Volume 1: Reborn from the Fire Chapter 23: The Trouble Brought by Love

  Today's training subjects are still mainly five kilometers of cross-country and four hundred meters of hurdles, with some equipment training in between. From the gradual increase in hill sprints, we found that 'Qiao Yanwang' is gradually increasing the intensity of our training. From the beginning of each training session, resting for twenty minutes was reduced to ten minutes. As Xie Jian said, from the increasingly frequent meetings of several platoon leaders and company commanders Liu, it can be seen that we are about to face a greater test.

  Struggling to get through another day, after dinner, everyone dragged their tired bodies back to the dormitory, flopped onto the bed, and couldn't even be bothered to lift a finger. Fortunately, Instructor Liu didn't arrange any political education study for tonight, and 'Qiao Yanwang' seemed to have gone to a meeting with Commander Lian, so we were finally allowed to freely complete our basic physical training of sit-ups and push-ups, and we could all enter the dream world on time.

  Although Peng Zhen and I were also very tired, we were much better than the previous few days. After putting on equipment such as leg wraps, at first, we always fell behind the main team, but in the past two days, the situation has improved, and we can now keep up with the pace of the main force. And because I didn't have to drag Peng Zhen along, I could run to the front of the team again. Thinking about these past few days, Peng Zhen and I felt a sense of relief, as if we weren't so eager to sleep anymore.

  "Actually, I was really regretting wearing these things two days ago!"

  He took off the leg bindings and belt, and vest from his body, and inexplicably felt a lightness on his body. We couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief. Peng Zheng smiled wryly at me and said:

  "It's bitter in the bitter, only to be a man above others. Now I know what it means! I'm thinking that maybe after we take off these things, our speed will definitely be much faster than at first!"

  I looked at the originally white leg band, which had turned yellow and black. It goes without saying that it was soaked with my sweat. Although I paid a super strong price for it, its benefits must be obvious. One day we will achieve new transcendence because of these things.

  "Today's 400-meter hurdles, you've already run in one minute and fifty seconds, I also ran a one minute and fifty-eight seconds, but half of the time has passed, I feel that it's very hard to improve now, don't know if we can reach Coach Liang's goal of under one minute and forty-five seconds!"

  For more than two months, from being lazy to diligently following me in hard training, Peng Zu has changed a lot. His face has less of a playful look and more determination, even the time he spends joking with me has decreased. We are both fully devoted to our training now, and the topic we discuss the most is actually about training issues.

  "Don't worry, I feel that as long as we persist, we will definitely succeed. And don't you think that after each day's intense training, using 'Qiao Yan Wang's' method to relax and tense our muscles, our explosive power is getting stronger? Moreover, the remaining seven days of training will be even more intense. We have less than a month before the new recruit assessment, and if we can't pass the test, 'Qiao Yan Wang' won't have any good results. Does he not know that he needs to drive us even crazier?"

  To be honest, I still can't fully understand the intention of 'Qiao Yan Wang' teaching us these things, but I do feel that this method is very useful. Now as long as I think about pouring all my energy into my arms, I feel my hands are filled with power and my explosive force has increased a lot. Although I'm wearing leg weights, when running the 400-meter hurdles, my speed has almost reached the same level as before without them.

  Thinking of the increasingly intense training, I know that our road is still very long. I won't fantasize that 'Coach Wang' will relax on us more and more. Although we are currently far from the 1:45 level, I feel that under intensified training, we have no choice but to reach the above requirements.

  "Oh... so you say..."

  The lights-out signal sounded, and it seemed that the footsteps of 'Qiao Yan Wang' had already come out from the long corridor. We quickly put away our clothes and got into bed. Fortunately, no one was yelling in our ears about what we still needed to do. Maybe 'Qiao Yan Wang' saw that I was already asleep and thought today's training was tough enough, so he didn't want to bother us anymore. Of course, we also knew better than to provoke him. But just before falling asleep, Peng Zhu suddenly asked me:

  "Will we have an emergency assembly tonight, it's so calm, will they increase our training intensity?"

  "Ah... it shouldn't be, right..."

  I was startled and furrowed my brow, thinking for a moment, but when I looked at Xie Jian sleeping outside our two beds, my heart calmed down and I said:

  "This afternoon, we were just simply taught what to do in case of an emergency assembly, and we haven't even had a rehearsal yet. How could they suddenly call for an emergency assembly? Look at Xie Jian, that kid is sleeping so soundly, it shouldn't be him!"

  Xie Jian is a shrewd guy, don't look at him being low-key in his daily life, but actually, he followed his father to the army when he was young and lived in the military compound for a period of time. So, he is very familiar with the living habits of the troops, so to say, he is most suitable for survival in the army.

  Logically speaking, his physical condition is not bad, two years older than me, high school graduate, and with the relationship of his father at home, he has the opportunity to develop in the army, take the military academy exam, but it's strange that no matter how his father asks him, this kid is unwilling to stay in the army, recently I finally asked out his true thoughts.

  It turned out that all this was caused by love, and the young man had already found a girlfriend in his hometown. The two lovers were deeply in love and promised to get married after he returned home in three years to live a happy life together. Moreover, having seen his parents separated since childhood and experiencing the hardships of military life, he had made up his mind not to serve long-term in the army. To put it bluntly, even if he went to university, he might not be able to find a good job, so it was better for him to just serve as a soldier for three years and then work at the tax bureau.

  Although he didn't want to stay in the troops, but what he saw and experienced during his previous stay in the troops was extremely useful for now, making him have a precognitive ability for any training in the new recruit regiment. I dare say that if there's an emergency assembly, this kid will definitely be the first to know. But today, he slept soundly, immediately dispelling my vigilance about the magnificent idea in Peng Zhuo's mind.

  "But for some reason I still feel at ease! Better be prepared just in case!"

  Peng Zhuo seemed a bit distracted, perhaps we were really intimidated by 'Qiao Yan Wang' and had a feeling of being on edge, he still looked at me with a worried gaze and said to me in a very serious tone.

  "Hmm, that's right too!"

  I nodded, and then he and I arranged everything in a certain position. You know, once an emergency assembly is held, everything is done in the dark of night, nothing can be seen. If we put our clothes and pants aside as usual, it would be lively to wear them again.

  Alas, the idea was good and the approach was right, but when we two were swaying back and forth on the upper bunk, we didn't notice that 'Qiao Yanwang' had somehow appeared at the entrance of the dormitory, silently watching us with a cold smile in his eyes, a hint of mockery rising from the corner of his mouth...