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

General Liu and Li Weiguo exchanged a glance, both seeing the barely suppressed excitement and exhilaration in each other's eyes.

But the two of them were seasoned veterans, and they quickly suppressed their turbulent emotions!

They regained their composure, but the burning flame deep in their eyes betrayed the turmoil within them.

Old Liu picked up the slightly cooled teacup and gulped down a large mouthful, as if trying to quench the thirst and excitement in his throat with the tea.

He put down his teacup, wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, and when he looked at Zeng Long again, his eyes had become incredibly eager, yet there was a hint of calculation in that eagerness.

"Little Dragon!" Old Liu's voice softened, carrying a hint of persuasion:

What you just said about dispatching that elite natural gas pipeline engineering team is easy to arrange. Our country's reputation as an infrastructure powerhouse is well-deserved; we can pull out several world-class teams at any time!

However, these two special operations brigades… he changed the subject, his brows furrowing at just the right moment—

His face showed a very "troubled" expression, which was perfectly controlled, as if he had really encountered a huge problem.

As he spoke, he subtly glanced at Li Weiguo beside him out of the corner of his eye, his gaze clearly conveying:

"Old buddy, it's your turn to take the role!" At the same time, his right hand under the tea table made a very quick "finger-rubbing" gesture in Li Weiguo's direction.

Li Weiguo is a man of great stature. As the head of the Ministry of State Security, his ability to read people's expressions and cooperate seamlessly is a basic skill.

He immediately understood, coughed lightly, and his face instantly showed the same "solemnity" and "worry".

He picked up where Liu left off, his tone heavy, as if discussing an ultimate question concerning the fate of the nation:

"Yes! Old Liu has definitely hit the nail on the head! The commanders and soldiers dispatched here can't just be any random person!"

Li Weiguo analyzed the situation with an air of seriousness, his fingers unconsciously tapping on his knees:

They must have an extremely deep understanding of the incredibly complex local customs, traditions, and tribal relationships in the Middle East!

They also need to adapt to the unique desert and mountainous combat environment and become familiar with the elusive combat tactics of the armed groups!

This involves multiple factors such as transnational military operations, cultural adaptation, and tactical matching, and cannot be arranged arbitrarily. If something goes wrong, it will affect the entire situation!

Thus, a military general and a security minister, two figures of paramount importance at the core of power in the Dragon Kingdom:

At this moment, however, it was as if they had encountered an unsolvable problem of the century, their brows furrowed and they sighed repeatedly!

His fingers tapped on the table, his eyes "trying" to be blank, as if he was frantically searching his mind for a suitable candidate!

He portrayed himself with such fervor, so full of concern for the country and its people, and with such dedication that he was completely immersed in the role.

Zeng Long sat opposite them, watching these two big shots openly "perform a double act" in front of him, and the corners of his mouth began to twitch uncontrollably.

He picked up his teacup, intending to take a sip to mask his expression, only to find the cup was empty.

He put down his cup, took a deep breath, and tried to calm the urge to roll his eyes.

Just then, as if struck by a flash of inspiration, Old Liu slammed his hand on the mahogany tea table with a loud bang, making the teacups jump.

He stood up "excitedly," his voice booming, as if he had made an incredibly wise decision:

Find one! It must be someone trustworthy, absolutely reliable!

Moreover, this person must have personally experienced the real-world test of combat in the Middle East and have a thorough understanding of the situation there!

They must possess exceptional combat skills, be adept at command, and know how to lead troops and complete missions in such special circumstances!

Old Liu waved his arms, his tone resolute:

Yes! Conduct selections immediately throughout the entire military region!

No! Selection alone is not enough. Once we've found the right people, I'm going to personally supervise their training!

We must train them into an invincible sword; only in this way can we ensure the mission goes perfectly!

Li Weiguo almost burst out laughing at Liu Lao's "exaggerated" performance, but quickly covered it up by looking down and drinking tea.

He put down his teacup, picked up the conversation, his face still bearing that gloomy expression, and looked at Zeng Long, asking for advice in a "sincere" tone:

"But... Elder Liu, the requirements for soldiers like this are too high! They must be loyal and reliable, exceptionally capable, and have extensive overseas combat experience... Right now, people who meet these criteria are extremely rare, very hard to find!"

He sighed, then cast a hopeful glance at Zeng Long, as if he were Zeng Long's only savior.

"Xiao Long! You...you've been traveling for years, you've seen a lot, and you have a lot of connections. Do you have any suitable and trustworthy people you could recommend? Help the country, and also help these two old folks share some of the burden?"

Zeng Long watched the two of them sing and dance in perfect harmony, their movements seamless, and finally could no longer bear it.

He put down the empty teacup he had been rubbing, and looked up—

His gaze swept over Old Liu's "righteous and awe-inspiring" face and Li Weiguo's "eagerly expectant" face, and a helpless yet somewhat resentful smile curled at the corner of his mouth:

"Hey, Old Liu, Uncle Li!" Zeng Long's voice was clearly tinged with exasperation.

"You two are putting on quite a charade...aren't you being a bit too fake? If I, Zeng Long, didn't even have this much sense, I'd be dead hundreds of times over outside, my bones could be used to make drums!"

He pointed it out directly, without holding back:

"In the end, after all this circling around, you just want me, or Tie Zhu by my side, to be your free laborer, to help you train those two special operations battalions, isn't that right?"

