Page 44

Under the scorching sun, Quan Shaoqing personally tested this group of newcomers, adorned with the aura of vanguard soldiers.

From frog jumps to fancy push-ups, to pull-ups on the horizontal bar, and sit-ups.

Because they had already trained all morning, they were still training during lunch, and everyone was still hungry.

After three hours of intense physical training, it was already two in the afternoon, with the weather growing even hotter, and sweat had long since soaked through everyone’s uniforms.

But the training was not yet over.

Under such relentless training, the final event was actually a 20-kilogram, 20-kilometer weighted cross-country run.

The route was designated by superiors, traversing mountains and thickets, crossing streams and valleys.

The first three to reach the destination would receive an invitation from the major general to eat beef hotpot.

Due to having only eaten breakfast and undergoing intense training until the afternoon, even a group of vanguard soldiers couldn’t bear it.

In the meantime, half of the thirty had already been eliminated.

Among the remaining ten, surprisingly, there were three female soldiers.

Gu Xiaoxi, Song Jingyi, Zhang Jingyue, and seven male soldiers.

The physical endurance of the three female soldiers was a match for the male soldiers, and there were still three of them!

This truly broadened the superiors’ horizons.

Especially Song Jingyi, the dark horse, really amazed everyone.

A 20-kilometer weighted run.

Gu Xiaoxi took a breath, too lazy to wipe the waterfall-like sweat from her face.

She glanced at Zhang Jingyue and looked at Song Jingyi, “Hey, who would’ve thought!

You’ve really kept your light under a bushel!”

Song Jingyi chuckled, her face showing fatigue but her eyes incredibly resolute, “Though I can’t compare to you, I have more than enough to crush those scumbags.”

Gu Xiaoxi gave a thumbs-up, “Let’s go!

20 kilometers, win and we’ll have beef hotpot.”

Gu Xiaoxi felt her cravings stirring in her stomach; it had been a long time since she had eaten food that suited her palate.

Zhang Jingyue snorted coldly, not saying a word.

No one knew what she was thinking.

At Quan Shaoqing’s command, the ten of them shouldered their packs and entered the woods.

The most routine, most monotonous overload training, on the contrary, was the best at drawing out a person’s potential.

The sun blazed down fiercely as Lin Mi brought water to Quan Shaoqing, “The physical fitness of this batch of recruits is not bad.

With further training, we can find some prospects for next year’s special forces selection.”

“Indeed, not bad!” Quan Shaoqing drank some water, looking at the ten people who had started running and instructed, “Arrange for people to follow the whole way, and rescue immediately if there’s any situation.”

The training just now was already overloading for the recruits; hunger combined with the high temperature, their bodies were only holding on by sheer will.

If they could all insist on running the full 20 kilometers, they could already be considered as the strong.

“It’s all set up!” Lin Mi said with a grin.

“Come on!

You should eat too.”

Quan Shaoqing and Lin Mi headed to the dining hall together.

Lin Mi looked up at the blazing sun, “By the way, do you think Miss Gu can finish first?”

Quan Shaoqing narrowed his eyes, patting his shoulder, “Don’t underestimate the potential of a foodie.

She will definitely come in first.”

Lin Mi raised his thumb, “You’ve really played a deep game here!” Just to have a legitimate reason to take Gu Xiaoxi away, he was making a joke of all the new soldiers.

“Nonsense.

Right now, she doesn’t know me.

I don’t know her.

All are treated equally.

Tomorrow’s live combat observation, I’m only taking the first place,” Quan Shaoqing said earnestly.

Lin Mi shrugged.

“In the end, it’s all for her, isn’t it?”

They’re all convinced she’ll take first place!

Everything else is irrelevant!

*

On the cross-country trail, Gu Xiaoxi kept running at a steady pace, her breathing still even.

It was only hunger that left her feeling a bit lackluster and listless.

Song Jingyi was gasping for air, barely able to keep up with Gu Xiaoxi, “Go ahead without me, Gu Xiaoxi!

