Rebirth in the Dragon Kingdom: The Strongest Blade

At a military base in the western Pacific of country M, the atmosphere in the command center was so heavy it seemed like water was about to drip from it.

On the huge electronic screen, the last images of the four F/A-18s being shot down were played—although only radar tracks and images of wreckage falling into the sea were shown, the clean and efficient way the kills were carried out sent chills down the spines of every officer present.

"Gentlemen, we have lost four aircraft and four pilots have been captured." Lieutenant General Campbell, who was chairing the meeting, had a grim face. "What's worse, the wreckage has fallen into the hands of the Chinese. Although the core equipment has a self-destruct mechanism, given the current reverse engineering capabilities of the Chinese..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood. China's technology has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent years; if they obtained the wreckage of the F/A-18, they might be able to decipher some key technologies.

"We must get the pilots and the wreckage back," a rear admiral said. "Through diplomatic pressure, or... an exchange."

"Pressure?" Campbell sneered. "Didn't you see the statement from the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs? 'The Chinese nation will take all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty against any violation of its airspace.' That's incredibly tough! They never dared to say that before."

"What should we do then? Are we just going to let it go like this?"

"Of course not." Campbell stood up and walked to the world map. "The Dragon Kingdom is now confident enough to challenge us. Then we'll show them—this world is still ours to call the shots."

He pointed to several locations on the map: "These countries have always had territorial disputes with China. We provide them with equipment and intelligence, letting them provoke us. China wants to be tough? Then let them be engulfed in flames on all sides, and see if they can still stand their ground!"

"But..." someone hesitated, "these countries have too weak a military, I'm afraid..."

"It's better if they're weak." Campbell's eyes were cold. "The weaker they are, the harder it is for China to take action—winning would be dishonorable, and losing would be shameful. Moreover, as long as the conflict continues, it can deplete China's resources and distract them."

The plan was quickly formulated. A week later, unusual activity began to appear along the borders of the Dragon Kingdom in the southwest, northwest, and northeast directions.

With the covert support of Country M, several neighboring countries have been frequently conducting cross-border patrols and creating friction. Online, various negative comments targeting China have begun to circulate, some even directly questioning the combat capabilities of China's military.

"The Chinese are all talk and no action; they chicken out when it comes to a real fight!"

"Go ahead and fight if you dare! Aren't you supposed to have amazing new equipment?"

"I think those four planes just crashed on their own. China is just bragging!"

These statements clearly show signs of being organized.

Special operations training ground of Jinghua Military Region.

After eight months of grueling training, only nineteen out of the sixty trainees remained.

These nineteen men, standing on the training field, were completely different from what they had been eight months ago. Their skin was dark, their muscles were muscular, and their eyes were sharp as knives. More importantly, they had begun to possess a unique aura—silence, focus, like swords ready to be drawn at any moment.

Lin Zhe stood in front of them, holding the final assessment results sheet in his hand.

"Zhao Ming, overall score 92."

"Li Wei, 91."

"Wang Hao, 89."

"Zhang Chen, bye-bye..."

One name after another was read out, and one score after another was announced. Everyone's score was above 85—a standard that surpasses the elite level of ordinary special forces.

"Congratulations." Lin Zhe put down the report cards. "From today onwards, you are officially members of the 'Abyss Squad.' Abyss—a hidden dragon emerging from the abyss, a sharp sword being drawn. This name means that you are the first batch of openly trained special forces trained by 'Hidden Dragon.'"

The eyes of the nineteen people lit up. Eight months of sweat and blood had finally earned them this identity.

"However," Lin Zhe changed the subject, "you are still far from being true 'Hidden Dragons.' Every member of 'Hidden Dragons' is an all-around war machine. Right now, you are only slightly better than ordinary special forces soldiers."

No one objected. They had witnessed Lin Zhe's strength and the skills of Longya and his group firsthand. That kind of gap couldn't be bridged by effort alone.

"Next, you're missing one last thing," Lin Zhe said, looking at them. "Practical experience."

He turned on the projector, and a map of the Dragon Kingdom's border was displayed on the screen, marked with several red dots.

