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In a deep mountain forest, Gu Xiaoxi led everyone back the way they came, ready to return to the starting point.

Qin Chu still couldn’t understand why Gu Xiaoxi only let everyone eat the roasted fish, and the two steaming roast chickens were just wrapped in leaves and taken with them on the road.

After walking five kilometers, they returned to the roadside.

By then, it was already dark.

Sitting on a grass heap by the roadside with her legs crossed, Gu Xiaoxi beckoned to Qin Chu, “Come here, let’s eat the roast chicken!”

Qin Chu walked over to her and handed Gu Xiaoxi the roast chicken wrapped in banana leaves, “I’ve been hungry for a while, Gu Xiaoxi, you should really explain.

Why are we returning to the starting point?

Won’t we get punished for this?”

Song Jingyi was equally bewildered and had been holding in her questions all the way, but seeing Gu Xiaoxi’s calm demeanor, she didn’t ask.

Gu Xiaoxi took the roast chicken, opened the banana leaves, and a scent of meat wafted up.

Looking at the golden, oily roast chicken, Qin Chu and Song Jingyi swallowed hard.

They had only eaten a bit of roast fish at noon and were already digested.

Gu Xiaoxi tore off the chicken legs and handed one to each of them before the three of them sat cross-legged, nibbling by the roadside.

“Eat up fast!

By my estimate, they should be finding us soon.

We’ll definitely get punished when we go back, so you two should prepare yourselves to be punished!” Gu Xiaoxi said while munching on a chicken wing.

Qin Chu and Song Jingyi paused in their bites of chicken wing, “What do you mean ‘you two should prepare yourselves to be punished’?

What about you?”

Gu Xiaoxi shrugged, “I’m already prepared to be punished!”

Fuck!

Both Song Jingyi and Qin Chu almost choked on their chicken!

This guy, still saying she didn’t set them up.

“Hurry up and fill yourselves.

There’s definitely no chance of sleep tonight, so rest up while you can after eating,” Gu Xiaoxi said nonchalantly.

“It can’t be as bad as you’re saying!” Song Jingyi felt like crying, wishing she hadn’t listened to Gu Xiaoxi.

She originally thought Gu Xiaoxi had some good idea, but in the end, they just had to prepare to be punished.

Gu Xiaoxi didn’t say any more.

The training in the formal army units was several times more brutal than for new recruits, especially in the Reconnaissance Company, and the first day for new recruits wasn’t going to be easy to get through.

Besides, Zhao Yi had committed an unforgivable major mistake—abandoning his comrades, which was something that had to be punished.

She was never one to be trifled with, and if someone wanted to play dirty with her, they’d see if she wouldn’t play them to death!

The three had just finished a satisfying meal and then covered up their tracks.

Gu Xiaoxi sat cross-legged on the grass heap, secretly practicing techniques, while Song Jingyi and Qin Chu lay beside her, watching the stars.

The three of them appeared to be quite content!

Half an hour later.

A military jeep came speeding from a distance, and Chen Zhigang breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the three female soldiers not far away.

Luckily, they knew to return the way they came, instead of running around in the forest like headless flies.

Chen Zhigang slammed on the brakes, and the jeep roared to a stop in front of Gu Xiaoxi.

He immediately reported to the others who had been dispatched to look for them, “Gu Xiaoxi has been found, everyone fall back!”

After that, Chen Zhigang pushed open the door and got out of the vehicle.

The three women, Gu Xiaoxi’s team, were already lined up by the roadside, standing at attention with their heads up and stomachs in, saluting the company commander.

Although they had found Gu Xiaoxi and her team, Chen Zhigang was still furious, barely glancing at them before he exploded, “What the hell is wrong with you three?

Why did you fall behind?”

Especially when he saw Gu Xiaoxi, Chen Zhigang stared at her gnashing his teeth, “You’re supposed to be the top female soldier, and yet you can’t even compete with a few men.

What right do you have to be in our Reconnaissance Company?

We don’t need useless vases here!”

A scathing rebuke!

Gu Xiaoxi remained silent, her quietness making Chen Zhigang’s anger flare up even more, as if punching cotton.

Song Jingyi bit her lip, feeling wronged, but seeing Gu Xiaoxi staying quiet, she too endured and kept her eyes forward.

Though Qin Chu was typically cold, she couldn’t take this injustice and spoke up loudly, “Report!”

Gu Xiaoxi inwardly cursed, sensing trouble.

Chen Zhigang found his outlet for his anger and gave Qin Chu a ferocious smile, “Speak!”

“They deliberately made up excuses to deceive us and then left us behind!” Qin Chu exclaimed loudly.

“Well said!

I ask you, if you’re abandoned by your comrades on the battlefield, won’t you be as good as dead!” Chen Zhigang’s words hit hard, and Qin Chu fell silent.

