Special Forces: At the beginning, An Ran pulled him to get his certificate.

Chapter 1388 Reunion with Kang Tuan

“If you want to follow me and create a new department together, then go and say goodbye to your brothers.” Chen Jun’s gaze was firm, his eyes revealing an undeniable authority and expectation. His words echoed in the somewhat desolate border post, striking Wang Chao, Chen Zhi, and Lin Chao’s hearts like a heavy hammer blow.

After hearing Chen Jun's words, Wang Chao didn't hesitate for a moment and was the first to run towards Fang Xingwu. His posture was upright, his face filled with determination and reluctance. He solemnly saluted Fang Xingwu, his voice slightly choked as he said, "I'm sorry, Platoon Leader Fang, I have to leave you and the brothers. I yearn to forge my own path ahead, I..."

Fang Xingwu returned a standard salute, his eyes full of satisfaction and blessings: "Have a safe journey. No need for further words. Get lost and don't come back to me. I hope to hear your legendary stories in the future. After all, you're going to be following a legendary war god."

Wang Chao nodded vigorously, his eyes gleaming with determination: "Platoon leader, I definitely won't let you down. I'll bring honor to our brothers. Soldiers from the northern frontier are no cowards!"

Then, Wang Chao turned around, saluted Chen Jun again, and said in a passionate tone, "Comrade Commander, please take me with you. I am willing to follow you."

Chen Jun nodded slightly, then looked at Chen Zhi and Lin Chao. The two men also bid a heartfelt farewell to their comrades, their eyes brimming with tears, yet their expressions were resolute. They then stood together beside Chen Jun.

"I'll give you one day to pack your bags and then report to the address I've given you. I have other matters to attend to with General Fan, so I must leave now." Chen Jun arranged things methodically, his words concise and powerful.

"General Fan..."

"To!"

When Fan Tianlei heard Chen Jun personally address him as General Fan, he was stunned. The shock on his face was even more exaggerated than when he heard Lei Jun say that he could travel 1300 kilometers on a single charge. He knew that his military rank had not yet been officially assigned, but he hadn't expected General Chen to be so respectful as to address him as a general. This filled him with an indescribable sense of gratitude and pride.

These past few days, Lao Fan had been observing the changing situation at the border, but he couldn't get involved and felt like he was invisible. Now, finally, he had the chance to play a role, and a hint of excitement appeared in his eyes.

"This is your address. I will be your instructor after you report for duty," Chen Jun said, handing the address to the three men.

"Yes, sir!" Wang Chao and the other two responded in unison, their eyes filled with anticipation and hope for the future.

Seeing the three border guards address him as "General" with admiring eyes, Lao Fan felt a surge of satisfaction and couldn't help but laugh.

……

The helicopter's rotors spun rapidly, emitting a deafening roar, as it slowly took off and soared into the blue sky. As the helicopter climbed higher and higher, the small border post in northern Xinjiang grew smaller and smaller until it finally disappeared from sight.

Two hours later, the plane landed smoothly at the airport. The powerful propellers whipped up gusts of wind, sending sand and stones flying. As the wind gradually subsided, Chen Jun jumped out of the plane. He immediately spotted a familiar figure standing at the airport.

"Comrade Commander, hello. This is Kang Lei, Naval Operations Staff Officer, reporting for duty." Kang Lei stood ramrod straight, his salute crisp and clean.

"Old Commander, hello. Just call me Chen Jun, don't call me 'Commander,' it's too polite..." Chen Jun looked at Kang Lei, whom he hadn't seen for a long time, with warmth and affection in his eyes. He didn't return the salute as usual, but stepped forward and hugged Kang Lei tightly.

Kang Lei paused slightly, then saw Fan Tianlei disembark from the plane, and his expression immediately became very complicated. It could be said that the emotional entanglement between Kang Lei and Fan Tianlei was extremely complex; even ordinary couples didn't experience the same level of emotional turmoil. Kang Lei had sent many excellent soldiers to Old Fan, conducting exercises with him every year, yet every year he was "beheaded," and the disbandment of the Iron Fist Regiment was more or less related to this.

"Old buddy, old comrade-in-arms, long time no see." Old Fan smiled and extended his hand, wanting to shake hands with Kang Lei.