I can’t run anymore.

As much as I want to eat the beef hotpot…

this is too much of a pitfall.

Twenty kilometers, we’ve only run five, by the time we finish it’ll be dark.”

Gu Xiaoxi looked at the sky.

Normally, twenty kilometers were just an hour’s journey for her.

Now, hungry and without energy, she figured it might take an hour and a half.

“Song Jingyi, you’ve always been such a wimp.”

“Who are you calling a wimp?” retorted Song Jingyi, her temper flaring up like a cat that got its back up.

Zhang Jingyue was ahead of Gu Xiaoxi, running with all her might.

Hearing their conversation, she smirked coldly and quickened her pace.

Ning Jiu and Shao Changfeng were followers in this team, as Shao Changfeng was Song Jingyi’s platoon leader.

Since Song Jingyi and Gu Xiaoxi were lagging behind together, they ended up trailing at the back as well.

“Hey, you two, perform well and don’t embarrass me.

The Major General’s treating us to a meal.

It’s such a rare opportunity, we’ve never had the chance to gain such exposure.

Neither of you is allowed to give up,” Shao Changfeng glared at Song Jingyi and berated her.

Gu Xiaoxi glanced at Song Jingyi, then looked at Ning Jiu and promised confidently, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely get you first place.”

So, she shouldered her pack and picked up the pace.

Ning Jiu’s baby face was all simple smiles as he said, “Okay then, Gu Xiaoxi, go for it.

I’ll be with you all the way.”

Song Jingyi gritted her teeth and, under Shao Changfeng’s icy stare, mustered the courage to chase after Gu Xiaoxi.

It’s true that human potential needs to be stimulated.

Under Shao Changfeng’s stern direction, Song Jingyi kept up with Gu Xiaoxi’s pace.

Gu Xiaoxi, timing herself and managing her speed, not only didn’t leave Song Jingyi behind but also continued to encourage her, tapping into her potential.

According to the designated route, by a small creek, Gu Xiaoxi and Song Jingyi caught up with the main group up ahead.

There were four male soldiers ahead of them and Zhang Jingyue, who had been in front of them all along.

“I can’t do this.

I can’t run anymore.” Song Jingyi collapsed onto the riverbank in defeat.

“Song Jingyi, conquer yourself.

Gaining recognition from the superiors is the honor of a soldier.

Hang in there for me,” Shao Changfeng almost lost his temper with her.

No matter how tired, giving up was not an option; that’s a basic quality of a soldier.

How had he trained them all this time, for them to forget such principles?

Gu Xiaoxi wiped the sweat from her forehead, scooped up two handfuls of water from the stream to wash her face, and immediately felt much better.

She turned to look at Song Jingyi, then smiled at Shao Changfeng, “Don’t push her so hard!

Let her rest.

With the way she is now, she thinks she can surpass me?

I could beat ten Song Jingyis in a minute.”

Her words instantly riled up Song Jingyi, her body trembling with anger, her chest heaving.

Forgetting her exhaustion, she stood up and entered the creek before Gu Xiaoxi, moving toward the opposite bank.

“Gu Xiaoxi, you sharp-tongued witch.

I definitely won’t lose to you.

Dream on about beating me by a factor of ten!”

Gu Xiaoxi shrugged, speechless.

The reverse psychology really did work on her.

When she looked up, she saw Zhang Jingyue had reached the other side of the creek.

She gave Gu Xiaoxi a cold smirk, turned, and ran off without a word.

It was a silent declaration of war, her expression seeming to say she was determined to take first place.

Gu Xiaoxi calculated that there was still ten kilometers to the destination.

Zhang Jingyue might have appeared calm on the surface, but she was at her limit as well, her legs trembling even as she walked, not much better off than Song Jingyi.

The last part of the trek was a test of endurance.

If Song Jingyi’s endurance was strong enough, she could still win.

As for the male soldiers, four had decent physical strength and were jogging ahead of Zhang Jingyue.

But with ten kilometers still to go, nothing was certain.