Chapter 44: Cruel Elimination

  Dinner was still sumptuous, with even seafood, but everyone had no appetite to eat and drink anymore. Because everyone's right arm couldn't be lifted at all, even if they barely put their right hand on the table, their trembling hands couldn't hold those two small chopsticks.

  Fortunately, the cooking class had also prepared spoons on the side of the dishes, and everyone managed to barely finish this sumptuous but painful dinner with their left hands.

  Fan Shao and Li Shangwei showed great compassion, giving everyone a two-hour break in the evening. Moreover, they also arranged for several medical officers to be transferred from the medical department to apply medicine to some of the wounded areas and give each person a restorative massage.

  Qu Mingjun was gritting his teeth and pursing his lips as he received the doctor's massage. The doctor's movements were skilled and powerful, with quick shakes and slaps, and appropriate use of some medicinal rubbing, making Qu Mingjun finally feel that his arm had returned to his body, but now his arm felt numb, sore, and aching all at once.

  "Company, attention!" Two hours later, with the help of the lights in front of the building, Captain Li gathered the troops together, and Second Lieutenant Fan still sat to one side drinking his tea.

  One of the team members took a big step forward and turned half way around towards Captain Li.

  "Hand over your armband." Instructor Li said coldly.

  "What?" The team member who was called out of line, Han Shi Ming, couldn't believe his ears. The other team members also looked at him with shocked faces.

  "Hand over your armband."

  "For... why?"

  "Congratulations, you're eliminated!"

  Congratulations to me? That team member stood there like a wooden chicken, standing still for a long time.

  "Are you listening to me?" Officer Li was getting impatient, "Alright! Congratulations, you've been eliminated. Hand over your armband, pack up your backpack, and you can return to your own squad. From now on, you won't have to suffer through this anymore."

  "The... " The eliminated team member's lips trembled.

  This is too cruel, having trained desperately all afternoon, and then starting to drive people away so ruthlessly in the evening? Can't you say it privately, or do you have to do it in front of all the training team members, and even say congratulations? What kind of person are you, this is too much. Qu Mingjun was already very unhappy inside due to various emotions during training, and now a surge of evil fire suddenly ignited in his heart.

  "Report to the instructor, I think it's unfair!" With that thought, Qu Mingjun also took a big step forward.

  Li Shangwei looked at Qu Mingjun in surprise as he walked out of line, wondering how he had suddenly appeared.

  "What did you say?" Li Shangwei took a few big strides forward after making sure he hadn't misheard, and asked while staring into Qu Mingjun's eyes.

  "Reporting officer, I think it's unfair."

  "What makes you think it's unfair?"

  "It's unfair to eliminate Han Shi Ming."

  "Do you know why we eliminated him?" Captain Li was furious.

  "Reporting officer, I don't know." Qu Mingjun said loudly.

  "Then you damn well tell me, if you don't know the reason, why are you here talking nonsense about fairness or not? Who are you? Are you the leader of the training team or are you a coach?" These two sentences were shouted by Li Shangjun right in front of Qu Mingjun's face.

  Qu Mingjun fell silent for a moment, looking at Han Shiming who was clenching his fists tightly and trembling slightly beside him. Although he didn't know which team he was from, they were still comrades-in-arms who had fought together in the afternoon's brutal shooting training, striving to regain control of their right hands. Qu Mingjun had clearly seen how Han Shiming had used his palm to push against the ground behind him, and his hand injury was severe. Now, his hand was bandaged, with a faint hint of blood seeping through the edges of the bandage.

  "Reporting to the instructor, although I don't know the reason for eliminating him, but I think it's extremely irresponsible to eliminate Han Shi Ming in such a hasty manner. He has made his greatest efforts and is fighting with all his might, and his shooting score, as far as I remember, is not even the worst among our twenty people..."

  "That's enough!" Captain Li's loud voice cut off Qu Mingjun's desperate defense.

  "Qu Mingjun, listen to me." Li Shangwei was trying his best to suppress his anger. What kind of soldier had he become in just one year? Had he ever seen such insolence towards a superior in the army?

  "I don't need you to teach me how to do things, got it?" Captain Li spat out a mouthful of bad air. "Now follow orders, fall in!"

  Qu Ming Jun stubbornly didn't move.

  "What did you say?" Captain Li's temples began to bulge, "Obey orders, Qu Mingjun!"

  Qu Mingjun still didn't move.

  "Alright, very good!" A moment later, Captain Li suddenly burst out laughing.

  "Qu Mingjun, I hereby announce that you are stripped of your armband and eliminated!" Captain Li slapped a document open in his hand.

  The team members behind Qu Mingjun couldn't care about the team's discipline, they all turned their heads in an instant, their eyes wide with surprise, including Han Shiming who had already been eliminated.

  An awkward silence suddenly appeared in front of the building, and everyone suspected that they were dreaming, except for Captain Li.

  Choi Ze couldn't help but take a big step forward, "Reporting to the instructor, Qu Mingjun's mind is not clear today, don't take it seriously."

  Then Cui Ze pulled Qu Mingjun hard and said, "Come back, quickly return to the team."

  Qu Mingjun was also shocked when he heard that he had been eliminated, and his eyes widened as he stared at Li Shangwei. This news was simply unbelievable.

  He wasn't joking, he was serious. Qu Mingjun actually started laughing, and with a flick of his wrist, he shook off Choi's hand on his arm, and reached up to remove the armband.

  "Report, instructor!" At the moment when the atmosphere was tense to the point of explosion, Han Shi-ming, who had been forgotten by everyone beside him, suddenly let out a thunderous report.

