Childish, All of You

Aside from Han Qingyu's somewhat accidental blow to the head back then, Plague-Chicken Fei was the first recruit to date who dared openly court death in front of Zhang Dao'an. This was probably what Lao Jian had meant when he said Wen Jifei had far more vitality than others. With so much vitality, one naturally didn't fear death. To everyone's surprise, Zhang Dao'an didn't get angry after hearing it. Perhaps the recruits' performance the previous night had truly satisfied him. After a brief moment of dazed surprise, "Hahahaha..." Chief Drill Instructor Zhang stood before the window, rubbing his bald head with one hand while laughing uproariously. Then he looked down at the watch on his wrist and suddenly said, "There are still a few minutes left. Come up and let's chat." Word had it that every recruit who had ever visited Zhang Dao'an's office had been beaten black and blue. Wen Jifei replied, "...Uh, right." If Regimental Commander Li's office could be called simple, then Zhang Dao'an's office could only be described as spartan: a battered wooden desk, a stack of folders, and a wire cot that could probably barely accommodate his massive frame... That was all. Reporting in as he entered, Wen Jifei observed his surroundings cautiously and found that aside from those items, mounted on a wooden rack on the wall directly facing the desk was half a broken blade. It was the front section of a blade, its edge marked by numerous notches and cracks. Thinking about it, probably only a Great Spike's column sword could snap a dead iron black blade. Yet he had no idea whose blade it was, or how it had been preserved instead of being taken back for recycling by the Azure Coalition, which always claimed to be in extreme shortage of critical resources. "Sit." Zhang Dao'an kicked a stool over with his foot. This took Wen Jifei by surprise, leaving him flattered yet uneasy. "Um, I think I'll just stand." "No need. You're not the well-behaved sort anyway, so don't put on an act in front of me." Watching Wen Jifei sit down, Zhang Dao'an focused, hesitated for a second, and said, "On a whim, I suddenly felt like saying a few extra words to you." Old Zhang was being serious. Wen Jifei conveyed with his eyes that he was listening. "I actually quite like your character, kid." Zhang Dao'an chuckled after saying this, paused, and then looked at Wen Jifei before continuing, "If I told you that back when I was young, I had almost the same personality as you—all laughs and jokes, utterly carefree... you probably wouldn't believe it, would you?" "It really is hard to believe," Wen Jifei admitted honestly. "Hahaha..." Zhang Dao'an laughed again. Mid-laugh, his expression suddenly hardened. "Yeah, things changed. In short, calling you up here was just to impart one piece of advice: if one day you set foot on the battlefield, don't let being carefree make you careless... Don't let down the people who believe in you... and above all, don't let others bear the consequences for you... I mean those who treat you like a brother and stand by your side." Zhang Dao'an was earnest; the emotion in his eyes couldn't be faked. Wen Jifei could tell, and with rare seriousness, he stood up and nodded firmly. "Don't worry, Instructor Zhang. I've taken it to heart." "Good." Zhang Dao'an looked up at him. "Hey, don't be so formal." He went on with a smile, "There's nothing wrong with that nature in itself." Wen Jifei nodded. "Right, you didn't get any meat last night, did you?" Zhang Dao'an suddenly turned, bending down to rummage through a drawer. "The issue with food—the military actually does it mainly to hone your spirit, willpower, and resistance to stress and suppression. Otherwise, they fear you won't even be able to stand before a Great Spike." *Slap, slap.* A sealed packet of pickled mustard tuber and another packet labeled dried tofu were tossed onto the desk by Zhang Dao'an. "Not that it makes much difference for you; you're naturally resistant to stress... I can't give you meat, but these have strong flavor. Take them to satisfy your cravings." Wen Jifei hesitated for a moment. The training bell rang. "Stash them away... Let's go, time for training." Zhang Dao'an hurried him out while standing up himself. ... At the training grounds, Zhang Dao'an arrived a few paces behind Wen Jifei, stepped up onto the platform, and began today's address. "I've looked into the meat-snatching incident that happened last night... Because it is a traditional event of our military, we will not issue punishments." Always straightforward and without preamble, Zhang Dao'an remained true to form today. Below the platform, a commotion broke out. It really was like that! No wonder those who had stepped up and fought had been awarded points instead. To think the Azure Coalition had such a traditional event! The recruits burst into eager chatter, and some began itching for action next time. "I hope this becomes a fond memory for you in the future." After saying this, Zhang