Me? Chen Dafeng? Tolerate Him?!

9:20 AM.

Under Jiang Xiaoci's direct orders, a new mission briefing landed in front of Chen Dafeng.

"Special Operations... Behind Enemy Lines?"

Chen Dafeng frowned as he scanned the document in his hands. Stroking his chin, he muttered, "Since when did they add 'Behind Enemy Lines' to the name?"

Curious, he flipped to the detailed mission instructions. As he read further, his expression became increasingly peculiar.

One of his subordinates, noticing the shift in his demeanor, leaned closer. "Boss, are they making things difficult for you?"

"Difficult? Not really," Chen Dafeng replied with a wry smile, shaking the document. "But it feels like they're seriously underestimating me."

The keen-eyed subordinate caught sight of a key excerpt on the paper and read it aloud:

"Specially appointing Comrade Chen Dafeng to infiltrate the city center stronghold and, with the guidance of undercover agent Wang Shi, rescue trapped civilians.

Considering the high risk of this mission, Comrade Chen Dafeng is advised to conceal his identity and endure hardships beyond normal limits.

The Commander has repeatedly emphasized that Comrade Chen Dafeng must prioritize his safety above all else. If necessary, he is permitted to abandon the mission to ensure his safe return."

Chen Dafeng let out a cold chuckle as he read the passage again. "'Abandon the mission if necessary'? Hah! Do they think I'm weak? And 'endure hardships beyond normal limits'? What am I, some kind of ninja turtle?"

He tossed the mission briefing aside and gazed out toward the distant city center stronghold. "Me? Chen Dafeng? An S-ranked powerhouse? Do they think I need to endure?"

His subordinates scrambled to pick up the document, scanning it nervously before offering suggestions:

"Boss, maybe they're just being cautious. It's a warzone out there—gotta think about the bigger picture."

"Yeah, they clearly value you a lot, Boss! They don't want anything bad to happen to you."

"Absolutely! You're the strongest in the city! Without you, the people of Jinling wouldn't stand a chance!"

"Boss, how about letting us tag along? Strength in numbers, you know. We could help out if things get dicey."

Their chatter only made Chen Dafeng's expression darken further. Finally, unable to contain his frustration, he roared:

"Shut the hell up!"

The room fell silent as he grabbed the mission paper. "This mission is mine. Alone. What? You think you're gonna steal my credit?"

He glared at them, his voice like ice. "And what's this talk about danger? You're just dead weight. If you follow me, I'll end up saving your asses instead."

He scanned their faces. "So, even you think I'm not up to this, huh? Just like the higher-ups?"

His subordinates shrank back under his piercing gaze. One brave soul timidly asked, "So... are you still taking the mission, Boss?"

Chen Dafeng snorted, "Of course I'm taking it! But you lot are staying here. No one follows me. Got it?"

He turned toward the window, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Infiltrate? Stealth? Why bother? I'll march straight into their base, flip the place upside down, and show those desk jockeys what I'm really capable of."

Without another word, Chen Dafeng vanished in a blur, leaving his subordinates gaping in stunned silence.

"Boss is gone!"

"Should we follow him?"

"Did you not hear what he said? If we follow, we're dead meat!"

"Let's just hope he comes back safe. If anything happens to him, our lives in this new settlement will be hell."

Some of the group sighed, concern etched on their faces. A few, however, exchanged guilty glances, bowing their heads.

"Boss is strong—he'll be fine, right? I mean, it was the Commander's idea to push him like this…"

The city center's villa district was a fortress under Dongfang Qiang's iron-fisted control. The streets leading in were fortified with machine guns and trenches, snipers stationed in surrounding buildings, and abandoned vehicles turned into makeshift barriers.

Dongfang Qiang prided himself on his meticulous defenses. Ever since upgrading to a Level 1 shelter, he had poured countless resources into shoring up his base's weaknesses. His natural talent allowed for rapid troop production, but he knew his forces still fell short compared to certain individuals.

Particularly Chen Dafeng.

Dongfang Qiang hated the man. No matter how many drones or soldiers he deployed, nothing seemed to faze that monster. Bullets? Useless. Explosives? Futile. Yet, he also knew Chen Dafeng couldn't outright destroy his stronghold—this stalemate was the only thing keeping him calm.

But as alarms blared across the villa district, his confidence wavered.

"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!"

Red lights flashed atop the rooftops, and the shrill wails of the sirens echoed through the streets. Dongfang's soldiers scrambled into position.

"What's going on? Is it the Commander's forces attacking?"

"No, it's Chen Dafeng! Just him!"

"Him again? Tch. No big deal—he can't actually harm us."

The soldiers relaxed slightly but still moved to man their stations. Within minutes, dozens had gathered near the front lines, weapons trained on the figure casually perched atop one of their machine gun emplacements.

It was Chen Dafeng.

Bare-chested and nonchalant, he sat there like he owned the place, a cigarette dangling lazily from his lips. Beneath his foot, the gunner lay unconscious, bloodied but alive.

"Is he here to fight or to sightsee?" one soldier muttered, baffled by the man's audacity.

Their commander snarled, "Shoot him! Now!"

"But he's bulletproof—"

"I don't care! We can't just let him sit there! Fire, damn it!"

"Open fire!"

The roar of gunfire erupted as bullets rained down on Chen Dafeng from every direction—handguns, rifles, even concealed snipers. The air crackled with the deafening cacophony of war.

Watching from the shadows, Mike observed the chaos unfold, his lips curling into a smile.

"Not bad," he murmured. "Dongfang's got decent firepower. Plenty of first-tier weapons and a solid stockpile to back them up."

Mike's gaze lingered on Chen Dafeng, who remained unbothered amidst the storm of bullets.

"This guy… what a beast," Mike chuckled. "If I can claim this territory—and that man—I'll be eating good for a long time."

4o