During the chaotic battle on the mountaintop, she certainly didn't fight head-on. Instead, like the most patient viper, she observed from the shadows, waiting until everyone was exhausted before quietly emerging to clean up the mess and reap the points.
A cunning, patient, and ruthless opponent.
Zhang Man is definitely not someone to be underestimated.
Faced with a barrage of criticism, Zhang Man slowly turned around.
The girl, who had always been quiet and seemed somewhat frail and introverted, didn't show much surprise on her face; she just wore a faint, enigmatic smile.
She ignored all the gazes around her, whether of shock, jealousy, or anger, as if none of them concerned her. Her gaze passed over everyone and landed directly on Su An at the very front of the line.
There was no provocation, no demonstration in his eyes, only a pure excitement of meeting a worthy opponent.
The two women exchanged a glance, and it felt as if invisible sparks were colliding in the air. It was a clash that only the two of them could understand.
Su Tang narrowed her eyes slightly, then calmly looked away, no longer looking at her.
He's a really interesting person.
"Silence!" Lei Kuan's roar silenced the noise. He coldly surveyed the room. "Anyone with objections to the rankings can submit an appeal to the special task force after the assessment! Now, continue with the announcements!"
"Third place, Gao Kai!"
"oh--!"
This name acted like a shot of adrenaline, instantly igniting the passion of Gao Kai and his fellow police officers. The playground, which had just fallen into an eerie silence because of Zhang Man, was once again engulfed in deafening cheers.
Eliminated Li Si and Wang Hu forgot their sadness and tears, and shouted louder than anyone else.
"Brother Kai is awesome!"
"Brother Kai is awesome!"
Gao Kai straightened his chest, his face contorted with scars that made him look somewhat ferocious, but his eyes shone with an astonishing light. He didn't turn to look at his brothers, but instead whirled around, his gaze fixed intently on Su An.
In those eyes, there was pride, resentment, and a hint of... a longing for recognition that even he himself didn't realize.
Su An felt his gaze and nodded slightly in affirmation.
Gao Kai's heart skipped a beat, and he grinned silently. It was worth it!
"Second place, Jiang Yan!"
No doubt about it.
The entire arena remained silent, as if this were the natural course of events. Jiang Yan himself was expressionless, merely nodding slightly towards the platform, his deep gaze subtly sweeping over Su An for 0.5 seconds before moving away.
Now, only one name remains: first place.
Everyone's hearts were in their throats, even though the answer was already obvious.
Lei Kuan took a deep breath, and for the first time, a smile that was almost proud appeared on his face. He raised the tin megaphone and, with all his might, roared out that name.
"First place—Su An!"
"Awooo—!"
As soon as Lei Kuan finished speaking, Gao Kai and his group erupted in the loudest cheers again, this time even louder and more frenzied than before!
"Su An is awesome!"
"I knew it! The Gun God is number one!"
"Teacher Su! A god forever!"
Li Si and his friends shouted until their faces turned red and their necks bulged, as if they themselves had won first place.
Amidst the complex gazes of the audience, Su Tang calmly stepped forward and stood at the very front of the line.
She subconsciously raised her head and looked up at the platform.
Even from a great distance, her gaze precisely caught that tall, upright, and extremely familiar figure.
Qin Ye was also looking at her.
His gaze was no longer that of a stern instructor, but had transformed into a deep, unfathomable tenderness and pride that only she could understand.
The assessment has concluded.
An hour for farewell was far too short for these comrades who had spent three months together.
A somber mood of parting permeated the entire camp.
Gone were the shouts of training, gone were the noises of the canteen, only the rustling of packing their bags and the suppressed, low sobs.
The atmosphere in Gao Kai's dormitory was as heavy as lead.
Wang Lei, with red eyes, was silently rolling up his bedding, moving very slowly, as if he wanted time to slow down.
"Brother Kai, I...I've embarrassed you." Wang Lei's voice was thick with nasal congestion and sobs; he didn't dare look at Gao Kai's face.
Gao Kai slapped him on the back, making him stagger.
"What nonsense are you spouting!" Gao Kai roared. "So what if I'm eliminated? I almost got eliminated back in police academy too! I'll still be a People's Police officer when I go back to my original unit, and I'll still be a good soldier! Show me some backbone, don't act like a woman!"
Although his words were firm, Gao Kai's eyes also reddened.
Li Si, who had been eliminated, walked over, grabbed Wang Lei by the neck, and squeezed him tightly. "That's right, Lei! Stop crying! This is called a strategic retreat! When we get back to the station, if anyone dares to bully you, just tell me! We're brothers who climbed out of the same hole!"
"Yes! We'll always be brothers!"
Several grown men huddled together, patting each other's shoulders, spouting nonsensical harsh words, yet tears streamed down their faces uncontrollably.
Wang Lei could no longer hold back. He hugged Li Si and cried like a child.
Gao Kai looked at them, then turned away, blinking hard to suppress the rising heat. He walked to the window, looking at the playground, feeling empty inside.
Jiang Yan's dormitory was much quieter.
His bunkmate, Meng Shi, had already packed his backpack and placed it neatly on the headboard. He sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Jiang Yan, his face still beaming.
"Brother Yan, I knew I couldn't keep up with you. You're definitely going to be in the top three. As for me, forget it, going back to our mountain village and being a reconnaissance squad leader is fine too." Meng Shi said with a smile, as if he were talking about something that had nothing to do with him.
“Write a letter when you get to the army,” Jiang Yan said.
"Alright!" Meng Shi nodded vigorously. "Brother Yan, you need to see more of the outside world for me! And for me... beat up a few more enemies!"
Jiang Yan looked at his dark face and hummed in response.
An hour later, several military trucks pulled up on the parade ground.
The more than forty eliminated trainees, carrying their bags, gathered on the playground for the last time.
Lei Kuan and Qin Ye stood in front of them.
"Salute!" Lei Kuan roared.
Whoosh!
Those who stayed and those who left simultaneously gave each other a standard military salute.
"Take care, brother!"
"Wait for us, we will definitely make the name of the Third Battalion famous again on other battlefields!"
"Remember to write when you get to the army!"
The truck slowly started moving, and the people on board leaned out, waving their hands vigorously. Many of them were already sobbing uncontrollably.
The people in the queue ran after the truck, with Gao Kai at the very front, chasing after it until it disappeared at the end of the road. Only then did he stop and stand in the dust.
After seeing her comrades off, Su Tang did not return to her dormitory, but went directly to the infirmary.
She pushed open the door, and a strong smell of disinfectant wafted out.
The infirmary was quiet, with only a young medic organizing medicines.
Upon seeing Su An, he paused for a moment, then recognized him as the newly crowned number one. He quickly stood up and greeted him somewhat awkwardly, "Comrade Su An, are you... are you looking for someone?"
"Excuse me, where is Chen Xiaocao?"
...
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