Chapter 3

Liu Bing said: "The captain eliminated more than 70 people today, and this is just the first day. I can't imagine how many more will be eliminated in the future. The quality of the soldiers nowadays is so poor; it pales in comparison to our time, and some of the veterans eliminated today were also among them." He shook his head helplessly after finishing his statement

Zhao Weidong stood up and said, "Follow me to the satellite transmission room to see if there are any key trainees."

Ye Tianming chuckled, "Isn't this just a way to distract myself? It prevents me from overthinking and becoming unable to run any faster"

Ye Tianming no longer spoke, but instead struggled to move his feet and ran alongside Old Wang. Unbeknownst to them, each piece of wood was embedded with miniature cameras, and through satellites, everything they said had already been transmitted back to the base

Go fetch the information on the one called Lao Wang and that Ye Tianming.

A flash of lightning tore through the night sky, followed by a resounding clap of thunder that shook the ground. A torrential downpour fell in an instant. Zhao Weidong sat in his office, expressionless, gazing at the heavy rain outside, while Liu Bing and Wang Feng stood in front of the desk, watching Zhao Weidong.

The remaining soldiers watched the departing figures, their eyes filled with sympathy

Sweat poured down like rain, and everyone gritted their teeth to persevere. Thud, thud, along the way, people kept collapsing. The medics skillfully loaded them onto the ambulance for treatment. It seems that such situations have occurred frequently in the past

I said, Ye Tianming, you little rascal, you can't just keep talking. Since the training began, your mouth hasn't stopped. If you have the energy to talk, you might as well use it on your legs. Right now, I can't even lift my legs, so I have no mood to talk to you

What are you waiting for? Do you want me to place it on your shoulders and then go for a run?

I saw it. A clear and resonant voice echoed across the playground

Zhao Weidong came to his senses and asked, "How many were eliminated today?"

Ye Tianming, male, born in 1982, 20 years old. Enlisted in 1998, with a high school education, served in the Northeast Field Army's Special Service Company, currently an active-duty non-commissioned officer. His ancestral home is Shenyang City, Liaoning Province

The elites sent by various units quickly ran towards the place where the wood was stored and shouldered the wood. They ran towards the desert outside

Wang Jianbo, male, born in 1970, 32 years old. He enlisted in 1987, has a junior high school education, served in the Special Forces Brigade of the Nanjing Military Region, currently an active-duty officer with the rank of major, originally from Zhuozhou City, Hebei Province

It seems that the person who wrote this passage is quite familiar with Zhao Weidong; otherwise, he would not have written this introduction.

Zhao Weidong continued to search among the crowd, and the more he looked, the broader his smile became. Pointing to a group of more than ten people in the crowd, he remarked, "I didn't notice earlier, but these more than ten individuals are conserving their strength. Indeed, they are not as poor as we imagined."

Old Wang, I already knew how tough the training here would be before I came, but I didn't expect the first day to be like this. I wonder how it will be in the future?" A young soldier, around twenty years old, said while struggling to move his feet and breathing heavily.

Zhao Weidong was driving a desert off-road jeep behind. The sun in the desert beat down like fire, mercilessly showering these soldiers with sunlight. The wood was already heavy, and now it was soaked with water, making life unbearable for these so-called elite soldiers

If you can't hold on, then you can't hold on. I have heard that the Blue Sword often goes to the battlefield. I am an orphan without parents to care for. Although I have a girlfriend, we are not married, so it wouldn't matter much if I died. But you are different; you still have parents to support, and a wife and children to take care of. If one day you go to the battlefield and achieve glory, what will happen to your family?

Zhao Weidong shouted loudly: "Hurry up, the last three people to return will miss dinner and will be punished with five hundred push-ups and five hundred sit-ups"

Zhao Weidong raised his hand, pointed his finger, and shook it, saying: "You have no reason to be dissatisfied. As a soldier, you must adhere to time. I will not keep a soldier who does not respect time. If this were on the battlefield, your comrades could sacrifice because of your tardiness, and leaving you behind would endanger everyone. Duty soldier, go help them organize their backpacks; they can leave now. I do not keep people who do not contribute."

Ah, Old Wang sighed: "If the training intensity continues like this, I can still manage. Future training will definitely be more intense than today, and I just don't know if I can endure it."

Zhao Weidong looked at them and coldly said, "Do you see that helicopter on the tarmac? You can board it, as you have been eliminated."

Zhao Weidong laughed heartily upon seeing this and said, "What a talent! This person is definitely a talent, I must secure him."

Zhao Weidong saw that there was more information about Ye Tianming below and continued to read. This individual has practiced martial arts since childhood and possesses a strong sense of justice. Displeased with superiors bullying soldiers, he has repeatedly assaulted his superiors, spending about 200 days a year in solitary confinement. However, each time he would sneak out unnoticed and swagger back to the dormitory to sleep. No matter what methods were employed, it was futile; he would enter during the day and emerge at night. Everyone wanted to know how he managed to escape, but no matter who asked, he would not reveal his secret, which became a mystery that everyone in the field army was eager to uncover. From soldiers to commanders, he was a source of great headache, committing minor infractions but never major ones, leaving them utterly helpless against him. They could only watch as he roamed freely within the military district, with no one daring to intervene, thus he became an outlier in the military district. Before joining the army, he had been sentenced to 10 months in prison for excessive self-defense after killing a criminal who attempted to commit rape. After his release, he joined the underworld and quickly established a foothold in Shenyang due to his ruthless nature and fearlessness. Later, fearing for his safety, his family used connections to send him into the military. Due to his good physical condition and martial arts training from a young age, he won the championship in the military district's annual competitions. The military district initially intended to cultivate him as a key talent, but he proved to be unreliable, constantly causing trouble. Ultimately, the military district leadership had no choice but to transfer him to the Blue Sword Special Forces. There was also a highlighted note indicating that this individual is extremely dangerous.

Activate the satellite transmission system and retrieve the monitoring data, where everyone's performance is clearly visible. Some are cursing, some are complaining, and surprisingly, there are even those who are crying.

After speaking, Zhao Weidong pointed to the wet wooden logs nearby, which were still dripping with water, and shouted loudly: "Do you see the logs over there?"

Zhao Weidong rubbed his head with his only hand, feeling disinclined to continue watching, as their performance had truly disappointed him. At that moment, a conversation broke out; upon hearing their dialogue, Zhao Weidong suddenly lifted his head and scrutinized them closely. Seeing their performance and what they said, a faint smile finally appeared on his face

Zhao Weidong reached out to take it and opened the folder

You have only been a soldier for a few years, so you may not understand. In order to come here, I trained tirelessly, but I was eliminated every year. This year, I finally made it; how could I easily go back? I have been a soldier for over ten years, rising from a private to my current rank of battalion commander. I am not young anymore, and it is unlikely I will advance further; in a few years, I will retire. For a soldier, it is a tragic thing not to be able to go to the battlefield. However, we are in a time of peace, and if I want to take up arms to defend my country, I can only come here. This is the place where true soldiers should be. Even if it means death, I must persevere, for only here can I fulfill the dreams of my childhood.

Liu Bing turned and walked out, and after a short while, he returned with a document, handing it to Zhao Weidong

Zhao Weidong looked at the expressions on their faces and coldly said: "Do not feel sympathy for them. During the training process, two-thirds of you will be eliminated. I will not harbor any useless individuals here, and by that time, no one will feel sympathy for you."

"Report to the instructor, we are not convinced," a soldier shouted loudly

The expressions of those people varied greatly upon hearing it. Some were angry, some felt ashamed, and others appeared indifferent.