Chapter 46: Challenging the Limit

  Qu Mingjun heard Li Shangwei announce that the team members would go into the water, looked around and saw Fan Shaobo focusing on the team members in the water, so he quickly and secretly rolled up his sleeves and pants legs, taking advantage of the darkness to sneak onto the rubber boat and slip away.

  "We should set off too." Fan Shao called Li Shangwei and walked towards the rubber boat.

  "Ah, no!" Captain Li suddenly exclaimed.

  Fan Shao suddenly remembered, where's Qu Mingjun? Didn't we tell him to follow us onto the boat? Where is he?

  "I just saw him coming this way in a rubber boat." Captain Li said with puzzlement.

  "Damn it, that kid must have fallen into the water!" Captain Fan, who never swore, suddenly said in a flustered tone and rushed towards the rubber boat.

  Li Shangwei was taken aback for a moment, then hurriedly followed up.

  Two people sat in a rubber dinghy, one of them picked up an oar and hurriedly rowed forward.

  As soon as Qu Mingjun got into the water, he felt that something was not quite right. The water in the reservoir was a bit too cold, making his body very uncomfortable. Moreover, there was a big difference between armed swimming and bare-handed swimming. When swimming bare-handed, his whole body was almost flat on the surface of the water, swimming back and forth. But when doing armed swimming, all his clothes and equipment pulled his body down into the water, and he was almost vertical in the water. Swimming out one meter was almost as exhausting as swimming 100 meters bare-handed.

  No matter what, Qu Mingjun still swam forward desperately with his hands and feet.

  "Huh?" As requested by Captain Li, Feng Shaoyun, who was at the back of the team, suddenly discovered that Qu Mingjun was actually behind him.

  "Aren't you on the boat? What's going on?" Feng Shaojun asked while swimming, alongside Qu Mingjun who was also swimming shoulder to shoulder with him.

  "I can swim, why should I be on a boat?" Qu Mingjun retorted.

  "Lao Guo, Cui Ze." Feng Shao cursed under his breath. This stinky kid is being stubborn again and must have secretly gone for a swim. He'd better hurry up and call over Guo Xiangyang and Cui Ze to discuss a plan.

  "What? Qu Mingjun, how are you here?" Guo Xiangyang and Cui Ze slowed down slightly and fell back to the end of the team.

  "I can swim! Why can't I here?" Qu Mingjun was somewhat annoyed and embarrassed.

  "Did the instructor tell you to come down?" Guo Xiangyang asked, Qu Mingjun remained silent.

  "Go ahead and make trouble then. If Instructor Fan sends you back, I'll see how you cry." Everyone understood, Cui Ze opened his mouth and scolded.

  "Alright, let's not say so much for now." Guo Xiangyang moved himself to Qu Mingjun's left side. "Cui Ze, you're on his right side, we'll protect him a bit. Let's talk when the instructor's boat arrives."

  "No way..." Qu Mingjun strongly opposed, but before he could finish speaking, Guo Xiangyang and Cui Ze had already flanked him on either side, while Feng Shaojun quietly retreated behind Qu Mingjun.

  "You guys... " Qu Ming couldn't continue, they really could swim, what were they doing? He had sneaked into the water to cause trouble with the instructor, did he also drag them three people down to drown?

  Whatever, forget it. Talking is too exhausting. Qu Mingjun took a deep breath and followed the team towards the dam with all his skills and strength. Anyway, as long as he kept up with the team and didn't let them support him, he wouldn't be dragging them down either.

  A loud splashing sound came from behind, and Fan Shaojie and Li Shangwei paddled up in a rubber boat, catching sight of Qu Mingjun being protected by the three people.

  "Qu Mingjun!" Fan Shaoxiao couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. He had always thought highly of Qu Mingjun, this young man's physical qualities were all excellent, and he was very determined, never giving up until the last moment, daring to do what he said, and being good to his own brothers.

  Such a good team member, if he is well-trained and cultivated, will definitely become an extremely excellent reconnaissance officer. To say nothing of the distant future, just talking about this year's Army Academy's grand competition at the end of October, I believe he can achieve the best results.

