Wife is safe, cute baby makes trouble in the world of special forces.

When everyone heard the laughter, they looked in the direction of the sound in surprise, only to see that the person laughing was An Ran.

They saw that the smile on An Ran's face was not a smile at all, but a bitter one, with tears still lingering in the corners of her eyes.

"Come to think of it, all of this seems to be caused by me, right?" An Ran's voice was not loud, but like a blunt knife, slowly cutting the air in the silent courtroom.

Her gaze slowly swept across the judgement bench, passing over those faces that were either scrutinizing or curious, and finally fixed on Lei Zhan like a nail. "Lei Zhan, you keep turning around, insisting that Chen Haonan is just a child, right? You think he should be looked down upon because he's young, and that he deserves to be blamed because he has no qualifications? Do you dare to tell the truth in front of everyone? What you really care about is the sacrifice of the King of Hell, or the humiliation of being outdone by a child?"

Lei Zhan let out a cold snort from his throat. His eyelids were half-closed, his jawline was as tense as a fully drawn bowstring, his hands were clasped tightly on his knees, and even his cuffs were wrinkled.

This silent gesture is more hurtful than any rebuttal.

In his heart, Chen Haonan’s age is his original sin, and saying one more word is redundant.

However, his clenched teeth and slightly trembling shoulders revealed the resentment and pain deep in his heart.

After all, An Ran is the person he likes.

Under normal circumstances, it would be fine for An Ran to openly defend Chen Haonan.

But now in the courtroom, in front of so many people, An Ran still stood on Chen Haonan's side without hesitation.

This was undoubtedly a sharp blow to his heart.

At that moment, Tianlang stood up with a jerk, leaning forward, staring at An Ran with a hawk-like gaze, his tone deliberately harsh. "It just so happens that right here in court, I'd like to ask Comrade An Ran! I remember clearly that last year you were running to our Thunder Commando Team every day. You knew Lei Zhan's battle maps better than anyone else, and you'd copy the distribution maps of those drug lords' dens for us overnight. Back then, you said, 'Thunder and Lightning is half my home,' but how did you turn around and get involved with this 'magic pill' named Chen Haonan?"

He paused, then deliberately raised his voice so everyone in the room could hear clearly, "Do you know how hard Lei Zhan has worked for you? Last time on a border mission, he was hit by a stray bullet to save you, and now there's a scar the size of a bowl on his back! You changed your mind so quickly, not only opposing him in every way, but also accompanying that kid to start a new commando team. Are you worthy of him? Are you worthy of the blood of our Lei Zhan?"

These words were like a fuse, instantly igniting the emotions of the Thunder Commandos.

"Tianlang is right! Anran, check your conscience! If it weren't for the Thunder God, you would have been killed in the Golden Triangle!"

"Exactly. Our Thunder God has introduced so many people to you, but what happened to you?"

"That's right! Half a year ago, you were still in the kitchen making brown sugar ginger tea for the Thunder God, hinting that 'I'd recognize him for life.' Now, you're calling a nine-year-old a sister or brother, and even asking him to call you 'wife.' Where can we, the Thunder God, put our dignity?"

"What kind of drug did Chen Haonan feed you? He's made you lose the ability to distinguish right from wrong! Isn't he just a kid? In terms of tactics, he's not as good as our Thor, and in terms of qualifications, he can't even compare to the new recruits in our team. Why are you messing around with him?"

The team members talked to each other and became more and more excited.

The audience was also in an uproar, with discussions flooding in like a tide.

"This matter is indeed strange... Instead of having a special forces king like Lei Zhan, he has to hang out with a half-grown kid. What's the point?" A middle-aged officer in military uniform frowned and whispered to the people around him.

"I think it's probably because of that kid's sweet talk that Comrade An Ran is confused?" a young soldier nearby guessed.

"But after all, there's a more than ten-year age difference between them. Comrade An Ran's vision is too..." Another person showed a puzzled expression.

"Maybe there's some hidden secret. Otherwise, who would choose a child over a hero?"

Everyone was whispering to each other, and all kinds of speculations were heard.

He Chenguang took three big steps forward, the veins on his forehead throbbing.

