Twelve years ago, when he first started trafficking, the man before him had been just a scrawny, unremarkable teenager among a group of children.  

Yet it was this seemingly insignificant child who exposed their plans, caused them heavy losses, and became the only one who managed to escape back after being taken to the Burmese border.  

Who would have thought he would…  

The pain of having a nail ripped out—agonizing enough to feel as if his very heart were being torn—snapped him back to reality. He looked down to see one of his fingernails already gone, the raw flesh exposed, the pain so intense his entire body convulsed.  

“Yao Dashan, what was your goal this time?” Lu Beiting asked casually, his hands never pausing in their work.  

Yao Dashan, who had just caught his breath, nearly choked, his eyes rolling back as he teetered on the edge of unconsciousness.  

He was tormented relentlessly, hovering at the brink of collapse.  

“This hurts already? You weren’t like this when you tortured us. I remember you laughing back then.  

Oh, right—I remember you had a prized gold tooth.”  

Lu Beiting’s slow, deliberate tone was like a death sentence. Yao Dashan clenched his jaw and shook his head frantically.  

Lu Beiting lowered his gaze. Even after all these years, he remembered it vividly—the more they screamed, the brighter that gold tooth in Yao Dashan’s mouth seemed to shine.  

Xu Rufeng watched Lu Beiting, whose demeanor had completely changed, and pieced together some of the story from their exchange.  

When he first joined the military, he’d heard about the youngest undercover agent in the unit—a near-legendary figure he’d never met. It wasn’t until three years later that he finally saw a gaunt, fierce-eyed teenager with a chilling aura.  

The boy had just returned from an assignment and was immediately made squad leader over a group of new recruits. Naturally, some resisted and caused trouble.  

But after just a few moves, they were all cowering in fear, forced back by the ruthless precision of the boy they’d underestimated.  

Every strike was meant to kill, leaving no room for survival. Over time, he gradually became more controlled, but back then, no one could understand why a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old carried such fury.  

Now, it made sense. The Burmese border was a place that devoured people without spitting out bones. Those who survived weren’t exactly normal.  

Liu Wen, cowering in the corner, was terrified. This guy’s a complete madman! On the surface, it was all procedure, but in action, it was pure torture.  

“I’ll talk! I’ll talk!”  

Yao Dashan’s lips were already bitten bloody. Now, even moving them sent waves of pain through him.  

“Good. My patience is thin. Make it quick.” Lu Beiting released him and picked up a rag to wipe the tool in his hand.  

Yao Dashan gasped for breath before speaking. “We really didn’t do anything! We just… accidentally crossed the border.”  

Lu Beiting’s hand stilled. Then, with a frown, he picked up a steel rod several centimeters long and, without hesitation, drove it straight into the man’s arm.  

“Ah—!” Yao Dashan finally passed out from the pain.  

Lu Beiting pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the blood splattered on his clothes, then glanced at Liu Wen in the corner.  

Liu Wen trembled, his legs giving out as he dropped to his knees.  

“B-Bro, boss, ancestor—I’ll talk! I’ll talk! The higher-ups just told us to plant some ‘white’ on your side. That’s it, nothing else!”  

Liu Wen babbled desperately, hoping the demon would go easy on him.  

“Where did you plant it?”  

Liu Wen stuttered, barely coherent. “I-I don’t remember!”  

Seeing Lu Beiting’s frown, he panicked and blurted, “I really don’t know! We hadn’t even finished planting when that damn—ah!”

Before Liu Wen could finish speaking, Lu Beiting grabbed another steel rod and flung it at him, embedding it deep into his flesh.  

“If you still can’t speak properly, you won’t need your teeth either.”  

“Ugh—w-we were interrupted by your people! Then while chasing, we accidentally dropped some. We chased her for over an hour!  

We weren’t familiar with the area—I really don’t know where it ended up!”  

Liu Wen was utterly despairing. If I’d known it’d cost me my life, I wouldn’t have rushed to claim credit! Now I’m done for.

Lu Beiting tossed the tool aside and turned to leave.  

Xu Rufeng ordered the men to keep watch before following him out.  

The cold wind outside cleared Lu Beiting’s mind slightly. He glanced at Xu Rufeng. “Let’s go see the Chief.”  

Xu Rufeng nodded and pushed his wheelchair toward Li Jianguo’s office.  

Li Jianguo had full confidence in Lu Beiting, so he’d been waiting inside, sipping tea. He set the cup down when they entered.  

“How did it go?”  

Li Jianguo cared only about the results. As for the process… Hmph. A bunch of criminals—showing them mercy by not executing them on the spot is kindness enough.

“Yao Dashan and Liu Wen were burying drugs in the mountains. We need to organize a search immediately and detain any suspicious individuals for interrogation.”  

“Good.” Li Jianguo nodded in satisfaction, then pointed at Xu Rufeng behind him. “Xu, I’m putting you in charge of this. Be thorough—we can’t let civilians accidentally pick any of it up.”  

“Understood. I’ll complete the mission.”  

“Good. You’re dismissed. I need to speak with Beiting alone.”  

Xu Rufeng exhaled in relief and hurried out.  

“Beiting… I suppose this counts as revenge, doesn’t it?”  

Li Jianguo looked at him with fatherly warmth. The incident over a decade ago still weighed on him—he felt guilt, but no regret. Back then, Lu Beiting had been the only one with the right age and stature for the mission.  

Because of him, they’d rescued dozens of children, disrupted trafficking operations, and prevented countless kidnappings. But the boy had suffered immensely. That was why, all these years, Li Jianguo had treated Lu Beiting like his own.  

Lu Beiting felt no particular emotion. “Chief, it’s been so many years. I’d mostly forgotten about it.  

‘Defend the nation, protect the people, safeguard our land’—that’s my lifelong duty.  

You don’t need to feel guilty. I’m honored.”  

Because of him, countless families had been reunited, their homes filled with laughter again. That was his honor.  

“You stubborn kid… Alright, go get some rest. I’ll handle the rest.”  

Lu Beiting saluted and wheeled himself out. After a brief pause, he headed toward the hospital.  

I wonder how she’s doing now.

A few seconds later, he remembered something and turned back.  

…

In the hospital room, Xia Zhi was already lively again after the system’s emergency treatment—though the cost had wiped out her savings and left her 10,000 points in debt.  

My life—no, my hand… is seriously expensive!

Knock, knock, knock.

Hearing the door, she quickly lay back down. “Come in.”  

Lu Beiting pushed the door open, now wearing a clean shirt and holding a metal tin.  

“Lu Beiting? What are you doing here? Finished the interrogation?”  

Xia Zhi was startled to see him so late at night. Shouldn’t he be swamped with work right now?

“I don’t have much to do.” Even if he wanted to help, there wasn’t much he could do.  

Xia Zhi’s eyes sparkled mischievously as she grinned at him. “So… you came to check on me? Because you were worried?”