  But having momentum doesn't mean being impulsive, having blood doesn't mean being reckless, and daring to do something doesn't mean violating discipline.

  This time, the usually gentle Captain Fan was actually quite angry, but Lieutenant Li, who is normally stern, was surprisingly calm and composed.

  "Get me on board!" Fan Shaoxiao said, suppressing his anger.

  "Report, instructor." The rubber boat was swimming beside him, and the waves of water splashing under the ship made it even more difficult for the team members to swim. Qu Mingjun is now starting to get a little out of breath, but his physical strength can still hold on, "Instructor, look, I can keep up with the team, I really can swim armed cross-country. Please approve me to complete the entire course."

  "What are you doing?! You've disobeyed orders time and again, what do you want to achieve?" Captain Fan bellowed, his voice heard by all the team members.

  "Report to instructor, I want to complete all the training." Qu Mingjun also shouted loudly.

  "I see you want to test our limits of tolerance, don't you? I can fulfill your wish."

  "Report to instructor, I don't have one, I just want to challenge my own limits!" Qu Mingjun continued to struggle forward.

  Fan Shao looked at Qu Mingjun and suddenly felt an inexplicable feeling spreading in his heart, and he fell silent all of a sudden.

  Feng Shaojun ventured to speak up, "Officer Fan, why don't we just let him go for a swim? The three of us can keep an eye on him."

  "Yes, Instructor Fan, we're here, don't worry." Guo Xiangyang said.

  "It's all right, Instructor Fan. If this kid can't make it, I'll be the first to drag him onto the boat." Cui Ze also said.

  Fan Shao didn't say a word, and Li Shangjun rowed the boat with all his might, shouting loudly: "Don't disperse too much, follow closely. If there's anything unusual, report it in time!"

  The boat slowly drifted away from the fleet, after all, the instructors were still worried that the ripples caused by the boat would increase the physical exertion of the team members.

  "Fan Ge, are you still thinking about that little kid with the surname Qu?" Li Shang asked in a low voice after rowing the boat away.

  "Hmm!" Captain Fan suddenly became somewhat irritated, "Damn little brat, so smelly and stubborn."

  "Or shall we go back and open it for him?" Li Shangwei deliberately teased Fan Shaobao.

  "Nonsense!" Fan Shao's eyes widened in surprise before he reacted. "Damn it, you little brat is also playing tricks on me."

  "Haha, I knew it." Captain Li rowed the boat slowly, occasionally using his flashlight to sweep across the surface of the water and examine the team, especially focusing on the four people at the back, including Qu Mingjun.

  "You attach so much importance to that little guy, how could you possibly fire him. However, this is not quite in line with the principles you adhered to before. If it were someone else, you would have fired them long ago." Captain Li said calmly.

  "...He was just like a person." Fan Shaoxia fell silent for a moment, letting out a sigh.

  "Are you referring to... Old Class Director?" Captain Li raised an eyebrow, "Is he worthy of that?"

  "It's not about whether they match or not, but that kind of spirit they have, it's very similar." Fan Shaojie put down the oar and started to feel for his cigarettes. "Do you still remember Old Squad Leader during that 400-meter obstacle training?"

  "Which time?" Captain Li suddenly remembered, "Ah, it was that time when the barbed wire scratched your leg, right?"

  "Yes." Captain Fan said with a hint of melancholy, "That time his entire right leg was slashed open in two big gashes, blood flowing non-stop. Pai Zhang told him to go to the infirmary, but he refused, insisting on finishing the 400-meter hurdles first. I helped him to the infirmary, and at that time his pant legs were all red, his face pale."

  Li Shangwei listened silently.

  "I asked him why he was working so hard, who was he competing with? He told me that he was competing with himself, pushing his own limits. Just like what that little brat said tonight, exactly the same...” Captain Fan lit a cigarette, and the sparkling flame flickered on the surface of the water.

  "...these things, why haven't I ever heard you mention them before." Captain Li also fell silent.

