The PLT testing system is a specialized physical training system exclusive to the Green Team, officially known as the Physical Limit Training system.
Here, "system" is used in a broad sense.
The Green Team's PLT testing system covers all physical training subjects and is one of the core training modules that newcomers must endure.
Long Zhan, as a newcomer, had only heard rumors about the Green Team's distinctive PLT system before—rumors that claimed the daily training volume exceeded that of the hell week in BUD/S, which he thought was an exaggerated story.
However, from the very first day of training, Long Zhan felt the pressure brought on by the PLT system.
Over the next two months, faced with a barrage of upgraded physical training and the intense competitive pressure from fellow trainees, he was forced to dedicate himself fully to the training just to maintain a lead.
This was truly astonishing!
Because Long Zhan, with his exceptional physical recovery abilities, had faced no challenges during his two years in the Navy SEALs. He was like Usain Bolt in sprinting—no one was a threat to him.
But now, in the Green Team, he clearly felt the pressure. For the first time in his life, he had to give his all in training every day just to secure his "position."
So why, even someone as strong as Long Zhan, was the Green Team's physical training so difficult?
The answer lies in the PLT testing system. It might sound complex, as if it involves high-tech equipment, but in reality, it is quite the opposite.
It is simple—simple to the point of brutality!
It takes the basic level of physical training found in Navy SEALs, which is already at a special forces level, and ups the difficulty a notch, making it a more intense version of PT training.
In short, it can be summed up in one sentence:
"Just keep pushing until you die; the human physical limit is the standard."
For example, in team coordination training, the previous activity might have involved carrying logs, but now it involves carrying heavier and harder-to-control objects like assault boats and speedboats, pushing the limits of human endurance in a "super global tour."
Whereas, in the SEALs' endurance training, it might have been about flipping tires for distance, but in the Green Team's PLT system, it becomes pushing several tons of buses or large cars on sand.
The difficulty of each training module increases, but the training time doesn't get longer; in fact, it is further shortened.
This is the core principle of the system!
If a trainee fails to complete a task, they must undergo a physical punishment before immediately joining the next training, ensuring they don't have enough stamina to tackle the next PLT challenge.
Under this continuous torment, unless you're a physical monster like Long Zhan, a trainee's body will eventually give out, and they will fail to meet the standard again, leading to more physical punishment, followed by the next round of training and additional penalties.
Fail once, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
Under the special PLT testing system's pressure, physical fitness is immediately evident; those with poor fitness won't last long, and it's only a matter of time before they are eliminated.
Only those with superior physical fitness can hold on until the end.
This elimination system is so effective that once a trainee begins the first punishment, their fate is almost sealed. Trainees who struggle to keep going are like circus clowns trying to perform a show.
Therefore, this failure penalty system has its own nickname:
The "Circus Act."
Don't say this selection method is too cruel, or that failing trainees don't get a rest period before moving onto new training—it's not unscientific.
Everyone here is an elite special forces soldier. Their bodies are already at the edge of human limits. If you can't make it, no amount of training will help; you're simply not qualified to join the DG.
Moreover, the Green Team selection isn't for new recruits; there's no time to cultivate and unlock a rookie's potential.
Training rookies isn't the Green Team's mission—it's the responsibility of the next level, the Navy SEALs, and the level after that, the Marine Corps.
The Green Team's mission is to provide the best counter-terrorism special forces soldiers to the six other DG units.
The Green Team's PLT training is the most effective physical training for its own trainees, and it is exclusively effective for Green Team training.
Such a training standard would be disastrous for ordinary Marine units. Not only would it fail to improve their physical condition, but under the brutal difficulty of this training, recruits would collapse in just three days and be sent to the hospital.
It's like attempting to lift 100 kilograms when you can only handle 50—you simply can't sustain it.
On the other hand, in rookie or special forces assessments, various tricks and forms of torture that might be useful are completely ineffective in the Green Team.
All trainees in the Green Team are seasoned veterans, and they've already experienced and mastered these tricks.
Perhaps this is why the Green Team's PLT training is so distinctive—it abandons all the flashy gimmicks and focuses on the most direct, brainless methods, pushing the difficulty to its extreme.
Through this unbearable difficulty, the Green Team selects the most exceptional special forces candidates for the DG.
Of course, if Long Zhan didn't want to fight for first place every time and was content to stay in the middle, coasting through, the training process would be much easier.
But unfortunately, this mentality doesn't work in the Navy SEALs. In fact, it's considered extremely dangerous.
Whether it's in the SEALs or at the higher level in the Green Team, the "gray man" mechanism is rigorously enforced.
A "gray man" is someone who isn't doing terribly, but isn't excelling either. They can meet the standards but never exceed them, never go all out, never push their limits, and just coast along without striving for breakthrough.
The SEALs only want people who pursue progress and are unafraid of any high-risk missions.
The worst kind of person is the "gray man"—the one who does half the work and then bails when things get tough.
That's why they developed the "top five and bottom five" elimination method, where soldiers are forced to write names of their fellow trainees in order to identify the "gray men" hidden within the team and prevent them from joining the special forces.
After all, the instructors may not notice the "gray men," but the other trainees, who live together and train together every day, are keenly aware of who is coasting in the team.
Throughout the two months of PLT testing, even muscle-bound warriors like Long Zhan were drained every single day.
Blair and Clay, the slightly weaker trainees, had their physical and mental states pushed to the limit, walking a fine line between life and death.
If it weren't for the half-day PLT tests, with the remaining half spent on advanced shooting drills, the trainees would barely have any time to rest, using the shooting practice to relieve the heavy lactic acid build-up in their muscles.
At the end of these two months of PLT testing, the number of eliminated trainees wasn't just limited to the current eight.
In fact, most trainees would probably have collapsed by now!