As soon as Lu Mingyu finished speaking, the air seemed to solidify.
The flame burning in his eyes seared every person on the photography team.
Nation, people.
These two words, spoken from his mouth, carried an unquestionable weight.
This was a profound gravity that ordinary people living in peaceful times had never truly experienced.
On the runway, the last Rookie also crossed the finish line.
He moved almost entirely on instinct and willpower, his legs long since numb.
The moment he crossed the line, he collapsed onto the ground like a pile of mud.
He gasped for air, sweat and tears mixing together, sliding down his cheeks.
The rest of the Rookies were not much better off.
They lay scattered on the ground, chests heaving violently, like fish out of water.
Fifty kilometers of armed cross-country with a load had drained their last ounce of strength.
Lu Mingyu glanced at his watch, his voice still icy.
“Everyone, twenty minutes.”
“Eat, replenish your energy.”
“In twenty minutes, gather here, organize your gear, and prepare for armed swimming.”
Upon hearing the words “eat,” some Rookies’ eyes finally lit up.
But the term “armed swimming” was like a bucket of cold water, extinguishing that faint spark of hope.
The mess hall had already prepared the food.
There were no elaborate dishes, only high-calorie, high-protein liquid food and energy bars.
They looked unappetizing but were the most effective way to quickly replenish energy at that moment.
The Rookies struggled to get up from the ground, supporting each other as they walked towards the makeshift dining table.
They picked up their trays and mechanically stuffed food into their mouths.
Now, eating was not for enjoyment.
It was to complete the next task, to survive.
One Rookie, while wolfing down his food, nudged another Rookie next to him with his elbow.
He gestured with his eyes towards the photography team not far away, who were adjusting their equipment.
“Hey, you think, what are those guys doing?”
His voice was muffled because his mouth was full of food.
“Looks like they’re from a TV station.”
The other Rookie didn’t even raise his head, focusing on finishing the food on his tray.
“Interviewing us?”
The Rookie who first asked the question showed some interest.
“What are you thinking?”
A Rookie on the other side scoffed.
“With us looking like this, what’s there to interview?”
“They’re probably here to interview Lu Team; didn’t you see them constantly surrounding Lu Team just now?”
“Lu Team is a living legend here.”
One Rookie finished his last sip of nutrient soup and concluded.
“Who cares who they’re interviewing, it has nothing to do with us.”
“Eat quickly; you might even get three to five minutes of rest after you finish.”
“Going into the water later, that’s the real killer.”
His words made everyone fall silent again.
Yes, the real test was still to come.
Armed swimming, it sounded like just swimming.
But they knew in their hearts that it was far from simple.
They needed to carry all their equipment, including their rifles and backpacks.
In the icy river water, they had to cross five kilometers of water using standard breaststroke or sidestroke.
The temperature of the river water, the underwater weeds, the turbulent currents—these were all unknown dangers.
More importantly, it tested teamwork.
If someone cramped or ran out of stamina, their comrades nearby would need to rescue them immediately.
Twenty minutes flew by in an instant.
Lu Mingyu’s voice rang out precisely on time, devoid of any emotion.
“Time’s up, assemble!”
The Rookies immediately put down their trays and quickly assembled in formation on the runway.
Just then, Qi Kong mustered his courage and quickly walked up to Lu Mingyu.
He straightened his clothes, trying to make himself look more formal.
“Captain Lu, hello.”
He spoke cautiously.
Lu Mingyu’s gaze fell on him, but he said nothing, as if waiting for him to continue.
“It’s like this, we’d like to…”
“We’d like to conduct a brief interview with you and your team members, if that’s alright?”
The person in charge felt his palms sweating.
Facing Lu Mingyu, he always had the illusion of facing a beast poised to strike.
Lu Mingyu raised his wrist and looked at his watch again.
He seemed to be calculating something.
A few seconds later, he gave his answer.
“Yes.”
The person in charge’s heart swelled with joy.
“However, I can only give you an hour and a half,” Lu Mingyu added.
“After an hour and a half, they need to start their afternoon training.”
“Good, good, an hour and a half is enough!”
The person in charge nodded repeatedly, afraid he would change his mind.
He immediately turned back and gestured to his team.
The photographers and sound engineers quickly carried their equipment forward, getting ready at the fastest speed.
“Captain Lu, shall we start with you then?”
The person in charge sought his opinion.
Lu Mingyu did not object, simply standing there calmly.
The person in charge cleared his throat and handed over the microphone.
“Captain Lu, we all know that the Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group is the ace of the entire military.”
“Could you briefly talk about it?”
“How did you go from an ordinary soldier to your current position, step by step?”
This was a very standard opening question.
Lu Mingyu’s gaze showed no fluctuation; his answer was as concise as a resume report.
“Joined the military at nineteen, becoming an ordinary infantryman.”
“At twenty, passed the assessment and entered the special forces selection training camp.”
“At twenty-two, completed all selection subjects and officially became a member of the Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group.”
“At twenty-four, took over as the commander of the Megakaryocyte Special Operations Group.”
“I have been in the military for eight years now!”
His speaking pace was not fast, but each timestamp was like a bullet, accurately shooting into the hearts of everyone present.
From nineteen until now.
In just eight short years, he had grown from a green recruit to the supreme commander of an elite special forces unit.
Qi Kong’s mouth was agape, his face filled with shock.
He had interviewed many successful people.
But he had never seen such a terrifying rate of promotion.
How much sweat and blood, how many life-and-death trials, he could barely imagine, must have been paid behind this.
He composed himself, preparing to ask a more in-depth question.
He tried to uncover the human side behind this legendary captain.
“So your family… do they support your work?”
As soon as the question left his mouth, he felt the atmosphere change.
Lu Mingyu’s gaze suddenly turned cold, a warning that brooked no intrusion.
“Interview content does not involve personal family or social relations.”
His voice was not loud, but it carried an undeniable tone of command.
Qi Kong’s heart sank, and he immediately realized he had touched a forbidden zone.
He quickly reacted.
“Understood, understood, that’s our mistake.”
He quickly apologized, then swiftly changed the subject, turning his gaze to the equally imposing veteran team members behind Lu Mingyu.
“Then… can we interview other team members?”
Lu Mingyu nodded slightly, indicating his consent.
The person in charge breathed a sigh of relief and immediately led his team.
He walked towards Li Xiaoniu, Zhou Chenguang, Wang Yanbing, Li Tianlong, and others who were standing nearby.