"How did you end up with General Chen?" Kang Lei looked at Lao Fan with surprise in his eyes. He was really surprised that Lao Fan and Chen Jun had gotten together.

"Haha, following the old commander, I also have a chance to become a general. From now on, you can all call me General Fan." Fan Tianlei said smugly, showing off in front of Kang Lei. Since Chen Jun was already calling him General Fan, what did he have to worry about?

Kang Lei curled his lip speechlessly and said, "You're just bragging. But if you follow General Chen, it's only a matter of time before you're promoted to general. I believe that. When you're in the eye of the storm, even a pig can fly."

"Can't you even speak properly..." Old Fan's smile froze instantly. He thought about it for a moment, and then realized that Kang Lei's words actually made some sense. If it weren't for Chen Jun's help, he might have really been raising pigs until retirement.

"I'm a special talent..."

Kang Lei interrupted him, turned to look at Chen Jun, and said half-jokingly and half-seriously, "General Chen, why did you bring Lao Fan but not me? Am I not as good as Lao Fan, the pig farmer?"

"Old Commander, your strength lies in discovering talent for the country. Look, wasn't I discovered by you? Now I'm a general!" Chen Jun smiled, his tone calm yet full of sincerity.

Upon hearing this, Kang Lei couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Ah, right, right, in this ability, Lao Fan can't compare to me at all, haha, his generalship can't compare to the soldiers I led."

"As for you, General Fan, bah..." Kang Lei exhaled lightly at Old Fan, and then said, "Forget it, I'm too lazy to argue with you. This bite evens things out. It's true that Fan Tianlei made me and Fan Tianlei ruined me. I'm doing pretty well in the Navy, and I've already become the Chief of Naval Staff."

“That’s right, I’ll take this bite. Old brother, I’m really sorry for what I did to you in the past…” Fan Tianlei scratched his head a little embarrassedly.

The three of them laughed and reminisced about the past, tears welling in their eyes, before heading towards the training ground.

On the way, Kang Lei said to Chen Jun, "I've selected a group of elite members for you. These are the elites you trained when you were an instructor in the Navy. They know you very well, and when they heard that you came to select members in person, they were all incredibly excited, as if they had gotten in through connections."

"They are all elite members of the naval special forces. Don't worry, I've reserved them all for you. You can choose whichever you like, and I, as the chief of staff, won't even hesitate," Kang Lei assured him, patting his chest.

"Whoever regrets it is a coward," Chen Jun suddenly blurted out.

Kang Lei was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and suddenly burst into laughter. While laughing, he deliberately glanced at Lao Fan, who immediately felt a little embarrassed.

Upon arriving at the training ground, Chen Jun saw dozens of naval soldiers engaged in a fierce sword fight. This was no ordinary drill; it was a brutal bayonet training exercise where every strike was swift and deadly. Every movement of the soldiers was filled with power and ruthlessness, and a moment's carelessness could result in a fatal blow. Of course, for safety reasons, they were all wearing bulletproof vests.

Chen Jun stood quietly to the side, observing with keen eyes the performance of each soldier. Before long, he selected two. These two stood out from the crowd; their movements were much faster than the others, their moves were sharp and fierce, and they could easily take on three or four opponents.

"What are their names?" Chen Jun asked, pointing to the two men.

Kang Lei couldn't help but secretly admire Chen Jun's eye for talent, exclaiming, "Good eye! They are both top fighters this year, ranking among the best in the competition. One is named Xue Gao, and the other is named Wang Hao. These two are not only fast, accurate, and ruthless in their fighting, but also have extremely strong diving abilities."

“Okay, I’ve decided on those two. Give me their files later,” Chen Jun said decisively.

“No problem. Whoever you fancy, as long as they’re willing to follow you, I have no objection. Whoever regrets it is a coward.” Kang Lei laughed heartily.

"Who else do you have your eye on?" Kang Lei then asked.

"Don't rush, let them finish fighting first." Chen Jun's gaze remained focused on the soldiers on the training field.

Chen Jun watched for another half hour, his eyes never leaving the soldiers' every move. Then, he called out the names of more than ten people and asked to take their files.

"Only twelve in total? Isn't that too few? These people all possess the abilities of elite special forces. What, you don't think they're good enough?" Kang Lei asked with some doubt.

