Chapter 26

After dinner, as the sky grew darker, Instructor Zhang Lizheng, with his dark, expressionless face, stared at the students of Class 9 on the playground without saying a word for a long time.

The atmosphere was so quiet that it felt suffocating. The students were all anxious, unsure of what kind of punishment they would face next.

Mo Wen, however, was not particularly nervous. Instead, he glanced meaningfully at the crowd watching from a distance. At first, he was very puzzled, not understanding why someone would cause trouble for him without any reason. But when the second group of people rushed out, he spotted Cheng Hao and immediately understood.

Cheng Hao stood there, watching this way. Suddenly, he met Mo Wen's gaze, and his expression changed slightly. He instinctively took a step back. But then his face turned cold, and he glared at Mo Wen with a look full of provocation. Although today's plan failed and he didn't manage to kill Mo Wen, there would be other opportunities. He had plenty of methods to finish him off, and Mo Wen wouldn't be so lucky next time.

He attributed today's plan failure to Mo Wen's good relationships, with someone stepping in to help him. But he still had many other ways to get rid of Mo Wen.

A cold glint flashed in Mo Wen's eyes. He had always been a person who wouldn't provoke others unless provoked. If someone dared to cross him, he would repay them a hundredfold. In his previous life as a divine doctor, although he was peaceful and didn't seek conflict, few dared to provoke him, as those who did often met with terrible fates, not just simple retaliation.

Cheng Hao, although in the same military district as Mo Wen, was not from the Fourth Battalion but the Third Battalion. They usually trained in different areas, which was why Mo Wen hadn't noticed him before.

As for those who started the fight, they were all from the Third Battalion, Fourth Company, and Cheng Hao had managed to recruit two classes in just one week.

"Did you win?"

The atmosphere was tense, and after a long silence, Instructor Zhang Lizheng suddenly spoke.

The students looked at each other in confusion, not understanding what the instructor meant and not daring to speak up.

"Yes."

Finally, the class leader, Chen Zhongqing, stepped forward to respond.

"Very good."

Instructor Zhang Lizheng nodded slightly, his expression softening. He glanced at the other group of students who had fought with Class 9, and their instructor was also present.

On the other side, where the Third Battalion, Fourth Company gathered.

"Hmm? You lost! Very well."

The instructor on that side nodded coldly, "Since you dared to fight openly, violating military discipline, you must be prepared to accept punishment. Considering you are just trainees, I won't be too harsh. Five kilometers of weighted running, with five bricks."

"Five bricks, not one less."

The instructor shouted, his voice loud enough to be heard from a distance.

The students who started the fight looked at each other, their faces changing. Five kilometers was already a significant test of physical strength, especially with the added weight. Each brick weighed five pounds, so five bricks totaled twenty-five pounds. Although not extremely heavy for boys, it would be very challenging in a five-kilometer run.

They were just students who had just started military training, not seasoned veterans. Completing a five-kilometer run with twenty-five pounds of weight would likely result in severe exhaustion.

"You heard it. Violating military discipline means facing punishment."

Instructor Zhang Lizheng glanced coldly at the other group, "I won't say much. Ten bricks, five kilometers."

His voice was loud enough for the other group to hear clearly.

The students of Class 9, upon hearing this, turned pale. Five bricks were already exhausting, but ten bricks could be fatal. The instructor was too harsh!

After speaking, Instructor Zhang Lizheng called over a high-ranking sergeant, who seemed to be his subordinate. After a brief conversation, the sergeant quickly left.

The other group, who had been looking miserable, suddenly felt a sense of schadenfreude. Ten bricks! That was fifty pounds, twice as much as their own punishment. A five-kilometer run with that weight would surely be a nightmare.

Soon, the sergeant returned, followed by ten soldiers, each carrying a large, bulging backpack that seemed very heavy.

"Put them on." Instructor Zhang Lizheng said coldly.

The large backpacks were placed on the ground in front of Mo Wen and the others. The soldiers who put down the backpacks wiped the sweat from their heads, indicating the weight.

The students of Class 9 looked even paler.

"Damn it, let's go! Brothers, put them on, what's there to fear?"

Chen Zhongqing gritted his teeth, picked up the first backpack, and put it on.

But the next moment, his expression became strange as he looked at Instructor Zhang Lizheng in confusion.

The others also took deep breaths and picked up the backpacks. The moment they lifted them, their expressions all became strange.

The students of Class 9 looked at each other, exchanging glances, but no one spoke.

When Mo Wen picked up the backpack, he smiled with a hint of amusement. The backpack was not as heavy as expected; it felt empty. He squeezed it, and indeed, it was soft and elastic, not bricks but foam.

"Ouch, so heavy, I can't even lift my waist."

Wang Yuan bent over, pretending to be under a heavy load, and shouted loudly, "Unfair, why do we have to carry ten bricks while they only carry five? Unfair!"

Wang Yuan's loud complaints could be heard from a distance, and he seemed to be afraid that others wouldn't hear.

After he spoke, the other students of Class 9 immediately looked miserable and shouted about the unfairness.

On the other side, Instructor Wang Shenling's expression stiffened, and he frowned slightly before saying expressionlessly, "You heard it. They are carrying ten bricks. So, you will also carry ten."

"Ah! No way!"

When Instructor Wang Shenling finished speaking, the students of the Third Battalion, Fourth Company immediately complained. They had been feeling schadenfreude, but now they felt like crying. They suddenly didn't hate their own instructor as much as they hated Instructor Zhang Lizheng, who had doubled their punishment.

Soon, a team of soldiers carrying bricks and another soldier from the logistics department with a pile of empty backpacks arrived.

Several soldiers loaded the bricks on the spot, and soon, twenty bulging backpacks were placed in front of the Third Battalion, Fourth Company. These were real bricks, not fakes.

"Instructor, we are going to be punished; ouch, so heavy!"

Wang Yuan chuckled, glanced at the other group with a sense of schadenfreude, and then ran off, pretending to be struggling under the weight, panting heavily as if it was a great burden.

Seeing this, the other students of Class 9 also chuckled and got into position, running onto the track.

Their faces were red, their steps heavy, and they were panting as if carrying a mountain.

Mo Wen smiled wryly and followed, running behind them. Wang Yuan and the others were such good actors; it was a waste not to be in the entertainment industry.

There are two types of five-kilometer runs: one on mountainous terrain and one on a track, with time limits during training.

Since they were being punished, it was naturally a track five-kilometer run. If the instructor hadn't specified, only a fool would choose the mountainous terrain.

Moreover, the instructor didn't set a time limit, so they could run slowly, pretending to struggle under the weight. For Mo Wen and the others, the "weighted run" with no actual weight was no pressure at all.

On the other hand, the Third Battalion, Fourth Company was complaining bitterly. They were carrying fifty pounds of real bricks. Even without a time limit, completing a five-kilometer run would be a nightmare.

"Bad, really bad."

Wang Yuan quietly ran up to Mo Wen, pretending to be out of breath while chuckling.

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