Mark Stewart quietly listened to Scott Stewart’s monologue. Although nothing was stated outright, Mark Stewart understood that the meaning behind Scott Stewart’s words was perhaps not just to avoid offending Henry Lawson, but also to appropriately befriend him.

　　“By the way, the freshman military training is about to start, right?” Scott Stewart suddenly asked.

　　“In a week.”

　　“Go take care of it. I want to participate in this year’s freshman military training.”

　　“When you first entered the school last year, you weren’t interested in this kind of thing. Why the change now...?” Mark Stewart asked in confusion.

　　“Because this year there’s an extra Henry Lawson. I have a feeling that this year’s freshman military training will be very interesting. You know, my intuition is never wrong.”

　　……

　　In the morning, a sudden burst of a phone ringtone woke Emily Wood, who was still sound asleep in bed. He glanced at the caller ID on the screen and answered the call. “Why are you only calling now? How did things go?”

　　“Master Yun, things went south,” George Hughes said on the other end, sounding miserable.

　　“What happened?” Emily Wood instantly snapped awake, got out of bed, and walked to the balcony with his phone.

　　“This time the target was tough. Four Tigers and I both got hurt. Third’s nose was broken, and Fourth’s calf was fractured by a kick. We’re all still in the hospital.”

　　“Don’t worry about the money. Tell the brothers to focus on recovering,” Emily Wood said calmly.

　　“Thank you, Master Yun. By the way, Master Yun, yesterday Fifth’s girlfriend saw the lady and Henry Lawson having a date in the pavilion by the scenic lake. So...”

　　“I’ll handle this. You don’t need to worry,” Emily Wood’s tone was as calm as ever, but those who knew him understood that this was how he acted only when he was furious.

　　After hanging up on George Hughes, Emily Wood dialed another number. “Boss Ba, it’s me, Little Ashley. Sorry to bother you so early, but I need your help with something...”

　　After receiving a positive response, Emily Wood finally put down his phone with relief, a cold sneer appearing at the corner of his mouth: “Ashley Young, you filthy bitch, if you don’t appreciate my kindness, don’t blame me for what happens next. And Henry Lawson, I’ll make sure you know who really calls the shots at Donghai University!”

　　……

　　The food standards at Donghai University completely overturned Henry Lawson and Andrew Stone’s understanding of university cafeterias. Not only was there a buffet to choose from, but free fruit was also provided after meals! Even though the cafeteria food was excellent, after eating dinner there once, Henry Lawson and Andrew Stone decided not to eat there again.

　　The news of Henry Lawson and Ashley Young’s date in the pavilion spread throughout the entire Donghai University campus within just one day. Many people even went to the cafeteria just to catch a glimpse of the male lead from the pavilion date, making Henry Lawson feel like a giant panda on display at the zoo.

　　That evening, just as Henry Lawson and Andrew Stone decided to head to the barbecue stalls on the snack street outside the school for dinner, Ashley Young called Henry Lawson’s phone.

Chapter 14: Chief of Staff

　　Dragon Shadow Unit Operations Conference Room.

　　A soldier, about 185 centimeters tall, dressed in camouflage training uniform, with a tall and powerful build radiating explosive strength, stood at the podium. Two gleaming gold stars adorned his shoulders. He was the current highest commander of the Dragon Shadow Unit, Lieutenant General Paul Clark, known as the “Godfather of Special Operations.”

　　Paul Clark glanced at the group of Dragon Shadow Unit instructors seated below the podium, raised a document stamped with a red “urgent” seal, and said solemnly, “Chief of Staff! The higher-ups require us to select members from the special operations teams of major military regions nationwide and to form the second Dragon Shadow Tactical Action Team as quickly as possible. You all have the list I compiled—take a look and see if there’s anything to add.”

　　Selecting members from the special operations teams? The entire instructor group was a bit taken aback by Paul Clark’s—or rather, the Chief of Staff’s—order. Finally, Daniel Brown, the instructor responsible for Dragon Shadow’s demolition, booby trap design, and explosives, raised his hand and voiced his objection to Paul Clark: “Wolf, isn’t it a bit hasty to select members from the various special operations teams?”

　　Daniel Brown’s doubts were echoed by the other instructors. Normally, Dragon Shadow Unit members were selected from the Dragon Shadow Training Camp. Trainees would enter the camp at around age seven for basic training, and at eighteen, participate in the Dragon Shadow Unit selection. Those with outstanding results would enter the Tactical Action Team, while the rest would join the Special Service Team.

　　Of course, Dragon Shadow Unit members weren’t exclusively selected from the training camp. There were also precedents of special talents joining directly, such as Frank Murray, the sniper of Tactical Action Team A. Before joining the Dragon Shadow Unit, he was just an ordinary college student, but due to the difference in vision between his eyes and his talent with firearms, he was exceptionally recruited by the Dragon Shadow Unit.