Chapter 122 Team Championship
The orienteering course is held within the school grounds, with a straight-line distance of only five kilometers. However, the course is designed in various ways, and participants must check off checkpoints in sequence to reach the finish line.
There are 18 checkpoints along the way, distributed in different places within the area, with the finish line at the assembly point on the main playground.
"On your marks! Get set—!"
"start!"
The head instructor blew his whistle, and each group scattered like ants.
Upon seeing the checkpoints marked on the map, Lu Yinzhao quickly came up with several optimal routes in his mind.
Zhou Qiang, who was standing next to him, was using a compass to gesture on the map.
Lu Yinzhao's clear voice rang out among them.
“I’m quite familiar with this area where we’re competing. If you trust me, you can follow my route. Of course, you can also offer any suggestions you may have…”
A team is most afraid of having too many different opinions.
Lu Yinzhao didn't actually like being the one in charge, but after observing for a moment, it seemed that no one knew this map better than him.
He filmed every area in the area with his camera, and he remembers it all clearly.
Since Lu Yinzhao has participated in this competition, he definitely wants to win.
To prevent everyone from running around aimlessly like headless flies and wasting their energy, he took the initiative to step forward this time.
“It’s okay, Lu, go ahead and say it, we’re listening.” Zhou Qiang was a dark-skinned, honest-looking boy. Looking at Lu Yinzhao’s confident smile, he felt a strange sense of trust in him.
The others nodded in agreement, listening attentively.
"Okay, then I'll quickly explain my strategy."
Lu Yinzhao spread out the map so that everyone could gather around and see the route he was pointing to.
"My suggestion is to divide into three groups. One group of two people will clear five checkpoints around the playground, the second group of three people will be responsible for clearing six checkpoints near the laboratory building, and the third group will be a mobile group to go to small checkpoints that are easy to miss on the edge of the map."
"..."
"Group one can take the route from the playground to the library and then to the artificial lake, using this as the main route. Group two can go around the back of the gymnasium, pass through the equipment room, and then to the teaching area, which will be faster. Group three students should spread out in fives around the flagpole and head to the pine forest area."
"..."
"Don't keep too far apart from each other. Make sure you know which area you're responsible for before you start to avoid repeating the same route."
"..."
“I personally apply to join a group. If we are familiar with the surrounding area, we can delegate more points to me and another classmate. Other students can also join the other two groups based on the areas they are familiar with.”
After Lu Yinzhao finished speaking, he worried that he had said too much and that it would make people feel disgusted, and that they might think he was being domineering.
He added, "What...do you guys think?"
Everyone was stunned. Zhou Qiang looked at Lu Yinzhao with admiration: "Lu, you are amazing. We all just got the map, but you have already planned the route and group in one go."
“I think we should do it the way Lu suggested!” another male student chimed in.
"I agree!"
I agree!
The students behind them responded enthusiastically.
Lu Yinzhao scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly; he hadn't expected his team to be so united.
There were no troublemakers, no individualists, and no one who would interrupt. Everyone agreed to let him lead the team.
After Lu Yinzhao gained everyone's approval, he inexplicably felt an extra responsibility.
He is determined to lead everyone to victory.
Finally, Lu Yinzhao and Zhou Qiang teamed up as one group, and the others quickly split into two or three groups.
The meeting lasted only five minutes, but it was very effective in getting everyone to "do their job".
Zhou Qiang followed Lu Yinzhao and ran for less than two minutes before spotting a location.
This spot is on the metal support behind the stadium stands. The support is almost the same color as the card reader, and it's located in a blind spot at eye level, so you have to look up to find it.
"Lu! You have such good eyesight! I didn't even notice this place!" Zhou Qiang was about to run over when he saw Lu Yinzhao stop, and he realized that they had found a spot.
Both of them wore "finger cards" on their fingers. They simply stuck the finger cards on the card reader, and a "beep" sound was heard, indicating that the card had been successfully scanned.
"The checkpoints they set up will definitely be a bit tricky, so pay attention to those hidden corners and don't miss them."
Lu Yinzhao marked the location he had just checked in with a red cross on the map to indicate that he had completed the task.
