It has been proven that Warren Blake truly deserves this reputation. Since the founding of the The Thompson Family, the demon army has launched four major offensives with over a million troops, and each time, the The Thompson Family relied on the strong, thick walls of the Warren Blake fortress to hold them back. Even the fierce demon armies could only retreat in defeat before it.

A former head of the family and renowned general of his time, William Thompson, once said: “If it weren’t for Warren Blake, we would have perished twenty times over by now.” This shows the crucial importance of Warren Blake.

The Far East Army’s headquarters, main base, and important institutions such as the Far East Military Academy are all located in Warren Blake.

David Thompson and other meritorious individuals who participated in the Battle of Hengchuan were invited by the Far East Army’s Deputy Commander (Commander: a senior official title in the The Thompson Family) Paul Smith to meet at the Far East Army General Staff Headquarters in Warren Blake. However, unfortunately...

The beautiful and courteous female secretary politely said to David Thompson, “Flag-bearer Xiuchuan, I’m truly sorry, Deputy Commander Emily Sullivan has called an emergency military meeting, and Lord Smith is still in session. He said that if you all arrive, please wait for a moment in the reception room. I apologize for the inconvenience.”

David Thompson leaned in close to the secretary’s face with a serious expression, glanced around cautiously, and whispered, “Miss, do you recognize that person over there in the junior flag officer’s uniform?” He pointed at an officer who had just walked out of the command building.

“Oh, that’s the liaison officer sent by the Goxi Banner. He just went into Deputy Commander Smith’s office to deliver some documents…”

“That’s a fake!” David Thompson said firmly. “He’s an assassin sent by the Liufeng family!”

The secretary’s face turned pale with fright. “But he has an officer’s ID, a security pass, and official documents…”

“You don’t believe me? I can’t blame you! On our way here, we met the real liaison officer—he was barely alive, and after telling us what happened, he died.” David Thompson said with absolute certainty. “The assassin’s target is Lord Paul Smith! Where did the assassin go just now? We need to check every place, one by one!”

The secretary was overwhelmed by the powerful confidence in David Thompson’s words and couldn’t help but say, “He just went to Lord Paul Smith’s office, but he was only there for five minutes, and I was right next door the whole time…”

“Give me the office key!” Without waiting for a response, David Thompson snatched the key. “Five minutes? He’s a professional spy—five minutes is enough to plant thirty bombs!”

He walked into the office and closed the door. “No one is allowed in. It’s too dangerous!”

The Far East Army’s General Staff Headquarters fell into chaos. The military police rushed over, but David Thompson ordered them not to approach the office. From inside, only the sounds of rummaging and the flag-bearer Xiuchuan’s muttering could be heard: “Where is it? Where? Come out now, I know you’re hiding something! I refuse to believe I can’t find it!”

The crisis lasted five minutes, until the flag-bearer Xiuchuan, drenched in sweat, appeared at the door: “Nothing found. Maybe he hid it somewhere else!”

All the officers, military police, and clerks present were full of admiration for the courage and composure of flag-bearer David Thompson, so no one noticed that the briefcase he brought was now much bulkier and even made a “gurgling” sound of liquid sloshing inside.

It wasn’t until the meeting ended that Deputy Commander Paul Smith learned of the incident. He rushed back in shock, opened the safe, and found it empty. He let out a cry of despair!

The subordinates all speculated: perhaps the top-secret documents had been stolen by a Liufeng family spy...

Deputy Commander Paul Smith gnashed his teeth. “Dave, look at what you’ve done!”

David Thompson replied in terror, “Yes! I admit my guilt! I shouldn’t have spoken recklessly without seeing clearly, disrupting normal order, and causing innocent colleagues from the brother units to be arrested and wronged. I sincerely apologize and will reflect on my actions!”

Paul Smith roared, “I don’t care if that junior flag officer dies!” Then, lowering his voice, “Where’s my wine? Three bottles of century-old wine, one bottle of royal brandy!”

David Thompson looked utterly bewildered, as if he had never heard the word “wine” in his life: “What wine?”

“Don’t play dumb! The wine you took from my office…” Paul Smith suddenly stopped.

“My lord, that’s impossible, right? The Far East Army has strict discipline—no drinking during work hours. Could it be that you had wine in your office? That’s absolutely impossible. My lord is known for upholding discipline and enforcing the law strictly; all the soldiers in the Far East know this. How could such a thing happen? This must be a shameless rumor intended to damage your reputation. I would never believe it, my lord, please rest assured!”

Paul Smith pleaded, “Don’t be so heartless… Just give me back the brandy.”

David Thompson responded with a mysterious smile—a smile Paul Smith was all too familiar with, having suffered from it many times before.

“You’re ruthless! Just wait until next time. Listen up, there’s an official document from the Commander’s Office: Due to flag-bearer David Thompson’s outstanding command in the Battle of Hengchuan, which brought honor to the family’s Eagle Banner, the Commander’s Office, after consulting the Head and the Council of Elders, has decided to commend flag-bearer Xiuchuan and promote…”

Paul Smith drew out the words: “Deputy Commander! Order issued by: Chief Commander Emily Harris. Approved by: Staff Commander Michael Smith, Far East Army Commander George Evans, Border Army Commander Matthew Foster, Central Army Commander Raymond Grant, Black Banner Army Commander Jack Miller, Imperial Guard Commander Peter Wood. Imperial Calendar: Year 778, July 28.”