Chapter 50 Establishing Authority (Part 2)

  After a few people came over, Zhang Deen smiled slightly and stretched out his hand to shake hands with Wang Mingyu, saying: "Captain Wang, congratulations on your first victory. I admire you, but to be honest, we thought we had won at the beginning. But as soon as I fought against that member of your team, I realized I was wrong. Let's save these words for later, now we think Captain Wang is qualified to be the captain, but we still want to compete in the next game. A man's word is like a spit, once spoken, it can't be taken back. What do you think, Captain Wang? If you propose to end it now, we won't object, we've already acknowledged you as our captain."

  Wang Mingyu secretly smiled and said, "Men are like what Captain Zhang said - one spit, one nail! If you lose, you admit defeat, if you win, I won't be polite either! Besides, Wang is still in the lead, haha!"

  At this time, Wang Mingyu couldn't help but know a little bit of Zhang Deen's thoughts. If the next game is lost, these people will definitely not let their team leader be at ease. Although they were shocked by the previous game, as long as the next game can't be won, the prestige that has just been established will collapse instantly. If you don't compare directly and do what they say to be the team leader, although some people will obey you, there will be endless troubles in the future, so no matter what, this must continue.

  Of course, Wang Mingyu didn't plan to not compare, this is a good opportunity to establish prestige and subdue them. To make these officers and soldiers follow you to the death, you must show your strength. First, let them fear you, then give them a sweet date, and they will follow you wholeheartedly. In this era, whoever treats them well, they will follow whoever gives them food, as long as someone feeds them, they will risk their lives for that person. As for the corrupt high-ranking officials of the party and state, who are basically beyond salvation, Wang Mingyu had decided from the moment he entered the army to use his own strength to build up the troops, of course, there were also spoils of war, and the Japanese devils' transportation team leader would still be allowed to continue playing its specialty.

  Zhang Deen saw Wang Mingyu say so and laughed happily: "Good, to the point! Let's do it as Captain Wang said, does anyone have any objections?"

  Zhang Deen is now calling him Captain Wang, but Zhang Deen knows that without the appointment of the Military Commission, he will not be able to become the captain. He just doesn't want this newcomer to get ahead, who wants to be a deputy under someone who has no ability? In these times, it's common for officers to abandon their troops and escape on their own, once the backbone of the troop is lost, the troop is finished. They are all brothers who have been through life and death together, no one wants to see this outcome.

  Zhao Guorui first expressed: "I have no opinion!" The others also shook their heads, the leaders had no opinions, what were they shouting about?

  Zhang De'en smiled and said: "Alright then, I'll be thick-skinned again. Let's decide on a route."

  Wang Mingyu nodded and said, "Okay, we're not familiar with this place! It's better for Vice Captain Zhang to decide!"

  Zhang Deen pointed to a hill outside the camp and said: "From here to that hill, it's about twenty kilometers. How do we compare?"

  "Everything is at your disposal!"

  "Alright, let's get this over with quickly! Let's start now. Whoever reaches the top of the mountain first will be the winner, no questions asked?"

  "Of course, no problem!"

  "Alright then, let's get started now. Once we hear the sound of gunfire, we'll set off."

  "Alright, let's get ready." Wang Mingyu said, then led several people to the starting point, waiting for the gunshot.

  Wang Mingyu said to several people: "This time, the mountain cross-country has no load, it's very simple. However, I hope you will give them some face, after all, we are brothers who stir the same pot in the future."

  Several people laughed and said: "Don't worry, Captain, whatever you say goes!"

  Wang Mingyu said, "Just follow me." Several people nodded in agreement. "Bang!" With the sound of a gunshot, Zhang Deen and several others rushed out quickly, and Wang Mingyu also led Sun Dabao and several others to start the 20-kilometer cross-country run.

  Wang Mingyu originally wanted to add weight to a few people, but in front of so many people, it's clear that he said his own people can win against Zhang Deen and others even with a heavy load on their backs. As the saying goes, "don't hit someone in the face", if Wang Mingyu did this, it would be equivalent to re-entering the icy valley with Zhang Deen and others, just after they had just repaired their relationship.

  Zhang Deen and his companions thought that this 20-kilometer mountain cross-country run would be no problem for them, as they had been in the military for many years and were often on urgent marches, so they were very confident.

  But what they don't know yet is that they have encountered a group of little freaks who have been training in weighted running for nearly two years, and have been continuously training in the mountains for two months. This kind of training is fundamentally different from real marching and fighting, and there is an essential difference between purposeful systematic training and aimless training. As time goes on, this gap will become more and more apparent.

  At first, Zhang Deen was leading the way leisurely, and Luo Jiapeng smiled and said: "This time they won't be able to keep up, this is something that requires long-term training, these little brats from the military academy are probably just running around the track a couple of times."

