Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

The last thing Lin Zhe saw when the laboratory exploded was a blinding white light.

As the youngest chief engineer at the National Military Research Institute, he had been working continuously for seventy-two hours in this underground laboratory. The final test data for the new stealth material was just a few parameters away, and the Ministry of National Defense's project approval meeting was tomorrow morning. He rubbed his tired eyes, downed the last sip of strong coffee, and prepared to start the final simulation.

Then, it all ended.

The explosion did not originate from the experiment itself, but from a sudden, precise strike from above, penetrating directly through fifty meters of earth's protective layer. Lin Zhe didn't even have time to consider the attacker's identity before being engulfed in a white light.

He thought he was dead.

But the next moment, a strange sensation surged through my body, as if I were being torn apart and then reassembled. Countless unfamiliar fragments of memory flooded my mind like a torrent—

"Lin Zhe, you're first in the grade again in this mock exam!"

"Dad said he'll be back next month and will attend the parent-teacher conference."

"Grandpa's old injury has flared up again, and he wants to see you..."

"Mom's company made it into the top 100 in the country, and she said she'll take you to Europe after you finish your college entrance exam..."

The chaotic images, sounds, and emotions intertwined, almost overwhelming his consciousness. He felt like a drowning man, struggling in a torrent of memories, unable to breathe.

After an unknown amount of time, Lin Zhe suddenly opened his eyes.

What came into view was not the laboratory's alloy ceiling, but a pale blue wall with a poster on it, depicting a fighter jet model he had never seen before, with smooth lines but obvious design flaws.

He propped himself up and looked around.

This is a room of about fifteen square meters. The desk is piled with high school textbooks and exercise books, and various books are neatly arranged on the bookshelf in the corner. The window is half open, and the morning sunlight shines in, bringing with it the quiet atmosphere unique to the 1990s.

Lin Zhe looked down at his hands.

It was a pair of young hands, smooth skin, without the calluses left by long hours of experiments. He staggered to the dressing mirror, where a young and unfamiliar face was reflected, about seventeen or eighteen years old, with delicate features, but his eyes held a depth and confusion that did not match his age.

"This is me...and yet not me," Lin Zhe muttered to himself.

More memories flooded my mind.

This world is similar to Earth, yet different. It's called the Dragon Kingdom, and its historical trajectory is strikingly similar to China's, yet it remains at a level similar to Earth in the 1990s. Its technology, economy, and military strength are relatively backward, and its international environment is complex and challenging.

His current identity is also Lin Zhe, a senior high school student, whose family background is so prominent that it's astonishing.

My grandfather, Lin Weiguo, was one of the founding generals of the Longguo Kingdom. Although he has been retired for many years, he still enjoys great prestige in the military. My father, Lin Guodong, is the mayor of Jinghua City and a rising star in politics. My mother, Su Wan, is the founder of Wanyue Group, one of the top five private enterprises in China. My brother, Lin Feng, is 28 years old and has already taken up a position in an important department. He is steadily following in his father's footsteps.

As for myself, I am the youngest child in the family and am currently in the crucial senior year of high school. My predecessor was a self-disciplined teenager who took his father and older brothers as role models, achieved excellent academic results, and was the "other people's child" in the eyes of teachers and classmates.

Just two days ago, the original body suddenly collapsed during a long-distance running training session. The school doctor initially diagnosed it as arrhythmia caused by overwork. After being sent home to recuperate, the boy quietly passed away in his sleep. At that moment, Lin Zhe from Earth transmigrated and took over this body.

"Two Lin Zhes... what is this? A meeting in parallel worlds? Or a joke played by fate?" Lin Zhe sat back down on the edge of the bed with a wry smile.

He spent a full hour sorting through the two sets of memories. In his previous life, he was an orphan raised by the state, dedicating his life to national defense. The laboratory was his home, and weapon blueprints were his companions. He designed seven types of equipment that were officially deployed, watching them transform from blueprints into reality and be equipped by front-line troops.

He still remembers the first time he visited a special forces training exercise, where the soldiers used the tactical equipment he designed to maneuver across a simulated battlefield. The commander shook his hand and said, "Engineer Lin, the system you designed has increased our combat efficiency by thirty percent and reduced our casualty rate by at least fifteen percent."

The sense of accomplishment at that moment surpassed any award.

But he also had regrets. As a civilian officer, he had never truly stepped onto the battlefield, never personally tested his designs like the soldiers. He was always in the safe behind the scenes, watching others use his creations.

"In this life..." Lin Zhe walked to the window and looked down at the quiet neighborhood.

This world is similar to China in the 1990s, with a significant gap in military strength. Many technologies that he took for granted in his previous life are still in the theoretical stage or even nonexistent here. His family background seems to have paved a smooth road for him, providing him with ample resources and support whether he chooses politics, business, or academia.

But...

"Lin Zhe, are you awake?" A gentle knock sounded on the door, followed by a concerned female voice, "May I come in, Mom?"

Lin Zhe took a deep breath: "Please come in."

