
Immediately after, a projection screen appeared in between the generals and the people waiting, displaying everyone’s a.s.sessment when they went to the generals.
The duration of everyone’s a.s.sessment interview was different. Be that as it may, the duration of everyone’s a.s.sessment was not long. These a.s.sessment videos were played, one by one.
Du Hen, with his mouth resting behind his crossed fingers, said slowly, “Everyone has already seen everyone’s interview. All of you may be qualified in the initial interview but the number of partic.i.p.ants is more than we had expected. So, we have an extra test now. And it’s that whoever believes that he is less qualified than the other interviewers can choose to eliminate themselves.”
Having finished speaking, Du Hen rested his back on the chair. Zuo Dongting leaned forward and said, “The partic.i.p.ants who choose to eliminate themselves have two choices. First, they can choose to leave after their withdrawal. As for the second choice, you can still go to Saturn if you want. But then, you can’t be the leader. You can choose a person you think is qualified and attach yourself to him. This way, your joining will grant bonus points to the person you attached yourself to.”
The black man raised his hand and looked at the military watch before speaking, “I will give you thirty minutes, your time starts now!”
Someone got up as soon as his voice fell. That was a lieutenant general in the martial dao master level. This man had a powerful and imposing build. With head bowed, he left his seat silently and walked forward, step by step, under everyone’s attention…
This man didn’t leave the room but walked to Zuo Lin’s side! He calmly halted his footsteps and raised his head, looking at the six five-star generals on the podium before stating, “I abstain from the position of the leader and take the second choice to become Colonel Zuo Lin’s helper.”
Many people in the room had seen many shocking and sensational scenes. Nonetheless, many people still gasped in surprise. To their surprise, a lieutenant general, who was a martial dao master, chose to become Zuo Lin’s a.s.sistant!
A general a.s.sisting a colonel! This had never happened in the history of the Federation Army! Even if this colonel was the regimental commander of the main force, theoretically, no lieutenant general would do this.
Today, this may have even set a precedent in the Federation Army.