  Everyone suddenly turned their heads towards Han Shi Ming. Qu Ming Jun's hand that was removing his armband couldn't help but pause.

  Han Shiying held in his hand the armband representing the team, he cupped it with both hands, as if holding a precious treasure, carefully, as if afraid that one careless move would break it.

  "Reporting to instructor, team member Han ShiMing requests...requests...to leave the team!" Han ShiMing's eyes were red, and his voice was hoarse as he spoke out his request.

  Li Shangwei looked at Han Shiming coldly, Qu Mingjun stared at Han Shiming in shock, and all the team members looked at Han Shiming with complex expressions...

  "Reporting to the instructor, this matter originated from me. I will follow orders and leave the team. Please do not implicate others because of me!"

  "I'm telling you again, I don't need your instructions!" Captain Li said furiously. "Han Shi Ming, you're dismissed from the team. Hand over your armband."

  "Yes!" Han ShiMing held out the armband with both hands and walked over to hand it to Captain Li.

  "Qu Mingjun, you're Qu Mingjun, right? I'm a student from Team 6. Although we've only known each other for a day, from now on, you'll be my brother through thick and thin." After exchanging armbands, Han Shiming didn't immediately return to his team to pack up his luggage. Instead, he walked over to Qu Mingjun's side and sincerely whispered, "Thank you for standing up for me, but please don't let emotions get the better of you. Please don't take off this armband that all students at Shigmon Academy envy and are proud of. I'm already regretful, and I don't want to be even more regretful. Please return to the team lineup. After I leave, I hope there's still someone on the representative team who can make me cheer wholeheartedly and be proud of in the end!"

  Qu Mingjun fell silent for a moment before nodding at Han Shiying and saying loudly, "Reporting to the instructor, Qu Mingjun requests to join the ranks."

  Funny, do you think you can just come out and join the ranks as you please? Captain Li's mouth curled up in a sneer, just about to open his mouth to mock him, when Colonel Fan, who had been watching from the side, walked over and stopped him.

  Han Shi Ming walked towards the dormitory, he tried his best to straighten his back, but his gait was still unsteady.

  "Qu Mingjun?" said Fan Shaoxiao.

  "Yes!"

  "You want to know why we eliminated Han Shi Ming, right?" Fan Shao said calmly.

  "Yes!"

  "Alright, I'll make an exception this time. Let me tell you why we're going to eliminate him." Captain Fan stretched out his hand and pointed at Han Shi Ming, who had already walked to the entrance of the dormitory building. At that moment, Han Shi Ming heard the conversation over here and stumbled slightly, stopping in his tracks.

  "After examination by the doctor in the evening, Han Shi Ming's right hand was seriously injured and needed at least half a month to recover. Otherwise, his hand would be crippled. In other words, he couldn't continue participating in our training for the next half month. I asked you, how much time is left before the end of October when the whole army will hold the Army Academy's grand martial arts competition?" Captain Fan stared at Qu Ming Jun's eyes and asked seriously."

  "...and another half month." Qu Mingjun swallowed a mouthful of saliva.

  "Alright, how many representatives does our training team need in the end?"

  "Twelve Names."

  "That means, out of the twenty of you, we must eliminate at least eight. And among them, there are three substitutes." Captain Fan said loudly to everyone present, "Elimination is normal, Han Shi Ming cannot participate in the subsequent normal training due to physical reasons. Our college has invested a huge amount of manpower and resources in this military academy's grand competition, as our coaching team, we have no reason to waste our college's precious training resources, waste our coaching team's precious time, to cater to a player whose body is no longer suitable for continued training. So today we eliminate him, not because his overall quality is poor, nor because he can't bear hardships and fatigue, but because his body is injured."

  "Quan Mingjun!" shouted Commander Fan suddenly.

  "Present!" Qu Mingjun stood up straight and answered reflexively while he was still in a daze.

  "Did you hear that clearly?"

  "Exactly!"

  "Alright, next let's talk about you. You disobeyed orders and argued with a superior, which should have gotten you kicked out of the training team. But considering your reasons were justified and you have a strong sense of collective responsibility, and after all, you're still a good person...". Colonel Fan paused for a moment, looking at Captain Li, "Put Qu Mingjun on the reserve list for now, let him continue to train with the team, and we'll decide whether he stays or goes based on his final performance."

  "Yes!" Captain Li was somewhat dissatisfied, but Lieutenant Colonel Fan was after all the highest leader of the training team, so he stood at attention and saluted.

  "Qu Mingjun, is there anything else you'd like to say?" Fan Shaoxiao turned around and faced Qu Mingjun, saying calmly.

  Don't take off this armband that makes all the students of Shimen Institute envy and proud. I'm already regretful, don't want to be more regretful. Please go back to the team. I hope after I leave, there is still someone in the representative team who can make me cheer wholeheartedly and be proud of in the end!

  Qū Míng Jùn suddenly remembered the last words Han Shi Ming said to him, which was a sentence of gratitude, but it wasn't just a sentence of gratitude, it was also a sentence of entrustment. He had entrusted his unfinished tasks and all his regrets to Qū Míng Jùn.

  We absolutely cannot betray our brother's entrustment, even if it was just a brother who had only spoken one sentence.

  "No, Instructor!" Qu Mingjun replied loudly.

  "Very well, at ease!" Commander Fan shouted loudly, then walked back to his throne and began drinking tea.

  "Everybody has it, turn right!" Captain Li gave a loud order. "Destination, military stadium, run - go!"

  Training has started again...