Global Tower in City A was completely besieged in this scorching summer heat. Riot police in black uniforms with shields formed a human wall keeping the curious citizens at a safe distance.

Several special forces soldiers in green uniforms were sweating profusely due to the urgency of the situation.

"Hey, listen to me, person inside! I will use our commander in exchange for your hostage. We will meet all your demands. Please, don't do anything rash!" The soldier with glasses shouted into the building while communicating in sign language.

"I’m warning you! Don’t try any nonsense with me! If I press this trigger, the building and everyone in it will instantly blow up!" The malevolent criminal tightly hid behind the hostage and mercilessly scanned the more than a dozen people crouching in the lobby.

When Commander Li Wei walked in, the hostage seemed to see hope, and pleaded, "Help me, Chief!"

Across the street from the building, there was a young soldier lying quietly with a long-range sniper rifle in his hand. Even under the extreme heat, he remained completely still.

"Get out of the way!" Ye Feng, seeing through the sniper scope Commander Li Wei solidly blocking the criminal, didn't dare move—a bit of a headache, as this would make him lose many opportunities.

The original plan was for Li Wei to expose as much of the criminal's head as possible while swapping hostages, allowing the sniper to take him out. However, Ye Feng saw that Li Wei had just completely blocked the criminal’s head.

"Where is my car? Don’t trick me, I'll start counting to five, if I don’t see the car, someone dies! Five!" The scarred criminal looked at the still vacant ground and was becoming agitated.

"What do we do, Captain Lei! It doesn’t seem like he’s joking?"

The middle-aged man referred to as Captain Lei furrowed his brows deeply in thought; his fingers gripping the walkie-talkie had turned pale from tension.

"All units hold positions and await commands," he ordered.

"Roger!", came the unanimous reply.

"Especially Eagle Eye, remain at your post!"

Eagle Eye is Ye Feng's code name. At this moment, however, he completely ignores the commands given through the walkie-talkie and instead focuses intensely on Li Wei in his scope.

"Three, two..." With the hostage-taker's countdown becoming critical, the hostage, Li Wei, displays a somber expression, feeling a real sense of murderous intent from the perpetrator.

"What should I do?" Li Wei's heart quivers.

"Eagle Eye! Eagle Eye!" Lei's team leader turns his face into a scowl that exudes an intense sense of unease due to Ye Feng's continual silence.

"One."

"Bang!"

A gunshot that sounds like thunder pierces the sky, rendering bustling streets and buildings into a deathly silence.

"Who fired the shot! Who did?" Lei's team leader violently throws down the walkie-talkie. He hears clearly that just now, the gunshot was not the sound of a handgun.

"Ah!" Li Wei clutches his ears. The ringing is incessant. He initially thought the shot was fired by the criminal, but that wasn't the case.

The formerly threatening terrorist now lies on the ground, eyes wide open and mouth agape as if questioning how he was killed.

Lei's team leader watches this scene with an increasingly dark expression, "Eagle Eye! You've caused a big trouble!"

At this moment, Ye Feng expels a long breath, gently dusts off the hat that had been jostled by the gunshot and reveals a slight smile on his lips.

When the perpetrator had begun the countdown, Ye Feng's mind was spinning rapidly. After his calculations, he ignored the command and directly shot through Li Wei to kill the criminal.

He believes that standing idle and watching lives trickle from his grasp is impossible. Ye Feng maintains that the troops exist for the people. If they can't even safeguard their own names, then they are not worthy of wearing the military uniform.

"Grab him for me!" As Ye Feng descends from the rooftop, a former comrade-in-arms rushes up, swiftly pushes Ye Feng to the ground, and strips him of his weapon.

Leaf Feng looked puzzled at Captain Lei. He knew that disobedience would lead to punishment, but seeing the grave look on Lei's face, he was somewhat confused.

"Leaf Feng, I'm afraid you're in trouble this time," Captain Lei sighed deeply, escorting Feng to the car.

