Chapter 9: The Sparring Match

Chapter 9: The Competition

On the 400-meter obstacle course, amidst the deafening cheers and shouts of encouragement, two sergeants sprinted across the finish line almost simultaneously.

"Tsk... another tie!" someone muttered with dissatisfaction regarding the result.

"The squad leaders of the First and Second Squads are like this every time; they have to compete over everything, yet they never seem to determine a winner."

Hearing their discussion, Xu Qiao nudged Yin Li beside her. "What’s the situation here?"

Seeing that she was uncharacteristically curious, Yin Li felt as if he had found a kindred spirit. He gestured as he explained, "You wouldn't know this, but they are actually from the same hometown. Not only did they enlist in the same year, but they were also trained by the same squad leader."

"Both are incredibly stubborn. Since they were recruits, they’ve wanted to outdo each other, but whether it’s hand-to-hand combat, physical fitness, marksmanship, or military skills, they’ve always been evenly matched. They’ve never been able to settle the score."

"When they were just privates after being assigned to their companies, it was fine—it was just a personal rivalry."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "But later, when they became squad leaders one after the other, the First Squad leader resented that the other had been promoted first, and the Second Squad leader resented that the other was the leader of the First Squad. Now, it’s not just about personal ability anymore."

"Everything is a competition: squad training results, competition scores, the quality of their recruits—they compare it all."

He pointed ahead. "It’s just like what you see now. Whenever the First and Second Squads meet, they have to contend over everything."

Anyone familiar with the 400-meter obstacle course knows that you cannot go all-out on the first 100-meter sprint, or you won't be able to finish the rest.

Without pausing for even a second, one of them accelerated, used the momentum, and vaulted over the obstacle.

Squad Leader Wu’s stern face softened slightly. "Not bad. That looks like a soldier. You’ll be competing against the Third Squad shortly."

Soon, the men from the first two squads finished their trials. There were wins and losses, but overall, it was a draw.

Listening to Cheng Yifei’s fierce tone, Xu Qiao didn't have to guess to know that she would definitely pull out all the stops to embarrass her in the upcoming match.

A month of training had not only greatly improved her physical fitness but also given her exposure to various forms of military training.

Much like the 400-meter obstacle course before her—which used to consist of nothing more than a few low posts and stone structures—it had now evolved into a complex facility specifically designed for physical conditioning.

Xu Qiao’s sensitivity to the sound of the starting pistol was even sharper than that of the veterans; her reaction was swift, and the moment the shot rang out, she bolted forward.

"The female soldiers' squad should be training in a moment. You’ve been training with us cooks all this time, so it’s hard to tell how good you are. Go compete with the female soldiers!"

"Huh?" Xu Qiao was stunned.

Her recent transformation, however, was known to very few. Only the people in the mess squad knew about her daily training.

When Xu Qiao had been back with the unit for nearly a month, she finally caught such an opportunity.

At least the people in the Third Squad hadn't paid much attention to her since that infamous incident. They weren't really in the same squad anymore—they just lived together. As long as she didn't run off and cause trouble, it had nothing to do with them.

She had dabbled in these exercises in her past life, but after so many years, they had undergone significant improvements, so she had to relearn them.

Cheng Yifei, upon hearing this, shook off the other person's hand. "What do you mean 'we're in the same squad'? Hasn't she dragged us down enough already?"

"Sister Yifei, don't be like that. We're all in the same squad." Du Jianing had enlisted a year after Xu Qiao, but she was younger and considered the little sister of the squad.

As she spoke, she looked up and met Xu Qiao’s gaze. After a brief moment of awkwardness, she immediately returned to normal.

Although Cheng Yifei wasn't as excellent as the two squad leaders from earlier, her results among the female soldiers were considered top-tier. The outcome of a match against Xu Qiao was predictable.

Thinking about it, she couldn't help but smile. "This is actually quite interesting."

Hearing her words, she laughed. "A lesson might be good for her, otherwise her ego will reach the heavens."

Xu Qiao was a bit of a minor celebrity in the company; almost everyone knew the details of her past behavior.

With these dangers and jokes, Xu Qiao’s progress became increasingly evident. In just one month, she could already complete the 400-meter obstacle course according to the requirements.

Cheng Yifei looked at her in disbelief. "You want to compete with me?"

The two were speaking quite loudly, and the Third Squad was standing right next to them, hearing every word clearly.

Guan Yuqi could be considered the only one in the Third Squad who knew that Xu Qiao not only trained with the mess squad but also snuck in extra training on her own.

The 400-meter obstacle course required not only technique and speed but also the ability to pace one's energy. Otherwise, not only would it be impossible to finish, but one could also get hurt during the climbing sections. Many veterans would rather run five kilometers than practice this.

