First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 8
Chapter 8: Punishment
After the platoon leader finished speaking, they were free to go.
Lian Sheng and her group had eaten well, but since they started early, some were just beginning to cook when they left. As the dismissal order came, the scene of everyone sprinting away reappeared.
It wouldn't be too late to take a shower first and then come back to eat. Otherwise, who knew when they'd get to sleep tonight.
The boys could go without bringing anything. Just carrying a packet of disposable shower gel or shampoo in their pockets was enough. After washing, they could wear their dirty clothes back and change into clean ones later. Or two could cooperate—one getting the number while the other fetched the items, then squeezing in to shower together.
Lian Sheng was completely unprepared, had no partner to team up with, and disliked showering with others even more. By the time she fetched her clothes and returned, there was already a long line ahead.
Lian Sheng suspected they were doing it on purpose. The unisex single-stall showers, designed for nearly a thousand participants in the exercise, had only about fifty stalls. Competition was inevitable.
So she took a number and stood in line, waiting patiently.
Up ahead, Lu Mingyuan was chatting with friends. When he turned around, he spotted Lian Sheng.
Since she was a bit far away, he took a second look to be sure.
After discussing with his friend, Lu Mingyuan jogged over and said, "Lian Sheng, why don't you come up here? You can have my number—I'll squeeze in with my friend."
Lian Sheng was immensely grateful. She took the number from him and joined him near the front of the line.
Meng Jiangwu and the other two, already close to the entrance, were full of energy, shoving each other playfully. Zheng Lei turned his head and blurted out, "Lian Sheng?"
Seeing her standing with Lu Mingyuan and the others, Meng Jiangwu said with a hint of frustration, "Aren't we supposed to be a team?"
Shen Yu reflected on himself and asked, "Have we been unfriendly to her?"
Zheng Lei immediately shook his head. "Not me. I just... wasn't very enthusiastic."
The two of them turned to look at Meng Jiangwu.
Meng Jiangwu: "..."
Shen Yu asked, "You said something rude to her yesterday morning. Did you apologize afterward?"
Zheng Lei adjusted his glasses. "He didn't. This guy's been with us the whole time."
Meng Jiangwu's eyes widened in horror. "Holy shit, I have to apologize? Wasn't getting my face swollen enough? Do I have to spell it out? Is this some girly thing?"
Zheng Lei reminded him, "But she is a girl."
"She's a girl? Oh right, she's a girl." Shen Yu repeated solemnly, "She is a girl!"
Meng Jiangwu: "..."
Shen Yu clasped his hands to his chest, feigning shyness. "Oh my god, dinner was game caught by a girl. This is something I can brag about for life!"
Meng Jiangwu turned away with a huff, then waved and called out, "Lian Sheng! Come here!"
Lian Sheng returned the number to Lu Mingyuan, saluted him, then walked forward and took Meng Jiangwu's number tag. In a stunning reversal, she went from the back of the line to the front.
By the time everything was settled, it wasn't even ten o'clock yet.
Whenever she could sleep early, Lian Sheng felt particularly blessed. If the days ahead followed this rhythm, it wouldn't be so bad.
The next morning, around five o'clock, the instructors came to wake them.
The sky was still dimly lit. The morning air was damp, and the temperature was low. When everyone stepped outside, they shivered slightly, heads bowed, looking rather listless.
The entire mountain forest was eerily quiet, so much so that they could hear the distant sound of a stream.
"Today, we're continuing the hunting challenge!" Instructor Fu shouted from the front. "Those who catch prey by noon can rest. Those who come back empty-handed will run cross-country until dark!"
The students all looked tense. Then, at Instructor Fu's command, everyone began sprinting up the mountain.
In the distance, they could see tiny black dots charging uphill.
This time, there was no equipment, no firearms—just bare-handed hunting.
Most of the game had already been captured by students the previous day, and the instructors might have deliberately controlled the remaining numbers. That meant there were probably fewer than a hundred animals left on the entire mountain. At least ninety percent of the participants would become cannon fodder in this activity.
The true winners would be chosen based on athleticism and luck. This also highlighted a painful truth—those who ran slow would catch nothing.
Lian Sheng ran slow.
Students began diving into the tall grass, searching blindly. Some teamed up, spreading out in a net formation. Every person nearby could become a competitor.
Lian Sheng looked around and saw nothing but bobbing heads.
With all this commotion, any prey would be startled. If anything appeared, it would be immediately obvious.
She took a few steps into the grass, where the dew on the leaves quickly dampened her pants.
Lian Sheng thought about it. Unless some animal willingly jumped into her arms, she had little hope of being among the lucky few. So she walked back out and sat down on a rock.
The crowd gradually moved toward the mountaintop. By around eleven, students began descending.
Lian Sheng's three teammates also came down.
Meng Jiangwu had been lucky—he caught one. But given his physical strength and explosive power, this wasn't surprising.
The other two sighed repeatedly, asking him to save some food for them in the afternoon.
