The Rise of a Special Forces Soldier Abandoned by a Wealthy Family

Time passed amidst painful trials and subtle joys.

Zero began to exhibit a complex quality, like a thorny wildflower growing from a crack in the stone of a fortress courtyard—both resilient and tenacious...

Occasionally, a few mischievous little flowers will bloom, seemingly out of place but full of vitality.

Zero's leadership is no longer limited to survival commands.

An almost mischievous sense of humor began to grow in him, especially when he was with Baroque and Xue Yan.

He knew where the line was, but his actions and words always seemed to be recklessly testing the limits of that line.

1. Playing pranks on the "Great Demon King" and the "Frankenstein's monster".

Baroque liked to use a high-pressure water gun to wash these "mud monkeys".

After one training session, Zero noticed that the water gun connector was a bit loose.

When Baroque picked up the water gun again with great enthusiasm.

Instead of bowing his head and enduring it as usual, Zero raised his head, his face revealing a "sincere" expression that even the mud couldn't hide:

"Old man, the water flow seems a bit weak. Have you not eaten enough?"

Baroque glared with his one eye: "You little brat, you dare complain that I'm not strong enough?!" He then suddenly increased the water pressure.

In that instant, Zero seemingly unintentionally kicked the loose connector with his toe.

"Pfft—Sizzle—!" The high-pressure water hose suddenly detached, and the unrestrained jet of water didn't spray towards the children—

Instead, it bounced back at a tricky angle, soaking Baroque completely from head to toe, even extinguishing the cigar in his mouth.

The children were stunned. Then Little Sparrow couldn't help but burst out laughing. Iron Dun quickly covered his mouth, his shoulders shaking wildly, and even Cold Thorn's lips twitched.

Baroque wiped the water from his face, his single eye burning with rage.

But looking at Zero's innocent expression that said, "I didn't do it, it just fell on its own," and then at the other mercenaries beside him who were struggling to suppress their laughter, he actually laughed in anger:

"Damn it! You little monster, you dare to do this?! Clean the toilet for me tonight!"

Zero lowered his head and said "respectfully," "Yes, old killer." As he turned around, he secretly winked at his companions.

Dealing with Xue Yan requires more precise operations.

Xue Yan is a germaphobe; his white coat is always spotless.

On one occasion, Xue Yan brought a newly developed "physical stimulant" for Zero to test.

After the effects of the drug wore off, Zero felt hot all over and his skin turned red.

As Xue Yan approached to record the data, Zero suddenly swayed weakly, revealing the dark berry powder that the little sparrow had discovered—and secretly hidden and crushed—

"Accidentally," the entire smear landed on the front of Xue Yan's snow-white coat, leaving an unsightly purplish-red stain.

Xue Yan's face instantly turned more ashen than any poison he had ever tried.

Zero immediately apologized in a "weak" manner:

"I'm sorry, Doctor... I'm dizzy... I lost my balance..." His tone was so sincere that he almost believed it himself.

Looking at Zero's "innocent" yet "painful" face, and then at his beloved white coat, Xue Yan's fingers trembled with anger. Finally, he squeezed out a sentence through gritted teeth:

"...Side effects...recorded as...transient disorientation and loss of balance!"

Then, with a livid face, he quickly left, probably to change his clothes.

Zero watched his retreating figure, secretly making a victory sign. His three companions stared in disbelief, then expressed their utmost admiration with their eyes.

II. "Harassment" of the Veterans Group and a Special "Gift".

Besides burly thugs like Baroque, the fortress also housed some veterans who had been discharged due to injury and were now responsible for miscellaneous tasks.

They are usually silent, gloomy, and marginalized, as if they were just ghosts in a fortress.

Zero, however, became interested in them.

He often led his "small squad" on "special training"—the target being these old, weak, sick, and disabled mercenaries.

A veteran who lost an arm, nicknamed "One-Armed," likes to sunbathe and nap in the afternoon.

Zero then ordered Sparrow to steal the prosthetic limb that he had placed next to him, had Iron Pile carry it, and Cold Thorn kept watch, while he himself drew a crooked smiley face on the prosthetic limb with charcoal.

