Chapter 38: The Chief's Inspection

Two days later, on the training grounds of the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company, the soldiers, pumped up by their officers, had their faces smeared with camouflage paint. As they trained, they shouted slogans with a fervor that seemed capable of piercing the sky.

Above the wall bordering the training ground hung a large banner reading, "Welcoming the Military District Leadership for Their Inspection and Guidance."

Not long after, two camouflaged military off-road vehicles sped from the regimental headquarters toward the training ground, coming to a halt by the roadside. Several leaders disembarked.

One was Minister Zhao, a leader from the military district; the other was Captain Gao, dressed in camouflage gear distinct from that of the Night Tiger officers, topped with a black beret and sporting a pair of sunglasses.

A whistle blew, and the entire formation snapped into position.

"Attention!"

Chen Guotao, the officer on duty, straightened the ranks, trotted over to the superiors, saluted, and reported in a crisp, resonant voice: "Comrade Chief, the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company has assembled for assessment. Awaiting your orders!"

"Let’s begin!" Minister Zhao said, waving his hand as he looked at the spirited soldiers.

"Yes, sir!" Chen replied.

"First group, take your positions!"

Xi Wa and Zhuang Yan, assigned to the first group, quickly sprinted forward.

"What is the meaning of this? Why privates? Are you running out of men, Old Miao?" Minister Zhao asked, looking surprised that the two soldiers held the rank of private.

"Privates are soldiers of my Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company too, Minister. If you want to truly understand the soldiers of this company, the privates are the most accurate reflection of the situation," Captain Miao replied with a calm smile.

"Interesting. This is my first time watching a report by privates. Very well, let them proceed!"

Having climbed his way up from the grassroots, Minister Zhao understood Old Miao’s intent instantly—he simply wanted to show off the promising talent he had cultivated. Rather than exposing him, he agreed; he, too, was curious to see what made these two privates worthy of the attention of a veteran like Miao.

Standing to the side, Captain Gao watched the two privates, listening to Miao’s confident words, and was immediately reminded of a soldier named Su Yang whom he had seen at the training base.

At that moment, following Chen Guotao’s command, the two recruits began their maneuvers.

"Multipurpose shooting! Start!"

As Chen’s voice fell, Zhuang Yan and Xi Wa dashed toward their targets, executing various shooting stances—standing, crouching, and even prone—with practiced, fluid movements.

The "multipurpose shooting" Chen referred to was a simplified version of rapid movement shooting. For Zhuang Yan, who could already hold his own against Old Pao in such drills, the speed was significantly faster, and he completed the tactical shooting sequence in no time.

Xi Wa was slightly slower, but still impressively quick—a speed that surprised both Minister Zhao and Captain Gao.

Watching the two privates return to their original positions after the drill, Minister Zhao couldn't help but remark, "Old Miao, you aren't just having your veterans wear private insignias to fool me, are you?"

"Minister, you know my character. I wouldn't do something like that," Captain Miao laughed, his tone brimming with confidence. He added, "Besides, I haven’t even shown you my full strength yet."

This made Minister Zhao glance at him sideways. "What do you mean? You’re hiding more talent, Old Miao? Can a new recruit really perform better than these two?" He didn't bother mentioning the veterans; he would consider their excellence a matter of course.

"Well, the army group held a scout training program a couple of months ago. I had another private attend, and he hasn't returned yet. Otherwise, that kid would certainly be even more outstanding," Captain Miao said, pride evident in his voice as he spoke of Su Yang.

"Scout training? Old Miao, that private of yours... wouldn't happen to be named Su Yang, would he?" Captain Gao glanced at Miao, a hint of amusement in his tone.

"You know Su Yang?" Captain Miao asked, surprised. Minister Zhao turned his attention toward them as well.

Captain Gao nodded. "Not bad at all. That kid is worth grooming."

"If he can catch the eye of Captain Gao, he must be quite something," Minister Zhao said, well aware of the selection standards of the Lone Wolf Commando Unit. However, he was more interested in the two before him. "Go, call them over."

"You two, run over here!" Captain Miao shouted.

Zhuang Yan and Xi Wa turned immediately and jogged to Minister Zhao. Looking at Zhuang Yan’s young face, the Minister pointed at him and asked, "How old are you?"

"Reporting, eighteen!" Zhuang Yan replied calmly.

Minister Zhao praised him: "Hmm, the youth are formidable. You are the youngest rapid-fire marksman I have ever seen."

"Thank you, Chief!"

"This kid was a university student before enlisting, studied art. During the scout training, he even gave up his spot to a veteran," Captain Miao said, eager to put in a good word for Zhuang Yan in front of the superior.

"Oh? He gave up his spot to a veteran? I heard he beat up his squad leader back in the recruit company," Minister Zhao remarked. Hearing that Zhuang Yan was a university student, he had expected a recruit full of arrogance, not someone who would yield a spot to a veteran.

"He was the one who hit the squad leader, too," Captain Miao said, feeling a bit awkward. Zhuang Yan, for his part, wished he could find a hole to crawl into; good news rarely travels, but bad news spreads like wildfire.

Seeing their expressions, Minister Zhao seemed to understand. He shifted his focus to Captain Gao: "Captain Gao, you just said that the private named Su Yang is worth grooming. What do you think of this kid? Is he suitable for your Special Forces brigade?"

Hearing Su Yang’s name, Zhuang Yan looked curiously at the major in the strange uniform and sunglasses. Though he had no interest in some "damn" special forces unit, he wanted to know how he measured up against Su Yang.

Captain Gao swept a glance at Zhuang Yan, his expression stern and resolute. "Reporting, the Special Forces have a rigorous selection process. This is an order you personally signed three years ago."

He continued in a deep, resonant voice: "You once said that the Lone Wolf Special Forces brigade is an elite blade, a unit that must be ready to execute high-risk missions at any time. It cannot be filled with soldiers who use backdoors or connections. I believe you would not break the rules you set yourself!"

"Hahaha, you’ve got me there. But didn't you just say that Su Yang is worth grooming?" Minister Zhao asked, putting on a stern face.

"Reporting, I said he is worth grooming because I believe he can pass the selection. If he fails, everything resets to zero," Captain Gao replied.

"I see." Minister Zhao feigned sudden realization and turned to Zhuang Yan. "It seems the Lone Wolf Captain doesn't think much of you!"

Stung by this, Zhuang Yan retorted, "I’m not interested either!"

"What? What did you just say?" Minister Zhao asked, unable to believe his ears.

Zhuang Yan quickly realized he shouldn't have said that. He changed his tone: "Reporting, I mean, since the leader of the Special Forces is here, could you show us a move or two so our new recruits can see what real skill looks like and broaden their horizons!"

As soon as these words were out, Captain Miao wore a smile, though he quickly suppressed it and darkened his face. "Nonsense! Zhuang, you’re being disrespectful."

Minister Zhao, naturally wanting to see the spectacle, said, "Captain Gao, it seems they aren't convinced by you."

Captain Gao did not hesitate, accepting Zhuang Yan's challenge directly: "I will follow your orders, sir."