  "You? You were just a new recruit at that time, did I say anything to you?" Captain Fan smiled.

  "Damn it!" Captain Li thought so too.

  The two people fell silent, the cigarette butts flashing red light, both of their gazes were fixed on the team members who were fighting hard.

  The water temperature is so cool, my body is so cold, and the clothes and equipment are so heavy...

  The team members didn't eat breakfast at all, and in the cold water, their physical strength decreased particularly quickly. Although they had good physical fitness, now it was like a car without gasoline, wanting to start but unable to.

  The team members of the training team slowed down gradually, fortunately, they had already swum to the dam and started swimming back. Hold on, hold on! This is the inner encouragement that all team members give to themselves.

  Qu Mingjun was also feeling more and more uncomfortable, originally he had not systematically practiced armed swimming, nor had he started from a short distance to familiarize himself with the equipment's effect on his body in the water, completely relying on his physical strength and freehand swimming skills to struggle. His physical strength was decreasing much faster than that of other team members.

  I will definitely succeed. Qu Mingjun was still gritting his teeth and struggling desperately.

  Suddenly, Qu Mingjun's head sank down, and two "gurgling" sounds of water rose up. Feng Shaojun behind Qu Mingjun was startled and quickly swam forward two steps.

  Kuang Xiangyang and Cui Ze also heard the sound, and immediately moved closer to the middle.

  "Whoosh——" Qu Mingjun suddenly lifted his head out of the water. Guo Xiangyang and Cui Zeli immediately grabbed one of Qu Mingjun's arms each.

  "What's going on?" Cui Ze asked in a low voice.

  "Brother, brother." Qu Mingjun said with some effort.

  Fan Shaoxiao didn't let Qu Mingjun get in the water from the start, and Li Shangwei didn't give Qu Mingjun any fixed clips or small clamps to roll up his sleeves and pant legs. As a result, after swimming so far, Qu Mingjun's sleeves and pant legs were all unrolled, which naturally increased Qu Mingjun's physical consumption. Just now, it was because the sleeve suddenly came off and got stuck in the water, causing his arm to sink into the water abruptly. Qu Mingjun was originally a bit tired and couldn't control his body balance, so he swallowed two mouthfuls of water.

  "Or you get on the boat." Guo Xiangyang was somewhat worried.

  "No, I don't want to. I can still swim." Qu Mingjun leaned against them and rolled up his sleeves and pant legs again, and swam forward with all his might.

  Cui Ze exchanged a glance with the other two, and then they swam over. Without giving him a choice, Guo Xiangyang and Cui Ze each took one side of Qu Mingjun's waistband.

  "What are you doing?" Qu Mingjun was unhappy, "I can swim, let me go."

  "Damn it, do you want to call over the instructor?" Cui Ze cursed in a low voice.

  "I really can swim, how can you take me with one hand?" Qu Mingjun's voice involuntarily lowered.

  "Cut the nonsense, the instructor said from the start that if you can't control your mouth and something happens, you're done for." Guo Xiangyang said in a low voice, "You'd better behave yourself, while it's still dark, we'll give you a push."

  "Shut up with all this nonsense! Don't forget we're brothers!" Chui Ze's words finally calmed down Qu Ming Jun.

  Feng Shaojun also followed behind and started pushing Qu Mingjun, with three people taking Qu Mingjun swimming together.

  Time seems to be so long and short, the team members finally swam back to the landing point before dawn, leaning on the shore panting.

  Qu Mingjun also struggled to climb up, with Cui Ze and several others following behind him. This time, the four brothers were almost exhausted, and as soon as they reached the shore, they collapsed to the ground, not wanting to get up again, without even removing their equipment.

  Fan Shao and Li Shang also walked back, looking at Qu Mingjun with a somewhat complicated expression.

  "Alright, get up! Do you want to freeze yourselves sick here? That would be a reason for me to congratulate you!" Captain Li shouted loudly, kicking all 19 people awake. "Now, go and carry the rubber boat to the truck, quickly! Quickly! Quickly!"