Chapter 12: The Big Shot of the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade

Relying on the intuition honed as a veteran, Xing Xiaolong's inner judgment proved to be spot-on.

The middle-aged colonel who came to the police station specifically to find him—and who had already prepared his enlistment paperwork—indeed hailed from a secret special forces unit: the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade.

His name was Fan Tianlei.

Yet Fan Tianlei’s arrival was not for the “orphan” Xing Xiaolong, but rather for He Chenguang, the young man who’d fought Xing Xiaolong on the street. While the two were engaged in their brawl, Fan Tianlei had been not far away, witnessing the entire encounter.

Xing Xiaolong’s extraordinary resilience and his uncanny ability to withstand blows during the fight caught Fan Tianlei’s attention. Thus, this series of events unfolded: Fan Tianlei made his way to the police station to recruit promising candidates.

Beyond Xing Xiaolong, Fan Tianlei needed to select more outstanding recruits within a limited timeframe, convincing them to sign up at the armed forces department. When the time came, he intended to place these exceptional recruits alongside He Chenguang.

Why would Fan Tianlei go through such lengths, specifically seeking He Chenguang and hand-picking three “elite recruits” to serve as his teammates, much like scholars accompanying a prince?

There was a deeply sorrowful story behind this, far too complex for a simple summary. In essence, Fan Tianlei’s life should have ended fifteen years ago; it was He Chenguang’s father who gave his own life to pull Fan Tianlei back from the jaws of death, saving him from dying on that battlefield.

The weight of such a life-for-life debt could not be overstated. For fifteen years, Fan Tianlei had carried this burden in his heart, and now, at last, He Chenguang had come of age. The chance to repay this debt had arrived. To Fan Tianlei, pulling strings and calling upon his authority for He Chenguang was a trifling matter.

Of course, Fan Tianlei’s actions were not entirely selfish. With the current international situation, the demand for elite, small-unit operations would only grow. The Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade desperately needed new blood.

He Chenguang’s father had been Fan Tianlei’s comrade-in-arms, the best sniper in the special forces, and his grandfather, before retirement, was a high-ranking military commander. Raised in such a military family, taught by his grandfather in marksmanship and martial arts from a young age, He Chenguang had just finished the national college entrance exams and won the national youth martial arts championship.

With such excellent credentials, He Chenguang was precisely the kind of fresh blood the special forces needed.

Fan Tianlei firmly believed…

He Chenguang was born to be a soldier; with proper training, he would surely become the finest special forces operative, worthy of Fan Tianlei’s investment and cultivation.

The army needed talents like him!

Coming from a special forces background himself, Fan Tianlei understood that individual excellence alone was not enough. On the battlefield, what truly mattered was an outstanding team, working together in harmony—only then could they become the gods of war, the phantoms that struck fear into the enemy.

Therefore, he needed good recruits who could share hardships with He Chenguang, grow together into elite special forces soldiers, and ultimately form a top-tier team.

This was Fan Tianlei’s ultimate goal: to find promising recruits, protect He Chenguang, and build an exceptional unit.

As for why Fan Tianlei feared He Chenguang’s sacrifice—dreading the shame of facing He Chenguang's father in the afterlife, the comrade who died to save him—yet still came to persuade He Chenguang to join the army, and not just any branch, but the most dangerous special forces?

The true reason was known only to Fan Tianlei himself. Perhaps, one day, he would reveal this secret in his own words.

…

Xing Xiaolong accepted Fan Tianlei's “suggestion,” left the police station with his file, and prepared to register for the army medical examination.

During the final days of registration, Fan Tianlei was far from idle.

Xing Xiaolong was merely the first!

To find the remaining two recruits, and to persuade He Chenguang—who was about to accompany his girlfriend to university—to enlist, Fan Tianlei set up a cleverly orchestrated misunderstanding.

While He Chenguang was out with his girlfriend, showing off his marksmanship at a balloon-shooting stall, Fan Tianlei used high-tech means to remotely hack the stall owner’s phone. Then, adopting a mysterious demeanor, he called the vendor.

He instructed the vendor to hand the phone to He Chenguang, telling him that there was a bomb in the backpack behind him.

After delivering the message, the call was abruptly cut off, heightening the tension.

He Chenguang, raised in a military family, possessed a sense of justice and courage far beyond ordinary people. Upon hearing there was a bomb, his first reaction wasn’t to flee, but to check immediately.

Opening the bag, he found a bomb inside, with less than ten minutes on the countdown.

He Chenguang didn’t know how to defuse it, and ten minutes wouldn’t be enough for the police to arrive. Most people would instinctively drop the bag and run.

But He Chenguang did not run. Ignoring the danger, he slung the backpack over his shoulder, found his bearings, and sprinted toward the nearby seaside.

A bomb detonating in the city would inevitably cause destruction; only by throwing it into the sea could he prevent harm to innocent people and property, and he had less than ten minutes to do so.

That was the sole thought in his mind!

He Chenguang dashed off without a word. The vendor, a flamboyant youth with a slanted fringe, panicked—his phone was still in He Chenguang's hand.

To recover his newly purchased phone, the flashy vendor shouted, “My phone! Give me back my phone!” and chased after He Chenguang, abandoning his balloon stall.

He Chenguang, trained by his grandfather since childhood, was well-versed in martial arts. To get the bomb to the seaside two kilometers away in time, he performed a series of parkour moves, vaulting barriers and running with astonishing speed.

The vendor, though not as agile, had clearly fought in the streets often; his stamina exceeded that of most people. Combined with a reckless determination, he managed to keep pace, not falling too far behind.

The two tore through the streets, dodging traffic. Reports to the police had already been made, and with He Chenguang shouting, “Get out of the way! There’s a bomb in my bag!” while the vendor yelled, “Robbery! Stop him! He’s a robber!” chaos ensued, unleashing a hornet’s nest.

Special police, detectives, and squads of officers responded, sirens blaring and setting up roadblocks all over the city, determined to capture these two “dangerous criminals.”

But He Chenguang chose narrow, deserted alleys where police cars couldn’t follow.

In the end, nimble as a monkey, He Chenguang reached the seaside, hurling the backpack into the water with three seconds left on the timer.

The result? No explosion—this was Fan Tianlei’s carefully planned test.

His aim was to assess whether He Chenguang possessed the fearlessness required of a soldier, if he harbored the same unwavering sense of justice as his father, and, through this ordeal, to awaken the true courage within him.

He Chenguang’s actions exceeded Fan Tianlei’s expectations.

Afterward, when He Chenguang was brought into the police station once more, Fan Tianlei personally spoke with him. What was said remains unknown, but He Chenguang’s demeanor upon leaving had changed noticeably.

The vendor was also brought in; his name was Wang Yanbing, a classic street tough.

Ordinarily, Wang Yanbing’s father’s black marks on police records—frequent brawling, a history of trouble—would disqualify him from army service.

However, Wang Yanbing’s impressive physical prowess during the chase caught Fan Tianlei’s eye.

Combined with the extraordinary perseverance and grit hidden beneath his rough exterior, Fan Tianlei decided to make an exception.