Chapter Twenty-Nine: A Perfect Failure

“Xiao Li, how far have I advanced?” Chen Diwen’s forehead began to bead with sweat. He gazed at the beams of light filtering through the dense jungle, noticing how the light was growing dimmer.

“Boss, I’ve pushed forward twenty kilometers and engaged the enemy three times. Judging by the depth and heaviness of their footprints, their steps are getting heavier, which means they’re exhausting their stamina!” Xiao Li, holding a compass, observed the tracks and answered Chen Diwen’s question in detail.

“What’s our current combat strength?” Chen Diwen asked as he moved briskly, rifle at the ready.

“After three firefights, we lost four team members, but nine replacements arrived from afar. Now we have six combat squads with nineteen members,” Xiao Li replied, precise and confident.

“Excellent. It seems our tactics are working. We’ll soon have Chen Cao in our grasp—” Thud! Before Chen Diwen could finish, he fell face-first into the mud.

“Booby trap, be careful!” Xiao Li hurriedly helped him up, issuing orders on his behalf.

“Boss, are you alright?” Xiao Li asked with concern.

“I’m fine!” Chen Diwen propped himself up with his rifle and looked at what had tripped him—a slender but incredibly tough vine.

“This guy, always playing tricks!” Chen Diwen sneered and said to Xiao Li, “He’s nearby. One must admit, his stealth tactics are masterful!” He stood up, waved his hand, and abandoned his earlier caution, shouting, “Maintain combat formation! This guy’s out of tricks!” He turned, and once again, collapsed onto the ground.

“Boss, are you okay?” Xiao Li found the prank exasperating.

“I’m fine!” Chen Diwen grumbled, noticing the soft vine on the ground. He understood that Chen Cao was avenging the incident from their dorm days.

“Boss, I’m going after him! He’s close—I’ll chase him!” Hugging the Flame King assault rifle, Giant Bear tossed his gun to a teammate, grabbed a lighter assault rifle, and charged forward.

“Giant Bear!” Xiao Li tried to stop him, but Chen Diwen, now standing, blocked him and, with a darkened expression, said, “Let him go. This is the time for close combat!” He then shouted, “Stay sharp, keep advancing—the decisive moment is upon us!” Without looking back, he strode forward, weapon in hand.

Giant Bear sprinted with his assault rifle, covering less than a hundred meters before spotting Chen Cao, clad in the latest marine gear, standing with arms crossed, gazing coldly at him.

“Chen Cao, if it weren’t for following Chen Diwen, maybe we could’ve been friends. We should’ve had a proper fight a year ago!” Giant Bear stopped, noticing Chen Cao was unarmed. He wasn’t stupid—he instantly understood Chen Cao’s intent. A dark, rugged face broke into a grin, flashing white teeth. He discarded his rifle, removed all gear, and cracked his knuckles.

“To be honest, in Unit 0611, aside from Old Bao, your hand-to-hand combat must be superb by now. It’s time for a real match!” Chen Cao replied softly, then charged forward, swift as the wind, sending leaves swirling.

When Chen Diwen and his team caught sight of Giant Bear’s silhouette, only seconds had passed.

Giant Bear leaned against a large tree, one arm dangling limply. Seeing Chen Diwen, he forced a bitter smile.

“Giant Bear!” Chen Diwen rushed to his side. Giant Bear had always been devoted to him, had secretly pledged brotherhood, and treated Chen Diwen like a true sibling. Seeing the usually vigorous Giant Bear now so battered tugged at his heart.

Xiao Li hurried over, glanced at Giant Bear’s hand, and sighed in relief, “No worries, Boss—it’s just a dislocation. We’ll fix it soon.”

Giant Bear kept his bitter smile. “Boss, I lost. We all lost. You’re too sentimental. You shouldn’t have rushed over. But I’m moved. Knowing you as my boss wasn’t in vain.”

He turned to Xiao Li and said, “Old Xiao, your clever strategies failed this time!”

“What?” Before Chen Diwen could react, explosions and intense gunfire erupted nearby.

“It’s over!” Xiao Li suddenly realized his mistake. He saw the silver detonator strapped to Giant Bear.

“That means they sacrificed themselves!”

The gunfire lasted only a few dozen seconds before fading. Amid the rustling leaves, a figure stepped over the thick carpet of foliage.

“Chen Cao!”

