Chapter 53

Ding Ning attached the divine speed talisman, and although his speed didn't match that of sprinters, it was still astonishing in a weighted cross-country run.

After surpassing the soldier who was running last, Ding Ning began to overtake one after another.

At first, the soldier who was running last was不服气 (unwilling to accept defeat). Although he was lagging behind, this was the Marine Corps of Haibin City, and every soldier had excellent physical fitness. It was normal for him to fall behind, but being overtaken by a fat guy was intolerable!

The new Captain Luo had said that whoever ran behind this fat guy tonight wouldn't get any food. This outcome was unacceptable no matter what.

However, no matter how hard he tried, even surpassing the soldier in front of him, he could only watch as the fat guy ran faster and faster.

Feeling the wind at his feet, Ding Ning felt better than ever. The weight of his body seemed to have been reduced by more than half, and running was incredibly comfortable.

Although he knew it was all thanks to the divine speed talisman, Ding Ning couldn't help but feel smug.

While others ran with their heads down to reduce resistance, he ran with his head held high, chest out, belly out, and arms swinging powerfully.

One after another, he surpassed them!

There were about thirty soldiers in the Marine Corps, and in just over ten minutes, Ding Ning had already overtaken more than twenty.

At first, the soldiers were不服气 (unwilling to accept defeat), gritting their teeth and competing with Ding Ning. However, no matter how hard they tried, they were mere mortals and couldn't resist the power of the divine speed talisman. They watched helplessly as Ding Ning, like a Ferrari among tractors, overtook them one by one.

Cross-country running was not just a test of physical strength but also a test of technique. Properly distributing one's energy was crucial. These soldiers, competing with Ding Ning, had expended too much energy at the beginning, and their speed naturally slowed down later.

After fifteen minutes, only two lightly equipped officers remained in front of Ding Ning.

Commissar Zhao was still blowing his whistle, maintaining the "one, one, one-two-one" rhythm.

Ding Ning unceremoniously overtook this commissar.

Commissar Zhao's whistle was stifled in his throat.

What was going on? That little fat guy had run past him with a big backpack.

Looking back, he saw that the soldiers behind him had formed a long line, running in a disorganized manner, clearly with abnormal breathing, far from their usual training pace.

"What... what's going on?"

"Commissar, that fat guy is running too fast... we... we can't keep up."

A soldier known as the "King of Soldiers" who usually led the pack answered Commissar Zhao.

Commissar Zhao looked ahead and saw that the new Captain Luo was also staring at Ding Ning in shock, watching the fat guy overtake him with his head held high and chest out.

Captain Luo, whose name was Luo Shuai, was an officer from the capital, rumored to come from a mysterious unit. He was here to gain experience and would return to the capital in a year to lead a special unit.

Whether it was Commissar Zhao or the "King of Soldiers," in terms of physical fitness, they were far inferior to Captain Luo. In the current Marine Corps, Captain Luo was the best in martial arts.

Unexpectedly, this pride of heaven, upon arriving here for a field exercise, was overtaken by a local fat guy.

And that fat guy was carrying a big backpack. Even if it was filled with cotton, it was still a burden.

Luo Shuai, who was not yet thirty, naturally had the competitive spirit of a young man. Seeing Ding Ning run ahead, he immediately felt the urge to compete.

He had let the soldiers overtake Ding Ning, but now they were all overtaken. He couldn't afford to lose face and had to reclaim his dignity.

"Come, give me a set of weighted equipment!"

Luo Shuai's face turned pale as he took a set of weighted equipment from a soldier, put it on, and quickly chased after Ding Ning.

Ding Ning's head was almost tilted back to the sky. At this moment, the fat guy was filled with vanity. The divine speed talisman was truly amazing, but it consumed a lot of essence. Writing one talisman reduced his essence by half, so he couldn't use it often.

Just as he was feeling smug, a rapid footsteps approached from behind. Ding Ning turned around and saw the young Captain Luo, carrying weighted equipment, sprinting towards him at a fast speed.

"Wow! Not bad at all!"

Ding Ning's eyes lit up. The officers in the military were indeed different from local officials. Their physical fitness was truly outstanding, and they could actually keep up with him in this situation.

Ding Ning admired him but didn't stop. He increased his speed and began to accelerate.

