First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 123

Chapter 123: Rotation

Lian Sheng nodded solemnly, indicating that everything he said was correct.

In the entire base, the one person she absolutely couldn't afford to provoke was Doctor Lin. At least not before the end of the training camp. After all, she still wanted to get out of here alive.

Doctor Lin sat directly facing her, then picked up the optical computer beside him with one hand, placed it on his lap, and slowly said, "Actually, a so-called mech is just a large weapon. Since it's a weapon, it definitely has many limitations."

"To be more precise, it should be called a large arsenal. A real mech carries complex weaponry for various functions. Electromagnetic interference weapons, drone-type reconnaissance weapons, projectile shooting weapons, various explosive weapons, close-combat weapons, stealth and signal-jamming alert weapons, and various new types of weapons constantly being developed and innovated. It needs to have as many countermeasures as the difficulties encountered in actual combat. In fact, the cost of building a mech is excessively high compared to ordinary aircraft and heavy armor equipment. However, it can utilize new weapons more effectively, can be assembled and replaced at any time, ensuring operational speed while maintaining accurate lethality. Through several revolutions, mechs have continuously developed and innovated."

His gaze shifted from the optical computer to Lian Sheng. Lian Sheng immediately lowered her head to look at her feet, refusing eye contact.

Doctor Lin scoffed, "You actually don't know? Weren't you involved in weapons research before?"

Lian Sheng: "I know. But understanding one part of mechs doesn't mean I understand everything."

"In short, piloting a mech isn't as simple as in your Sanyao. Issues regarding mech weight and speed versus energy consumption, and performance utilization, are very complex. Piloting a mech also requires considering numerous peace treaty restrictions," Doctor Lin said. "Even in combat, outside of field battle zones, you can't arbitrarily use a mech's high-lethality weapons. More widely used are the Forward and Heavy Armor types. Their high-strength materials and operational flexibility are not only used in combat but are often requisitioned for urban construction."

"...Urban construction?" Lian Sheng said. "Oh, are you considering my future?"

Doctor Lin exhaled, then glanced at her with disdain. "So dull. Shut up."

Lian Sheng: "..."

Lian Sheng lowered her head, indicating she was all ears.

The lighting in the infirmary was rather bright, making Doctor Lin's face appear very pale. Due to consecutive sleepless nights, there was a dark bluish tint under his eyes.

A person who was already short-tempered, now suffering from insomnia, was indeed the most terrifying character.

Doctor Lin scrolled through the optical computer with one finger while speaking coldly, "I mean, in actual combat, these types of mechs, equipped with low-lethality weapons, can enter urban combat zones as the main force to control enemy armed forces."

Doctor Lin said, "Many people think Heavy Armor and Forward types don't need overly strong shooting capabilities, or that their inherent clumsiness makes them unsuitable for cover. This is simply nonsense. A mech incapable of ranged combat is worse than a tank. A mech that only knows indiscriminate bombing is worse than an airstrike aircraft. On the contrary, they require more precise close-range attacks. Provided you can ensure you won't cause collateral damage, you can use shooting weapons with a small kill radius."

As Doctor Lin spoke, he started sizing her up again, wondering how much she understood. This girl always seemed to zone out at inexplicable moments, entering a state of bewilderment as if entering an unknown territory.

Lian Sheng sat cross-legged very properly, hands resting on her knees, looking quite obedient, but gave no response.

So Doctor Lin kicked her crate.

Lian Sheng raised her hand, signaling she was listening. "My brain tells me I should know what you're talking about. Please continue."

Doctor Lin: "In my opinion, your talent for close combat is much better than your shooting talent. I think you yourself are more accustomed to frontline combat."

That was natural. When Lian Sheng served as the main general, she would be positioned in the middle to rear of the formation, but generally wouldn't lead archers from ambush points.

Doctor Lin: "Besides, high shooting accuracy doesn't necessarily make one suitable for sniping."

"Real sniper-type mechs are not easy to pilot. To carry sufficient ammunition while maintaining mobility, the mech's weight must be significantly reduced, making its defense weak. Also, because of the high movement speed, the physical fitness requirements are particularly demanding, with talent playing a large part. The mech pilot must be able to watch rapidly changing visuals without getting dizzy and not feel nauseous during constant flips and weightlessness. They need to be able to quickly judge distance, position, and weak points upon seeing a distant target."

Doctor Lin: "Especially the dynamic visual acuity for distant objects; this isn't something easily compensated for through training. That Fang Jianchen from your little team, his reaction and analysis capabilities are comparable to machinery; this is largely innate talent. He is a natural-born sniper."

