After forcing himself through ten rounds of shooting, Cheng Lian looked like he’d just been pulled out of a pool.
The hand hanging at his side trembled faintly.
But outwardly, his expression remained calm and composed, as if nothing were amiss.
When everyone else finished shooting, belated applause broke out across the range.
Of course, the applause wasn’t for him, it was all for Jiang Fuyue.
“Is Sister Yue using the Type 81 rifle like a machine gun?”
“When she went rat-tat-tat, I thought an excavator had shown up at the range.”
“Regardless of her score, just the way she pulled that trigger, clean, sharp, so d*mn cool!”
“When a woman’s that handsome, men can pack it up.”
“Sister Yue yyds! (Forever the God!)”
“What do I do? I wanna have her babies!”
“…That’s not necessary.”
Liang Jingzhou’s lane was between Jiang Fuyue and Cheng Lian.
So he saw Jiang Fuyue’s entire sequence more clearly than Cheng Lian did.
And he was dumbfounded.
That’s it?
Was she even aiming or just firing at random?
Listening to the people around him shower her with praise, Liang Jingzhou’s face was full of “???”.
Jiang Fuyue was clearly just half-*ssing it, how could anyone think that was cool? Were these people blind?
Thinking that, he walked over to Cheng Lian to console him. “Relax, man. You’ve totally got this one in the bag.”
Cheng Lian frowned, his eyes strange. “And what makes you think that?”
“Come on. Jiang Fuyue was so perfunctory! You really think she can hit every target? As long as she doesn’t miss completely, that’d already be a miracle.”
Cheng Lian said mildly, “Until the results are out, anything’s possible.”
“Oh please, did you see her just now? That random rat-tat-tat?”
Cheng Lian: “…”
Meanwhile, Jiang Fuyue had stepped back behind the line after finishing. She was calmly sipping water, waiting for the results, her composure unshakable.
Liang Jingzhou watched her and shook his head with a sigh. “She’s gotten cocky.”
Soon, the results were tallied. The instructor glanced down at the score sheet then suddenly froze, his expression flickering before he looked up sharply at the crowd.
A second later, he resumed his usual calm. “Announcing Group 12’s shooting results.”
“Liu Jiawei: 10 rings. Mai Leqi: 22 rings. Zeng Xiaokai: 42 rings…”
“Whoa! Forty-two rings?!”
“So impressive!”
The instructor continued, “Tang Zhouqi: missed. Wei Tianxun: missed. Wu Xiaoxiao: missed…”
“Tsk…”
“All zeros. Brutal.”
“And now Liang Jingzhou: missed. Cheng Lian: 97 rings.”
Boom!
“Ninety-seven?! Seriously?!”
“D*mn, Cheng-shao’s insane!”
“Just three short of perfect, so jealous~”
“That’s ridiculous skill.”
Then, the instructor spoke again—
“Jiang Fuyue: 110 rings. Full marks.”
The range went dead silent.
“…110? How’s that possible?”
“Ten bullets, even if every one hit the bullseye, that’s only 100! Where’d the extra 10 come from? Did she steal them?!”
“Yeah! That’s not scientific!”
“Instructor, could there be a mistake?”
“Maybe he read it wrong?”
“……”
The murmuring spread like wildfire.
“Quiet!” The instructor’s sharp command cut through the noise, and everyone fell silent.
“Jiang Fuyue’s original score was 100 rings. However, someone next to her missed their target and hit her board instead, adding 10 more rings.”
“Ohhh, that’s what happened!”
“Doesn’t matter, Sister Yue still got full marks. Untouchable!”
“I’ve said ‘badass’ so many times my tongue’s tired.”
“Same.”
“So… who’s the unlucky one that missed?”
“Whoever was next to Sister Yue, that’s who!”
In an instant, all eyes turned toward Liang Jingzhou.
Liang Jingzhou: “?” Wait, the clown… was me?
——
When Group 13 came up, the instructor walked past Jiang Fuyue and paused. “You’ve practiced before?”
“Mm.”
“No wonder…”
“Good aim,” he said, “but you rushed it a bit.”
Jiang Fuyue replied, “As long as it hits.”
Instructor: “…”
“What school are you from?”
“Ming University.”
He blinked, slightly surprised. “…Not bad.”
After the shooting drills, the morning training wrapped up.
Unsurprisingly, Jiang Fuyue ranked first.
Cheng Lian only placed third because Liu Sisi hit a perfect 100 and secured second place.
Cen Qiaoqiao sighed, “Sister Yue and Sisi don’t even have to train this afternoon… I’m literally drooling with envy.”
Huo Fanjin pouted. “If I’d known, I would’ve learned shooting too…”
After lunch came nap time.
A whistle blew for the others to gather, but Jiang Fuyue and Liu Sisi slept in until they woke up naturally.
When the instructor came around to check the dorms, he didn’t make a fuss this time.
He quietly opened their door, peeked inside, and just as quietly closed it again.
By noon, the story of Jiang Fuyue and Liu Sisi both scoring perfect marks had spread through the entire camp—
Not only among the trainees, but even the higher-ups had heard.