Following the previously analyzed route, simply push it straight into the area. Speed is important, but so is carefulness and precision.
This competition tests the contestants' observation and route planning skills, and if it's a team competition, it tests their teamwork skills even more.
The harmonious group division just now has already given their 402nd squad a good start.
"Holy crap! This spot is hidden in the gap between the tree roots! And it's mostly covered by leaves. If you don't look carefully, who could find it!"
Zhou Qiang parted the leaves and once again expressed his utter admiration for Lu Yinzhao.
Several groups passed by this old camphor tree without even noticing that there was a checkpoint there.
“I’ve taken photos here before, so I roughly know that things can be hidden here…” Lu Yinzhao smiled at Zhou Qiang.
Zhou Qiang gave a thumbs up, "Awesome! Lu Yinzhao, you're our living map!"
After checking in at several locations with Lu Yinzhao, Zhou Qiang and Lu Yinzhao became even more in sync, and Zhou Qiang even started calling Lu Yinzhao "Lu classmate".
“I suspect they’ve placed this spot near the teaching building inside the air conditioner’s outdoor unit’s ventilation grille.” Lu Yinzhao raised his eyes, his gaze suddenly becoming cunning like a little fox.
"Really? Let's go see!" Zhou Qiang followed Lu Yinzhao's footsteps and ran over.
"Yes! Yes! It really is!" Zhou Qiang was excited, but he tried his best to lower his voice for fear of being noticed.
The grille gaps are narrow, and only a small part of the clamp is visible, which is also blocked by the shadow of the outdoor unit running. It is impossible to see it unless you get close.
"Lu Yinzhao, you're amazing!"
For the first time, Zhou Qiang experienced what it meant to win without effort.
The two of them completed the check-in at their assigned points in just fifteen minutes.
Along the way, they ran into the second group, and Lu Yinzhao and Zhou Qiang joined the second group to help guide them.
Lu Yinzhao has now figured out the pattern of setting up checkpoints and is now specifically targeting places that are not usually easy to spot.
"There's another one behind the flower bed stone over here, come quick!" Several boys from Group Two rushed over, calling to their companions to come and see.
"I found one too!"
"Me too!"
One after another, everyone in the team made progress.
The other teams were all sweating profusely from running, and they were all puzzled to see Lu Yinzhao and his group walking on the main road.
One boy muttered sarcastically, "Are they just playing house? A group of people huddled together is the least efficient way to clock in."
The boy's companion chimed in, "Let's just wait to get last place, we'll ignore them."
Little did they know that Lu Yinzhao and his team had already found eleven locations, which were the locations they had been assigned to in advance.
After they finished, the three groups returned from checking off their spots around the map.
The five people in the three groups only need to be responsible for 1 to 2 points on average, which greatly reduces the pressure.
Lu Yinzhao and Zhou Qiang found more locations.
After the last three groups met up, they rushed straight to the finish line at the assembly point on the main playground to check in.
"The first place has been determined, with a time of 33 minutes, from squad 402." The head instructor verified that all checkpoints had been completed and asked the person next to him to record the results.
The other teams who were still looking for their positions around the playground heard the announcement.
Holy crap! Only half an hour?
"No? They've searched the whole place? I don't believe it!"
"Are they cheating?"
"Their group must have someone with an exceptionally good sense of direction; our group is all hopelessly directionally challenged!"
"I should have planned the route a little more from the beginning..."
"Hurry up and find them! Even if we lose first place, we still have to fight for second! Don't just stand there!"
...
After winning first place, the 402 team happily lifted Lu Yinzhao up and tossed him into the air.
Lu Yinzhao panicked: "Hey! You...you guys don't want to kill me! Ahhh—!"
"Help!"
Although Lu Yinzhao was shouting like that, everyone could see the bright, sunny smile on his face.
An hour later, the match was completely over.
The results were announced on the spot, and the medals and prizes were also distributed on the spot.
The prize was a military-grade thermos, which was of very good quality.
Lu Yinzhao held his medal in his left hand and a thermos in his right, taking a photo with his teammates under the podium.
Instructor Zhang came over and patted him on the shoulder, saying, "I knew you could do it! You didn't disappoint me! Well done!"
