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A black military vehicle entered the new recruits camp, and a soldier got out first to open the car door.

The man wore large sunglasses that hid most of his face, dressed in green military uniform, with a height of one meter ninety, imposing and formidable.

Under the green military cap, half of his well-defined face was visible, exuding a wicked and cold charm.

Lin Mi followed Quan Shaoqing, with another person accompanying them.

A third-rank major general, wearing shoulder boards, respectfully followed behind.

Quan Shaoqing and Lin Mi did not wear badges, making it impossible to discern their identities.

“Gao Xiong, go ahead!

This time we are here for an unofficial visit to check on the new recruits, and among the three of us, you’re the highest-ranking!” Lin Mi stretched out his hand and patted Gao Xiong’s shoulder.

Gao Xiong gave an awkward smile and sneakily glanced at Quan Shaoqing.

Seeing the superior officer nod, he straightened his expression, “Then I’ll lead the way.

Superior officer, I apologize for the inconvenience.”

“Let’s go!

Don’t let anyone see through us.”

Gao Xiong had already sent documents ahead of time stating that he would inspect the new recruit training site to observe the recruits’ daily life and training.

Over there, the regimental commander of Area 98, the camp commander of the new recruits camp, and cadre from various regiments and companies had all arrived.

A third-rank major general is a significant rank; in Area 98, a regimental commander is just a second-rank lieutenant colonel.

Except for the instructors who were busy with the training on the field, everyone was rushing to greet this third-rank major general sent from above.

Gao Xiong’s heart trembled with nerves; being welcomed by so many should have been a pleasant affair.

Yet, he felt like he was walking on thin ice.

The regimental and camp commanders were his subordinates, and the meetings were not unfamiliar, but due to the circumstances, everyone behaved very cautiously.

At Gao Xiong’s request, the regimental commander took them to observe the new recruit training.

On the training ground, physical training was underway as usual.

Intense exercises such as push-ups and pull-ups on the horizontal bar.

Quan Shaoqing swept his gaze across the field; there were indeed quite a few people.

…He couldn’t see Gu Xiaoxi!

His unit usually had around five hundred new recruits per batch.

They were then assigned to different companies for further training, based on their performance, before being distributed to various stationed forces; other military branches also selected from among these recruits.

Z Division had its own naval, land, and air forces, constituting a complete military base, and Quan Shaoqing was the highest commander.

For Gu Xiaoxi to surpass him was almost impossible.

“Are there any standout recruits in this batch?” asked Gao Xiong to the regimental commander.

The regimental commander looked back at the deputy commander Hu Ba.

Hu Ba saluted Gao Xiong and said, “Yes, please follow us, commander.”

*

Meanwhile, Yuan Shang was leading the female trainees of the ninth squad in their pull-up training on the horizontal bar.

At ten in the morning, the sun was quite strong; their cheeks were flushed red from the heat, and their foreheads glistened with sweat.

This kind of training was incredibly challenging for the female recruits, almost harder than hanging.

Gu Xiaoxi completed two hundred reps in ten minutes, instantly outshining all the female soldiers in the platoon.

As a result, Yuan Shang asked her to help train the others.

Gu Xiaoxi was surreptitiously chewing gum, competently directing the female soldiers of the ninth squad, a group of physically weak princesses, each hanging on the bar like cured meat.

“Gu Xiaoxi, what did you do before?

You’re really impressive,” Yuan Shang couldn’t figure out.

That delicate little body had an extraordinary burst of power, which even he found somewhat unattainable.

Completing two hundred pull-ups in ten minutes, and she wasn’t even out of breath or her heart racing, which even he would find challenging to accomplish.

Gu Xiaoxi chuckled, “I didn’t do much, just getting tortured every day by some freaks.

I had to become strong to avoid being bullied.”

As a child, whenever Gu Lirou was not at home, she’d always find someone to be her professional “nanny” each year.

