Chapter Forty-Three: Take a Closer Look!

The captain cast his gaze over the remaining thirty soldiers. Though their faces were weary, they brimmed with joy—they knew they had passed the selection and become special forces soldiers. Their eyes shone with anticipation, aware that what awaited them was grueling training.

“Congratulations,” the captain announced. “You have successfully passed the special forces selection. You may stay and become special forces soldiers.”

No sooner had the captain spoken than delight surged across the faces of the thirty men. With this declaration, they were officially members of the Mighty Tiger Special Forces Unit. Though they were but rookies, they were special forces soldiers nonetheless—wasn’t that enough?

“But don’t celebrate too soon,” the captain continued. “Though you may stay and call yourselves special forces recruits, whether you can become standard special forces soldiers depends on the next three months of training. It will be hellish. If anyone fails to endure or doesn’t meet the standards, they will be eliminated. Only those who persevere and pass the final assessment will become true special forces soldiers. Your journey is still long—only the strong can truly earn the title.”

He spoke in one breath, fully aware of the severity of the training and assessments. Only the strong would pass and become not just special forces soldiers, but formidable ones.

Hearing his words, the men exchanged glances; they knew the real training was about to begin, and it would be rigorous.

At that moment, Qin Feng met Liang Xiaoyu’s gaze—Liang had not been eliminated. They both understood the captain’s warning: passing the selection did not mean they were already special forces soldiers. The path ahead was long.

“All right, that’s enough for today. I imagine you’re hungry or exhausted. Go to the mess hall for a meal, rest for a day, and training begins tomorrow. Remember, the Mighty Tiger Unit needs the strong. Those with real strength excel at anything and possess true combat power. Only such men can be of service to the nation and people as special forces.”

With that, the captain turned and departed.

The thirty soldiers made their way to the mess hall; it was breakfast time. They devoured their food—bread, fries, thin porridge, boiled water—ravenously. After three days and nights in the training jungle, hunger gnawed at them, making even the simplest fare taste delicious. All they wanted was to fill their stomachs quickly.

After eating, they returned to their assigned dorms to rest, knowing tomorrow would bring the start of hellish training. Today was their only chance to recuperate, so they seized it.

Meanwhile, the captain’s phone rang. He glanced at the screen—it was his sister. He answered, “Hey, little sister, what’s up? Rare to get a call from you. Do you have some free time? Want to come visit your brother?”

“Brother, yes, I’m free these days. Didn’t you say you wanted help with training your men? I can come and help you out. What do you think?” Su Yun’s voice came from the other end.

“That’s fantastic, little sister! I just selected a batch of rookie special forces soldiers. You’re formidable, from a mysterious unit, and perfectly suited to train them. Maybe you’ll produce some excellent troops. It’s rare for you to show concern for your brother!” The captain spoke heartily. He hadn’t seen his sister in years, and now that she was coming to help, he was pleased.

“Brother, I can help, but I don’t want anyone to know about it. I’ll tell others I’m traveling for leisure. Can you manage that? If so, I’ll come; if not, forget it,” Su Yun replied. She knew her brother’s temperament—he cared for her deeply. She felt her whereabouts needed to be kept secret to avoid unnecessary trouble.

“Don’t worry, I won’t let those spoiled heirs bother you, nor will I reveal your whereabouts. No one will know—I can guarantee it,” the captain promised. He sensed something unusual but, out of sibling affection, didn’t press further. He knew Su Yun well; she was from a mysterious unit, and secrecy was sometimes necessary. He didn’t want her to be harassed by those insignificant young men.

The captain considered Su Yun’s arrival a good thing; he could see her and let her train the soldiers. He said, “Little sister, I’ll be awaiting your arrival at the Mighty Tiger Special Forces Unit. The military district hasn’t produced a top sniper in years. If you can come, it will be wonderful. This year’s national special forces competition—I’m counting on you. We’ve been at the bottom for years; maybe this year we can improve our ranking.”

For years, his military district had languished at the bottom of the national special forces competition. If he could cultivate an outstanding sniper, perhaps the rankings would change.

“All right, it’s settled. I’ll come,” Su Yun agreed. She was willing to teach snipers, and according to her intelligence, Qin Feng was also in the Mighty Tiger Unit, having passed selection as a rookie.

“Brother, that border soldier who was on the mission with me last time—did he participate in the special forces selection?” Su Yun asked.

“Yes, he passed and is now a rookie special forces soldier. Why do you ask?” the captain replied, sensing something unusual.

“He saved me last time. He’s a good soldier. If he passed, it shows his strength. If he makes it through training, his abilities will grow. I just wanted to check,” Su Yun said.

“Uh?” the captain responded, “Just checking?”

“Yes, just checking,” Su Yun affirmed. “Nothing else. I’ll hang up now. Tomorrow I’ll arrive at the Mighty Tiger Unit training base on time.”

“Very well,” the captain replied, then hung up. He wondered if there was more to this than he knew, and considered investigating, but knowing his sister’s temperament and abilities, decided to keep his curiosity to himself. Her help in training special forces made him happy.