bookpub Chapter 94 Shock, Chaos in the West District
Chapter 94 Shock, Chaos in the West District
Chapter 94 Shock, Chaos in the West District
When Shuangjiang fought Pang Lie, she once blocked the latter's combined attack of two excellent skills, Rift Kick and Spiral Force, with one hand without taking any damage.
Lin Ze does not possess the talent of being as immovable as a mountain, and his defensive power is far inferior to that of Shuang Jiang.
However, Tam King Hin's attacks were far inferior to Pang Lie's.
With a body made of steel, blocking this attack is not difficult.
Just as Tan Jingxuan was horrified, Lin Ze suddenly swung his sword.
Sword draw and slash!
Tan Jingxuan's expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly retreated to dodge, but he was still a step too slow. His combat suit tore open with a ripping sound, revealing a bloody wound.
If it weren't for his steel-like body's formidable defense, this sword strike would have been enough to disembowel him.
Having finally regained his footing, Tan Jingxuan looked at Lin Ze with eyes full of shock.
Jiang Mu was also covered in sweat. Looking at the Blood-Eyed Wolf King lying on the ground, struggling to get up, his eyes were filled with horror and disbelief.
That's enough.
Han Zhan suddenly spoke, giving Lin Ze a deep look.
"This exchange ends here."
"Lin Ze wins."
Lin Ze has already shown enough strength; Jiang Mu and Tan Jingxuan are clearly no match for him, so there's no need to continue sparring.
The outcome is decided.
The martial arts arena was deathly silent.
Everyone was still reeling from the shocking scene they had just witnessed.
Fan Zhenyue and Xue Dai exchanged a glance, both seeing shock in each other's eyes.
The strength Lin Ze displayed had completely exceeded their expectations.
This strength has probably reached level 6!
Jiang Mu's expression shifted repeatedly before finally turning ashen.
He lost.
And the defeat was so complete.
Even with Tam King Hins joining forces, they were still completely outmatched by Lin Ze.
This disparity prevented him from even feeling resentful.
How could someone who was just a warrant officer in a district detachment not long ago have such formidable strength?
Tan Jingxuan clutched the wound on his chest, his gaze towards Lin Ze filled with complex emotions.
Zhou Wenbin and the others were stunned, their faces a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Lin Ze actually won.
Are they dreaming?
Even Tang Wangshu, who knew Lin Ze relatively well, covered her mouth, her eyes filled with shock.
Tao Leshan and the others were stunned and speechless.
Lin Ze not only won, but also easily defeated two opponents.
This gave them the illusion that their worldview had been shattered.
"Lin Ze, have you already advanced to level 5?" Han Zhan suddenly asked.
Lin Ze nodded in agreement: "That's right."
Fan Zhenyue and Xue Dai suddenly realized.
No wonder.
Lin Ze was able to kill enemies of higher levels when he was level 4, and now that he has advanced to level 5, it is reasonable to say that his strength is comparable to that of a level 6 person.
Jiang Mu and Tan Jingxuan deserved their defeat.
Even so, their shock only increased.
There are only a handful of 19-year-olds at level 5 since the branch was established.
It's unprecedented for someone like Lin Ze to have level 6 strength right after his initial promotion.
I reckon you can only see such a genius at the branch level.
Lin Ze's eyes flickered slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.
In order to quickly accumulate contribution points so that he can exchange them for the Visual Anchoring Talent Card, he is determined to secure the position of Special Operations Team Captain.
Therefore, we are willing to show more strength.
Fortunately, this is a branch, not a district or detachment.
A level 5 at 19 is impressive in the district, but relatively inconspicuous in the elite-filled branch.
After all, there are quite a few Level 5 players in their early 20s here.
However, his record of defeating enemies of higher ranks made him stand out.
Han Zhan stared intently at Lin Ze, a hint of surprise in his heart.
The branch hasn't produced such a promising talent in a long time.
He exhaled softly and spoke slowly.
"I hereby announce that Lin Ze is promoted to lieutenant and will serve as the captain of the Special Operations Team, effective immediately."
"Does anyone else have any objections?"
A silence.
No one speaks.
Lin Ze's strength is evident to all, and he is well-deserving of the title of captain.
