That was why Wu Yang had to keep in mind the influence that Ye Qing-Tian wielded.
After a moment of hesitation, he decided not to kill Ye Fan.
But that did not mean that Ye Fan was going to escape punishment.
The young man had defied him openly and killed Chen Lan right before his eyes. He had disrespected his authority. That alone guaranteed that Wu Yang wouldn't let him off that easily.
He stared straight into Ye Fan's eyes. Fury colored his words as he spoke.
"Ye Fan, I trusted you. That was why I entrusted the important office of chief instructor of our military camp to you. But instead of showing gratitude for the trust that I've shown, you failed to carry out your duties and left the camp without seeking permission from your superiors. You have no regard for the military and our rules. You showed your complete disregard for the law when you killed a military officer.
You should pay for that murder with your life. I have every right to have you shot. But on General Ye's account, I'll spare your life."
What?
"Commander Wu, you can't do that. He killed Chief Instructor Chen and openly defied your orders. According to our regulations, he should be executed. If you let him off, you'll lose the respect of our soldiers," said Lin Qing-He anxiously.
Ye Fan had disrupted his plans repeatedly and killed one of his friends. Lin Qing-He had wanted to get rid of him for some time.
This was the perfect chance for him to do so.
He had not expected Wu Yang to decide to let Ye Fan off.
He couldn't let that happen!
"Commander Lin, this isn't Mr Chu's fault. Chen Lan attacked him first. He wanted to kill Mr Chu. Mr Chu had no choice but to defend himself. If we have to hold anyone responsible, we should hold Chen Lan responsible and not Mr Chu,” said Wang Dong-Sheng as he continued to speak up for Ye Fan.
Lin Qing-He blew up instantly. He lifted his foot and threw a hard kick at Wang Dong-Sheng, sending the latter flying into the distance.
"You're just the leader of a small unit, you're hardly qualified to speak on this matter. Besides, why are you interrupting me when I'm talking? Stand aside and shut up!" hollered Lin Qing-He furiously as he vented his anger towards Ye Fan on Wang Dong-Sheng.
Lin Qing-He then attempted to persuade Wu Yang to kill Ye Fan.
"I have my own considerations. Nothing you say will change my mind," said Wu Yang, killing Lin Qing-He's hopes instantly before turning towards Ye Fan with a stormy look on his face. "Even though Ye Fan has escaped a death sentence, it does not mean that he's free from punishment. He shall be stripped of all duties and fired from the military. From this day, the military will have nothing to do with Ye Fan. The Green Dragon Force will have nothing to do with Ye Fan as well. Ye Fan, you should leave before I change my mind."
Ye Fan didn't move at all. Instead, he laughed softly. "I have no intention of remaining in the military. You can fire me if you want. But I was the one who created the Green Dragon Force. I personally picked its members and trained them. I came today to take the Green Dragon Force with me."
"Silence!" Wu Yang thundered furiously. "The Green Dragon Force belongs to the Jiangdong military camp. Its members are soldiers of our military. The resources that the Green Dragon Force received came from the military and from the vaults of our nation and its members are my soldiers and my subordinates. You're a man who's been cast out of the military. You have no right to take the Green Dragon Force with you!"
The smile on Ye Fan's lips grew.
"Commander Wu, you appear to be the person who's least qualified to make any claims on the Green Dragon Force. You claim that they are your men. Yet, how have you treated these men of yours? You ceased their supplies, abused them and forced them to undergo inhumane training. It I don't take them away with me, they might not live to see the sunrise in just a few days. They would probably perish under your abuse!"
Ye Fan's words were harsh and merciless as he spoke out openly against Wu Yang's mistreatment of the Green Dragon Force.
His words undoubtedly infuriated Wu Yang. "What about it? They're my soldiers. As their commander-in-chief, I have every right and freedom to decide how they are to be trained. Even if I were to order them to their deaths, they'd have to obey my orders and execute them without protest. You're no longer part of the military. You have no right to comment on how the military deals with the Green Dragon Force."
His words might have been spoken in anger, but they held a measure of truth in them.
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