Dao'an's expression hardened. "However, it cannot be denied that this also clearly reflects that your willpower and discipline still have major issues... "The matter of diet during the recruit phase is actually an essential companion program in Azure Coalition recruit training. Aside from Tradition Night, it will always be strictly enforced. "Yet I now have good reason to suspect that you haven't been complying in private..." The recruits fell silent. "In fact, we just conducted a surprise inspection of your dormitories. And now," Zhang Dao'an turned and signaled to several soldiers behind him, "conduct a body search." As his gaze swung back, it collided with Wen Jifei's. Wen Jifei's expression spoke volumes: "..." Zhang Dao'an turned back expressionlessly. "By the way, today we formally begin combat training. The early stages of Azure Coalition combat training differ from the outside world. We won't teach you routines, nor will we teach you forms or techniques... We will have you fight hand-to-hand, cultivating courage through pain, learning calmness and composure, and honing your split-second reactions, choices, and technique." *That works too?* Many wondered, but no one dared question it. "Day one is a demonstration... and I was just fretting over having no targets... Therefore, whichever recruit is found with food on them, their squad dormitory will serve as today's living targets." With that, Zhang Dao'an stepped down from the platform. He walked expressionlessly toward the row where Wen Jifei stood, performing perfunctory pats on the others, his sights set directly on Wen Jifei. Soon, the search reached him, and the two stood chest to chest. "Are you taking it out yourself, or am I finding it?" Zhang Dao'an asked in a voice only the two of them could hear. "...Instructor Zhang, you," Wen Jifei paused, "are childish." Zhang Dao'an chuckled. Wen Jifei raised his hands, signaling him to go ahead and search. Zhang Dao'an set to work, searching his body while whispering. "I find this quite amusing, and it's also a lesson for you. I've always told you that you'll get people killed..." Zhang Dao'an froze, because he had clearly watched Wen Jifei stuff those two packets into his pockets. Yet there was nothing. He searched him from head to toe, and there was still nothing. "You..." Wen Jifei said, "I threw them out the moment I stepped outside—in the trash can by your door." Zhang Dao'an: "..." "Don't let your own carelessness force others to bear the consequences," Wen Jifei said, the corner of his mouth curving up. "You just taught me that yourself, Instructor Zhang." A flash of smugness flitted through his eyes. Calling Zhang Dao'an childish hadn't been without reason; this trick was simply child's play. "Very good." Zhang Dao'an patted his shoulder and walked back. "Don't mention it," Wen Jifei said, giving his buddies a wink. "Very good! Everyone has strictly followed military discipline. I am very pleased," Zhang Dao'an announced loudly as he walked. "In that case, I'll just pick a dormitory at random to serve as today's targets. Let's make it... Dormitory 11." Amid the collective sigh of relief that swept the grounds, Wen Jifei thought: *Fuck your mother.* Of course, he could only say it in his head. Soon, eight square wooden platforms, roughly five meters on each side, were placed onto the field. Three instructors stood beside each ring. The wooden platforms were elevated about fifty centimeters off the ground. The eight men of Dormitory 11 strapped on simple protective gear covering vital spots. Each stood at one end of a ring, waiting for their opponents to step up. Then, plain and simple, it was hand-to-hand brawling... A knockdown counted as a loss, and falling off the ring counted as a loss. A clash with virtually no rules or finesse... began. The instructors allowed the chaotic brawls to unfold, but would call halts mid-fight, calling out in voices loud enough for the whole field to hear: who had just lost their cool, who had made what mistake, who could have chosen a different angle of attack, who could have actually dodged... And then: "Keep your eyes open! Keep them open!" That was the line the instructors barked most frequently, in their most ferocious tones. After each chaotic bout, they summarized the fight, pointing out the issues, strengths, and weaknesses of both sides. Gradually, the chaotic brawls began taking on some semblance of order and technique. Round after round... In the end, the eight men of Dormitory 11 were bruised, battered, and carried off one after another. ... At the edge of the training grounds, Milla sat with a female comrade. She was in high spirits because this was also a tradition: on the first day of recruit combat training every year, there would always be a set of living targets. And the dormitory selected... was always the one Zhang Dao'an acknowledged and valued most in his heart. "Zhang Dao'an has a sharp eye and great judgment," Milla said. "Hehe, looks like I really picked the right ones." "True as that may be, haven't they performed way too poorly?" Her female comrade expressed some concern for her. "Look at them, every last one ended up in that state... If this keeps up, won't the recruits start doubting the effectiveness of your training and your competence? Everyone knows you've been giving Dormitory 11 extra private lessons every few days." Prompted by this reminder, Milla focused and thought back. Something really did seem off. Those guys from Dormitory 11 didn't seem to have put up a real fight at all. They always went down or fell off the ring at the slightest hint of damage, ending the bout right then and there. *They did it on purpose...