DRAGON DIVISION [Dragon Division]
Chapter 1: I'll be back

– Military Regional Hospital –

In the emergency room, the five most elite doctors in the region teamed up to operate on a young man covered in blood. His body is covered in tubes and needles. In addition to the electrocardiogram data showing that he was alive, the man looked like he was dead.

Outside the emergency room, two bloodied soldiers in coarse clothes waited like ants in a hot frying pan, feeling impossible to calm down.

Looking at the length of the operation, they knew that the situation was getting more difficult.

After going through at least two hours of torture, the door of the operating room finally opened. The two soldiers, instructors, and superiors, all rushed over and surrounded the doctors.

“How?”

Among the five doctors, four of them sighed and left, leaving one doctor to tell the group about the results. “We saved him.”

Both the soldier and his superior heaved a sigh of relief, but from the doctor's face, the instructor knew that he had not finished speaking.

“What is the impact? What is the expected recovery rate?”

The doctor sighed, “Outside and inner injuries are not alarming, but the most serious is the genetic serum injected into it during a battle that even we first saw. In fact, this genetic fluid belongs to the category of chemically defective. Due to a late rescue, the serum has fused into his bloodstream, forcing a decrease in his various physical abilities.”

“This..” The instructor and his two colleagues had a bad premonition.

“What is a decrease in physical ability? You mean, it will affect its overall strength and performance?”

Doctor nodded. “And the effect is not small. Later you can judge it. I'm so sorry, and so sorry for such a great warrior!”

Both soldiers and officers at the scene all appeared unwell after firing doctors.

The soldiers covered their faces with sadness. One of them could not help his guilt and punched the wall, his knuckles were cut off and his gloves were bleeding.

“That's all my fault!” he said with red eyes. “Brother Cheng told me to back off, I was the one.”.

It was fine if he didn't say anything, but as he started, the instructor grabbed onto his collar and said, “I've already told you before every mission to fully follow Xu Cheng's orders, especially during a major operation like this. Do two words ‘follow command’ keep you interested?”

“I... I just want to take a souvenir in memory of the success of this operation, who knows there are still survivors!”

Just then, the superior sitting on the chair opposite them finally opened his mouth. "What's really going on?"

Another friend crouched on the wall and slowly said, “Brother Cheng told us to retreat, and when Luo Yi came back wanting to take something symbolic, an old biochemical researcher attacked her from behind. Brother Cheng pushed Luo Yi down but was injected by the old man with an unknown genetic liquid in a large dose.”

Hearing what happened, the superior looked at Luo Yi. “You can not escape from the error.”

Luo Yi replied, “I just feel sorry for Brother Cheng.”

The instructor rudely interrupted, "There's no point in saying this nonsense, come in and see if he's okay."

His two comrades finally got up and entered the ward.

Staying behind, the instructor asked his superior, “Will he still be able to join the Dragon Division like this?”

His superior replied with a little reluctance, “The assessment mission has been perfectly implemented, and they destroyed the research base. However, many of Xu Cheng's physical abilities are declining, and you also know that the Dragon Division only needs the elites. We still have to wait for the appraiser team to finish testing its overall strength, but you have to be prepared for the worst possible outcome. Of course you don't have to be discouraged. You recommended the three to Dragon, don't you still have the other two? They also completed this mission so that they can join Dragon now.”

Her instructor did not look very well, and she just leaned against the wall and smoked.

Luo Yi who was leaning against the ward door on the other side heard the entire conversation, tears streaming down from her red eyes.

– The next day –

Xu Cheng waited outside the physical examination room, waiting for the results of the assessment. He waited quietly in the corridor, wiping the sweat on his body with a towel, while Luo Yi sat on the side with red eyes, not saying a word. He did not dare to listen to the announcement of the results. What would happen if they declared group separation? As a friend team of three from the first day of conscription, things would never be the same as Xu Cheng's absence. Xu Cheng also did not say a word as he sat down.

The person in charge of the examination came out with a map and said to Xu Cheng in the corridor, “The result is not ideal, do you still want to hear it?”

Xu Cheng nodded, smiled bitterly and said, “Please.”

“Blowout force, speed, power, and other statistics all show drastic decrease, down from A level to C.”

Physical stats and explosive power of ordinary people range from E+ to D levels for some of the stronger ones, and professional athletes can usually reach D+ levels. On it there are C and C+, then B, B+, A, A+, S...

But at the moment, Xu Cheng's current ‘C’ level basically showed that he was only slightly above ordinary people, but the gap was too large with the minimum entry requirement of B to enter the Dragon Division. No wonder the staff couldn't tell him.

Xu Cheng still had a smile on his face, but his heart was filled with bitterness.

After the staff left, Luo Yi bowed and sat there crying.

Xu Cheng walked over, patted his shoulder and sighed, “Learn how to take care of yourself once you get to the Dragon Division and remember to follow orders. Don't mess around anymore.”

“Brother Cheng...” Luo Yi cried and hugged Xu Cheng tightly, “That's all my fault! I'm sorry..."

Xu Cheng patted his back and released his embrace, then walked down the stairs. The bitter and sour feeling within Luo Yi surged as she looked at Xu Cheng's back as she left. Xu Cheng looked at the third member of their small group when he reached the front gate. She smiled, “Work hard and make me proud.”

Li Wei nodded. “I'll be waiting for you in Dragon Division.”

More words would sound melodramatic; just one short sentence was enough to express his trust in Xu Cheng.

Xu Cheng smiled, he then returned to his dorm and packed up. He's not that kind of guy. Not meeting the standard means not meeting the standard, and that means disqualification. He would not stay here anymore to become a burden or make his friends attract the emotions of his superiors.

After packing up, Xu Cheng looked at the framed photos of the three of them. Finally, he stuffed the photo into his suitcase and left the dormitory.

– Inside instructor office –

“Xu Cheng, can I refuse your request to leave? Even though your stats are down, you can still stay as an instructor and help manage the recruits.”

“Master, I just want to enjoy peace and rest, you don't need to try to convince me.” Xu Cheng smiled bitterly. “You know me, I just want to leave my best side in the military camp.”

“But you are still an amazing soldier!”

“But far from enough!”

The instructor breathed helplessly. Then, he issued a reference letter and said, “I'm sure you can overcome this obstacle and come back again. This is the position I set up for you with my friend at the public security bureau in your hometown, Shangcheng. If you want a stable job, you should go there with this letter and report.

"Thank you." Xu Cheng paid his respects to his instructor. Then he took the letter and left.

He left because he did not want Luo Yi and the others to feel guilty. In order to enter the Dragon Division, they had all trained very hard over the past few years. He did not want them to reject the Dragon's call just for him.

When he arrived at the gate of the military camp, he looked one last time to the basecamp where he had spent the past five years. It doesn't mean the end. He would come back and make it into the Dragon Division because being a part of it was his greatest dream as a soldier! If he were to give up now due to such an incident, he would not be Xu Cheng anymore, nor would he be worthy of being Xu Ren's son! His father had been his pride all his life, and his dream was to one day be able to enter the Dragon Division, fulfilling his father's ambition to succeed him.

He grinned at the instructor and the others, “I'll be back!”

Behind him, all the soldiers and instructors in the camp saluted to show respect for all the glory he had brought to the 5th Military Region.