Even Tao Leshan and others couldn't voice their objections.
Even recalling their previous posture and words, their faces flushed slightly.
Today was truly embarrassing.
After recovering from their shock, Zhou Wenbin and the others congratulated Lin Ze.
Congratulations, Captain!
"Captain is awesome!"
"That's amazing, Captain!"
The amazement and admiration of the crowd were palpable.
They were overjoyed that Lin Ze had outshone Jiang Mu and the others.
These people always acted so arrogantly, but now that they've lost to Lin Ze, let's see if they dare to put on their so-called elite attitude again.
Tan Jingxuan then walked over and nodded slightly to Lin Ze.
"You're amazing, I admit defeat wholeheartedly."
He always thought highly of himself, and he was even unconvinced by Jiang Mu.
Having just experienced the battle, no matter how arrogant he was, he had to admit that Lin Ze was much stronger than him.
In the legion, the strong are respected, and he now genuinely admires Lin Ze.
Lin Ze nodded: "Thank you for your kind offer."
Tam King-hin said no more and turned to step aside.
Lin Ze looked at Jiang Mu, Tao Leshan, and the others.
Meeting his gaze, Jiang Mu gritted his teeth and lowered his head. Tao Leshan and the others' eyes flickered, not daring to meet his gaze.
However, many people also gave him fawning smiles, completely losing their previous arrogance and indifference.
This is also why Lin Ze wanted to take on two opponents at once.
Even if you've decided to show your strength, go all out. That way you can better intimidate these elites and make them submit.
Otherwise, even if I become the captain in the future, I will still have to deal with many underhanded tactics from below.
Han Zhan watched this scene unfold, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
The special operations team, like a sharp blade, needs a captain with strong skills and high prestige to play a greater role.
Having Lin Zelai as captain was much better than he had initially expected.
"Now that the captain has been confirmed, you should begin your mission."
Han Zhan spoke in a deep voice, drawing everyone's attention.
"Considering that the team is newly formed and this is the first time you've met, we'll start with some low-difficulty tasks to get you used to each other. After that, the command will assign orders."
"Everyone else can leave now. Lin Ze, come with me for a moment."
Han Zhan turned and walked outside.
Under the varied gazes of the crowd, Lin Ze followed Han Zhan, along with advisors Fan Zhenyue and Xue Dai, out of the martial arts arena and into an office in the administration building.
The office is quite spacious, decorated mainly in a calm, dark color scheme. Behind the large desk is a wall of bookshelves, neatly filled with various documents and books.
On the side by the window, there is a comfortable sofa and a simple coffee table, which serves as a reception area.
Han Zhan sat down on the sofa and gestured for Lin Ze to sit on the single sofa opposite him.
Fan Zhenyue and Xue Dai sat on the sofas on the left and right sides respectively.
After his assistant served tea, left the office, and closed the door, Han Zhan got down to business.
"The next period of adjustment for the special operations team depends on your leadership. This team brings together all the young elites from the branch and the district. The branch has high hopes for you, so you must lead the team well and not let them down."
"Yes, Consultant Han, I will do my best."
Lin Ze nodded calmly, showing no arrogance or excitement despite having just won the captaincy.
A barely perceptible hint of approval flashed in Han Zhan's eyes.
He had seen many geniuses, but few were like Lin Ze, who possessed astonishing strength at such a young age yet remained calm and grounded in the face of both honor and disgrace.
Such people are often more determined and can go further.
"As the captain, you have the right to know in advance about the special operations team's main tasks going forward." Han Zhan said, then changed the subject, "How much do you know about the current situation in the Western District?"
"After reporting to the branch, I have already checked all the guild information on the internal website, including the freelancer groups in the West District."
Han Zhan nodded slightly, appreciating Lin Ze's constant vigilance and proactive approach to information gathering even more.
He glanced at Fan Zhenyue: "Advisor Fan, please explain the details of the mission."
Fan Zhenyue nodded and continued, "The situation in the West District is rather special. It has always been a three-way standoff between the Emberfire Brotherhood, the Hunting Fang, and the Beast Garden guilds, with considerable conflicts and constant friction between them. But recently, they suddenly joined forces to deal with the freelancer groups in the West District, forcing them to disband their groups and join the guilds, or else they would wipe them out, causing quite a stir."