"Instructor Zhang, you flatter me. I was forced into this role. If I could, I'd like to just give up next time." Lu Yinzhao made no attempt to hide his desire to slack off.
Instructor Zhang was taken aback for a moment, then burst into hearty laughter.
The other students all looked over.
"Is this still the same Instructor Zhang who always has a stern face?"
"Lu is really amazing. He wasn't intimidated at all in front of Instructor Zhang."
"And he can even make Instructor Zhang laugh out loud..."
"But if I were Instructor Zhang, I would also like Lu. She's good-looking, capable, and has a great personality."
"Hehe! Your focus is on her good looks, isn't it?"
"Ahem, let's not say anything since we see through it. Who doesn't like good-looking people?"
"I'm a little curious, I wonder if Lu has a boyfriend..."
Lu Yinzhao naturally didn't hear these discussions.
The military training ended just in time for the National Day holiday.
He quickly packed his things, slung his bag over his shoulder, and headed home.
In the dormitory, apart from him and Song Shuye who were locals, Xu Zishi and Jiang Yi were from other provinces.
"Aren't any of you three going home?" Lu Yinzhao couldn't help but ask before leaving.
"What's the point of going home? I can't have fun, and I'll have to endure my family's nagging." Even Song Shuye, a local, doesn't want to go back.
Xu Zishi and Jiang Yi nodded repeatedly in agreement.
"Going home is not as good as going on a trip with my classmates, but I don't have time for that right now. Military training has tortured me too much. I need to lie down for a few days."
As he spoke, Song Shuye took out his phone again and opened the game app.
"Alright then, take care, I'll be going now."
Since he had so many loving and doting family members in this world, Lu Yinzhao had never been alone outside for so long.
Even when the Lu family was very busy, Lu Yinzhao still lived in Bian Ji's house, where he was always accompanied by the people he knew best.
Later, Bian Ji went abroad, and the Lu family took turns taking care of him, making sure he never felt lonely.
It wasn't until he went to university that he started leaving home more often.
He hadn't been home at all during the entire military training period, and now he was really starting to miss home.
He received a call from Lu Xun as soon as he left the school gate.
"Hey! Bro! Um... I've finished my military training. Oh? You sent a car to pick me up? Where is it? Ah! I see it!"
Lu Yinzhao held up her phone and jogged across the street to get into the car sent by Lu Xun.
"Big brother, are you at Yunshui Villa? Did you bring Xuanxuan with you?"
"I brought it. Come back quickly. Everyone else is here, you're the only one missing," Lu Xun urged on the phone.
"Okay, okay! Wait for me!"
After hanging up the phone, Lu Yinzhao was overjoyed.
Everyone in the family is here, which means... Third Brother and the others have also returned?
Lu Yinzhao also shared this happy news with Bian Ji.
[Zhao Zhao]: Today, the family is reunited!
【Zhaozhao】: It's a pity that you're missing.
Bian Ji was at his busiest during this time, and Lu Yinzhao knew that the other party couldn't come back, so he could only send a message to express his regret.
Bian Ji didn't reply to him immediately, probably because she was still working.
Lu Yinzhao happily arrived home by car.
As soon as they entered the courtyard, a pretty little girl stumbled over and grabbed the boy's leg.
"..."
Last March, Li Xu gave birth to a girl, whom Lu Xun named Lu Zhixuan. She is only one and a half years old now, and is at the most adorable age.
Lu Yinzhao only visited his older brother a few times when the child was born. After that, he was busy with his studies and exams and didn't visit his older brother much.
Lu Yinzhao was overjoyed to hear that his older brother had brought his niece today.
Xuanxuan is the youngest member of the entire Lu family.
Once upon a time, Lu Yinzhao was also a little dumpling this size. He never imagined that he would one day become an elder...
Seeing the beautiful baby in front of him who looked so much like his older brother, Lu Yinzhao's heart almost melted.
"Xuanxuan~ sweet baby! Let your uncle hug you!"
-----------------------
Author's Note: Zhao Zhao: Kissing my little baby [kiss]
(P.S.: Baby holding baby. [Glasses])
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