The General

Principal Luosela stood on the stage and rattled off a bunch of precautions, but everyone already knew them, and hardly anyone listened attentively. It was just the same few sentences over and over again.

She didn't say anything when she saw the students' reactions. After all, she was pretty much the same back then, only her status was different now.

Now, as a school principal, my first priority is the safety of the students; everything else comes second.

She concluded briefly, raising her hand to the side.

"Alright, I won't say anything more. The instructor we've invited this time is a senior alumnus who graduated from our school. Let's invite him to give a speech."

As soon as he finished speaking, a murmur of commotion arose from the audience.

Many students looked up, curiously glancing towards the side of the podium.

A tall, upright man slowly walked up the platform.

He was dressed in a crisp camouflage training uniform, exuding the unique, imposing aura of a soldier. His back was ramrod straight, and his gaze was steady and sharp as he swept across the entire training ground.

He was just standing there, yet he exuded an aura of seasoned veteran, clearly a former soldier with a high rank.

Wuling looked at that face and felt a strange sense of familiarity, as if she had seen it somewhere before, perhaps in the news, but she couldn't quite place it.

He walked to the microphone, raised his hand to adjust the equipment, and his deep, steady voice resonated throughout the entire playground through the speakers.

"Hello everyone, fellow freshmen of the Star Torch Academy, I am Jiyan."

Jiyan?

... Isn't that General Huanglong?

I have to say, the general himself is coming to teach us military training? Am I crazy, or has the world gone mad?

Many people in the audience stirred when they heard the name, clearly having considered this possibility as well.

"I'm sure many of you have seen me on TV. That's right, I'm the commander of the Huanglong Midnight Rangers. For the next week, I will be your head instructor during your military training."

Damn, is this for real? I thought the general was just coming to say something, but it turns out he's really here to be an instructor.

To Wuling's recollection, having a general serve as a military training instructor was probably a first.

This treatment is so outrageous that it's unique, not only in the entire region but also among all neutral universities and institutions of the same level.

"Star Torch Academy is my alma mater, and I welcome everyone here. During the upcoming military training, I won't be spouting too many empty platitudes."

His gaze slowly swept over the rows of neatly lined-up students below the stage, his voice firm and resonant.

"The purpose of military training is not to torture you, but to temper your will, teach you to obey discipline, and learn to support each other. But let me make this clear from the beginning: during training, obeying orders is the first principle."

Students with pre-existing injuries or illnesses must inform their class instructors in advance. Do not try to tough it out. The college and we do not want any accidents to happen, but unless there are special circumstances, please show the proper attitude.

A few simple words, concise and to the point, without any unnecessary embellishment.

The students in the audience listened much more attentively than when they listened to the principal's speech earlier.

This is a general, a real general, the kind you usually only see on TV.

Huanglong only has a few generals, let alone Sentinel Generals, and active-duty ones at that. If we don't count the generals directly under the Mingting, there are only six garrison Sentinel Generals in the entire Huanglong, one in each major prefecture. One in ten thousand? One in a hundred million! Even if people in other regions don't know him, they have definitely heard of this name.

It's only because things are peaceful now, and because Star Torch Academy has always maintained a neutral stance and never provoked anyone, thus maintaining a very good reputation, along with some other miscellaneous reasons, that things have turned out this way.

Wuling felt that General Jiyan's work should be handed over to the former general Geshu Lin. After all, the former general had only retired a few years ago and was still in good health; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to come here.

Many students secretly swallowed their saliva, their initial laziness, perfunctory attitude, and desire to slack off during military training were instantly extinguished by a bucket of cold water.

Are you kidding me? You think you can slack off in front of a regular instructor, let alone under the general's nose? Did Liang Jingru give you that courage?

Jiyan on the stage seemed oblivious to this, his expression remaining solemn and aloof, his eyes showing no emotion whatsoever. He was already used to the shock and awe others felt when they first met him.

His voice was deep and resonant as he continued speaking, silencing the subtle noise in the room.

"I know what everyone is thinking right now. They find it unbelievable, they think it's too exaggerated."

"Many people think that Sentinel General shouldn't waste his time on trivial matters like freshman military training."

His gaze slowly swept over the youthful, inexperienced faces below, his tone softening slightly, yet still firm and powerful.

"But I come from Xingju, this is my alma mater."

"I walked out from this playground, took my first step from here, went to the border, went to the battlefield, and now I return, not for fame, but to uphold a legacy."

"The essence of a soldier lies in self-discipline, resilience, and unity. Whether you pursue scientific research, civilian positions, business, or any other profession in the future, this ingrained will will be your greatest source of strength."

"So for the next week, I will personally lead the team, with strict standards and rigorous discipline."

As soon as those words were spoken, the entire room fell silent.

Everyone's backs stiffened instinctively, and no one dared to whisper anymore. They all straightened their backs and stood ramrod straight.

Jiyan raised his hand and picked up the whistle, his fingertips and knuckles clearly defined, his movements steady and powerful.

A sharp, clear whistle suddenly pierced the sky and resounded throughout the entire playground.

"All classes, listen to my command--"

"Attention, all of you!"

The crisp, decisive command was delivered with penetrating force, carrying the ingrained authority of a soldier.

The thousands of freshmen instinctively pulled in their stomachs, straightened their chests, raised their heads, put their feet together, and pressed their fingertips against their trouser seams, instantly completing the standard attention posture.

As the noise subsided, the playground instantly became solemn and orderly.

"Training officially begins now."

"Stand at attention for thirty minutes. Everyone stay still, backs straight, eyes forward."

"If you are feeling unwell, have a recurrence of an old injury, or are unable to continue, raise your hand to report and you will be allowed to rest."

"If you have a pre-existing medical condition, please present your medical record first. If you don't have it, you can bring it later. However, if anyone is found to be falsifying their medical record, they will all have to do double the training. Anyone who falsifies their medical record, tries to be strong, or disrupts the discipline of the formation will also have to do double the training."

The rules are clear and there is no room for leniency.

The freshmen had never experienced such rigorous military training before, and many of them immediately complained inwardly, but no one dared to voice any objections.

It's alright now, it's still morning, the sun isn't so scorching yet, but it will get hotter and harder to endure as the day goes on.

This level of difficulty is nothing for Wuling. Let alone now, even saying it was easy for him in the past would be an exaggeration, but it's still not too difficult.

During this time, the instructors for each class were selected, and fortunately, Jiyan Wuling chosen as the instructor for Wu Ling's class.