Lin Ze raised an eyebrow and pondered, "As far as I know, the freelance groups in the West District are a bit loose, but they are very united when it comes to fighting against guilds. The three major guilds have joined forces to deal with them before, but they all failed. It should be the same this time, right?"
"That's what we thought at first too."
Fan Zhenyue shook his head, his expression becoming more serious.
"According to the intelligence we have obtained, the three major guilds in the western district have suddenly acquired a large amount of resources in the past one or two months, including various cards, high-quality equipment, alchemy potions, and so on."
"With the support of this batch of supplies, their overall strength, especially the combat effectiveness of their grassroots personnel, has been greatly enhanced."
"In recent conflicts with freelance groups, the three major guilds have gained a decisive advantage, and the freelance groups have suffered heavy losses."
Lin Ze suddenly realized.
The fundamental reason why the three major guilds in the western region have been unable to develop is that they have not mastered dungeons and lack stable channels for obtaining resources.
Now that this biggest weakness has been addressed, their strength has naturally increased significantly.
The amount of resources needed to meet the needs of the three major guilds must be enormous.
Looking across the entire Crimson Lotus City, there is only one force capable of providing such a massive amount of supplies, besides the Legion.
"Was it Cliff providing support behind the scenes?"
Han Zhan and the other two simultaneously showed admiration in their eyes, quite satisfied with Lin Ze's quick reaction and clear thinking.
"That's right."
Fan Zhenyue confirmed Lin Ze's guess.
"We suspect that the three major guilds in the West District have likely completely sided with the Cliffs, otherwise there would be no reason for the Cliffs to supply them with such a large amount of strategic materials."
"The special operations team's mission is to go to the West District and try to find out the specific details of the agreement between Cliff and the three major guilds, and find out what conditions Cliff offered that would make the three major guilds willing to work for them."
"At the same time, we will try our best to cut off or interfere with the supply of materials from the cliff to the western district, and delay the pace of the three major guilds to integrate the western district's power."
Xue Dai, who was standing to the side, suddenly sighed and said, "In fact, similar situations have occurred in the North District before. The Black Stone Society, Gangquan, and Blood Eagle all had different degrees of secret dealings with the Cliff. Blood Eagle eventually even openly merged into the Cliff. One of the reasons that Consultant Fan initially went to the North District was to investigate the reasons behind it."
"Unfortunately, the leaders of the three guilds were all wiped out by Tian Shi, leaving no survivors, and this lead has been cut off."
Lin Ze:
His expression remained unchanged, and he nodded, saying, "I understand."
"You will formulate the specific action plan based on the actual situation. The branch will grant the special operations team a high degree of autonomy," Han Zhan said calmly. "In the future, the special operations team can report directly to me if there are any issues. I hope you will not let the branch down."
"Yes!" Lin Ze replied solemnly.
As Lin Ze walked out of the office building, he looked back, a thoughtful expression flashing across his face.
They were lucky, to be honest.
Just as he was about to make his move on the West District, chaos erupted there.
This undoubtedly makes it easier to take advantage of the situation and profit from chaos.
"Speaking of which, I've essentially gone head-to-head with a precipice."
Lin Ze chuckled inwardly.
Although Cliff had never concealed its goal of unifying all guild forces in Crimson Lotus City, it had always done so secretly and by engaging in underhanded tactics in order to avoid provoking the Legion.
However, recently, the cliff has caused quite a stir.
First the North District, then the West District, and they might be behind the East District as well.
Even with the intervention of the legion, they did not back down at all, but instead openly fought against the legion, which was truly puzzling.
I wonder what they're planning?
However, if Tian Shi wants to hunt in the West District, he will inevitably have to confront the cliff.
Given the previous grudges in the North District, it's foreseeable that the cliff will bite the sky like a mad dog.
However, Lin Ze didn't care.
Even if Duan Ya doesn't make a move, he will eventually have to find the other party.
He was in dire need of a large amount of soul energy, and he would be happy to accept if the cliff sent someone to provide him with warmth. While he was thinking, Lin Ze had already returned to the martial arts hall.
