The Winner's Bearing

The training ground was deathly silent, and then erupted into a tidal wave of cheers.

The new recruits lifted Wei Zhe high into the air, celebrating their incredible victory in the most primal and fervent way possible. This was their victory, the glory of the new recruits challenging the authority of the veterans and achieving a complete triumph!

Qian Hu's face went from pale to flushed, and he finally slumped to the ground, defeated. He looked at Wei Zhe, surrounded by the crowd, his eyes filled with disappointment and unwillingness. The four veterans behind him also drooped their heads, like roosters that had lost a fight.

"All of you, stop it, damn it!"

Shi Meng's roar drowned out all the cheers.

He walked up to Qian Hu and kicked him. "If you lose, get up! Sitting here like a woman, aren't you ashamed?"

Qian Hu stumbled from the kick but didn't dare to complain. He struggled to his feet.

Shi Meng then turned to Wei Zhe, who had already walked out of the crowd, his expression calm, showing no arrogance after the victory.

"Wei Zhe!"

"Here!"

"You won, and the bet is yours," Shi Meng said in a deep voice. "From today on, for the next month, all the meat rations for Qian Hu's squad will belong to your team!"

As soon as he said this, Qian Hu and the others looked even more miserable than if they had been crying. Wei Zhe's teammates, on the other hand, were beaming with joy.

However, Wei Zhe's next action surprised everyone again.

He cupped his fists towards Qian Hu and said loudly, "Squad Leader Qian, brothers, today's event was merely a sparring session between comrades, stopping at the right moment. My squad doesn't dare to hog this prize. For the next month's meat rations, I'm willing to split them equally with Squad Leader Qian's squad. Consider it a way for us brothers to become friends, so we can look out for each other on the battlefield in the future."

These words were flawless, full of magnanimity.

Not only did they show his teammates his benevolence, but they also gave Qian Hu and all the veterans a huge way to save face.

Qian Hu stared blankly at Wei Zhe. He had thought he had lost all face this time, but he never expected the other party to be so generous. He opened his mouth, and for the first time, a complex and ashamed expression appeared on his rugged face.

"Good kid..." he muttered softly, then nodded heavily at Wei Zhe. "I'll be your friend, Qian Hu! From now on, if you need anything, just give me a shout!"

He was a rough man, but he also knew how to repay kindness. Wei Zhe had saved his face, and he would return the favor.

Shi Meng watched this scene, his eyes filled with even more approval.

Bravery, intelligence, magnanimity... This young man named Wei Zhe possessed all the potential qualities of an excellent general.

He no longer saw him as just someone with potential, but as a rough gem that could change the tide of the Northern Frontier's war!

"Disperse! Continue training!"

Shi Meng waved his hand, and the commotion subsided. But everyone knew that from this day forward, Wei Zhe's position in the New Recruit Camp was unshakeable.

That night.

Inside Wei Zhe's tent, the atmosphere was harmonious.

"Squad Leader, you were so cool today!"

"Yeah, splitting half the meat with them, Qian Hu's gaze towards you is completely different now!"

The team members surrounded Wei Zhe, chattering about the day's events.

Wei Zhe just smiled and focused his mind on the System.

"System, distribute Tempering Points."

He opened his personal panel and looked at the 300 available Tempering Points. After a moment of thought, his encounters with Shi Meng and Qian Hu made him clearly realize that he still had a gap in pure strength compared to these veteran generals.

"Add 100 points to Strength, 100 points to Agility, and 100 points to Constitution."

He chose a balanced development.

A warm current flowed through him, and his body was once again strengthened comprehensively. He could feel his muscles becoming firmer, his body lighter, and his senses and awareness elevated to a new level.

Character: Wei Zhe
Realm: Mortal (Unranked)
Strength: 30
Agility: 25
Constitution: 32
Available Tempering Points: 0
Mastered Skills:
[Forging]: Hundred Battle Saber (Novice 15/100), Fish Scale Armor (Novice 0/100)
[Martial Skill]: Thousand Refinement Force (Novice 1/100)

"The Fish Scale Armor schematic..." Wei Zhe looked at the newly acquired reward, his heart stirred. This was exactly what he needed most right now. A team's combat effectiveness depended not only on its people but also on its equipment.

He already had a bold plan.

At the same time, inside the main tent of the Northern Frontier Camp in Shuofang Commandery.

Behind the command desk, a middle-aged general clad in black armor, with a stern face and an imposing presence, was gazing at the huge sand table before him. The sand table depicted mountains, rivers, passes, and cities, showing the entire landscape where Great Qin's Northern Frontier bordered the Xiongnu.

He was the Great Qin's Grand General, Meng Wu, the supreme commander of the 300,000 troops of the Northern Frontier.

"General."

Shi Meng strode into the tent and knelt on one knee.

"Get up," Meng Wu said without lifting his head, his gaze still fixed on the sand table, on the location representing the Xiongnu royal court.

"I know about the New Recruit Camp."

Shi Meng's heart tightened. He knew the general's eyes and ears were everywhere in the camp, and no movement, however small, could escape him.

"A new recruit who's only been enlisted for a few days, first he thwarted the veterans' 'welcome,' and then he defeated the Squad Leader, a veteran of the Hundred Battle Saber, during unit training. Shi Meng, you're quite an interesting Instructor." Meng Wu's tone gave away no hint of his mood.

"Your subordinate... your subordinate misjudged him. I beg the general's punishment!" Shi Meng lowered his head even further.

"I'm not punishing you." Meng Wu finally looked up. His gaze was like lightning, seeming to pierce through a person's heart. "I want to ask you, what kind of material do you think that young man named Wei Zhe is made of?"

Shi Meng pondered for a moment and said solemnly, "Reporting to the general, this young man is exceptionally brave, meticulous in his thinking, and what's even rarer is that he's not arrogant in victory, possessing the demeanor of a great general. Your subordinate believes he is no ordinary person. If he is properly honed, he will surely become a pillar of our Great Qin in the future!"

He reported Wei Zhe's performance over the past two days in detail, including his proactive request to forge his own weapon.

"Oh? He's also skilled in forging?" A hint of interest finally appeared on Meng Wu's face. "To be able to transform a standard-issue weapon into a sharp blade, that skill is quite extraordinary."

He picked up a recently delivered military intelligence bamboo slip from his command desk and slowly unrolled it.

"Scouts report that the Xiongnu Right Wise King's tribe has been frequently gathering in the Yin Mountains area recently, with over fifty thousand cavalry. It looks like they plan to make another big push before winter."

"Pass down the order," Meng Wu stood up, and an overwhelming killing intent emanated from him.

"Prepare the entire army. In three days, we march to the various strongholds along the Great Wall! If the Xiongnu want to fight, our Great Qin will see it through to the end!"

"As for that kid named Wei Zhe..." Meng Wu's gaze fell back to the sand table. "Transfer him to the Vanguard Camp, under your command. True warriors aren't forged on the training grounds, but carved out of piles of dead bodies. Let me see if he's a piece of raw jade or a stone that shatters at a touch."

"Your subordinate, obeys!"

Shi Meng's heart was stirred by a tempest.

The general had given his order, and a great war was about to begin!

And Wei Zhe, this newly emerging recruit, was about to face the first baptism of blood and fire in his life.

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