The effectiveness of the divine speed talisman was related to speed. The faster you ran, the faster it consumed. Of course, Ding Ning's talisman had a limited top speed; otherwise, one talisman could break a world record.

Seeing that Ding Ning could still accelerate in this situation, Luo Shuai's eyes also lit up. This fat guy was not simple!

However, he wouldn't admit defeat so easily. When Ding Ning accelerated, he also accelerated, faster and faster!

The mountain road was rugged and difficult to navigate, but the two of them were like wild horses, chasing each other and quickly disappearing from the sight of Commissar Zhao and the others.

"Commissar, did I see that right? That fat guy could actually keep up with Captain Luo!"

Commissar Zhao also looked at the front in disbelief, muttering, "Maybe... maybe the fat guy's backpack is filled with cotton!"

The soldiers behind shook their heads in disbelief. Even if it was filled with cotton, the fat guy's body wasn't fake. This was not scientific.

The wind whistled in Luo Shuai's ears, and he was deeply shocked.

It was too shocking! Running at a sprinting speed in such a high-intensity cross-country run, as time passed, even he, an elite from a special forces unit, couldn't keep up. But that fat guy showed no signs of fatigue at all.

He had tried many times to increase his speed, and each time, the fat guy could also increase his speed. This was simply unbelievable!

After running for more than twenty minutes, the county town was in sight, and Luo Shuai's body was almost at its limit.

No matter how good his physical fitness was, he couldn't keep up with this pace. The distance between him and Ding Ning gradually increased: five meters... eight meters... ten meters...

The toll booth at the entrance to the town was just ahead, the endpoint of this field exercise.

Seeing that there was less than a hundred meters to the finish line, Luo Shuai was desperate. He had boasted that whoever ran behind Ding Ning wouldn't get any food tonight. Did that mean he wouldn't eat either?

Chase! But he couldn't catch up.

Just as Luo Shuai was in despair, Ding Ning stumbled, as if he was about to fall.

Luo Shuai was overjoyed and took the opportunity to close the gap.

After the stumble, Ding Ning's speed noticeably slowed down, from a fast run to a slow jog, and then to a brisk walk, and finally to a normal walk.

Although Luo Shuai was puzzled, he took the opportunity to overtake Ding Ning and reached the toll booth a few steps ahead of him.

At the finish line, Luo Shuai resisted the urge to lie down and rest, leaning on the toll booth's barrier, panting heavily, his face flushed.

This damn fat guy must have let him win. Why else would he stop just a few steps from the finish line?

"Hey, fat guy, what's the meaning of this? I'm a soldier; if I lose, I lose. Letting me win is an insult!"

Luo Shuai's face was grim, and Ding Ning smiled, though his smile was also forced.

He knew his own situation. He wasn't planning to let Luo Shuai win; the divine speed talisman had just run out of essence.

Without the divine speed talisman, Ding Ning immediately became a fat guy with a weak heart, unable to compete with this elite soldier.

However, Ding Ning wouldn't reveal this. He came to the toll booth and panted, "I didn't let you win. This competition was unfair. My backpack, though large, was very light. Your load was much heavier. If we consider the actual weight, I still lost. And I was out of energy at the end."

"Really?" Luo Shuai looked at Ding Ning suspiciously.

"I don't even know you. Why would I lie to you?" Ding Ning, with two sets of memories, had a thick skin and showed no signs of lying.

Ding Ning's explanation made Luo Shuai feel a bit better, though he was still suspicious. He didn't check the weight of Ding Ning's backpack.

After a moment of hesitation, Luo Shuai said somewhat embarrassedly, "I really underestimated you. I'm sorry. When my soldiers arrive, talk to them. I think they've learned a lesson today, but you should say something to make them feel better."

Seeing the officer apologize straightforwardly, Ding Ning felt a rare sense of embarrassment and nodded, "Comrade soldier, I'm hungry. Can I have a meal at your base?"

Luo Shuai was taken aback, thinking the fat guy's face was thicker than a city wall.

But seeing his soldiers panting and rushing over, he suddenly understood.

The fat guy wasn't just trying to get a free meal; he was worried that the soldiers wouldn't get food tonight. He was helping the soldiers.

Suddenly, Ding Ning, who had seemed somewhat detestable, became more likable in Luo Shuai's eyes. This fat guy was a good person.