Chapter Forty-six Handover

  This time's training was not like the usual laissez-faire approach, letting them fend for themselves. Instead, there were specially assigned junior officers to lead the team and explain various rock climbing techniques, such as how to control body balance in mid-air and how to borrow power from crevices.

  In the absence of any protection, everyone perked up their ears, afraid to miss a single word. Rock climbing is an extremely dangerous project, and with just a little carelessness, it's possible to be smashed to pieces.

  However, the few schools still thought about their safety a little, this is a cliff that they had never been to before, and it should be the Tiankeng Water Pool at the halfway up the mountain.

  The terrain here is extremely steep due to the continuous penetration of rainwater, but it's not very smooth. Moreover, there are many footholds, which is very suitable for these beginners.

  Climbing in the dark is apparently more extreme, unable to see above and below, but instead, there's less tension in the heart, able to adjust one's mindset to the best state at any time, thus ensuring the body's balance.

  Everything is moving forward by feeling, and the speed has inevitably slowed down a lot.

  The lieutenant colonel resumed his previous devil-like appearance, constantly threatening them from below, while Xu Ming and others climbed up bit by bit in the dark night.

  After being tempered by the flames of war, the endurance and resilience of these young men have been elevated to a new level, each displaying remarkable strength, with black dots constantly moving upwards until they completely disappear.

  Until Caruso also disappeared on the cliff, the major put down the night vision telescope and turned back to say: "Is the food ready upstairs?"

  A lieutenant replied, "Yes, Colonel, everything is ready. They are all quick energy-boosting foods and, as per your orders, an additional oral glucose supplement will be provided with each meal."

  The major nodded, raised his wrist and said faintly: "After dinner, rest for five minutes and conduct extreme diving training. However, pay attention to their life signs and keep replenishing physical energy at all times."

  "Yes, Major."

  The lieutenant swiftly disappeared into the night.

  The three-day training was intense, and for Xu Ming and his team, it felt like an eternity. Over the past three days, in addition to the daily physical training, they also learned about battlefield camouflage, ambush tactics, anti-ambush defense, special equipment usage, and received hands-on training in close combat, shooting, and assassination techniques.

  These three days, everyone can be said to have undergone a metamorphosis, but it's more accurate to say that they've shed their skin.

  These six people all have scars on their bodies, with the most being scratch marks and needle holes. Including the two girls, who are the same, outsiders who don't know the situation would think that these people are all drug addicts.

  In fact, these scars were left in close combat, because their close combat objects are hunting dogs. And it's not just one, but a pack of hunting dogs.

  Every day, countless times in a dark little room wrestling with hunting dogs, every day being injected with at least ten rabies vaccines and tetanus shots.

  Such a price also brought about, each person's strong fighting skills, just three days of training, their close combat skills, even the instructors in the base, were counted as opponents.

  If it weren't for the fact that time was really too short, General Shao would have had the confidence to cultivate them into Britain's most excellent special forces.

  When the fourth day's east appeared a fish belly white, Xu Ming and others were already standing in the training ground like war gods, each person was well-equipped with brand new special forces uniforms, earphones hanging from their ears, various grenades and daggers hanging from their waists, and brand new temperature testing instruments on their wrists, fully armed to the teeth.

  The lieutenant colonel walked up to them like a general sending off troops, adjusted their collars and gave them a standard military salute.

  "We haven't spent much time together." The lieutenant's smile was less than usual, and his face had a more serious expression. "However, all of you were trained by me personally. Today is the day when the competition officially begins, and the number of people who will participate in the battle has been decided - fifty-seven people, with five spots available."

  "Originally, this was a live ammunition match with no rules. However, the General has made a request, and this time's competition has rules, perhaps it's a good thing for you."

  "The competition will be divided into two parts. The first part is team combat, where you and your teammates must eliminate all enemies that appear before you, except for your own teammates. After that, take down the spoils of war, which are the numbered tags hanging from your necks. The final winner will enter the second part based on the number of tags obtained and ranking.

  The second part is Operation Hunt, where team members who entered the second part will be given a task: to hunt down a commander in a sea of enemies. You will face tens or even hundreds of times more enemies than your own numbers, and you may have to fight alone. The final hunter will become the commander of the assault team and will be awarded the rank of lieutenant."

  "While others will also be awarded ranks based on your combat performance, with the lowest being a Sergeant rank."

  The major glanced at everyone, pointing to the small star on his shoulder and said: "Don't think that military rank comes easily. Every stripe of ours is dyed with the enemy's blood, and so are yours."

  "The number of teams remains the same, a total of ten teams. We are considered to have the most people, so don't embarrass me. If we can't make it into the top three, none of you need to come back. Don't worry, I absolutely won't be collecting your corpses."

  At this time, an olive green personnel carrier drove in from the training ground's gate and stopped beside them, but the vehicle did not turn off its engine.

  "I won't see you off then, get on the bus, I hope to see you again at the award ceremony."

  Xu Ming and the other five gave a neat military salute to Shao Xiao, turned their heads and quickly jumped into the car compartment. A soldier came down from the car, locked the door and sealed it with lead.

  A lieutenant next to the major walked up, holding a box of red ink and a piece of paper. The soldier dabbed the number on the lead seal in the ink and stamped it onto the paper held by the lieutenant.

  Several bright red Arabic numerals with a reddish tint appeared on the paper, and the handover ceremony was thoroughly completed. At the same time, Xu Ming and these young people would have nothing to do with Lieutenant Colonel again.

  The soldier also took out a piece of paper, ran in front of the lieutenant colonel, saluted and said: "Lieutenant Colonel, sir, please sign."

  The major picked up the pen and wrote a string of English words similar to military jargon on the paper, then handed it back to the soldier. The soldier hastily took it with both hands, checked it briefly, put it in his pocket, saluted, and turned to leave.

  "Be careful."

  The soldier turned back in surprise and said with unusual gratitude: "Don't worry, sir. There will be no problem at all until we reach our destination."

  The major nodded expressionlessly and didn't say a word.

  Until the troop carrier disappeared from view, the lieutenant colonel slowly turned around and walked step by step towards the command center.