Chen Jun's expression was serious as he calmly said, "The department I created has extremely dangerous missions, so it must be composed of the elite of the elite. The others are certainly good, but they still fall short of my requirements. I must be responsible for them, so I can only strive for excellence."

"Haha, you're the father of special forces, so you're in charge." Kang Lei smiled and nodded, indicating his understanding.

Then, Kang Lei called out the names of the people Chen Jun had chosen, one by one, and asked them to come out. The twelve people quickly lined up in front of Chen Jun, their posture upright, their eyes filled with determination and expectation.

Chen Jun's gaze swept over everyone, sharp as a needle, and he asked seriously, "I presume you all remember me?"

"Chief Instructor of the Three Armies!" The twelve men actually called out Chen Jun's nickname in unison, their voices neat and loud.

Chen Jun was slightly taken aback, not expecting that this was the title he was famous for in the Navy.

"Just asking, do you want to follow me?" Chen Jun asked loudly.

"I dream about it!" The crowd answered in unison, their voices filled with enthusiasm and longing. Clearly, after Kang Lei announced the news, they were all filled with anticipation of following Chen Jun, which explained their loud and willing shouts.

“Very good, but let me tell you, those who follow me are in constant danger and could lose their lives at any moment. Are you afraid?” Chen Jun’s eyes were solemn. He wanted these soldiers to know clearly that the road ahead was full of hardship and danger.

"We're not afraid!" the crowd shouted again, their voices echoing across the training ground as if trying to pierce the clouds, demonstrating their fearless courage.

"Let me tell you first, following me isn't about promotions or making money, nor is it about becoming some kind of elite soldier to show off. The road ahead is paved with blood, mud, and sacrifice, and has nothing to do with applause and flowers. Even if you sacrifice yourselves, you might not be able to return home. This is a one-way street you can't even imagine. However, I can guarantee that you will experience unprecedented growth and become top-tier soldiers. This will be a military career you could never have dreamed of. Finally, you make your choice again. Those who want to retreat can stay at the naval base." Chen Jun's words were heavy and powerful, each word striking the hearts of the soldiers.

After Chen Jun finished speaking, his gaze slowly swept over everyone.

For a long time, no one moved. The soldiers simply stared at Chen Jun with shining eyes, their gazes unwavering. Although Chen Jun had roughly guessed the answer, he was still filled with emotion. These were the true soldiers of Yan State: fearless in the face of difficulties; ready to die on the battlefield; and most afraid of failing their mission and betraying the expectations of their country and people.

“Very good. I believe this is a choice made from your hearts. Let’s go, go back and pack your bags, and leave with me.” Chen Jun nodded in satisfaction and gave the order.

Upon hearing Chen Jun's order to depart immediately, the twelve naval soldiers cheered on the spot, their excitement as if it were New Year's Day. Those who hadn't been chosen looked on with immense envy. They all knew what kind of person Chen Jun was; serving under him was every soldier's dream.

"Leaving already? I've already prepared the meal, including Dezhou roast chicken and Luzhou Laojiao liquor." Kang Lei was surprised to hear that Chen Jun was about to leave and tried to persuade him to stay...

"Old Chief, the mission is urgent. I'll treat you to dinner myself next time. This is about the planning of national security strategy. Actually, it has already taken up quite a bit of time."

Upon hearing Chen Jun reveal this news, Kang Tuan knew he couldn't keep him. His status was important, reaching the national level. It could be said that every move he made caused a huge upheaval, beyond Kang Tuan's imagination.

Fortunately, Chen Jun is very sentimental. If it were someone else, given his status and the time constraints, they might not have stayed to stand here and talk to him.

"Alright, I'll have to take advantage of this. Next time, but make it quick, or it might be a long time coming."

"Don't worry, old commander. Once this department is established, I'll have some free time. I'll bring some good wine, and whoever doesn't get drunk is a coward."

"OK!"

Kang Tuan and Chen Jun embraced each other again.

At this moment, there is no hierarchy among them; they embrace each other's feelings and the years they've shared.

Ten minutes later, the helicopter took off again from the naval training ground.

"General Chen, where are we going next?" General Fan leaned closer and asked.