Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

The test began promptly on the morning of the third day.

Lin Zhe was taken to the base's training area, which was much larger and had more advanced facilities than the training grounds of the Southwest Military Region. The first test was hand-to-hand combat and shooting, and the examiner was "Dragon Fang".

Longya was around thirty years old, 1.85 meters tall, with a lean and muscular build and eyes as sharp as an eagle's. He stood in the center of the training field, looking at Lin Zhe approaching, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Colonel Lin, the first event is combat. The rules are simple—within ten minutes, if you can knock me down once, or force me out of the circle, you pass."

Lin Zhe looked at the other person. He could sense that Long Ya possessed an aura of alchemy, and it was stronger than Zhang Jian's, and even stronger than Chen Qingshan's!

"Let's begin." Lin Zhe got into position.

Longya moved. So fast it was almost a blur, a punch aimed straight at Lin Zhe's face. Lin Zhe dodged to the side, simultaneously delivering a sweeping kick. Longya leaped to avoid it, landing with a follow-up elbow strike.

The two exchanged blows rapidly on the training field, the sounds of fists and feet clashing constantly ringing out. Lin Zhe grew increasingly alarmed as the fight progressed—Long Ya's skills were the strongest he had ever seen! Not only was he fast and powerful, but his moves were also unpredictable, clearly incorporating multiple fighting techniques.

But Longya was even more surprised. He had already used seven-tenths of his strength, yet he still couldn't defeat this twenty-three-year-old? Moreover, the style of kung fu Lin Zhe used was something he had never seen before—a perfect blend of strength and gentleness, with profound internal energy, clearly genuine internal martial arts!

Five minutes passed, and the two remained evenly matched. Longya's eyes turned serious; he no longer held back and unleashed his full power.

The pressure suddenly increased! Lin Zhe was immediately at a disadvantage and could only barely defend himself. But he didn't panic; instead, he became even calmer. His thirty-five years of scientific research in his previous life had instilled in him the habit of thinking under pressure.

He observed Longya's moves, searching for patterns. Ten moves, twenty moves, thirty moves...

Suddenly, Lin Zhe spotted an opportunity—Long Ya had a very short breathing gap after finishing a combo!

Now! Instead of retreating, Lin Zhe advanced, taking Long Ya's punch head-on. At the same time, his right hand flashed like lightning, grabbing the opponent's wrist. He then turned his body and executed an over-the-shoulder throw!

Longya was caught off guard by Lin Zhe's direct attack and was thrown to the ground. However, he reacted quickly, adjusting his posture in mid-air. He staggered a couple of steps upon landing but managed to stand firm—without going out of bounds or falling to the ground.

But according to the rules, he had already lost—if Lin Zhe had used a killing move instead of a throw just now, he would have been seriously injured.

Longya stopped, looked at Lin Zhe, a flash of shock in his eyes, then smiled: "Good! You pass!"

He walked over and patted Lin Zhe on the shoulder: "Who taught you that kung fu style?"

"A senior figure." Lin Zhe didn't say much more.

"Impressive." Longya nodded. "Next is shooting."

The shooting test was conducted at an indoor firing range. Longya took out several guns—pistols, rifles, sniper rifles, and even a crossbow.

"Fixed target, moving target, multiple targets, low-light environment..." Longya said, "Ten shots for each, 90 rings or more to pass."

Lin Zhe completed each task. He fired ten shots in rapid-fire from a pistol, all hitting the bullseye; he fired ten shots in single bursts from a rifle, also hitting the bullseye; with a sniper rifle, he hit nine targets at a moving target 1200 meters away, with one shot scoring nine rings; and with a crossbow, he hit ten targets at a thumb-sized target fifty meters away.

Looking at the score sheet, Longya shook his head and smiled wryly: "Your shooting skills are better than mine. You pass."

The second test was tactical command and teamwork, with "Dragon Claw" as the examiner. The simulated scenario was urban counter-terrorism, where Lin Zhe had to lead a six-person team to rescue hostages and eliminate terrorists within a limited time.

Lin Zhe's performance surprised Dragon Claw—decisive command, flexible tactics, and excellent teamwork. Although some details were not perfect, his overall level had reached the standard of "Hidden Dragon".

"Have you commanded this kind of operation before?" Dragon Claw asked after the test.

"I led a squad in Hunter Blade and participated in actual combat," Lin Zhe said.

"No wonder." Dragon Claw nodded. "Pass."

The third test was on language and intelligence analysis, and the examiner was "Dragon Eyes." The test included: real-time translation of a Russian military communication, analysis of an English intelligence report, and simulating a diplomatic dialogue in Arabic...

