Above the drill ground, following a silence as of the dead, came a tidal wave of cheers like thunder rolling through the mountains and rivers.
The new recruits lifted Wei Zhe high, tossing him into the air, celebrating this incredible victory in the most primitive and passionate way. This was their own victory—the glory of new recruits challenging the authority of the veterans and achieving a complete triumph!
Qian Hu's face turned alternately pale and ashen, and finally he sat down dejectedly on the ground, watching Wei Zhe surrounded by the crowd with a gaze filled with loss and unwillingness. The four veterans behind him also drooped their heads like defeated fighting cocks.
"All of you, cut the crap and stop!"
Shi Meng's roar overrode all the cheers.
He walked over to Qian Hu, kicked him, and barked, "If you lose, get the hell up! Sitting there like some timid woman, aren't you ashamed?"
Staggering from the kick, Qian Hu didn't dare show the slightest grievances, and struggled to his feet.
Shi Meng turned back to Wei Zhe, who had already walked out from the crowd with a calm expression, utterly devoid of any arrogance after victory.
"Wei Zhe!"
"Here!"
"You won, and the stakes are yours," Shi Meng said in a deep voice. "Starting today, for the next month, the meat ration of Qian Hu's squad all belongs to your team!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the faces of Qian Hu and the others instantly looked worse than if they were crying. Meanwhile, the members behind Wei Zhe were beaming with joy.
Yet Wei Zhe's next move once again surprised everyone present.
Cupping his fists toward Qian Hu, he said in a ringing voice, "Squad Leader Qian, esteemed brothers, today's affair was merely a spar among comrades, stopping at the point of courtesy. My squad wouldn't dare swallow this prize all to ourselves; for the coming month's meat, I am willing to split it evenly with Squad Leader Qian's squad, treating it simply as brothers making friends so that we might have each other's backs when we are on the battlefield."
These words were watertight and filled with dignity.
Not only did they let his own team members see his righteousness, but they also gave Qian Hu and all the veterans a magnificent way out.
Qian Hu gazed blankly at Wei Zhe, having thought he had utterly disgraced himself today, never expecting the other to be so magnanimous. He opened his mouth, and upon his rugged face, a complex and ashamed expression appeared for the first time.
Good lad... he muttered under his breath, then gave a heavy nod toward Wei Zhe. I, Qian Hu, count you as a friend! From now on, if anything ever comes up, just give a shout!
He was a rough man, but he also understood how to repay a favor. Wei Zhe had preserved his face, so he would return the favor to Wei Zhe.
Watching this scene, the look of approval in Shi Meng's eyes grew even more intense.
Valor, strategic mind, dignity... This youth named Wei Zhe possessed every potential required of an outstanding general.
He no longer regarded him merely as promising timber, but rather as a piece of uncarved jade capable of changing the strategic situation of the northern frontier!
"Disperse! Continue training!"
Shi Meng waved his hand, and the storm subsided right there. But everyone knew that from this day forward, no one could ever shake Wei Zhe's status in the New Recruit Camp.
That night.
Inside Wei Zhe's tent, the atmosphere was harmonious.
"Squad Leader, you were so cool today!"
"Yeah, sharing half the meat with them made even Qian Hu look at you differently!"
The team members surrounded Wei Zhe, chirping endlessly as they talked about what they had witnessed during the day.
Wei Zhe merely smiled, sinking his mind into the system.
System, allocate the Tempering Points.
He opened his personal panel, looked at the 300 available Tempering Points, and pondered briefly. His exchanges with Shi Meng and Qian Hu had made him clearly realize that in terms of pure strength, he still lagged behind these battle-hardened veterans.
Add 100 points to Strength, 100 points to Agility, and 100 points to Constitution.
He chose a balanced development.
A warm current washed over him, and his physique was once again comprehensively reinforced. He could feel that his muscles were firmer, his body lighter, and his five senses and six perceptions had all risen 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)
Fish Scale Armor blueprint... Wei Zhe looked at his newly acquired reward with a stir in his heart. This was precisely what he needed most right now. A team's combat effectiveness depended not only on its men, but even more on its equipment.
He already had a bold plan.
Meanwhile, in Shuofang Commandery, inside the main tent of the Northern Frontier Camp.
Behind the commander's desk, a middle-aged general clad in profound armor, with a resolute expression and an unshakeable air of natural authority, was gazing intently at the huge sand table before him. Upon the sand table, mountains and rivers, strategic passes, and cities were all vividly present, forming the exact panorama where the Great Qin northern frontier bordered the Xiongnu.
He was none other than the High General of Great Qin, Meng Wu, the supreme commander of the three hundred thousand troops of the northern frontier.
"General."
Shi Meng strode into the tent and dropped to one knee.
"Rise." Without raising his head, Meng Wu kept his gaze locked on the sand table, specifically at the location representing the Xiongnu royal court.
"I know all about what happened in the New Recruit Camp."
A chill went through Shi Meng's heart; he knew the general's eyes and ears were spread across the entire camp, and no slight disturbance could be hidden from him.
"A recruit who has enlisted for only a few days first defuses the veterans' 'welcome,' and then defeats a veteran squad leader in troop drills. Shi Meng, you play the role of instructor quite interestingly." No anger or joy could be discerned in Meng Wu's tone.
"This subordinate... this subordinate failed to recognize talent and asks for the General's punishment!" Shi Meng buried his head lower still.
"I am not punishing you." Meng Wu finally raised his head, his gaze like lightning, seemingly able to pierce human hearts. "I want to ask you, in your view, just what kind of material is this youth named Wei Zhe?"
Shi Meng pondered for a moment, then spoke with solemn weight: "Replying to the General, this boy possesses extraordinary valor and meticulous thought, and what is even rarer is that he is not arrogant in victory, showing the demeanor of a great general. This subordinate believes he is no mere pond fish; if he undergoes tempering, in the future he will surely become a pillar of talent for our Great Qin!"
He reported in detail, point by point, everything Wei Zhe had shown over the past two days, including his initiative in requesting to forge weapons.
"Oh? He also excels at forging?" A trace of interest finally appeared on Meng Wu's face. "Being able to reforge standard-issue weapons into sharp blades—that craft is truly extraordinary."
He picked up a roll of military intelligence bamboo slips just delivered from the commander's desk and slowly unrolled it.
"Scouts report that the Xiongnu Right Wise King's forces have recently gathered frequently around the Yin Mountains, exceeding fifty thousand cavalry. By the look of it, they are preparing to make one final, major push before winter sets in."
"Pass down the order." Meng Wu stood up, and a monstrous killing intent suffused from his body.
"The whole army will prepare. Three days from now, we march to the various fortresses along the Great Wall! If the Xiongnu want to fight, we of Great Qin will accompany them to the bitter end!"
"As for that kid named Wei Zhe..." Meng Wu's gaze fell back upon the sand table. "Transfer him to the Vanguard Camp, right under your command. True warriors are not forged on the drill ground, but carved out amidst piles of corpses. Let me see whether he is a piece of uncarved jade or a stone that shatters at a single touch."
"This subordinate obeys!"
Within Shi Meng's heart, towering billows surged.
With the general's order given, a great battle was about to begin!
And Wei Zhe, this newly prominent recruit, was about to usher in the first baptism of blood and fire in his life.
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