Establishing Trust

The platform remained silent for a long time, with both sides locked in a silent standoff. Just then, a loud, rough roar broke the stalemate.

"General, are you telling the truth?"

Hearing that someone was supporting him, Sordil was overjoyed, but he calmly replied, "Of course it's true! If you don't believe me, you can choose any position you like and challenge it, and see if I keep my promise!"

Sordil, of course, wouldn't let such a gift slip by. He immediately used his Shape-Making Magic to conjure an arena in front of the man who had shouted, for him to use in his challenge. Looking at the arena before him, the burly, dark-faced man swallowed hard, then gritted his teeth and jumped onto it. He then pointed at a man dressed as an officer below the arena and shouted, "Hannibal, I challenge you!"

Officer Hannibal stared at the burly, dark-faced man standing on the arena, his face darkening. He then roared furiously, "Fine! Fine! Lek, today, in front of the general and all my brothers, I'll show you the difference between us!"

After speaking, Hannibal jumped onto the ring without hesitation. Suddenly, the ring rose higher and higher until every soldier below could see what was happening on the ring, then it stopped rising. Immediately afterward, Sordil's figure appeared from afar and addressed the two men on the ring. "The rules are simple. During the match, you cannot attack your opponent's vital organs, such as the eyes, throat, or groin. Weapons cannot be used. You cannot continue to attack your opponent after they have surrendered, nor are you allowed to surrender first and then attack from behind. Apart from that, you may use any means necessary until one of you surrenders, becomes unconscious, falls off the ring, or loses the ability to resist. Do you understand?"

The two people on the stage shouted in unison, "Understood!"

"Alright! In that case, I declare the competition open!"

At Sordil's command, the burly black man, Lek, threw a left hook at Officer Hannibal's face. Hannibal calmly dodged the attack, then aimed his right elbow at Lek's heart. Lek, not daring to be careless, immediately pulled back to protect his heart. At that moment, Hannibal suddenly stepped back and swept his leg towards Lek's shin. Lek instinctively took a few steps back, and suddenly, his left heel dipped downwards. He looked down and realized with a start that he was standing on the edge of the ring, on the verge of falling.

Just then, Hannibal threw his right fist at Lek's face, his left hand poised behind his back. Seeing Hannibal's onslaught, Lek stepped forward, grabbed Hannibal's right wrist with his left hand, and pulled it forward. He then turned his back to Hannibal, placing Hannibal's arm behind his back. Realizing what Lek was about to do, Hannibal immediately swung his left fist at Lek's ribs. But no matter how Hannibal attacked, Lek wouldn't stop. A short while later, Lek executed a beautiful over-the-shoulder throw, hurling Hannibal off the ring.

"Buzz"

A gust of wind blew by and caught Hannibal as he fell, preventing him from being injured. Immediately afterwards, Sordil's voice announced the winner.

"I hereby declare that the winner of this contest is Lek!"

"Oh!"

Upon hearing his victory, Lek stood on the ring and shouted loudly, then ran wildly around the ring to vent his joy. After Lek finished venting, a Clear Wind surrounded him, and then he and the defeated Hannibal were carried by Sordil to the high platform. The ring where the two had fought gradually sank and finally disappeared from the spot.

Back on the platform, Sordil pointed at Hannibal and asked Lek, "Lek, who is this person you challenged?"

"Reporting to the General, Hannibal is the company commander of Hannibal Company in the Guqi Regiment of the Second Brigade First Division the 1st Division!"

Upon hearing Sordil's question, Lek immediately knelt on one knee and answered. After Lek finished speaking, Sordil turned his gaze to the front of the First Division's formation, where two men stepped forward. One of them shouted loudly to Sordil on the platform, "Reporting to the General, what Lek said is true; Hannibal is indeed the company commander of Hannibal Company!"

"In that case, I hereby announce that from this moment forward, Hannibal Company shall be renamed Lek Company, with Lek as its commander!"

Upon hearing that he had indeed become the company commander, Lek immediately straightened his neck and shouted loudly, "Thank you, General! I will certainly live up to your expectations!"

Seeing Lek's performance, Sordil nodded in satisfaction. Then he walked up to the distraught Hannibal and slapped him across the right cheek with his left hand. Everyone present was stunned. Some officers were filled with apprehension, fearing they too would be beaten by the general if they were defeated. Just then, Sordil's voice came from the platform, clearing up everyone's doubts.

"It's just one failure, just losing your position as company commander. Look at yourself now! Huh? Like a pig waiting to die, a walking corpse! You must remember this: as long as you are a member of the Western Border Army, you must never lose your fighting spirit, no matter when or where! If you fail, if you lose, then train yourself again, surpass those who defeated you, and take back what you lost!"

Hannibal, clutching his swollen right cheek, got to his feet, his eyes once again blazing with fighting spirit. Then he knelt on one knee and pleaded loudly with Sordil, "General, please give me another chance, let me fight Lek again!"

Sordil stepped forward and helped Hannibal up, brushing the mud off him and patting him on the shoulder. Finally, he turned to the crowd below and said, "A month ago, when I first arrived in West City, I said something to the Division Commander and Brigade Commander. The reason I chose them for these Division Commander wasn't because they were particularly outstanding, but because I wasn't familiar with the Western Border Army and therefore had to choose them. At that time, I said that a month from now, which is today, I would hold a grand competition among the divisions, brigades, and regiments to select the most outstanding individuals for their suitable positions."

"Now I'm telling you, this grand competition will be held every three months from now on! Those who are defeated this time can seek revenge on their opponents in three months and reclaim what they've lost. Those who fail in their challenges can wait three months and charge again for their desired position. As for those who succeed in their challenges, they can try for even higher positions, provided they are not defeated by their challengers in three months! In addition to combat, the competition will also include horsemanship, archery, tracking, and reconnaissance. Furthermore, if anyone feels they are not good at these but excel at strategizing, they can participate in the staff department's test, and those who perform well can obtain corresponding positions!"

After Sordil finished speaking, everyone in the audience cheered. On stage, Hannibal glared fiercely at Lek. Then he said, "Lek, you just wait! In three months, I will defeat you and take back what I've lost!"

Lek retorted defiantly, "I'm waiting for you to challenge me, but I'm afraid you'll lose even worse than you did today!"

Hearing their conversation, the crowd below burst into laughter. Many secretly rubbed their hands together, preparing to become the next Lek and achieve a magnificent reversal in their lives. Just then, Sordil pressed his hands down, signaling the crowd to quiet down, and then said to them, "That's right! Never admitting defeat, never giving up, fearless in the face of hardship—that's the Western Border Army I want, those are the brothers I want! Alright! Enough with the small talk. I think everyone below is getting impatient, right? So, the first Grand Martial Arts Tournament of the Western Border Army officially begins!"