"Instructor?"
Hearing the term, Wang Yue paused. He looked at the girl; she seemed to be from another class. Her face was bare of makeup, but it was clear she was a beauty in the making. With a bit of makeup, she wouldn't be less than a nine.
Just as Wang Yue was about to explain, Xie Jibian laughed first. "Beautiful lady, he's not an instructor."
"Ah? Not an instructor?" The girl was taken aback, then said, "But his demeanor is just like an instructor's."
"Is this a new way of hitting on someone?" Xie Jibian chuckled.
"No... no," the girl blushed and said to Wang Yue, "I'm sorry, classmate, for bothering you." With that, she scurried away.
Xie Jibian mimicked the girl's manner, acting coy. "I'm sorry, classmate, for bothering you."
Jiang Baiqi and Liu Yitong burst into laughter.
"Get lost, don't imitate like that," Liu Yitong said, playfully kicking Xie Jibian.
"But our youngest's aura is truly unmatched. How does that uniform make him look so heroic?" Jiang Baiqi mused, stroking his chin.
"Don't even think about it, you two. Only my looks are barely passable for such thoughts," Liu Yitong chimed in.
Xie Jibian waved his hand. "This isn't about looks at all. Even if you covered his face, his aura would still stand out. It's about his physique! Second brother, you're out too; you're as skinny as a twig."
"Are you talking about me?" Liu Yitong retorted.
...
At 8:55 AM, the instructor arrived. He was a middle-aged man with a stern, square face and a perfectly upright posture. His presence alone commanded respect.
As 9:00 AM struck, everyone had arrived.
"My name is Li Feilong," the instructor said calmly. He scanned the ranks, his gaze lingering on Wang Yue for a moment, then continued, "I have only one rule: no tardiness. Those who are late will run twenty laps around the field. Understood?"
"Understood," came a lax reply. Twenty laps around the field sounded daunting.
"Understood!" Li Feilong bellowed.
"Understood!" This time, the response was much more unified.
Li Feilong nodded with satisfaction. "Now, report your numbers!"
"One, two, three..." Everyone dutifully reported.
Li Feilong nodded. "For the next two weeks, I will be responsible for your military training. I'm approachable in person, but during training, you are my soldiers. What I say, you must obey unconditionally, understood?"
"Understood!" The students responded in unison.
"Good," Li Feilong said. "I need a male student to be the squad leader. Is anyone willing to volunteer?"
"Me!" Tang Le raised his hand and shouted.
"You, step forward!" Li Feilong pointed at Tang Le.
Tang Le stepped out and smiled. "Instructor, I am capable of this position. I am also the squad leader of this class." He deliberately omitted the word "vice." Many students felt a pang of annoyance. "Why are you the squad leader? Just say vice-squad leader, as if there's no one above you."
Shi Bing also felt a bit uncomfortable. If Tang Le had introduced himself as the vice-squad leader, she wouldn't have thought anything of it.
Li Feilong walked up to Tang Le, scrutinized him, and then shook his head. "You, return to your ranks."
Tang Le was surprised. "Instructor, is there something about my appearance that doesn't meet your requirements?"
"Your appearance is a flaw," Li Feilong stated bluntly.
"Instructor, I don't believe being a squad leader requires a certain appearance," Tang Le argued, his face flushing. Being told he was unattractive in front of everyone felt humiliating. Honestly, while he wasn't exceptionally handsome, he certainly wasn't ugly.
"I am the instructor, and I make the decisions," Li Feilong said, not deigning to argue with Tang Le. He then scanned the ranks again. "Is anyone else willing to volunteer? If not, I'll start calling names."
No one stepped forward. Finally, Li Feilong pointed at Wang Yue. "You, step forward."
Wang Yue hadn't expected to be chosen. He walked out of the ranks. Li Feilong examined him thoroughly and nodded with satisfaction. "It's you. You will be the squad leader."
"Okay." Wang Yue didn't refuse. During military training, it was best to do as the instructor said, and being a squad leader had no downsides.
"How long have you been training your physique?" Li Feilong asked with a smile. Wang Yue's physique was too perfect; anyone seeing him would think he'd been in the army for ten years.
"From high school until now," Wang Yue said after a moment's thought.
"Excellent. Developing intellectually, morally, and physically – that's the mark of an outstanding young person in the new century," the instructor nodded.
Seeing Wang Yue selected as squad leader, Tang Le turned green with anger, and he started to resent Wang Yue. He inwardly thought, "Couldn't you have just blended in a bit more?" Meanwhile, Liu Yitong and the others were frantically winking at Wang Yue. With their brother as squad leader, the military training would be much easier.
Shi Bing looked at Wang Yue, standing beside the instructor yet exuding an equally impressive aura, her face flushing slightly. She thought, "Is this guy's presence really this good? I couldn't quite tell before he put on the military uniform."
Next, Li Feilong officially commenced the military training. The training was long and monotonous, coupled with physical exertion. For instance, standing at attention under the scorching sun, back straight, unmoving – many students were drenched in sweat, their legs aching. But for Wang Yue, none of this posed any challenge. With his current physical condition, he could stand for three days and three nights without issue.
One morning passed. Many students were already exhausted, their bodies aching. Wang Yue, however, hadn't even broken a sweat.
Seeing Wang Yue's apparent ease, Xie Jibian grumbled, "Youngest, are you cheating? You've been training for so long and show no signs of fatigue? Damn it, I wish I had a body like that too."
Liu Yitong, panting, teased, "If you want it, go hit the gym. Our youngest clearly spends a lot of time there. This level is barely an appetizer."
Jiang Baiqi rubbed his leg. "Youngest, no, Brother Yue, you must ask the instructor for more break time later. My legs feel like they're about to fall off. For the sake of our brothers' future happiness, it all depends on you."
"We'll continue at 2 PM. Remember, no tardiness. Dismissed!" Li Feilong called out.
A cheer erupted from the crowd. It was finally over. Though only the morning session was over, everyone was ecstatic, as it meant over two hours of rest.
As Wang Yue and his friends walked back, Tang Le hurried to catch up. "Wang Yue, wait up."