Chapter 449 - One word, fight!

Chapter 449: Chapter 456: One word, fight!Li Yifei went straight back to the hotel, where his four rascally buddies immediately swarmed him with questions. It took Li Yifei quite a while to fend them off before he could finally climb into bed to rest.

Although all five men were now together in a large suite, none of them felt sleepy. The bonds between these comrades were forged in the crucible of life and death. Back then, even a hint of selfishness could have landed them all in dire straits. They trusted each other implicitly, to the point of being willing to expose their backs to their comrades, confident that even if their friends could not eliminate the danger from behind, they would shield them with their own bodies from incoming bullets.

This type of bond is a matter of life and death, a trust so profound you would put your life in the other person’s hands. It is a far cry from mere fair-weather friends.

"Boss, after you left, problems started cropping up in the Flying Hawk Squad," Zheng Mingrui, puffing on a cigarette, suddenly let out a sigh.

"How could that be?" Li Yifei furrowed his brow and said, "The comrades in the Flying Hawk Squad are closer than blood brothers. How could there possibly be problems?"

Zhao Qing chimed in, "If it were our original comrades, there wouldn’t be any problems for sure. But after you left, Number One brought in some new guys. These punks are clearly here just for the glory. They strut around like they own the place, hiding in the back whenever there’s danger, but as soon as there’s an opportunity for recognition, they rush to the forefront more fiercely than anyone. Damn them."

"Just thinking about those punks pisses me off. If you were still here, Boss, you’d have kicked them out long ago," Zhou Qiang said angrily, slamming his fist on the bed frame.

Li Yifei’s brow creased even more. From the moment he joined the Flying Hawk Squad, he prided himself on being a part of Huaxia’s strongest military force. Every member possessed exceptional abilities. But most importantly, they were united as brothers—ready to risk their lives for one another without hesitation—a tradition of the Flying Hawk Squad.

But even such a squad, for political reasons, had to be subjected to military leadership. This leader was responsible for organizing the squad’s missions and controlling members’ activities—an individual known as Flying Hawk Number One. He didn’t need to have strong combat abilities, only the organizational skills to be a good leader.

As the second-in-command of the squad, Li Yifei was the soul of the Flying Hawk Squad, the strongest among them. Outside, Number Two might have been just a soldier, but within the squad, he held absolute authority. That’s why he was referred to as "Boss" by the others.

Li Yifei’s decision to retire was largely influenced by the new Number One, whom he really couldn’t stand. That guy exuded a strong sense of bureaucracy, completely different from any previous Number One. The predecessors might not have been strong in combat, but they were all staunch figures capable of integrating with the squad.

Tian Dong said indignantly, "Hmph, the current Number One is a total bastard. The missions he arranges make our blood boil. Last time, some privileged brat got into a conflict and was beaten up. So he sends me to get revenge for that spoiled kid. Since when has the Flying Hawk Squad become mere thugs?"

Zhou Qiang also spoke up angrily, "You were just serving as a thug, but I had an even more frustrating time. Some guy heard that there were people after him, so he made me act as his bodyguard. That guy was nothing but a worthless brat, throwing his weight around because of his father’s position. He was so obnoxious, it made me want to slaughter him right then and there."

Li Yifei’s expression had grown utterly dark as he said, "Mingrui, what’s this all about? I’ve left, and now you’re Number Two of the squad. You’ve got full authority to reject these missions."

Zheng Mingrui’s face twitched, while Zhao Qing quickly spoke up, "It’s not Mingrui’s fault, Boss. Ever since that Number One came, he’s gradually stripped away our internal power within the squad. Now, even Mingrui can’t control the squad. Plus, with those guys who got in through connections, the team’s atmosphere has turned completely toxic."

Li Yifei took a deep breath and said, "If the Flying Hawk Squad continues like this, it’ll soon degenerate into a third-rate outfit."

Zheng Mingrui nodded, "Exactly, which is why we still hope you’ll return, Boss. Only you have the prestige to maintain the squad’s status and kick out that Number One."

Li Yifei gave a wry smile, "Don’t you understand? It’s not that I didn’t want to kick him out, but instead, he managed to kick me out. When it comes to combat, he’s nothing, but when it comes to politics and schemes, all of us combined are no match for him."

"So, Boss, you’re just going to watch as our squad goes to ruin?" Zheng Mingrui said, a tinge of desperation in his voice.

Li Yifei blew a smoke ring and replied, "I don’t see it as a big deal. Haven’t you noticed how carefree I am now? If you guys are tired of the squad, you can come and follow me instead."

