Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

Northwest Military Region, Operations Command Center.

Commander Lieutenant General Jiang Tao stood in front of the huge electronic sand table, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the table. He was fifty-five years old, with a square face, thick eyebrows, and eyes as sharp as an eagle in the Gobi Desert.

"The Southwest Military Region has responded." Chief of Staff Yang Zhenhua handed over a document. "Chen Jianfeng has agreed to the exercise, scheduled for the 15th of next month. But he has added a condition."

"What are the conditions?" Jiang Tao took the document and quickly glanced at it.

"He suggested applying to the Central Military Commission to allow the 'Hidden Dragon' team to join the exercise as a third-party sabotage force." Yang Zhenhua paused, "Old Chiang, this 'Hidden Dragon'... we've only heard of it, we've never actually seen it."

Jiang Tao put down the documents, walked to the window, and looked at the soldiers training on the field outside. The Northwest Military Region is located on the frontier, where the environment is harsh, and the troops have always been known for their fierce discipline. But ever since he watched the video of the exercises conducted by the Southwest and Jinghua Military Regions, especially the elusive tactics of the Hunter Blade Special Forces, Jiang Tao had been holding back a strong desire to prove himself.

"Old Chen wants to use 'Hidden Dragon' to give us a warning—and also to give his own men a warning." Jiang Tao turned around, his eyes complicated. "Hunter Blade won first place in the army-wide competition, and it's getting a little cocky. He wants to put it in its place. And also... let us see what real special operations are all about."

Yang Zhenhua frowned: "But if 'Hidden Dragon' really comes, this exercise will be difficult to control. I've heard that all of them are monsters."

"That's exactly what we want—they're hard to control." A hint of excitement flashed in Jiang Tao's eyes. "Old Yang, our 'Azure Wolf' special forces team in the Northwest has made considerable progress in the past two years. But how does it compare to Hunter Blade? How does it compare to the legendary 'Hidden Dragon,' which has been trained since childhood? We'll never know the gap until we actually clash."

He returned to the sand table, pointing to the terrain of the southwestern border: "The exercise area is set at the foot of the Helan Mountains, a mixed terrain of mountains, Gobi Desert, and jungle, extending 200 kilometers from north to south. The Red side is our northwest, and the Blue side is our southwest. Each side will deploy one mechanized infantry regiment, one army aviation squadron, plus their respective 'Grey Wolf' and 'Hunter Blade' special operations teams."

"Conventional confrontations are boring." Jiang Tao drew a circle on the sand table with his finger. "But if two 'hidden dragons' are infiltrated and cause sabotage in both sides' defense zones, decapitate commanders, and blow up key nodes... then this exercise will be really interesting."

Yang Zhenhua smiled wryly: "You've brought this on yourself. What if 'Azure Wolf' gets turned upside down by 'Hidden Dragon' all by himself? Where will that leave the Northwest Military Region's reputation?"

"Face?" Jiang Tao waved his hand dismissively. "What matters in war is strength, not face. If 'Azure Wolf' can't even handle one person, then it means our training has problems and needs to be improved!"

He grabbed the red phone on the table and dialed the dedicated line of the Operations Department of the Central Military Commission: "This is Jiang Tao from the Northwest Military Region. Regarding the joint exercise plan with the Southwest Military Region, we agree with Commander Chen Jianfeng's suggestion to request the 'Hidden Dragon' unit to intervene as a third party..."

At the same time, in Beijing, at the Central Military Commission building.

Five generals sat in the small conference room, the stars on their shoulder insignia gleaming under the lights. Seated at the head of the table was General Li, the 75-year-old Deputy Chief of the General Staff, a sprightly old general with gray hair.

He held the joint exercise application submitted by the Southwest and Northwest Military Regions in his hand. When he turned to the last page and saw the line "Request for intervention of the 'Hidden Dragon' unit," the corners of his mouth couldn't help but turn up.

"Those two old bastards have some nerve," General Li said, passing the documents to the generals beside him. "Want to see 'Hidden Dragon'? Fine, let them see as much as they want."

Lieutenant General Zhao Gang, seated on the left—the political commissar of the Jinghua Military Region and also Zhao Keke's father—took the document, glanced at it, and chuckled, "Jiang Tao and Chen Jianfeng are really going at it. One wants to see the gap between himself and the Southwest, and the other wants to give the special forces team that just won first place a warning. But dragging 'Hidden Dragon' into this... they'll probably regret it."

"It's good that they regret it." General Li picked up his teacup and took a sip. "We've spent so many resources training 'Hidden Dragon,' but these military region commanders only know that this unit exists; they have no idea how strong it really is. Let's take advantage of this exercise to open their eyes."

Another general had some concerns: "Sir, exposing 'Hidden Dragon' in a military region-level exercise raises questions about secrecy..."

"Don't reveal their specific identities." General Li had already considered this. "The 'Hidden Dragon' team members participating in the exercise will only give their code names, not show their faces, and will withdraw immediately after the exercise. Just let those two military regions know how powerful they are; we don't need to know who they are."

He paused, a sly glint in his eyes: "And I have an idea about who to send this time."

"Please speak."

"Isn't there a young man who just transferred to 'Hidden Dragon' in the Southwest Military Region? Colonel Lin Zhe, who's twenty-three years old." General Li looked at Zhao Gang. "Old Zhao, you should have heard of him, right?"

Zhao Gang nodded: "I met him once at Commander Zhang's house. He was incredibly young and had earned several first-class merits. He was truly a talented person."

