The whole story sounded flawless, portraying him as a responsible and caring comrade.
However, Chen Xiaocao's testimony was completely different.
The timid female soldier, who was as cowardly as a rabbit, cried and said that on the night before Xiao Ya died, she gave the only few pieces of meat in her bowl to her and Su An, and told them to take good care of each other, as if she were making her final arrangements.
Would someone who is preparing to commit suicide out of guilt have the mind to make arrangements for their last affairs?
Zhang Ruobing had a strong intuition that Wang Xiaoya's death was definitely related to Bai Wei.
Bai Wei's current mental state is very likely a direct manifestation of her "guilt."
So, what about Su An?
That female soldier who had kept a low profile since entering the camp, but who unleashed amazing energy at one critical moment after another.
She and Wang Xiaoya were the closest.
Wang Xiaoya's death was the biggest blow to her.
Given her personality, would she let this go so easily?
In Zhang Ruobing's mind, the image of Su An beating Bai Wei so badly in the fighting arena flashed by.
That precise, cunning, and targeted "family massage technique"—now that I think about it, it wasn't massage at all; it was clearly an extremely efficient killing technique...
And tonight...
Bai Wei saw a "ghost"...
Isn't all of this too much of a coincidence?
A chill ran down Zhang Ruobing's spine.
She dared not think any further.
If all of this was really orchestrated by Su An behind the scenes... then how terrifying must this female soldier, who looks only eighteen or nineteen years old, be in terms of her mind and methods?
She stubbed out her cigarette on the windowsill.
no.
This matter absolutely cannot be left unresolved.
Bai Wei's mental state is a breakthrough point.
Whether she has truly gone mad or has been driven insane by someone playing a prank, we must find out.
This is not only about Bai Wei's safety, but also about the safety and stability of the entire Third Battalion.
...
The next morning, a piercing whistle rang out throughout the camp.
All trainees assembled urgently and began the most rigorous physical training of the day. The shouts of battle echoed across the training ground.
However, an uninvited guest arrived at the female soldiers' dormitory.
Taking advantage of the break when everyone was training, Zhang Ruobing quietly returned to the dormitory building alone.
Her goal was clear—Bai Wei and Su Tang's dormitory.
Pushing open the door to Class 4's dormitory, a blast of cool air hits you. The dormitory is empty; the blankets are folded into perfect "tofu blocks," towels and washbasins are neatly arranged, and the floor is swept clean.
Everything complied with the internal regulations; in fact, it was exemplary.
Zhang Ruobing's gaze did not linger on these superficial formalities; she walked straight to Su An's bedside.
This is the bed. Wang Xiaoya's death and Bai Wei's madness seem to be inextricably linked to the owner of this bed.
Zhang Ruobing took a deep breath and began her search.
She first picked up Su An's blanket, carefully shook it open, and checked if anything was hidden inside. Nothing.
Then came the pillow. She turned it over and over, even checking the seams of the pillowcase. Still nothing.
Her movements were very light and professional; after each turn, she would restore the items to their original state without leaving a trace.
There was nothing under the bed frame and mattress.
She checked every single personal item: belt, water bottle, lunchbox...
It was unbelievably clean.
Su An is a person who is as simple as her file. Apart from the necessities issued by the army, she has nothing extra.
There were no letters, nor any personal trinkets.
How can an eighteen or nineteen-year-old girl live like an ascetic?
Zhang Ruobing's brows furrowed deeper and deeper. She refused to believe that nothing could be found.
Her gaze finally settled on the small, army-green canvas storage bag on the bedside table. This was used by the trainees to store small items such as needles and thread, soap, and toothbrushes.
Zhang Ruobing reached inside.
Toothbrush, tooth powder, a bar of "Lighthouse" brand soap that's been washed until it's white, and a sewing kit.
Her fingers touched a hard, cylindrical little thing at the bottom of the bag.
On a whim, she took it out.
It was a small tin medicine bottle with the words "Zheng Gu Shui" (正骨水) printed on it in white paint.
It was the medicine that Instructor Qin gave Su An that night.
Zhang Ruobing unscrewed the bottle cap, and a strong, pungent smell of medicinal liquor wafted out. She brought the bottle to her nose and sniffed it carefully.
Besides the smell of medicinal wine, there also seemed to be a trace of... an extremely faint, almost imperceptible sweet fragrance.
What does it taste like?
She couldn't remember, but the sense of unease made her wary.
She poured a drop of the medicine onto her fingertip, rubbed it carefully, and then examined it under the light. The clear brown liquid was free of any impurities.
Am I overthinking things?
Zhang Ruobing was about to put the medicine bottle back when her gaze inadvertently swept over the pair of neatly arranged rubber shoes under Su An's bed.
Her movements suddenly stopped.
Those shoes... were so clean.
Su An's shoes were so clean they looked like brand new shoes that had just been taken out of the warehouse.
Zhang Ruobing squatted down, picked up one of the shoes, and felt a damp coolness from the sole.
Just then, a light footstep sound came from outside the dormitory door.
Zhang Ruobing felt a chill run down her spine and quickly put the shoes back in their original places, as well as the medicine bottle.
"Sister Su An, are you sure you don't need to go to the infirmary? Your hand..."
It was Chen Xiaocao's voice, filled with deep worry.
Su Tang's calm voice came through: "It's nothing, just a minor injury."
Su Tang pushed open the door and walked in.
"Huh, Instructor Zhang? What are you doing here?" Su Tang's face showed just the right amount of surprise, as if she had only just noticed Zhang Ruobing behind the door.
Chen Xiaocao was startled, her face turned pale, and she nervously called out, "Hello, Instructor Zhang!"
Zhang Ruobing walked out from behind the door, her face already showing its usual seriousness.
"Su An, what are you doing back here? Why aren't you participating in training?" She didn't answer Su Tang's question, but instead asked first, trying to regain the initiative.
"Reporting to the instructor, my old wrist injury has flared up a bit. Instructor Lei told me to come back to get some medicine and rest for a while." Su Tang raised her wrist, which still bore a faint bruise, and answered flawlessly.
"Medicine?" Zhang Ruobing's gaze was sharp as a knife. "What medicine?"
Su Tang pointed to the storage bag on the bedside table: "It's the bone-setting syrup that Instructor Qin gave us last time."
Her expression was completely calm, as if the bottle of medicine was really just an ordinary bone-setting solution.
Looking into her clear, bright eyes, Zhang Ruobing's newly formed doubts began to waver again.
Am I just being too suspicious?
But how do you explain that sweet fragrance and those excessively clean shoes?
Just as the atmosphere reached an awkward stalemate, a messenger came running breathlessly to the door.
"Reporting, Instructor Zhang! Something's happened at the infirmary!"
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