Take Off Those Clothes-Now I Can Beat You Up, Right?! (Fourth Update)

Jin Dapao's roar cracked like thunder, echoing across the entire scene.

Everyone froze as if rooted to the spot.

"What are you standing around for?"

Sweat poured down Hou Tao's face as he bellowed at his men, "Arrest Jin Dapao! Director Ruan will take responsibility if anything happens!"

Yet not one of the hundreds of men he had brought moved.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Every gaze fixed on the scarred torso of Jin Dapao.

Then, without a word, they stepped aside and cleared a path.

It was not fear. It was respect.

Reverence for those scars!

Honor for a hero!

A shared surge of fighting spirit!

Those scars were medals earned under a hail of bullets!

Those bullet wounds were proof of a man who had shouldered responsibility through life-and-death trials!

In their hearts, they all made the same comparison.

Director Ruan was a soft-handed scholar in a suit, a man who had climbed to power on his father-in-law's back!

Jin Dapao was a battle-hardened man covered in scars, an older brother they could trust to watch their backs!

If they had to choose a comrade, they would choose Jin Dapao!

One was a soldier who said, "Brothers, follow me!"

The other was a coward who said, "You lot, go get them!"

Which would you choose?

The answer was obvious!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Supporting Yue Xiaofei, Jin Dapao walked forward step by step.

As Yue Xiaofei watched the elite officers silently make way on either side, his heart pounded and his blood seemed to catch fire.

He was fired up!

Following Uncle Jin like this was exhilarating!

This was what a man should be!

"Damn it!"

Hou Tao stamped his feet in frustration at the sight.

He knew that if Yue Xiaofei got away and the Gao Family fell, he would be ruined too.

But there was nothing he could do. His men would not obey him.

Just then, the last person anyone expected stepped forward.

"Stop!"

Director Ruan, whom everyone had always seen as spineless, suddenly charged forward like a madman. He spread his arms and blocked Jin Dapao's path.

"That's right! You're right!"

"I got this position through my father-in-law. I'm not ashamed of it!"

"One call to my father-in-law, and I can have you suspended on the spot. I can even make sure you never wear a uniform again! Do you believe me?!"

Every word dripped with menace.

"I do."

Jin Dapao stopped, his voice calm. "I've never doubted you could do that."

"Then how dare you—"

Director Ruan stared at him.

"But I'm taking Yue Xiaofei out of here anyway!"

Jin Dapao cut him off, his gaze hard as iron. "Even if I have to take off this uniform—or go to prison—I'm taking him with me!"

Now it was Director Ruan's turn to be dumbfounded.

"Why? Just because he's an old company commander's son?"

He could not make sense of it and pressed on. "What makes Yue Xiaofei so important that you'd risk everything for him? He's not even your son!"

"He's not my son, but he's Company Commander Yue's son!"

Jin Dapao's voice turned hoarse, and his eyes reddened.

Then he spoke slowly, his voice thick with memories.

"My family were farmers for generations. We worked the fields from dawn to dusk. None of us could read."

"My father named me Dapao—Cannon—because, as far as he knew, a cannon was the most powerful thing in the world!"

"When cannons roar, fortunes are made."

"When I first enlisted, I was a clueless country kid in patched cloth shoes. I couldn't even speak standard Mandarin properly."

"Everyone laughed at my rustic name. I was a joke to them."

"I couldn't keep up in training or understand tactics. More than once, I wanted to pack up and go home."

"Company Commander Yue was the first person to pick me up."

"He gave me half his steamed bun and said, 'You need a full stomach to have the strength to train.'"

"He taught me how to take a gun apart and put it back together, step by step. He said, 'Dapao, this thing costs more than your family's hoe, but the principle is the same. Pay attention and learn.'"

"He took me to the training ground at night for extra practice. He said, 'A slow bird has to start early. If someone else practices once, we'll practice ten times.'"

"He lent me his notes and said, 'A soldier can't rely on strength alone. He needs brains too.'"

"Once, during an exercise, I stepped into a trap. It punched a hole in my leg, and I couldn't stop the bleeding."