"good!!!"

A truly astonishing scene unfolded!

No sooner had Zeng Long finished speaking than Old Liu suddenly shouted, his face instantly turning from gloomy to sunny, and his "difficult" and "solemn" expression vanished without a trace!

Instead, there's an approving "You've finally figured it out" and a radiant "Your scheme has succeeded" smile, delivered with a speed comparable to a Sichuan opera face-changing act!

"You, Zeng Long, said it yourself! It was voluntary! We didn't force you!"

Old Liu, quite shamelessly, immediately confirmed it, pointing his finger at Zeng Long, his tone carrying an undeniable determination:

It's settled then! Tomorrow! Tomorrow morning at eight o'clock, you report to the Beijing Military Sub-district on time! I'll personally make the arrangements right away!

You can choose any unit or elite soldier from the entire military region! Train them as you please!

Time is of the essence! The Middle East is waiting for our elite troops to arrive and put things in order!

"Yes! That's right!" Li Weiguo immediately chimed in, his tone so matter-of-fact, as if he wasn't the one who had just said "it's hard to find"!

"Xiaolong! You were the one who jumped out and said it yourself. A real man keeps his word! You can't go back on your word! The country and the people are watching you!"

Zeng Long was completely stunned by the "combination punch" from the two of them! The expression on his face was quite a sight, from speechless to shocked, and then to laughing and crying at the same time.

He pointed to his own nose, then to the two cunning old foxes opposite him, who looked utterly righteous, and almost laughed out of anger:

"Old Liu! You...you were just saying you could easily be my grandfather! What about your reputation? Don't you have any shame?"

He could hardly believe his ears. "When did I say I was going? That was a rhetorical question! A question!"

"You just said that!" Old Liu and Li Weiguo said in unison, their voices loud and clear, their expressions resolute, and their eyes so "sincere" that no one could doubt them.

"I...I...!" Zeng Long opened his mouth, feeling a lump in his throat, and almost fainted.

Today he truly learned what it means to be "old ginger is spicier" and what it means to be "invincible when a person is shameless"!

The two big shots' ability to blatantly lie and forcefully "extort" others was simply unparalleled, leaving him in awe and feeling inferior!

Seeing Zeng Long's frustrated and helpless expression, a sly smile flashed in the eyes of Old Liu and Li Weiguo, but their faces remained tense.

After a long while, Zeng Long seemed to have completely given up resisting. He sighed heavily, his shoulders slumped, and he waved his hand weakly.

"Fine...fine...fine! You win! I admit defeat! I'm all alone, outnumbered and outmatched, I really can't beat you two cunning old foxes, okay?"

He sat up straight again, his expression regaining its composure, and began to negotiate:

However, we need to make things clear. This Middle East operation is too time-sensitive; I estimate that the troops will have to be deployed there in ten days to two weeks at most.

There's simply not enough time to start the selection process from scratch and then conduct high-intensity targeted training in such a short period of time!

Even if you invited the Buddha to be your instructor, you wouldn't be able to achieve anything significant in such a short time. In fact, the haste might actually negatively impact your combat effectiveness.

He proposed a compromise:

My suggestion is that you first select two of the most elite battalions from the existing special forces units with the highest combat readiness level.

Let them go first, make a scene and carry out the initial peacekeeping and deterrence mission.

I know that the special forces of each military region have their own combat missions and cannot be stationed overseas on a large scale or for a long period of time.

Zeng Long looked at the two of them and made his promise:

Once I've finished dealing with the current financial market situation and have laid out all the necessary arrangements, I'll personally go to the military!

At that time, we won't be in a rush. We'll calm down and carefully select a group of truly promising talents from across the entire army. I will personally develop the training syllabus and take charge of it myself!

We will train you to become a tough, resilient force that is capable of fighting, adapting to all kinds of complex environments, and winning battles!

Once these people are trained, we'll go and relieve the troops that were sent earlier. See, does that sound alright?

"Yes!" "Absolutely!"

Old Liu and Li Weiguo replied almost instantly, their faces beaming with smiles as bright as chrysanthemums, their eyes brimming with pride and satisfaction.

Old Liu clapped his hands and laughed heartily, patting Zeng Long's shoulder forcefully, as if he had found some priceless treasure:

"Hahaha! Good! Good lad! That's the way to go! As long as you agree to go in person, it's a deal!"

Li Weiguo smiled and patted Zeng Long's arm, his tone full of "gratification":

"Xiaolong, that's right! With great power comes great responsibility! We all believe in you!"

Looking at the undisguised joy on the faces of the two men after their "scheme succeeded," and reflecting on the entire conversation just now, Zeng Long suddenly realized what was going on!

From the very beginning, they were not simply training special forces for this Middle East operation!

Their ultimate goal, from the very beginning, was probably to find a way to "trick" Zeng Long into joining the army!

This opportunity could allow him to establish a deeper connection with the military, or even... perhaps to use his "good steel" on the "blade" of military development!

"Damn it!" Having figured this out, Zeng Long couldn't help but mutter a curse under his breath. Looking at the two cunning old foxes across from him, grinning like they'd just stolen a chicken, he shook his head helplessly. "...You guys win!"

This time, he was genuinely convinced.