“Yes, it’s Chen Cao—the one who tried to skip training by climbing the school stairs, only to get his leg broken by Instructor Zhou Anshi’s kick, branded as the school’s disgrace, almost strangled by his own hands, the most pathetic failure in 0611’s history!”

“But now, he’s no longer that person.” Chen Diwen felt his heart tremble.

Chen Cao approached, a half-smile on his face. “Chen Diwen, your troops have all been wiped out by me. Truly, my apologies!”

“You... cheated!” Chen Diwen blurted instinctively.

“Heh, all’s fair in war. Every textbook says so—have you forgotten?” Chen Cao’s expression grew serious. He pulled out a vine and tossed it to the ground.

“What’s this for?” Chen Diwen asked, confused.

Chen Cao stretched out his right hand, holding a detonator, and smirked. “Who’d have thought these trainees would bring such gadgets? Hilarious. Before I detonate, you’re all my prisoners. Don’t you know?”

“A warrior can be killed, but not humiliated!” Chen Diwen gritted his teeth.

“Come now, aren’t you fighting for your dream?” Chen Cao smiled, “Don’t you realize this is an assessment? Your squad holds eighty percent of the trainee slots.”

“They might still make a comeback, but...” Chen Cao stepped closer, now only a stride from Chen Diwen, and said quietly, “But as the commander, if you retreat and return, how will your squad feel? Imagine a team that’s lost its fighting spirit—no matter how you fight, you’ll lose.”

Chen Cao’s words pierced Chen Diwen’s heart. Indeed, war is deception. To win, he had to compromise. He lowered his eyes. “Alright, what do you want?”

“Not much. I’ll let your two best men go. I know you’re not convinced, so I’ll let them regroup the team, and we’ll fight again. But I only need you to stay here with me awhile. I think I have much to talk to you about.” Chen Cao’s eyes glinted as he glanced at the vine on the ground.

Fine, I’ll stay as a hostage—you release the other two! Chen Diwen tossed aside his weapon, picked up the vine, and bound himself tightly.

“Boss, don’t! He’s deceiving us!” Xiao Li and Giant Bear roared, but Chen Cao quickly tied Xiao Li and the injured Giant Bear together, not releasing them.

“Well done, Chen Diwen!” After finishing, Chen Cao clapped his hands and laughed. “You think you’ve mastered the rules, but rules can both make and break you. On the battlefield, there are no rules—only victory and defeat. You’ve taken this assessment too seriously!” He picked up a branch from the ground and stabbed it at Chen Diwen, saying jokingly, “Consider this your shameful apology, haha!”

Chen Diwen struggled, but the tough vine was impossible to break.

“Alright, Chen Diwen, you win!” Chen Cao turned, dragged someone out from the bushes. Chen Diwen fixed his gaze—it was the frail trainee, Ming An! His glasses askew, body bound tightly, unable to move, panting heavily.

“Chen Cao, you’ve vented your anger—now let us go! If you dare, let’s have a fair fight!” Chen Diwen spoke, nearly hysterical.

“You have no chance, because you lack the qualification.” Chen Cao drew a dagger and swiftly cut Ming An’s bindings. He pulled a pistol from his combat boot, placed it in Ming An’s hand, pointed it at his own chest, and, as Ming An stared in shock, fired a shot.

It was over. Chen Diwen fell silent. Chen Cao had been eliminated, so Chen Diwen advanced—but his victory felt utterly worthless.

Chen Cao, in the most honorable way, lost completely—lost in a way that earned respect.

“Chen Diwen, from now on, let’s call it even.” Smoke rising from him, Chen Cao gazed at Chen Diwen’s vacant eyes. “I just want to tell you—not everyone who joins 0611 wants to be an outstanding warrior, and not everyone has the same dream. Some simply have no choice.” He patted the stunned Ming An, who still held the pistol. “Kid, what’s your name?”

“Ming An Xing!” he replied nervously, unable to see, looking up at Chen Cao in a blurry haze. After a year of elite training, thinking he’d done well, he found his hands trembling as he held the gun.

Chen Cao stuck out his tongue, revealing a yellowish coating from chewing grass roots, and made a playful face. “Hey, the battle’s over. I’m not wearing a bulletproof vest—these training rounds hurt when they hit. Don’t shoot me again, or I’ll report you to the school committee!”

With that, he walked slowly into the jungle, fading with the faint light. Everything that happened was already being transmitted as data to the school committee’s monitoring room.

Flame King 29_Flame King Full Free Reading_Chapter Twenty-Nine: Perfect Failure update complete!