chapter 16 Lame soldier ===

Alexander Xu approached the soldier, looking at him with interest, and said with a smile, "Shall we talk?" "Offer me a salary of fifty thousand a month, and my life is yours," the man replied coldly, his face showing a defiant expression. "Ha, quite the boastful tone!" Alexander laughed. He understood why no one was approaching this man. With a limp and demanding such a high salary, his arrogance was extraordinary. But it was precisely this pride that Alexander admired. A soldier without this kind of arrogance would be just an ordinary person. Hearing Alexander's comment, the man turned and walked away without hesitation, showing no interest in further conversation. Alexander was sure this man must have been part of a special forces unit. Even though he was disabled now, the soldier's pride remained intact. At that moment, Alexander was certain he had found the person he was looking for. He reached out to stop the man, smiling confidently, "Are you sure you don't want to talk with me?" "I have nothing to talk about with you! Either buy my life or disappear from my sight!" the limping soldier said harshly, glaring at the seemingly annoying wealthy young man. Unfazed by the soldier's rudeness, Alexander leaned in and whispered, "Let's talk about the injury on your leg. Perhaps I can help expel that qi..." The soldier's body jolted at Alexander's words, his pupils shrinking dramatically, "Come with me!" He quickly led Alexander to a grassy area outside. His movements were much quicker, betraying his inner turmoil. "Is it true? Can you see the qi in my leg?" the soldier asked, struggling to contain his excitement. He knew what it meant for someone to recognize the cause of his injury. "If I'm not mistaken, your injury was inflicted by someone from the Iga Clan, right?" Alexander said confidently. As a member of the "Law Enforcers," Alexander had encountered the Iga Clan numerous times. He couldn't remember how many Iga members had died by his hand. He was all too familiar with their unique and sinister qi. "Who are you?" the soldier took a step back, his face wary, his body instinctively assuming a defensive posture after years in the military. Now, instead of excitement, there was only caution and fear. This person not only recognized the source of his disability but also knew who caused it. Such knowledge was terrifying. Unbothered by the soldier's wariness, Alexander pointed to his sports car, "I'm Alexander Xu, also known as Bad Xu. A little inquiry should tell you who I am." He was well-known in Tianhai, albeit not for good reasons. "The prodigal son of the Xu family?" the soldier was surprised, having heard of Alexander's reputation. Despite knowing Alexander's identity, his caution remained. He asked, "How do you know about my injury from the Iga Clan?" As far as he knew, Alexander was just a notorious rich kid. How could he know the source of his injury? "You don't need to worry about how I know," Alexander said ambiguously, then asked, "What's the name of the person who injured you?" "Jackson Iga!" the soldier spat out the name with hatred, his loathing evident. "Jackson Iga?" A sinister face flashed through Alexander's mind. He patted the soldier's shoulder, "You should be glad you only lost a leg. Frankly, not many survive Jackson Iga. Just for that, you have something to boast about." Not many from Huaxia Country had survived encounters with the Iga Clan, and similarly, many from the Iga Clan had perished. The soldier, even at his peak, was no match for Jackson Iga. Surviving such an encounter indeed made him worthy of boasting. "Should I be grateful?" the soldier's face showed a bitter smile, "If it weren't for the timely arrival of reinforcements, I'd be dead by now." In that battle, Jackson Iga single-handedly massacred dozens of his own brothers and ended up with a crippled fate. Because of that devastating defeat, the special forces unit he belonged to was almost disbanded from the military. Disheartened, he left the army with a deep sense of guilt towards his fallen comrades. "Dragon Group?" The soldier's shock intensified when Alexander mentioned the "Dragon Group." He asked incredulously, "How do you know about the Dragon Group? The outside world's rumors about you must be false! I'm curious, how does the son of a businessman, even a wealthy one, know about the existence of the Dragon Group?" The Dragon Group, another mysterious force in Huaxia Country, though not as secretive as the "Law Enforcers." Most special forces knew of the Dragon Group, with many aspiring to join it. However, such knowledge was limited to the military and high-ranking officials, not someone like Alexander. "You don't need to know how. What you need to know is that I can offer you fifty thousand, a hundred thousand a month, even a million if you meet my standards. I can heal your leg and give you even greater strength. But I only have one requirement," Alexander stated seriously. "What's the requirement?" the soldier asked, both nervous and excited. "Loyalty! Absolute loyalty!" Alexander's face became stern. The soldier was puzzled, "My life is already yours, what more loyalty do you need?" Alexander shook a finger in front of him, "You don't understand my meaning. The loyalty I require means abandoning your current beliefs. From now on, I am your only belief." "No way!" the soldier refused without a second thought. His sacred beliefs were the foundation of his identity as a soldier. Even though he is now disabled, he still regards that piece of pure land as the most sacred part of himself! He does not allow anyone to trample on this pure land in his heart! "You don't have to refuse so quickly," Alexander interrupted, "I can give you everything you desire, even power beyond the Dragon Group. I can restore the glory of a king to you." Surpassing the Dragon Group? The soldier hesitated. He had always envied their strength, dreaming of such power. Even at his peak, he was nothing compared to them. Now, there was a glimmer of hope, but at the cost of his beliefs. Torn, his face showed confusion. "I won't make you betray your beliefs. After all, they were once my only beliefs too," Alexander said softly, his voice barely audible towards the end. "Why should I trust you?" the soldier asked. Alexander distanced himself slightly, then suddenly attacked with lightning speed, effortlessly grabbing the soldier's neck and lifting his sturdy body with one hand. Smiling, he said, "Because I can easily take your life. Right now, you're not very valuable to me." The soldier's face reddened, his shock profound. He knew his own strength well. Even with a limp leg, his reflexes and skills were intact, yet he was powerless against Alexander. Didn't even see how Alexander took action? Is this the power that I dream of? "Think about it. If you decide, come to the Xu family. If you have friends willing to come, they’re welcome too, with the same treatment. But don't bring anyone who can’t last ten moves against you; it would be a waste of my time," Alexander let go of his neck and walked back to his car, leaving the still-stunned soldier behind. Meeting the limping soldier was his biggest gain of the day. If not for his disability, even Michael Pi, whom Alexander had seen earlier, wouldn't be his match. He had found a treasure! Alexander believed that the soldier would definitely have other friends. Such an arrogant person would have a group of equally arrogant friends around him! These people are what he needs most right now! After seeing the soldier, he lost interest in recruiting others. Alexander was confident the soldier would come looking for him, unable to resist the power he demonstrated. He would leave future recruitments to him. Every person has their fate, and Alexander was the soldier's destiny.