Chapter Fifty-Five: Destined for Extraordinary!

Boom!

That single sentence was like a barrel of gasoline poured onto the fire burning in Liu Dayou’s heart, igniting it in an instant. The flame had been just a faint ember at first, but ever since he’d arrived at the Independent Brigade, it had shown signs of rekindling. Now, with the commander’s words serving as fuel, it roared up, swelling until it seemed to fill his entire chest.

It was like a spark that, in a flash, became a blaze sweeping the plains.

Only now did Liu Dayou truly understand—understand the deepest yearning in his heart.

He was never destined to be someone who accepted mediocrity.

He turned to look at the recruits still struggling beneath the barbed wire behind him. Some were too timid to move forward, some curled up where they were, sobbing, and some were so frightened they lost control of their bodies. At this sight, Liu Dayou couldn’t help but smile wryly.

Just moments before, he had been one of them—just another green recruit. But now, he didn’t see himself that way anymore.

He and these new recruits were destined to live in different worlds.

Liu Dayou was fated to reject an ordinary life. He was meant to be forged in the fires of war, meant to dance upon the razor’s edge.

At this moment, although Liu Dayou was still a recruit, something in his heart had quietly changed. He was not the same Liu Dayou as before.

If this change had a name, it would be: growth.

...

Chen Qingzhi witnessed with his own eyes the transformation in this recruit’s bearing after he crawled through the barbed wire. The change was so profound it seemed to reshape the very air around him!

He saw the recruit’s refusal to accept mediocrity. He glimpsed a brilliant future.

At this, Chen Qingzhi nodded slightly, a hint of approval in his eyes.

“I never expected, in this round of conscription, to find such a promising seedling,” Chen Qingzhi thought.

Yes.

In his eyes, this recruit was meant to run headlong into the flames of war—he was destined to become a trailblazer of his era.

Committing this young man’s face to memory, resolving to focus on his development, Chen Qingzhi turned his attention to the rest of the recruits still struggling beneath the wire. He couldn’t help but speak out: “Greenhorns, you’ve all disappointed me!”

“If this had been a real battlefield, you’d all be dead by now! Remember, the enemy won’t just aim above your heads—they’ll point their guns right at you! At your bodies!”

“Rookies! Crawl, damn it! Crawl with everything you’ve got!”

“I’ll tell you this: on the battlefield, there are only two kinds of people—those who are already dead, and those who are about to die! If you don’t want to die, then crawl! Don’t stop, just crawl forward!”

Chen Qingzhi shouted at the top of his lungs. Hearing these words, the recruits forced themselves to press down their fear and scrambled forward with all their might.

The commander was right—only by struggling forward could they survive.

Nearly rolling and clawing their way, the recruits finally reached the end of the barbed wire, finally crawling across the training ground it covered.

Everyone collapsed on the ground, gulping for air like survivors of a disaster.

Though the distance wasn’t long, nearly all of them were spent, feeling as if they’d just passed through the gates of hell.

They sprawled haphazardly, glancing at one another—faces smeared black, bodies drenched in sweat—and burst into laughter.

This experience would be burned into their memories.

Even after countless future battles, even when the dangers they faced grew a hundredfold, this live-ammunition exercise would remain unforgettable for every recruit.

Liu Dayou, seeing this, suddenly grinned as well, his soot-stained face splitting to reveal a row of gleaming white teeth.

He found himself suddenly full of anticipation for the life of a soldier that lay ahead.

...

The day’s training was grueling, leaving nearly every recruit utterly exhausted. By the time training ended, it should have been time for dinner, yet the training ground was still crowded with soldiers.

They were all watching a group of dozens standing off to the side of the field.

These were the ones who hadn’t passed the exercise—those too afraid to crawl under the barbed wire.

The recruits regarded these dejected comrades with undisguised disdain in their eyes.

Anyone who couldn’t even complete live-fire training was destined to run at the first gunshot on the battlefield! Such people were a liability in camp—a disaster waiting to happen!

On the battlefield, a soldier’s only option is to charge forward; his back must be defended by his comrades. To have a coward at your side is to court death.

So, there could be no tolerance for such men.

Chen Qingzhi looked at the group before him and said coolly, “First of all, as your officer, let me congratulate you. From this moment forward, you’ll never have to endure such tough training again!”

What!

The words caused a commotion among the recruits.

What did the commander mean by that? The onlookers exchanged glances, uncertain, though a few quick-witted ones had an inkling.

Could it be...

“Sir, what do you mean by this?” one of the trembling soldiers ventured.

“Simply put, starting today, you’re free. Tomorrow, you can go home,” Chen Qingzhi replied.

“What?”

The crowd erupted, shocked. No one had expected such a resolution from Chen Qingzhi.

They were being dismissed!

“Sir, please, give us another chance!” one pleaded, his face stricken. “Sir, we know we were wrong!”

“Sir, don’t send us away—let us try again!”

Dozens of soldiers pleaded tearfully, hoping Chen Qingzhi would relent.

Some were already weeping with regret. They had never imagined that a single moment of cowardice would lead to this fate.

Watching this, Liu Dayou and the others felt a pang of sympathy and were about to plead on their behalf, when Chen Qingzhi’s cold voice rang out: “Brothers, don’t blame me for being harsh! Your performance today was truly disappointing!”

“Do you realize how many comrades could die because of your fear on the battlefield? Do you know how many lives could be lost because of you?!”

“This was just a training exercise—your fear meant nothing here. But on the battlefield, for what you did today, execution would not be too harsh a punishment!”

“Go home. Live out your days as ordinary civilians. Tonight, you can have a farewell meal in the barracks, but tomorrow, turn in your rifles, remove your uniforms, and leave.”

Hearing Chen Qingzhi’s words, the dismissed soldiers broke down, wailing in confusion and despair.

To be sent home like this—when they returned, their fathers would surely break their legs! How could they ever show their faces again in their hometowns?

Regret washed over them, deep and bitter.