Chapter 158: Chu Renfang also wants to grow stronger!

And he told Number One that Chu Xiao was now a Tier 3 genetic transformation soldier, and his physical strength was already many times greater than that of the Hades robot. Number One looked at Chu Xiao and pinched his muscles.

"Not bad, Chu Xiao. You've become much more solid than before, and I can feel that your strength has also increased tremendously!"

Number One smiled and looked Chu Xiao up and down, noticing that he had changed a great deal. It seemed as though his sense of responsibility had grown stronger, or perhaps his abilities were greater, making the burden on his shoulders even heavier!

Shortly after, Number One received a phone call, and his expression suddenly turned solemn. After hanging up, he said goodbye to Chu Xiao and Ren Boyuan and left in a hurry.

In fact, as the leader of Kyushu, Number One had countless affairs, big and small, to handle every day. The fact that he could spare the time to check on Chu Xiao and the others deeply warmed both Chu Xiao and Ren Boyuan's hearts!

After Number One left, Ren Boyuan continued performing genetic transformations on the soldiers, while Chu Xiao went back outside to resume leading their training. Every day, Chu Xiao devised various creative methods to subject the soldiers to different types of training, but the one thing that never changed was the mandatory fifty-kilometer long-distance run every single day!

Moreover, it had to be completed within four hours—a task that would be virtually impossible for a normal person. However, these were soldiers who had undergone genetic alteration; their leg muscles were already extremely well-developed, and their endurance far surpassed that of ordinary people.

Even so, finishing it within four hours remained an arduous challenge. Although their muscle development and stamina were exceptional, four hours was still an extremely harsh requirement, yet it was ultimately for the good of these soldiers!

Chu Xiao not only demanded that the soldiers complete it within four hours, but he also pushed himself hard to meet his own rule. Yet, even after such a long period of grueling exercise, he still fell just slightly short of the four-hour mark, always missing it by a tiny margin!

Just at that moment, Chu Renfang suddenly arrived. Seeing his father, Chu Xiao stopped what he was doing and walked over. Watching how hard Chu Xiao had been working, Chu Renfang felt a profound sense of pride and comfort in his heart!

"Dad, when did you get here? Why didn't you go straight home instead of running all the way to my place?"

When Chu Xiao saw Chu Renfang, his eyes were filled with astonishment. Xishan Province should have been extremely busy right now; how could Chu Renfang possibly have the time to come all the way to Pearl City to see him?

"I heard that you can alter people's genes to grant them formidable strength. I served in the military back in the day, and my physical fitness is still decent. I want to go to the front lines and kill the enemy too!"

***

Hearing Chu Renfang's words, Chu Xiao was even more astonished. Putting aside his physical condition, his age alone made him completely unsuited for the battlefield. What the battlefield demanded most was stamina, endurance, and rapid reaction capabilities.

Although Chu Renfang had been a soldier in his youth and possessed rich combat experience from actual warfare, he was advanced in years now. Even if his genes were altered, he would hardly be any stronger than a young soldier whose genes remained unmodified!

Furthermore, whether his current physical constitution could withstand the immense power of mental energy was another question entirely. Upon hearing this idea from Chu Renfang, Chu Xiao was against it ten thousand times over.

However, Chu Renfang seemed utterly resolved. No matter what Chu Xiao said, he insisted that Chu Xiao help him complete the genetic alteration. Having no other choice, Chu Xiao could only bring Chu Renfang to the research laboratory.

He wanted Ren Boyuan to explain things to him personally. Chu Renfang wouldn't listen to a word Chu Xiao said, but surely he couldn't ignore Ren Boyuan—after all, this was Kyushu's most authoritative weapons expert!

Soon, Chu Xiao brought Chu Renfang to Ren Boyuan's lab. When Chu Renfang saw the genetically transformed soldiers, who had all become immensely powerful, his eyes widened in disbelief, finding it hard to accept that this was real.

"Major General Chu, Elder Chu, what brings you to my laboratory today? Is everything all right over in Xishan Province?"

Ren Boyuan was somewhat surprised to see Chu Renfang. After all, they had only met once before and had no real personal interactions in daily life. For him to suddenly show up at the lab, Ren Boyuan immediately guessed that he must have come with a specific purpose!

"Dr. Ren, my dad wants you to alter his genes as well. Do you think someone of his age can handle it?"

Between the lines, Chu Xiao's words revealed to Ren Boyuan his deep reluctance to let Chu Renfang undergo the transformation. Ren Boyuan seemed to catch the underlying meaning in Chu Xiao's words and patiently began to explain it to Chu Renfang.

"Elder Chu, I know you possess a patriotic heart. I do too. If I were a few decades younger, I would gladly follow Major General Chu to the front lines to fight the enemy. But time spares no one; you and I are both old now and can no longer fight!"

Hearing Ren Boyuan say this, Chu Renfang looked somewhat disappointed and let out a long sigh. Ever since he left the military, Chu Renfang had persisted in exercising every single day for decades without a single interruption, and his physique currently lost nothing to those young soldiers!

The reason Chu Xiao refused to let Chu Renfang go to the battlefield was that he remembered the moment before his time travel, when Hades attacked Pearl City and killed Chu Renfang. Chu Xiao was firmly resolved never to let the same tragedy happen again!

***

Chu Xiao would use every ounce of his strength to protect them and prevent the tragedy from repeating, even if it cost him his life. The agony of losing loved ones was something Chu Xiao never wanted to experience ever again; it hurt far more than a dagger piercing the heart!

"Elder Chu, leave the fighting to the young people. All we need to do is handle the logistics well, which in itself is the greatest help we can offer them. Free from worries in the rear, these young soldiers will be able to fight with all their might!"

Hearing Ren Boyuan's words, Chu Renfang suddenly had an epiphany. Even if he were sent to the battlefield now, he would likely be willing but lacking in ability, and might even end up becoming a drag on them. However, if he couldn't fight on the front lines, he could still serve the country from behind the scenes!

Managing logistics well was also a form of assistance to Chu Xiao; otherwise, these matters would only distract him. Though father and son could not go into battle together, ensuring Chu Xiao had no worries about the rear guard was likewise a battlefield without gunsmoke.

"Thank you, Dr. Ren, for these words. They have made me deeply aware of my own mistake. I was too rash. I even snuck out behind my wife's back; if she found out about this recklessness of mine, I'd probably be in for a thorough scolding!"

Chu Renfang specifically asked Chu Xiao not to tell Qin Lihua about this matter. Chu Xiao nodded in agreement, knowing full well that he certainly couldn't tell Qin Lihua—if she found out, she would probably be so furious she'd faint!

A grown man acting as impetuous as a child. Seeing that Chu Renfang had abandoned this notion, Chu Xiao let out a long sigh of relief, then left the laboratory together with him.

Driving the car, Chu Xiao brought Chu Renfang back to the villa, intending to have him share a meal before heading back. As soon as they stepped inside, Chu Renfang was comforted to see Wang Lulu tidying up the house.

"Uncle Chu, when did you arrive? Why didn't you let me know in advance so I could prepare some food?"

Wang Lulu happily walked over and handed a pair of slippers to Chu Renfang. Seeing how virtuous and attentive Wang Lulu was, Chu Renfang secretly rejoiced that Chu Xiao had found such a good daughter-in-law. In fact, Chu Renfang and Qin Lihua had long since tacitly approved of Wang Lulu!