After Awakening, She Tore Apart Her Enemies and Joined the Army on an Island - Chapter 43

“Speak! Otherwise, I have the right to escort you to court.”

He deliberately intimidated her.

Shifting his stance, he moved closer to Su Meng.

Su Meng frowned and sidestepped, still staring straight ahead, her voice muffled as she said, “I found it. I found it on the Japanese ship.”

After boarding the ship last night, she had carried this large backpack, which happened to be just the right size to hold a sniper rifle.

Since she had boarded the Japanese ship first, no one had seen what she had taken.

Huo Zhenhua hooked a finger under her backpack, staring at her intently. “Really? I’ll have to investigate, you know!”

He found Su Meng’s behavior highly suspicious.

She was supposed to be a delicate young woman who had just returned from studying abroad, yet she had suddenly started resisting her “family.”

Not only that, she had accurately and swiftly exposed the true faces of Shen Wuyang and Zhong Cuilin, bringing them to justice.

A girl who used to tremble at the thought of jumping from the second floor was now, after just a few days, calm under pressure, capable of firing a gun in retaliation, and even risking her life to save him.

What puzzled him even more was that she seemed to know his whereabouts, always appearing within the scope of his missions.

What was she really up to?

Su Meng turned her head and met his deep, probing gaze. In her mind, she could hear his suspicious thoughts, and a faint, mocking smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

Crossing her arms, she faced him calmly and deliberately. “Want to investigate? Then go ahead!”

When pushed to the brink, anyone who doesn’t fight back might as well be dead.

Was it really so hard to fire a gun?

As someone who studied mechanics, if she didn’t have even that much practical skill, she might as well go home and take up embroidery.

She conveniently forgot her initial awkwardness the first time she handled a gun, the unfamiliarity, the panic, the fear, and the trembling hands that nearly dropped the heavy pistol.

“Commander Huo, I won’t disturb your sightseeing any longer.”

She walked away briskly and decisively, not even sparing a glance at the fuming Huo Zhenhua.

Huo Zhenhua turned and leaned against the railing, one hand resting casually on it while the other toyed with a metal lighter. He bent one long leg and scoffed, “Feeling guilty, are you?”

Su Meng paused mid-step and tossed a small bottle of medicinal powder over her shoulder. “This powder helps promote wound healing, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain.

No need to thank me, we’re even now.”

Huo Zhenhua: “…”

Was he being rejected again?

If he couldn’t see her eyes, he couldn’t hear her thoughts.

No! He couldn’t just let her leave like this.

Even if she hadn’t done anything illegal now, that didn’t mean she wouldn’t in the future.

The safest approach was to keep her under his watchful eye, so he could intervene and correct her in time.

Huo Zhenhua followed Su Meng into the ship’s cabin, watching as she entered her room before turning and heading to the captain’s quarters.

He weighed the modified sniper rifle in his hand and decided to report Su Meng’s situation to his superiors.

When Division Commander Tang of the Southeast Military District heard that Su Meng had merely modified the sniper rifle under pressure and managed to extend its range, his voice rose two or three decibels in astonishment.

“What? Is it really that remarkable?”

They had considered improving the range and accuracy of firearms and even experimented with altering the external structure of the guns, but repeated tests had yielded unsatisfactory results.

Huo Zhenhua replied calmly, “I saw it with my own eyes! The range at the time was about seven hundred meters. We were using the Japanese Type 97 sniper rifle.”

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Commander Tang slammed his palm on the table, his voice booming like a bell. “The Type 97 has a maximum effective range of six hundred meters. Seven hundred meters, how is that possible? Huo Zhenhua, I order you to bring both the person and the rifle back as soon as possible. I want to see this with my own eyes.”

A modification that could extend the range by a hundred meters would significantly increase their chances of victory in combat. It meant an enhancement in combat effectiveness, a dream they had been striving for with all their might.

“But Su Meng has been specifically requested by the Shanghai Mechanical Research Institute. Is it appropriate for us to do this?” Huo Zhenhua deliberately posed the question.

