I returned to my hometown adorned with military medals, and the whole city erupted in celebration.

Chapter 21: The Three Brothers Reunite, Fan Tianlei's "Social Death" Scene

"What?! Number Five has gone missing?!"

Chen Shanming, who was leading two small teams in a frantic search for Li Erniu in the mountains, felt as if the sky had fallen the moment he received the urgent telegram from the command center.

He didn't care about ambushes anymore, and roared into his headset, "Everyone back! Immediately seal off all passages within a five-kilometer radius of the command post! Order helicopters to take off and search! Even if you have to turn this whole forest upside down, find Number Five!"

Chen Shanming now feels like he wants to die.

In order to help Fan Tianlei catch Li Erniu, this "big fish," he spared no effort in mobilizing all his forces. And what was the result?

The fish didn't catch any fish, but instead, the owner of his own pond was robbed by them!

If word gets out, the Wolf Fang Special Forces Brigade might as well change its name to "Wolf Fang Circus".

……

Meanwhile, in a hollow in a dense forest about three kilometers from the command post.

Li Erniu sat on a large rock, fiddling with Chen Shanming's radio, listening happily to the chaotic sounds coming from inside.

"Tsk tsk, Captain Chen has a really loud voice. He's so anxious, like he's lost his wife."

Beside him, Fan Tianlei was tied to a crooked tree with his hands behind his back.

Although Li Erniu wiped the mud off his face, his dejected appearance was still incredibly pitiful.

"Li Erniu, you win."

Fan Tianlei sighed, looking at the cook with a complicated expression. "Tell me, what exactly do you want from me? To take me to Kang Lei to claim credit? Or to use me as bait to continue targeting the rest of my Wolf Fang?"

Li Erniu chuckled: "Old Fan, you're overthinking it. I invited you over purely because my grand-nephew said he missed you. I'm an elder, I have to fulfill the wishes of the younger generation, don't I?"

As they were talking, the shadows of the trees in the distance began to sway.

Two extremely agile figures moved through the bushes like lightning, one after the other.

"Brother Niu! It's done!"

Wang Yanbing's face, smeared with greasepaint, emerged from behind a tree, carrying a captured wolf-tooth helmet. "Chen Shanming and his gang ran back like madmen, almost collapsing the mountain road."

Immediately afterwards, He Chenguang also came out carrying a gun.

He glanced at the surrounding security situation, and was about to speak when his gaze suddenly fell on the person tied up under the tree.

He Chenguang's body jolted violently, his eyes widening instantly:

"Uncle Fan... Uncle Fan?!"

He Chenguang's shout carried three parts shock, three parts absurdity, and four parts utter disbelief.

Upon hearing this voice, Fan Tianlei's old face twitched violently, and he wished he could find a hole in a tree to crawl into on the spot.

For half his life, he had always played the role of a "strict teacher," "elder," and "guide" in front of He Chenguang.

Now, he's tied to a tree, being held captive like a prisoner by Li Erniu, that "fool," and has been caught red-handed by his most prized junior.

What's this called?

This is what you call ultimate social death!

"Dawn..."

Fan Tianlei lowered his head, his voice barely audible, "Um... the weather was nice, so I went out for a walk, and I accidentally... slipped and fell."

Wang Yanbing also came over, and after recognizing Fan Tianlei, he laughed so hard he couldn't straighten up.

"Holy crap! Hahahaha! Commander, it really is you! Do you remember me? You're the one who got me into the army!"

Wang Yanbing slapped his thigh, laughing until tears streamed down his face. "Brother Niu, you're amazing! You really brought him back? Or did you just kidnap him from command post?"

Fan Tianlei certainly remembered.

These three people were all brought into the army by him.

But if he had known this would be the outcome, he would never have gone to them!

[Ding! Extreme astonishment and shock from He Chenguang, shock value +3000!]

[A truly shocking revelation from Wang Yanbing, shattering my worldview! Shock level +1000!]

He Chenguang walked up to Fan Tianlei and reached out to help him untie the knot, but was stopped by Li Erniu.

"Chenguang, don't rush. Now that it's untied, if Lao Fan runs away, all my climbing this cliff will have been for nothing."

Wang Yanbing asked curiously:

"Chenguang, what did you call him? Uncle Fan?"

