Page 34

Just as Gu Xiaoxi finished putting away her things, the door to the dormitory swung open, and a loud whistle sounded.

At the same time, the same was happening in the other dorms.

The squad leader’s eyes swept over everyone in the dormitory, and she bellowed, “Fall in!

Everyone stand by the side of your own bed.”

Yan Xiao blinked back her grievances, thinking that the squad leader’s first order of business upon entering would be to confront Gu Xiaoxi, but instead, it was as if he had forgotten the incident entirely.

Everyone quickly fell into line, but the formation was all twisted and uneven.

Yuan Shang glanced over the dormitory, then launched into a lengthy lecture about the messy blankets on the beds and the disarray of stools, teacups, and other daily necessities scattered around.

The girls all wore pained expressions, silent under the scolding.

For new recruits, maintaining order within the dorm was a mandatory requirement, and Gu Xiaoxi was no exception.

Under the squad leader’s demonstration twice over, she sorted all her belongings in ten minutes, placing them in the designated spots.

And her speed at folding blankets, she took just two minutes to fold hers into a neat tofu block shape.

Yuan Shang was so astonished he couldn’t close his mouth.

The other girls stared at Gu Xiaoxi as if they had seen a ghost.

She must be some kind of freak!

“Gu Xiaoxi’s housekeeping is up to standard!” Yuan Shang praised without stint.

Gu Xiaoxi gave him a standard military salute, “Reporting, can I go have my meal now?”

Yuan Shang looked Gu Xiaoxi up and down, his throat felt somewhat dry, and he hesitantly asked, “Gu Xiaoxi, does your family have a military background?”

“Reporting!

No,” Gu Xiaoxi replied with a grin, “But, I want to be number one!”

Instantly, all the girls in the class snickered, their eyes full of mockery.

To aspire to be number one in housekeeping, she wouldn’t be aiming to sweep all the number one spots in the troop’s assessments, would she?

It was important to remember that this new recruits camp consisted of five hundred and forty people.

Of these five hundred and forty people, eighty percent were male, and sixty percent had special skills, such as combat, sharpshooting, running, and so on.

There might even be dark horses yet to emerge.

She was just a girl who had just come of age, what made her so arrogant as to make such wild claims!

“Reporting squad leader!

Gu Xiaoxi is being dishonest.

She should be properly educated to reflect on her behavior!” Yan Xiao turned her head, her eyes looking at Gu Xiaoxi as if she were looking at a fool.

But Gu Xiaoxi showed little expression, only her dark eyes were as black as a night where one cannot see their own hand before them.

Beautiful fox-like cunning occasionally shone through the corners of her eyes; there was a faint contempt between her clear and ethereal brows; her straight back exuded confidence.

That plain but proud temperament made people involuntary want to believe her.

Really, she could be the best in every category.

Yuan Shang’s gaze remained fixedly on Gu Xiaoxi, and after a moment, he came back to his senses, feeling shaken.

He had actually been deeply moved by her words, and for that split second, it was as though he had seen a sovereign rising.

“Gu Xiaoxi, it is now officers’ dining time.

You may go and see if there is any leftover food,” Yuan Shang ordered, disregarding Yan Xiao’s comment.

Gu Xiaoxi saluted and walked towards the exit of the dormitory.

Right at the doorway, she could still hear Yuan Shang chastising the other recruits to reorganize their interiors.

Yan Xiao trembled with anger.

Why couldn’t the instructor see Gu Xiaoxi’s true colors?

It was nearly seven o’clock in the evening.

The sky had completely darkened.

The new recruits camp dining hall was still brightly lit.

Counting the company commanders, platoon leaders, instructors, and other logistics personnel, there were probably more than twenty.

In the dining hall, Gu Xiaoxi’s sudden entrance caused a group of big men, who were scarfing down their food with various ranks on their shoulders, to suddenly choke on their rice.

Especially Wu Yi, Shao Changfeng, Ning Jiu, and Li Shaoyun.