With a roll and a push of her hands against the ground, she vaulted up and sprinted toward the next obstacle.

Understanding the squad leader's meaning, the others looked at her in disbelief. "Xu Qiao is going to teach Cheng Yifei a lesson?"

But Xu Qiao was so fast that it caught her off guard, and she was unknowingly dragged into a faster pace.

This was a real eye-opener for her. She saw that even though the modern soldiers hadn't been tempered by the fires of war, they were certainly not lacking.

Xu Qiao hadn't understood these things when she first started; she had nearly fallen off the high-low boards and made a fool of herself by getting stuck in the deep pit.

Seeing her expression, one could really tell she felt insulted by being challenged by Xu Qiao.

"Bang!" The starting pistol fired.

Her performance made Cheng Yifei’s face look even uglier. She spat out, "Just you wait!"

But Xu Qiao wanted to see exactly how big the gap was between them. The better Cheng Yifei performed, the more it would show.

"What, are you scared?" Xu Qiao was quick to learn, using a taunt immediately.

Although her speed couldn't match the two squad leaders from earlier, she had barely managed to reach the passing standard.

However, Squad Leader Wu realized that training alone without comparison wouldn't work, so he occasionally took the time to let everyone spar with one another.

He glanced at her and ignored her. "You foodie, you can be bought with just a bit of good food."

Yet, the fact that Xu Qiao had initiated the challenge sparked a bit of curiosity in them.

Having trained for so long, Xu Qiao knew which events were simple and relied on raw fitness, and which were difficult, requiring a balance of strength and technique.

"What 'huh'? Are you afraid?" Squad Leader Wu glared at her.

He glanced at her and ignored her.

She suddenly felt that not only was it not annoying, but she actually quite liked this feeling.

Guan Yuqi didn't say much, just pointed into the distance. "Whether she can or not, just keep watching and you'll see."

And so, to the anticipation of everyone, the two reached the starting line.

Xu Qiao didn't answer his question; her gaze subconsciously shifted to the two of them and the soldiers of their two squads, who looked as energized as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

However, today, no one seemed to care about who won between them.

She looked at Xu Qiao with a righteous air. "What are you looking at? Was I wrong?"

This time, it wasn't Xu Qiao whose expression changed.

Xu Qiao had heard every detail, and only now did she understand why these two seemed to push themselves harder than anyone else.

"Oh no, Yifei's rhythm is being disrupted." The veterans of the Third Squad knew her best and saw at a glance that Cheng Yifei’s speed was faster than usual.

"Her? Competing on the 400-meter obstacle course?" At that moment, a mocking voice rose. "Can she even finish 400 meters?"

Xu Qiao followed the voice; she hadn't misheard. It was indeed Cheng Yifei speaking in that sarcastic tone.

"What a joke. Why would I be afraid of you?" Cheng Yifei glared at her angrily. "Don't come crying to your mother when you lose!"

Just as she was staring at their training movements on the field, she suddenly heard someone call her name.

Xu Qiao didn't bother arguing with her; at a time like this, it was about proving oneself with ability—anything else was just empty talk.

"Interesting?" Yin Li glanced at her helplessly. "This is your first time seeing it, so you think it’s fresh. Once you've seen it enough, you'll get annoyed."

"I dare!" Xu Qiao responded instinctively. Once asked, that inner spark of hers flared up. "Why wouldn't I dare? They aren't necessarily better than me."

Xu Qiao laughed, ignored her, and returned to the formation.

Xu Qiao laughed instead of getting angry. "Since you think I can't even finish the 400 meters, why don't we have a race in a moment?"

By now, Xu Qiao had already cleared the first obstacle. Cheng Yifei wasn't any slower than her, but she was still a step behind. By the time she cleared the five-step piles, Xu Qiao had already jumped into the deep pit.

The nature of the mess squad's work made it hard for them to train at the same time as everyone else; most of it happened after meals or during evening breaks.

Exchanging a glance, Cheng Yifei sneered, looking entirely confident in her victory.

Such nimble movements drew a series of gasps from the crowd below.

Her movements weren't exactly graceful, nor were they professional enough to be shocking. Compared to the two squad leaders from earlier, she was still clearly lacking.

But what was shocking was that these movements were performed by Xu Qiao—the same Xu Qiao who, not long ago, might not have even been able to finish the 400 meters. Now, she could clear obstacles and leap into pits so cleanly. How could they not be surprised?

Just as everyone’s attention was drawn to Xu Qiao’s movements, no one noticed that Cheng Yifei had been slower than her since the very first obstacle.