He pointed at Tianlang, his eyes wide, his voice filled with the drive and anger of a young man. "Bullshit! Who do you think you are? How dare you talk about Staff Officer An Ran and our instructors? I heard that if Staff Officer An Ran hadn't risked exposure and passed on the drug lord's transaction schedule to you, your Thunder Commando Team would have been turned into a sieve! Now, you turn around and bite us. Is this how you special forces soldiers do it?"

Wang Yanbing also took a half step forward, his fists clenched so tightly that they crackled. He said indignantly, "That's right, and you still have the nerve to mention scars? Our young instructor was shot in the arm and needed seven stitches to save Staff Officer An Ran! Last time during the exercise, he encountered militants. To save Staff Officer An Ran, he risked his life and fought the Scorpion men single-handedly. He was covered in blood and had to lie in bed for several days before he could get out, but he never complained. I remember Staff Officer An Ran said that our young instructor had saved her at least three times. He was only nine years old, and those militants were fully armed. Do you know how difficult it was? Why use age as an excuse? Is it so hard to admit that our young instructor is strong?"

Li Erniu's face flushed with anxiety, his dark face full of anger, and he stuttered in his thick rural accent: "I-I think you are just trying to change the subject! The trial is about the young instructor, why are you bringing up all this! If you have the ability, produce evidence and stop gossiping here! Our young instructor is a hundred times more honest than you!"

"quiet!"

Fang Tangjing slammed the gavel hard, and the crisp "clang" sound drowned out all the noise.

He adjusted his glasses, his gaze darting across An Ran's face twice before he spoke slowly, "Comrade An Ran, since everyone has questions, you might as well explain them clearly. Your romantic history might help us deduce Chen Haonan's true character. After all, he's a nine-year-old boy, yet he calls you 'wife' the moment he opens his mouth, and you accept it calmly, even alienating Comrade Lei Zhan because of it. Who knows if he didn't infiltrate the army because of your looks, using childish tricks to win your favor and achieve some other goal?"

"Crack!" An Ran's teeth clenched loudly, as if she was going to bite her back teeth to pieces, and the veins on the back of her hands bulged high with anger.

She suddenly raised her eyes to look at Fang Tangjing, her eyes seemed to be spitting fire, "Your Excellency the Judge, please show some respect!"

An Ran suddenly raised her voice, angrily declaring, "Chen Haonan is a recognized young hero in the army! From being the shooting and cross-country champions in the recruit company, to being the best commander in the tri-service exercise, to winning the national special forces competition, to his outstanding contribution in capturing the drug lord, his medals could cover half the wall! What gives you the right to insult him with such vile words as 'pervert' and 'ulterior motives'?"

An Ran took a deep breath, her chest heaving violently as she tried hard to suppress the anger in her heart.

Her eyes quickly swept over the whispering officers, her voice filled with unquestionable firmness: "I know what you want to ask! You want to ask me why I left a 'hero' like Lei Zhan behind and insisted on following a half-grown child! You want to ask me why I let him call me 'wife' and didn't object! Today I will tell you -"

She paused and her eyes drifted towards Chen Haonan in the dock.

The boy still had his back straight, his eyes so calm that he didn't look like a child.

But Anran clearly saw that his hands hidden in his sleeves were quietly clenched into fists.

That was his habit when he was nervous.

This subtle movement made An Ran feel a pang of heartache.

"The reason I followed him started with a bet." An Ran's voice softened a bit, but still held a sharp edge. "I just didn't expect that things would gradually develop into what they are now, but it's not at all what you imagined."

As An Ran spoke, a look of reminiscence appeared on her face, and her thoughts seemed to drift back to the scene of her first meeting with Chen Haonan.

Seeing this, everyone became more and more confused.

After all, compared to the case itself, they are more curious about the relationship between An Ran and Chen Haonan, especially that Chen Haonan called An Ran "wife", and An Ran actually acquiesced, even Lei Zhan was left aside. The reason behind this is really puzzling.

At this moment, the courtroom was extremely quiet. Everyone held their breath, waiting for An Ran to continue telling about her past with Chen Haonan. Only An Ran's slightly trembling shoulders revealed her complex emotions.