First Battlefield Commander! - Chapter 129
Chapter 129: Field March
The instructor looked disdainful as he waved his hand and said, "It's too crowded here! You're blocking the view! Those who've already passed should go do shooting practice, and those who've finished shooting practice should go rest! Prepare well, recuperate, don't say I didn't warn you!"
Lian Sheng ran over from the side, looked around, then stopped at the doorway. Zhao Zhuoluo and others also ran over, hesitating before stopping.
The training intensity had been decreasing recently, and now they were being told to rest?
"Your skills are good enough, no need to come tomorrow, rest well." The instructor pointed at them and said, "Go back, go back. Oh, at this hour you can still grab some late-night snacks. Want to go?"
The instructor held up his optical computer, calling out names one by one and having those called follow him out.
Zhao Zhuoluo stopped walking, wanting to observe the situation. He said: "These people might be our future opponents."
The names being called now were all students who had successfully completed all tasks.
Lian Sheng's performance in mech training was absolutely outstanding, but the real registered scores came from the earlier physical training.
A few students had physical fitness scores even higher than Zhao Zhuoluo's, maintaining them until the end.
Several people came out one after another, all wearing the same style of military uniform, indicating they were from the same school.
A tanned-skinned boy smiled at them.
In Lian Sheng's eyes, people with similar height, similar hairstyles, similar skin tones, and similar clothes might as well be the same person.
A group of identical-looking people neatly lined up before her, smiling - it was rather headache-inducing.
The boy put an arm around Zhao Zhuoluo's shoulder and asked: "We're resting tomorrow, want to have a match in advance?"
Zhao Zhuoluo looked at his hand and frowned slightly: "No."
"Don't be like that, we might be opponents in the future anyway, why not get to know each other?" The boy said decisively, "I'll take that as your agreement?"
Lian Sheng immediately interjected: "I disagree."
The boy was stunned: "I wasn't asking you."
"I wasn't speaking for myself." Lian Sheng said, "I was deciding for him."
Boy: "Why are you deciding for him?"
Lian Sheng: "Then why are you deciding for him?"
The boy shrugged.
Without turning his head, the instructor shouted: "No private fights! Violators get out!"
"Alright alright." The boy raised his hands and said, "I'm Yan Shuo, just came to say hello. Sorry about that."
He turned and waved, leading his comrades away.
Fang Jianchen whispered: "Isn't that the one who's always biting at you? Insisting on competing with you? Is it worth it?"
Lian Sheng hadn't paid much attention to others in the training ground. They weren't from her school, didn't train together, and it was all individual training, so she had no impression of them.
Oh, there was one more. A boy from some school who'd tried to chat her up twice.
"National Defense University, I heard they spent big this year. Several specially admitted students finally reached their third year, and some outstanding seniors even deliberately stayed back." Cheng Ze watched them leave and said: "Having lost consecutively for years, they must be quite unwilling. They're determined to win this finals."
Fang Jianchen said: "Then this year they're really... biting anyone they see."
Lian Sheng asked: "Did they bite you?"
"...No." Fang Jianchen snorted, angrily baring his teeth at her: "We can't be friends anymore!"
"Let's go. We'll talk after training ends." Ye Buqing looked at Lian Sheng, "There are many noteworthy students this year, I'll tell you about them later."
Lian Sheng nodded.
The group walked downstairs together.
Lian Sheng asked: "About the field march, do you seniors have any relevant experience?"
"Basically just as the instructor said. At least bring three pairs of cotton socks, hang an extra pair of shoes. Other equipment will be arranged by the base, no need to bring water or food. Doctors will accompany the team, so no problems there." Ye Buqing said, "If the instructor tells us to rest, then we rest. Follow orders and obey commands."
This reassured Lian Sheng.
Recent training hadn't left any serious falls or bruises. Lian Sheng went to the infirmary a few times to address lingering issues from previous muscle strains, and her physical condition had improved considerably.
The biggest problem was lack of rest. Training involved heavy sweating and exertion, plus she'd stayed up late completing punishment tasks, further compressing her already insufficient sleep time. Once she relaxed, overwhelming drowsiness would attack. Having an extra day to rest would help adjust her condition.
At 5 AM, her routine from recent days woke her once. Her two roommates also woke up. They carefully put on shoes and went upstairs to train as usual.
Lian Sheng turned over and went back to sleep. By the time her roommates returned at noon, she had just gotten up.
Her roommate exclaimed in surprise: "You actually slept until now?"
Lian Sheng: "Didn't the instructor say it's fine?"
Roommate: "But you... really don't care at all."
Lian Sheng: "Did something happen?"
Roommate: "...Not really."
