Chapter 160: Automatic Counterattack
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
That evening, the entire company of recruits was subjected to intense torment.
This was because they were called for more than ten emergency assemblies throughout the night.
Sleep was a rare luxury.
Many didn’t even dare to undress or open their backpacks.
However, the class leaders were relentless, forcing everyone to strip, unpack, and lie on their beds.
After a while, the soul-seizing whistle sounded again.
Pain.
They allowed themselves half an hour of respite, paying for it with a night of suffering.
Wang Ye endured the most.
He hadn’t given in, yet ended up having to consume a large bowl of rice and endure an entire night alongside the rest.
The following day, just before the exercise session began, Wu Jianfeng held an award ceremony for Wang Ye.
But there was no joy in this ceremony.
The entire company of recruits appeared dejected, and even Wang Ye himself was no exception.
The commendation failed to uplift anyone’s spirits.
Of course, the reward didn’t excite him either, but five kilometers was manageable.
A rugged five-kilometer cross-country run. Eyes were bloodshot from the exertion.
“You have two hours, only two hours.
No removal of clothing or equipment. Finding a spot to rest was the challenge.” In the woods, at the end of the five-kilometer run, Wu Jianfeng didn’t rally everyone as they finished. Instead, he ordered them to rest and sleep.
He continued, “We’re a field army. War is imminent. We won’t know where we’ll fight or how long we’ll be in the wild.
In war, no one would have the luxury of setting up tents or comfortable beds.
Napping on the spot would be a luxury in itself.”
Wu Jianfeng’s words droned on, but Wang Ye had already collapsed in place. He didn’t even bother taking off his backpack; he used it as a makeshift pillow and clutched his gun as he drifted off.
He fell asleep immediately, having endured a night of torment and subsequently covering five kilometers on foot. Even the toughest person would struggle.
In fact, Wang Ye wasn’t alone in this state.
Throughout the company, no recruit cared about comfort.
Beds? Ideal conditions?
Nonsense. Some could sleep while standing. A few had run five kilometers, closed their eyes, and ran again. Along the way, more than one person had stumbled because of this.
Given these circumstances, who would still talk about comfort?
Before Wang Ye succumbed to sleep, he thought he heard Ye Sanshi mumble something like, “We can’t sleep to death. But if we sleep to death, at least we want something in return.”
Yet, Wang Ye didn’t catch it clearly.
“You fell asleep in no time!”
Pulling out a cigarette, Wu Jianfeng grinned, observing the recruits lying or leaning against something to nap.
“Click!”
The sound of a lighter clicked.
After lighting up, Wu Jianfeng tossed a pack of cigarettes to the veteran beside him.
“Take a cigarette each, freshen up. After that, take turns to rest.”
With that said, he settled beneath a large tree.
In truth, not only had the recruits not slept that night, the veteran squad leaders, and even Wu Jianfeng, had gone without sleep.
But sleep wasn’t an option yet.
About an hour later, the on-duty veteran roused Wu Jianfeng.
Their duties commenced.
“Look, this guy tossed his gun aside!”
Walking over to a recruit, Wu Jianfeng chuckled as he commented. The squad leader’s expression twisted with distaste, but he didn’t utter a word. Raising his hand, he extracted a non-smartphone from his pocket.
He then lifted the phone, and the flashes fired.
The recruit was sprawled with his head tilted. His hat obscured half his face, and a trickle of drool escaped his mouth. His gun lay half a meter away, captured by the camera.
Ultimately, the recruit’s gun was retrieved.
As for the second person, he held the gun in his hand, albeit loosely held.
The class leader snatched a snapshot. The adjacent classes took turns, swiftly relieving him of the weapon.
Squad after squad, none stirred. Other than one clever soldier who clutched his gun beneath his body to make retrieval difficult, there were those who curled around their weapons. Yet, these were flipped over and confiscated.
Each individual was overwhelmingly drowsy.
Class 5…
Wang Ye stood fourth in line.
Ye Sanshi studied Wang Ye, his head propped against his backpack, then glanced at the gun cradled in his arms.
After snapping a photo, the fourth squad leader advanced and prepared to shift Wang Ye’s hand.
Gently, the gun was picked up, but Wang Ye’s hand remained untouched.
His arms were crossed.
It was chilly weather. Nestling his arms around his armpits provided warmth before sleep.
The fourth squad leader glanced at Ye Sanshi. Ye Sanshi’s expression was inscrutable, but Wu Jianfeng nodded.
Thus, the fourth squad leader persevered in shifting Wang Ye’s hand more forcefully.
“Hmm?”
Unexpectedly, before Wang Ye could even open his eyes, his right hand thrust forward, elbowing the fourth squad leader’s stomach.
“Thud.”
Caught off guard, the fourth squad leader staggered back a few steps, nearly stumbling over the others lying behind. Wu Jianfeng swiftly steadied him, avoiding a domino effect.
“What happened?”
Startled, Wang Ye, who had just sat upright, popped his eyes open.
He truly had been asleep.
Yet Wang Ye’s reflexes surpassed ordinary people’s, linked to his mental state to an extent.
In slumber, he’d entered a state of heightened self-defense. When disturbed to a critical point, his self-preservation instincts activated, prompting an instant counterattack from his body.
In simpler terms, his previous attack had been entirely unintentional.
But now, Wang Ye was conscious.
Gazing at the fourth squad leader clutching his belly, grimacing, and sucking in air, and then at the other class leaders with guns slung over their shoulders, Wang Ye felt a jolt. He lowered his head to the gun, clutching it tighter.
“Kid, you’re something else!” Wu Jianfeng chortled under his breath.
After his chuckles subsided, he continued, “Alright, nothing more for you to do. Go back to sleep!”
“Good move!” Ye Sanshi strode over, grinning as he gave Wang Ye a thumbs-up.
Speechless, Wang Ye held onto his phone, casting a glance at the other class leaders.
Exhausted as he was from interrupted sleep, his mental faculties were sluggish. Nevertheless, even in his grogginess, he could still piece together the situation!
Gripping his gun, Wang Ye kept quiet.
He didn’t close his eyes either. He watched as they moved on to the next individual.
“Tsk! You… you little devil… so ruthless… Ah, it hurts!” Finally regaining his composure, the fourth squad leader rubbed his stomach, guffawing through his grimace.
Wang Ye had truly shown no mercy during their little game.
Truth be told, he hadn’t exerted much force in his attack. He merely bent his body slightly, creating a gap. Wang Ye hadn’t fully committed to the counterattack.
Otherwise, the squad leader would have writhed on the ground, clutching his stomach, perhaps requiring a trip to the infirmary.
After all, Wang Ye hadn’t been mentally prepared for self-defense.
“Apologies, I didn’t mean to.” Clutching his gun, Wang Ye remained seated, quietly offering his apology.
What else could the fourth squad leader say?
There was nothing to say.
He rubbed his stomach and persevered.
Next, Wang Ye bore witness to how these seasoned soldiers handled the new recruits.
Photographs, gun-holding, even gun-snatching.
Observing them all, it seemed that apart from himself, Song Yuejin retained possession of his gun from Class Five.
His gun was slung on his back, sandwiched between his backpack and himself. He leaned against a massive tree, settling in for a nap.
Though certainly not the most comfortable position, taking off his equipment would be a laborious process unless a few others lent a hand. So, he’d held onto his weapon.
“We’re in trouble!” Wang Ye sighed inwardly, surveying those left.
On the day guns were distributed, it was emphasized that their guns should be on them at all times.
Ye Sanshi had often reiterated the latter part.
And now…