A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

As he spoke, Seifer had already used an ancient secret technique passed down in his family, his sharp eyes fixed on Song Hongfei's face.

Song Hongfei had never seen anyone's eyes with such power. The sharp gaze seemed almost tangible, piercing straight into his eyes as if it wanted to pierce him through.

Severn's originally ordinary voice suddenly and inexplicably changed, becoming a voice that seemed distant, mysterious, dependent, and bewildering, echoing continuously.

At that moment, he felt a powerful, indescribable sensation that transcended ordinary senses, as if a mysterious and subtle connection had formed between the two of them that was beyond the comprehension of ordinary people.

From a young age, Song Hongfei was praised by martial arts masters for his exceptional talent. He learned traditional martial arts techniques from childhood and achieved a calm and composed mind at a young age. He could maintain composure and calmness at any time, remaining unmoved even when Mount Tai collapsed, which gave him a natural resistance to mental techniques such as mind control and sonic manipulation.

In the instant of their duel, he remained clear-headed and calm. A profound and tranquil inspiration welled up from the depths of his mind, and he felt an unprecedented peace and tranquility.

Song Hongfei remained calm and composed, saying, "You're right. Lieutenant Colonel Seifer's work is indeed not something that people of this era could have made. They were not made by humans to begin with."

Seifer's piercing gaze locked onto Song Hongfei, as if trying to see right through him.

The young man before me was handsome and dashing, exuding an air of ease and confidence. He possessed a calm and composed demeanor, and while he may not have been born with an overbearing presence, he had a charm that unconsciously attracted everyone he came into contact with.

He had just used a secret technique to try and spy on them from below the stage, but it didn't work.

Surprised and suspicious, Seifer devised a plan. He stepped forward and approached the other party, taking advantage of the close proximity to communicate through words, gestures, body language, and eye contact. At the cost of exposing himself, he secretly channeled his full power to unleash his strongest secret technique, intending to observe Song Hongfei's psychological changes at this moment. This was the best time to see into a person's heart.

Song Hongfei seemed oblivious and showed no unusual reaction. However, in Seifer's eyes, this made Song Hongfei appear quite shrewd. Seifer couldn't tell whether the young man had genuinely given in and revealed the truth, or was simply being coy.

"Not made by humans? What do you mean by that?" Seifer pondered, and unconsciously asked. As soon as the words left his mouth, he suddenly realized that his question had already weakened his momentum, and the initiative in the verbal battle had been completely taken over by the other party.

Song Hongfei remained calm and said, "As you all probably already know, it was thanks to America's most advanced computers that I was able to complete these studies. It would have been impossible to do it by human power alone."

Severn paused slightly, as if carefully discerning the truthfulness of Song Hongfei's words. He was secretly amazed by the man's composure and brilliance, which few in the world could match.

Song Hongfei's words were extremely clever. They not only answered the doubts in the minds of many Germans, but also made it difficult to distinguish between truth and falsehood. Furthermore, they were a sharp rebuttal to Seifer, and Song Hongfei had already gained the initiative in the exchange!

Severn was surprised. He had used his mysterious technique to the fullest extent, intending to severely damage and pressure his opponent's psyche, and to instill fear and submission in him. But his opponent remained calm and composed, unaffected by the psychological attack, as if he were an outsider, leaving Severn with no openings, and ultimately all his efforts were in vain.

Severn felt that Song Hongfei seemed unpredictable, as if he had merged with the surrounding environment and the vast, unparalleled natural forces of heaven and earth, becoming one with them, perfectly natural. His own secret techniques, which he had been trying to understand, were nowhere to be found, vanishing completely like a clay ox sinking into the sea, effortlessly dissolved by the other party.

"A computer? A computer hailed as the driving force of future cutting-edge technology development, can it really have such power?" Seifer asked doubtfully, pondering silently, before stammering.

"I'm afraid computers will change the world," Song Hongfei said calmly, his voice plain yet undeniably powerful.

Severus sighed inwardly, focused his energy once more, and prepared to give it his all again.

But the moment he had that thought, Song Hongfei seemed to sense it immediately, and his gaze, whether intentional or not, fell coldly upon him, a piercing look that made it impossible for him to feel any rebellion.

Severus felt a chill run down his spine and dared not try again, so he quickly stopped.

