"But we aren't in danger of losing our lives, so what's there to fear?"
"Well, guarding others to protect oneself is her subconscious behavior. She'll need a lot of time to realize she can connect with you." The old man smiled. "By then, she'll be leaving in a few days, and it's not possible to make friends, so why bother."
So, the news that Ling Qingyu was an experienced veteran who might have suffered a lot of trauma spread from this gossiping group.
After the banquet was over, one person spread it to ten, ten to a hundred, and so on. By the time the rumor reached the Spirit Fox operators and Tang Ziyi's ears, they were dumbfounded.
Especially when soldiers in the military eagerly asked about Ling Qingyu's biography, they had no idea what to say next and just nodded with numb faces.
What else could they do? They couldn't say more and ruin everything, right? Since the greatest misunderstanding had been formed, they let it be.
Tang Ziyi's face turned interesting under the intriguing eyes of General Tang. Even Ling Qingyu felt strange as she noticed the gazes landing more on her, filled with questions.
The night passed, and after Ling Qingyu and Tang Ziyi returned, the news grew more and more outrageous. Tang Ziyi's lips twitched as she scanned Ling Qingyu up and down carefully.
Well, even under an ordinary dress and altered face, Ling Qingyu still looked appealing. Like a dressing-up game, she wondered if she should also paint Ling Qingyu into different styles with numerous clothing designs.
Hey, her idea was possible. With the technology and clothing design ability from Ling Qingyu's companies, many cosplays were possible.
Ling Qingyu shivered subconsciously and looked warily at her surroundings. Since the day she learned to trust her intuition, she responded quickly without the slightest doubt.
"What's the matter?" Tang Ziyi asked, her brows furrowing.
"I don't know, I feel like someone is planning something bad for me. You should also be careful. The knife from the dark is hardest to block." Ling Qingyu even quoted a famous statement.
Tang Ziyi raised her brows funnily and held her laughter. She praised Ling Qingyu's weird intuition attributes and sighed, continuing to walk in a pretentious manner. "You don't need to say it; I learned to protect myself when you were still peeing in your diaper."
Ling Qingyu's face darkened at her partner's words and scoffed. But was it an illusion that she saw black gas emitting from Tang Ziyi? Oh, how evil! Ling Qingyu shook her head.
Why did she feel like the danger she sensed earlier came from Tang Ziyi?
Meanwhile, the three generals were discussing in a private room. The topic was about Ling Qingyu's veteranship.
"Do you think the rumors are true?" General Tang asked the two generals, who exchanged helpless glances and shrugged.
"I think it's a bit outrageous, but there's an element that backs up the claim."
"Indeed," General Tang nodded. "After all, we've watched and analyzed their combat footage. There's no denying their skills."
"Actually, till now, no matter how we've investigated, we know nothing about the Spirit Fox operators' identities. We know their organization, but…" The man paused. "I reckon that even if we knew their faces, we'd gain nothing out of it apart from some leader-like figures."
Spirit Fox operators' backgrounds and identities had been filtered by Athena to prevent these probes that could cause a disaster. Ling Qingyu might not suffer one, but her guards also had families to protect.
To prevent a tragic script from forming, Athena would be alerted as soon as someone attempted to search about Spirit Fox operators, rendering the official incognito investigation useless.
"Anyway, it seems like our probe is a failure. That woman knows how to dodge our questions." General Tang smacked her lips, recalling the back-and-forth dialogue with Tang Ziyi. "As for the rumor, let it be. It doesn't affect us, and I think she might have some trauma as reported. Who knows where she has experienced it?"
"Haha, that girl is a bit too cold," one agreed. "This is the fate of warriors. Underneath the limelight and glory, no one cares or understands the deep troubles and pains."
The next day, Spirit Fox operators woke up early and had breakfast. Tang Ziyi met General Tang again, who requested a friendly exchange between the two parties.
