However, Zhao Yan's actions took everyone by surprise.
She didn't look at Su An immediately, but instead turned her gaze to Chen Xiaocao, who was standing next to Su An and was unconsciously clutching the hem of Su An's clothes because of nervousness.
The girl she deliberately knocked down during a cross-country race in order to win first place.
She had mocked the girl more than once in the dormitory and on the training field, calling her a "burden" and a "loser".
Under Chen Xiaocao's nervous and uneasy gaze, Zhao Yan took a deep breath and spoke solemnly. Her voice was not loud, but it clearly carried throughout the surroundings.
"Chen Xiaocao".
Chen Xiaocao shuddered and instinctively shrank behind Su An.
“When we were off-roading before, I deliberately bumped into you. Also, I called you a useless loser… that was wrong of me.” Zhao Yan’s face was a little hot, but she still insisted on continuing, “I apologize for what I said and did before. I’m sorry.”
Chen Xiaocao was completely stunned. She never expected that Zhao Yan, who had always been aloof and looked down on her, would apologize to her in front of so many people. For a moment, she stood there with her mouth agape, not knowing how to react.
After apologizing, Zhao Yan finally turned to Su An.
At this moment, her eyes no longer held the sparkle of the past, nor the resentment of defeat. Instead, they held an extremely complex gaze, filled with unwillingness and frustration, but above all, a deep-seated awe.
It was during the assessment debriefing that I was completely impressed and filled with awe after listening to Su Anna's textbook-like tactics.
It was at that moment that she realized the difference between herself and Su An was not in marksmanship or physical strength, but in their overall perspective.
She looked at Su An, the girl she had initially considered weak, but who ultimately took everything away with overwhelming force, and her throat went dry.
In the end, she simply nodded solemnly to Su An.
"Su An, I lost. I accept my defeat wholeheartedly."
She paused, then gave a self-deprecating laugh, adding, "I... understand what you said before now. I was thinking too narrowly about the word 'loyalty'."
True loyalty isn't about forming cliques, but about being willing to go to great lengths for your friends, like Sun Erniu.
Like Su An did for Chen Xiaocao, it was about discovering her strengths, supporting her, and guiding her towards becoming a stronger version of herself.
Su Tang looked at Zhao Yan, who had finally shed her fierce aura and revealed a more open and honest side, and a hint of approval flashed in her clear eyes.
"The road ahead is long," she replied calmly.
Zhao Yan tugged at the corners of her mouth, revealing a relieved smile. Without saying another word, she turned around, head held high, and joined the departing crowd.
That figure, though still proud, was no longer aggressive.
Su An watched her figure disappear at the end of the mountain road before turning his gaze away.
She turned her head and looked at Chen Xiaocao and Wang Xiaoya beside her. The two girls were looking at her with eyes full of admiration.
"Sister Su An, you're amazing!" Wang Xiaoya said excitedly in a low voice, "That Zhao Yan, who always looks down on everyone, is completely subdued by you!"
Chen Xiaocao nodded vigorously, her eyes filled with gratitude as she looked at Su An.
She knew that without Su An, she might have been eliminated in the first round of assessments, and she would never be standing here today, head held high, accepting the glory of the victor, and even... receiving Zhao Yan's apology.
Su An smiled and patted the two girls on the shoulder. "Let's go back to the dorm and get those ten pounds of pork for an extra meal tonight!"
"Meat!"
Upon hearing this word, Chen Xiaocao and Wang Xiaoya's eyes instantly lit up like two-thousand-watt light bulbs. They temporarily forgot the sadness of parting and their complicated feelings for Zhao Yan, their minds filled only with the sizzling, oily braised pork.
"Let's go! Let's get the meat!"
Watching the two girls' joyful figures disappear into the distance, Su An's lips curled into a relaxed smile.
However, when she raised her head and looked in the direction of the camp, a thoughtful look flashed in the depths of her clear eyes.
Five days of free training...
An armory with no restrictions on access...
Individual private kitchens, modeled after those for cadres...
Lei Kuan, you've thrown out such a huge bait, willing to push me to the opposite side of everyone in the camp, making me the target of everyone's criticism.
What exactly do you want to see in me?
Or are you trying to force me to show you something?
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