Song Hongfei's gaze was neither sharp nor threatening, like a stone placed on a swamp, slowly sinking without any external force, naturally and without any strain. Yet, it seemed to possess a tangible quality, slowly penetrating Severn's eyes and reaching his very heart.

This glance sent a shiver down Severus's spine. Although it didn't have the same psychological insight as his family's secret technique, it possessed a keen penetrating power, as if any conspiracy or evil thought would be exposed under this single glance, giving him the feeling that Song Hongfei had already seen through him.

Severn was horrified: "Perhaps it's just because that wise, clear, and open gaze makes me feel guilty..."

Before this, Seifer had naturally heard the rumors that Song Hongfei was highly praised, but he suspected it was just the exaggerated claims of busybodies. However, just one glance from Song Hongfei was enough for Seifer to realize that his initial judgment was wrong. He was deeply impressed and felt that "there is no such thing as an undeserving person under a great reputation."

Seifer stared at Song Hongfei with suspicion and disbelief. A cold sweat had formed on his palms. This was the only time he had been unintentionally defeated since he had completed his training in the secret technique.

When he was recruited by Hitler and received by the Führer, Severn tested him with his family's secret techniques, but Hitler effortlessly defused them with a few words. Severn thought to himself that perhaps, even he couldn't fathom the true nature of a madman like Hitler.

At this moment, Song Hongfei was completely different. He was agile and unpredictable, leaving no trace and making him impossible to fathom. He used a different method to break his secret technique, and that glance was not without warning.

Hitler and Song Hongfei used different methods, yet both remained enigmatic to Seifer. If his master struck him as omnipotent and awe-inspiring, and Hitler as uncontrollable, then Song Hongfei was utterly unfathomable. These were, to this day, the only three people in the world who had truly baffled the enigmatic German strategist Seifer.

Severn nodded and sighed silently, "I never imagined that Mr. Song could have such profound expertise in so many unrelated fields. It is truly admirable."

Song Hongfei knew perfectly well that Seifer's words were also implied and had another meaning.

A slight smile appeared on Song Hongfei's face as he said, "Likewise, it seems Lieutenant Colonel Seifer is quite the hidden talent."

He was obviously using a double entendre.

After the two finished speaking, the subtle aura that had enveloped the surroundings disappeared.

Although Seifer's mysterious technique was only aimed at Song Hongfei, Yu Dawei, Xu Tingyao, and others around him also sensed a slight abnormal disturbance in the energy flow. They had already vaguely noticed something amiss and couldn't help but feel curious and puzzled.

As everyone watched Seifer silently walk away, Yu Dawei stepped forward and asked, "Hongfei, who is this Lieutenant Colonel Seifer? He seems rather mysterious."

"I'm afraid he's no ordinary psychology master," Song Hongfei said calmly.

During the break afterwards, Song Hongfei casually recounted the thrilling scene to Yu Dawei, Xu Tingyao, and others, downplaying the seriousness of it. In reality, Song Hongfei himself had not had an easy time dealing with it, and it had taken a great deal of his mental energy.

Everyone was shocked and indignant upon hearing this.

Yu Dawei sighed, “That’s just how politics is. It’s all about deceit and treachery, and people will stop at nothing to achieve their goals.”

Song Hongfei thought to himself that the use of "all" was quite apt. Regardless of the nature of the relationship, the ultimate goal in any interaction between the two parties is to do everything possible to uncover the other party's secrets while doing everything possible to keep one's own secrets. There is no morality or ethics involved, nor is there any question of nobility or baseness. Self-interest comes first, and everything depends entirely on the cleverness of the means and the strength of the party.

No one is more noble than anyone else; which country isn't like that?

Everyone had already suspected that the Germans had likely used various unspoken methods in the negotiations to obtain the other side's secrets.

Xu Tingyao, a soldier with a straightforward personality, said indignantly, "Aren't they afraid of causing a diplomatic incident?"

Song Hongfei also sighed, "Even so, everyone knows the truth about this kind of thing. Who doesn't? But who has the evidence?"

He then thought again, Nazi Germany, in its quest for power, truly spared no effort and used any means necessary; it had likely already recruited a whole host of so-called talented individuals and charlatans.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck Song Hongfei. He remembered who this mysterious Lieutenant Colonel Seifer was.