He wanted to keep Su Meng under close surveillance and couldn’t let her go to Shanghai. Bringing her back to the military base was the only option. As for dealing with the Shanghai Mechanical Research Institute, Commander Tang was the most suitable person to handle it.

Commander Tang immediately made the decision. “This person belongs to our military district. The research institute can go cool their heels elsewhere. Dozens, even hundreds of researchers, and they can’t even figure out a generator? It’s downright embarrassing!”

Huo Zhenhua: “…”

His commander seemed to overlook the fact that their own corps of thousands hadn’t managed to master weapons as vital as life itself, yet he was looking down on the researchers.

Hah!
As domineering as ever!

“Yes, sir!”

Hearing Huo Zhenhua’s response, Commander Tang smiled with relief. He spoke earnestly, “I heard the girl is only eighteen, in the prime of her youth, with no family left. You’re not getting any younger yourself. Why don’t you submit a marriage report? It’d be a perfect match.”

He had said it offhandedly, but the more he thought about it, the more feasible the idea seemed. Seeing Huo Zhenhua remain silent, he chuckled and persuaded, “Men should marry, women should wed, it’s only natural. What, a rough fellow like you still wants to be picky?”

Huo Zhenhua was caught off guard by Commander Tang’s words. How had the conversation shifted to his marriage? Weren’t they discussing transferring Su Meng to the military base?

“Uh…” He was about to refuse when the memory of that day under the influence of medicine suddenly flashed in his mind. His face flushed, his heart raced, and his throat tightened.

But she was Nie Ronghua’s childhood betrothed. He couldn’t bring himself to steal another’s love. The thought brought a bitter taste to his heart.

“She’s a wonderful girl. I’m not worthy of her,” he forced out the words and decisively hung up the phone.

For some reason, he didn’t want to mention Su Meng’s relationship with Nie Ronghua. Recalling Su Meng’s cold and disdainful expression, he paused in fiddling with his lighter and gazed out the window with a wry smile.

Hah! Even if he wanted to take responsibility, she might not care for it. If she had been willing, she would have agreed to the marriage report back then.

…

Su Meng had no idea that in such a short time, her future had already been decided by others.

After a good sleep in her space, she brought out a book and returned to the real world. After all, they were still on the ship, and she didn’t want to be questioned about her disappearance.

Books were a wonderful distraction. She immersed herself in reading until a knock sounded at her door.

“Su Meng, we’re disembarking.”

Huo Zhenhua always called her “Su Meng,” never “Comrade Su” or “Comrade Su Meng.”

Wang Qinglin, seeing Huo Zhenhua’s familiar tone, lowered his hand from knocking and took two steps back. He gave Huo Zhenhua a strange look. “If you’re the one calling for her, why did you drag me along to knock? Completely unnecessary!”

Huo Zhenhua shot him a sidelong glance. “You have too much free time.”

Wang Qinglin turned his head away speechlessly, “…Well, thank you so much!”

When Su Meng opened the door, she saw two men standing awkwardly in front of her room. “Didn’t you say we were getting off the ship? What else do you want?”

Huo Zhenhua looked at her, his eyes swirling with emotions no one else could decipher.

Su Meng didn’t glance his way, so she naturally didn’t notice his unusual expression.

She brushed past Huo Zhenhua, gripping her backpack straps with both hands, and walked off without a backward glance.

Huo Zhenhua remained leaning against the doorframe in the same position she’d pushed him into, murmuring quietly, “Don’t you think she seems particularly impatient with me? I don’t recall offending her.”

Wang Qinglin turned around with an amused expression and stated matter-of-factly, “With that mouth of yours, you’ve probably hurt her feelings countless times without even realizing it. Hah! Didn’t offend her?!”

Suddenly, he paused and stared intently at Huo Zhenhua, “Captain, if you like her, maybe try acting like a normal person for once.”

Immediately, Huo Zhenhua stiffened, his eyebrows shooting up, “Don’t talk nonsense! I absolutely do not.”