After lunch, Han Feng said goodbye to Liu Mengran and leaned against the shade of an old locust tree, his military cap casually draped over his face to block the sunlight. The corner he chose offered a secluded view, allowing him to observe the entire training ground without being easily noticed.
The rough texture of the tree bark seeped through his training uniform onto his back, and the sounds of other students laughing and playing drifted from afar. Han Feng closed his eyes to rest, but his ears picked up every subtle sound around him—an instinct honed through years of special training.
Sure enough, less than five minutes later, deliberately light footsteps approached from the side and behind. Han Feng's lips curled slightly upward, but he didn't move.
"Team...Captain?" A voice, tinged with suppressed excitement, rang in my ears.
Han Feng pushed his general's cap back up and turned to see a dark, resolute face. It was Li Cheng, an outstanding member of the team selected from the Longyuan Base, though he fell short in the final assessment; however, he was exceptionally talented among special forces soldiers.
"Instructor Li, it's been a long time." Han Feng's voice was calm, but his eyes quickly scanned the surroundings to make sure no one else had noticed what was happening.
Li Cheng was about to raise his hand in salute, but Han Feng grabbed his wrist with lightning speed. "No," he said in a low voice, "You're the head instructor here. What would it look like if the students saw you saluting a freshman?"
Li Cheng's face flushed red, but he still stubbornly shook his head: "In my heart, you will always be the captain. If it weren't for you..."
"Let's not talk about the past." Han Feng interrupted him, releasing his grip. "I'm just Han Feng, a freshman in the Department of Economics and Management now, understand?"
Li Cheng opened his mouth as if to say something, but in the end he only nodded heavily: "I understand. But Captain... no, Han, please don't hesitate to ask me for anything."
Han Feng sighed helplessly. Li Cheng's straightforward and almost stubborn personality hadn't changed at all, which was why Han Feng still felt some regret after he failed to be selected.
"Go ahead and get busy, just don't let anyone notice anything unusual." Han Feng leaned back against the tree trunk, pulling his general's hat down low.
Li Cheng hesitated for a moment, then simply whispered "Yes" before turning and leaving. But his straight back and more measured gait than usual betrayed his inner excitement and unease.
This scene was witnessed by Instructor Zhao Yang, who was not far away. He narrowed his triangular eyes, staring in Han Feng's direction, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the whistle at his waist.
"Instructor Li, what did that student want with you?" Zhao Yang led several instructors to greet him, a fake smile on his face.
Li Cheng's expression remained unchanged: "He asked some questions about the requirements for joining the army, and I answered them."
"Oh? A top student from the Business Administration department is interested in joining the army?" Zhao Yang glanced meaningfully in Han Feng's direction. "Could it be a relative of yours?"
"Just ordinary students." Li Cheng's tone was curt. "It's assembly time; it's time to prepare for this afternoon's training."
Watching Li Cheng's departing figure, Zhao Yang's face darkened. Ever since Li Cheng was transferred from the special forces to the armed forces department, his status had plummeted. Those colleagues who used to fawn over him now all fawned over Li Cheng. What was even more infuriating was that Li Cheng had secured the position of chief instructor for this military training, while he himself could only be a regular instructor.
Zhao Yang's gaze returned to Han Feng under the shade of the tree, and a plan gradually took shape in his mind. He was in charge of the Economics and Management Department's formation, and that student seemed to have a special relationship with Li Cheng...
"Brother Zhao, what are you thinking about?" An instructor next to him nudged him.
Zhao Yang revealed a sinister smile: "Nothing, just thinking about how to 'give the students an extra treat' this afternoon."
The whistle blew, signaling the end of the break. Han Feng straightened his training uniform and headed towards the assembly point. As he passed the instructors, he keenly sensed a malicious gaze. A quick glance revealed an instructor with a scar on his chin, whose name tag read "Zhao Yang."
Han Feng's expression remained unchanged, but he already understood. It seemed that his interaction with Li Cheng had attracted unnecessary attention. He secretly memorized Zhao Yang's physical characteristics and quietly returned to the queue.
"Attention, everyone! Stand at attention!" Zhao Yang stood in front of the Economics and Management Department's formation, his voice deliberately loud and clear, "This afternoon we'll practice the steps of marching! Anyone who doesn't do it well..."
His gaze swept across the group, finally settling on Han Feng.
"...Just two extra hours of individual practice!"
Han Feng met Zhao Yang's gaze, his expression calm as still water. This level of harassment was nothing to him, but he was curious about just how far this instructor would go.
"Third row, fifth person, step forward!" Zhao Yang suddenly pointed at Han Feng.
Han Feng took a step forward and stood at a standard stance.
"What's your name?"
"Reporting, Instructor, it's Han Feng."
"Han Feng, right?" Zhao Yang circled him. "I heard you're interested in joining the army? Let me see what you're capable of. Push-ups, get ready!"
The surrounding classmates cast sympathetic glances. Training had only just begun, and she was already being targeted by the instructors; the days ahead were likely to be tough.
Without a word, Han Feng bent down and pushed himself up. Under the scorching sun, sweat quickly soaked his back. But every push-up was as perfect as a textbook demonstration, even the frequency was spot on.
Zhao Yang's expression grew increasingly grim. He had intended to give this student a hard time, but he hadn't expected the student to be so physically fit.
"Stop! Back to formation!" Zhao Yang shouted angrily. "Attention, everyone! Marching steps, one!"
Throughout the afternoon, Zhao Yang tried every trick in the book to find fault with Han Feng, making him demonstrate movements, do extra physical training, and even punish him by making him run laps for "not looking straight ahead." But no matter what the task was, Han Feng completed it flawlessly, which instead drew admiring glances from the other students.
As training ended, Zhao Yang cracked his whistle. He stared at Han Feng's departing figure, gritting his teeth: "You'll be sorry tomorrow..."
On the other side, Li Cheng witnessed everything from afar, his fists clenched until they turned white. But he remembered Han Feng's instructions not to reveal his identity. He could only secretly decide to pay closer attention to the situation of the Economics and Management Department's formation.
On his way back, Han Feng's shadow stretched long in the setting sun. Today was just the beginning, and he knew Zhao Yang wouldn't give up so easily. He was just causing him a little trouble, but Han Feng didn't know his purpose.
Before knowing the other party's purpose, he must remain low-key and fulfill his duties as a student.
Han Feng's phone vibrated in his pocket. He took it out and saw a message from Liu Mengran: "I've handed over all the work during military training to Qin Chuan. It's too tiring; I can't handle it."
Immediately after, another message came: Why is that instructor targeting you so much today? I can't figure out the reason, but I know he's targeting you.
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