The usually aloof girl beside them said: "She's already completed all her tasks, unlike us."
Lian Sheng had indeed finished all her assignments, while they, having been delayed by initial training tasks, had only practiced the mech module for one night, so they had to make up for it during rest time.
Thinking she'd upset the aloof girl, the roommate stuck out her tongue at Lian Sheng, turned away and stopped talking.
Rest time seemed to fly by in an instant, a day passing in the blink of an eye.
The next morning, the instructor assembled everyone and divided them into four groups.
But not by school. Lian Sheng looked around and understood - it was likely by performance tiers.
Their group only had a hundred people. Lian Sheng remained the only female soldier among them.
The instructor, finding her special, moved her to the front as the group's standard-bearer.
"Fifteen minutes break every hour, one long break at noon for cooking. There will be small training sessions along the way, content unknown for now, avoid them proactively. Be quick to react." The instructor said, "Fifty kilometers, mostly mountain paths, be careful. Your backpacks are all the same, put on your cotton coats and prepare to leave base. Never lose the weapons on your packs - if you do, be mentally prepared."
On each backpack lay a heavy firearm. Though it was only a simulated weapon without lethal capability, it had certain modification value and would be troublesome if lost.
Putting on their cotton coats instantly made everyone look twice as bulky, movements becoming very inconvenient.
Lian Sheng stuffed socks into her pockets, tied shoes to her backpack, and lined up again.
The instructor waved: "Now, first squad follow me!"
Lian Sheng was in the first squad, departing first. Three instructors accompanied the group, watching the front, rear and sides.
It had been snowing for days outside, but the area near base had been promptly cleared with no accumulation.
The instructor led them upwards for over an hour without calling for rest. To maintain their elite dignity, no student spoke up.
They reached the snowy forest behind base where altitude increased and temperatures dropped further, encountering accumulated white snow.
The world was a pure white expanse, tree branches bent under the weight. Snowflakes landed on exposed faces, melting then freezing into frost. Each step sank shoes completely into the snow.
The scenery was beautiful, but Lian Sheng wasn't in the mood to appreciate it.
Too cold. Her body hated the cold.
The instructor said: "You can chat! Field marches go faster with some flirting and talking!"
The students trudged through the snow, not particularly inclined to talk. Opening their mouths just let freezing wind rush in. Having grown accustomed to base heating, the outside was terribly uncomfortable.
Lian Sheng looked down. Her feet had gone numb, shoes seemingly soaked through.
But she couldn't change them - she'd only brought one extra pair, reserved for the return trip.
"Really not going to talk to me?" The instructor turned back, "You'll regret it."
Lian Sheng met his gaze and shook her head. Suddenly she spotted what seemed like a black dot moving in the snow ahead.
"What's that?" Lian Sheng narrowed her eyes, "A person?"
The instructor immediately dropped prone. Though confused, Lian Sheng followed suit. Instinct told her to roll aside and hide.
"What are you doing? Stop playing around!" A nearby student paused, asking: "Instructor, where exactly does the distance count from? How many kilometers have we gone? Where are the others behind us? Aren't we taking the same route?"
Before he finished speaking, a barrage of bullets struck where he stood. Several students around him were hit.
"Holy shit!" Several frozen-stiff students reacted belatedly, dropping to the ground.
They reached back for their guns twice but couldn't grasp them through thick coats.
Pushing off the ground, they slid backwards to safety.
"Good! Three hits!" The instructor turned and said, "Three extra kilograms for three kilometers! Additional punishment back at base."
The students shouted in unison: "Holy shit! What the hell?!"
Instructor: "Stay alert at all times, ready to respond! Don't treat this as a combat exercise - consider it an enemy attack! Carelessness equals death! The punishment is light, didn't I tell you?"
Students roared: "No!"
Instructor: "Then that's your fault!"
"Spread out!" Lian Sheng detached her gun, holding it as she said: "One person at thirty degrees left front, I'll handle it!"
The instructor rolled on the ground: "Oh, so reliable."
Fang Jianchen in the middle hadn't seen what happened earlier. Hiding behind a roadside tree, he asked: "How many?"
"Not sure. Sounded like maybe three, a small group." Lian Sheng guessed, "Probably base instructors."
As she spoke, Lian Sheng peeked from the snow's edge, raising her gun to aim at the black dot in the distance.
Fingers stiff, she pulled the trigger. The distant figure fell.
Before she could relax, the instructor laughed loudly, slapping the ground: "One civilian mistakenly killed! Five extra kilograms for one kilometer!"
Students: "Holy shit!"
Lian Sheng joined the chorus: "Holy shit!!"
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