Lin Zhe's performance once again amazed the examiners. Not only was his language fluent, but his vocabulary was also accurate, and even the differences in dialect could be heard.

"How long have you been learning a foreign language?" Long Jing asked curiously.

"I've been interested since I was little, and I've been learning ever since," Lin Zhe answered vaguely. He couldn't very well say he knew it in his past life, could he?

"Passed."

Next was the vehicle driving test. This was Lin Zhe's weakness, and as expected, he encountered difficulties.

He scored full marks in tank driving theory, but in actual operation, his turning was not smooth enough and his aiming time was too long.

Helicopter piloting was fine for takeoff and landing, but he was clearly unfamiliar with complex maneuvers.

Submarine operation remains purely theoretical.

"You need to work on this part," said the examiner, a veteran team member codenamed "Dragon Bone." "But if your theory is solid, you'll pick it up quickly. You'll barely pass."

Lin Zhe passed all the other tests—wilderness survival, infiltration, and bomb disposal—successfully. Although his performance in some events was not perfect, he met the minimum standards of "Hidden Dragon."

The final test was a loyalty test, conducted by the "Dragon King" himself.

The test was conducted in a closed room, with only Lin Zhe and the Dragon King present. The Dragon King asked pointed questions: What would you do if your family were coerced? What would you choose if the mission required the sacrifice of innocent people? How would you handle it if you discovered a problem with your superior's orders...?

Each question tests Lin Zhe's values ​​and loyalty.

Lin Zhe answered frankly: "Family is important, but the country is more important. If it really comes to that, I believe the organization will protect my family."

"Innocent people should not be sacrificed. True soldiers should find better solutions."

"If there are problems with the orders from my superiors, I will offer my opinions. But if the orders have already been issued, I will execute them first and report back to my superiors at the same time."

The test lasted an hour. At the end, the Dragon King looked at Lin Zhe with satisfaction in his eyes: "One last question—why do you want to join 'Hidden Dragon'?"

Lin Zhe paused for a few seconds before answering earnestly, "I want to become stronger and do more for my country. In Hunter Blade, there's only so much I can do. Here, I can access a wider world and play a greater role."

The Dragon King nodded: "Alright. All tests are complete. Comrade Lin Zhe, congratulations on officially becoming a member of 'Hidden Dragon'!"

That afternoon, all members of "Qianlong" gathered in the base's conference room to welcome the new team member.

Major General Long Shou stood in front, with Lin Zhe standing beside him.

"Comrades, today we welcome a new member—Colonel Lin Zhe," the leader introduced. "You all already know about Comrade Lin Zhe's background. Although his path to joining 'Hidden Dragon' is different from yours, his abilities and contributions are evident to all. From today onwards, he is one of us."

The team members applauded in welcome. There was no jealousy, only a sincere welcome—in "Hidden Dragon," strength speaks for itself. Lin Zhe had passed all the tests, proving he was qualified to stand here.

"Lin Zhe, your code name is 'Dragon Abyss'," the Dragon Head said. "This is your watch."

He handed over a black watch that looked ordinary, but Lin Zhe could tell it was unusual—it was made of special materials, had a touchscreen, was very thin, but had powerful functions.

"This is an improvement upon your individual soldier system design," Long Shou explained. "It directly connects to the national satellite system, providing global positioning, real-time communication, and even emergency medical services, monitoring, and small drone control capabilities. It's standard equipment for 'Qianlong'."

Lin Zhe put on the watch. The strap automatically adjusted to a suitable size, the screen lit up, displaying his basic information: codename Long Yuan, rank of colonel, access level A...

"Next, you will undergo vehicle driving training and overseas environment adaptation training," Long Shou said. "The training will be very intensive, and you may not be able to leave the base for several months. Therefore, I'm giving you a day off to handle personal matters."

"Thank you, Captain!"

The next day, Lin Zhe drove the vehicle issued to him by "Qianlong" away from the base. The car looked like an ordinary black SUV, but the interior had been modified—the center console had satellite communication equipment, the trunk had a hidden weapons cabinet, and there were even a basic medical kit and survival gear.

This is the style of "Hidden Dragon"—low-key, but always ready to deal with any situation.

Lin Zhe first called Zhang Xueying: "Xueying, I'm in Jinghua, are you free today?"

"Yes! Where are you? I'll come find you!" Zhang Xueying's voice was full of surprise.

