Chapter 20

His Great-grandfather was conscripted by the National Army during the War of Resistance, so that counts as having someone in the family who served as a soldier.

This question was quite profound.

As Wang Ye was doing push-ups, a sudden message interrupted his train of thought: “Ding, mission completed!” He immediately halted his exercise and turned to Ye Sanshi, his workout partner, seeking an explanation for this strange occurrence.

“What’s going on? Why is he looking at me in such a different light now? Have I earned his admiration?” Wang Ye wondered, perplexed by the unexpected shift in attitude.

He had thought that sticking his neck out just moments ago would earn him some accolades. But even after completing almost a hundred push-ups, he had failed to accomplish his assigned task. Yet now, with a few simple inquiries, Ye Sanshi regarded him with newfound esteem.

Wang Ye mused that his previous question about their family’s military history was quite profound. And now, this current moment felt like something out of a novel – filled with intrigue and a newfound sense of respect between the two men.

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Wang Ye had initially believed that standing up for a fellow recruit would change the way he was perceived. However, after performing almost a hundred push-ups and failing to complete his mission, he realized this wasn’t the case. But now, after simply asking a few questions, Ye Sanshi regarded him with newfound respect, leaving Wang Ye puzzled about what Blackface Ye was thinking.

Nonetheless, Wang Ye decided to let it go and focus on completing the mission. With a single thought, an additional column appeared in his attribute list: [Skill Points: 1]. He was tempted to use this point to level up his skills and see how it felt.

However, Wang Ye quickly suppressed the impulse, knowing that it would be a loss to use it so early on. He wasn’t one to make impulsive decisions; after all, he had played games before and knew the importance of strategy and patience.

Naturally, he would save these attribute points for the future. Only when the difficulty of leveling up the skill increased would he be able to maximize the benefits.

Wang Ye pondered whether it would be wasteful to use his limited experience points now. While he wasn’t a miser, he knew that using them prematurely would hinder his progress. He realized that these points were just data if not utilized to enhance his abilities.

“Don’t be lazy, continue!”

As he was deep in thought, Ye Sanshi, who had just stood up, kicked him in the waist. Despite the pain in his arm, Wang Ye quickly resumed his push-ups, acknowledging Ye Sanshi’s leadership.

“Yes, sir!”

Wang Ye replied. Although his arm was very swollen and sore, he still quickly lay down.

“Smart, sensible, and efficient – you’re a sharp recruit who understands the times,” Ye Sanshi thought, smiling at Wang Ye. Soldiers naturally appreciated those who were intelligent and sensible.

Although it was commonly said that the army enjoyed troublemakers, it was because life in the barracks could be monotonous, and troublemakers could add some excitement. However, Ye Sanshi knew that in reality, soldiers preferred recruits who were obedient, competent, and reliable.

Although dealing with troublemakers could be satisfying, soldiers knew that it was much better to have obedient, sensible, and highly capable recruits. Although Wang Ye didn’t appear to be a perfect soldier, he felt a bit anxious. Nonetheless, he knew that as long as he followed orders, everything would be fine. In the army, obedience was the most significant asset a soldier could have.

As the other squads reported their completion of the mission, Wang Ye also exclaimed, “Report, I’m done!”

Since Ye Sanshi was in class five, they didn’t have to report to him. They could stop after doing fifty push-ups. However, the other class monitors had different instructions, so some recruits rushed to finish and immediately reported once they were done.

With the first demonstration, the others understood what to do and reported one by one. Finally, after enduring the soreness and trembling in his arms, Wang Ye managed to finish a hundred push-ups. However, he pushed himself further and did a few more.

When he first got down, he had already done two push-ups before his consciousness began to focus on his attribute list. Now, Wang Ye’s attention was fixed on the attribute list as he did a few more push-ups.

Sure enough, after doing the fourth push-up, the experience points for the push-up skill increased from one to two. It seemed that the experience points gained from doing push-ups were fifty for one point.

Once Wang Ye confirmed the experience points gained from doing push-ups, he stopped and immediately reported, “Report, I’m done!” He propped himself up on the ground and turned to Ye Sanshi nearby.

After Wang Ye got up, Deng Hai also reported, “Report! I’m done.”

Deng Hai’s physical fitness seemed to be on par with Wang Ye’s. They both had to grit their teeth and persevere through the 100 push-ups. In fact, at least half of the recruits were in the same situation.

Not everyone came from a sports school or had a background in athletics. The majority were ordinary people who had joined the army for various reasons.

Soon, only a few recruits were still lying on the ground in front of the dormitory building. Ye Sanshi urged them, “Get up! Do you want to be a piece of shit?” He gave them a choice, “If you can’t do the push-ups, then get up and run 3,000 meters. You can use your feet if your hands can’t do it. It’s your choice!”

Some of the remaining recruits seemed unable to get up, as their hands trembled continuously while lying on the ground. Some even lay there motionless, enduring the scolding or even kicks from the veteran squad leaders.

Eventually, the veteran squad leaders stopped pressuring them. However, the alternative choice given by Ye Sanshi was equally daunting. Running 3,000 meters was no easy feat, especially for those who struggled with just a hundred push-ups.

Ye Sanshi was relentless in his training methods, determined to push the recruits to their limits. He wouldn’t stop until they were fully prepared for what lay ahead in their military careers.

Wang Ye was actually eager to run the 3,000 meters. He wanted to upgrade his running skills. However, he knew it wasn’t wise to stand out at this moment. In the army, it was all about timing and strategy.

It was none of his business and if he said that they were comrades and offered to run for the sake of unity, it might lead to the other recruits ostracizing him on the second day of enlistment.

Eventually, the remaining recruits pushed themselves to get up and continue with the push-ups. Only two chose to run the 3,000 meters.

Wu Jianfeng stood up. “You guys are the worst batch of soldiers I had ever seen. Perhaps it’s because living conditions in society are better now that you’re a group of young masters and soldiers. Look at you, what do you look like after doing a hundred push-ups? There was actually someone who couldn’t even do a hundred push-ups. To be honest, I can’t bear to watch, and I don’t want to bring you guys along. Shit. You’re all a bunch of shits. You can’t be raised as good-for-nothings who only know how to eat, right, especially as young masters at home?”

Wu Jianfeng’s words did not have the slightest hint of euphemism; they directly pierced the hearts of the recruits. It was obvious that some recruits were not convinced by his words.

“Report, sir!” As expected, some people couldn’t stand the stimulation and spoke up. Wang Ye looked over and noticed it was someone from class three.

“Speak!” Wu Jianfeng also turned his attention to the recruit.

“Sir, I don’t think we’re trash. You can call out one of us or even name us, but most of us have already done push-ups. Even if you make us do another hundred, we won’t be afraid.” The recruit reported confidently.

After a pause, the recruit spoke again, “Also, I’m not a young master. My family is from the countryside. I’ve been helping out since I was young, and I’ve suffered before, so I can endure hardship.”

“Then do another hundred for me to see,” Wu Jianfeng said, obviously not playing by the rules. The recruit’s expression froze. At that moment, he must have wanted to say, “I’m just saying. Is this the main point? The main point is that I’m not a young master. I can endure hardship, okay?”

“Done!” Despite being annoyed by the captain’s ability to twist his words, the recruit remained confident that he could do a hundred push-ups. In fact, he came from a martial arts school and would not be afraid to do another hundred.

He immediately got down and started doing push-ups.

“Is there anyone else who wants to prove that they’re not a young master and not a good-for-nothing? If so, get down and do another hundred push-ups for me to see,” Wu Jianfeng challenged the rest of the recruits.

…