"Would the enemy notify you before launching an attack?" Matthew asked casually.Once again, silence fell on the other end of the line. It persisted for quite a while before they spoke, "Let's do it again next month. We'll consider this round in your favor.""What do you mean, 'consider'? You lost," Matthew quipped."Yeah, we lost," the other side admitted grudgingly. Then, he added, "We'll try again next month."Matthew was not buying it. He could not believe they would lose this easily next time. "They won't be available next month; they have other commitments. Besides, give it a couple of years for your skills to improve, and then we can have another go," Matthew replied, ending the conversation.The head of the Cybersecurity Department was left speechless.Matthew did not linger on the call. After hanging up, he glanced at the time and advised, "Get some rest; we have a five-hour journey to our outdoor training site, and we'll be departing soon.""Okay," Cynthia replied an
"Understood!" they replied in unison. They understood well that Matthew had to balance between treating them well and maintaining his seriousness and ruthlessness as their instructor. David smiled, patted their shoulders, and encouraged them to train properly before leaving.Alex and the others had joy on their faces, and their appreciation for Matthew continued to rise."Now we can relax a bit. We just need to eat a bit conservatively, and we should be fine for seven days," Riley said, looking at their ample food supplies. Cynthia, however, appeared deep in thought as she glanced at the items in her backpack.Gaby noticed her unease. "What's wrong?""I just have a feeling this might be a trap," Cynthia hesitated. Riley asked, "A trap for what?""Before we rested, Captain said that apart from what he just gave us, no one was allowed to carry anything else. But this..." Cynthia said, a sense of unease creeping over her.According to the rules, what David gave them could
"Nothing," Alex quickly responded."Keep one day's worth of rations and hand over the rest," Matthew ordered them coldly.Linus attempted to argue, "But..."Mitchell nudged him, and Linus immediately fell silent. Soon, everyone obediently surrendered their rations, on the brink of breaking down. Once the desired effect was achieved, they departed. David watched the pitiful young recruits and clicked his tongue. "I thought they all fell for it, but one didn't. They're stronger than the previous batch.""There should be two." Matthew's gaze lingered on Cynthia, who had already left.David was perplexed. "What do you mean?"Matthew did not explain further and instructed him, "Nothing. Have your people keep an eye on them quietly, just in case something goes wrong.""It's already arranged." David remained dependable.Matthew glanced at the departing group again before returning to the resting tent.David asked him as he walked, "What if none of them falls for it? What's your pla
"You should consider it a pity. Being tricked by me is still better than being tricked by an outsider," Matthew, who had an extremely close relationship with David, replied.David hesitated, wanting to retort. However, he found that Matthew's words were actually quite on point. The recruits Matthew had brought in were significantly different from those brought in by others, just as cunning and always setting traps during missions or competitions. This led to his team always coming out on top. Moreover, as Matthew had pointed out, the frequent experience of being tricked during training had toughened their mental fortitude far beyond that of the other recruits. If it were not for Matthew's limited energy, their superiors would want him to train everyone personally."Regretting it?" Matthew, noticing David's thoughtful expression, casually askedFailing to realize this was a trap, David nodded in agreement. "A little." "In that case, join them for wilderness training. If you ca
"Which team?" Matthew asked."Who else could it be?" Patrick sat down beside him. "Mr. Tanz's team.""After training ends, I'll talk to her. You set the time," Matthew agreed, his deep voice carrying a hint of nonchalance. "Let's schedule it for the day after your training. You have no idea how shameless Mr. Tanz is. Even though those people were poached from our team, he still flaunts them in front of us," Patrick said eagerly."Once they go over to him, they become his people." Matthew shrugged, unfazed. "Being able to poach from your side is also a skill."Patrick sighed. Matthew never sugar-coated his words. "Ahem." Patrick cleared his throat and asked tentatively, "What if he wants to take someone from you this time?""Have you ever seen anyone successfully take someone from me?" Matthew retorted.Patrick fell silent again. Well, he had not. "Let's make this competition more interesting. Let them pay a little price." Matthew's eyes twinkled, his voice carrying a touch
"Whether we can find someone or not has nothing to do with fear. If it's meant to be, we'll be together; if it's not, we shouldn't force it," Matthew's gaze rested on a particular person on the screen as he spoke slowly and thoughtfully.David listened and suddenly began to reflect on life. He used to have a girlfriend too, but their relationship ended. "Have your people ready at 2 a.m.," Matthew said, back to business. "Are you even human? You're not letting them sleep through the night." David felt sorry for Cynthia and her friends.Matthew did not explain. He used to think it would suffice if the training were done properly. However, his team suddenly approached him, saying they wanted to experience real wilderness training, and asked him not to go easy on them. Since they had already requested it, as their captain, he could not afford to slack off. Over the course of a week, Cynthia and the others maintained a high level of vigilance from day to night, and they managed to g
Cynthia had not spoken when Matthew added, "You can request equipment, assistants, teammates, or anything.""Give me a well-configured computer, and I'll be good," Cynthia replied confidently. She might not be so sure in other matters, but she had no doubts when it came to this.Matthew glanced at Jimmy, who was walking ahead, and asked tentatively, "Do you want Jimmy to assist you?"Cynthia guessed, "Is there a bet involved?" She noticed that this time, Matthew seemed different from the previous challenge. While he had been concerned before, his demeanor was now more serious.Matthew replied honestly, "Yes, Chief negotiated with them directly. Last time, they used someone they had recruited from us to win. This time, Chief wants to recover from the embarrassment."Cynthia then asked, "Could I see the footage from the last challenge?"Matthew regretfully replied, "I'm afraid not. Nobody kept a copy."Cynthia simply said, "If it's allowed, I can retrieve it." "Sure," Matthew
Matthew's melodious voice reassured, "They'll agree."Patrick questioned, "Why?""The person they want is me," Matthew replied as he locked eyes with Patrick.Cynthia and Patrick were taken aback. Patrick instantly rejected the idea, saying, "No way! Let's find another."As the cherished asset of their team, they could not risk losing him in a bet. It was a risk they could not afford."Trust me, and trust her too," Matthew said confidently, knowing their characters well after spending this time with them. He understood they were not the kind to make empty promises. Their mature, thoughtful minds set them apart from their peers.Since Cynthia said they could win this, then they could. Patrick hesitated, torn between concerns. Cynthia chimed in, "I'll win."Patrick looked at her and finally gave in, instructing Matthew, "Alright, you go over there and negotiate for the biggest gain.""Sure thing," Matthew agreed.After dinner, he made a phone call. On the other end, the pe