Xiao stood where he was, golden radiance flaring off his body once more. That glow signaled one thing: his energy absorption had reached its limit.
So he raised a hand, signaling the gunners to cease fire.
He was full—really full this time.
Two straight hours of bombardment… the equivalent of firing off nearly fifty thousand artillery shells, not to mention the endless hail of bullets. Every one of his basic stats had been pushed right up against saturation.
If they kept attacking, he'd have to draw on the power of the Dimensional Farm to continue absorbing.
Energy Absorption and the Dimensional Farm truly were a match made in heaven.
Energy Absorption had an upper cap—but the Farm did not. It could swallow energy endlessly, growing richer, more fertile, its potential ever‑increasing.
In other words, as long as an attack didn't instantly exceed Xiao's threshold and obliterate him in a single blow, there was no ceiling to how much energy he could absorb.
"Whew…"
Xiao exhaled slowly, releasing all of the accumulated energy into the Dimensional Farm. Within his dimensional space, he watched the swath of black earth expand outward.
The soil's fertility surged like a rising tide. Rows upon rows of conceptual crops ripened in mere breaths before the Farm automatically harvested them.
The boiling energy inside him calmed at once; the golden light faded, and Xiao returned to looking like an ordinary man.
Just then, a man in a Zhongshan suit and rimless glasses approached from a distance. He was the official in charge of recording and evaluating today's test.
The leader strode up, grasped Xiao's hand, and declared with barely contained excitement:
"Comrade Xiao Yang, you've truly opened my eyes today!"
He showed not a trace of fear toward Xiao—mostly because fear would've been pointless.
At present, aside from a nuclear bomb, they couldn't imagine anything capable of killing him.
And Xiao was one of their own—born of the Dragon Country, descendant of Yan and Huang, a soldier who had stood on real battlefields and shed blood for his people.
Of course the leader was excited. Elated, even. Their nation finally had such a powerhouse.
"You flatter me, Chief. Just call me Xiao Xiao. And thank you for giving me this chance. I've been wanting to test my limits for a long time~"
Xiao answered modestly, smiling as Xi Hanmei came over with his clothes and helped him into them.
"You brat—too much modesty becomes arrogance!"
The leader chuckled and pointed at him.
Everyone present heard Xiao's earlier words; they all understood the real point. Xiao wasn't testing his limits—he was showing them his limits.
To be honest, the leader had been terrified at first. But then he remembered: Xiao was theirs. There was no need for fear—only joy.
With Xiao's existence, the Dragon Country now possessed its own "nuclear bomb." Except Xiao was even more frightening—because he was alive.
With him, they no longer needed to fear American or Soviet interventions. The Dragon Country could finally stand tall on the world stage.
From now on, those foreigners would have to understand something very simple:
My country's rules are the rules.
If anyone dared raise their voice—he would simply send Xiao Yang over. Problem solved.
"Hey, it's all a gift from God."
Xiao scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin.
It was still only 1957; the Dragon Country was nearly ten years away from detonating its first nuclear weapon.
With Xiao's strength, he didn't fear any non‑nuclear nation. And even if it was a nuclear weapon—so long as he had a moment to react, he could survive.
The only thing he once feared about national power was that, aside from space itself, he had no defense against a well‑placed sniper shot.
His reaction speed couldn't outpace a surprise attack from a large‑caliber rifle. Even if he could slip into his Little World at any moment, he was still mortal. A single bullet to the head was enough—no second shot required.
But now? His superpowers filled that gap.
Low‑tier weapons couldn't penetrate him.
High‑tier weapons couldn't hit him without warning.
With that, Xiao naturally had nothing left to fear.
Yet he still held the same philosophy: enjoying blessings alone might feel good, but growing too fast alone only offended people. Xiao preferred cooperation—making friends, making money together.
Seeing that Xiao wasn't easily swayed, the leader dropped the formalities and spoke plainly:
"Comrade Xiao Yang, the cabinet has agreed to your conditions. As long as you don't violate principles in the future… yadda yadda…"
He rattled off a long list of instructions, explained the rules, and promised countless benefits.
The gist was simple: Xiao had made enormous contributions to the nation, and the organization intended to reward him lavishly—granting him essentially anything he wanted. In return, when the country needed him, Xiao must lend his strength to the Dragon Country.
"Serve the people!"
Xiao saluted sharply, expressing full obedience to the organization's orders.
"Good, good! As expected of a soldier of our Dragon Country! Comrade Xiao's consciousness is truly admirable!"
The leader shook Xiao's hand again, delighted.
After the talks concluded, Xiao returned to the courtyard, ready to resume his leisurely life.
But at sunrise the next day, he received a transfer order.
The organization had decided to officially grant him the rank of Army Major General, complete with uniform.
If he wished, he could choose any military region to serve in—or establish a thousand‑man unit near Beiping, fully backed by the state.
The message was obvious: they wanted him to form his own elite force, ideally one capable of borrowing his extraordinary power to deter foreign nations.
Xiao wasn't interested.
Power was useful, yes—but it wasn't what he pursued. The hardship of military life still lingered in Xiao's inherited memories of the Siheyuan years. Even as a general, life wouldn't be as comfortable as living quietly in his own courtyard.
So he accepted his medals, documents, and uniform, then tossed the transfer order to Xi Hanmei, handing her a Dimensional Key Vine as well.
The meaning couldn't be clearer:
If you want to create a special force—go ahead. Everything you need is here. Build it yourself, and use it freely.
Of course, Xiao also suspected it might be a test from the higher‑ups, and he wasn't eager to step into that quagmire.
Extraordinary individuals often married into wealthy or powerful families—that alone was already high‑profile enough. But commanding an extraordinary military unit as well?
Heh.
Xiao wasn't afraid of trouble, but if he wanted a simple life, then staying home was the best option.
If the country wanted something, all he needed was to say a single word—they would give it to him.
The highest good is like water, he reminded himself—flowing calmly, benefiting all things without competing.
They couldn't suppress him forever. Once the Xiao family grew strong enough, the world would eventually be theirs anyway.
What was the rush?
No rush.
No rush at all.
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