"Company Commander Yue carried me three miles through the mud to get me back to camp. His shoulders were rubbed raw. He lost more blood than I did."

"He said, 'Dapao, soldiers can't be afraid of pain, and we sure as hell can't be afraid of death. But we need to know who we're suffering and dying for.'"

"He said, 'Dapao, your father named you Cannon because he wanted you to be strong. But real strength isn't about how many enemies you can defeat. It's about how many people you can protect.'"

"He said, 'Dapao, if you ever make something of yourself, remember this: don't bully ordinary people, and don't forget where you came from.'"

As Jin Dapao went on, his voice grew increasingly choked.

Every word seemed soaked in burning tears.

Even the Flying Tiger Squad members who saw him every day had never witnessed this side of him.

Who said a man of iron could not have a tender heart?

"Company Commander Yue taught me more than tactics and knowledge. He taught me how to be a decent person, a good soldier, a Dragon Kingdom man with fire in his blood!"

"He was my brother! My mentor! The man I, Jin Dapao, have respected most in my life!"

"Now his son has been treated like this. If I do nothing, how could I face everything Company Commander Yue taught me? How could I face these scars?"

"Ruan Zhongxian, you tell me—how the fuck can I do nothing?!"

Jin Dapao nearly roared those last words.

The entire place fell silent again.

Hou Tao's men looked at Jin Dapao with even deeper respect.

Yue Xiaofei stood where he was, tears silently sliding down his face.

So that was the kind of man his father had been.

And this was the kind of man who had fought beside him.

The bond between them was as solid as a mountain!

"Jin Dapao!"

Ruan Zhongxian's face darkened as he ground out, "I respect what you and the old company commander shared, but Yue Xiaofei stays here today!"

Before he had finished speaking, he yanked the pistol from his waist.

Its dark muzzle pointed straight at Jin Dapao's chest.

Whoosh!

The crowd erupted in shock.

Hou Tao's men sucked in sharp breaths and instinctively took half a step back.

No one had expected Director Ruan to draw his gun in public—let alone point it at a fellow officer!

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Flying Tiger Squad Members raised their guns at once.

Dozens of muzzles swung toward Director Ruan in unison, fingers tight on triggers.

They were waiting for a single order from Jin Dapao!

Yue Xiaofei was stunned too, and guilt surged through him.

"Uncle Jin, don't do this! I'm not worth it!"

His eyes red, he shouted, "I'll stay! Please, just go! Contact Secretary Sha in Handong Province. Once he hears what happened, he'll make sure I get justice!"

Yue Xiaofei's emotions churned.

He could not let Uncle Jin throw away his career for him, much less get hurt because of him.

"Hahaha!"

Just then, Jin Dapao burst into hearty laughter.

He looked at the hand gripping Director Ruan's gun. There was not a trace of fear in his eyes, only contempt.

"What are you laughing at? Have you lost your mind?"

The gun trembled slightly in Ruan Zhongxian's hand. That laughter had set him on edge.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Jin Dapao advanced another step, his chest almost touching the muzzle.

"You think that piece of junk can scare me?"

"Ruan Zhongxian, do you know why I left the military early?"

"Because I beat the shit out of some privileged brat who'd come down to pad his résumé!"

"Just like you, he threw his weight around because his family had connections! I couldn't stand it, so I knocked his teeth out!"

"And I don't mind doing it again today!"

With that, Jin Dapao tore off his shirt, baring his scar-covered torso.

That uniform had felt like shackles!

The moment he cast it off, his whole body seemed to grow lighter.

The light in his eyes burned brighter than flame.

Swish!

He fixed his gaze on Ruan Zhongxian and the gun in his hand, as though he had found his prey.

"Ruan Zhongxian!"

Jin Dapao's voice was low and dangerous, every word edged with killing intent.

"I quit!"

"I'm not under your command anymore. That means I can hit you now, right?"

"If I don't knock every last tooth out of your fucking mouth today, my name isn't Jin!!!"

The words had barely left his mouth!

Ruan Zhongxian had no time to react!

A fist the size of a cooking pot filled his vision!

Callused and whistling through the air, it slammed toward Ruan Zhongxian's face!