Chapter 21

The Strong Soldier Training Camp is not only home to the Leap Forward Unit but also to the Fierce Tiger Unit, which has borrowed part of the camp to train its soldiers.

The Fierce Tiger Unit also enjoys a good reputation in the Chinese military, but compared to the Leap Forward Unit, it is somewhat inferior. Therefore, the two units have always been rivals.

As the saying goes, two tigers cannot coexist on one mountain. Frictions often occur between the two units in the Strong Soldier Training Camp. Five years ago, a rule was set: every month, the two units would have a fair competition. This would boost the morale of the soldiers, as no one wants to lose, and it would also foster a healthy competitive spirit.

On the vast training ground, a large platform was set up. Lin Zhonghu, without looking away, said to the middle-aged instructor in front of him, "Li Zaitian, don't act all high and mighty in front of me. If you have the guts, let's have a fair fight."

"Lin Zhonghu, you can't talk like that. Don't you know the rules of the competition? The rules clearly state that instructors cannot participate. Your Leap Forward Unit is just waiting to lose! Hahaha—" Li Zaitian, the instructor of the Fierce Tiger Unit, laughed loudly.

In the past, the Leap Forward Unit had always been superior to the Fierce Tiger Unit in these competitions. However, this year, the Fierce Tiger Unit has a formidable member whose strength far exceeds that of all the members of both units. As a result, the Leap Forward Unit has suffered defeat for five consecutive months.

"Li Zaitian, do you think your Fierce Tiger Unit will win this time? I want to see who will be laughing at the end," Lin Zhonghu said confidently. His confidence came from Ye Chenfeng. Although the formidable member of the Fierce Tiger Unit was strong, Lin Zhonghu was confident he could defeat him in twenty moves. And Ye Chenfeng, who had fought him to a draw, would find this challenge insignificant.

"Lin Zhonghu, I'll be watching," Li Zaitian said indifferently, even with a hint of disdain in his voice.

The competition was simple: each side would send three people, and they would draw lots to determine their opponents. If one side won, they could choose to stay on the platform and face the next opponent.

Among the three people Lin Zhonghu sent, besides Ye Chenfeng, there was also Lu Tian, who shared a dorm with Ye Chenfeng, and another person from a different dorm.

After the draw, Ye Chenfeng was scheduled to go third, while Lu Tian was first, and his opponent was none other than the formidable member of the Fierce Tiger Unit, Fang Haitao.

"This time, Lu Tian is in for a rough time. He's going to be beaten to a pulp. With Fang Haitao going first, I don't think we have a chance to win even one match," Zhou Ping sighed.

Ye Chenfeng was still thinking of an excuse to leave the training camp when he heard Zhou Ping's sigh. He quickly asked, "Xiao Pingzi, is Lu Tian's opponent that strong?"

"Not just strong! I think no one except the instructors can match him. If Fang Haitao chooses to fight three consecutive matches, you should just admit defeat to save yourself from being beaten. There's no shame in that." It was clear that Zhou Ping was extremely wary of Fang Haitao, and not just Zhou Ping—everyone in the Leap Forward Unit was wary of him.

Ye Chenfeng didn't take Zhou Ping's words seriously. Since Fang Haitao wasn't a match for the instructors, he wasn't afraid of him at all.

On the platform, Lu Tian's face was solemn, while Fang Haitao looked relaxed, even sneering, "Get off the platform now if you know what's good for you, or I'll make you regret it for the rest of your life."

As a soldier, one has a certain spirit. No soldier could remain calm after hearing such words. Lu Tian's face tightened, and he shouted, "If you want to fight, let's fight. No need for all this talk. I, Lu Tian, will never admit defeat."

"I admire your courage, but to me, it's just ignorance. Knowing you'll lose and still choosing to fight, aren't you just a fool? Since you insist, I'll show you what a real difference in strength is."

Fang Haitao moved swiftly, charging at Lu Tian. A burst of energy swept through the area, and with a "bang," Lu Tian felt a blur before him, and then he was sent flying, his chest aching.

"Is this the best the Leap Forward Unit can send? Can't you find someone more competent?" Fang Haitao's disdainful words spread, making the Leap Forward Unit members in the audience turn red with anger.

Lin Zhonghu, sitting in a chair watching the match, instantly turned extremely grim. Li Zaitian, sitting beside him, chuckled, "Lin Zhonghu, don't take it personally. That's just Hai Tao's straightforward nature."

Hearing this, Lin Zhonghu's face turned even worse. Wasn't Li Zaitian implying that what Fang Haitao said was true? This was too much, but when he saw Ye Chenfeng in the team, he suppressed his anger.

"Now, you should loudly say, 'I lost,'" Fang Haitao said, seeing that Lu Tian couldn't get up, clearly intending to humiliate him.

Lu Tian gritted his teeth, his face showing no sign of giving up. He shouted, "I haven't lost yet! As long as I have a breath left, I will never admit defeat."

If it were anyone else, Lu Tian might have admitted defeat long ago. Fang Haitao's words were too insulting. Even a clay statue would have a temper, and anyone would find it hard to swallow this.

"Since that's the case, don't blame me." Fang Haitao smiled, and then he stepped on Lu Tian's face with his shoe, slapping him with the sole, saying, "You're not even worthy of me using my hands to slap you."

"Li Zaitian, this is going too far! Why don't you tell Fang Haitao to stop?" Lin Zhonghu couldn't bear to see his unit's member being humiliated in public.

"Lin Zhonghu, how can you blame Hai Tao? The rules clearly state that the match only ends when one side admits defeat or is knocked unconscious. Since your member is so determined, you should be proud!" Li Zaitian was delighted to see this scene.

"Damn, this is too much. That bastard, I really want to tear him apart." Zhou Ping, seeing his brother being humiliated, was filled with anger. He never thought Fang Haitao would go this far.

A cold glint flashed in Ye Chenfeng's eyes. He had developed a good relationship with the other three in his dorm over the past few days. Moreover, Fang Haitao's actions were far from the straightforward and magnanimous spirit of a soldier. The anger in his heart was no less than Zhou Ping's. He decided to give Fang Haitao a lesson he would never forget. In his eyes, Fang Haitao was nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness of the world.