Tang Ziyi agreed, and the base hosted a match. She knew these moves were subtly testing one's depth.
General Tang had no desire to test marksmanship skills. From the old footage, she was aware of Spirit Fox's accuracy and firearm skills. She wasn't seeking abuse to undermine her own faction.
The event hosted was a sparring match between the operators and the military personnel. After all, equipping firearms equalized the difference between genders, but physical attributes could never be changed.
She knew this might be a little unfair, but against ordinary soldiers, Spirit Fox should be capable, right? Plus, she requested permission from Tang Ziyi, who also agreed without hesitation.
Since she had implicitly explained the stakes and weaknesses, Tang Ziyi's agreement proved that Spirit Fox operators could handle the task.
Of course, the rumors never stopped, and many soldiers approached the operators to ask for confirmation. In the end, the operators were so annoyed that they made up more stories, even reaching the height of some legends. What tearing a body into two pieces and so on!
So, the ordinary soldiers in the base were excited to participate since fighting against the renowned Spirit Fox was different. But their expectations were poured with cold water.
The operators effortlessly defeated their opponents, not lasting a single round, which raised interest from the special forces units who would accompany them in the upcoming mission.
They challenged the girls, who accepted the deal quickly and were abused to the point of doubting their lives. Similarly, they didn't last more than five exchanges.
In terms of skills, they had to admit defeat. It seemed like even if they attempted to exploit their bigger physiques, Spirit Fox operators solved them with grace and ease.
That was the result of Spirit Fox operators controlling their unimaginably enhanced physical strength and stamina. Imagine if they unleashed it all—they might accidentally kill someone, and this wasn't a joke.
Of course, among the girls, Ling Qingyu was repeatedly challenged because of the rumor. Almost every opponent lost the moment they moved.
It was like she knew what moves the opponents would make and struck back simultaneously. There was no dodging, no parrying, and no distancing; Ling Qingyu stepped in head-on, merely focusing on attack. Special forces units also experienced the same treatment—a true equality…
Nonetheless, Ling Qingyu's outstanding victory proved the rumor, causing more excitement. Spirit Fox operators and Tang Ziyi collectively slapped their foreheads in their minds.
Ling Qingyu was also helpless about this; she just wanted to act cold yet attracted more attention. At last, her damn charm never failed to work, Ling Qingyu thought narcissistically.
If Tang Ziyi and the girls knew what was in Ling Qingyu's mind, they might vomit blood in disgust. Here they were, troubled by the gossip and having to tone down her achievements, but the culprit was dancing with joy silently.
The three generals praised Spirit Fox and ended the match hastily to avoid embarrassment. There was not a single victory, okay! An utter abuse. No need to seek more! The three cried inwardly about their complaint.
Even their special forces unit was destroyed. Spirit Fox deserved its name and reputation. While the three flattered, Tang Ziyi also responded humbly.
She was proud of her subordinates' achievements, but she knew they were still far from being a World Class Special Forces unit.
In fact, special forces combat capability didn't exceed that of conventional units by a large margin. The unit specialized in various skills and formed a capable team. What they excelled at wasn't a frontal assault but infiltration and causing chaos behind enemy lines, which was what Spirit Fox operators lacked currently.
However, Tang Ziyi understood that their frontal combat was so outrageous that they could ignore the other aspects. If these operators learned more skills, she couldn't imagine the frightening strength that would terrify future elites.
She was looking forward to seeing those days become a reality.
When the crowd dispersed, Tang Ziyi summoned her group of girls, the friendly special unit that would ride alongside them, and the three generals to brief them on the mission.
Tang Ziyi explained the stakes and variables, describing the situation known according to Athena's intelligence through internet and satellite surveillance.
What she spoke brought great shock to the three generals, who tried to control their expressions. The intelligence level of Spirit Fox was so high—no wonder the gangs in Province N were bullied so much to the point of despair and tears.
This group of girls was overkill to work as a law enforcement party. They should join the military instead!