Hearing this, Lu Mingyu was overjoyed.
With the Commander’s support, the biggest problem was solved.
“Thank you, Commander!” he said sincerely.
The Commander waved his hand, turned around, and continued.
“Don’t thank me so soon.”
“Let me make something clear first.”
“The experts also contributed to this project, so the final credit cannot all go to your Macrophages.”
“If the research and development are successful, your team can only take half the credit at most; the other half will go to the general hospital.”
“I agree, Commander,” Lu Mingyu replied without hesitation.
What he wanted was a sharp weapon for the battlefield, not credit on paper.
The Commander nodded in satisfaction, appreciating his decisive attitude.
The atmosphere in the office became relaxed.
Business was concluded.
The Commander sat back in his chair.
He looked up and down at his proud subordinate, who always stood as straight as a spear.
Suddenly, he changed the subject, a mischievous smile on his face.
“All right, business is done; now let’s talk about personal matters.”
Lu Mingyu was somewhat puzzled, wondering what the Commander was up to.
The Commander cleared his throat and slowly asked,
“Kid, tell me honestly, are you in a relationship?”
The single sentence was like a clap of thunder on a clear day.
Lu Mingyu froze, his mind instantly blank.
For the first time, an expression called “astonishment” appeared on his perpetually icy face.
He couldn’t understand how, one second, they were discussing the development of cutting-edge weapons.
The next second, the topic would jump to such a personal question.
Seeing Lu Mingyu’s stunned expression, the Commander’s smile deepened.
“What, no answer?”
“Looks like I hit the nail on the head?”
“Is that girl… pretty?”
This question completely broke through Lu Mingyu’s psychological defenses.
He felt his cheeks flush, and an unprecedented sense of embarrassment welled up in his heart.
He truly didn’t know how to answer this question.
Admit it?
Or deny it?
Neither seemed right.
Ultimately, he chose to evade.
“Reporting, Commander, I’m heading back first!”
With that, Lu Mingyu almost fled, turning and walking quickly out of the office.
The Commander watched his somewhat disheveled retreating figure and couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
Lu Mingyu walked helplessly along the camp road, his mind in a mess.
As he walked, he pondered in distress.
Only his family and a few brothers in the team knew about his relationship.
There was no way they would tell the Commander.
So how did the news leak out?
As he thought, a person’s figure appeared in his mind.
Lu Mingyu sighed helplessly, thinking,
It must have been his second uncle, Lu Hai, who told him.
Lu Mingyu left the Commander’s office.
The phrase “Is that girl… pretty?” still echoed in his mind.
He quickened his pace, almost wanting to outrun the lingering sense of embarrassment.
On the camp’s tree-lined path, the afternoon sun filtered through the leaves, casting dappled light.
It fell upon his perpetually icy face.
But at this moment, beneath that ice mountain, magma was surging.
His cheeks were still flushed.
This feeling made him more flustered than navigating through a hail of bullets.
He sighed helplessly, forcing himself to shift his attention away from those messy personal matters.
As for his second uncle, he would go back and “have a good chat” with him when he had time.
For now, work was the most important thing.
As he got closer to the Macrophages’ exclusive training base.
The familiar scent, a mix of sweat, earth, and gunpowder, filled his nostrils.
From a distance, there came the uniform shouts and the dull thud of equipment colliding.
These sounds were like a tranquilizer, quickly calming his chaotic mind.
This was his world, his most familiar battlefield.
Lu Mingyu’s eyes became sharp and focused again, and the cold aura of a special forces captain once more enveloped him.
He walked into the training ground and immediately saw Li Xiaoniu supervising the training.
Li Xiaoniu was an old hand in the team and one of Lu Mingyu’s most trusted deputies.
He stood with his arms crossed by the muddy pit, shouting loudly at the Rookies rolling in the mud.
Lu Mingyu didn’t disturb him, just stood quietly to the side.
His gaze swept over the prospective team members on the field who were challenging their physical limits.
After a while, one training group finished, and only then did Li Xiaoniu notice Lu Mingyu.
He quickly ran over, stood at attention, and saluted.
“Boss, you’re back.”
Lu Mingyu nodded, his gaze still on the training ground.
“How many people are left in the selection now?”
He asked, his voice steady and strong.
Hearing this question, Li Xiaoniu’s face showed a bitter smile.
“Reporting, Boss, as of today, ninety-five people remain.”
This number made Lu Mingyu’s brows furrow slightly.
He was somewhat surprised.
Initially, over three hundred people participated in the selection, all elites carefully chosen from various major units across the army.
According to his estimation, in the first phase of physical screening.
At least one hundred twenty people should have remained.
“What’s going on?”
“The elimination rate is higher than expected.”
Lu Mingyu turned his head and looked at Li Xiaoniu.
Li Xiaoniu sighed and began to explain.
“Boss, the training intensity this time is greater than any previous selection we’ve had.”
“Many people couldn’t hold on at their limits and withdrew on their own.”
“Especially the technical personnel, nearly half of them left.”
He paused, seemingly organizing his words.
“They believe that since they are involved in technology, there’s no need to endure such brutal physical training.”
“Someone told me that their value should be reflected in front of computers and various precision instruments.”
“And not in rolling around in the mud.”
“They feel that if they are just technical personnel.”
“Such training is meaningless to them and a complete waste of time.”
Lu Mingyu listened quietly, without any expression on his face.
He naturally understood the thoughts of those technical soldiers.
In traditional combat units, there was indeed a clear division of labor between technical personnel and combat personnel.
But in Macrophages, this line was blurred.
Lu Mingyu’s team-building philosophy had been incredibly clear from the start.
He wanted to build an all-around team capable of adapting to any complex battlefield in the future.
Here, there were no purely logistical personnel, nor purely technical personnel.
Every team member must first be a top-tier warrior.
Snipers needed to understand computer intrusion, and demolition experts needed to know how to pilot drones.
And technical experts must also be able to, in isolated and unsupported situations.
Cover hundreds of kilometers through jungles carrying dozens of kilograms of equipment.
“Tell the remaining people that in our team, there are no specialized technical positions.”
Lu Mingyu’s voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable decisiveness.
“Everyone must be an all-around warrior; technology is just an additional skill, not a protective charm.”
“If you want to stay comfortably in the rear, Macrophages is not the place for you.”
Li Xiaoniu nodded heavily.
“I understand, Boss.”
He fully agreed with Lu Mingyu’s idea.
Because he had experienced it firsthand and knew how fragile the so-called “rear” was on a rapidly changing battlefield.
Lu Mingyu’s gaze once again fell upon the Rookies struggling in the muddy water.
“Starting tomorrow, intensify the special training for all remaining personnel.”
His tone became even colder.
“I want to squeeze every bit of potential out of their bodies and see where their limits truly lie.”
“Whether they are dragons or worms will soon be revealed.”
Li Xiaoniu’s eyes also became serious; he knew how brutal the upcoming training would be.
But he had no objection.
Because he knew better than anyone that the more brutal they were to these Rookies now.
The greater their chances of survival on the battlefield in the future.
“Boss, I understand. Sweat more now, bleed less on the battlefield,” Li Xiaoniu said in a deep voice.
Then, he seemed to think of something and changed the subject.
“Boss, I’m thinking, after the final list of these Rookies is decided.”
“Should we send them to a place to get some more good experience?”
Lu Mingyu looked at him, somewhat curious.
“What place?”