When the one-armed old man wakes up and discovers his prosthetic leg is missing, he gets so angry that he blows his beard and glares. But then he finds the prosthetic leg placed not far from him, with a funny smiley face on it, leaving him unsure whether to curse or laugh.

Another lame veteran, "Iron Cudgel," often lost his crutch, which was eventually found to be used by a few little mud monkeys as "knight's lances" for a comical "broomstick race" in the yard.

But when Tieguai almost fell while chasing them, Zero would be the first to rush over and brace him with his thin shoulders.

The most classic story is about "Iron Pliers," a veteran who lost both hands.

Iron Pliers could only manipulate some items with his remaining arm and teeth. He cherished his old sidearm, even though it was long out of bullets; it was a symbol of his past glory.

One day, Zero led his team in a meticulously planned "secret operation".

Little Sparrow was in charge of keeping watch, while Cold Thorn used his stealth talent to approach quietly.

Iron Button was responsible for blocking the view, while Zero personally took action, cleverly "stealing" Iron Pliers' beloved sidearm with a thin wire.

Upon discovering the iron clamps, he nearly went mad, frantically smashing things with his severed arm, his roars echoing throughout the fortress.

The Baroques were alarmed and threatened to skin the troublemaker alive.

However, a few hours later, Iron Pliers found his gun in a corner where old tires were piled up.

The gun was polished to a shine (using the little bit of oil saved from the No. 0 gun), and there was a small cloth bag underneath it.

Inside the cloth bag, besides the gun, were several black pills with a pungent smell, carefully wrapped in tattered oil paper.

Next to it was an "instruction manual" drawn in charcoal, which only they could understand:

A grinning little figure (representing them) points to a little figure clutching its arm in pain (representing the clamps), then an arrow points to the pill, and the little figure turns happy.

That was the painkiller developed by Zero.

He had been observing the iron clamp for a long time and noticed that it often groaned in pain on rainy days.

He used the herbal knowledge taught by Xue Yan (although most of it was about poisons).

Command the little sparrows to search all over the mountains and fields for wild herbs that may have analgesic effects.

Iron Pier was responsible for smashing, while Cold Thorn was responsible for "stealing" a little bit of the discarded drug base.

Finally, Zero fine-tuned the dosage using his own body (he had tested the most drugs and had an intuitive understanding of their properties).

They concocted these few herbal pills that might be useful, or perhaps just for psychological comfort.

Iron Pliers stared at the gleaming gun and the rough packet of pills, remaining silent for a long time.

He used his amputated arm to pick up a pill, put it in his mouth, and the bitter taste spread, but it seemed that a slight numbing sensation relieved the excruciating pain.

More importantly, the feeling of being quietly "cared for" by a group of little monsters from hell was like a ray of light shining into his already cold and lifeless heart.

He knew this was more than just a few pills.

This is their concern for him, a glimmer of warmth in this cruel world.

Tieqian's eyes gradually welled up with tears. He felt the warmth, as if the whole world had become less cold.

He held the packet of pills tightly, as if he were holding the most precious thing in his life.

He knew that with this group of friends, he was no longer fighting alone.

They will face the challenges of the future together and walk this difficult journey together.

He didn't say thank you, and even later when he saw Zero and the others, he would still glare at them fiercely.

But ever since then, he has often "accidentally" dropped some delicious food on the road they pass by.

The pranks led by Zero, which may seem like childish mischief, are actually a unique form of communication in a distorted environment.

It broke the cold, dog-eat-dog rules of the fortress, injecting a touch of warmth tinged with thorns.

These behaviors make Zero, beyond his cruelty, come alive, humorous, and even have a bit of the charm of a "king of kids".

He coldly calculates the probability of survival, yet he also develops painkillers for veterans who have lost a hand;

He could withstand Xue Yan's highly toxic reagents without batting an eye, and would secretly be happy for a long time after successfully tricking Baroque.

This contradiction, while infuriating to Baroque and Xue Yan, also made them even more interested in him.

Meanwhile, Little Sparrow, Iron Shovel, and Cold Thorn found fleeting joy in this risky humor and pranks, and their trust in Zero grew ever stronger.

Their bond became unbreakable through their repeated joint "crimes" and sharing of punishments.