First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 30

Chapter 30: Training

The instructors openly and subtly praised Lian Sheng while also teasing their colleagues.

Instructor Fu stood with his hands behind his back, looking up with a melancholic sigh.

They really wanted to analyze the reasons for the students' failures with them. With the standards set so high, there was so much to say—whether about teamwork, individual performance, skills, or mindset. Unfortunately, conditions were limited, and the official exercise wasn't over yet.

The students wailed and howled, constantly glancing toward the Command Department. On one hand, they were heartbroken over their lost points and performance; on the other, they endured the repeated shattering and rebuilding of their worldviews—an oddly exhilarating experience.

Finally, they were dismissed, and the crowd dispersed for dinner.

Lian Sheng took off her cap and prepared to leave as well. As she turned, several girls blocked her path.

There were only five female students in the third-year Command Department Class A. She had met them briefly on the day they arrived at the mountain but hadn't spoken to them since.

Lian Sheng wasn't the type to initiate conversations. She was usually serious and carried an air of aloofness that made her seem unapproachable. Combined with the tight schedule of the exercise, they rarely had time to interact. And whenever she did appear, it was always amid some kind of commotion.

Lian Sheng raised an eyebrow. "Something up?"

The girls nudged each other, hesitating to speak, until a darker-skinned girl finally asked, "We were wondering—how did you score so many points? It's seriously impressive."

Lian Sheng lowered her head in thought.

How should she answer this? Obviously, through sheer skill.

Once one spoke up, another girl chimed in, "Yeah! How did you manage to hide for so long on the mountain? And your marksmanship—how is it so good?"

"What methods did you use? What did the instructors mean by 'textbook standard'? Can you explain?"

As they spoke, nearby students who had been about to leave turned back, eavesdropping.

Lian Sheng said, "If you're asking about this exercise, it was the result of our entire squad's efforts. You shouldn't just ask me alone. The battlefield lasted nearly thirty hours—it's hard to sum up in a few words."

The girls, noting her formal tone, patiently pressed further. "Then... can you talk about yourself?"

Lian Sheng replied earnestly, "Don't underestimate yourself. Don't make excuses. You can do it too."

The girls blinked. "...What does that mean, exactly?"

Lian Sheng began, "When you think someone has done something you believe is impossible, most of the time, it's just because you haven't worked hard enough."

"Back when I practiced archery—" She paused, remembering people here didn't train with bows, and added, "I used to practice archery."

She raised her hand to show them but realized the calluses from years of training were gone. With a dismissive wave, she said, "Never mind. No point dwelling on past glories. Just work hard."

The crowd: "..."

They were baffled. That was one abrupt subject change.

After dinner, the light rain from noon intensified into a torrential downpour.

The students groaned. "Every year around this time, we get hit with this."

A proper military exercise wasn't complete without enduring a storm. This year, the weather had actually been merciful—several overcast days and fewer rainy spells than usual due to strong winds.

But what was coming couldn't be avoided.

No matter how much the instructors joked with the students during the day, when it came to training, they showed no mercy.

Because of the rain, the mountain paths were slippery, making ascent genuinely dangerous. Everyone relocated to the open-air training grounds, donned raincoats, and began weighted obstacle runs.

As the exercise progressed, their training intensity increased, and point deductions grew harsher.

Each person had to complete fifteen sets, with six activities per set. No exceptions for gender.

Lian Sheng fell far behind after just two laps. Rain made it hard to maintain rhythm, stamina drained twice as fast, and her body felt unusually heavy from the previous exertion.

Unlike the others, she couldn't rely on speed. She had to prioritize stability over pace.

When Meng Jiangwu passed her for the second time, he exclaimed, "Seriously? We just started!" And she already looked like she was on the verge of collapse!

Lian Sheng waved him off, signaling him to go ahead.

Instructor Fu glanced her way and barked from the center of the field, "One point deducted for every incomplete activity! If you’ve got what it takes to lose all ninety points, I’ll let you rest on the sidelines!"

Better not. She didn’t have enough points to spare.

With several days of intense training ahead, she didn’t want to set a record for the lowest score in history.

Most students finished the fifteen sets by 8:30 PM. After 9:00 PM, they’d forfeit.

Meng Jiangwu’s stamina was impressive. He finished by 8:00 PM, freeing himself to shower. Afterward, umbrella in hand, he headed back to his tent to rest. But since he’d napped earlier, he was wide awake. On a whim, he detoured to the training grounds.

He checked his optical computer: 8:35 PM. Half the students were still on the field, mostly support-class students with weaker physiques.

Over the next half-hour, most dropped out—whether from completion or forfeit, he wasn’t sure.

Meng Jiangwu felt like an idiot, squatting there watching. But he stayed, shifting his weight occasionally.

By 9:15 PM, only two students remained. The instructors, however, were all present, pacing the field.

Meng Jiangwu squinted. One was Lu Mingyuan. The other was Lian Sheng.

Lu Mingyuan was frustrated. He’d long surpassed his usual limits. He’d planned to quit when Lian Sheng did, since she looked like she was barely holding on. But after twelve sets, Lian Sheng was still on her ninth, with no end in sight. Yet she showed no intention of giving up.

At first, he’d stubbornly refused to lose to her—after all, he was male and objectively more physically capable.

But after another obstacle jump, he couldn’t go on. His legs trembled uncontrollably. After a moment’s hesitation, he raised his hand. "Instructor, I forfeit."

His squad leader didn’t scold him, just helped remove his gear and nodded. "Not bad. Go rest. Twelve points deducted."

