The homeroom teacher was also feeling quite troubled, shouting out instructions to the students. Most of the male students were excited, talking about the possibility of shooting at the range, while the female students were disinterested and gloomy. With such a hot sun, they worried about getting completely sunburned during the two weeks of military training.
Lin Xinxin was very enthusiastic, holding Gu Qin's arm, excitedly saying, "Qin Qin, I heard there will be shooting! I've never tried it, but I actually wanted to attend a military academy when I go to college. I wonder if my parents would agree." Lin Xinxin's dream was different from most, as she had always been interested in the military. When she was young, her dream was to hold a submachine gun to protect her country. Many girls were surprised by her dream.
The original Gu Qin was also surprised at her friend's desire to join the military, thinking it would be too tough and tiring, but Gu Qin thought it was great. In her previous life, she admired soldiers greatly for their heroism and sacrifice, giving their lives for their country. In the last half month, she started selectively watching military TV shows and movies, gaining more respect for soldiers. However, she had no plans to join the military herself. She needed to practice her cultivation, and soldiers had to follow strict discipline. They had to follow strict schedules, and the idea of running up and down the mountains was not suitable for her.
Lin Xinxin was still excitedly talking when several green trucks drove up to the school gate, their bodies covered in military green tarps. They stopped quickly at the gate, making the students even more excited. The first truck had a soldier in a military uniform with one star and one stripe. He jumped down from the truck with a serious face, "Get on the truck quickly, don't waste any time!"
The students eagerly boarded the trucks, each one holding about thirty people. Gu Qin and Lin Xinxin got on the last truck. Gu Qin's body was in good shape after practicing for the past few days, so she easily jumped onto the truck.
The soldier with one star and one stripe, who had boarded last, sat straight and stern, and the students on the truck immediately became quiet. It took about an hour and a half before they arrived at the Daishan training base, a place where soldiers trained for dramas. It was temporarily vacant, so students from Daishan City would come here for military training.
After getting off the truck, the soldier said, "I will be your instructor from now on. From this moment on, you are no longer students of No. 1 High School, but my soldiers. I will treat you as new recruits." He led them to the dormitory, where they were divided into separate male and female dormitories. They were given no time to talk and, after putting down their things, followed the officer to the parade ground, where students from other classes were already standing at attention.
The officer introduced himself briefly and told them to call him Instructor Yang. He briefly outlined their schedule, which included starting training at 6:30 AM, breakfast at 7:30, a half-hour rest afterward, followed by more training. Lunch would be at noon, and they would continue after 2:00 PM. After dinner at 6:00 PM, they would have a summary of the day's tasks, and they could return to the dormitory by 8:00 PM.
This meant about seven or eight hours of training every day, and even the boys were no longer excited. They'd never had such intense training before. By the end of the day, their clothes were soaked with sweat and salt, and several girls fainted. Lin Xinxin persevered, and Gu Qin realized she truly liked the military. Although she had nearly given up several times, the instructor allowed two-minute breaks for those who couldn't keep up.
For Gu Qin, this level of exercise was not difficult. When she trained with her master, she would practice for at least six hours a day. Even during this month, her daily exercise was substantial. So, the standing post, marching, running, and walking at attention were no challenge for her. In the past, when training martial arts with her master, she would tie sandbags to her hands and feet. This body was initially too weak to handle that, so she had to train for a few months before her body could withstand the sandbags.
By the end of the day, she quickly took a shower, went to bed, and fell asleep. Gu Qin's biological clock was precise, and she woke up at 4:00 AM to go outside and meditate on the playground. The energy of the sun and moon outside was far better than the dormitory. She returned to the dormitory around 6:00 AM, just as the others were waking up.
The second day's training was similar to the first, and on the third day, there was a five-kilometer light-load cross-country run. Most of the students couldn't keep up, and many girls cried when they returned to their dorms. Lin Xinxin never complained to Gu Qin, showing her true determination.
Meanwhile, Gu Qin was unaware of what was happening outside and didn't know someone was anxiously looking for her. For Jiang Cheng, the past few days had been full of anxiety. On the 22nd, he noticed the atmosphere at home was tense and asked his father, but was told nothing was wrong. On the 23rd, he found out what had been happening, from his eldest sister.
