The sun was scorching hot on the day of military training, threatening to melt the synthetic track. The finance majors stood on the field, their camouflage uniforms soaked through. Han Feng stood at the back of the line, his posture upright like a pine tree, a stark contrast to the slumped figures of his classmates.

"I heard Han Feng came today?"

"Really? Didn't he take half a month off since the start of the semester?"

"I just saw him, he's standing right behind our formation!"

Quiet whispers drifted from the front row. Han Feng ignored them, his gaze calmly fixed on the podium. Principal Zhou Mingyuan was delivering a lengthy mobilization speech for the military training, his voice blaring through the speakers with a harsh, static-like quality.

"...We hope that students will temper their will and cultivate a spirit of hard work and perseverance during this military training..."

Han Feng glanced around out of the corner of his eye. Many students had already begun to secretly stretch their numb legs, and some were even using the people in front of them as cover to quietly take out their phones. How could college students of this age endure such tedious torture?

"...Next, please welcome the chief instructor of this military training to speak!"

Sparse applause broke out. Han Feng looked up, and his pupils contracted slightly when a familiar figure walked onto the stage.

Li Cheng. The special forces soldier who was eliminated in the Longyuan selection process because he was 0.3 seconds too slow in the physical fitness test.

Han Feng's memory quickly retrieved information about this person: 28 years old, a former elite soldier in the Kyoto Military Region's reconnaissance company, skilled in hand-to-hand combat and wilderness survival. After failing the selection process in Longyuan, he was recommended to work for the local armed forces department. He never expected to meet him here.

"Hello everyone, I am Li Cheng, the chief instructor for this military training." The man on the stage spoke in a loud voice, standing at a perfect military posture. "Starting today, we will begin a two-week military training program..."

Han Feng noticed that when Li Cheng's gaze swept across the room, it lingered on him for half a second. That moment of surprise and confusion did not escape his notice.

After the opening ceremony, the departments were assigned to different training areas. The Finance Department was led to the east side of the playground by a dark-skinned young instructor. Han Feng stood quietly in the group, but felt a gaze following him.

Sure enough, less than ten minutes later, Li Cheng appeared beside the formation. He pretended to inspect the training progress of each department, but his steps clearly moved towards Han Feng. When Li Cheng was still five steps away, Han Feng suddenly looked up, his eyes sharp as knives.

The warning in that glance made Li Cheng abruptly stop in his tracks. Han Feng shook his head almost imperceptibly, and Li Cheng suddenly realized that this was university military training, and Han Feng's identity needed to be kept secret.

"Make sure your movements are correct!" Li Cheng suddenly shouted, as if the pause just now was just to find fault. "You! Raise your arms straight!" He randomly pointed at a student, perfectly concealing his true purpose.

The morning training passed by monotonously, consisting of standing at attention, turning, and marching. When the dismissal whistle blew, the students felt as if they had been granted a pardon and rushed to the canteen in a swarm.

Han Feng deliberately slowed down and lagged behind.

\"Give.\"

A bottle of ice-cold mineral water suddenly appeared before him. Han Feng turned his head and saw Liu Mengran standing beside him. She was also wearing camouflage clothing today; the loose-fitting clothes couldn't hide her slender figure, and her face under the brim of her hat was slightly flushed from the heat.

"Thank you." Han Feng took the water, his fingertips accidentally brushing against her hand, and both of them quickly separated as if they had been scalded.

Liu Mengran casually looked away: "I didn't expect you to come to military training. Everyone in the class is betting on how long you can last."

"Three days? Five days?" Han Feng unscrewed the bottle cap, tilted his head back, and took a big gulp, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down.

"The most outrageous thing is that you'll have a helicopter come to pick you up at noon." Liu Mengran chuckled, her eyes curving into crescents.

Han Feng shook his head: "Do they really think I'm that delicate?"

"A rich kid, always driving luxury cars, and frequently taking leave..." Liu Mengran counted on her fingers, "He certainly fits the image of a spoiled brat."

The two walked side by side towards the cafeteria, attracting countless stares. Liu Mengran was the undisputed beauty queen of the Economics and Management Department, while Han Feng had become a hot topic on the campus forum ever since he arrived in a Bugatti Veyron on the first day of school. It was impossible for such a pair to go unnoticed on campus.

"By the way, where's Su Wanwan?" Liu Mengran suddenly asked. "Isn't she the one who loves joining in on these kinds of funs?"

Han Feng's fingers unconsciously traced patterns on the mineral water bottle. Su Wanwan should be somewhere in Europe right now, investigating the gene-altering drug with Eita and the others. But this was classified information, and he couldn't reveal a single word.

"She had some family matters to attend to and took leave," Han Feng offered the most common explanation.

Liu Mengran glanced at him thoughtfully, seemingly sensing something, but didn't press the matter. The atmosphere between them suddenly became somewhat subtle.

"Isn't that Han Feng? He usually doesn't come to class, but the first time he does, he's already hooked up with Liu Mengran?"

"It's good to be rich; you can even win over the goddess of the business administration department."

Whispers came from behind, just loud enough for Han Feng to hear. His expression remained unchanged, but he noticed that the tips of Liu Mengran's ears were slightly red.

"Ignore them," Liu Mengran whispered, quickening her pace.

Han Feng followed her, his gaze sweeping over the boys whose faces were filled with jealousy. They immediately fell silent, pretending to look away. To Han Feng, who had experienced life and death, this kind of petty friction on campus seemed childish and laughable, but he still felt a slight displeasure.

At the entrance of the cafeteria, Li Cheng was standing with several instructors. Upon seeing Han Feng, his expression visibly stiffened. Han Feng subtly shook his head, signaling him not to make any rash moves.

"Do you know that instructor?" Liu Mengran keenly noticed the exchange of glances between the two.

"I don't know him." Han Feng answered too quickly, which made him seem suspicious.

Liu Mengran gave a meaningful "Oh," and didn't ask any further questions. The two got their food and found a corner to sit down. Han Feng noticed that all the dishes she had given him were meat, while her own plate only had vegetables and half a serving of rice.

"You only eat this little?"

"Losing weight." Liu Mengran picked up a piece of green vegetable and chewed it in small bites.

Han Feng frowned and put a piece of braised pork from his plate into her bowl: "There's training this afternoon; you'll faint if you don't eat enough."

Liu Mengran stared at the glistening braised pork, hesitated for a moment, and finally picked it up and put it in her mouth. Han Feng watched her finish with satisfaction, then prepared to pick up another piece.

"Enough, enough!" Liu Mengran quickly stopped him with his chopsticks, but couldn't help but smile. "You're just like my dad."

These words made Han Feng pause for a moment.

"Han Feng?" Liu Mengran's voice pulled him back to reality. "You're daydreaming again."

"Sorry." Han Feng snapped out of his thoughts. "I was thinking about some things."

"About that instructor?" Liu Mengran asked unexpectedly.

Han Feng looked up and met her probing gaze.

"No." He chose a half-truthful answer, "I was just wondering if there would be more events added to the afternoon training."

Liu Mengran seemed skeptical, but a sudden commotion in the cafeteria interrupted their conversation. Li Cheng, accompanied by several instructors, began patrolling the cafeteria, checking the students' dining discipline. His pace noticeably slowed as he passed Han Feng's table.

Han Feng kept his head down, focused on eating, but he could feel Li Cheng's gaze lingering on him for several seconds. He only breathed a sigh of relief when the footsteps faded into the distance.

"You definitely know him," Liu Mengran said confidently.