Return Home or Officer Training

The training grounds at the Squad 1777 station had been left behind from when regular troops were stationed there, later handed over to Azure. Though it had been expanded once, the trees and other greenery planted back then had all been preserved. One side of the training field backed onto the mountain; four or five li uphill was the sentry post where Han Qingyu and the others were currently based. The other three sides were enclosed by perimeter walls. Against the mountain side stood a modest review platform, where Lao Jian stood accompanied by Regimental Commander Li, the Regimental Chief of Staff, and several others, waiting for Han Qingyu's trio to return after switching to iron swords. "This suddenly reminds me of watching their midterm graduation assessment at the regimental training base," Regimental Commander Li Wangqiang said. Having just been swindled out of ten source energy blocks, he nonetheless seemed to be in high spirits as he gazed across the field, speaking with a sudden chuckle. "Mhm, I remember you tore out a window of the instructors' building that time," the Regimental Chief of Staff chimed in with a laugh. "That's because I had no idea back then that he could reach this level. If I had known, or even harbored the wild fantasy, I would have torn down the whole damn building." Just as their laughter was about to swell— "Woof! Roo... woof, woof!" Bu Mang, the black dog, stood beneath the review platform, front paws pressed low in an attack posture, barking wildly at the unfamiliar faces atop the stage. To say nothing of a regimental commander, it had even barked at the Legion Commander last time. This dog had let it get to its head. Ever since that fight where it stood alongside Wu Xu against the people from the Yu clan, its canine brain had apparently hatched a delusion: it truly believed it was a super combat hound. It might even think that it was the one protecting this Azure base and the people in it. Every night, it went out on patrol entirely of its own accord, and whenever it caught a rat or something, it would carry it back in its jaws to show off. "Bu Mang!" Seeing this, Wen Jifei called out from nearby. The moment Bu Mang turned its head, he threw a short wooden stick toward the perimeter wall... pretending it was a bone. Bu Mang let out a howl and bounded forward, tilting its head back with open jaws as it leaped into the air... "Whoa, that dog really jumps high," Regimental Commander Li praised. *Smack!* Bu Mang was wedged between the tree branches. "Awoo, awoo..." In fact, Wen Jifei had set it up like this several times already, yet it still never learned its lesson. "Awoo, awoo..." Bu Mang whimpered for mercy. Wen Jifei completely ignored it. And so, accompanied by Bu Mang's pitiful whines, the first bout began. "..." A mere two minutes in, Regimental Commander Li was dumbfounded. Subjectively, they had all believed Han Qingyu's combat strength had to be the highest of the three, and likely by no small margin—a belief strongly corroborated by the details of past battles. Yet in reality, facing two on one, Han Qingyu was getting beaten around by Wu Xu and Shen Yixiu like a punching bag. Rusty Sister was fighting in dead earnest; she was terrified of falling behind Qingzi and Wu Xu. Wu Xu was in dead earnest too... and aside from sharing Rusty Sister's motivation, he naturally fought with deadly seriousness every time he entered combat, unable to hold back even if he tried. The clash quickly turned into a sight too painful to watch. Wen Jifei gleefully scooped up all the wagers placed on Han Qingyu. The secret between Han Qingyu and the metal blocks was known only to the small circle beside him. Without relying on a metal block, it was impossible for Qingzi to take on Rusty Sister and Wu Xu at the same time; fighting even one of them was an uphill struggle. "Could... could they be acting just to scam us?!" The few arrivals from regimental headquarters had all been sweet-talked by Wen Jifei into putting down bets, and right now, none of them could believe their eyes. No sooner had the suspicion been voiced than—*Bang!* A heavy impact echoed from the grounds as Han Qingyu slammed hard against the cliff face. Wincing at the sight, Regimental Commander Li furrowed his brow. "If this is acting, isn't it a bit too brutal?! It's fiercer than those street performers smashing boulders on their chests till they bleed." *Bang!* Another collision. Clashing blades, Wu Xu followed up directly with a body tackle, launching the already battered and dazed Han Qingyu through the air... then froze awkwardly in place, a flicker of sheepishness in his eyes. By rights, Shen Yixiu on the other side should have followed up with a slash or a kick. However, Rusty Sister finally came to her senses: *Wait, Qingzi's about to collapse?!