Chapter 33: Devil's Training

Gu Jianfeng spared them no dignity whatsoever; his words ruthlessly trampled their pride. Yet, recalling the terrifying murderous aura he had exuded moments ago, not a single one of them dared utter a sound.

Seeking trouble for no reason—wasn’t that the sign of a madman?

It was almost unimaginable to them that someone younger than most of them could possess such a chilling presence.

“So, let’s be straightforward,” Gu Jianfeng continued, smiling at the group. “Withdraw now, save everyone some time.”

“Go back and keep being your precious soldiers. I’ll return to raise my dogs. Isn’t that a better idea?”

“What do you say?” His gaze swept over the assembly as he spoke.

“Reporting in!” a young soldier suddenly spoke up.

“Speak,” Gu Jianfeng replied, glancing at him.

“Instructor, we’re not as useless as you think!” the soldier protested, his face full of defiance.

“What’s your name?” Gu Jianfeng strode up to him and asked.

“Reporting, sir! My name is Leng Feng!” the soldier answered loudly.

“Hmm, not bad,” Gu Jianfeng nodded lightly. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn’t recall from where at the moment.

In the past half-year, Gu Jianfeng had crammed a vast amount of current information, only to find that it sometimes surpassed his understanding. It seemed as if this world was a great melting pot. He had come across many characters from novels he’d read before, and now saw their counterparts here.

“Thank you, Instructor!” Leng Feng couldn’t help but smile at the praise.

“One hundred push-ups,” Gu Jianfeng grinned, revealing his white teeth.

The abrupt about-face left Leng Feng momentarily stunned.

“Make that two hundred!” Gu Jianfeng added.

At these words, Leng Feng, still dazed, immediately dropped to the ground and began his push-ups.

“A devil—that’s what he is,” thought Leng Feng.

“Why is your backside sticking up so high? Lower it!” Gu Jianfeng said coolly.

Leng Feng’s mind was flooded with exasperation.

“It looks odd with just you doing push-ups. What are the rest of you standing around for? Get down and join him!”

“One may not be learned, but ignorance is unacceptable!”

“Look at you all, so arrogant, so full of yourselves!”

“Do them properly. If I catch anyone slacking, everyone adds fifty more!”

“Count out loud!” Gu Jianfeng barked, his eyes sweeping over the group.

Two hundred push-ups was no small feat for this assembly of thirty, yet it was still within their capabilities.

Half an hour later, those who finished stood up one after another, except for Qi Maocai.

They massaged their aching arms, waiting for Gu Jianfeng’s next command.

Qi Maocai didn’t stay down by choice; his injuries made each push-up sheer agony.

“Anyone want to quit?” Gu Jianfeng tempted them, “Why not give up? Use your time dating, watching movies, learning new skills—wouldn’t that be better?”

“Why waste your time here?”

“Isn’t there a single smart one among you?”

He crouched beside Qi Maocai, saying, “Lieutenant, give up. You’re injured—go to the military hospital and get treated.”

“R-reporting, Instructor, I... I can do it!” Qi Maocai gasped.

“Seems you’re even more stubborn than the rest,” Gu Jianfeng said, regarding him.

“All right, you’re warmed up. Attention! Dress right!”

“Objective: the back hill. Run there, leave a footprint, then run back. Go!”

The group, well aware of Gu Jianfeng’s temperament by now, didn’t hesitate—they turned and sprinted toward the hill.

It wasn’t far—five kilometers each way, a total of ten, just at the threshold of their endurance.

“Haven’t you eaten?” Gu Jianfeng shouted after them, “Even the old lady selling ice cream runs faster than you!”

“When I can beat him, I’ll make him pay,” Leng Feng muttered as he ran.

“Save your breath. Take it from me, just let it go,” advised an older man running beside him.

The aura Gu Jianfeng carried—one so intangible and menacing—was something the older man had only sensed once before, during Sirius Training, from a seasoned squad leader. It was an air born of countless battles, possessed only by hardened veterans.

By the time they returned to the training ground, all arrogance had been thoroughly drained from the group. Breathless and soaked through with sweat, their uniforms clung uncomfortably to their bodies, but none spared a thought for that discomfort.

“Does anyone wish to withdraw now?” Gu Jianfeng asked, his gaze searching their faces.

“Reporting, I’m quitting!”

“Reporting, me too!”

“Count me in!”

One after another, withdrawals came. They had expected sniper training, but never imagined this ordeal. Had they known, none would have come. Their marksmanship was confident, but they simply couldn’t endure this hardship.

“I knew there were some smart ones here,” Gu Jianfeng remarked, shaking his head with feigned regret. “Anyone else?”

He looked at those remaining, his expression full of reluctant pity, though his methods remained merciless.

And so, by the end of the first day’s grueling training, thirteen of the thirty were gone—nearly half eliminated.

What they didn’t know was that even this intensity had been adjusted by Gu Jianfeng to suit their physical abilities.

A sniper’s skills were tested by far more than marksmanship; shooting well was only the beginning. They needed willpower bordering on the inhuman.

But Gu Jianfeng had no intention of telling them that now.

None of them were strangers to the title of sniper, but true understanding of what it meant? Not one among them possessed it.

When the day’s training finally ended, Qi Maocai’s body was so battered he collapsed into unconsciousness.

Gu Jianfeng had him placed in a separate room, then sent the remaining sixteen back to their dorms to rest.

“You really are something,” Gu Jianfeng murmured as he looked at the unconscious Qi Maocai. To push through the pain of injury and complete the training—this was something not everyone could do.

Gu Jianfeng quietly channeled his soul energy, slowly mending Qi Maocai’s injuries. Training was one thing, but the safety of his trainees was something he would never neglect.