When she was ten, she met Lu Xi and tried various ways to please him, eventually learning how to race cars.

A year passed.

When she turned eleven, she encountered Liu Yishou.

The guy was a grandmaster from a martial arts family and an utter martial arts fanatic, with nimble qinggong skills that let him fly over walls and defeat anyone in the world, but she wasn’t interested.

However, Liu Yishou took a particular interest in her, proclaiming that her natural aptitude was exceptionally suitable for martial arts training.

To take her as his disciple, he tried every trick in the book to please her, including cooking her delicious meals.

Then one day, he suddenly stopped cooking for her and even threatened her, saying she’d only get to eat if she became his disciple.

That really trapped her, a food lover.

She reluctantly learned some inner strength and qinggong.

For her, having profound martial arts skills added some basic training items to her morning routine.

Her time was limited, so she only practiced each type of training for five minutes a day, but she persisted every morning.

Over time, for her, it became as simple as eating and drinking.

“What does your family do?” Yuan Shang got curious.

In modern society, whose child would be ‘tortured’ like this every day, compelled to be strong and independent?

“My mom was in the antique business.

But she died in a car accident,” Gu Xiaoxi said, lowering her eyelashes as the wind lifted her ink-black hair, hiding the expression on her profile.

Yuan Shang looked away, not looking at Gu Xiaoxi anymore.

He knew he had asked a bit too much.

Undoubtedly, Gu Xiaoxi was the instructor’s favorite, and because of her strength, she enjoyed relative freedom on the training field.

Qin Chu did a hundred pull-ups, sweating profusely from his forehead.

He looked at Gu Xiaoxi and asked, “Why don’t you show us your limit!”

“My limit?

I don’t want to expose my strength too soon,” Gu Xiaoxi smiled.

Her goals were lofty, and physical fitness was just the most basic requirement for her.

She still remembered the lessons Liu Yishou taught her, though she hadn’t mastered them as a child, and now she could reinforce them and make herself even stronger.

“What do you want then?” Qin Chu asked.

Gu Xiaoxi didn’t answer.

However, her future was already planned out.

*

The national flag fluttered in the wind, and the soldiers sweated profusely as they trained rigorously.

Hu Ba led Young Master Quan and others to observe the training of the male soldiers, followed by the females.

“This batch has two vanguard soldiers whose physical abilities can compete with the male soldiers’ vanguards,” Hu Ba said.

He pointed at Zhang Jingyue, who was doing push-ups on the training field, “Last night, she ran twenty kilometers with a twenty-kilogram weight, and this morning she’s still able to continue training, doing twenty push-ups in a minute at the fastest.

Her limit is three hundred!”

Young Master Quan stood behind Gao Xiong, removing his glasses to take a look at Zhang Jingyue, and nodded in approval.

It was rare to see a new recruit with such physical capabilities, especially a female.

Zhang Jingyue felt an oppressive gaze and looked up to see a man standing not far away with his hands behind his back.

His towering figure dressed in a military uniform looked both noble and steely.

His gaze was indifferent, resting on her and making her feel a kind of suffocating tremble.

He seemed godlike, so high above that in an instant, she felt reduced to dust beneath his feet.

That was the aura of a soldier that emanated from the bones, like a War God, unattainably awe-inspiring.

She recognized him!

At the state banquet a year ago, her father had taken her to the evening event, where she had encountered this man.

Accidentally stepping on his foot with her high heels, she had apologized, and he simply said it didn’t matter.

One conversation, unforgettable to this day!

Unexpectedly, she had enlisted in the army and so soon, she saw him again.

From a distance, Hu Ba waved to Zhang Jingyue’s platoon leader.

The platoon leader ran over, and soon returned to call for Zhang Jingyue, “Zhang Jingyue, the leader wants to see you.

Perform well!”

“Yes!” Zhang Jingyue immediately stood up and gave a military salute, feeling somewhat light-headed.

She didn’t know whether Young Master Quan still remembered her or not.