The next day.
8:00 AM.
The S&T course assessment, which would determine the elimination spots and the coveted foreign aid positions, officially began. The 27 eager new recruits gathered at the Kill House, filled with excitement.
To ensure fairness in the assessment, a lottery system was implemented to determine the order.
"Hey, guys, I'm feeling lucky today! I drew number 12, right in the middle of the sequence—perfect timing for the assessment," Blair exclaimed, walking over to Clay and Long Zhan. "What numbers did you two get?"
"Man, you don't stand a chance for the foreign aid spot. I got number 2. Once I complete the assessment, Team B will be so impressed with my performance, they'll probably hand over the foreign aid spot to me early," Clay replied confidently.
CQB (Close Quarters Battle) was Clay's specialty, just as shooting was Blair's and physical strength was Long Zhan's. He had absolute confidence in his abilities, even though the S&T course was considered one of the toughest in CQB.
"Clay, I admire your confidence, but the S&T course is full of surprises. You'd better be careful not to flip over," Brian warned, looking concerned. He turned to Long Zhan and smiled, asking, "As the only new recruit in our entire team who knocked out an instructor during training, I'm really looking forward to your performance."
Upon hearing Brian's words, Clay felt a momentary unease. Long Zhan's most impressive trait was his physical prowess, but that didn't mean his CQB tactics were lacking—just that they were not as refined as his own. Over the month of S&T training, Long Zhan had caused numerous unexpected "incidents," making him a unique figure among the new recruits. No one dared question his abilities in this area.
Despite his competitive nature, Clay couldn't help but regard Long Zhan as his top rival.
"I'm pretty lucky too, coming up last," Long Zhan said, holding up his Velcro number, which displayed a large number 27.
"The luckiest to go last! You might as well go take a nap and come back later, haha," Brian joked with a playful grin.
In the highly competitive atmosphere of Team Green, being the last to go was universally considered the unluckiest. There were both physical and psychological reasons for this, akin to the phrase "strike while the iron is hot, then tire, and finally exhaust yourself," from the ancient text *The Strategy of Cao Gui*. The pressure from the assessment itself required recruits to maintain peak performance, and the longer they waited, the more energy it would consume, inevitably affecting their final performance.
Even Clay, who had felt the most pressure earlier, now chuckled, teasing, "Old buddy, you might be waiting so long that you fall asleep."
"Good things always come last. The foreign aid spot is mine—no chance for you, haha," Long Zhan replied, the playful banter between him and Clay revealing their competitive but friendly relationship.
"Hey, guys, the main event is here! I bet they're Team B's top fighters," Brian remarked, ever the sharp observer of his surroundings, especially when it came to detecting any changes.
Long Zhan and Clay stopped their teasing, following Brian's gaze. Two middle-aged military sergeants walked in. On the left was a burly white man over 6 feet tall, wearing the highest enlisted rank—E9 (First Sergeant). Adam, who had been their special training instructor for Team Green, was also E9, meaning he stood on par with this man.
The other man, on the right, was a fit Black man about 5'7", with the impressive rank of E8 (Sergeant First Class). These ranks were significant enough that, if stationed in a regular unit, they would be at least in charge of a battalion-level command. Even in the SEAL Teams, this level of sergeant would lead a senior team at the platoon level.
Yet, in DEVGRU, the elite Navy SEAL Team 6, they were responsible for a small team of just a few men, with their rank seemingly underutilized, as they were merely soldiers with over a decade of service.
Brian and Clay didn't know these two "big shots" personally, but judging by their intimidating ranks and recalling what Adam had mentioned the day before, they could guess these two were from Team B.
Long Zhan, however, had an advantage in perception and immediately recognized them. The burly E9 white man was Jason, the leader and command sergeant of Team B, code-named B1, while the fit E8 Black man was "Ray," the deputy leader and intelligence sergeant of Team B, also a sniper, code-named B2.
Both were key figures in the show *SEAL Team*, and Long Zhan had felt the pressure of their roles even through a screen. Seeing them in person, the pressure was even more intense.
As they walked past the new recruits, their sharp gazes swept over the team, exuding an undeniable presence. Long Zhan knew that look wasn't something that could be trained—it came only from the battlefield, from taking countless lives of ruthless criminals.
Experiencing the weight of their presence firsthand, Long Zhan's desire to become a top-tier special forces operator intensified. "One day, I, Long Zhan, will be as strong as you, no, I will surpass you and reach heights that you can't even imagine," he thought, watching Jason and Ray walk down the elevated walkway, his belief in becoming stronger growing even more resolute.
As the saying goes: "One who stays near vermilion becomes red, and one who stays near ink becomes black." If you stay content among weak individuals, you'll never strive for higher goals. Only by surrounding yourself with the strong can you grow stronger.
And Long Zhan had always been in pursuit of that strength.
...
With the arrival of these two influential figures from Team B, the highly anticipated S&T course assessment began. All the new recruits affixed their Velcro numbers to their sleeves, and the first participant, number 1, entered.
To prevent any leakage of assessment content, the process was carried out in isolation—once a recruit completed their assessment, they would be sent to a separate rest area, ensuring that no one could learn the results of those who went before them. This added an element of mystery to the assessment, increasing the psychological pressure on the recruits.
About five minutes later, the instructor in charge of calling names appeared in the waiting area, signaling the end of the first recruit's assessment. It was time for number 2, Clay, to step up.
"Good luck!" Long Zhan stood up and high-fived Clay, offering him a sincere wish for success, despite Clay being his biggest competitor for the foreign aid position in Team B.
"You've always preferred working solo, so this course should suit you perfectly. Good luck," Brian said, giving Clay a hug, a brotherly gesture of support.
"I wish there were three foreign aid spots so we could all go together, but unfortunately, there's usually just one. Sorry, guys," Clay replied, ever competitive. After a moment, he turned and headed toward the training room door.