Dim, tranquil, empty.
This was the first impression Long Zhan had as he entered the training room.
The room, around 60 square meters in size, was entirely vacant—no people, no objects. The only feature on the cement floor was a one-meter square frame drawn at the very center of the room.
This was the testing area.
Directly above this area, hanging from the ceiling, was a dim, yellowish, 10-watt pendant light.
This was the standard setup before the S&T course began, designed to prevent new trainees from deducing any useful information prematurely.
Long Zhan was a seasoned veteran at this, though his approach was often unconventional.
Without any signs of surprise or discomfort, Long Zhan, knowing exactly what to do next, walked straight into the center of the testing area and stood there, perfectly still.
"Begin!"
The simple, clear command came from an overhead walkway at an angle.
With the command issued, a black fabric hood, suspended by a rope, slowly descended from above and landed perfectly over Long Zhan's head.
Though soft in texture, the hood was highly effective at blocking light.
The dim yellow light that had been visible in his field of vision disappeared, leaving him in complete darkness.
The sounds of various objects shifting and footsteps—barely audible but still perceptible—began to emerge from all around him.
The scenario setup had begun!
Before the hood was lifted off a trainee's head, they were not allowed to leave the testing area; doing so would signify the end of the training. This was a rule in the S&T course.
Long Zhan was well aware of the course rules and stood motionless, not making a single move.
The noises continued, but he could not use them to predict what would unfold once the hood was removed. He had no way of knowing if there were intentional distractions designed to mislead or confuse the trainee.
Thus, the worst thing to do during this scenario setup phase was to overthink and speculate.
The best response was to stay calm, maintain absolute focus, and keep his mental state sharp to react promptly when needed.
As was the purpose of the S&T course itself, the training tested a trainee's combat skills, psychological control, reaction speed, and the ability to make correct decisions under pressure when faced with unexpected events.
The instructor, observing from the overhead walkway, would score every movement, even the slightest gestures.
Throughout the one-month training period, a database of scores would be built for each participant, including Long Zhan. Every week, there would be a summary, and the lowest scorer would be sent home.
Long Zhan was very aware of the S&T course's scoring system. He knew that only by performing well in every training session would he have the best chance to enter DG.
Therefore, despite his familiarity with the S&T course, he dared not let his guard down for even a moment.
As time passed, the chaotic noises in the room gradually faded, and the world once again became eerily quiet.
Long Zhan could even hear his own breathing and the powerful beat of his heart.
He wasn't sure if this was part of the special instructor's strategy or if it was just the nature of the S&T course, but the black hood remained firmly in place.
When the human head is trapped in such a narrow, dark space, the longer one stays, the harder it becomes to concentrate.
Especially in a standing position!
This was the invisible pressure imposed on the brain by the external world, a kind of anxiety and oppression that was difficult to control or eliminate.
Even though Long Zhan made every effort to stay focused, his mind began to wander uncontrollably.
Eventually, Long Zhan lost track of how long he had been in the hood. His body began to lose control, shifting uncontrollably between his legs.
This was the prelude to a complete breakdown of concentration.
"Damn it, what the hell is going on? Why is it taking so long? Isn't this just adding more difficulty? Is that old bastard messing with me on purpose?"
Long Zhan realized he was experiencing a subconscious reaction, growing a bit anxious.
But even so, he kept his eyes wide open, hoping to absorb as much information as possible as soon as the hood was removed.
Just then…
Without warning, the black hood was lifted.
The blinding light hit Long Zhan's wide-open eyes like a flashbang, and the intense discomfort shot straight to the top of his head. Everything in front of him became a white blur, completely invisible.
This was a physiological response caused by the eyes being in darkness for too long, suddenly exposed to bright light—an automatic adjustment mechanism.
But Long Zhan didn't close his eyes. He chose to endure the painful pressure, forcing his eyes to stay wide open.
Only by doing this could he adapt to the light and begin to assess the situation in the room as quickly as possible.
In a normal situation, one might close their eyes for a few seconds, then slowly open them to adjust. But for Long Zhan, a special forces soldier, waiting those few seconds was akin to signing his death sentence.
In real indoor combat, those few seconds of closing your eyes could allow terrorists to turn you into a sieve.
Every second spent adjusting to the light and regaining sight meant a higher chance of survival and a better chance of completing the mission.
Long Zhan endured what ordinary people couldn't and was rewarded for his perseverance.
In less than two seconds, the white blur before his eyes began to become blurry, then gradually cleared.
Once his vision returned, Long Zhan could finally make out the situation in the room.
Directly ahead of him was a man in plain clothes wearing a mask, holding a gun but not using it. He had his arms wrapped around a young woman from behind.
The moment the hood was removed from Long Zhan, the woman began shouting towards him, "Help me, help me! I don't want to die here!"
The plain-clothed man also shouted at Long Zhan, "Hey, buddy, come over and lend a hand. This little lady is feisty."
In the various scenario simulations of the S&T course, this type of emergency situation involved one person being either a teammate or a civilian, while the other was a terrorist or thug.
Long Zhan needed to make a decision quickly, identifying who to kill within the shortest time possible.
The longer the delay, the lower the score. The quicker the response, the higher the score. This was the basic scoring principle for such scenario training.
Other scoring criteria included:
Shooting accuracy, movement strategy, physical actions, communication, and more.
However, if you made the wrong judgment and killed the wrong person, all those points would be nullified, and the entire training would be scored zero.
"Woman? Man? Who the hell is it?"
This was all the information available to Long Zhan. His gun swung quickly between the two figures, but he couldn't make a proper judgment.
Then, something caught his attention.
"Huh? What's this?"
A chilling sensation rushed into his mind, and in less than a second, Long Zhan realized the truth.
His expression suddenly changed!