Outside the shooting range, a figure that was about to enter suddenly paused outside the door.
Shen Chengfeng stared intently through the glass window at Xiao Jing, who was standing ramrod straight, and he gently rubbed his fingers together.
He had to admit that Xiao Jing was pretty adept at riding on the coattails of his brothers. Once he made his background known, it went without saying that no one in the entire empire would dare to touch a hair on his head. After all, the Xiao family commanded a quarter of the empire's military.
No one wanted to watch their future go up in flames for no reason.
Jiang Si softened his stance immediately and began to occupy himself with packing up the guns in front of him.
Xiao Jing heaved a sigh of relief inwardly. Although her few older brothers didn't think much of her, it was pretty handy being able to use their names for her benefit. At the very least, an ordinary soldier would be intimidated by the reputation and status of the Xiao family.
At night, darkness slowly descended over the army camp.
Xiao Jing dragged her exhausted body back to her dormitory room. Today, they had only undergone various physical fitness assessments and hadn't begun the formal training yet. She didn't dare to imagine how much torment it would be once the official training started.
Given her scrawny stature, she was seriously beginning to wonder if she'd be able to make it out alive.
Boom, boom, boom. Heavy footsteps echoed in the hallway outside the dormitory rooms.
Xiao Jing was so tired that she could hardly bring herself to open her eyes. When she heard the door creak open, she instinctively said, "Commander, I don't want to move at all. Please keep yourself entertained for a while, and don't disturb me."
Upon uttering those words, Xiao Jing suddenly realized that something was amiss. That didn't seem like Regiment 525. She sat up automatically.
The room was dimly lit, and she wasn't able to recognize the person in front of her right away. She only managed to gather a rough idea of who he was when he got closer.
With sharp brows, bright eyes, and an unsmiling mouth that was pressed into a thin line, the individual's aura reminded her very much of her second brother, Xiao Hong, who was known by many to be a man of few words.
He possessed an expressionless face that discouraged conversation and could end any banter with a single sentence.
Xiao Jing rubbed her eyes and turned on the table lamp. When the light came on, she could finally see the person's face.
Xiao Hong was famous in the army for his poker face. Xiao Jing was convinced that even at his deathbed, this second brother of hers would take his last breath with the same, unchanging facial expression.
"Second… Second Brother?" Xiao Jing quickly scrambled out of bed. She meticulously stood at attention.
Xiao Hong sat on a chair, and his eyes roved around the dormitory. It was a simple, single-occupancy room that came with a single separate toilet. There weren't even any bathing facilities attached to it.
"I heard from Oldest Brother that you had been moved to the Special Command Unit. But given this bony physique of yours, how?" Xiao Hong's demeanor was reserved. Even seated, his icy aura was enough to freeze the room over.
Xiao Jing felt a little shy. To be honest, she couldn't believe it either. It was like a dream. She had indeed managed to get into the Special Command Unit with her bony body.
Xiao Hong noticed a small bottle by her bedside. "Did Oldest Brother give you that?" he opened his mouth to ask.
Xiao Jing looked over, and her eyes followed his line of sight. "Yeah," she replied with a nod of her head.
Xiao Hong stood up and threw the bottle into the trash. "This will do more harm than good to your body if taken in large quantities."
Xiao Jing gaped at the bottle with every intention to retrieve it later.
Xiao Hong took another bottle out of his pocket and placed it on the table. In a voice that was devoid of emotion and reminded Xiao Jing of a still body of water, he said, "Shen Chengfeng is known in the army as the Devil incarnate. It's common for soldiers under him to suffer from injury. This is an ointment for external wounds. It stops bleeding very effectively and helps wounds to heal faster."
Xiao Jing's eyes landed on the white jade bottle beside Xiao Hong's hand. With the glow of the lamp reflected on it, the bottle exuded coldness just like Xiao Hong did.
"Don't push yourself too hard. Not everyone in the Xiao family needs to be a hero."
"I know."
"You should get some rest," Xiao Hong stated as he turned to leave.
Xiao Jing rubbed her head. When she confirmed that she wasn't dreaming, her frown deepened.
Since when had Second Brother ever been that talkative? When had he ever said so many words to her?
At home, he hadn't ever looked at her, and walking by him had been like walking past a refrigerator. A blast of cold air would pour over her, and the iciness was sufficient to freeze her. He wasn't just cold; he was hard too.
"Show yourself," Xiao Hong stopped in the corridor, and his sharp eyes narrowed at a figure hiding in a dark corner.
Jiang Si emerged out of the corner hesitantly. At first, he had thought he was mistaken. He couldn't believe that he was seeing the Deputy Head of the Empire's Highest Office of General Staff, Lieutenant General Xiao Hong, up close.
Xiao Jing had been telling the truth. She was indeed from the Xiao family!
"Speak," Xiao Hong swept a glance at the other man. He could tell from the man's demeanor that he wasn't a friendly presence.
Although Jiang Si stood upright, he slowly lost his confidence under the weight of Xiao Hong's scrutiny. Panicking, he said, "I… I was just passing by."
"Passing by?" Two crisp words laid bare the fact that Xiao Hong did not believe him.
Jiang Si nodded keenly. "I was just…"
Before he could finish his sentence, the other man gripped Jiang Si's neck, and his body was pressed forcefully against the wall. He was rendered immobile.
Xiao Hong gradually increased the pressure on his fingertips. Jiang Si felt as if he would die any second if Xiao Hong exerted a little more force.
Jiang Si struggled, but with his throat clamped, he couldn't utter any further excuse. He could only plead for mercy with his eyes.
"This person isn't someone you can touch." Xiao Hong released him and stared down at the man who was gasping for air.
His vocal cords hurting, his voice was hoarse as he said, "I meant no harm. I meant no harm."
"Our Xiao family has always held even the smallest of grudges," the clear warning rang out in the air.
Jiang Si held his neck as he nodded. "Understood," he replied.
"Scram."
The hallway was quiet once again, and Xiao Hong made his way silently out of the dormitory.
The next day, the alarm blared again at five in the morning. Everyone was on the field the moment the signal stopped without any of the panicking from the day before.
Xiao Jing sensed a pair of eyes staring at her from time to time, and whenever she looked over instinctively in that direction, she saw Jiang Si looking away guiltily.
"The true character of a warrior is revealed on the battlefield, and real-life simulation will help to forge your courage. Do you see the high mountains behind you? The Qilian Mountains are renowned for their steepness, and the countless beasts and venomous snakes. This is a ten-klick armed cross-country. I only care about the results, not the process. I will be waiting for you at the finish line. The person who comes in last will be eliminated immediately."
Shen Chengfeng walked past each soldier one at a time, until his gaze landed on the small and frail-looking Xiao Jing.