It was scorching. The glaring sun had all but set the expansive drill grounds on fire, and there was no shade anywhere on the field.
Xiao Jing had no idea how many times she had fallen from the wall. She did not have enough physical strength or stamina and lacked explosive power. She was like a recruit in the army – In addition to being clumsy, she was also stupid.
The obstacle course posed no challenge to her team members. They finished the course in a single, perfect attempt.
In her eyes, however, the obstacle course was as tough as navigating dangerous mountains. It was practically impossible.
The past few years spent in Regiment 525 mostly consisted of slacking off and passing the time. Other than attending the mandatory morning lessons every day, training was just for fun.
By now, her clothes were soaked in sweat. Xiao Jing got up again, panting while she looked ahead of her. The heat was rolling off the ground in waves as the sun baked the earth.
"Come down, Xiao Jing. You're going to get heatstroke if you continue like this." Lin Qi grabbed her as she fell again and carefully wiped her face with a wet towel.
Xiao Jing was naturally very fair, and her complexion was now tinted red from exposure to the sun. She shook her head and panted heavily as she placed her hands on her knees.
Lin Qi passed Xiao Jing a bottle of water that he had opened for her and placed the wet towel directly on her head, asking, "Do you feel better now?"
"I'm useless, right?" Xiao Jing asked with a wry smile.
Lin Qi replied with a small smile as he fanned her, "You can't be too bad if you made it into the Special Command Unit. You should have more faith in yourself." He took the water bottle back from her when she held it out.
Raising her head to look at the blinding sun, Xiao Jing replied with a grin, "That's what I thought as well. I made it into the Special Command Unit based on my abilities and not because of my family background. Even though I may be weak now, I should believe in myself, for change is the only constant. As the proverb goes, the river flows thirty years to the east, and thirty years to the west. Like a cycle, everything rises and declines."
Lin Qi patted her on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "That's right. I've never been wrong about anyone. Give it a couple of years. I probably wouldn't even be able to catch you."
"You're kidding, Lieutenant Colonel Lin," Xiao Jing got up again, and had only taken two steps when someone grabbed her by the wrist.
That person was Lin Qi. "Take a break from practicing. It's midday now, and the hottest time of the day. Continue later," said Lin Qi with furrowed brows, as he held on to her hand.
"I once told the Commander that I'd make up for my shortcomings through hard work. If at once I don't succeed, I will try ten times. If that doesn't suffice, I will try a hundred times. He told me to leave after a hundred attempts, but I thought he was wrong to say so. Even if I fail a hundred times, I can continue trying a hundred and one times, until I'm satisfied!"
Xiao Jing headed back to the drill grounds without looking back. Underneath the glaring sun, she appeared to be frailer than usual, as if a gust of wind could lift her.
After the sunset, the heat had finally dissipated from the drill grounds, and there was a slight evening breeze in the air.
An SUV swiftly entered the camp, and a sergeant quickly ran up to it and opened the car door. He stood at attention and saluted. "Sir," he greeted in a resounding voice.
Shen Chengfeng was, as usual, meticulously wrapped up like a rice dumpling. It did not matter whether it was winter or summer, he was rarely, if ever, seen with his arms bare.
Upon seeing the figure of his Commander, Mu Xichi ran over to him, and said breathlessly, "You're back, Commander."
Shen Chengfeng walked up the stairs, and threw the file he was holding at Mu Xichi, before asking, "Why did you run here in such a hurry? Are Jiang Xin and Cheng Chen back from their run?"
"It's not them. It's Xiao Jing. Something has happened to him."
Shen Chengfeng stopped in his tracks, before turning around and fixing a stare on the person trailing after him. "He was fine when I left. What happened to him in the short time that I wasn't around?" he asked.
"He suffered a heat stroke. Lin Qi carried him back from the drill grounds, but when the medical officer tried to help Xiao Jing by removing his clothes, he put him in a chokehold. The officer is being resuscitated right now."
Shen Chengfeng did not ask any more questions. He strode purposefully towards the infirmary.
Xiao Jing was lying on a bed in the infirmary, staring out the windows at the trees in a daze. Her face was red, a symptom of sunburn.
Lin Qi passed her a bottle of ice water, and said in a low voice, "Drink some water to replenish your fluids."
Xiao Jing looked up at him but made no move to take the bottle from him.
Lin Qi coughed lightly, and continued, "The medical officer has been saved, you don't have to reproach yourself."
The tightly shut door was pushed open from the outside and thudded against the wall.
Xiao Jing's heart was in her throat when she saw the newcomer standing outside the door. Were her actions considered a breach of military regulations? According to disciplinary rules, she ought to be confined.
"Leave the room," said Shen Chengfeng to everyone else before shutting the door after them.
Only the two of them remained in the room.
Xiao Jing sat up awkwardly, trying to piece together a story to defend herself.
Shen Chengfeng removed his coat and hung it neatly on the coat hanger stand.
He circled the bed and finally settled in front of Xiao Jing, staring intensely at her sunburnt face.
Xiao Jing gulped. "I thought someone was trying to sneak up on me," she said in a hoarse voice.
"The medical personnel in the Special Command Unit have all been specially trained. Everyone here can be considered an elite. You managed to put an elite in a chokehold and almost killed him. That shows that, when it is a matter of life and death, one can be pushed to their limits, and might even be able to achieve a breakthrough in the process."
Xiao Jing could not help moving backward, because Shen Chengfeng kept getting closer as he spoke.
By the time Shen Chengfeng leaned forward, the gap between them was barely ten centimeters. He said to her in a conspiratorial tone, "You seem to be very afraid of having your clothes removed."
"Commander, everyone has their weaknesses. You're worried about physical contact, just like I'm worried about people seeing my scars."
"Is that so?" Shen Chengfeng gently grasped her chin with his hand, his gaze falling upon Xiao Jing's skinny body.
Xiao Jing's body reacted instinctively and went into defense mode, as it soon became apparent what his intentions were.
"Take it off!" A powerful voice resonated throughout the empty infirmary.
Xiao Jing was silent in shock. Her clothes started coming apart at the seams after Shen Chengfeng pulled at her clothes with some force. A tearing sound filled the air.