  "Hey, don't underestimate them," Zhang Deen reminded, "earlier during the shooting competition, didn't we also underestimate them and end up losing? Everyone should save their energy instead of talking too much. We won this time, but next we have to go for target practice. Running cross-country and then doing target practice is extremely difficult." Luo Jiapeng immediately shut his mouth and started conserving his energy.

  Wang Mingyu and the others remained silent all the way, this was a rule set by Wang Mingyu. In order to prevent exposure during the rapid march, actions were uniformly communicated through hand gestures. The speed of this run was naturally determined by Wang Mingyu himself. Anyway, everyone was following him, when he sped up, others sped up too, and when he slowed down, others slowed down as well, no need for words.

  Zhang Deen and a few others looked at Wang Mingyu and his group, who were closely following behind them. They also found it somewhat strange. Although mountain roads are not easy to walk on, they are even more difficult than flat roads. One careless step could lead to a sprained ankle. Zhang Deen was already impressed that these people could keep up with them. However, Zhang Deen and his group didn't have time to think about this, as long-distance cross-country running is easy at the beginning but gets increasingly difficult towards the end. As the ancient saying goes, "Those who travel a hundred miles consider ninety miles half the journey." If you walk a hundred miles, it's only when you reach ninety miles that you've reached halfway. The difficulty of the remaining ten miles far surpasses that of the previous ninety miles.

  As time went on, Zhang Deen and Wang Mingyu's teams had already finished the 10-kilometer mountain road. Zhang Deen and his team were starting to get a bit exhausted. If they didn't persist every day, it would be easy to not hold up. Originally, Zhang Deen wanted to widen the distance between them after a while, but now he suddenly felt that his idea was naive. They ran fast, those behind followed quickly; they slowed down, and those behind seemed to have no energy either. As Zhang Deen slowed down his pace, he increasingly felt that they were doing it on purpose, and a feeling of powerlessness surged up in his heart.

  Luo Jiapeng panted and couldn't help but say: "Old Zhang, what's going on here?"

  Zhang Deen helplessly said: "I don't understand either, I originally wanted to shake them off and then we would rest for a while, but now it seems they are holding on very tightly." In fact, Zhang Deen had also figured it out, but he couldn't say anything now. They were running purely on willpower at this point, and if a thought that made them collapse appeared, they would really lose. For now, Zhang Deen felt they still had hope, after all, he was in the lead.

  Zhao Guorui's forehead was covered in sweat, and he immediately let out a bitter laugh: "Is this their first time running on mountain roads? How can they run so easily? It's already over ten kilometers. I'm almost unable to run anymore."

  Luo Jia Peng's face changed suddenly and he said: "Then we can't lose to them again, let's work harder!"

  Just then, Wang Mingyu suddenly accelerated and began to approach Zhang Deen constantly. Zhang Deen's heart tightened and he started to accelerate. This acceleration was not a problem, but the people behind him saw that Zhang Deen had accelerated and also accelerated. If they ran at the speed they were running earlier, they would have no problem reaching the finish line. However, after their sudden sprint, they almost exhausted all their energy.

  As expected, Wang Mingyu did not disappoint. When he ran to the 16th kilometer, a member of Zhang Deen's team was lying on the ground with a pale face. However, Zhang Deen said harshly: "You rest here for now, and we'll come back to pick you up after we reach the finish line."

  The man nodded slowly and then watched Zhang De'en and others leave.

  Wang Mingyu ran to the man's side and said to Lin Wen: "Carry him on your back and follow me."

  "That man shook his head and said: 'How can you run with me on your back? What if we lose? You guys go ahead, don't worry about me.'"

  Lin Wen didn't say a word, and with the person on his back, he quietly started running. Lin Wen's physical fitness was originally very good, and after continuous endurance training, although he was now carrying someone, he could still barely keep up.

  It was at this time that Wang Mingyu began to accelerate, gradually approaching Zhang Deen and others, the distance is less than thirty meters, and it is still one kilometer away from the finish line.

  Zhang Deen and others are now relying on their superhuman will to persevere, having long been military officers they have forgotten that in general they were doing the work of horses. However, since they have all persevered until the end, why can't they persevere for a little while longer? The ferocity of the battlefield is fully embodied in Zhang Deen and others at this moment.

  When there were still 500 meters to the finish line, Wang Mingyu and others had already surpassed them. What surprised them most was not this, but that the kid who fought with Zhang Deen that day actually overtook them in the end while carrying the companion they had abandoned halfway.

  Wang Mingyu's transcendence this time did not only defeat their bodies, but also crushed their will. Looking at the company commander on Lin Wen's back, Zhang Deen suddenly stopped running, then with a mixture of tears and laughter, said to several people: "Everyone, Captain Wang is indeed a captain!!"

  Several people nodded with emotion, looking at Wang Mingyu and others standing upright on the mountain ridge. The people in the brigade were full of incredulity, but they also knew that from now on, the young team leader would be their superior.

  Zhang Deen and several others walked up to Wang Mingyu and the others with embarrassed faces...