Chapter 102: Head Sergeant of Cang Dragon
Chen Fan finally fully understood what Cang Dragon was after Wei Changgeng's explanation.
In China, every military unit had its disciplinary team; each consisted of over a thousand people.
Cang Dragon unit were the elites selected from these law enforcement units. Each and every one of its members were the cream of the crop. Equipped with the most advanced weapons, they underwent systematic training to ready them for the most difficult tasks.
Due to the extreme risk involved in their tasks, their casualty rate could be as high as 10%. Every member of the Cang Dragon was a valuable asset to the team. The head sergeant of the squad was the highest rank officer of the Cang Dragon that was in charge of organizing the training and leading the combat.
"Mr. Chen, the official rank of the head sergeant is high since he is the absolute leader of the unit. Due to your young age, the military will wait a year to award you with the rank. When they do, you will get at least the rank of Senior Colonel."
Wei Changgeng said jealously.
He was about forty or fifty years old, and thanks to years of hard work and his family's fame, he had eventually earned the rank of Senior Colonel.
On the other hand, Chen Fan was only sixteen years old and was going to reach the same rank as his in a matter of a couple of years. Plus, Chen Fan's rank would not stop there; it was not impossible for him to be promoted to the rank of general."
Wei Changgeng was certain that once the news about Chen Fan's attainment got out, many people were going to share his jealousy.
The surprise was written all over Wei Ziqin's face. A seventeen-year-old Senior Colonel who was destined to become a general in his early twenties. Such a feat was unprecedented.
All of a sudden, her eyes were filled with admiration as she gazed at Chen Fan.
"The elite law enforcement unit?" Chen Fan nodded and then asked curiously, "If this position is important, why do you want me to fill the role?"
Wei Changgeng smiled wryly and then said, "The previous head sergeant has resigned."
He paused a second and said, "There was a martial arts tournament a few weeks ago, and Cang Dragon failed miserably in the competition. Of the ten elite units, Cang Dragon was ranked seventh."
"Seventh out of ten?"
Even Elderly Man Wei and Wei Ziqin were shocked by the revelation.
Wei Ziqin asked incredulously, "Of the ten elite units, three were from the marines. And we all know that the Marines' law enforcement units are not particularly strong. So..."
"Indeed." Wei Changgeng's face hardened and said: "So that means Cang Dragon is the worst of all law enforcement units."
Everyone was shocked by his words.
It was such a humiliating failure no wonder the head sergeant would resign.
The military was very much like a school, not only the students would compete with each other for the best marks, so did the teachers.
"But that doesn't explain why you want me to take over." Chen Fan said.
"The head sergeant will have to be an expert at modern warfare and weaponry. I can't tell a real gun from a fake one; what can I teach your soldiers?"
Wei Changgeng paused a second and said, "You don't have to worry about that, Mr. Chen."
"The head sergeant is only in charge of training. The other matters will be taken care of by the military experts."
"The Cang Dragon had a very comprehensive support team. There were experts for training every aspect of their ability."
He paused and locked his eyes with Chen Fan: "As a head sergeant, your main duty is to improve their personal combat ability."
"Personal combat ability?" Chen Fan furrowed his brows and said.
"That's right." Wei Changgeng confirmed.
"After the failure at the tournament, we have taken a long hard look at our training program. We quickly noticed that the shortfall lies in the combat capability of individual soldiers."
"The Cang Dragon carries out very risky surgical operations. Each task team consisted of less than a dozen members. They often had to face danger coming from not only their enemies but also the harsh environment. The effectiveness of their weapons at many times were irrelevant; it was their personal abilities that mattered."
"I see..." Chen Fan nodded.
It finally made sense to him why the Military had thought of him. He wagered that his name had already spread far and wide to the ears of the military higher-ups.
"I don't have time for training a bunch of kids."
Chen Fan shook his head, and even as he was about to reject the offer, Wei Ziqin asked excitedly.
"Dad, which team took the first place? Was it the "Falcon" from the southwest military unit? Or the "Battle Wolf, from the Northwest?" She paused as her eyes gleamed, "It's the "Blades, Isn't it?"
Being the daughter of Wei Changgeng, Wei Ziqin was not only an avid martial artist but also a military enthusiast.
"It was none of them." Wei Changgeng said heavily.
"Blades, were number two."
"The first place belongs to the "Dragon's Fang."
He said it in a jealous and angry tone.
"Ever since the Dragon's Fang started to partake in the tournament, they had been taking the top spot for fifteen years."
"Fifteen years in a row?" Wei Ziqin gasped. Even Elderly Man Wei was taken aback by the feat.
"Indeed." Wei Changgeng nodded and said, "Dragon's Fang was the strongest of all the Disciplinary Units. They were top elite units even compared to similar units around the world."
"The leaders of the military were determined to improve the quality of the Cang Dragon unit and therefore they had decided to invite Master Chen as the head sergeant."
He didn't give Chen Fan time to reject as he hurried to continue: "Rest assured that the duty won't affect your school. The training base is very close to Chu Zhou City, and as the head sergeant, you don't need to stay at the base all the time. You only need to advise them on their training for two to three days a week."
Wei Changgeng said as he stared pleadingly at Chen Fan.
"Master Chen, the military is sincerely in need of your help."
"I was sent here to make you aware of my higher-ups intentions. If you think this is something you might be interested, my supervisor will come here to greet you personally. By then, we can talk about the details, such as your parents..."
Hearing his words, Wei Ziqin could only stare at Chen Fan.
She had never thought that Chen Fan had such prestige that even her father's boss would have to greet him personally.
Chen Fan gave Wei Changgeng a knowing glance and said, "Fine, let me think about it."
Afterward, he pushed himself out of the chair and was ready to leave.
"Elderly Man Wei, I am going to leave for home, sorry that I won't be able to stay here for too long."
Elderly Man Wei stood up with a smile, "You have been away from home for more than six months, you must miss your parents..."
After Chen Fan was gone, Wei Fu shook his head and lamented "Changgeng, if not for the last thing you said to Chen Fan, he would have rejected your offer right away."
"Which thing?" Wei Ziqin asked curiously.
"His parents." Wisdom gleamed in Elderly Man Wei's eyes as he spoke.
"It seems like the key to persuading this Master Chen is with his parents."
"Yes, father!" Wei Changgeng nodded.