Trust Me, You'll Shatter Like Glass

Mike had considered that, given Chen Dafu's short temper, there might be some minor friction between him and Wang Chen, this cool-headed man. After all, when two strong-willed personalities clashed, it wasn't hard to imagine sparks flying.

However, Wang Zhan Shen had already shown his position—he was willing to follow Mike's orders. As long as that remained the case, he wouldn't take things too far with Mike's subordinates.

Mike's worst-case scenario was Chen Dafu irritating Wang Zhan Shen, resulting in the war god giving him a harsh lesson. But what Mike never anticipated was the scene unfolding before him.

As Mike connected to Chen Dafu's perspective, he was stunned to find the two men casually draped over each other's shoulders, acting like old friends!

Chen Dafu's right arm was confidently slung around Wang Zhan Shen's shoulder, using his height advantage to pull him closer.

What were they doing?! Why were they so familiar? How was it possible that Chen Dafu wasn't at odds with Wang Zhan Shen but instead seemed to be getting along with him so well?

Mike struggled to understand. He vaguely recalled how, not long ago, in the situation with Xinchang, Chen Dafu had a good relationship with Chen Xun.

It seemed like Chen Dafu treated his "junior" colleagues with a certain care, positioning himself as a "senior" who didn't pressure the newer members, but instead took a leadership role to guide them.

From a psychological standpoint, Chen Dafu probably saw himself as being in a position of strength, fulfilling a need for status and vanity, which meant he wasn't inclined to argue with newcomers.

"But back then, it was Chen Xun's emotional intelligence that kept Chen Dafu in check," Mike thought to himself.

"But Wang Chen isn't like Chen Xun. He's a god of war, he doesn't need anyone to coddle him. Surely, he wouldn't let Chen Dafu get away with that, right?"

Mike's confusion only deepened as he watched closely.

"Hey, Wang, see that army down there? Those are the commander's men! Impressive, right?" Chen Dafu said, his arm still around Wang Zhan Shen as they floated over the advancing defenders, tech corps, and magicians heading toward the city.

The three armies weren't at full strength, but it was their first time collaborating, and the scene was nonetheless awe-inspiring, brimming with battle fervor.

Wang Zhan Shen kept his arms crossed, eyes fixed ahead. Though he didn't glance at Chen Dafu, he still responded. "Not bad."

The two hovered in the sky near the entrance of Guangling City. They were probably guarding the main forces as they entered, alert for any potential threats from hidden talent users.

Mike felt a surge of satisfaction when he heard Wang Zhan Shen's approval. To hear such a response, even just "Not bad," from the war god himself was enough to satisfy Mike.

"Not bad?" Chen Dafu scoffed, raising his voice. "You really think you've seen the best of the best? These men are the top of the line, even in this territory. My commander's soldiers are unmatched!"

"Don't believe me? Take a look at Guangling, acting all high and mighty, bullying Dan Tu... but it was all brought to its knees by me with just one hand."

Chen Dafu puffed his chest proudly, bragging about his deeds. "You're new, so you wouldn't know, but I just dealt with Guangling's idiotic commander—this was a big win, capturing the king before the thief!"

"Definitely a big accomplishment," Wang Zhan Shen agreed, nodding with approval.

Although Wang Zhan Shen didn't think much of the difficulty of it, in Mike's time and the current situation, Chen Dafu's actions could be considered a remarkable achievement.

Chen Dafu was clearly happy with the praise, his earlier dissatisfaction fading. "You may be a bit blunt, but at least you know what's important."

"We're all the commander's soldiers. Don't go around saying such cocky stuff—it'll just get you into trouble," he continued, patting Wang Zhan Shen on the shoulder. "But don't worry. Little Wang, I'm a top guy here under the commander. You seem like a good one, so if you ever run into trouble, come talk to me. I've got your back."

You've got the war god's back?

Mike was speechless, unable to process what he was hearing. The war god wasn't just a nickname—this was a true god, one with divine power and essence. The idea that Chen Dafu thought he could "protect" Wang Zhan Shen was almost laughable.

