Chapter 5

Unexpectedly, as Su Qingche casually walked to the door, she turned to glance at him and said, "That is not a contest, it is a cleanup"

Upon thinking of this, she frowned and voiced her protest: "I believe our military posture has already met the standard."

The instructor patted his chest, and his expression was one of immense pride and arrogance. "You have no idea, our regiment commander has won the all-around championship; who can match his prowess"

He raised his hand to tug at the brim of his hat, and a pair of eyes hidden in the shadow of the brim appeared even more profound. After a moment of silence, he asked: "After standing in military posture all morning, do you still not know that you must first call out 'Report' before speaking?"

Song Xingchen silently curled her lips, not necessarily so

However, in the end, Song Xingchen still did not stand in military posture for a full two hours

The instructor was punishing the entire Class 7, led by Song Xingchen, to stand in military posture, when they saw Chief Staff Officer Lu approaching behind Su Qingche.

Song Xingchen was angry, pressed her lips together, and said with a strained voice: "In any case, I feel that the military posture is not difficult for me."

However, as soon as the team leader arrived, it was a continuation. Song Xingchen bit her lip and glanced at the other classes that had already started marching in step, feeling dissatisfied

Song Xingchen had already spoken her mind, so there was no point in regretting it. She shrugged her shoulders, displaying an utterly helpless yet arrogant demeanor, and spoke clearly: "If this statement displeases you, Captain, feel free to punish me. Should I stand in military posture for an extra hour, or should I run around the playground like at the beginning?"

Su Qingche could tell from his calm demeanor that he was up to something, flipping through the documents without even raising his eyes, showing a distinct lack of cooperation

Chief of Staff Lu almost stumbled down the stairs because of this response, and he patted his chest in lingering fear, with only one thought in his mind: every time he returned from a mission, the world always seemed to become very surreal

Song Xingchen glanced at him and, with a slight curve of her eyes, asked him, "Hey, are you also one of the soldiers brought by Su Qingche?"

This military training has undergone comprehensive reform to ensure that students can fully engage in the training and actively cooperate. This year, a points assessment system has been specifically established, meaning that everything from the start of the military training will be included in the assessment scores. Currently, Class 7 has already fallen behind.

Su Qingche naturally would not believe his nonsense, but the matter with Song Xingchen could not be summarized in just a few words. He closed the document and directly tossed it to Chief of Staff Lu, the force of which nearly struck the beautiful and noble forehead of Chief of Staff Lu.

He turned his head back to glance at Song Xingchen, who was staring straight ahead, and after jogging a few steps, saluted respectfully, saying loudly: "Report to the team leader, we are currently lining up and standing in formation, please give your instructions"

Song Xingchen did not apply sunscreen, instead pulling down his hat very low. Noticing his gaze, Song Xingchen lifted his chin and looked over, wearing an expression of arrogance, and repeated, "I believe our military posture has met the standard."

Upon hearing that there was a performance, Chief of Staff Lu's eyes immediately lit up. "I saw it with my own eyes," he said. In fact, he had only heard about it from a soldier during lunch, and the soldier described it in such vivid detail that Chief of Staff Lu felt as if he were there himself, enjoying it for the entire afternoon

She is, after all, an instructor; this time, it is not just a matter of losing her authority, but it seems she has completely lost face.

Song Xingchen, upon hearing this, flipped the table and took off his hat, saying, "Su Qingche, why are you treating me differently? I want to report this to your superior; you are abusing your power for personal revenge!"

When the instructor dismissed the team for a break, he picked up a bottle of water, looked around, and approached, saying, "Hey, did you offend our commander?"

I stand at attention because I obey orders, but I do not submit to you

Chief of Staff Lu recalled the arduous nature of this mission and felt overwhelmed with despair, lowering his head and beginning to waver in his resolve

He cast a lingering, meaningful glance at her, then turned to the instructor and said: "Let her stand at attention for one hour, while the others rest in place for five minutes before continuing the drill"

Su Qingche was walking towards Class 8 when she heard a sound; she paused and turned to look.

The instructor probably did not expect the class 7's officer to be so "intense"; they immediately confronted the commander, causing a tense atmosphere. Just as they were about to speak, they were pulled back by Chief of Staff Lu.

Indeed, with such boldness and confidence, Chief of Staff Lu momentarily forgot his role as an onlooker and let out a laugh, "Pfft—"

Su Qingche's reaction today was quite unusual, to the extent that even Chief of Staff Lu, who had just returned from a mission, had heard about it

The instructor turned around and glanced, smiling foolishly. "Chief of Staff, isn't this a request for instructions? Look..."

Song Xingchen raised his chin, as if it were a matter of course. "Report, I forgot."

Before leaving the school, the class monitor of Class 7 smiled and said that Class 7 must win first place in order to organize an activity to visit the orphanage, and that the funds would be directly provided to the orphanage to support its daily needs

The instructor indeed went to seek instructions from Chief of Staff Lu after half an hour. Chief of Staff Lu had just come out of Su Qingche's office with the documents and, upon seeing the instructor running over, immediately understood the matter. "Is the person alright? Don't let the regiment commander confuse them."

