The first reason was that strange black cat kept staring at him, causing him to tremble uncontrollably. His teammates asked him three times if he was alright.
The second reason is that cold and terrifying instructor. His words, "You just wait," sounded like he was about to unleash some powerful attack, immersing people in the terror of their imagination.
Xu Qian did offer the idea, but he didn't say anything when it came to execution, so he was naturally excluded from the list of those who immediately packed their bags and ran away.
To be honest, he already regrets it.
Instructor Wen's background was far stronger than he had imagined. Seeing his arrogant demeanor, and even the fact that he could keep pets at the base, he knew that going against him would be unwise. But who could be a prophet? The words had already been spoken; there was no use in regretting it.
His mental playlist looped, sometimes showing him scoring 80 points alongside Sun Gaoda, sometimes showing Instructor Wen's ambiguous smile and his "wait and see."
He couldn't even remember what was said that morning in his dazed state.
As we walked with the crowd towards the cafeteria, Sun Gaoda, who was ahead of us, was still showing off to his friends how he had done the test paper—
"I thought, it's a multiple-choice question, I can't leave it blank, right? At first I thought about rolling the dice, but I was just killing time... I saw that the question was really long, wouldn't it be too disrespectful not to read it? So, hey..."
His comrades laughed heartily, praising him for his courage and resourcefulness, which made Xu Qian feel like he was going to vomit blood.
He realized that the instructor's grade was just a formality, a reflection of his attitude. All that effort he spent writing all morning, and the instructor didn't even look at it!
Apart from Sun Gaoda, who scored 80 points, the rest of the group were not very enthusiastic. Seeing this, Sun Gaoda changed the subject and started talking about the combat instructor who would be coming in the afternoon.
After getting meat and vegetables from their plates, Sun Gaoda said, "Don't be discouraged. Getting zero points isn't a big deal. If you don't get any more, you'll definitely be able to stay. Look at how strict Instructor Wen was this morning; he still sent those guys back..."
Passing by two more windows: "Actually, Instructor Wen's lectures are quite good. At least I understood a lot. Judging from his appearance, he doesn't seem like a hard-hearted person. Maybe if I plead with him privately, he'll let it go... Holy crap, fairy sister!"
Behind the window, a tall, beautiful woman stood holding a clip.
As expected, Bei Sining wasn't wearing an apron today, but a black t-shirt and cargo pants. She snapped her fingers together a couple of times, barely suppressing the urge to back away: "How many do you want?"
"Holy crap?" Someone was stunned. "Sun Gaoda, are you out of your mind? This is a guy! Uh... just give me three steamed buns, buddy. You're really good-looking, were you the same guy yesterday?"
"A man!?" Sun Gaoda looked utterly bewildered. "No, fairy sister, how could you possibly be a man?"
The line moved slowly forward, and finally it was Sun Gaoda's turn. He placed his tray dejectedly by the window, looking utterly lost, and said, "I can't eat anymore, just two... Fairy sister, will you be here from now on? Will I be able to see you every time I come at noon?"
"No." Bei Sining finally spoke, then threw down the clip and turned to leave.
Everyone: ?
A moment later, a familiar-looking middle-aged woman rushed out and said, "I'm so sorry, look how handsome that young man is, please don't blame him."
Everyone: ? ? ?
"Damn it." Before Sun Gaoda and his group could even speak, someone next to them smashed a bowl.
He's the one Instructor Wen told me to wait today, with two zeros, standing on the edge of going back to his hometown.
He wasn't familiar with Xu Qian and Sun Gaoda's group. He was just making a fuss today because the atmosphere was right. He had no idea that Xu Qian had instigated the whole thing. He only knew that he was unlucky and that he hated Instructor Wen completely.
He had been getting his food in a gloomy mood when he encountered a staff member quitting. The anger he had been forcibly suppressing surged up, and if the cafeteria counter hadn't been made of marble, he would have kicked it over.
Sun Gaoda didn't want to cause trouble. Knowing that this person was at his most anxious moment, he decided not to argue and left with his men.
Xu Qian quietly turned his head back.
What abilities does a 23-year-old major possess? What powerful backer does he have? Xu Qian thought, he'll wait and see…
An hour later, Xu Qian waited in despair at the fighting arena for the result.
Instructor Wen, who teaches physics, has reappeared!
Dressed in training gear, he scanned the crowd and spotted the guy who scored zero that morning.
Then he smiled.
He smiled!
"You." Wen Zheng beckoned with his finger: "Sorry to keep you waiting. Zero points, get lost."
Author's Note: Ningning: Cats can go on strike at any time. Just bear with it.
Chapter 84
Mass shock attack.
Almost everyone had the same thought pop into their head: It's you?!
Where's the physics teacher? Where's the pretty boy? Where's the... powerful figure who brings pets to the base?!
Who started making wild guesses?
For the next hour, Instructor Wen gave them a profound lesson on the culture of the Beihai base—don't disobey the instructors, if you don't, then fight them until you do.
This instructor, Wen, adhering to his mysterious style of saying as little as possible as if he could earn an extra two dollars, picked ten "experts" to spar with one by one.
Then, in the square arena where they were completely surrounded, a truly humiliating scene unfolded.
At first, no one dared to speak, wondering if the instructor had been humiliated that morning and was deliberately retaliating. But as the fight progressed, everyone became excited, shouting and yelling, clapping and stomping their feet, almost lifting the roof off.
The best fighters had been selected through multiple rounds of competition, so they were no pushovers, and Wen Zheng was having a great time. This was much more enjoyable than the shabby fighting arena run by Bai Shuang; even when he was beating up newbies, he had to beat up tougher ones.
