Chapter 477 Elimination is not the end "Where is Chen Xiaocao?" Her voice was calm, revealing no emotion.

“Oh, Comrade Chen Xiaocao…” The medic’s expression became somewhat troubled. He lowered his voice and pointed to the bed separated by a curtain. “She’s over there. But… she hasn’t said a word since she was brought here. She doesn’t eat or drink. She just covers her head with the blanket and ignores everyone who calls her. The military doctor examined her and said that her injuries are all superficial and will heal with rest. The main problem is… the main problem is that she can’t get over it.”

The medic sighed and shook his head.

"Sigh, this girl is really... too honest. I heard that she refused to admit defeat so as not to embarrass you, but Bai Wei... was too ruthless. She's eliminated and ruined, what was the point?"

Su Tang didn't reply, but simply walked towards the hospital bed.

Her footsteps were very light, making almost no sound on the concrete.

Standing outside the curtain, she could clearly hear suppressed whimpers, like those of a wounded animal, coming from inside. The sounds were intermittent, filled with despair and self-loathing.

The medic followed and whispered, "Comrade Su An, why don't you try to persuade her? You're the person she admires most, and she might listen to you. If this continues, she'll break down."

Su Tang nodded slightly, then said to the medic, "Comrade, could you please step out for a moment? I'd like to be alone with her for a while. Also, could you please prepare a basin of clean hot water and a new towel?"

"Huh? Oh, okay, okay!" Although the medic was a little confused, he immediately nodded in agreement, turned around and walked out quickly, closing the door behind him.

In an instant, only Su Tang and Chen Xiaocao behind the curtain remained in the entire infirmary.

Su Tang did not immediately lift the curtain.

She stood quietly, listening to the sobbing inside. She knew that for Chen Xiaocao at this moment, any pale comfort would be superfluous. This girl who came from the mountains possessed the most basic values—gratitude and never giving up.

In the fighting arena, she achieved the latter, but felt she had let down the former. She regarded Su An's high regard as an immense favor, yet ultimately ended up being eliminated with zero points. In her view, she not only lost the match, but also utterly and irreparably disgraced "Sister Su An."

This shame and self-blame hurt more than any kick Bai Wei could give her.

Su Tang slowly reached out and pulled back the white curtain.

A heavy, pungent smell, a mixture of sweat and the saltiness of tears, wafted out.

On the hospital bed, the blanket was piled up high, like a small grave mound, trembling slightly with the sobs of the person inside.

"Sister Su An..."

A muffled sound came from under the covers, thick with nasal congestion and a sobbing tone, filled with unbearable shame. She had clearly overheard the conversation between the medic and Su Tang.

"It's me... I'm useless... I've embarrassed you..."

"I'm just a piece of trash... I don't deserve... I don't deserve you being so good to me..."

"Waaaaah... How can I face you now..."

She cried even harder, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances and resentments she had ever felt in her life.

Su Tang didn't say anything, but walked to the bedside and sat down.

She reached out and gently patted the trembling blanket.

"Put your head out first. The air under the blanket isn't clean, and it's bad for your wound." Her voice remained calm, like a clear mountain spring, possessing a reassuring power.

The crying from under the covers stopped abruptly.

After a while, a corner of the blanket was carefully lifted, revealing a small face covered in tears and snot. Chen Xiaocao's eyes were swollen like two walnuts, her lips were dry and cracked, and her face was so pale that it was completely bloodless. She looked like a wilted eggplant after a frost, having lost all vitality.

She dared not look at Su Tang, her eyes darting away, biting her lip tightly as if she were a sinner.

"Sister Su An... I'm sorry..." She started crying again.

Su Tang took a clean handkerchief out of her pocket and handed it over.

Chen Xiaocao stared blankly at the handkerchief, but did not take it.

Su Tang then took matters into her own hands and gently wiped away the tear stains on her face with a handkerchief, bit by bit. Her movements were very gentle, as if she were handling a fragile treasure.

"Does it hurt?" Su Tang asked, her gaze falling on Chen Xiaocao's bruised lips.

Chen Xiaocao subconsciously shook her head, but her tears fell even more fiercely.

"No...it doesn't hurt..." she choked out, "My heart...my heart aches..."

“I know,” Su Tang said.

She took back the handkerchief, looked into Chen Xiaocao's eyes, and said clearly, word by word, "You didn't let me down. You are the bravest warrior I have ever met."

Chen Xiaocao suddenly raised her head and looked at Su Tang in disbelief.

"You were knocked down seven times, and you got up seven times. The last time, if Instructor Lei hadn't called for a stop, you would have gotten up again, right?"

Chen Xiaocao's lips trembled, unable to speak, but she nodded vigorously.

"Bai Wei won the competition, but she lost the hearts of the people. Everyone saw your tenacity and the resilience in your bones. You silenced all those who mocked you. You showed everyone in Battalion Three what it means to be an 'unbreakable blade of grass'."

Su Tang's voice wasn't loud, but it was like a heavy hammer, striking Chen Xiaocao's heart again and again.

"You did what I taught you, delivering the most fatal blow to Bai Wei at the most crucial moment. You dragged her down from her pedestal and made her fall flat on her face in front of the entire camp. If she hadn't become enraged and used all her strength at the last minute, the outcome would have been uncertain."

"You didn't lose to her, you just lost to your own physical strength. And physical strength is the easiest ability to improve of all."

“So, you didn’t embarrass me at all. On the contrary,” Su Tang paused, a very faint smile curving her lips, “you made me feel very proud.”

pride……

These two words, like a bolt of lightning, instantly shattered all the gloom in Chen Xiaocao's heart.

She stared blankly at Su Tang, at Su An's clear and determined eyes, and at the faint yet incredibly sincere smile on her lips.

The huge stone that had been weighing on my heart for so long seemed to shatter at this moment.

"Wow--"

Chen Xiaocao could no longer hold back and suddenly threw herself into Su Tang's arms, bursting into tears like a lost child who had found her way home.

This time, it was no longer a cry of despair and self-blame, but a release of grievances, emotion, and affirmation from the person I trusted most.

Su Tang didn't move, letting her hug her and let her tears soak her shoulder. She just reached out and gently stroked her hair, which was a little yellow from malnutrition.

When Chen Xiaocao's crying gradually subsided, leaving only sobs, Su Tang gently pushed her away.