Lian Sheng’s eyelid twitched at the sheer brutality of it.

After fighting tooth and nail on the mountain, she’d only earned twenty-some points. Now, in one night, twelve were gone just like that.

But she understood.

Fundamentals and advanced skills couldn’t be compared.

If the combat exercise was their battleground for victory, then daily training was the foundation of their survival.

This wasn’t something that could be made up for later—it was a fatal weakness. The harsh point deductions existed precisely because such weaknesses were unacceptable.

Lu Mingyuan sat on the ground for a while to recover, then went to say goodbye to Lian Sheng before leaving.

Lian Sheng nodded and began her tenth set.

Though slow and breathing heavily, her rhythm was steady. Whether jumping or running, she maintained control. She wasn’t panicked or rushed, pacing herself for the full fifteen sets.

She believed she could finish.

Meng Jiangwu kept watching. When his legs grew tired, he shifted his stance.

The showers were behind the training grounds.

Students who’d bathed later emerged with washbasins, still griping about the day’s exercise. Spotting Meng Jiangwu crouched under the lights, one called out, "Hey, man! You taking a dump out here?"

Meng Jiangwu shot them a glare and turned back.

They laughed and started to leave when one pointed. "Wait, is someone still out there?"

The group paused. "No way!"

"Instructors doing night drills?"

"Yeah, right! Since when do they have time for that?"

"Let’s check it out."

And so, the boys joined Meng Jiangwu’s impromptu observation squad, confirming that someone was indeed still training.

"Whoa…" one muttered in awe. "Who’s got that kind of stamina?"

Another added, "So much stamina, yet still not done? That’s something."

Just how slow were they?

At the Command Department campsite, Zheng Lei searched everywhere for his friend, banging his washbasin. "Where’s Meng Jiangwu? Didn’t he come back ages ago?"

A guy poked his head out. "I saw him at the training grounds earlier. He’s still not back?"

Zheng Lei, toothbrush in hand, said, "What’s so interesting about training? It’s this late—everyone’s gone. What’s he even watching?"

A girl spoke softly. "Lian Sheng isn’t back either."

Her words brought silence. They turned to Lian Sheng’s tent—neat and untouched.

Zheng Lei gaped. "What time is it?"

The girl said, "9:45."

Another beat of silence. Skeptical, they decided to forgo sleep, change back into uniforms, and go see for themselves.

By now, a crowd had gathered at the field’s edge. Umbrellas up, they cheered her on, shouting encouragement.

Debates broke out over technicalities.

"How much longer can she last?"

"Not past 10:00."

"Not past 10:30."

"At this speed? Finishing’s the real question."

"I don’t think she’ll make it."

The instructors, now unofficial cheerleaders, jogged alongside the legendary student.

"Here, Comrade Lian Sheng, let me show you my legs!" An instructor clapped beside her. "See? My brisk walk is faster than your run. Watch—I’ll lap you and come back."

Lian Sheng: "..."

Another instructor said, "I’ve never seen a student run as slow as you."

Lian Sheng moved lightly, but don’t let her pace fool you—she kept going. Like a candle flickering but refusing to snuff out.

An instructor clapped a rhythm. "Jump, jump, jump! Big leap! Just one jump over those two hurdles—two small jumps waste more energy, got it?"

Another argued, "Two small jumps are way less taxing than one big one!"

The first shot back, "How? One big jump requires buildup and landing force—way more work!"

A third mediator cut in. "Small jumps are manageable even when exhausted. You think you can magically leap three feet at your limit?"

Instructor Fu tsked. "What’s with the ruckus? Too much free time?"

The instructors chorused, "If we weren’t free, would we be running with her?"

By 10:15 PM, the joking and betting died down as everyone silently watched the slender figure running through the night.

You could mock her slowness. You could mock her weakness. But you couldn’t mock her determination.

Her effort couldn’t change the fact that she was physically lacking. But with this level of perseverance, what couldn’t she overcome?

A first-year military student, starting from zero, was clawing her way up.

Especially the female students who’d also failed to complete the task—their fingers twitched, thoughts unreadable.

They’d always thought the same requirements for both genders were unfair, so they’d accepted their failures as inevitable. But no failure should ever be taken for granted.

By 10:40 PM, considering the next day’s exercise, the instructors began shooing spectators away. The crowd gradually dispersed.

Lian Sheng kept going.

At one point, she stopped, bracing her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

The instructors sighed in relief.

Instructor Fu approached. "Giving up?"

Lian Sheng shook her head. "Just taking a break."

The instructors’ half-smiles dropped instantly. "You’re still going?!"

Instructor Fu was stunned.

"Ten minutes," Lian Sheng said. "There’s no time limit, right?"

That wasn’t the point.

Usually, it was the instructors pushing students to quit. Lian Sheng might’ve been the first student to make instructors want to quit.

Even Instructor Fu couldn’t take it anymore. "Why aren’t you resting?"

Lian Sheng shook her head, too exhausted to speak.

Instructor Fu frowned. "You’ve forfeited before. Lots of people did tonight."

"The deductions weren’t this harsh before," Lian Sheng said, gulping water handed to her by a nearby instructor. "And I made up for it later."

The exercise had tasks that could be completed through endurance and those that couldn’t.

For the former, Lian Sheng did them all. At first, she hadn’t understood the system, but after resting, she’d caught up.

The Red vs. White Faction Battle intrigued her. Lian Sheng had to secure her points.

This training had fifteen sets—ninety activities total. The deductions would be brutal. She couldn’t accept that.

Instructor Fu had always known Lian Sheng was tenacious. But this was beyond his expectations.

---

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