Subordinates reported that Lu Shiyan had arrived.
"Bring him in!"
The door opened, and a choking smell of gunpowder mixed with blood rushed in first, making people frown.
Lei Laohu secretly thought to himself, the smell on this kid is even stronger than that of soldiers returning from the battlefield.
Lu Shiyan walked in so casually, his military boots thudding dully on the floor, not even lifting his eyelids, as if he was walking into his own backyard.
Lei Laohu stood with his hands behind his back, like an old general, propped in front of a huge sand table, his hawk-like eyes staring unblinkingly at the sand table.
On the sand table, the location of the B District Cannery was marked with a large, glaring red cross!
Pan Yong stood beside Lei Laohu, his thoughts racing.
Tonight's events, no matter how one looked at them, were Lu Shiyan showing his loyalty to Lei Laohu, but the weight of this loyalty was startlingly heavy.
Lei Laohu slowly turned around, his expression unreadable: "Mr. Lu, I have received your 'sincerity'!"
He emphasized the words "sincerity" heavily.
However, he was pondering whether this kid was truly surrendering or had other motives.
Lu Shiyan brushed dust from his sleeve, "Scorpion's armory is gone."
He said it so casually, as if he had just stepped on an ant.
"I know."
Lei Laohu drew out his words, pacing step by step to the back of the large rosewood desk that could serve as a bed, and sat in the spacious leather chair.
He pointed to the chair opposite him, lifting his chin slightly: "Sit."
Lu Shiyan sat down unhurriedly, his back straight, that composed demeanor making Lei Laohu more and more satisfied the more he looked at him.
"My men reported that the cannery is leveled."
"Those hundred or so men under Scorpion, not even bone fragments were left."
Lei Laohu paused, narrowing his eyes, feeling both excited and wary: "The scene..."
"It was truly clean."
The few trusted aides standing beside Lei Laohu shivered in unison when they heard the word "clean," and the hairs on their backs stood on end!
This Lu Shiyan, he wiped out the entire nest and even pulverized their bones?
This method was even more ruthless than theirs, these old hands.
Lu Shiyan didn't even blink, just looked straight back, knowing that Lei Laohu was testing his bottom line and methods.
"Commander Lei flatters me."
He said unhurriedly, "It's just sweeping away a few piles of trash occupying the latrine without defecating; it wasn't a big deal."
As soon as he finished speaking, Pan Yong's heart jolted; this kid was truly bold to dare to say such words in front of Lei Laohu.
"Trash?"
Lei Laohu's eyebrows shot up, and he let out a meaningful "heh" from his throat, a laugh that made Pan Yong's scalp tingle.
"Kid, you call Scorpion's men trash?"
"Do you think by pulling out a few of his teeth and chopping off a few of his claws, Scorpion is finished?"
Lei Laohu's voice suddenly rose, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes!
"He's deeply rooted in this B District! Those desperadoes under him, which one isn't living life on the edge of a knife?
And there are some tough nuts that even I can't figure out!"
Lei Laohu's face darkened, and his palm, as large as a cattail leaf fan, slapped "bang" on the table: "Your actions have made the entire base aware!
The commotion is too big!"
"Scorpion is indeed severely weakened, that's right! But to say he's completely wiped clean from this territory, it's still too early!"
Pan Yong listened from the side, the Commander was absolutely right; Scorpion's men were not something that could be uprooted so easily!
His concern for Lu Shiyan also arose spontaneously.
"So, Mr. Lu," Lei Laohu suddenly leaned forward, his eyes like searchlights locking onto Lu Shiyan, "If I promote you now, put you in a higher position, give you greater power, have you thought about what comes after that?"
His voice carried a sense of oppression, but he was secretly observing Lu Shiyan's reaction: "Can you bear the consequences?!"
Pan Yong and the other trusted aides' hearts were in their throats; the Commander was reprimanding Lu Shiyan!
He was also testing him! To see if he was carried away by a single victory!
Upon hearing this, Lu Shiyan's lips curved almost imperceptibly, that faint smile like a thin morning mist, yet sharp as a drawn sword.
However, his heart was calm; Lei Laohu's words were merely a prelude to the impending promotion.
"Consequences?"
He lightly uttered two words, his tone as calm as if discussing what to eat for dinner.
Lu Shiyan smiled slightly, revealing a mouthful of white teeth: "What am I afraid of?"
"With Commander Lei, such a wise and mighty leader, sitting here, what kind of monsters and demons would dare to jump out?
Even if you gave them ten times the courage, they wouldn't dare!"
He paused, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp, looking directly into Lei Laohu's eyes, enunciating each word clearly and forcefully: "Besides, I, Lu Shiyan, am never fighting alone."
"Behind me, isn't Commander Lei still backing me up?"
Pan Yong's heart jolted upon hearing this, and his gaze towards Lu Shiyan was filled with admiration and appreciation, thinking: "What a thing to say! So skillful!" The flattery was delivered subtly, yet it firmly tied his own interests with the Commander's!
Lei Laohu was slightly stunned at first, then his stern face seemed to melt like ice and snow, and he let out a loud "awooo," throwing his head back and bursting into laughter!
His doubts were completely dispelled; this kid was someone who could achieve great things.
"Hahahahahahaha!"
The laughter was deep and robust, shaking the teacup lids on the command table with a "buzzing" sound, carrying an indescribable sense of exhilaration!
"Good! What a 'I have Commander Lei protecting me'!"
Pan Yong's eyes were filled with undisguised admiration and appreciation: "Lu Shiyan, you kid, you really didn't disappoint me!"
Lei Laohu strode like a dragon and walked like a tiger to Lu Shiyan, slapping him heavily on the shoulder twice with a "bang! bang!", making Lu Shiyan's figure remain motionless.
"From today onwards, you, Lu Shiyan, are my, Lei Laohu's, left and right arm! On the same level as Pan Yong!"
Lei Laohu's voice was as loud as a bell, every word like a clap of thunder in everyone's ears!
The few trusted aides present all gasped, their hearts filled with shock.
"You can fully intervene in all matters of A District! You don't need to report to anyone!"
"You can freely enter and exit the core area of the base, including the Central Data Room where various important base intelligence is stored; no one will dare to stop you!
If there are any private places involving me in the future, you can also directly apply to me."
A hint of complexity flashed in Pan Yong's eyes, but more than that was relief and admiration.
This level of trust, besides him, Pan Yong, there was no one else in the base!
To be so highly regarded by the Commander, he indeed had extraordinary qualities.
He stepped forward and formally extended his hand to Lu Shiyan: "Mr. Lu, no, Brother Lu! Welcome aboard!
It is a blessing for all of us to have such a talented and fierce general like you in the base!"
His words came from the bottom of his heart; Lu Shiyan's displayed ability, courage, and composure in the face of change had completely won his recognition and admiration.
Lu Shiyan reached out and firmly shook Pan Yong's hand, which was slightly sweaty from nervousness, his eyes as deep as an ancient well.
However, he was calculating his next course of action.
It's done.
Everything was largely within his expectations, even smoother than anticipated; the authority Lei Laohu gave him was even more thorough than he had predicted.
He, Lu Shiyan, had finally stepped firmly into Lei Laohu's inner circle.