He Chenguang nodded: "Uncle Fan and my father were comrades-in-arms, and he watched me grow up."

"Alright, enough chit-chat. Chen Shanming and the others will be here soon using tracking methods, so we need to get back to the Iron Fist Regiment as soon as possible. Chen Guang, you lead the way; Yan Bing, you cover the rear; I'll carry Lao Fan along the back path."

Then, an extremely bizarre scene unfolded in the jungle.

Two top-tier soldiers led the way and cleared the way for the rear guard.

In the middle is a cook carrying the Wolf Fang commander, who is bound like a dumpling, on his back.

Fan Tianlei tried to persuade He Chenguang the whole way.

"Chenguang, listen to Uncle Fan. Li Erniu has psychological problems; this is serious illegal detention! You have to help Uncle Fan get him released. The doors of our Wolf Fang are always open for you, as long as you help me now..."

He Chenguang looked helpless and didn't turn his head: "Uncle Fan, I'm a soldier in the Iron Fist Regiment now. The exercise isn't over yet. Besides, I've never seen Brother Erniu so serious before. I also want to see what kind of expression the instructor will have when I take you back."

Fan Tianlei was so angry that he closed his eyes.

He discovered that He Chenguang, a righteous and upright soldier, had been led astray by Li Erniu.

An hour later.

The Iron Fist Gang's temporary assembly point.

Regiment Commander Kang Lei and Gong Jian were discussing countermeasures while looking at a tattered map.

Surrounding them were the more than one hundred sharpshooters from the Fourth Company and the guard company who had just been brought back, all of them looking dejected, and the atmosphere was extremely oppressive.

"Commander, the Blue Army's offensive is too fierce. If reinforcements don't arrive soon, we're really going to be wiped out." Gong Jian sighed, his eyes filled with resentment.

Just as Kang Lei was about to speak, the sentry suddenly cried out in surprise.

"Who?! Password!"

"Our area is full of living Lei Fengs!"

A kind, honest voice came from the woods.

Everyone was stunned for a moment, then Gong Jian suddenly jumped up.

"Erniu?! Erniu is back!"

Li Erniu, along with He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing, swaggered into the camp.

When Gong Jian saw the dark figure on Li Erniu's back, he froze instantly.

Li Erniu walked up to Gong Jian and casually threw Fan Tianlei to the ground like he was throwing a bag of rice.

"Little Gong, your third uncle has brought you a gift."

Li Erniu pointed at Fan Tianlei, who was struggling to lift his head on the ground, his face full of shame and indignation, and chuckled:

"Look, this old rascal said he missed you, so I just picked him up from the command post on the way. What do you think, Uncle San did a good job, didn't he?"

Gong Jian stared at Fan Tianlei on the ground, his chin slamming into his foot.

"Chief of Staff...?!"

Gong Jian rubbed his eyes, his face full of terror, then suddenly turned to look at Li Erniu, his voice cracking:

"Li Erniu! You...you captured him?! From command post?!"

[Ding! A devastating cognitive shock from Gong Jian, shock value +3000!]

[A thunderbolt of shock from Conrad, shock value +5000!]

Kang Lei also walked over at this time.

He looked at Fan Tianlei, who was tightly bound on the ground, and was first shocked. Then, the pent-up anger that had been building up all day instantly turned into wild laughter.

"Hahahaha! Fan Tianlei! You old fox! You've finally met your match?!"

Kang Lei laughed until tears streamed down his face, slapping his thigh and pointing at Fan Tianlei, "Weren't you going to behead me? How come you were 'captured alive' by my cook?"

Fan Tianlei finally spat out the half-eaten grass root in his mouth. Looking at the Iron Fist Regiment soldiers surrounding him, and at Gong Jian's face with a hint of eerie smile amidst his fear, he closed his eyes in despair.

"Older brother...stop laughing."

Fan Tianlei said quietly, "Quickly find me a piece of cloth... I can't face anyone in the Southeast Military Region anymore with this face."

Li Erniu, meanwhile, sat casually by the iron pot on the ground, took a sweet potato out of his pocket, and handed it to Gong Jian:

"Little Gong, don't just stand there, go untie Old Fan's ropes, and pour him a bowl of hot water while you're at it. My third uncle taught you to be polite, you know?"