Chapter 1: The Duck That Was Caught in the Net

"I don't want to be a fool soldier—" Yang Huawi's howl startled his otherwise dignified father, who nearly slid off his chair. "Look, look, I'm telling you, Huawi, you're my good son. Help your father out, okay? Do me a favor, or your grandfather will turn me into a pig's head." Master Yang of the Second Division was groveling and flattering his only son, showing none of the dignity expected of a division commander.

"No way, I just won't go," his son replied disdainfully, "Think about it, Yang Huawi, the grand division commander's son who just got admitted to the most prestigious university. And now you, this shameless father, suggest that I join the military as a new recruit? Is this some international joke? I've never had the self-awareness of the so-called 'dragon produces dragons, phoenixes produce phoenixes' type. I just want to enjoy life as a young man of leisure. Let someone like Uncle complete the grand mission of serving the country and loving the home. Don't drag me into it!"

"Huawi, just stay in the army for three years, no—just one year. After that, you'll be the boss. Whatever you want, I'll give you. Whatever you want to do, just do it," the old man said, making Yang Huawi roll his eyes and respond more dismissively, "Am I not the boss now? Do you still dare to not give me what I want? Do you think you can stop me from doing what I want?"

Seeing his father's pitiful expression, Yang Huawi found it utterly boring. He moved closer with a smirk and poked him. "And I just got admitted to a prestigious university. Nowadays, we advocate for high-quality soldiers. Do you really want to see your son as just a high school graduate? Let's talk about it after I finish university."

"But by the time you finish university, the cucumbers will have gone cold. And what's the point of a prestigious university? With your grades, you can stand out among new recruits and attend the best military academy within a year," his father continued to explain.

"Our family already has Uncle attending Huangpu Military Academy. I don't need to add anything extra," Yang Huawi said with a dark expression, feeling exasperated.

"Your uncle?! Ah, right—your uncle said he would come to pick you up to enlist, why hasn't he come yet?" The old man suddenly remembered and mumbled, receiving a cold snort from his son. Yang Huawi thought, "You all think you're so important. I'm not happy with this, and no one can force me. But—"

Yang Huawi suddenly grinned, lifted himself up, and sat on the table in front of his father. He patted his father's shoulder in a serious manner and said, "But I might be willing to join the army and be a fool soldier if you can meet one condition. If you do, then joining the military will be no problem."

"What condition? No problem—don't say one, even if it's three or five, as long as you are willing and obedient to enlist," the old man replied with a glint in his eyes.

"It's very simple. Find a girl who looks exactly like Auntie for me to be my girlfriend. She must not only look the same but also have the same, if not better, personality, conditions, and qualities," Yang Huawi said lazily, watching his father's expressive face with a touch of helplessness and melancholy. Finding another girl like Auntie, who was already a divine gift, would be a joke, let alone someone who looked exactly the same.

As the old man's face changed and he looked dumbfounded, the orderly brought in a handsome soldier, much hated for his looks. Seeing Yang Huawi's smirk and his father's helplessness, the soldier frowned and asked, "What new trouble has Huawi given you now?"

"Trouble? It's just a small request," Yang Huawi provocatively raised an eyebrow and replied dismissively.

"Huawi refuses to join the army. He said that unless we find a girl exactly like Auntie to be his girlfriend," Yang Huawi's father, Commander Yang Yitian of the Second Division, complained with a bitter face to his brother-in-law.

"Find a girlfriend just like Auntie?!" Uncle looked thoughtfully at the nonchalant Yang Huawi, rubbed his forehead, and suddenly laughed, "Finding a girl just like your Auntie is easy. Auntie has a niece who looks 90% like her. She will return from special training next year and will be even more outstanding than your Auntie. But whether you can pursue her is another story."