Surprisingly, not only were the people from the district branch team there, but Jiang Mu and his group were also still there, remaining at the scene.
The atmosphere inside the museum seemed much more relaxed than when he left.
Zhou Wenbin, Lu Mingxuan, and others from the district branch were chatting together, and Tan Jingxuan and two or three other branch members joined in.
Although it doesn't seem very lively, at least it's no longer the situation where there's a clear division and subtle confrontation like before.
Only a few people, including Jiang Mu, Tao Leshan, and Chang Yao, stood on the other side, whispering something, their expressions not very pleasant.
When Lin Ze returned, everyone's eyes were focused on him, and the conversations stopped.
Lin Ze walked up to the group, his gaze calmly sweeping across the room, lingering briefly on Jiang Mu and the others, before he spoke: "From today onwards, we are teammates fighting side by side. Regardless of which branch or district we came from before, now that we've joined the Special Operations Team, our goal should be the same: to complete our mission and fulfill our duties."
"I don't expect everyone to be like brothers right away, but basic trust and cooperation must be established. After all, on the battlefield, we need to entrust our backs to each other."
Lin Ze's voice was calm, yet firm and resolute.
"If anyone disagrees with my appointment as captain, or thinks I'm not strong enough or qualified enough, that's fine. I'll give you a chance. Whenever you feel ready, you can challenge me, whether it's a one-on-one fight or a group of you coming at me together."
These words caused many people's expressions to change slightly, especially some people from the branch, whose eyes flickered.
Lin Ze seemed not to notice and continued, "If you can defeat me fairly and squarely, I'll immediately give up the captain's position, but..."
His tone suddenly turned cold: "If anyone brings their personal emotions into the mission, or engages in underhanded tactics that affect teamwork and mission execution—then don't blame me for following the rules and showing no mercy."
The martial arts arena was completely silent.
Lin Ze's words combined both soft and hard tactics, providing a channel for challenge while also drawing clear red lines.
After a brief silence, Hins Tam was the first to speak.
"I have no objection and will follow the captain's instructions."
With one person taking the lead, others followed suit and expressed their opinions.
"Understood, Captain Lin."
"Obey orders."
Zhou Wenbin, Lu Mingxuan, and other representatives from the district naturally had no objections.
Jiang Mu's expression changed several times, and finally he responded in a low voice along with Chang Yao, Tao Leshan and the others.
"clear."
Lin Ze took in everyone's reactions, and was neither surprised nor concerned about Jiang Mu and the others' attitude.
He has already given them the opportunity. If these people are sensible and focus their energy on the task and improving their skills, he will naturally be happy to maintain the superficial harmony of the team.
But if someone is truly ungrateful and insists on resorting to underhanded tactics, he has plenty of ways to deal with unruly people, and he can ensure that no one can find any fault with them.
"very good."
Lin Ze nodded slightly, his expression returning to calm.
"Everyone, get some rest today. We'll start our mission tomorrow."
As Lin Ze finished speaking, everyone left one after another.
In the end, only Tang Wangshu and Wei Ran remained.
The two looked at Lin Ze, their hearts filled with admiration.
They never dreamed that Lin Ze could surpass a group of elites from the branch and become the captain of the special operations team.
"Captain, you didn't see the faces of Jiang Mu and the others just now. They looked like they'd swallowed flies. It was really satisfying to see."
With no one else around, Wei Ran spoke with less restraint.
Lin Ze smiled and said, "Let bygones be bygones. From now on, we're on the same team, so let's refrain from saying anything that could harm our unity."
"Yes, Captain." Wei Ran straightened up and immediately nodded in agreement.
He now admires and idolizes Lin Ze more and more.
Tang Wangshu asked curiously, "Captain, did Advisor Han say anything when he called you over?"
"He gave me a few instructions."
Lin Ze did not tell the truth, so as not to distract others. It would be better to wait until the adjustment period was over before talking about it.
Seeing this, Tang Wangshu didn't ask any more questions.
She had learned quite a bit from her older sister before, and could roughly guess what it was.
Speaking of which, Lin Ze is currently a lieutenant, the same rank as his sister.
Tang Wangshu suddenly looked somewhat dazed.
Before he knew it, Lin Ze had become someone like his sister.