Watching Lin Zhouwei flee in a panic, Liu Weiwei found it odd but felt a wave of relief. Her deepest fear was that Yingfei, wounded and vulnerable, might give up on herself and accept a pointless suitor like him in a moment of despair. That would've been a disaster. Thankfully, though Yingfei had lost her purity, her mind remained sharp and discerning.
In that moment, Weiwei's thoughts drifted to that man. Men and women were alike—your first intimate connection lingered in your heart. Unable to resist the longing, she dialed Lei Zhengyang's number, her lips pursed in a slight pout, a flicker of irritation flaring. Seriously, she'd told him not to meet, but he hadn't even called once. Did he not miss her at all?
Sadly, the phone buzzed with a "temporarily unavailable" message.
Weiwei tossed it aside, simmering in silent frustration.
Indeed, Lei Zhengyang was deep in the Fifth Military Academy. Since taking on this mission, he'd thrown himself into it fully. As Third Uncle had said, losing would disgrace the Lei family. Beyond the 300-plus special forces trainees, Third Uncle and Third Aunt were also ever-present, soaking up valuable lessons from training the soldiers.
Over the past two weeks, Lei had dissected every one of the 300 men—gauging their strengths, uncovering their potential. He divided them into five squads based on ability, with troublemakers like Luo Tiezhu stepping up as true captains.
After their last sparring session, the captains, though humbled, genuinely respected their instructor. They followed Lei's orders with newfound obedience.
But after half a month of academy drills, Lei wasn't satisfied. Progress was too slow. With a year, he wouldn't worry, but with only two months left, mild measures wouldn't cut it. To skyrocket the team's combat prowess in such a short time, he needed something brutal.
So, Lei proposed a perilous wilderness training regimen.
When he shared the plan with Lei Qiuping and Wu Xiaomin, they hesitated. Wu spoke up, "Zhengyang, is this feasible? Training has protocols, and we're already pushing boundaries. Wilderness training like this could stir trouble."
Lei didn't push. "Your call. At this rate, the outcome's looking grim."
Lei Qiuping frowned. "Hold on, I think they've improved a lot. Zhengyang, is the competition with the other six academies really that tough?"
Lei considered, then said, "You saw Ning Buluan's Sixth Academy the other day. His strict regimen has honed soldiers far superior to ours in skill and physique. They've trained longer, too. To beat them, we need a breakthrough between life and death."
"Life and death?" Lei Qiuping balked. "One misstep, and we'll have casualties."
"True power comes from choosing between life and death," Lei replied. "I went through it myself."
"You faced life and death?" Qiuping's eyes lit up, sensing a glimpse into the mystery of Lei's lost year.
Lei nearly slipped but caught himself. "You've got one hour to decide. If you reject this, we stick to academy training, but I can't guarantee results." He left the office, giving them space.
The couple exchanged looks. Qiuping asked, "Honey, what do we do?"
"Don't call me honey—I'm not your wife yet," Wu snapped. "If we lose at year-end, who knows whose wife I'll be? What do we do? Zhengyang went from a useless playboy to a powerhouse in a year. Why can't our team do it? Their foundation's stronger than his was. No pain, no gain. We do it. If something goes wrong, you're on the hook."
"Why me?" Qiuping protested. "I'm not fully on board with this. People could die, and knowing Zhengyang, his 'life and death' is literal. He trained me like I wasn't human."
"Because you're the man, the one with the balls. Step up. Got a problem? Complain when you're reborn as a woman!" Wu's roar silenced him.
Qiuping wanted to argue—Zhengyang was a man too, so why not share the blame? But Wu gave him no chance.
They agreed to Lei's full training plan, driven by one goal: to shine at the year-end competition. When Lei sternly warned, "I'll take you out there, but I can't promise to bring everyone back. Staying behind isn't shameful," not a single soldier opted out.
With no prep, just 303 people—300 trainees, Lei, Wu, and Qiuping—piled into ten military trucks. They headed to the Yilin Mountains, 100 kilometers away. Spanning hundreds of kilometers, the range wasn't a primal forest but was dense and impenetrable, with no human presence for miles.
Due to its treacherous terrain and frequent predators, the Yilin Mountains were no ordinary wilderness. Lei set up camp—a mere cave barely fitting dozens.
Standing atop a two-meter boulder, Lei pointed to the endless expanse of mountains. "For the next 60 days, you'll live here. No support, no medics, no food. To survive, you'll hunt, face ferocious beasts, and endure nature's wrath. We can't conquer nature, but only through this struggle will you truly grow. Failure means your life. Take care."
Armed only with standard daggers, the 300 soldiers swarmed the slopes like ants, scaling steep cliffs. Wu Xiaomin's heart raced. This training was brutal—no weapons, no food. How could they survive?
"Zhengyang, isn't this too dangerous?" Qiuping had wanted to ask for days but feared a scolding. Wu's question gave him cover.
Lei shook his head. "The greater the danger, the faster their potential unlocks. Don't worry—I'll shadow them, protecting them while stirring up trouble. Even this environment isn't harsh enough."
Wu swallowed her next words. She'd wanted to suggest packing food, but Lei's tone made it clear he'd refuse.
In such a hostile setting, even sleep was a risk. Nocturnal predators kept them on edge. Initially, the group stuck together, but after days, food scarcity forced a split. A week in, they'd divided into their five squads for independent survival training.
This was exactly what Lei wanted. The real peril was just beginning.
Lei wasn't relaxing either, nor were Wu and Qiuping trailing him. Wu felt she'd grown significantly in just days, navigating this alien, hostile terrain. Constant vigilance against beast attacks was draining, and if she struggled, the soldiers had it worse.
Clap! Clap! Nearby, sharp applause rang out. A wild boar, after toppling three soldiers, was floored by a crushing punch from their captain, Luo Tiezhu. It staggered up, baring its tusks at the encircling men.
But the starving, frenzied soldiers didn't care about its fangs. They charged recklessly, desperate to turn it into a meal.
"Captain, you're hurt!" Luo's arm bled from the clash, but he ignored it, shouting, "Trap the boar! Don't let it escape, or we'll all starve!"
A gash from the boar's tusk bled freely, but Luo roared and lunged again. He wasn't just fighting for himself but for his team. Three days without food—they couldn't hold out longer. Some soldiers had whispered about quitting this brutal training, but Luo gritted his teeth and refused. He was a man; he wouldn't lose face.
The boar was their lifeline.
Sensing danger, the boar grew frantic, hooves scraping the dirt, ready to charge. It bolted past Luo, but he dove, wrapping his arms around it. The boar's hind leg snapped back like lightning, slamming into his chest.
Blood sprayed from his mouth, his insides churning. But in that critical moment, a surge of untapped power erupted within him. The boar broke free, darting five or six meters. Luo sprang forward, leaping off a rock, soaring over ten meters. His fist crashed down from above, smashing the boar's skull with a bone-shattering blow.