"It's been a long time! You're still as strict as ever!"
Compared to the commotion below the stage, the atmosphere on stage was much calmer.
The two people behind Cheng Hu hadn't said a word before, but now they spoke up helplessly, not for any other reason than that Cheng Hu wanted absolute silence when he spoke.
"It's better than letting them die at the hands of some mysterious force later!"
Cheng Hu didn't turn around. His eyes swept over the newlyweds who were running around in a panic, but he paid more attention to a few figures than to the others.
Among them were Chi Chen and Lin Bai.
"Among the new recruits this time, there are a few interesting youngsters. I wonder if they can give me some surprises like those two brats, Xiao Rulai and Zhang Rong?"
Even Cheng Hu couldn't hide the smile on his face when he thought of those two pillars of the Great Xia War Zone.
However, in this world today, the only one who dares to call Zhang Rong and Xiao Rulai "brats" is probably the chief instructor himself.
...
"Holy crap! Chi Chen, that's terrifying! That Cheng Hu is terrifying!"
In the mountains and forests, Lin Bai ran along the rugged mountain path while touching his heaving chest. He really didn't dare to breathe loudly just now.
"Xiang Ming, just who is Cheng Hu?"
Chi Chen also asked Xiang Ming.
Even if they were to implement military-style management, Cheng Hu's power was far too great; this training camp was practically his personal fiefdom.
"Cheng Hu, he's quite the legendary figure..."
Xiang Ming followed closely behind the two, his face also looking grim, and briefly introduced Cheng Hu's deeds to them.
"He was the captain's former instructor, Chi Chen. Do you think we could try to build a connection with him?"
Lin Bai's eyes lit up immediately after hearing this.
What do you think?
But Chi Chen dealt him a heavy blow.
"That's true... I'm afraid I'd be sprawled on the ground before I even opened my mouth!"
Lin Bai immediately deflated again.
"Alright, enough talk, let's conserve our energy. This mountain is at least a thousand meters high, and the terrain is complex. There's no way we can move very fast. Even if we were at our peak physical condition, it would be extremely difficult to climb ten round trips before dark without using our mental powers, let alone..."
Chi Chen was about to say that they had fought all night, but then he suddenly realized that he was the only one who had been messed with all night, while the other two had slept all night. His mindset immediately changed a little.
Chi Chen cast a questioning and angry glance at the person next to him. Not far away, Pang Feng and Yu Shou, who were closely following the three to prevent them from cheating using their mental powers, immediately turned their heads to the side. How could they have known that Cheng Hu would be so fierce from the start?
Among the mountains and forests, the figures of over 190 new recruits and dozens of instructors moved about like monkeys.
The inability to use mental power becomes a fatal prerequisite for many newcomers, because not everyone had been tortured for two months before arriving like Chi Chen and Lin Bai, and their physical strength had already greatly improved. And there are even fewer people like Xiang Ming who have been preparing for the possible awakening of their abilities for a long time.
Therefore, after just one round trip, many people were already exhausted. At this point, the instructors next to them began to pull out the small leather whips they had prepared in advance and began to reveal their true colors as slave owners.
From dawn to dusk, the mountains were initially filled with cries of pain, but then gradually quieted down, leaving only the constant dripping of sweat and tears, and even blood soaking the soles of their shoes.
As the August sun set and the eerie red moon rose, the square was filled with new recruits lying on the ground. After a day of torment, they finally completed ten round trips around 10 p.m. Of course, not everyone could persevere. Fewer than fifty people were able to finish. Most of them had collapsed from exhaustion along the way and had to be brought back by the instructors.
"Chi...Chi Chen...I see so many little flying figures in front of me! Hehehe, and even little fairies!"
Lin Bai lay sprawled on the ground, sweat forming a large "太" shape on the surface. The intense physical exhaustion had caused Lin Bai to hallucinate.
Xiang Ming lay to one side, staring blankly at the night sky above. He had forgotten how he had managed to hold on. Now he felt like his body no longer belonged to him, and he didn't even have the strength to speak.
Chi Chen's situation is no better than the other two. First, there was a night of fighting, and then ten round trips up and down the mountain. At this moment, Chi Chen felt as if his body was a boulder stuck to the earth, unable to move at all.
"Everyone, stand up and assemble!"
Suddenly, that loud voice rang out again, and under the lights, Cheng Hu's imposing figure appeared on the high platform, uttering a voice that left no room for doubt.