"It's him." General Li tapped the table. "This kid served in the Southwest Military Region and knows the Hunter Blade Special Forces inside and out. But he's in 'Hidden Dragon' now, his identity has changed. If we send him to the Northwest Military Region to cause trouble... what do you think Chen Jianfeng's expression would be if he knew his old subordinate was causing chaos on the other side?"

The generals in the conference room all laughed. It was a wicked idea, but also quite amusing.

"Then it's settled." General Li made the final decision. "Notify the 'Hidden Dragon' base to send two people to participate in the exercise. Lin Zhe will go to the Northwest Military Region, and another team member will be selected to go to the Southwest Military Region. Mission objective: To destroy both sides' command systems, logistical nodes, and key equipment to the greatest extent possible without revealing their identities. Evaluation criteria: The greater the 'battle damage' inflicted, the higher the score."

He added, "Tell the Dragon King that this isn't a real battle, but it should be treated as one. I want the soldiers from those two military regions to know that in real war, there's no distinction between the front lines and the rear—a deadly knife could be lurking in any corner."

The order was transmitted to the "Hidden Dragon" base via a top-secret communication channel thirty minutes later.

The third basement level houses the operations conference room.

Lieutenant General Dragon King sat in the main seat, while Major General Dragon Head stood beside the projection screen. Below them sat four team members—Lin Zhe, Dragon Fang, Dragon Claw, and Dragon Eye. The other team members were out on missions, leaving only them at the base.

"Have you read the orders?" The Dragon King's voice was deep. "The Southwest and Northwest Military Regions are conducting a joint exercise, with 'Hidden Dragon' involved as a third-party sabotage force. The Central Military Commission has specifically requested two people, one to the Southwest and one to the Northwest."

Longya whistled: "These two commanders are quite the entertainers. Want to see us put on a show?"

"This isn't a performance, it's a lesson." The Dragon King scanned the four people. "In recent years, the special forces teams of various military regions have made rapid progress, and some have started to get arrogant. Hunter Blade won first place in the entire army, and its tail is wagging in the sky. The 'Azure Wolf' in the Northwest is not convinced either, thinking that its team is no worse than others."

He paused for a moment: "This exercise is meant to show them that there are always people more capable than you, and there's always something beyond your understanding. Our mission is to be that 'people more capable than you.'"

Long Shou continued, "Specific assignments: Long Ya, you go to the Southwest Military Region. Lin Zhe, you go to the Northwest."

Lin Zhe was taken aback: "I'm going to the Northwest?" He originally thought he would be going to the Southwest, after all, that was his old unit.

"I'm sending you to the Northwest." The Dragon King looked at him. "You're too familiar with the Southwest; going there would prevent you from fully utilizing your 'Hidden Dragon' potential. You're not familiar with the Northwest Military Region, which will be a good test of your adaptability and combat capabilities in unfamiliar environments."

Long Shou added, "Moreover, the Central Military Commission specifically requested you to go to the Northwest. They probably want to see just how capable you, a 'newcomer' who was just transferred from the military region to 'Hidden Dragon,' really are."

There was a hidden meaning in those words. Lin Zhe understood—this was both an assessment and a demonstration.

"The exercise area is located at the foot of the Helan Mountains, spanning 200 kilometers from north to south and 80 kilometers from east to west." Long Shou pulled up a map. "The red force is in the northwest, and the blue force is in the southwest. Each side has one mechanized infantry regiment, one army aviation squadron, and one special operations team. After the exercise begins, you will choose your own timing and method to infiltrate and begin your sabotage operations."

Longya stroked his chin: "Are there any restrictions?"

"Two rules." The Dragon King held up one finger. "First, the 'Hidden Dragon' identity must not be revealed. Upon capture or 'death,' immediately withdraw from the exercise and do not disclose any information. Second, no actual casualties are allowed. Besides that…"

A fierce glint flashed in his eyes: "Go all out. Blow up any command posts, communications stations, fuel depots, radar stations you can. Kill any commanders you can 'decapitate,' from regimental commanders to generals. I want you to turn this exercise into a nightmare for those two military regions."

A few seconds of silence filled the conference room. Dragon Claw grinned: "This is exciting!"

"Don't get too excited," the Dragon King said, pouring cold water on your enthusiasm. "There are only two of you, but you're facing two complete military region combat systems. The 'Azure Wolf' special forces of the Northwest Military Region are no pushovers, not to mention the Hunter Blade of the Southwest. Once your whereabouts are exposed, you'll be facing an encirclement and annihilation by hundreds or even thousands of people."

Long Jing adjusted his glasses and calmly analyzed, "Judging from the difficulty of the mission, it's actually more dangerous for Longya to go to the southwest. Hunter Blade just won first place and their morale is high, plus they were trained by Longyuan. Although Longyuan is going to the northwest, the environment is unfamiliar, but 'Azure Wolf' doesn't know his methods, so they might be more successful."

"Not necessarily," Lin Zhe said. "Precisely because the environment is unfamiliar, I need more time to reconnoiter and adapt. And the Northwest Military Region will definitely be highly vigilant towards unfamiliar faces, so the difficulty of infiltration may not be lower than in the Southwest."

"That makes sense." The Dragon King nodded. "So you need to use your brains, not just brute force. What is the greatest advantage of 'Hidden Dragon'? All-around individual combat capability and battlefield mindset. Creating the greatest chaos with the least cost."

He checked the time: "The exercise begins in fifteen days. You have a week to prepare, gather information on the Northwest Military Region and the 'Azure Wolf' Special Forces, and study the terrain and climate of the Helan Mountains. You will depart in a week and enter the exercise area in advance to lie in wait."

"yes!"