What made Mike even more confused was that Wang Zhan Shen glanced at Chen Dafu's arm on his shoulder, then turned his gaze back to him and nodded. "Okay."

Mike was frozen, his mind racing. The war god just agreed? But why?

Was this just the attitude of a true top-tier leader, someone who didn't care to argue with those below him?

After all, who would bother picking a fight with an ant, especially one from the same side? Wang Zhan Shen probably couldn't care less about Chen Dafu's antics. If the man wanted to act up, let him—gods didn't need to prove anything.

"You're quite perceptive!" Chen Dafu said with approval, giving Wang Zhan Shen's shoulder another friendly tap. "Oh, by the way, you probably don't know who's running things in Guangling, do you? It's a woman—Jiang Xiaoci. She's... well, she's the commander's... wife, I suppose?"

He rubbed his chin and continued, "Don't underestimate her. Even though I've got a good standing here, helping out Old Lu and Old Chen, none of us can take her down. She's too sharp. You know what I mean?"

"No, I don't," Wang Zhan Shen replied, shaking his head.

Chen Dafu's eyes lit up, realizing something. "Wait a second... are you a virgin?"

Wang Zhan Shen said nothing, his expression unchanged as he stared down at the city below. His demeanor remained calm, almost distant.

Chen Dafu chuckled, then quickly quieted himself. "Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I'll ask around and see if I can find someone suitable for you. Don't worry, I've got your back—you'll be happy for life!"

Wang Zhan Shen was silent, but Chen Dafu didn't seem to notice. "By the way, are you a talent or a gifted one?"

"Actually, I was recruited by him." Wang Zhan Shen replied flatly.

Chen Dafu chuckled, "Ah, that makes sense. If you're talented, then you must've just leveled up under the commander's guidance, right?"

Suddenly, Chen Dafu seemed to remember something. He pulled something from his jacket and handed it to Wang Zhan Shen. "This is the Tech Heart, it needs to go to the commander. I need to stay here and keep an eye on things, so could you take it over for me?"

"Sure," Wang Zhan Shen said, glancing at the object in his hand.

Chen Dafu barely blinked before it was gone. "Whoa, nice! I couldn't even see it that fast. That's a skill, right?"

Wang Zhan Shen didn't respond, but was already turning away, heading off.

"Hey! Wait! Just be careful when you're heading back—there's a forbidden area outside Jinling. The S-rank Puzzle Door there has a powerful pulling effect. If you get too close, you'll be sucked in!"

"You should avoid it. People have died there—even S-rank talents aren't safe. The commander issued a ban on it!"

"I know," Wang Zhan Shen nodded before taking off into the sky, disappearing in an instant.

Chen Dafu stared after him, muttering, "Man, everyone can fly these days but me... Why am I so lame?"

Then, just as Chen Dafu was about to reflect further, a prompt appeared before Mike's eyes.

"Congratulations! Your talent unit, Wang Zhan Shen, has successfully unlocked the S-rank Puzzle Door! All rewards are now with that talent unit!"

Mike blinked in surprise. "Well... looks like being second in command isn't such a bad thing after all," he muttered to himself.

"Second?!" Chen Dafu yelled, his face frozen in shock. "Wait a minute... are you telling me—Wang Zhan Shen is stronger than me?"

Mike gave a pointed look. "Well, technically... you could probably withstand two or three hits, maybe. But don't try comparing yourself to him."

"Two or three hits?!" Chen Dafu's face contorted with disbelief. "The gap between S-rank and SSS-rank is that big?"

Mike didn't want to scare him, but couldn't hold back. "To be honest, if it came to a fight, I think you'd shatter like glass."

Chen Dafu froze, his body stiffening as if Mike's words had pierced him deeply.

Finally, he muttered, "Does this mean... I'm no longer the strongest in Jinling?"

Mike was at a loss for how to comfort him. "Look, Chen, maybe being second isn't so bad after all..."