When the newlyweds heard that voice in the square, their bodies twitched as if in a stress response. Then, gasps of shock echoed throughout the square. But all the newlyweds used their last bit of strength to shakily stand up from the ground.
Some of the newcomers even collapsed backward as soon as they stood up, but fortunately, the other newcomers who had been able to rest for a while due to fainting quickly supported them, which helped them stand up with difficulty.
Chi Chen also endured the pain and screams coming from every part of his body, and the three of them leaned on each other to steady themselves.
"Boys, to be honest, I'm very dissatisfied with your performance today. Fewer than fifty of you met my target, and you even exceeded it by several hours!"
Cheng Hu looked at the newlyweds supporting each other below the stage, but offered no comfort. Instead, he spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
Below the stage, the newlyweds' faces were filled with resentment and anger, but because of what happened that morning, not one of them dared to utter a sound.
Although they were very unwilling, they did not want to be eliminated so soon after arriving, and they did not want to go back like this. Many of them, like Chi Chen, had witnessed their loved ones or friends being mysteriously killed. That pain was one of the biggest reasons why they had persevered until now.
The silence from the audience surprised Cheng Hu slightly; he had expected someone to speak up.
"This person is really too harsh!"
On the field, even the instructors felt that Cheng Hu was being somewhat inhuman. In fact, the new recruits had performed very well. Even those who did not finish persevered until they fainted from exhaustion, and not a single one of them offered to give up.
Even the instructors rarely witnessed such a scene.
Faced with the silence from the audience, Cheng Hu continued:
"Although you didn't complete my task, not one of you cheated or gave up. That's something I'm quite impressed with. Kids, the first lesson I'm giving you today is just two words: perseverance. Whether it's this training camp or the future battles against the mysterious forces, only those who persevere to the very end will become the true winners!"
"Do you know why you can still enjoy the peaceful life you used to have, even in this world full of mystery? It's because, outside the city walls and inside the city walls, there is a group of people who are using their lives to persevere and protect! The reason this world has been able to continue until now is because they have built a wall for you with their own flesh and blood! Do you feel that you are suffering now?"
I'm telling you, that's bullshit! The suffering you're going through now is less than one-thousandth, one-ten-thousandth, of those who have died!
And once you leave here, you'll become one of them. If you can't even endure this little hardship, you might as well leave now and avoid becoming a burden to them. Later, when you're unable to protect your teammates and watch them die in front of you, will it be useful to regret your cowardice then?
Cheng Hu's loud voice continued to reach the ears of everyone on the field. At this moment, even some of the instructors unconsciously clenched their fists, and those painful memories instantly flooded their minds.
Many of the newcomers couldn't help but tremble.
"So, in order to prevent this tragedy from happening again, for yourselves, for your future teammates, and even more so for those you want to protect and those you have lost, accept the suffering you have now, embrace the trials to come, and use your sweat to exchange for the blood that may appear in the future. After that, do you still think that you are just being tortured, that you are just suffering? Answer me, newcomers, is it true!"
Cheng Hu's loud shout, like a morning bell, jolted the group of newcomers awake.
"no!"
"no!"
Roars erupted across the plaza, and Chi Chen and his two companions also raised their voices, caught up in the atmosphere.
"Very good, boys. Now that you understand this principle, meet at the square at seven o'clock tomorrow morning. You should already know the consequences of being late!"
Upon seeing this, Cheng Hu smiled, but his next words brought the newlyweds back to reality: "In their condition, how can they get up at seven o'clock?"
"Dinner has been prepared in the cafeteria. Although you did not complete the task, you are hereby granted special permission to enjoy it!"
The next second, as soon as Cheng Hu finished speaking, all the newcomers on the field, whose eyes had been dim, suddenly gleamed like hungry wolves seeing their prey.
"Ahhh!"
"Oh oh oh!"
The next moment, these newlyweds, who had been completely weak, suddenly found strength and ran quickly toward a bungalow. However, the pain from the blisters on their feet as they ran caused a strange sound to echo throughout the mountainside.
"You lads!"
Suddenly, Cheng Hu spoke up again, which made them panic. Would Cheng Hu change his mind and not give them food?
Is this some kind of attempt to destroy them?
"The restrooms are over there! The cafeteria is on the other side!"
Cheng Hu rubbed his ears as he listened to the cries of pain.
"Ahhhhh???"
"Oh, oh, oh??"
So the newlyweds screamed and ran off to the other side.
If it weren't for the fact that the area around this mountain is deserted, people would probably think that the mountain is haunted tonight.
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