"Recently, several neighboring countries, instigated by the United States, have frequently provoked our border. The Central Military Commission has decided to take appropriate action," Lin Zhe said. "The Chuyuan Squad, along with four other similar squads from other military regions, will carry out this mission."

Nineteen men clenched their fists. The real battle was finally here.

"The mission is simple—infiltrate enemy territory, carry out sabotage, harassment, and decapitation strikes. Don't reveal your identity, leave no trace. Make them feel the pain, but leave them unable to find out who did it." Lin Zhe paused. "This is real combat; there will be bloodshed and sacrifice. Now, does anyone want to back out?"

Nobody moved.

"Okay." Lin Zhe nodded. "You have 24 hours to prepare. We'll depart at this time tomorrow."

The next day, at the same time, five special teams from five military regions set off simultaneously.

In the southwest, Longya led the "Southwest Blade" squad to infiltrate a neighboring country that had repeatedly crossed the border to provoke conflict. They moved through the jungle like ghosts, taking down three border outposts, killing seventeen soldiers, and destroying two armories overnight.

In the northwest, the "Northwest Wolf" squad, led by Dragon Claw, entered the Gobi Desert. They used long-range sniping and demolition to keep the enemy's patrol convoy at bay for three days, and even "accidentally" bombed the temporary residence of a US military advisor.

In the northeast, Long Ying led the "Northeast Snow Leopard" squad, lying in wait for 48 hours in the icy wilderness, and successfully beheaded a major general in charge of border affairs. The operation was swift and clean; they weren't even caught on surveillance cameras.

In the eastern direction, the "Eastern Falcon" squad, led by Longci, infiltrated from the sea, destroyed two patrol boats that were under repair, and left a message in spray paint on the wall of the enemy naval base: "Those who cross the line will die."

Lin Zhe personally led the "Chuyuan Squad" to choose the most difficult target—a country that, with the support of the United States, frequently conducts military exercises and openly clamors to "reclaim lost territory".

Late at night, at the border.

Nineteen men, fully armed, their faces painted with camouflage. They stared coldly at the lights opposite them.

"Remember," Lin Zhe concluded, "we're not here to fight, we're here to teach them a lesson. Hit them hard, instill fear, but don't kill indiscriminately. Target military objectives, target commanders."

"clear!"

"action."

Nineteen figures, like nineteen sharp arrows, pierced the darkness.

Their actions were more ruthless and precise than the other four teams.

On the first night, they wiped out an enemy battalion-level command post. The battalion commander was "killed" in his sleep, and the battle plan in the safe disappeared.

On the second night, they blew up two main roads connecting the front lines. The demolition points were chosen with extreme cunning, and repairs will take at least a month.

On the third night, they infiltrated a military base on the outskirts of the enemy capital and planted a time bomb in the ammunition depot. The explosion triggered a chain reaction that destroyed a third of the base's equipment.

The enemy army went mad. They deployed a large number of troops to search for them, using helicopters, military dogs, and even special forces. But they couldn't even catch a glimpse of the enemy.

The "Izubuchi Squad" operates like ghosts, appearing and disappearing unpredictably in the heart of the country. Today they bomb an oil depot, tomorrow they raid an outpost, and the day after they leave a warning letter outside a high-ranking officer's villa.

On one of their most ruthless occasions, they even infiltrated the perimeter of the enemy's Ministry of National Defense and used sniper rifles to fire a line of bullet holes into the wall, forming the words: "Provoke us again, and next time we'll infiltrate the area."

This blatant threat shocked and enraged the opposing leadership, but they were powerless to do anything about it. They had no idea who the enemy was, how many people they had, where they came from, or where they were going.

Ten days later, all five teams withdrew back to China simultaneously.

mission completed.

All provocative actions by the five countries have ceased, and the border has returned to calm. The arrogant online rhetoric has also vanished overnight.

None of the five teams suffered any casualties.

At the victory celebration of the Jinghua Military Region.

