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Evan's bizarre theories came one after another, childish and ignorant to the point of being laughable. Clay was completely speechless.

Unable to resist, he mocked, "Are you performing a one-man play?"

"Well, if you say so, then I…"

Evan thought he had effectively shut down any possibility of the three soldiers beating him up. Proud of his "wit," he grinned smugly.

However, before he could finish speaking, Stella interrupted him.

"These are my guests. If you can't act like a normal person, then I'm sorry…"

Stella's smile was gone now, replaced by a stern expression. It was evident she was genuinely angry, and the words she left unsaid hinted at something serious.

If Evan continued to behave like this, Stella would have no choice but to ask him to leave her private party.

"Okay! Okay!"

Evan, the spoiled brat that he was, had never known true rejection and wasn't about to back down so easily.

"Yes, they're your guests. They're allowed in here. But what if they weren't guests? They'd still manage to get in.

"They always force their way through doors, entering other people's homes to take whatever they want. That's what they're trained to do! Why would you invite people like that here?"

Though Evan's words sounded righteous, they were motivated purely by selfishness.

He wanted to pursue Stella!

Now that Stella was clearly siding with Long Zhan, Evan's jealousy had reached a breaking point. His words became increasingly irrational and extreme, completely disregarding Stella's role as the host.

He was essentially tearing down the facade of civility.

It was clear that unless Long Zhan and his team were thrown out, Evan wouldn't stop making trouble.

Even though the lively music in the room continued to play, Evan's loud, sarcastic remarks were beginning to draw attention.

Most of the attendees were close friends of Stella. Evan's blatant "scene-ruining" behavior made people frown, even if they didn't fully understand the situation.

What Evan failed to realize was that his antics were starting to provoke everyone's anger.

Feeling smug, he continued, "I've heard you talk about how great American soldiers and SEALs are, blah blah blah.

"And this is what it comes down to? The *militaristic cartoonish machismo* of a nation in decline?"

The term "militaristic" carried heavy connotations, and linking it to the U.S. Navy SEALs was far more than simple mockery.

The expressions of Stella and everyone around her immediately changed.

Stella, in particular, was caught in a difficult position, visibly enraged by Evan's audacity.

"Hey, kid, besides practicing how to break doors, we also practice things like blowing up balloons with our noses and playing human bowling. Want to try?"

Cooper, a Black logistics officer from the SEALs, finally lost his patience. He cracked his knuckles menacingly and stood up.

However, someone acted faster. Without wasting a single word, Long Zhan rose from the sofa in one swift motion, crossing the coffee table in one stride.

It was Long Zhan who acted first!

When Evan saw Long Zhan standing up, he realized with a start that he was nearly two heads shorter than the man. He wasn't even tall enough to qualify as a threat.

The sheer oppressive presence radiating from Long Zhan at such close range was overwhelming, far more terrifying than it had been from a distance.

The sudden shift left Evan pale and trembling. Instinctively, he turned to run, overwhelmed by the sense of danger.

Too late.

Long Zhan was a towering powerhouse, combining immense strength with exceptional speed. His explosive movement caught even Bravo Team's second-line SEAL elite Cooper off guard.

For a pampered weakling like Evan? Escape was an impossible dream.

The thought of running had just crossed Evan's mind when a massive hand clamped down on his neck.

This hand wasn't just much larger than an average person's; it was also as coarse as sandpaper and terrifyingly strong.

The grip on his neck felt like a hydraulic press.

Desperate to survive, Evan clawed at the giant hand with both of his own, trying to pry it off. But no matter how hard he struggled, his face turned red, and the hand didn't budge an inch.

"Whoa—"

Long Zhan's sudden, lightning-fast movements elicited gasps of astonishment from everyone around.

The sight of a seemingly lumbering giant moving with such precision and speed shattered their perceptions.

Even Stella snapped out of her shock but didn't step forward to help Evan, who was already restrained.

Instead, she approached Long Zhan with concern. "Long, given your current situation, I hope you won't escalate this any further."

Stella was a genuinely intelligent woman, far outshining many others in terms of intellect.

From her limited interactions with Long Zhan, combined with snippets of information from autobiographies of retired SEALs, she had deduced that Long Zhan was still in a selection period.

Long Zhan was momentarily surprised that Stella had pieced this together. He thought to himself, *As expected of the woman I've taken a liking to—she's sharp.*

But he didn't loosen his grip.

Today, he was determined to teach this reckless pest a lesson he'd never forget.

With a powerful flex of his right arm, his sleeve stretched taut as he effortlessly hoisted Evan into the air with one hand.

Under the stunned gazes of everyone present, Long Zhan's voice held no mercy.

This brat, who had recklessly provoked him time and again, had been given ample opportunities to back down. Instead, he'd doubled down on his behavior.

Since Evan had clearly never been taught a lesson, Long Zhan decided to let him experience the harsh realities of life.

At that moment, Evan was genuinely terrified. He tried to cry for help, but the iron grip on his neck rendered him incapable of making a sound.

Even breathing was becoming increasingly difficult.

Struggling desperately with both hands and feet, Evan's efforts were utterly futile against Long Zhan's overwhelming strength.

As his oxygen ran out, the shadow of death loomed over him.

The once-cocky little man, who had brazenly taunted Long Zhan and his team, completely broke down in front of everyone.

A yellow liquid trickled down his pant leg.

He had quite literally been scared witless.