BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The crisp sound of a horn echoed from outside the villa where Wen Yu stayed.
The soundproofing of the villa was excellent, but Wen Yuâs hearing was exceptional. Even though human hearing tends to filter out certain unwanted sounds automatically, it could not ignore the car honking incessantly for almost three minutes.
It was already 7 oâclock in the morning, and Wen Yu had to admit that he had a good nightâs rest.
Perhaps it was due to the exhaustion from a full day of travel.
Rubbing his face lightly, Wen Yu got up, picked up Cyclops, and headed to the bathroom.
After quickly freshening up, he left the villa, clad in a black trench coat.
At the gate, Kuangliu had been waiting for nearly 30 minutes.
The military headquarters was in the heart of the inner city zone, and it was less than a 10-minute drive from where Wen Yu lived.
Looking at the building in front of him, Wen Yu smacked his lips.
The signage for the Yanjing City Peopleâs Government and the national emblem looked dazzling under the direct sunlight.
"Letâs go," Kuangliu said casually as he straightened his outfit and headed inside the headquarters.
Given Kuangliuâs status, complicated procedures such as security checks were not necessary. After a minor formality of showing an identity card, he accompanied Wen Yu all the way to the door of an office.
"Commander Lin is inside. Just go in. Iâve got some work to deal with."
In front of this office, or rather, in front of the person inside, Kuangliu appeared to be slightly uncomfortable.
Through Kuangliuâs introduction yesterday, Wen Yu knew Commander Lin was Kuangliuâs father. But looking at Kuangliuâs attitude, it was obvious that there were some tricky family affairs involved.
Wen Yu nodded at Kuangliu and entered the office.
The office was spacious with nice decor. Of course, Wen Yu wasnât one to judge decor; he simply found it pleasant to look at!
At the massive wooden desk, an old man with graying hair heard the door open, looked Wen Yu up and down, then said with a smile, "Wen Yu, right? Please, have a seat."
Wen Yu didnât stand on ceremony and sat down on the chair in front of the desk. He took a good look at Commander Lin before him, then at Star standing on the table, and the Vermilion Bird perched on Starâs back.
Noticing Wen Yuâs gaze, Lin Haifeng smiled and said, "Your soul pet and the Vermilion Bird had a great time yesterday. Last night, the Vermilion Bird brought Star to my house for dinner. I trust you donât mind."
Wen Yu shook his head.
"I canât thank you enough for feeding him. Besides, Star has quite a large appetite, doesnât he...?"
At Wen Yuâs words, Lin Haifeng appeared slightly embarrassed.
As Star shooed the Vermilion Bird off its head, it flew onto Wen Yuâs head, chattering nonstop, "This old man doesnât keep his word. He promised to treat me to a meal, but halfway through, he said his home had run out of food..."
The Spiritual Fluctuation from Star enveloped every living being present. Naturally, Lin Haifeng heard it too, and his face turned crimson.
Meanwhile, the Vermilion Bird beside them started to twitter, "Itâs because you eat too much, like you havenât eaten for generations! And your table manners are so crude..."
"And yet you promised me a meal and told me to eat as much as I wanted... You deceived me..."
"Itâs you... who eats too much..."
"Itâs you..."
"Alright, alright."
It was Wen Yu who broke up the squabble between the two divine beasts. The two were chirping non-stop, not letting anyone else get a word in!
Upon hearing Wen Yuâs words, Star obediently lay quietly on top of Wen Yuâs head, as still as a giant hat.
The Vermilion Bird gave Wen Yu a disdainful look and flew onto Lin Haifengâs shoulder, ceasing its squawking.
Looking at the man in his fifties before him, Wen Yu spoke.
"I wonder if Commander Lin called me here today to discuss something concerning a mission?"
Hearing Wen Yuâs words, Lin Haifeng nodded and then began to speak.
"Before we discuss the mission, I would like to ask you a few questions."
Wen Yu nodded in agreement.
Lin Haifeng, leaning his hands on his office desk, asked seriously, "Are you really unwilling to join the military?"
Xiao Xue and Kuangliu had asked Wen Yu this question several times before, but when it came from Lin Haifeng, it carried a different weight.
Instead of hastily refusing, Wen Yu asked back, "If I join the military, what benefits can you offer me?"
Lin Haifeng had naturally heard about Wen Yuâs strength from Xiao Xue. With a divine beast, Wen Yu himself, and Cyclops, it was no exaggeration to say their combined combat power was at least stronger than the Vermilion Bird War God and War God White Tiger working together!
So, what could be used to convince Wen Yu? Lin Haifeng had pondered this question many times!
"The principle the military currently upholds is: the more you give, the more you get. Youâre very powerful! But thereâs a catch. Your strength would be of no use to us if you donât apply it where the military needs it most."
"Therefore, I have drafted three proposals for you. Would you like to hear them?"
Wen Yu nodded, encouraging Lin Haifeng to continue.
"First: if you fully join the military, youâll enjoy rights and status just below mine. Your monthly benefits will be three times more than Kuangliuâs. This is my assessment based on your current power. If your true strength is even greater, the benefits will be correspondingly higher. Besides, I think the title of War God doesnât do you justice. Iâll have the Propaganda Department devise a new title just for you, one that surpasses the Four War Gods!"
"Also, various secrets of the military will be fully accessible to you. Thereâs a lot to explore. Trust me, youâd be surprised by these benefits!"
"However, you would have to obey all military orders strictly and carry out every task assigned by the military."
Hearing Lin Haifengâs words, Wen Yu shook his head.
"That wonât do. Although there are many benefits, fundamentally, itâs as good as selling myself."
Hearing Wen Yuâs response, Lin Haifeng, however, nodded.
"Then letâs discuss the second proposal."
"You collaborate with the military on specified terms. We have many warriors in the military, but of top-level powerful experts, similar in rank to Kuangliu, we only have the Four War Gods, and two of them cannot be deployed!"
"So, on many occasions, we need super professionists who can take on major challenges."
"If you collaborate with us, weâll inform you where powerful experts are needed and what you need to do. Based on your contributions, we will reward you accordingly. Of course, the rewards wonât be substantial, but all spoils of battle will be yours."
"This proposal is similar to a mercenary contract. You have the right to refuse and to quit at any time. Of course, you wonât get many direct benefits from us this way. Itâs a kind of win-win situation."
Hearing this proposal, Wen Yu nodded.
This proposal was acceptable. Moreover, in his view, places that gave the military headaches would undoubtedly mean plenty of battles!
And battles meant spoils, which in turn meant a way to enhance his strength!
"And the third one?" Wen Yu didnât hastily make a decision, since there was another proposal Lin Haifeng hadnât mentioned.
Hearing Wen Yuâs question, Lin Haifeng took a large sip of water and then pulled out a piece of paper.
"This is a contract. Weâd agree to a mutual non-interference pact. We each go our own way. How about it?"
Smiling, Wen Yu shook his head.
"Iâll go with the second proposal."
Lin Haifeng nodded. Wen Yuâs choice didnât surprise him.
Powerful experts desire freedom, thatâs understandable. But would they pass up a chance to enhance their strength?
With the militaryâs intelligence network, Wen Yu would be able to obtain more information and rapidly improve his strength!
The instant Lin Haifeng learned about Wen Yuâs strength, he had plans for him.
Several places right now urgently needed such a powerful expert to change the situation!