Hearing Uncle's words, Yang Huawi's heart moved, but he casually curled his lips and said, "Do you think you're Afanti? Just because you dangle a carrot in front of me, I'm supposed to follow along? Besides, whether the girl is as good-looking as Auntie is one thing. Since she'll be back next year, I'll see if she's worth pursuing then and decide whether to join the army. Goodbye." He waved his hand and jumped down from his father's table, intending to leave.

"Yang Huawi—stop!" Uncle shouted angrily. However, the person called clearly didn't care, and continued walking forward. Just as he opened the door, four soldiers appeared and lined up to block his path.

"What do you want? Are you going to make a move? Even if you do, you and I were evenly matched before. Now, with them added, you're still no match for me," Yang Huawi turned around and gave Uncle a disdainful look.

"Do you think so?" Uncle returned Yang Huawi a peculiar look and then ordered the four guards, "Take him to the military vehicle and send him to the division for enlistment."

Aha, so this was premeditated. Yang Huawi, enraged, spun around 180 degrees and dodged the hands reaching out to help. He kicked the legs of two of them and retaliated with his fists, while the remaining two also moved in with synchronized attacks.

Fortunately, the living room was spacious enough for a scuffle since Yang Huawi's father was a division commander. As Yang Huawi fought the four without falling behind, Uncle suddenly joined in.

"Hey, hey—Shan Hua! Be careful not to hurt Huawi!" The old man finally shouted anxiously. Before he could get a response, he was kicked away in mid-air.

"You should tell your son to be merciful and not hurt your brother-in-law," Yang Huawi said mockingly, watching his father get knocked away. However, at that moment, he suddenly noticed that the eyes of the two soldiers opposite him turned red. Their eyes were so eerie that Yang Huawi was momentarily stunned. In his moment of daze, four powerful forces surged towards him with a sharp screech.

Yang Huawi exerted his strength and leaped into the air. If this were on a battlefield, this leap would have been a way to escape the encirclement. However, in a home as fortified as a missile defense system, there was a deafening crash as Yang Huawi's head hit the ceiling. At that moment, as he rebounded off the ceiling, he was a step too slow, and the force pulled him back and dropped him into the middle of the four soldiers, who grabbed his limbs and lifted him up.

Unable to break free from their tight grip, Yang Huawi reluctantly stopped struggling. "Do you want to go to the army obediently for a year and wait for me to find a girl like Auntie to be your girlfriend, or do you want to be tortured by my subordinates until you agree to enlist?" Uncle asked menacingly.

Thinking of those red-eyed soldiers, Yang Huawi shivered. A hero doesn't fall for immediate traps. He assessed the situation and looked at the four soldiers, who should not have been his opponents but suddenly showed such explosive strength. Was there something strange about them? And those eyes were too bizarre. Yang Huawi stared at them curiously but found nothing except their exceptionally strong physique.

"I can enlist, but is there really such a girl?" Yang Huawi asked with some expectation.

"I swear on my honor, there is indeed a girl even better than Auntie. Whether she will take a liking to you in the future is not my concern," Uncle replied seriously.

"Where is the girl now?" Yang Huawi asked curiously.

"She is in the United States. If she doesn't return after a year, you can go find her," Uncle promised confidently.

"Alright then." Seeing the four intimidating soldiers, Yang Huawi reluctantly agreed and then maliciously chuckled inwardly, plotting how he would cause trouble for them. He didn't believe that these four would follow him around forever, and if they made him leave the army, it would be even better.

As for that carrot, since it was Auntie's niece, he would see her sooner or later. Having made up his mind, Yang Huawi appeared very obedient, making Uncle believe that the threat and temptation had worked. However, his usually perceptive father watched his suddenly docile son with a worried and uncertain gaze.

As Yang Huawi was let down and followed the four guards out, his father worriedly asked Uncle, "Do you think that kid will really go to the army obediently?"

"Of course, he won't be obedient right now. But if he stays for half a year, you'll probably have a hard time getting him to come back," Uncle Ni Shaoyu, Yang Yitian's brother-in-law, answered confidently.