At first, they thought it must be from some military college student. But upon inquiry, they turned out to be ordinary students from Ming University!
And female students, no less!
First shock, Ming University? Wasn’t that the so-called “chicken college” (a no-name school)?
If it weren’t for being located in Shilin District, it never would’ve made the seven-school joint training list.
Second shock, ordinary students outperforming military cadets? That was… embarrassing.
And third, two girls completely crushing a bunch of guys? Straight out of a webnovel heroine fantasy.
In any case, the names Jiang Fuyue and Liu Sisi were now famous across all seven schools.
Among the new freshmen, they were the hot topic—
“Ah! Jiang Fuyue? Yeah, I’ve heard of her…”
“And Liu Sisi, she looks all delicate, but once she acts, she’s basically a human weapon.”
“Right? Both from Ming University.”
When the two woke up, it was still early.
They took their basins and toiletries to the bathhouse.
After a long, refreshing shower, they even borrowed a hairdryer from the dorm manager.
Huo Fanjin and Cen Qiaoqiao were still out training. Those two, one a pampered heiress, the other a spoiled princess, couldn’t stand not showering at night.
So they’d resorted to shameless coaxing and sweet talk—
“Sister Yue, you’re so kind. You wouldn’t just let us get all stinky, right?”
“I mean, sure, we can handle being smelly but if we stink up you and Sisi, that’d be terrible, don’t you think?”
“So please, oh gentle, lovely, elegant, and generous Sister Yue, could you bring us a few bottles of hot water after your shower this afternoon?”
“One, two, three, salute!”
“Thanks, love you! Mwah~”
And before Jiang Fuyue or Liu Sisi could even reply, they bolted.
Jiang Fuyue: “…”
Liu Sisi: “…”
Last time, they’d fetched four bottles of hot water for Cen Qiaoqiao. Now, with Huo Fanjin added, four wouldn’t be enough.
Liu Sisi said, “But we only have four thermoses.”
Each dorm got exactly one per person.
Jiang Fuyue said, “Then let’s just fill all four first.”
“Okay.”
They picked up the thermoses and headed to the hot-water room.
During off-training hours, that place was usually packed, no room to move. But right now, it was empty.
The staff lady waved a hand. “Go ahead, fill as much as you want.”
They quickly filled all four bottles, and on their way back, they happened to run into Cheng Lian.
He was coming from the men’s bathhouse path, wearing a T-shirt and shorts, flip-flops on his feet, a towel around his neck.
His hair was damp, droplets clinging to the ends, catching the sunlight in glimmering arcs.
They stopped short when they saw each other.
Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow.
His gaze flickered slightly, carrying a hint of avoidance.
After a pause, as though he’d made up his mind, he stepped forward, jaw tightening, his tone low and slightly hoarse. “This morning… I lost.”
Jiang Fuyue said nothing, simply looked him over with calm detachment.
Among the four of them, Liang Jingzhou was the goofy one; Gu Huaiyu looked like a gentleman but wasn’t one in full; Li Chen prided himself on his intelligence but was actually a sore loser.
As for Cheng Lian…
He was the one with the most thoughts, the most hidden depths.
Put plainly, he was “scheming.”
And people like that tended to be proud.
Losing was one thing, but admitting it outright? Not a chance.
So when Cheng Lian stood there before her and said “I lost” without flinching, Jiang Fuyue was, admittedly, a little surprised.
“A bet’s a bet,” he said.
The wager: kneel and call her “dad,” and from now on, be her lackey.
Cheng Lian: “I acknowledge it.”
Then, to everyone’s surprise, he actually bent his knee. Liu Sisi’s eyes widened, would someone like him really kneel?
She couldn’t help sneaking a glance at Jiang Fuyue, wondering if she’d let it slide.
But when Cheng Lian truly went down on one knee and called out a clear “Dad,” Jiang Fuyue didn’t stop him, she merely turned slightly aside, refusing the full formality of the gesture.
Liu Sisi once again saw, firsthand, what “Jiang Fuyue keeps her word” really meant.
She didn’t waver based on who someone was or what background they came from.
If she said one, it would never become two.
Yes, this was exactly her.
Cheng Lian had expected Jiang Fuyue not to show mercy, but when he actually went down on his knee, he still felt a flash of disbelief—
Disbelief that she would truly let him kneel, and disbelief that he’d actually done it.
Even if it was only one knee, and only for a second…
It was still humiliating.
But to go back on his word, to be someone who couldn’t afford to lose that would be even more shameful.
“All right,” he said, standing up and brushing the dust off his knee. “I’ve done as promised. We’re square.”
He turned to leave.
“Who said that?” Jiang Fuyue’s voice cut in.
Cheng Lian looked back. “What do you mean?”
“You knelt and called me dad, that’s one thing, and I’ll give you credit for keeping your word. But what about the second part?”
She was referring to the part about being her little brother from now on.
Cheng Lian frowned.
But before he could respond, Jiang Fuyue asked, “How many thermos bottles does your dorm have?”
“…Four.”
“Go get them all. I’m requisitioning them.”
Cheng Lian was baffled.
But he still obeyed.
Soon he came back carrying all four bottles, placing them before her. “What do you want with these?”