When they spotted Lian Sheng on the way down, all three were shocked. Meng Jiangwu walked up to her, rabbit in hand, and planted a fist on his hip. "What are you still doing here?"
Lian Sheng sat cross-legged, eyes closed, and replied calmly, "Conserving energy for the cross-country run."
Meng Jiangwu: "..."
The three of them were panting, faces flushed, foreheads slick with sweat, hair disheveled. Their clothes and socks were stuck with bits of unidentified plants, clinging to their skin from the sweat.
In contrast, Lian Sheng was neatly dressed, breathing evenly, showing no signs of participating in a military exercise. Her relaxed demeanor and attitude made passing students glance at her with disdain.
Coming here to relax?
Meng Jiangwu also felt uncomfortable. Wiping sweat from his brow, he said, "You gave up way too fast! Did you even try?"
Lian Sheng said, "I just made a rational judgment based on the situation. If the afternoon's cross-country run is as intense as the first day's—no, judging by the circumstances, it'll probably be worse—then if I start running now, I definitely won't complete the task by afternoon. Not only that, I'd most likely collapse at the starting line."
Meng Jiangwu pointed at her. "But you can't just kneel at the starting line! Who surrenders before the battle even begins?"
Lian Sheng's tone remained flat, stating facts. "This is about avoiding pointless sacrifice. Accurately assessing the situation is key. Besides, the endpoint of this military exercise isn't this hunting challenge. Since the outcome is pretty much decided, I naturally have to consider what comes next."
Meng Jiangwu swallowed hard, his throat parched, and pressed on. "But if you get lucky..."
Lian Sheng looked up, cutting him off with a firm gaze and a hint of disapproval. "When you start basing tactics on luck, you've already lost. As a commander, you must never overlook the worst-case scenario."
Zheng Lei waved a hand. "Alright, enough. You still have energy to argue?"
Shen Yu slung an arm over Meng Jiangwu's shoulder and shook his head. "You two are on different levels. Drop it."
Meng Jiangwu hesitated, wanting to say more. He realized there was a vast difference between him and Lian Sheng.
Some viewpoints couldn't be reconciled through words. You couldn't call them right or wrong—they were just different perspectives shaped by experience. Miracles were rare, but they weren't unheard of.
Meng Jiangwu asked, "So, have you gone down the mountain yet?"
"Yeah." Lian Sheng slid off the rock and patted her pants. "Actually, I wanted to wait at the camp, but I don't think I could handle Instructor Fu's stare."
That resentful glare.
The three of them were giving her the same look right now.
Shen Yu said, "At least you got to rest yesterday. We've been running around the mountain all day. I should've skipped the hunt too."
Zheng Lei spread his hands. "Don't say 'should've.' If we'd known, I'd have bagged ten chickens by now."
Shen Yu sighed. "Ugh."
Back at camp, those who had caught prey went to register. Anyone who hadn't returned by noon, regardless of whether they'd succeeded, was automatically marked as a failure.
Everyone dispersed to eat. Cross-country training would begin at 1:30 p.m.
Meng Jiangwu held out the rabbit to Lian Sheng and said awkwardly, "You go."
Lian Sheng glanced down, then put on her cap and said coolly, "Please don't insult my dignity as a soldier."
Meng Jiangwu pressed his lips together and explained, "That's not what I meant. And can you even handle the cross-country run? Look at other teams with girls—"
"Whether I can or not is different from whether I should. I made my choice, so I'm prepared to face the consequences." Lian Sheng cut him off again. "There's no substitution for punishment drills. Punishment is extra training for those who aren't up to standard, to help them keep up with the main group. It's meaningful and necessary. I appreciate your kindness, but I can't accept it."
With that, Lian Sheng turned and jogged toward the cafeteria. Every second counted—she could still grab a bite to eat.
Meng Jiangwu stood frozen, rabbit still in hand.
Getting along with military types wasn't hard because there was a simple principle.
They might be violent, arrogant, or selfish, but their attitude depended mostly on you.
Sincerity and determination meant nothing—strength was what mattered. Were you a comrade who could fight alongside them, or a weakling who'd drag them down?
Gender wasn't an excuse, and they wouldn't accept it as one. When they could barely take care of themselves, why should they look out for you?
Lian Sheng knew she was weak, so she couldn't afford to slack off.
When Meng Jiangwu went to submit his rabbit, he ran into the star team of their year—Zhao Zhuoluo and his group.
As he queued behind them, he heard Zhao Zhuoluo say, "I want to join the cross-country run this afternoon."
The registrar looked up, puzzled. "Cross-country? But you've already turned in your prey."
Zhao Zhuoluo said, "That doesn't conflict, does it? I never heard that those who got loot can't participate."
The registrar tapped the rabbit. "Then how about you give your rabbit to a teammate?"
Zhao Zhuoluo: "Oh. Coincidentally, all four of us want to join."
Registrar: "..."
Before the registrar could respond, Meng Jiangwu, fired up, strode forward and slammed his rabbit on the table. "I want to join too!"
Registrar: "..."
Damn, five lunatics in a row.
Ty for the update ~~~
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