"Great! Then I’m with you, Boss. When we go back this time, we’ll apply for discharge," Zhao Qing said enthusiastically.

Zhou Qiang and Tian Dong also echoed their agreement, but Zheng Mingrui frowned and countered, "Wouldn’t doing this be somewhat inappropriate?"

"Mingrui, the boss, you’re not getting all sentimental about becoming number two, are you?" Zhou Qiang immediately furrowed his brows.

Li Yifei instantly glared and said, "Zhou Qiang, what are you talking about? Doubting Mingrui like this, is that the spirit of our Flying Hawk Squad?"

Zhou Qiang was taken aback and quickly said, "Boss, I’m not doubting Big Boss Mingrui, just a bit anxious, that’s all."

Zheng Mingrui waved his hand and said, "I understand. To tell the truth, sometimes even I start doubting some people now. The environment has changed, and we’re no longer that unbreakably united squad we used to be."

Li Yifei then smiled and said, "Mingrui, now you’ve truly matured more than before. Honestly, many good friends can fall out over some issues. In our squad, can any of the fifty members guarantee they have absolutely no personal agenda? Even I have my own motives, which is normal. But given the current state of our squad, here’s my advice: those with a hot temper should leave first, to avoid trouble. Those who can control themselves can stay, ensuring the squad’s foundation remains intact. We’re not looking to start factions, but it would be truly sad if the glory of the Flying Hawk Squad were to be destroyed by our generation."

Zheng Mingrui’s eyes brightened as he said, "Boss is the boss, always thinking more comprehensively than me. So your departure this time, is it also about avoiding the sharp edge?"

Li Yifei chuckled, "Honestly speaking, I do feel a bit tired. Plus, I can’t keep overshadowing you. I know you’re someone with dreams, and if I always hinder you from achieving them, we, as good brothers, might end up as enemies."

Zheng Mingrui didn’t feel awkward but laughed heartily, "Boss, you truly understand me. But even if you stay in the squad, one day I will definitely defeat you and take the number two spot for myself."

Li Yifei laughed heartily, not the slightest bit offended by Zheng Mingrui’s ambition. Having ambition is what drives a person to strive. Zheng Mingrui was that kind of person, but he would never resort to scheming; he would fight for it fair and square. So Li Yifei had always considered Zheng Mingrui a true brother.

Zhou Qiang, Zhao Qing, and Tian Dong all laughed out loud. In their Flying Hawk Squad, they never used to care about connections; the strongest got the highest rank. It was only after two years in the Flying Hawk Squad that Li Yifei had become number two. Even though there was competition among them, it was always fair and aboveboard; no one would resort to despicable tactics. Such competition genuinely motivated everyone to practice hard and become stronger.

Thanks to such a good competitive mechanism, the Flying Hawk Squad always remained the strongest. Anyone who slacked off in the squad would end up at the bottom and eventually leave the Flying Hawk Squad. It seemed cruel, but for everyone in the squad, it was definitely a good thing. Their hard work was why they had the lowest mission failure rate among the top-tier forces of various countries.

And even in failure, the personnel losses within the Flying Hawk Squad were minimal, with no more than five members lost each year.

Considering the top-tier nature of the Flying Hawk Squad and the extreme danger of the missions they undertook, such a low casualty rate was incredibly difficult to achieve.

At this point, Zheng Mingrui spoke again, "Boss, give me another piece of advice. How should I deal with number one? He’s already taken away most of my power. If it continues like this, I won’t have any authority left, and I won’t be able to take care of our brothers."

Li Yifei narrowed his eyes, and slowly exhaled a single word, "Fight!"

"Fight?" Zheng Mingrui was startled, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes.

Zhou Qiang quickly said, "Boss, you’re telling us to fight number one, won’t that get us kicked out of the Flying Hawk Squad directly?"

Li Yifei smiled slightly, "There are many ways to fight; you just need to think about it yourselves."

Zheng Mingrui’s mouth curled into a cold smirk, "Boss, I understand. I’ll make sure to teach that bastard a good lesson this time."

Li Yifei laughed and patted Zheng Mingrui on the shoulder, "Mingrui, I never did this myself, but now I’m letting you do it."

Looking puzzled, Zheng Mingrui looked at Li Yifei, "Boss, if you had such thoughts, why didn’t you do it at that time?"

"For one, he hadn’t gone too far at that time, and secondly... I truly wanted to live an ordinary life. I’m really tired after all these years."