These days, he had been staying up late playing games, waking up around noon. When the maid called him for meals, he ignored her. This led to a frustrated visit from his older sister. She barged into his room, threw his blanket off, kicked him a few times, and dragged him out of bed. Shocked, Jiang Cheng sat on the floor in his boxers, asking, "What's going on?"
Jiang Cheng's older sister, Jiang Ni, was a fiery-tempered beauty.
She snapped, "What's going on? You still have the nerve to ask? All you do is play games and sleep. Do you think you'll die if you don't play? Do you know how busy and worried Dad has been these past few days? You're the only son of the Jiang family. Can't you act like a man and help Dad?" With that, she kicked him a few more times.
Jiang Cheng felt a bad premonition, "What happened to Dad?"
Jiang Ni threw some clothes at him, "Put this on, and come downstairs to hear the whole story."
Downstairs, Jiang Cheng finally learned what had happened. His father was a real estate developer and contractor. He had bought land and hired a construction team to build buildings. Two weeks ago, he had bid on a large piece of land on the mountainside of Daishan, intending to build luxury villas. However, since construction started, things had gone wrong. It began with minor injuries, but recently, serious accidents had happened, including workers suffering broken arms and legs. A few days ago, a worker fell from a building, and although it wasn't high, the worker tragically impaled himself on a steel rod, dying on the spot. Today, another worker had fallen into a cement pit and died before anyone could rescue him.
"That worker's family was compensated, so we kept it quiet, and the incident didn't make the papers. But this morning, another worker fell into a cement pit and died..." Jiang Ni continued, "This just doesn't seem normal."
"Why didn't Dad tell me?" Jiang Cheng felt a chill in his heart, suddenly thinking of that girl from Wufu Bridge.
Jiang Ni glanced at him, "You only care about playing games. What do you expect Dad to tell you? Are you planning to solve the problem?"
Jiang Cheng hesitated, "Actually, a few days ago, I went to have my fortune told..." He told his sister about his experience with the girl at Wufu Bridge. Jiang Ni was silent for a moment before saying, "I also think something's off. Dad's business has indeed encountered some trouble, but if it's not dealt with properly, accidents like this are bound to happen. But Dad doesn't believe in this kind of thing."
Jiang Cheng shook his head, "I'm not sure, but after this incident, I really feel like that girl isn't just fooling around. She might actually be a capable person!"
"Obviously!" Jiang Ni slapped him on the head, "If what you're saying is true, that girl is definitely no fraud. If she really has that kind of power, I believe in her. Dad doesn't, but I do. Can you take me to her? I want to ask her to see what's going on."
Without hesitation, Jiang Cheng agreed and immediately took his sister to the Wufu Bridge. However, when they arrived, the girl was nowhere to be found! They quickly asked people nearby, and Liu Bansian, an old fortune-teller, recognized Jiang Cheng, "Are you looking for that young girl? She's gone to school. She won't be coming out to set up her stall anymore. We were all fools, huh? She really is a powerful person. Who knows if we'll have the chance to meet her again."
Jiang Cheng froze. He had never even gotten her phone number when he didn't believe in her at the time.
"You idiot!" Jiang Ni couldn't hold back her frustration.
Suddenly, Jiang Cheng remembered something, "Wait, I know how to find her! I found out about that girl from a post online. The person who wrote it seemed familiar with her and mentioned that she saved his life. After reading that, I got into a discussion with him. I think that person must have her contact information."
"Then what are you waiting for? Go get in touch with him!"
Liu Bansian, hearing that there was a way to contact her, quickly said, "Hey, young man, leave me your contact info. Let me know if you ever find her."
The two exchanged phone numbers, and Jiang Cheng rushed back to the computer. However, the person he was trying to reach wasn't online. He sent a private message, leaving his phone number. Both waited anxiously, and finally, that evening, a strange number called. When Jiang Cheng answered, the voice on the other end chuckled twice, "Now you believe, huh?"
Knowing they were asking for help, Jiang Cheng's tone softened considerably. The person on the other end explained, "Qin Qin should be in military training now. She's in high school, at the Daishan training base. I'll give you her phone number, so you can get in touch with her."
Jiang Cheng then asked for the girl's full name, and after receiving it, the call ended.
Jiang Ni immediately made a decision, "I have some contacts in the army. The military training at Daishan is fully closed, and it's hard to get leave. The instructors usually don't agree. I'll make arrangements and go directly tomorrow morning to find her."
The next morning, the two drove directly to the Daishan training base.