Chen Zhigang turned to Gu Xiaoxi, his gaze sharp as a knife, “You, speak!”

“Report to the company commander.

Abandoned by our comrades, we are living very well!

Thank you for your concern!” The words were spoken neither humbly nor arrogantly.

Chen Zhigang was so angry he could hardly breathe, pointing at Gu Xiaoxi, his cheeks puffed red, not a single word came out.

It took him a long time to catch his breath.

“Good!

Very good!

Indeed, you are still alive!”

This answer was impeccable; he could not find a reason to blame them.

That’s right, if it weren’t for them taking the same path back, he would have been in big trouble tonight!

If something dangerous had happened, he could not shirk the responsibility!

“You three, wait until we get back, and I’ll deal with you!” Chen Zhigang glared, his eyes bulging with rage.

He climbed back into the jeep and roared at the three of Gu Xiaoxi.

“Hurry up and get in the vehicle!”

Qin Chu and Song Jingyi looked at Gu Xiaoxi.

Gu Xiaoxi gave Chen Zhigang a slight smile and immediately ran towards the jeep, “Thank you, company commander!”

Qin Chu and Song Jingyi wiped the cold sweat from their brows, unable to help but exclaim that this company commander was far more fierce than the platoon commanders in the recruit camp.

An hour’s drive on the road would require at least four hours of mountain trail according to the map.

Zhao Yi and the others thought they would get to eat upon arriving, but they ended up without a meal, making everyone wait for Gu Xiaoxi to return.

What surprised them even more was that when Gu Xiaoxi came back…

She was personally picked up in the company commander’s vehicle!

Zhao Yi stood in front of the queue, watching as Gu Xiaoxi nonchalantly stepped out of the company commander’s vehicle.

The young girl tilted her head slightly upward, her silhouette under the moonlight was as proud and straight as an ancient pine.

Her military cap hid her dark eyes, revealing only her thin lips, which curved into an almost imperceptible smile.

Zhao Yi was so livid he felt like he could spit blood; he even suspected that Gu Xiaoxi had deliberately set him up, framing him as disloyal, which is why she never resisted when he made up an excuse to leave her behind and just went off!

Chen Zhigang had never been this angry in his many years of training recruits.

As soon as the car stopped, Gu Xiaoxi and the other two had rejoined the ranks, standing straight in line.

Ye Qiran observed Gu Xiaoxi, feeling puzzled.

Gu Xiaoxi’s demeanor was obviously low-key, yet he always sensed that within that low profile there was a different kind of high profile.

Just like in today’s first assessment, she fell out of the queue, which was not her fault, but it all started because of her.

Yet, she acted very compliantly, without a trace of rebellious pride!

He even had the illusion that this entire incident today might have been deliberate on her part.

However, as he didn’t know Gu Xiaoxi well enough, he wasn’t sure!

One thing was certain, though: none of the recruits that evening were going to escape Chen Zhigang’s punishment!

…

At that moment, the veteran soldiers of the fourth platoon watched the thirty or forty new recruits with curiosity, as if watching monkeys.

After all, it took something impressive to make Chen Zhigang lose his temper.

Chen Zhigang was known for his good temper within the fourth platoon.

Just as Gu Xiaoxi predicted, forget eating, nobody even got a drink of water.

Chen Zhigang commanded without mercy, “One hundred push-ups each, fifty for the women.

Two hundred frog jumps for everyone!

Ten kilometers of running carrying twenty kilograms.

Only after that can you sleep!”

Ye Qiran picked up the whistle and blew it, “Everyone get ready, push-ups!”

Zhang Jingyue’s complexion by Gu Xiaoxi’s side slightly paled; exhausted from the day’s fatigue and lack of food, she was now run-down.

The other male soldiers weren’t faring much better!

They all gritted their teeth with hatred towards Zhao Yi.

And the rest of Zhao Yi’s group also felt ashamed.

Shao Changfeng stood at the entrance of the dormitory building, looking at the thirty-something people on the drill field, a smile curling at the corners of his mouth, “It looks like someone has pissed her off again!”

Ye Qiran, the fourth platoon’s sniper king, stood beside Shao Changfeng.

Hearing his words, she felt baffled!

Shao Changfeng turned around, patted Ye Qiran on the shoulder, and smiled faintly, “See that soldier?

Try not to provoke her in the future!

Otherwise, if you end up at a disadvantage, don’t tell me I didn’t warn you!”

Others might not know Gu Xiaoxi, but he understood her better than anyone.

If Zhao Yi ran, it would be strange if she couldn’t catch up!

With her abilities, she could easily beat six or seven male soldiers to the ground, teeth scattered everywhere.

This only meant one thing: don’t think about playing her!

She’ll outplay you every time!

Ye Qiran leaned at the window, looking deep into the eyes of the third girl in the first row on the training field.