Upon hearing Lin Yao's last words, Zhou Xiaoqi stumbled and almost fell. Luckily, the heels she wore to work weren't high, otherwise she would have twisted her ankle.
Lin Yao sat for another ten minutes before leaving the coffee shop. As he left, he habitually shoved the napkins on the table into his pocket. He thought the napkins were really good, much softer and stronger than the ones in the restroom.
After a ten-minute walk, around the corner of another street, Lin Yao saw the car that was supposed to pick him up.
Audi A6, military license plate.
"Um... Xiao... Lin, have you eaten yet?"
Yi Fei suddenly stammered, not quite used to his new way of addressing Lin Yao.
After stammering a greeting, he immediately followed up with the standard Chinese question, "Have you eaten?"
Now that Yi Fei is a division commander, it is not appropriate for him to drive himself, so he has a dedicated driver. At this time, the Yi family members have not yet infiltrated their division, and in order to avoid suspicion, they have accepted the dedicated driver assigned by the unified system.
The 38th Group Army is a heavy-armored group army and a rapid reaction force deployed in the main directions among the army's combat-ready units. It can reach any part of China within 27 days and nights.
This army group is known as "the ace of aces, the best of the best." It has a glorious history and excellent traditions, so appointing Yi Fei as the commander of its infantry division can be seen as the military giving the Yi family an opportunity to rise again.
The Audi A6 was indeed far superior to Lin Yao's own Alto. Although everyone said that the Alto was the younger brother of the Audi, the performance difference was simply too great.
As they sped along the highway, Yi Fei didn't say much. When he did have a few things to say, he communicated with Lin Yao using telepathy.
Baoding City is more than 140 kilometers away from Beijing. Yi Fei's post is located here. Two hours later, Lin Yao saw a real military camp for the first time.
Neat and simple – that was the impression the military camp left on Lin Yao.
The loud chants, the roaring commands, and the passionate faces of the soldiers made Lin Yao feel his blood boil, and for a moment he even envied those who were soldiers.
At this moment, Lin Yao truly entered the mindset of an ordinary person, and his admiration for soldiers became stronger than ever before.
Perhaps it was the prospect of entering a real environment, or perhaps it was the aura of military spirit that enveloped the place, but Lin Yao felt an overwhelming urge to join the army from those youthful faces, straight backs, and bodies soaked in sweat. Fortunately, he realized his mistake just before the words left his mouth.
“It’s strange. Why didn’t I have any special feelings when I saw those retired veterans like Ge Yong before, or when I saw you and my uncle? But now that I’m here, I even thought about joining the army just now.” Lin Yao simply used “telepathic transmission” to tell Yi Fei his feelings.
Yi Fei was taken aback, unsure how to respond.
Having served in the military for many years, Yi Fei has a deep affection for the army. If Lin Yao joins the army, it will certainly greatly assist the overall strength of the Chinese military, because obedience to orders is the first principle in the army. At that time, Lin Yao will only be satisfied after being thoroughly investigated and removed from his position.
Yi Fei had no doubt about this and was very much looking forward to seeing it happen.
However, Yi Fei knew Lin Yao's personality well; he was a young man who could not be restrained at all, and the army was not suitable for him, but Yi Fei could not bring himself to refuse.
Furthermore, Lin Yao is crucial to the entire Yi family. What will happen to the Yi family if Lin Yao joins the army? Will they continue to struggle like this?
"Don't think too much about it. It was just a fleeting thought. I have no intention of joining the army." Seeing the expression on Yi Fei's face, Lin Yao knew he was overthinking it and quickly added, "Even if I thought about it just now, it was only to be an ordinary soldier, training and living with those kids on the parade ground. I'm not going to be a 'technician,' and I'm even less willing to be a military doctor. Medical expert? Forget about it. What's the difference between that and what I do outside? Actually, I just wanted to experience military life. I really don't have the mindset of being a soldier."
"Oh." Yi Fei nodded, a wave of disappointment welling up inside him, mixed with a faint sense of smugness. He couldn't quite explain what he was feeling.
Looking at Lin Yao, who was staring curiously out the car window, Yi Fei was speechless. This elder was too casual, lacking the seriousness expected of an elder. A single sentence from him left him speechless.
The office was as clean and tidy as ever, as if dust could never be found there, which made Lin Yao very cooperative with the soldiers cleaning. He wondered if they were crawling on the floor to wipe it down.
"Sir, I'd like to ask for your help this time. The combat effectiveness of the infantry division has declined. Although there are daily drills, the lack of war experience in peacetime has fostered some inappropriate emotions, and bad habits are gradually emerging." Yi Fei's expression was very serious, and his furrowed brows made him look very manly.
