novelzi Chapter 5 - Training in the Snow—A Reckoning for Xiao Zhuang
Chapter 5 - Training in the Snow—A Reckoning for Xiao Zhuang
Chapter Five: Training in the Snow—A Reckoning for Xiao Zhuang
“About turn!”
“Right turn!”
“March in step!”
The drill commands rang out across the recruit training ground, barked by seasoned veterans.
The new recruits, standing in formation, were undergoing their basic drill training.
As Lin Yi and Zhuang Yan had enlisted during the winter recruitment, they arrived just as December neared its end.
The temperature had plummeted, and snowflakes fluttered down from the overcast sky.
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“Smack!”
A weaker recruit collapsed, his body trembling with cold.
Two veteran soldiers rushed forward, lifting him off the ground and carrying him to the medical room.
Zheng Sanpao glanced at his watch.
“Forty-five minutes.”
Then, he scanned the remaining recruits.
“Anyone ready to admit they’re weak?”
“Step forward if you are.”
Silence.
“No one? Still think you’re all tough men?”
Zheng Sanpao’s voice hardened.
“Wrong. You’re all weaklings.
“Not just weaklings—worse than weaklings.”
Guh... guh...
Chen Xiwa’s teeth chattered violently, his entire body shivering.
The other recruits were no better—quivering from the freezing cold.
Yet Lin Yi remained steadfast, standing as tall and firm as a pine tree.
With his golden entry, Supreme Titan of Competition, he was completely unfazed by the environment.
In just a few days, he had mastered drill training to the level of a seasoned soldier.
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“Sergeant!”
Zhuang Yan’s voice rang out, clear and strong.
“Admitting defeat?”
Zheng Sanpao glanced at him, his expression unreadable.
“Step forward.”
Zhuang Yan marched a step forward, his voice unwavering.
“I’m not admitting defeat. I have a question.”@@@@
“Ask.”
Zheng Sanpao’s tone was calm.
“If we’re weaklings—then what does that make you?”
“A weakling sergeant?”
His words were delivered with perfect seriousness.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then—
“Pfft!”
Lin Yi couldn’t help but chuckle.
By the time the morning training ended, every recruit had been pushed to their limits. The experience would stay with them forever.
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Back at the barracks, Zhuang Yan collapsed onto his bed, lying sprawled out like a lord of leisure.
“Xiao Zhuang!”
Chen Xiwa rushed over in alarm, shaking him.
“Get up! The sergeant might come in any second!”
“I’m not getting up.”
Zhuang Yan waved him off.
“Even if you put a gun to my head, I’m not moving.”
His voice was laced with exhaustion and defiance.
“That sergeant is insane.”
“Other squads have decent leaders.”
“But ours? He’s trying to kill us.”
“I quit.”
“No, no, no!”
Chen Xiwa’s panic grew.
“Keep your voice down!”
“Get up—don’t let anyone hear!”
But Zhuang Yan only got louder.
“Only cowards eavesdrop!”
“Enough!”
A cold voice cut through the room.
Lin Yi yanked Chen Xiwa away and stood in front of Zhuang Yan, his expression frosty.
“I thought you just had some emotional baggage.”
“Turns out you’re just a weakling.”
“What did you just say?”
Zhuang Yan bolted upright, eyes burning.
“Am I wrong?”
Lin Yi’s voice was razor-sharp.
“Future director? Drama Academy student?”
He scoffed.
“A real man carries responsibility.”
“Love is important—but what about duty?”
“You’re no longer a civilian. You’re a soldier.”
“Your actions don’t just affect you.”
“They affect your squad. The entire recruit battalion. Thousands of soldiers across the country.”
“Even the girl you love wouldn’t want a teammate who holds others back.”
Zhuang Yan’s face twisted, his emotions raging inside him. But Lin Yi wasn’t finished.
“You can quit anytime—you have a university waiting for you.”
“But what about them?”
“Ask Chen Xiwa if he wants to leave.”
“Xiao Zhuang...”
Chen Xiwa met his gaze, his voice unwavering.
“I want to stay.”
And around them—the other recruits’ eyes burned with the same resolve. For them, this wasn’t just about service. It was their only choice.