Li Wei on the ride was looking intently at Leaf Feng, asking with great interest, "Was it you who fired that shot?"

"Acting boldly without authorization from me or your superiors can be audacious!" Seeing Leaf Feng nod in bewilderment, Li Wei patted him energetically on the shoulder.

"Boy, you're done! Disobeying superiors without permission is a grave crime. Brace yourself for a military trial!"

Leaf Feng was hastily taken from the car and confined to the army detention room.

Leaf Feng had been an orphan since childhood, raised solely by his grandfather, a veteran. Spurred by his military dreams, he worked his way through rigorous selections to join the special forces, without any connections.

Staring at the dim walls, Leaf Feng didn't know if he would face a military court or what kind of punishment he might receive. Yet, given another chance, he would still do the same.

In a crisis, he wouldn't allow any innocent people to die!

"By the military's decision, due to Leaf Feng's repeat disregard for hostages' safety and unyielding defiance of orders, he is to be stripped of his rank and privileges for life and sentenced to lifelong imprisonment, to be transferred to prison in three days."

When the words 'stripped of his rank' reached Leaf Feng's ears, it felt as if his head had been struck by lightning.

Becoming a soldier had been his biggest aspiration, and in that moment, this great, honorable profession, symbolizing his duty, was fleeting.

"Sir, although Leaf Feng disobeyed orders, he did resolve the crisis. His merit far outweighs his crime!"

"Leaf Feng was born to be a soldier. Our army can't afford to lose him!"

"Commander, I'm guilty too. If there's to be punishment, punish us all!"

"Commander, I gave the order to fire..."

"Commander..."

From their seats, both Thunder Squadron and comrades with whom he had spent countless days and nights stood up one after another. Meanwhile, Li Wei, unperturbed, focused on playing with a smartphone, a faint smile gracing his face.

"Hmph! Does the merit outweigh the fault? Military orders are as unchangeable as mountains! This decision was made by the higher-ups! No point in arguing!" A commander with a white-beard coldly stated, a stern frown on his face as he looked at Ye Feng.

Ye Feng, being the one at the center of it all, was the calmest person in the entire courtroom: "Is that all there is to it?"

He laughed at himself mockingly. He wasn't afraid of death, imprisonment, or even anything else for that matter. All he felt was resentment.

He remembered the goal he had set for himself: to become the most outstanding soldier in the nation and eliminate all the evildoers.

His grandfather had once told him that good iron should be forged into steel, that a good man should become a soldier, and that dying on a battlefield would be the most honorable end. It was a shame he hadn't been able to fulfill his grandfather's wish. Ah well.

Once in prison, he'd have to share cell with other convicts, share peace and tumult, share glory and disgrace. Thinking about all of this, Ye Feng couldn't help but feel a sense of discontent.

Once the verdict was delivered, Ye Feng was imprisoned as a special military offender. During his incarceration, no one was allowed to visit him, make phone calls, or contact others in any way unless it was a special circumstance.

All of the guards were his former comrades. No one could understand why Ye Feng's crime was so severe, and they were devastated.

Wasn't this pushing Ye Feng towards death? What was the difference between this and erasing a young man who had contributed to his country?

Ye Feng wasn't a murderer, he was a savior!

During his imprisonment, Thunder Squadron and a few comrades came to visit Ye Feng with a memo approved by the military. One by one, these iron-boned men wept, and it fell to Ye Feng, destined for a future in the shadows, to comfort them.

Ye Feng slightly raised his head to a particularly clear sky, where a few lazy white clouds were slowly drifting.

"Ye Feng! Farewell, we will always remember you. Go in peace!" All of Thunder Squadron's special forces assembled to give an exceedingly solemn military salute to Ye Feng, bidding their farewell.

Ye Feng managed a bitter smile and waved his hand. A hood was then placed over his head, and he was taken to the car, heading towards the 'execution ground'.