* Decisively tossing aside her iron sword, she scooped him up into her arms, cushioning the momentum, and planted her feet. The next sight: the iron armor standing straight, carrying Han Qingyu horizontally in a bridal carry... Everyone on the scene, including Milla, burst into hysterical laughter. "What a pity we didn't bring a camera," the Chief of Staff remarked with a regretful chuckle. Regimental Commander Li tugged at Lao Jian's sleeve, asking nervously, "Is... is he all right?" "He's fine. He can take a beating," Lao Jian replied with a grin. In the second bout, Han Qingyu finally salvaged his pride and won. On the field, Milla had fired seven shots and Wen Jifei nine, but Han Qingyu had evaded every single one. Even if all four remaining shots landed, they could not change the outcome. "Still, Milla can hit even Great Spikes! Has Qingzi become faster than a Great Spike?!" The regimental personnel wondered if they were being played once again. In truth, this wasn't an act at all; Wen Jifei and Milla were both shooting in earnest. Nor was Han Qingyu's current speed actually faster than a Great Spike's. The difference lay in the fact that Great Spikes did not watch muzzle flashes, nor did they have the luxury of tracking muzzle flashes when besieged on the battlefield. Han Qingyu, on the other hand, knew how to watch for them and had the time to do so, granting him far more reaction time than a Great Spike ever had. Powered by his source energy apparatus, a distance of two hundred meters was plenty for him to dodge bullets fired from the Milla 7 and Milla 9. Before long, he evaded three more bullets in quick succession, and Wen Jifei lowered his rifle. *Bang!* The final shot of the match as Milla pulled the trigger. *...Thwack.* The bullet struck Han Qingyu squarely in the chest. The slug tumbled down. Han Qingyu caught it in his palm. Then he walked over, stopping in front of Milla. Extending the bullet to her, he offered a faint smile. "Give it back to me when I come to pick you up." So this was a parting gift from a dead iron straight man?! Milla couldn't help smiling. Reaching out, she took it, looked at him, and nodded. The following morning, Vice-Captain Milla Joe—founding vice-captain of Squad 1777, Sole Witness Legion, Azure Huaxia Front—boarded a vehicle early in the day... and departed from her squad. On this journey, Milla would first head to Indedu to attend a six-week officer training program organized by the Coalition, and then return to the Xiongzhanli Front with her parents. The departing jeep was parked at the main gate of the station. Milla loaded her modest backpack and the Milla 11 heavy autocannon into the vehicle first, turned back to wave, and climbed inside. Framed in the rolled-down window, the vice-captain's eyes were red rimmed. Across from her, many in the squad were weeping just the same. Yet the vehicle started up all the same, rolling away from Squad 1777. Throughout it all, Han Qingyu merely stood among the crowd, giving nothing more than two calm waves of his hand at the very end. "That guy! Doesn't he have any emotional impulses at all?" Qi Rourou muttered through heavy tears. Having served in the same squad earlier on, he had been brought into Squad 1777 by Milla herself. "And what do you expect him to do? Cry? That's impossible. That's just the kind of person he is—he never shows his emotions," Liu Shiheng overheard and explained, before adding, "But since he said he'll go bring Milla back, then even if it costs him his life, he will definitely bring her back... That's Qingzi." Without waiting for a response, Liu Shiheng turned and walked away. In truth, Liu Shiheng had recently begun to worry about something. He feared he was aligning more and more with Qingzi's way of thinking. He feared that one day Qingzi would corrupt him, and that before he knew it, he'd find himself risking his life right alongside him... *If that happens, I'll most likely end up dead. I don't want to die! I still want to go back and live as a spoiled young master.* ... On August 15, three days after Milla's departure, Regimental Commander Li and his party were also preparing to leave. However, he decided to leave several capable regimental officers behind to stay with Squad 1777 for a period, until roughly the end of the All-Army Conference scheduled for September. This came as a surprise to the members of Squad 1777, including Han Qingyu. Given Squad 1777's current combat capability, there was no need for such reinforcements. "Leaving them here is actually to fill in for you," Regimental Commander Li said suddenly, turning his gaze toward Han Qingyu. "Last night, we received a notice regarding you from Army headquarters, along with a fax." The entire room fell quiet, listening. "The Army has discussed and finalized the decision: at September's All-Army Conference, your rank will be exceptionally promoted directly to Captain." "..." An exceptional promotion straight from Private to Captain... How many ranks did that jump?! After a brief moment of stunned realization, applause erupted across the room. Amid the celebration, only Captain Lao and Vice-Captain Qin wore slightly sour expressions. After more than a decade for one and seven or eight years for the other, their current ranks were also Captain... which meant that in rank at least, they were now equals. The two exchanged glances, eyes full of quiet grievance. Lao Jian in particular vividly remembered how he had once lectured Han Qingyu against aiming too high when it came to military rank. "This is the largest leap of an exceptional promotion our Ninth Army has seen in nearly twenty years," the Regimental Chief of Staff said excitedly once the applause finally died down, letting out an exhaled breath. At the same time, Regimental Commander Li smiled, walked over to Han Qingyu, and smoothed out two sheets of paper on the table before him. "One is to go to Indedu to attend the Coalition officer training—the same one Milla went to—to lay the groundwork for future promotions. However, you'll need to return to Legion headquarters midway through to attend the All-Army Conference, as you still have medals to receive. "The other is a leave pass. Though your two years aren't up yet, the Army Commander has granted special approval for you to visit home. You'll report directly to headquarters right before the All-Army Conference convenes."