Chapter 10: Victory and Defeat

Chapter 10: Victory and Defeat

Xu Qiao did not look back at her opponent. Doing so would only waste time. She only needed to focus on her own performance, giving her best effort regardless of winning or losing.

This mindset made her far more relaxed than Cheng Yifei. Traveling light meant she wasn’t nervous at all and could fully demonstrate her abilities.

Though she didn’t glance back, others saw clearly. Cheng Yifei was a step behind, falling into the deep pit. Perhaps influenced by Xu Qiao, she stumbled and couldn’t climb out immediately.

After a second attempt with a running start, she climbed out but lost her lead. Watching Xu Qiao pull further ahead was disheartening.

On the other hand, Xu Qiao moved with practiced ease, showing no signs of unfamiliarity, and her speed was impressive.

Whether it was the more challenging obstacles like the high-low platforms and climbing ladders or the skill-testing balance beam and tall wall, she handled them all effortlessly.

This sudden turn of events shattered many expectations. The so-called incompetent underdog suddenly soared, while the previously outstanding soldier of the third squad lagged far behind.

Whether it was due to Xu Qiao’s influence or a difference in mentality, these were just excuses. In the military, losing is losing and winning is winning; no one cares for explanations.

While Cheng Yifei was still struggling through the three-hundred-meter obstacle course, Xu Qiao nimbly jumped over the deep pit and, using her momentum, leapt across the stepping poles.

Having cleared all the obstacles, Xu Qiao took a deep breath. She didn’t hold back in the final hundred meters, sprinting at full speed.

The race between the two was a brief interlude; training was set to continue.

Having been in the unit for over a month, Xu Qiao’s physical fitness was no longer that of a novice, and she had gained considerable understanding in other aspects as well.

“Not afraid!” came a clear, confident reply.

Then a roll of the eyes accompanied the words, “You did it on purpose, didn’t you?”

Xu Qiao smiled and nodded. “I understand.”

“You...” Cheng Yifei faltered, unable to retort.

But she quickly added, “Don’t get cocky just because you did well now. You’ve only just passed the passing line!”

“From now on, the entire regiment enters level one combat readiness, prepared to deploy at any moment!” With this order, everyone returned to their posts, immediately entering combat readiness.

The smile on Xu Qiao’s face froze. “Squad leader, can’t you praise me just once?”

“Ah!” Someone lost concentration and fell off the high-low platform.

By then, it was getting late. If they didn’t return soon, the whole regiment would end up hungry at noon.

“Cough…” Squad Leader Wu cleared his throat awkwardly. “That’s about it. Let’s head back and prepare lunch!”

“Don’t gloat. I only fell because...” Cheng Yifei started fiercely but her confidence waned as she spoke.

Standing before everyone, the squad leader cut in, “No more talk. Today’s emergency assembly isn’t for training or evaluation—it’s the real exercise about to begin.”

Soldiers like Xu Qiao, who were once unwanted in any squad, now assigned to the cookhouse unit, would have been welcomed by others, but here she was treated differently.

Xu Qiao paid no mind to these thoughts as she dashed to the finish line. Only when she asked for the time did she notice the strange atmosphere.

“Her victory over Cheng Yifei today wasn’t a fluke, nor did she cheat. It was a fair win, earned by genuine strength. That alone leaves nothing to argue.”

“Perhaps you don’t know, but every day, Xu Qiao rises early—not to report to the cookhouse, but to secretly train alone on the field, working on her stamina and tactics.”

Voices grew louder and more confident. The entire regiment was galvanized; each face radiated expectation and belief.

Cheng Yifei opened her mouth to say something.

“Yes! Yes! Yes!”

“This ‘Sharp Edge’ exercise is a rapid response drill for the entire army, testing the real combat readiness of all participating units. Our opponents, the Blue Army, include renowned Blue Army troops, even special forces.” The commander cast a sweeping glance. “Are you afraid of such opponents?”

Just as the cookhouse personnel were about to leave, the alarm blared unexpectedly.

The last time was when she was disciplined and the whole regiment was notified.

Xu Qiao’s previous reputation was no less known than the two squad leaders of the first and second squads. But theirs was a reputation for excellence and ambition, while hers was as a negative example.

“Though she is now in the cookhouse unit, as long as she is in the third squad, she belongs to the third squad. Understand?”

The commander’s gaze swept over them. Not only Cheng Yifei, but even others in the squad wore expressions of discontent.

Xu Qiao snapped back to reality and hurried to run along.

Thanks to this recognition, when Xu Qiao left the cookhouse unit, she at least had a place to belong, nowhere to be cast aside.

