HCB Chapter 44 Talks
Chapter 44 Talks
A majestic voice suddenly rang out from behind Chao Bufan. Chao Bufan frowned slightly, cursing inwardly: "You bastard, Mountain Eagle, how dare you betray me! Fine, you've got guts!" He then shook his head and smiled calmly, saying, "Old Commander, I, Falcon, have already died once. For the country, for the nation, I, Falcon, have shed blood and sacrificed my life. When have I ever retreated? When have I ever frowned? When have I ever complained? I have done everything I was supposed to do, so I cannot be considered a deserter."
The old leader sat down next to Tang Guoqiang and said angrily, "Falcon, I don't care what you think, if you want to leave the Shenlong Team, no way! Do you know that without you, the Shenlong Team is a team without a soul? So, I will never agree to it, unless you step over my dead body."
The old leader's tone was firm, leaving no room for argument.
However, even with the old leader personally intervening and threatening suicide, Chao Bufan was determined to leave the Shenlong Team. So he shook his head and smiled, saying, "Old leader, what's the use of saying all this now? I've already left the Shenlong Team and am no longer a member. Besides, my name is now Chao Bufan, and I'm just an ordinary citizen."
The old commander glared and roared, "What do you mean, 'no'? As long as you're alive, no matter where you are, even if it's the ends of the earth, you're still a member of my Divine Dragon Team."
Chao Bufan ignored him, smiled faintly, and said in a nonchalant manner, "But the problem is, Falcon is already dead and no longer exists. Old Chief, do you know who Falcon respected most in his life? It was you, Old Chief. So, I hope you can let Falcon rest in peace! Don't ruin the great image you have in Falcon's heart."
"Shit!"
The old leader slammed his hand on the table, waved his hand angrily, and said, "Don't give me that nonsense."
As he spoke, the old commander pulled a pistol from his waist and placed it on the table. Then he pushed it forward with force, and the pistol stopped right at the edge of the table, in front of Chao Bufan.
"Falcon, if you really want to leave the Dragon Team, then shoot me dead first."
If soft tactics don't work, try hard ones. The old commander was clearly trying to force Chao Bufan to change his mind, but this tactic was completely ineffective on Chao Bufan. He shook his head and smiled, saying calmly, "Old commander, don't you know what kind of person I am? Your tactic won't work on me at all. I've already said that Falcon is dead, and I am no longer a member of the Divine Dragon Team."
"I don't care, this time you have to come back with me no matter what."
"Old Chief, I'm so sorry, please forgive my extraordinary abilities that make it impossible for me to comply."
"You... fine, fine, you're forcing me to take action, aren't you?"
As he spoke, the old commander stood up, rolled up his sleeves, and looked fierce, as if he was about to beat someone up.
Tang Guoqiang had already seen that Falcon was determined to leave the Shenlong team, so he laughed and said, "Alright, alright, old chief, since Falcon has made up his mind, what's the use of forcing him to stay? The Shenlong team will still be the Shenlong team without Falcon."
Chao Bufan liked the sound of those words and said with a faint smile, "That's right. The Shenlong Team isn't just me. There's also Mountain Eagle and Cheetah. None of them are pushovers. Even without me, the Shenlong Team is still the Shenlong Team."
"Ugh!"
The old commander sighed, and after a long while, he finally spoke: "Falcon, your resurrection is perhaps what is called a miracle. Since you insist on leaving the Dragon Team, then I have nothing more to say. However, I can tell you clearly that you were a soldier before, and you are still a soldier now, and that is beyond reproach."
Chao Bufan, with a nonchalant air, shrugged and said, "Being a soldier is a thing of the past for me. I'm just an ordinary civilian now. So, old commander, please don't try to persuade me anymore. My mind is made up. Even if you beat me to death, I won't go back with you."
The old leader rolled his eyes at Chao Bufan, then said helplessly to Tang Guoqiang, "Old Tang, I'm handing this man over to you. You handle it!"
Upon hearing this, Tang Guoqiang smiled and said, "Chao Bufan, you heard everything, right?"
"Ugh!"
Chao Bufan sighed softly and said, "Old Commander, why are you doing this? I just want to be an ordinary person and live an ordinary life. Can't you even grant me this small request? Even if you don't care about me, you should at least consider the consequences. Putting everything else aside, in the eight years since I joined the army, a full eight years, Old Commander, I dare say that in the entire HX, no soldier has accomplished more in eight years than me. Old Commander, to be honest, it's not that I want to be a deserter, nor that I don't want to fight for the country. It's just that everyone has their own ambitions, and I've done everything I could. So, please, for the sake of my past merits, understand me! I'm begging you."
The old commander nodded in undeniable agreement and said, "Falcon, you are indeed the most outstanding soldier I have ever seen. There are some things I know even if you don't say them. In the past eight years, with your outstanding performance, I dare say that if you are second, then no one dares to claim first place. However, the country is at a critical juncture. If you leave, have you thought about how much loss it would cause to the country?"
Chao Bufan shook his head and gave a wry smile, saying, "Old Chief, please don't tell me that the country will collapse without me. To be frank, HX doesn't revolve solely around me, nor does it revolve solely around the Shenlong Team. Even without me, the sky will still be just as blue, and the clouds in the sky will still be just as free. My departure won't take away a single cloud. Old Chief, am I right?"
Wow! This guy actually said something so witty and charming that he left the old leader and the others speechless.
After a moment, Tang Guoqiang shook his head and smiled, then asked, "Chao Bufan, tell us the truth, has the country treated you badly in any way?"
Upon hearing this, Chao Bufan was slightly startled and quickly replied, "No, absolutely not. The country has been very good to me. It has taught me how to be a person and how to do things, and has made me understand that a real man should stand tall and have principles to follow."
"Then why do you insist on leaving?" Tang Guoqiang asked again.
“I’ve said it,” Chao Bufan said resolutely, “I’m tired of this life of fighting and killing, and I’m tired of the dull and monotonous life in the army. Although the army has given me many things that have benefited me greatly, there are some things that I don’t want. Old commanders, Tang sir, and all the leaders here, I don’t have your education or your extensive network. To put it nicely, if I die on the battlefield, that’s fine. But if I’m lucky, once I leave the army and enter society, I’m sure I’ll be cut off from life. How am I supposed to live? Am I destined to grow old alone? So, I’ve done everything I should have done, and now I’m leaving the army without any regrets.”