Lian Sheng rubbed her neck. "Actually, I'm not part of their team yet. I wonder if they're short on people."

Doctor Lin: "Then you can work on that. Find your place, latch onto their strong legs."

Lian Sheng thought for a moment.

The four of them stick together, Lian Sheng goes to latch onto their legs, and Hundred Meter Flying Dagger tells Zhou Shirui to latch onto her leg... wouldn't that form a chain?

Just then, two students walked in supporting each other, panting heavily, grimacing in pain. They chose a bed, sat down, and skillfully applied medicine and massaged each other.

Once they started resting, the previously ignored fatigue seemed to surge back like a tidal wave, threatening to engulf them. Without saying a word, they capped the medicine and immediately lay down to sleep.

Doctor Lin: "But honestly, your physical fitness isn't great right now. I don't know if you meet the first two conditions; we haven't tested yet. But the third point, you don't have. How much effort would you need to catch up to that kind of talent? And if talented people are still working hard, how can you possibly catch up? If you really become a mech pilot, you'll never be the absolute best. Are you willing to stand behind others?"

"Conversely, your superb shooting accuracy can serve close combat. And your close combat skills are excellent. Although many techniques become ineffective in mech battles, I believe with training, you'll be a very good individual soldier." Doctor Lin explained thoroughly. "Think about it yourself. Forward types require higher combat proficiency, while Heavy Armor needs more stability. I think your characteristics lean towards Forward."

Lian Sheng perked up her ears. "What characteristics do I have?"

Doctor Lin said seriously, "The characteristic that makes people want to beat you to death."

Lian Sheng: "..."

Lian Sheng was very sure that these things weren't taught in Alliance University textbooks. Or rather, any content related to cutting-edge weapon technology wasn't available in schools. Only after entering the military and undergoing internal training would formal introductions begin.

Attending university didn't require investigating your ancestors for generations, but passing the special selection did.

"If you want to learn more practical things, I suggest you choose Forward. If you want an easier time winning in the selection trials, I still suggest you choose Forward. A team doesn't need too many snipers." Doctor Lin rubbed his fingers. "But it doesn't matter what you choose now. Once your physical fitness improves, if you really get into the special selection and it's not suitable, they will help correct your path."

"The Expeditionary Force is generally promoted from veteran soldiers. After all, it's the most elite force on the front lines. The reason they select specially from military academies and conduct careful, multi-stage evaluations and training is to train you as mech pilots. Because pilots must have young physiques and strong bones. So, special selectees have boundless prospects." Doctor Lin spread his hands. "But it doesn't matter if you're not selected; you have plenty of time to wait."

"Can't wait," Lian Sheng said. "My heart burns with impatience."

Doctor Lin swiveled his chair back, placed the optical computer on the desk, and reminded her, "Half an hour is up. You can go train now."

Lian Sheng remembered her punishment task wasn't finished yet. Belatedly, she stood up, slipped her shoes on over the crate, saluted him, and ran towards the training room.

Because they were afraid the students would catch a cold, the heating in the infirmary was turned up very high. Stepping outside, Lian Sheng felt a chill.

Having just finished soaking in the recovery fluid, the liquid had soaked her pants, making them cling tightly to her legs, feeling heavy. Not only had sensation returned, but pain had too. When she straightened her leg, the flesh and tendons felt like they were being torn apart.

Lian Sheng yelped twice, then moved around on the spot to adapt until the pain subsided before setting off again.

It was already eleven o'clock at night.

Lian Sheng went to the second floor to finish the remaining punishment. At this time, there was still a group of trainees exercising in the training ground, collapsed on the floor, stubbornly persisting. They wanted to use rest to adjust their condition before continuing the struggle.

An instructor sat on a chair in the middle of the field, monitoring all the equipment in the training ground. He had his legs crossed, holding a cup of hot tea, leisurely blowing on it, and said, "Don't push yourselves too hard. If you can't do it, go rest. You have to wake up early tomorrow. Sometimes people need to learn to give up, learn to retreat, learn to face themselves. Instead of thinking about how to avoid the current punishment, think carefully about how to get rid of the punishment altogether. So, as they say, those without foresight will have immediate worries. Even geckos know to shed their tails, understand? Only those who know how to give up can live long..."

Everyone: "..."

They had never seen such a long-winded, chatty instructor, truly never. He sounded like Tang Sanzang (a famously verbose character), droning on until they felt sleepy.