Half an hour later, Lin Zhe's car stopped downstairs at Zhang Xueying's company. She rushed out, her eyes lit up when she saw Lin Zhe, but then she noticed his car and watch.

"Is this...your new car?" she asked curiously.

"Yeah, it's provided by my company." Lin Zhe didn't say much. "Get in the car, I'll take you somewhere."

"Where to?"

"My family," Lin Zhe said, looking at her. "I want to formally introduce you to my parents."

Zhang Xueying blushed instantly: "Huh? This...so fast?"

"It's not going to be quick," Lin Zhe said seriously. "You've waited for me for so long, I can't keep you waiting forever. Besides... I'm going into closed training soon, and we might not see each other for several months. Before that, I want to settle things down between us."

Zhang Xueying looked at Lin Zhe, tears welling up in her eyes: "You...you're serious?"

"Very serious." Lin Zhe nodded. "Xueying, I'm a soldier. I can't give you much companionship or a stable life. But I will use everything I have to protect you and our future. Are you willing?"

"I do!" Zhang Xueying nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her face. "I've always been willing!"

Lin Zhe smiled and reached out to wipe away her tears: "Then let's go home and see Mom and Dad."

In the car, Zhang Xueying was very nervous, constantly asking, "Does this outfit suit me? Should we buy some gifts? What do your parents like? What should I say...?"

"Relax." Lin Zhe held her hand. "My parents are easy to get along with. And... they already know about you."

"Auntie, I knew you before? How did your dad know?"

"My mom knew you before I did, and my dad and your dad were old acquaintances," Lin Zhe said. "They both really like you."

Hearing this, Zhang Xueying relaxed a little.

When they arrived at the Lin family villa, Su Wan was already waiting at the door. Seeing Lin Zhe and Zhang Xueying get out of the car, her eyes lit up, and she quickly walked over.

"Hello, Auntie!" Zhang Xueying greeted politely.

"Okay, okay, come in quickly!" Su Wan pulled Zhang Xueying's hand, beaming from ear to ear, "Xiao Zhe should have brought you back a long time ago!"

Lin Guodong was also home. When he saw Zhang Xueying, he nodded and said, "Xueying, welcome to my home."

"Hello, Uncle Lin." Zhang Xueying was a little reserved.

"Sit down, don't be nervous." Lin Guodong rarely smiled. "Xiao Zhe rarely brings friends home, so we're very happy you could come."

The family sat chatting in the living room. Su Wan warmly greeted Zhang Xueying, asking about her work and life, treating her like a daughter-in-law. Lin Guodong, though not talkative, had a gentle gaze, clearly satisfied with Zhang Xueying.

Lin Zhe watched this scene with a warm feeling in his heart. In his past life, he was an orphan; in this life, he had family, and now he had a lover... This feeling was wonderful.

During lunch, Lin Zhe officially announced: "Dad, Mom, Xueying and I are dating. She... is my girlfriend."

Su Wan was so happy she almost jumped for joy: "That's wonderful! I knew Xueying was a good girl! When are you getting married? Mom will make the arrangements!"

Zhang Xueying blushed again: "Auntie, no rush..."

"Why aren't you in a hurry? Xiao Zhe is already twenty-three, and you're twenty-seven—it's the perfect age!" Su Wan said. "Although Xiao Zhe is a soldier and busy with work, marriage won't interfere with his work!"

Lin Guodong was more rational: "Let the children decide for themselves. But Xueying, you need to think it through; marrying a soldier isn't easy."

"Uncle, I've thought it through," Zhang Xueying said earnestly. "I like Lin Zhe and understand his work. I will support him."

"Good children." Lin Guodong nodded. "Since you've made your decision, we as parents support you."

After dinner, Lin Zhe walked Zhang Xueying home. On the way, Zhang Xueying leaned on his shoulder and whispered, "Lin Zhe, I'm so happy today."

"Me too," Lin Zhe said. "But Xueying, there's something I need to make clear to you. My upcoming training will be closed off, and we might not be able to contact each other for several months. And in the future... my work might become more dangerous."

"I know." Zhang Xueying looked up at him. "I knew it from the day I chose you. But I won't regret it. Lin Zhe, I will always wait for you to come home."

Lin Zhe gripped her hand tightly, a firmness he had never felt before welling up within him.

In this life, there is one more person he must protect.

And he will become even stronger, strong enough to protect all the people and things he cherishes.

"Hidden Dragon" is just the beginning. The road ahead is long, but he will take it one step at a time, firmly and steadily.

Because he knew he had family, a loved one, and a country behind him...

These are his driving force and the meaning he protects.