The door was gently pushed open, and an elegant woman in her forties walked in. She was dressed in simple home clothes, holding a glass of milk in her hand, her eyes full of concern. This was his current mother, Su Wan.

"How are you feeling? Still dizzy?" Su Wan placed the milk on the bedside table and reached out to feel Lin Zhe's forehead. "The school doctor said you're too tired and need to rest."

"I'm fine, Mom," Lin Zhe replied naturally. His memories from his previous life made it easy for him to address her. "I'm just a little...dazed."

Su Wan sat down by the bed and gently held her son's hand: "Your father called last night, he was very worried about you. He said he will definitely come back for your parent-teacher conference next Wednesday, no matter how busy he is."

"Actually, it's not necessary..." Lin Zhe said subconsciously, then realized that this response was inconsistent with his predecessor's worship of his father. "I mean, Dad's work is important."

"Nothing is more important than you." Su Wan smiled and ruffled his hair. "By the way, Grandpa asked about you yesterday. He heard you fainted and was so worried he almost rushed back from the sanatorium. You know he dotes on you, his little grandson."

Lin Zhe's heart skipped a beat: "Grandpa... how have you been feeling lately?"

"It's an old problem; his joints ache on rainy days. But he's in great spirits, still reading military newspapers and studying his maps every day." Su Wan shook her head, her tone filled with helplessness and admiration. "Your dad has advised him to rest so many times, but he just won't listen. Last week he told me that in our Lin family, three generations have been involved in politics and business, but no one has taken over his mantle..."

At this point, Su Wan paused, seemingly realizing something, and laughed, "Look at me, why am I telling you all this? Your task now is to study hard and stay healthy. You want to get into the Political Science Department of Jinghua University, right? With your grades, you'll have no problem."

His predecessor did indeed aspire to study political science at Peking University, following in his father's footsteps. The detailed study plan on his desk, down to the hour, is proof of that.

But Lin Zhe now has a different idea in his mind.

"Mom..." he began hesitantly, "What if... I mean, what if I didn't go into politics?"

Su Wan paused for a moment, then smiled: "Silly child, you can do whatever you want. Our family doesn't follow the tradition of sons inheriting their fathers' businesses. Your brother's decision to go into politics was his own. Whatever you want to do, as long as it's legitimate, your father and I will support you."

"What if... I want to join the army?" Lin Zhe asked tentatively.

The room suddenly fell silent.

Su Wan's smile froze for a moment, though she quickly recovered. But the complex emotions that flashed across her face did not escape Lin Zhe's eyes; they were worry, unease, and even a hint of fear.

"Why did you suddenly have this idea?" Her voice was still gentle, but with a hint of caution. "Is it because of Grandpa's influence?"

"Not entirely..." Lin Zhe carefully chose his words, "It's just that I feel... soldiers are amazing. Protecting the country is a great honor."

Su Wan was silent for a few seconds, then gently patted the back of his hand: "You're still young, let's talk about these things after the college entrance exam. The most important thing now is to get well and do well in your studies, okay?"

Lin Zhe understood his mother's unspoken meaning: she didn't support him, at least not now.

"I understand." He nodded and didn't continue the topic.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Su Wan told him to get some rest and then left the room.

After the door closed, Lin Zhe walked back to the window and fell into deep thought.

His past military career and scientific research experience made him understand that in families like those in China, children's career choices were never simply a matter of personal will. Especially with military service, Su Wan's reaction as a mother was completely understandable.

But the thought in Lin Zhe's mind became clearer and clearer.

In this life, he has a healthy body, is young, and has a grandfather who was a founding general. If he could truly wear a military uniform, step onto the training grounds and battlefields he could only observe from afar in his previous life, personally test and improve equipment, and even lead troops...

Thinking of this, his heart began to beat faster involuntarily.

In his past life, he designed weapons that could change the course of battle, but he always observed their effectiveness from behind a pane of glass; in this life, he may have the chance to become the one who uses those weapons and changes the course of the war.

More importantly, through his predecessor's memories and his recent conversation with his mother, he keenly sensed that the defense pressures facing the Dragon Kingdom might be more severe than he had imagined. This world resembled the international environment of the 1990s, but its technological level seemed somewhat lagging. If external threats truly existed, then the military needed not only soldiers, but also talent who understood the future of warfare and could drive military transformation.

And he happens to possess both qualities.

"Grandpa..." Lin Zhe murmured to himself.

From his mother's few words, he could sense the deep affection that the founding general, whom he had never met, had for the army, as well as his regret that no one in his family had joined the military.

Perhaps, the breakthrough lies here.

He needs to see his grandfather first.

We need to know more about the true situation of this country's military.

A plan needs to be developed—one that can both convince the family and pave the way for a military career.

The dream that was not fulfilled in the previous life has the opportunity to be realized in this life.

Unbeknownst to him, at that very moment, in a military sanatorium, an elderly man with white hair put down his newspaper and said to his bodyguard:

"How's my grandson doing? That kid has loved reading my military books since he was little... It's a pity that no one in the family is following in my footsteps."

His tone was filled with endless regret and anticipation.