Chief of Staff Lu chuckled twice and said, "It's just that little girl who is so competitive with you."

Chief of Staff Lu stroked his chin, recalling that he had casually asked on the way back to the office building, "Do you have any objections to Miss Ren?"

Su Qingche gazed at her with a pair of eyes for a long while, then forced a smile that did not reach his eyes, and said in a compliant manner: "Since the instructor has a request, then let us stand in military posture for an additional hour." Having said that, he no longer lingered and turned away with an air of ease.

Su Qingche's fingers continued to flip through the documents without pause, her expression remaining impassive. "Which one?"

Song Xingchen stared wide-eyed, "Can this be compared?"

He gasped with a "hiss," nervously pinching the corner of the document. "Captain, are you angry out of shame?"

Su Qingche walked over casually and stopped in front of her, scanning her from head to toe.

Song Xingchen was originally somewhat careless, but upon his approach, he immediately straightened his posture, pursed his lips, and displayed a stubborn demeanor.

The instructor noticed her silence and the corners of his eyes slightly lifted. "Alright, hold on a bit longer. In another half an hour, I will go consult the chief of staff."

He spoke with such nonchalance, effortlessly rendering her speechless with a single sentence

Su Qingche raised an eyebrow: "Why not?"

What did he just hear

Su Qingche finally reacted this time, lazily lifting her eyelids to glance at him, her eyes as deep and still as a stagnant pool. "Competing? Who has such poor eyesight?"

Song Xingchen instinctively straightened his body and stood at attention

After Su Qingche turned her head and gave a warning glance, Chief of Staff Lu suddenly realized and coughed lightly to suppress his laughter

Su Qingche's gaze was piercing, and there was not a trace of tenderness when he looked at her. "In the military, one must obey orders. As an instructor, your lack of discipline warrants punishment; standing at attention is already lenient. If you were one of my soldiers..." He did not continue, merely pressed his lips together and gave her a deep look.

Song Xingchen's face turned pale and flushed with anger upon hearing his words. He clenched the hat in his hand and, after a moment of restraint, resentfully put the hat back on his head and stepped aside to stand at attention.

He slightly darkened his expression, his thin lips pressed together, and as his gaze deepened, a subtle aura of coldness and severity began to flow from him. Song Xingchen felt the temperature around her drop several degrees, as if dark clouds had obscured the sun

After sitting for a moment, Chief of Staff Lu felt bored and finally spoke up: "What is going on with that young girl?"

However, the response she gave was no longer the voice of Su Qingche that could barely be considered "calm". He furrowed his brows and issued a command that was not loud but carried absolute authority. "Stand at attention"

A crowd of people below suddenly found themselves dumbfounded, realizing that there was an inside story after all

He turned back in confusion to look at Chief of Staff Lu, only to see him squinting at him mischievously.

Su Qingche did not even lift her eyes, taking two steps up the stairs, and said slowly: "Her skills are insufficient."

Song Xingchen, standing still in place, gritted his teeth at his back

Did she come on too strong? She merely expressed an opinion; disagreeing with her does not warrant holding her accountable and punishing her by making her stand in military posture for disobedience

Almighty

The sun in September is scorching, hanging high in the sky and causing people to sweat profusely. We have been standing in military posture for half an hour, and many are beginning to struggle.

With that thought in mind, he waved his hand. "Return to the ranks."

Song Xingchen curled her lips slightly, and seeing that no one was paying attention, she raised her hand to rub her face and quickly put it down, her expression no longer calm and carefree. "Isn't your team leader a bit twisted? Is there really a need to mess with people like this?"

Su Qingche picked up the hat that was placed beside the desk and stood up to walk outside. Upon hearing the words, she paused her steps, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her lips: "This task has shown initial results; although I made a mistake, at least I have learned to use idioms."

Su Qingche let out a light laugh and then asked, "If you can forget something as basic as calling out a report, isn't it even easier for you to forget something slightly more challenging like military posture?"

He took the documents to Su Qingche's office to report the situation. After the work documents were reviewed, he did not rush to leave, but leisurely poured himself a cup of tea and settled down on the sofa.

Su Qingche had originally lifted his foot to leave, but upon hearing those words, he paused. His tall figure in military uniform appeared particularly pleasing to the eye at that moment. He leisurely turned around, but his expression was no longer as impassive as it had been a moment ago

Su Qingche walked all the way to the playground, reviewing several classes. Seeing that other classes had already begun teaching the proper march while this side was still standing at attention, he couldn't help but frown. "Continue."

Comrade instructor, after some time, began to understand a bit.

The door gently clicked shut, yet Chief of Staff Lu was petrified by the sound...

The instructor, seeing the situation, gulped down several mouthfuls of water and then squinted his eyes with a smile, saying: "Who told you not to recognize the situation and insist on going head-to-head with the commander"