The instructor sipped his tea while tirelessly lecturing, using a loudspeaker to ensure his voice reached every corner of the training room.

Finally, a student couldn't hold on any longer and left first, tears welling in his eyes.

The instructor pointed at him and nodded. "Wise man. Good for you, good for me, good for everyone. Your batch of students is the most troublesome I've ever supervised."

Lian Sheng: "..."

Lian Sheng chose to finish quickly, finally completing the task before midnight. Then she continued leaning on the wall, walking back to her dormitory.

She grabbed her clothes and towel and went out to shower first. As the steam rose, she felt she could fall asleep right there.

The training intensity at the base was vastly different from the training on the deserted mountain. One was a group activity trying to involve students from various majors; the other was individual training focused on self-preservation while simultaneously hindering others.

Now she finally understood why the number of applicants was so low.

Lian Sheng fell asleep on her bed wrapped in a bath towel. The next morning, she didn't hear the alarm and was finally shaken awake forcefully by a roommate.

Seeing her sit up, the roommate turned and rushed out.

Lian Sheng woke up startled and vigorously wiped her face.

She had never slept so soundly. Previously, no matter how exhausted she was, she always maintained a certain level of alertness, which was why insomnia was more common. But she hadn't even heard the alarm clock placed right beside her.

"Normal!" Zhao Zhuoluo stuffed a boiled egg into his mouth, then covered his face with his hands, rubbing his temples hard, looking like eating was painful. He forced it down with milk before saying, "The recovery fluid has a sleep-inducing effect. And the infirmary also uses calming medication to help us sleep deeply, allowing the body to rest better."

Fang Jianchen: "So we gather the optical computers, turn the vibration to maximum, and take turns placing them under someone's head. Even if you're not woken by the call, you'll be woken by the vibration."

Cheng Ze rubbed the back of his head. "Headache. Personally experimented, strongly not recommended."

"The infirmary really is a den of demons. No wonder I didn't want to leave once I got in," Lian Sheng said. "Does the cafeteria also have a calming effect?"

Several people stared at her as if looking at an idiot.

Ye Buqing held his white porridge and said calmly, "The cafeteria has a soul-calming effect."

They quickly finished their meal and went to the third floor. Lian Sheng felt her stomach was uncomfortably full.

The third-floor area had been rearranged, and quite a few people were already standing inside. Everyone took advantage of the time before training started to warm up and digest.

This time, among the two hundred people, there was another girl. Lian Sheng was somewhat surprised because she found the girl vaguely familiar.

Lian Sheng kept looking towards the girl, while others frequently glanced towards Lian Sheng. The scene was rather strange.

Then the instructor walked in, smiling brightly, raising his hand to greet everyone. "How did you rest yesterday? Did you have fun?"

Lian Sheng suddenly looked like she had an epiphany, tilting her chin slightly. The instructor had been secretly watching her and asked upon seeing this, "What's wrong?"

Lian Sheng: "Nothing, I just remembered, she's also one of my roommates."

Roommate: "..."

Instructor: "..."

Really, she had only caught a blurry glimpse when waking up; she never saw her at other times. The training pace here was too fast.

The instructor shook his head. "Let me check first how many people didn't complete their tasks yesterday and need to accept punishment."

He took out his optical computer to check the data, wiping some crumbs from the corner of his mouth with his other hand.

As he scanned down the list, everyone could clearly see the smile gradually disappear from his face, replaced by a frown.

Everyone tensed up, feeling somewhat apprehensive.

Sure enough, the instructor was quite displeased. "You... are the worst batch I've ever supervised."

Everyone's eyes darted around, glancing at the comrades beside them, communicating via brainwaves.

"Wasn't the task I gave you yesterday heavy enough? Why did you persist like that? Don't you know how to rest?" the instructor said. "Isn't it just punishment? Why are you all so stubborn? This makes things very difficult for me."

Everyone: "..."

His original plan was to control the punishment rate at around fifty percent, but looking just now, it was less than thirty percent. This meant a large group of people had stayed up late to complete the task yesterday to avoid the weight-bearing punishment.

Touching, deeply moving. Deserved additional punishment.

The instructor thought it over, then said, "I'll give you five minutes to warm up, then we'll start the morning training. Since it's sprint-type training, make sure to stretch properly. Especially since you just woke up, you're stiff, don't get cramps."

The students responded loudly, "Yes!" and began their free warm-up and stretching.

The boy who had approached Lian Sheng once before carefully moved closer to her.