“Now,” Jiang Fuyue said calmly, “pick them up and follow me.”
Cheng Lian: “…”
Two minutes later, the three of them arrived at the hot water room.
Only then did Cheng Lian realize, he’d become a free water carrier.
Well… at least everyone else was off training. Only Jiang Fuyue, Liu Sisi, and he were here.
Maybe it wasn’t that embarrassing, since no one was watching.
Four bottles plus four more, eight total. That would be plenty for Huo Fanjin and Cen Qiaoqiao.
Once the task was done, Cheng Lian was dismissed.
When Jiang Fuyue gave orders, she didn’t hold back at all. Son of a board member? Heir to a wealthy family? To her, he was just a little brother now.
And a little brother should know his place.
Liu Sisi gave her a thumbs-up, “You’re ruthless.”
Jiang Fuyue was unfazed. “He agreed to it himself.”
Whether kneeling to call her dad or becoming her lackey, it was all Cheng Lian’s own word. No one forced him.
If you gamble, you have to be ready to lose.
That’s what separates a human from an animal, being accountable for your words and actions.
So why should she show mercy?
——
By evening, training ended.
Huo Fanjin and Cen Qiaoqiao returned to the dorm to see eight full thermos bottles lined up proudly in the center.
Cen Qiaoqiao gasped, “Ah! We can bathe! Long live Sister Yue! Long live husband!”
At the word “husband,” Liu Sisi nearly choked.
Huo Fanjin clasped her hands dramatically. “Ah~ Hot water, my light of life, my dream lover~”
Then—
“Wait, where’d the extra four bottles come from?”
Liu Sisi: “Looted.”
“From where? I wanna loot some too!”
“You can’t.”
Huo Fanjin pouted. “Why not?”
“Because you don’t have a little brother.”
“…What happened this afternoon that I don’t know about?”
——
Meanwhile, in the boys’ dorm.
“Eh? Where’d the thermos under the table go?” Liang Jingzhou rummaged around but couldn’t find it.
Li Chen: “Isn’t it right there?”
“Where? Look for yourself.”
Li Chen glanced down, indeed, it was gone. “Huh. No idea. I didn’t take it.”
Liang Jingzhou turned to Gu Huaiyu.
“Thermos? Haven’t touched it. What’d you need it for?”
“Too many people in the bathhouse line. I was gonna fetch some hot water to rinse off.”
Gu Huaiyu clicked his tongue. “Forget it, the hot water room’s probably packed too.”
Liang Jingzhou groaned dramatically. “I swear I’m starting to smell like a corpse! D*mn it—”
Then he muttered, “Old Cheng’s the lucky one. No training this afternoon, straight to the bathhouse, no lines, no waiting.”
“Oh right, Old Cheng, did you see our dorm’s thermos bottles?”
Cheng Lian didn’t lift his head. Still folding his blanket with mechanical precision, he replied, “Didn’t see them.”
“What? How could they just disappear? I swear I saw them before we gathered this afternoon, they were right under the table!”
Liang Jingzhou muttered to himself, searched again, and indeed found nothing.
“This is freakin’ haunted!”
Cheng Lian’s eyelashes trembled slightly but he said nothing, and kept folding.
——
Huo Fanjin and Cen Qiaoqiao enjoyed their blissful hot baths, completely content.
“I never thought,” Huo Fanjin sighed, “that one day I’d feel more happiness from a hot bath than from buying a limited-edition Hermès.”
Cen Qiaoqiao, towel in hand, replied, “At this moment, you could offer me ten Hermès bags, and I still wouldn’t trade my hot water.”
By 7:30 p.m., the sun had set, but the sky still glowed red.
Floodlights came on over the training field. All seven schools’ students sat cross-legged on the ground, while the instructor stood at the front, lyrics sheet in hand.
“Tonight’s task: no running, no drills. Just singing! We’re learning a military song. Listen carefully and remember the lyrics. I’ll be checking, so no slacking! I sing a line, you follow.”
Soon, the song ‘Unity Is Strength’ rang through the open field.
Don’t be fooled by Hao Dazhi’s booming voice and harsh scolding—when he sang, he actually sounded good.
His rough, smoke-tinged tone carried the song’s boldness and power perfectly.
“Unity is strength…”
“This strength is iron…”
“This strength is steel…”
Singers perform with their voices; musicians with their instruments. But soldiers, soldiers sing with their blood.
The song ‘Unity Is Strength’ rang out with passion and fire, honoring the fallen and the brave.
At first, everyone sang half-jokingly, but soon the laughter faded, replaced by solemn focus.
Their weak voices grew louder, stronger.
No one laughed anymore. No one chatted. Everyone sang with genuine respect for the martyrs who came before.
After several rounds, Hao Dazhi asked, “Everyone memorized the lyrics? Good. Now, random checks.”
“…”
Instantly, the passion cooled, and the emotion vanished.
By the time they finished, it was nearly ten.
The moon hung high, the night breeze cool.
At dismissal, Hao Dazhi suddenly announced, “Tomorrow’s a special operations theory class. No morning assembly, go straight to the lecture hall.”