The nineteen members of the "Emerging Abyss Squad" each wore a gleaming medal on their shoulders. They sat below, trying to remain calm, but the excitement and pride in their eyes were impossible to hide.

Lin Zhe stood on the stage, looking at them: "You have passed this combat assessment. From today onwards, the 'Chuyuan Squad' is officially incorporated into the Jinghua Military Region as a special combat force."

There was thunderous applause.

"However," Lin Zhe continued, "this is not the end, but the beginning. In the future, you will have more missions and more dangerous battles. Remember your experiences over these ten days—be calm, decisive, ruthless, but hold the line."

"Yes!" the nineteen answered in unison.

After the celebration party, Lin Zhe returned to his office. Dragon Fang, Dragon Claw, Dragon Shadow, and Dragon Thorn were already waiting for him.

"Is everything arranged?" Longya asked.

"It's all arranged." Lin Zhe nodded. "The Chuyuan Squad and the other four squads are now complete. They will continue training and carrying out missions in their respective military regions."

"So what about us?" Dragon Claw cracked his knuckles. "The training mission is complete, shouldn't we get down to business?"

Lin Zhe looked at the four men, his eyes turning cold: "The US's instigation of this border conflict cannot be let off so easily. Do they think they can get away with it by hiding in the back? Dream on."

"you mean……"

"Go to the US," Lin Zhe said, emphasizing each word. "To teach them a lesson."

Long Ying pushed up his glasses: "Five people going together? That's quite a large group. 'Hidden Dragon' rarely makes a group move."

"It's precisely because it's rare that it's so deterrent," Lin Zhe said. "We want the US to know that China not only has advanced equipment, but also top-notch special operations forces. Anyone who dares to provoke us will pay the price."

The five of them exchanged glances, and each saw excitement in the other's eyes.

"When do we depart?" Long Ci asked.

"Three days from now," Lin Zhe said. "These three days are for preparing equipment and making plans. This mission—no support, no backup, a completely independent operation. The target is... the US mainland."

The room was silent for a few seconds.

Going to carry out a mission on US soil is extremely risky. But it is precisely because of the high risk that it is all the more meaningful.

"Damn it!" Longya was the first to speak up. "I've been wanting to get rid of those bastards for a long time!"

"Agreed." Dragon Claw nodded.

"Count me in," Long Ying said.

"Of course I'll go," Dragon Thorn laughed.

Looking at his four comrades, Lin Zhe felt a surge of pride. This was the "Hidden Dragon," the nation's sharpest blade. Wherever its edge pointed, nothing could withstand its power.

"Alright, we'll set off in three days."

Three days later, late at night.

At a military airport in Beijing, an unmarked transport plane sat silently on the runway. Lin Zhe and his four fully armed men boarded the plane.

Inside the cabin, there were no people seeing them off, no farewell drinks. Only five silent figures and five pairs of sharp eyes.

"One last check of the equipment," Lin Zhe said.

The five began their final checks. Weapons, ammunition, communication equipment, disguised identification, backup identities... every single item was related to the success or failure of the mission, even their lives.

The inspection is complete, and the plane takes off.

Outside the porthole, the lights of Beijing gradually faded into the distance.

Lin Zhe leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes. Memories of his past life flashed through his mind—from the border defense company to the special forces, from "Hidden Dragon" to training new troops, from designing equipment to personally test-flying…

In this life, he did many things and changed many things.

But not enough.

Country M is still provoking, and some countries are still coveting China's land and resources.

What he wanted to do was let these people know that the Dragon Kingdom was no longer the Dragon Kingdom of a hundred years ago. And that the soldiers of the Dragon Kingdom were not just soldiers who only knew how to protest.

If you dare to reach out your hand, we'll chop it off; if you dare to reach out your foot, we'll chop it off.

The plane flew through the clouds, heading towards the other side of the ocean.

A special operation targeting Country M is about to begin.

This operation will declare a fact to the world—

The "Hidden Dragon" of the Dragon Kingdom can not only protect the country, but also spread the flames of war to the homeland of any enemy who dares to provoke them.

This is both a warning and a declaration.

It heralds the arrival of a new era.