Amidst the noise, there was a quiet corner where Xu Qian was standing.
He stared at Wen Zheng's movements.
Each move was swift and clean, a perfect balance of power and agility. He pushed off the ground to the side, leaped into the air, and used his weight to twist and slam his opponent to the ground, making it look as if he were flying.
Xu Qian's physical training ability is average, and his eyesight is not very good either. Even if he stares at the field without blinking, he can only see a blur of some of the movements.
What's even more frightening is that many people understand how to respond to different moves, and everyone has learned the tricks, but who can guarantee that they can use them without thinking, as if they were ingrained in their body language, when putting them into practice?
You can do it if you hear the instructor's voice.
After all ten people had gone through the rounds, Wen Zheng was covered in sweat. He lifted his shirt to wipe the sweat dripping from his forehead, looked around, and asked, "Is there anyone else?"
"…………" Without your older brother, please stop watching, okay? Aren't you satisfied yet?
Wen Zheng thought for a moment and said, "We have to have it even if we don't."
Everyone: "???"
The domineering instructor had another good time, and seeing that there was only one hour left, he pulled out a list.
This was provided to him yesterday by his teammate Wang Weina, recording the bottom 100 in the physical fitness test.
Those whose names were called stepped forward nervously, each challenged by Wen Zheng to a sparring match. Even the best team members couldn't last five minutes under the instructor's guidance; those lagging behind had even less confidence.
Fighting requires momentum, not just physical strength. Even a weakling like Yu Jin, with a little practice and a burst of energy, can become a top-tier player in Bai Shuang's arena, which illustrates the importance of experience and momentum.
The saying goes, "The weak fear the strong, the strong fear the ruthless, and the ruthless fear the reckless." Experience and skill are crucial on the field; no one is reckless, but someone whose legs go weak before even stepping onto the field is definitely not going to make it.
Even in a situation where defeat is inevitable, fighting spirit is essential; that's the key point Wen Zheng wanted to see.
However, reality disappointed him. Of the hundred people tested, ninety-five failed to mount a decent counterattack. He stood before the ninety-sixth person from the bottom in the physical test.
Xu Qian bit his lower lip.
“Xu Qian, right?” Wen Zheng suddenly said.
He didn't look at the list; he genuinely knew him—a treatment he hadn't received with the previous ninety-five people.
Xu Qian was stunned for a moment, then opened his mouth and said, "Yes."
Wen Zheng's eyes crinkled into a smile: "I remember you. You did very well on the exam. Did you study this before?... Don't be nervous, you bit your lip and it bled."
Xu Qian had no idea how he got to the center of the field; he had simply forgotten everything.
All the dark jealousy, anxiety, and fear from before were forgotten in Wen Zheng's smiling eyes.
He's so handsome.
At that moment, Xu Qian had a completely inopportune thought.
...Then came a sharp pain.
The consequence of overthinking was that he was thrown to the ground with a standard over-the-shoulder throw.
“Distracted thinking is not a good habit.” A spotlight was shining brightly above Wen Zheng, obscuring his face from Xu Qian’s angle. He sat up awkwardly, a fighting spirit ignited within him like never before.
I don't want to lose. Even if there's no chance, I still don't want to lose!
The 23-year-old major, no matter how many excuses he made or how many tests he conducted, now has to admit that he is very strong.
He can't afford to relax; he can't let the gap widen further!
Xu Qian assumed a standard starting stance and charged at Wen Zheng at his limit. They exchanged blows and countered each other for a full two minutes before Wen Zheng finally threw him out of the ring. At that moment, Xu Qian realized he could no longer lift his arms.
"Not bad." Wen Zheng glanced at the list and regained his indifference: "Next."
***
That evening, the counselor came to the dormitory and announced a list of seventy-six people to be eliminated.
He called everyone out from floor to floor, offering heartfelt words of comfort and talking on and on.
"Don't be discouraged. This decision won't waste your time... The content of this training selection is confidential, but our instructors have their reasons, you see..."
The guy with zero points listened in silence. He hadn't even participated in any combat training; he had already spent the afternoon resting in his dorm.
"Counselor," he interrupted, "I just want to know, did this decision come solely from that instructor named Wen Zheng? Does he have the final say in our entire selection and training process?"
The counselor frowned in embarrassment and said hesitantly, "What do you mean by this? Do you have a problem with our major? Your thinking is a bit dangerous, blah blah blah..."
"Alright, Xiao Zhou." Suddenly someone interrupted the counselor's incessant talking. It was a steady male voice, rough yet resolute, clearly indicating a high-ranking official.
It was Luo Yu who arrived.
"I am Luo Yu, the person in charge of selection and training at the Beihai base. Your instructors are appointed by me, and I will also sign off on the decision of whether they stay or leave."
"You were all top performers in the team, and you may have had all sorts of complaints, but I'm telling you here that you were eliminated because you weren't a good fit, not because you weren't good enough."
Luo Yu was calm and dignified, a demeanor honed by age and experience.
That night, Xu Qian tossed and turned in bed, his eyes wide open, just trying to stay awake.
The words Captain Luo had said earlier were still echoing in my ears.
"The team members who remain after the selection and training will face extremely challenging tasks. This challenge makes us cautious. Every course we teach will assess whether you can develop the ability to undertake combat operations in a short period of time."
“And I have watched the recordings of all your courses.”
"Go back and think it over carefully, and don't feel inferior. My soldiers have experienced more than you, so naturally they are stronger than you."