They coughed loudly as if they had seen a ghost, their cheeks flushed red from choking.

With a smile on her face, Gu Xiaoxi stood in front of the group of officers and gave a standard military salute, “Reporting, is there any food left?

I have been hungry all day.”

Her tone sounded like she was stating a fact, and her voice did not betray any emotion.

Wu Yi put down his chopsticks and frowned, “Recruit!

Your mealtime has long passed.

There is no dinner for you here, solve it yourself.”

Ning Jiu took a napkin to wipe his mouth, and afterward, he sized up Gu Xiaoxi and pointed to the kitchen behind him, “Go to the back, and ask the kitchen to make something for you.”

“Okay!” Gu Xiaoxi gave everyone a brilliant smile and ran towards the back kitchen.

Seeing Gu Xiaoxi’s disappearing back, Wu Yi gave Ning Jiu a thumbs up, “Black Fox, you’re still the most clever!”

“Old Hu from the kitchen staff is famously impartial, aside from the regiment commander, no matter who it is, if you missed mealtime, forget about asking him to cook.

He wouldn’t even give you leftovers!

I think this girl is going to be in for it,” said Lu Xian, the second company commander, giving Li Shaoyun a thumbs up.

Then, glancing in the direction where Gu Xiaoxi disappeared, “That said, I like this soldier.

If you don’t want her, I’ll trade one of our third platoon’s female soldiers for her.”

“Okay, trade for Zhang Jingyue!” Ning Jiu interjected directly.

Lu Xian scoffed coldly and disdainfully glanced at Ning Jiu, “Dream on!”

Zhang Jingyue came from a military family—a lineage of officers—and belonged to a wealthy and noble household in A-city.

Once she joined the new recruits, everyone knew she was a sharpshooter who rarely missed.

She had studied finance and computer science abroad and obtained dual master’s degrees by the age of twenty.

Not only was she a beautiful girl, but her looks were also no less impressive than Gu Xiaoxi’s, and she was gentle and polite to others, exuding an unconstrained elegance.

It was with great effort that Lu Xian managed to snare such a top recruit; naturally, he was not willing to trade her away.

Gu Xiaoxi’s resume clearly stated that she graduated from Luoli City High School, was an orphan, and had no special talents listed at all.

After Ning Jiu’s probing, she was at most considered a stubborn wild girl.

What did she have to compare with Zhang Jingyue?

Hearing the conversation between the two company commanders, everyone continued their meal, all waiting to see how Gu Xiaoxi would manage to get some food.

“Company commanders, I ask you not to underestimate Gu Xiaoxi!”

At the quiet dining table, Shao Changfeng suddenly spoke up.

It was like thunder out of the blue, leaving everyone with an incredulous expression.

Wu Yi put down his chopsticks and glared at him fiercely, but he hadn’t forgotten the incident of fighting over a recruit with him.

“Are you feverish, Shao Changfeng, or have you fallen for Gu Xiaoxi?”

“Not at all!” Shao Changfeng’s expression stiffened, and a complex look flashed in his dark eyes beneath his thick eyebrows.

He wanted to say something, but in the end, the words remained stuck in his throat, unspoken.

Gu Xiaoxi, someone who could cause the higher-ups to dispatch special forces to chase her, definitely had a significant figure backing her.

Moreover, she had escaped from their clutches.

Although Flame’s disbandment was a grievous injustice, there was nothing more to be said.

Fifty men took a young girl too lightly, resulting in their inability to catch her once she escaped.

If this happened on the battlefield, giving the enemy a chance to breathe, that mistake would be irreversible and fatal.

“Hahaha!

That’s obviously the case.

Shao Changfeng has fallen for Gu Xiaoxi.

Hey!

Tell us, have you met her before, or was it love at first sight?

No wonder you wanted to compete with me for her.

You should’ve said so earlier!

If you had, I would’ve let her go to you,” Wu Yi pointed at Shao Changfeng, laughing lewdly.