"So, I want to organize a large-scale training exercise, followed by an internal competition, and then select talents to participate in the army-wide competition." Yi Fei's eyes were full of eagerness. "No matter what, we can't let the 38th Group Army be outdone by others, and we must ensure that our national defense forces are always in their strongest state."
Lin Yao stared at Yi Fei without speaking. He had received a message from the First Elder, Yi Potian, who subtly requested that Lin Yao find a way to help Yi Fei, saying that this was the first shot in the Yi family's comeback and that they couldn't afford to lose momentum.
"To achieve the desired effect in large-scale training, we must increase the intensity. Only by reaching the limits of human endurance can we achieve good results." Seeing that Lin Yao remained silent, Yi Fei had no choice but to continue making his request. "Therefore, I would like to ask for your help, sir, to minimize the losses during large-scale training."
So that's how it is, Lin Yao thought to himself. Even if you provide "White Cloud Pills" at cost price, can your infantry division afford them? Each pill costs 2,100 yuan.
"You want the White Cloud Pill?" Lin Yao didn't waste any words. His relationship with Yi Fei was extraordinary. Although the other party was more than ten years older than him, they already felt like brothers.
“This… we can’t afford it.” Yi Fei readily admitted his abilities, then looked at Lin Yao with hesitation. “Sir, is there any other way? The 38th Army’s infantry division competition has not achieved good results for several years, which is not commensurate with its glorious title. So this time I want to make a breakthrough in every event and not give others a chance.”
"You're really greedy!" Lin Yao said bluntly. "Do you want me to help you cheat? You choose the sharpshooters, and I'll help them improve their eyesight. Then everyone participating in the all-army competition will improve their individual skills, and that should basically solve the problem."
"Sir..." Yi Fei began to ramble again, "This time, the infantry division is conducting large-scale training, and I don't want to highlight the strength of a few soldiers, but rather to improve the overall strength of the infantry division."
After a pause, Yi Fei added, "Of course, the shooting program still requires the teacher to specially enhance their eyesight. This requires talent; training alone cannot improve it, only enhance their adaptability."
"I've thought it over and will give you an answer."
Lin Yao was prepared to accept the task, thinking that all he needed to do was slightly improve the soldiers' physical fitness. He had experimented with injecting free-floating witch power into the leaf pulp of cacti and aloe vera when he was refining pills after coming to Beijing, and the effect was quite good. It was just a bit troublesome to do. He could simply provide some cacti to Yi Fei and have him add them to the soldiers' diet, and the matter would be resolved satisfactorily.
After a quick mental calculation, I realized that just the amount of cactus leaf pulp that Lin Yao needed to supply for the entire division was terrifying. So, should I even bother refining pills?
Without using pseudo-elixirry, simply performing hand seals towards the alchemy furnace can gather the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, and naturally attract free-floating witch power. This method is the fastest because healing true energy can be restored through meditation and is not limited by the speed of nurturing with pseudo-elixirry.
However, once the base number reaches a certain level, Lin Yao will have no time for work or alchemy, and will only be able to infuse witch power every day.
Lin Yao actually made a mistake here; his conclusions were all based on his analysis of the Yi family's disciples. Ordinary people don't need such a large dose of magical power; otherwise, their bodies couldn't withstand it.
Of course, the results will soon be known in practice, but Lin Yao didn't think of it at the moment, and Yi Fei was not familiar with this at all. In fact, Yi Fei himself had never experienced using witch power to modify his body.
Yi Fei remained silent, prompting Lin Yao to ask, "You dragged me here today just to say this? You could have just said it over the phone, or in Beijing. There was no need to drag me here, was there? Although I'd also like to see a real military camp."
"Sir, I thought you were going to conduct an experiment." Yi Fei felt somewhat wronged, thinking to himself, who knows if you need to check on the soldiers' condition? You're the only one who understands this area, so of course I should proceed cautiously. There's not enough time.
"Oh, let's go take a look then." Lin Yao followed Yi Fei's suggestion and made the decision. He really wanted to see the soldiers' training up close, as well as the legendary training grounds and the living quarters of the soldiers.
A knocking sound came at the door.
"Come in." Yi Fei nodded to Lin Yao, sat back in his chair, and adopted the demeanor of a superior officer.
"Reporting to the commander, the political commissar wants you to go to the conference room. There are guests at the division headquarters." A messenger walked in, gave a standard salute, and reported in a loud voice. Lin Yao thought he was shouting.