"Your legs are weak. You haven't trained your Leg Technique properly."
"Here's what we'll do. Ji Baichang, you and Xue Daochao will start with Horse Stance. Don't practice your footwork yet. Once you can hold Horse Stance for a full hour without trembling, I'll teach you the footwork."
"Qinglong, walk in a figure eight through these woods. There are fallen leaves underfoot. Once you can move through the trees without making a sound, I'll teach you the next subject."
Chen Ting tailored a training plan to each of the three men's abilities.
Of the three, Ji Baichang's fundamentals were much weaker. Lü Qinglong's were far better by comparison.
These subjects were all tied to physical fitness. The better a person's fitness, the more efficiently he could complete these military exercises.
In that regard, Lü Qinglong had a natural advantage.
"Squad Leader, how is it possible to walk through the woods without making a sound? That seems way too hard."
Lü Qinglong followed the route Chen Ting had laid out and walked a lap in a figure eight, crunching through the fallen leaves beneath his feet.
It was far too difficult for him. His feet were big, and he was heavy; every time his soles touched the ground, they inevitably made a sound.
"Hmm? Watch me demonstrate."
Chen Ting held his rifle, already set in position to search and fire through the woods.
Then he started moving with a Rolling Step, sometimes taking long strides, sometimes short ones, at a steady pace as he walked a lap through the trees.
Even though the ground was covered in fallen leaves, Chen Ting stepped on them as if he were walking on sand. Not a sound could be heard.
Lü Qinglong wasn't the only one staring wide-eyed. Ji Baichang and Xue Daochao, standing nearby, looked just as incredulous.
This completely overturned their understanding. So it really was possible to train yourself to walk without making a sound?!
"Pay attention to where you put your feet with each step. Who told you to step on the thickest piles of leaves every time? Can't you choose a spot with fewer leaves?"
"And watch your stride. Take a big step when you should, a small one when you should. If there's taller vegetation ahead, don't step right on it. Why not step over it?"
"During the early stages of training, you can watch your feet. But later on, don't you dare look down."
"You're holding a rifle and searching for the enemy! Keep your eyes forward. Just glance at your feet from the corner of your eye."
Facing Chen Ting's scolding, Lü Qinglong nodded obediently.
The Squad Leader's instruction was useful, and he explained things in great detail. Lü Qinglong planned to follow his requirements closely when he practiced from now on.
One morning wasn't nearly enough. He'd have to come here to practice whenever he got the chance!
"Squad Leader, you're incredible! No wonder you're a veteran of the Special Forces!"
As he held Horse Stance, Ji Baichang couldn't help praising Chen Ting over and over.
He seized every chance to flatter people; it had become second nature.
"Quit sucking up and work on your own fundamentals."
"These basics I'm teaching you are things my old Squad Leader taught me. I'm passing them on to you."
"Later, I'll teach each of you other things based on your individual strengths."
"If any of you can't take it, report it early. Once you do, you can be like the other recruits and just fold your blankets every morning."
It had to be said that Ji Baichang's flattery worked pretty well. Chen Ting seemed quite happy to hear it.
The hour passed quickly. At exactly six, the duty officer blew the wake-up whistle, and the three returned to the company with Chen Ting.
As usual, morning exercises consisted of a three-kilometer run.
Most of the recruits already wore numb expressions as they ran with stiff legs, looking completely lifeless.
"Seriously, when will this ever end? Don't tell me New Recruit Company is going to be like this for three whole months?"
Song Si complained as he crouched in a corner of the washroom to wash up.
"I think I heard the Squad Leader say the first month will be a little easier. They'll train other subjects for the remaining two months, and it might be even more exhausting."
Ji Baichang, standing nearby, kindly twisted the knife.
"What? What the hell! You're saying this first month is supposed to be easy? Then what are we doing for the next two? Are we going to stop running three kilometers every morning and switch to five?"
Song Si was stunned. He muttered under his breath:
"727 days until I'm discharged."
"Knock, knock!"
Someone knocked on the door to Company Headquarters. Inside, Company Commander Chen Tianjian set down his yellow washbasin and answered from his seat:
"Come in!"
The door opened from the outside. The duty officer hurried over to Chen Tianjian with a form in his hand.
"Company Commander, this is our training schedule for the week."
"Mm, it's all formation drills, right?"
Chen Tianjian glanced at the form and casually signed his name on it.
"That's right, Company Commander."
The duty officer suddenly seemed hesitant to say something.
"What is it? Is there something else?"
Chen Tianjian seemed to notice that the duty officer had more to say.
"Company Commander, the Cookhouse Squad says our company gets about half again as much food as the other companies. They might not have enough time to cook for us every day."
"Hmm? Those slackers in the Cookhouse Squad have eight people in their squad to feed two companies. How could they not have enough time?"
Chen Tianjian frowned.
These newly established New Training Brigades always came with the most ridiculous problems. They'd been spoiled rotten. How could they be running out of time to cook?
"Ahem, Company Commander, the Cookhouse Squad Leader just came to see me. He's hoping we can send a few recruits over every afternoon to help out—wrap dumplings and things like that."
The duty officer gave an awkward smile.
"Help out in the kitchen? That's fine. You can work out the arrangements."
Chen Tianjian nodded.
"Company Commander."
"What now?"
Chen Tianjian asked, sounding displeased.
Hadn't they already finished discussing everything? Why was the duty officer still acting as though he had more to say?
These veterans from other brigades were so unreliable. They were nowhere near as efficient as the veterans from the Special Operations Brigade. They couldn't even report something without dragging it out.
"Um, half the recruits may have to go on work details this morning. I heard the septic tank was clogged, so we'll have to clear it out ourselves."
"Company Commander, should I take the recruits to handle it?"
"Fine, fine. Just take them and get it done."
Chen Tianjian waved his hand impatiently.
After the duty officer left, Chen Tianjian finally walked out of Company Headquarters and headed straight for the drying yard.
On the way, he saw the recruits hurrying to clean up. His already sour mood improved a little.
"These veterans really are useless. They can't even report something properly. They're not as good as the recruits."
Thinking this, Chen Tianjian reached the drying yard, intending to take down the brand-new camouflage uniform he had washed the day before.
But when he stepped into the yard, he discovered that the uniform he'd hung at the very front was gone. Only the empty hanger still dangled there.
"What the—who took my uniform and reassigned it?!"
Before you continue