Chapter 358 We're About to Be Discovered! Qin Ye continued, "I have two tasks. First, I'm to use my methods to forge them into true blades. Those that can't withstand the pressure will be eliminated."

After listening, Su Tang understood perfectly and knew Minister Xiao's intention.

Minister Xiao has sent his strongest assistant to back her up? One is giving her a warning in the open, while the other is observing from the shadows. This teamwork is quite interesting.

"Do you know that I also have a mission?" Su Tang asked him, looking up at him.

Qin Ye nodded: "I know, Vice Minister Zheng mentioned it to me. Your debriefing report, along with the reports from several other class leaders, were delivered to my desk yesterday."

Su Tang raised an eyebrow: "So, about what happened with Qiao Lin this morning..."

Her original plan was to personally defeat Qiao Lin during the combat assessment and force her to leave. Unexpectedly, Qin Ye acted even faster and more directly, sending Qiao Lin away. This saved her some trouble, but also took away a lot of fun.

"That kind of trash isn't worthy of your attention." Qin Ye's tone was calm, yet it exuded an undeniable domineering air.

"I've reviewed her file and your evaluation of her in the exercise debriefing report. She was a poor commander, had ulterior motives, and liked to engage in underhanded tactics. Keeping her around would only cause trouble. It's better to get rid of her sooner rather than later. Cooperating with you to eliminate these bad apples is also my second task."

Su Tang felt a warmth in her heart.

This guy, though he didn't say it, did everything he could. He was clearing obstacles for her in his own way.

"After observing for the past few days, which talents does our discerning Instructor Qin think are worth cultivating?" Su Tang pressed.

Qin Ye remained silent for a moment.

“Jiang Yan is one of them. He has a good overall perspective and can keep his composure. He is the makings of a commander, but sometimes he is too cautious and lacks a bit of courage.”

"Gao Kai is loyal but lacks strategy. He is good at being a vanguard, but he cannot lead a team."

"And there's Liu Landi in your dorm. I've seen her assessment report. She's very strong in mountain warfare and is a good prospect, but she's too independent. She needs to learn how to cooperate with the team."

He critiqued each person one by one, like a seasoned hunter scrutinizing his prey. Every person's strengths and weaknesses were laid bare in his eyes.

Su Tang listened quietly, her admiration for him growing even stronger.

His judgment was almost identical to what she observed. This guy was not only a formidable fighter, but also incredibly perceptive.

In this quiet back mountain, in this undisturbed corner, they chatted about many things, enjoying this stolen moment of tenderness.

Just then—

"rustle……"

From the distant grove came the sound of light footsteps, crunching on fallen leaves. Though the sound was faint, it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

Someone's coming!

Qin Ye's body tensed instantly, almost instinctively, and he pulled Su Tang into his arms, his other hand already reaching for his waist.

In the darkness, the two clung tightly together, their breaths catching in their throats.

Qin Ye transformed into a cheetah poised to pounce, his entire body's muscles ready for battle.

Su Tang instantly dropped all her languid expression, her eyes sharpening.

She could sense that there was more than one person approaching; judging from the footsteps, there were at least two or three people walking in their direction.

Moreover, one of them was carrying a lantern that was flickering on and off.

Just then, from the distant mountains and forests came the sound of light footsteps and hushed voices.

"...Damn it, we still have to patrol in the middle of the night, it's freezing cold...Who would stay up all night and come to the back mountain?" A low voice, full of impatience, rang out.

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" another voice immediately stopped him. "Instructor Lei sent us to patrol at night, so you'd better behave yourself. I heard that the new Instructor Qin is very strict with the troops. If you dare to slack off and he catches you, you'll be punished by sweeping the pigsty tomorrow."