Fan Tianlei and Lei Zhan both wore serious expressions.
Neither showed the slightest hint of a smile.
Lei Zhan, in particular, looked at Lu Yun with sharp, hostile eyes.
It was obvious that he disliked him.
After all, everyone in the Special Operations Command knew that Lei Zhan had feelings for An Ran.
Now that she had married Lu Yun instead, there was no way he could be happy about it.
Lu Yun, however, remained unfazed.
After inviting the two men inside, he sat down on the sofa.
“Lu Yun, now that the wedding is over, it’s time for you to return to the army,” Fan Tianlei said.
“Understood.” Lu Yun nodded.
“According to the arrangements, you’ll report to the Northern Theater Command in five days. You’ll enlist as a new recruit and join a recruit training company. After completing basic training, the organization will assign you to another military unit.”
“What about them?” Lu Yun asked.
“After you finish recruit training, if they aren’t on a mission, they’ll be stationed at the same military district as you. If they’re deployed, they’ll be reassigned as necessary,” Fan Tianlei replied.
“I don’t want to go to recruit training,” Lu Yun suddenly said.
“Hm?” Fan Tianlei frowned immediately, displeasure evident on his face.
“What do you mean?”
“I want to join the Fire Phoenix Special Operations Team directly,” Lu Yun declared firmly.
“What did you say?” Lei Zhan’s eyes widened.
“Say that again!”
“I said,” Lu Yun replied calmly, glancing at Lei Zhan, “I want to join the Fire Phoenix Team and become one of its special forces soldiers.”
“You?” Lei Zhan burst into laughter, his tone dripping with contempt.
“You’re not qualified.”
“Stop fooling around.” Fan Tianlei looked at Lu Yun seriously.
“Special forces selection has strict requirements. Fire Phoenix, in particular, only accepts female soldiers. First, you’re a man. Second, with your physical fitness and military skills, you wouldn’t qualify for any special forces unit. Give up on that idea.”
“As far as I know,” Lu Yun said calmly, ignoring their reactions, “although the Fire Phoenix Team itself is made up entirely of women, the Fire Phoenix Special Operations Base also has male personnel, doesn’t it?”
“Every special operations base has supporting departments—an arts troupe, mess hall, medical unit, information department, logistics department, and so on.”
Before coming here, Lu Yun had thoroughly researched this world’s military structure.
It was similar to the one from his previous life, but there were several important differences.
China was still divided into the five major theater commands—Eastern, Southern, Western, Northern, and Central—following the 2016 military reforms, allowing rapid deployment in the event of war.
However, in addition to these theater commands, there were also several independent Special Operations Commands, each centered around one of the nation’s elite special forces units.
Examples included Fire Phoenix, Wolf Warrior, Red Blood Cell, and others.
Each Special Operations Command functioned as a complete military base.
Besides the special forces unit itself, it contained departments such as the arts troupe, information warfare division, logistics, medical services, and more.
Lu Yun had already worked out his plan.
There was no way he could become a Fire Phoenix special operator immediately.
Not only was Fire Phoenix an all-female team, but his current abilities were nowhere near the required standard.
So his strategy was to enter the Fire Phoenix base first in another role.
Once he became part of the base, he would complete the system’s mission, use the system to improve his abilities, and eventually earn his place as a true Fire Phoenix special operator.
After hearing Lu Yun’s explanation, Fan Tianlei frowned deeply.
The higher-ups had only ordered that Lu Yun enlist in the military.
Whether he entered recruit training or was assigned directly to a unit had never been specified.
Sending him to recruit training had been their own decision.
The purpose was simple—to grind away the arrogance of a former young master, to make him understand that he was no longer the untouchable crown prince of Beijing.
In the military, discipline came first.
Otherwise, sooner or later, his spoiled behavior would cause trouble.
Now, however, Fan Tianlei quickly guessed Lu Yun’s motive.
So the kid thinks recruit training will be too hard and wants to avoid it.
With a silent snort, Fan Tianlei shot Lei Zhan a meaningful glance.
Lei Zhan immediately understood.
Sneering, he said, “Do you think it’s that easy to get into a Special Operations Command? Even the arts troupe, the information department, or the cooks all have specialized skills.”
“What about you?”
“What can a useless playboy like you do?”
Lu Yun remained composed, though inwardly he was annoyed.
“I can join the arts troupe,” he answered.
“I can sing, dance, and do broadcasting.”
“Hmph!” Lei Zhan scoffed dismissively.
“Whether you’re capable or not isn’t the point. First, you have to pass an assessment. If you fail, you’ll get your ass to recruit training and stop wasting everyone’s time.”
Lu Yun asked calmly, “What kind of assessment?”
Lei Zhan grinned, his expression turning fierce.
“You can challenge any special forces soldier from any of our units. Pick anyone. Pick any military skill you want.”
“As long as you can defeat even one of them, you won’t have to attend recruit training. We’ll make an exception and allow you to enter the Fire Phoenix Special Operations Base directly.”
After a brief pause, he added coldly,
“But if you lose…”
“You’ll obediently report to recruit training. And believe me, I personally will make sure your training is unforgettable. I’ll teach you the difference between a real soldier and a spoiled young master.”
Rather than being intimidated, Lu Yun’s lips curled into a faint smile.
“Any military skill?”
Lei Zhan nodded confidently.
“That’s right.”