"Hey, hello." The boy wore a regretful expression. "Is the training upstairs very tough? Today is a one-kilometer sprint. If you're in my group, maybe I can help you along."

Lian Sheng stared at his face, trying to recall, but still found him vaguely familiar. She blinked, feeling her brain wasn't working well lately, and asked, "Who... are you?"

That boy: "..."

Lian Sheng said, "Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, you're my opponent today. Good luck."

"I know, my classmate told me about today's training content," the boy said. "Wearing weights will be very disadvantageous for you. But you're a girl, and although I can't see your face, your figure is quite noticeable. Don't worry, I've already talked to my friends. Although there aren't many of us, it should at least be a bit easier."

Lian Sheng: "...Thanks?"

"No problem." The boy smiled happily. "Lunch together? My treat."

"I meant, thank you for your concern." Lian Sheng stood up straight, swung her arms, and said, "Actually, I don't have weights, and I don't really need you guys to go easy on me."

The boy was shocked. "You weren't punished?"

He knew the training at the base was divided into batches. Lian Sheng was selected among the first hundred because of her strange yet effective duo combat skills. However, all training was mixed; one day it tested individual combat, the next day endurance, and later it might be mixed or change again.

Lian Sheng's close combat strength and her stamina/endurance were almost polar opposites. In yesterday's elite-focused training, she actually wasn't punished?!

The boy felt he must have missed some crucial information last night.

Lian Sheng looked at his rapidly changing face and said, "I'll strive to get a full kill on you guys. So, take care of yourself."

The boy took a step back, then another. Finally, he almost fled in panic.

Lian Sheng shrugged.

The instructor was with the newly arrived students, roughly explaining the rules.

They continued their warm-ups, helping each other stretch legs. But the students from the two teams were clearly separated, like the Chu River and Han Border, distinct and divided. The atmosphere between them was tense, like drawn bows.

Lian Sheng said, "Why? Wasn't it quite harmonious yesterday?"

"Even in training camp, there are level distinctions. Because the base conducts different training for different groups, as you've seen yourself," Fang Jianchen said. "We are the first batch, they are the second batch. Later there will be a third batch, and those who can never escape punishment are the fourth batch. People training together inevitably feel camaraderie, while we are everyone else's opponents."

Especially after entering the first-tier training team, they vaguely felt they had fallen behind a level. Feeling somewhat unconvinced, yet wanting to catch up. Their mental state was stretched very tight.

Fang Jianchen said, "Only when there's no threat do we talk about the opposite sex. When there is a threat, we don't talk about humanity. You should have acted cute and coquettish with that boy just now; there are benefits, you know."

Warm-up time ended. The instructor's shout interrupted their conversation.

Everyone lined up again in two companies before him.

"Get ready! Who goes first?" The instructor bounced his leg, scanned between the two teams, then pointed at Lian Sheng's side. "Team One goes first, set an example. Put on the gear. Team Two, get to the shooting platform. Team One members with weights, go get your packs."

Team One consisted of Lian Sheng and the earlier batch; Team Two was the hundred-person team that joined today.

Everyone went to the wall to get their weapons, then put on the target suits again. This time, there was finally no ranking distinction; the target positions were fixed for everyone.

After putting on the suits, a group of boys went to pick up the weighted backpacks. Feeling the weight was off, one shouted, "Instructor! Is this weight twenty kilograms?"

"Yes!" the instructor said. "Get in position quickly!"

A commotion arose among the crowd. "Weren't the punishment weights yesterday still ten kilograms?"

Instructor: "Yesterday you were still freshmen."

A boy blinked his innocent eyes wide. "Freshmen are only new for one day?"

"Today too," the instructor said. "But today you are broken freshmen unworthy of care."

Everyone: "..."

The instructor urged impatiently, "Hurry, hurry!"

Lian Sheng stood at the starting line with her teammates, ready.

This time, the running circuit was doubled in size, and the twisted red lines from yesterday were gone. They needed to run on a regular, wave-shaped curved path.

Compared to yesterday, the rules could be said to be much simpler. Perhaps, for them, the biggest punishment was the aftereffects of yesterday's high-intensity training and the weights they were supposed to carry.

The instructor gave the command, but the first person he called was Lian Sheng.

Lian Sheng immediately lowered her head and started sprinting along the track.

The hundred people on the shooting platform were undergoing related training for the first time. When the first figure appeared in their sights, they immediately recognized it as Lian Sheng.

"It's the girl! That girl! Let's get an opening victory!"