Cheng Yifei, still struggling through the obstacles, kept an eye on Xu Qiao. Seeing her begin her sprint left her more unsettled.

“Pft!” Nearby, Yin Li spat out her water.

It wasn’t that the alarm startled her; in her previous life, she’d faced countless emergencies and could react to alarms with ease.

But in former wars, enemies were everywhere, and there was no need for drills to boost combat power. Every bit of strength was forged in actual battles.

Taking a deep breath, Yin Li resigned herself, “I lost, and I can accept that.”

“But I should thank you, squad leader,” Xu Qiao said earnestly, looking at him. “Without you, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

“Did I do it on purpose? Did I intentionally improve my results, train harder, or practice the four-hundred-meter obstacle to put you to shame?” Xu Qiao countered, then laughed to herself. “You’re not that important.”

Perhaps it was just an illusion, but when she heard the word “exercise,” her eyes even sparkled.

“Understood!” The group instinctively snapped to attention and answered loudly.

Xu Qiao quietly returned to the cookhouse unit’s formation.

“Cheng Yifei!” At that moment, Guan Yuqi interrupted, “How long do you plan to be stubborn? Is it really that hard to admit Xu Qiao is stronger than you?”

Having been here for nearly a month, aside from emergency assemblies, there had been no surprises. She had grown accustomed to the quiet.

Fortunately, falling from the low platform onto sand didn’t cause serious injury.

Glancing back instinctively, she saw Cheng Yifei’s plight and felt it was no longer worth much thought.

“Good. Do you have the confidence to win this exercise?”

A familiar figure strode to the front of the formation. Xu Qiao noticed that the regiment commander was no longer in the standard uniform but clad in field camouflage.

From this, it was clear that while these exercises were a way to maintain combat readiness, such large-scale drills were rare.

Guan Yuqi’s attitude surprised them, even earning their respect.

“Just now, I received orders from the division. Our regiment will participate as the Red Force in this military district’s ‘Sharp Edge’ exercise.”

Shaking his head in resignation, he approached. “Hey, are you alright?”

Those nearby showed no reaction, their gazes fixed ahead, but Xu Qiao could feel a shift in their aura.

She hadn’t thought much when she first heard, but didn’t expect to be caught up in it.

Guan Yuqi’s words caught Xu Qiao off guard. In this bustling place, it wasn’t the time to say much, so she only nodded gratefully.

For a recruit, this was considered fortunate.

A chorus of exclamations rose as everyone abandoned competitions and rushed over to help someone who had fallen.

Before running off, Squad Leader Wu gave Xu Qiao a sharp slap to wake her up. “Stop standing there dumbfounded! Emergency assembly!”

Guan Yuqi’s stance showed the third squad had not abandoned Xu Qiao. Such behavior made other squad leaders look at her with new appreciation.

The sudden alarm left her unsure what was happening, but as the crowd ran toward the assembly point, she followed.

“You should thank Squad Leader Guan. After all, you can’t stay in the cookhouse forever.” Before she could steady herself, Squad Leader Wu’s voice floated over.

Xu Qiao understood what an exercise was—merely a simulated war.

Guan Yuqi took a deep breath. “Xu Qiao had her flaws and even made mistakes before, but since returning, she has truly reformed.”

The regiment commander seemed to sense their excitement, chuckling lightly before adding, “Don’t get too happy yet. Exercises are good, but they also carry heavy responsibility.”

But here, unlike elsewhere, maintaining combat readiness could only be achieved through such means.

This emergency assembly was a rare full-regiment gathering.

Over a thousand soldiers assembled—a truly grand sight.

Those who were training immediately moved, whether in the midst of drills or watching from the sidelines, all rushing back swiftly.

Despite Xu Qiao’s impressive transformation today, her previous reputation still prevented many from changing their opinions.

Squad Leader Wu paused, a smile slowly spreading across his darkened face.

“I don’t care what opinions you had about her before, or how much you disliked her. But now that she’s working hard to change for the better, I won’t tolerate any sarcastic remarks from the third squad to undermine her.”

Losing so badly to Xu Qiao, Cheng Yifei’s expression was worse than if she had been injured.

Because Xu Qiao had hesitated briefly, she wasn’t fast, and by the time she reached the designated spot, the regiment had already gathered completely.

Even seasoned non-commissioned officers might rarely experience this. Xu Qiao, having worn the uniform only a few days, was lucky to face such a large-scale exercise.

Unfortunately, Xu Qiao had seen real wars. Though these exercises were increasingly realistic, they were still simulations and could never be truly authentic.

Thus, unlike others, she could not share their excitement.

“Xu Qiao, do you realize how important this exercise is?”

(End of chapter)