* "You're right, this won't do." The future captain Milla grew nervous. "If this goes on, recruits won't choose me in the future." Her comrade said, "Exactly." Near the base of a wall not far from them, Han Qingyu lay on the ground. Lao Jian entered his field of vision. "Greetings, Captain Lao." As though he hadn't spoken ill of him that morning at all, Han Qingyu offered a smiling greeting. "Hey," Lao Jian squatted down and whispered with a grin. "Watching you get beaten up just now actually made me pretty happy." "Is that so?" Han Qingyu smiled as well. Both knew what was what and neither gave an inch, but in the end Lao Jian broke first, turning serious. "Setting that aside, I came to brief you on something." "Go ahead, Captain Lao." Han Qingyu sat up. "I just helped you write an explanatory report on what happened that night at Reserve Station 700, and I'll serve as your witness." Lao Jian thought for a moment, still refraining from mentioning the massive merit in advance, and warned instead, "Over the next few days, someone might come to take your fingerprints for comparison. Don't worry..." "Understood." Because he had previously laid the groundwork by saying he had messed up the scene and later tidied it up, Han Qingyu wasn't particularly worried about fingerprints or the like; even if he had touched the source energy blocks, it would make complete sense. Moreover, based on Regimental Commander Li's words and common knowledge about source energy absorption, there was no way they could know those source energy blocks had been "eaten" by him. There was no problem at all. Naturally, Lao Jian knew none of this. He continued earnestly, "The main thing is, if they ask what your request is, remember to give a respectable answer. Don't keep obsessing over money. You're already here, yet all you think about all day is money, money, money... Around here, source energy blocks are what matter most." "Can I ask them for source energy blocks?" "...No, that's not what I mean. But if your performance is fine, you'll naturally get them." "Oh." "Got it?" "Got it." "...That's all then." Lao Jian prepared to stand up, paused, and added, "I've already submitted an application to the higher-ups to return to my squad. I might head back soon... As for your family, given the nature of our work, I can't promise I'll look after them, but whenever I get a chance, I'll do my best to check in on them... Don't worry too much." Han Qingyu: "...Thank you, Captain Lao." "The hell are you being polite with me for?" Lao Jian said, getting up and walking off. "Remember not to keep acting tough by taking hits head-on. You don't have the build for it..." Han Qingyu called after him. "Bullshit. I'm fierce as hell," Lao Jian retorted unappreciatively. The conversation was brief, and hardly anyone noticed. From a distance, however, Milla took it all in. "Oh no, oh no. That Lao Jian is a squad leader too, right? Ah, he seems to be Han Qingyu's sponsor, too..." Milla strongly believed Lao Jian was laying the groundwork to recruit Han Qingyu into his squad in the future. "Ugh, my best candidate is going to be snatched away too! What do I do? What do I do?" The future Captain Milla panicked, clutching her comrade's arm and shaking it non-stop. "That guy is a veteran captain, probably very strong, and they're old acquaintances. Ah, how am I supposed to compete..." "You... might just have to find a different angle," her comrade said after a moment's hesitation. "In any case, weren't you before..." ... After lunch that day, during the brief rest period, the eight wretched souls of Dormitory 11 were all lying in their bunks groaning and whining. Milla pushed the door open, set down two tubes of medicinal ointment specially formulated by the military for combat personnel, and said, "Rub this on each other..." In an instant, the groans in Dormitory 11 grew even louder, as if everyone were on the verge of death and completely unable to move on their own. Yet Milla didn't offer to help rub it on them as they had hoped. Instead, she acted completely casual and said, "The faucet in my room is broken, and I'm covered in dust... Mind if I borrow your shower?" The groans ceased entirely in an instant. In Dormitory 11, nothing remained but the clearly audible, thumping, thudding, frantic pounding of racing hearts.