Excited, they raised their guns and started aiming. But when it came time to actually attack, they lost their rhythm.

They saw her nimbly turning and jumping on the outer edge. High-frequency transitional movements, yet she still maintained extremely high speed, her steps and rhythm completely undisturbed.

But this made it difficult for them to aim, as they weren't targeting the person, but the fixed targets on her body.

"She's not dizzy? Damn!"

"How do we hit this? The target keeps spinning."

"Just spray and pray! Rely on accidental hits!"

"They're really familiar with this track, huh? Just turning like that?"

Then the second person appeared.

They readjusted their aim, trying to target the person behind using the rhythm they used for Lian Sheng, only to find that person ran like lightning, taking huge strides and zooming past. Lian Sheng's style was completely different.

Then came the third, and the fourth.

Lian Sheng's jumping and changing rhythm significantly drained her stamina. In the latter half of the run, she couldn't maintain her earlier speed and was repeatedly overtaken by the boys behind her. But precisely because of this, they ended up blocking the line of sight for her several times.

After one round, everyone switched places. Team Two headed to the preparation point, while Team One members rubbed their fists, ready to pick up their weapons.

Lian Sheng held her gun, recalling her hit rate just now. The opponents' shooting performance seemed rather dismal. With a hundred shooters over a one-kilometer course, Lian Sheng's red light only flashed four times.

Her speed slowed down in the later stage, performing worse than yesterday, yet the resulting penalty points were less than half of yesterday's.

Others in her team noticed this too.

A boy chuckled, "Don't go easy, our snipers! Show them some color!"

Whether it was Lian Sheng or Fang Jianchen, they were finally on their side.

Fang Jianchen wiped his pants. "Bro is gonna give them a baseline guarantee."

The Team Two students heard this and sneered, "All talk. Let's see after you shoot."

"First time here, what's wrong with not being used to it? Just getting started."

"Everyone's full of vigor," the instructor was satisfied, smiling. "Prepare to run! You!"

Team One members, during yesterday's training, wanted to curse the heavens while running for their lives, and gritted their teeth with every shot. Because they were already carrying weights then, it felt like comrades were dragging each other down in hell, trying to pull others deeper.

But now, for some reason, there was a strangely satisfying feeling of bullying others from a position of superiority.

Although the distance increased, the shooting range also doubled. For Lian Sheng and Fang Jianchen, there was no difference between ten meters and twenty meters; both were within their visual capture range. But a wider shooting range meant a guaranteed hit rate.

And the people selected in the first batch indeed had relatively excellent shooting scores.

After some initial banter, everyone entered a state of carnage. Fingers continuously pulled triggers, filled with killing intent, methodically eliminating enemies.

The rapidly running Team Two members realized something was wrong. Red lights flashed frequently on their bodies; the situation was too bizarre. They started to panic, their steps becoming somewhat erratic. Unfamiliar with the terrain here, they stepped on the red lines several times. Especially near the finish line, problems cropped up constantly.

After running one lap, they knew they were in trouble.

The instructor stood nearby, saying nothing, still smiling faintly as he watched them, occasionally raising his optical computer to add a note.

After everyone finished running, he once again announced a position change.

After one complete round of offense and defense exchange, scores began appearing on the wall.

On Team One's side, the few boys carrying weights generally had a hit rate around ten. It indeed significantly affected their speed, but at the start, they still had enough stamina to support them, so it wasn't too excessive. The others fluctuated between three and ten.

The points deducted from Team Two were considerably more tragic, almost double that of Team One, and none of them were carrying weights.

And in the effective hit rate, Fang Jianchen's glaring ninety-eight and Lian Sheng's ninety were simply too eye-catching.

"Which two fish slipped through the net?" Fang Jianchen said regretfully. "The system must have made a mistake! My full kill!"

Yesterday his opening hit rate was 68%; today it soared to 98%. Was he still not satisfied?

The members of Team Two were deeply shocked.

They knew there might be a gap between them, but they also thought luck and condition played a part. After all, even someone as severely specialized as Lian Sheng had made it up here. As second-batch contenders, they surely had some merits.

But the facts before them clearly told them, no, that wasn't the case.

Was the gap... really this big?

The instructor also noticed that there seemed to be quite a few outstanding contenders this year.

Perhaps every industry has such an awkward pattern.

There will always be a few years where, inexplicably, there's a gap between generations. So there will also be a few years where talents gather together, making competition particularly fierce.

It seemed this year was one of those.

There was one girl in each of Team One and Team Two.

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