Chapter 8: Improving Every Day

"Squad leader, Xu Qiao is missing again!" The group woke up to Cheng Yifei’s startled exclamation.

Guan Yuqi bolted upright from her bed, heart racing. Turning around, she saw that Xu Qiao’s bed was indeed empty, and the person was nowhere to be found. A wave of paleness washed over Guan Yuqi’s face.

Xu Qiao’s previous behavior hadn’t technically been desertion, but it was dangerously close. If a unit produced a deserter, the squad leader and platoon leader would be held accountable. For those days, the entire squad hadn't been able to hold their heads up in front of others. Having gone through that once, the Second Communication Squad had spent the entire year effectively barred from any recognition of excellence. If it happened again, she truly would have no face left to lead this squad.

"Quick, Yifei, go find the platoon leader! Everyone else, come with me to find her!" Guan Yuqi had already pulled on her uniform while speaking and turned to dash outside.

"Yes!" the others replied, hurriedly dressing before preparing to rush out.

But as they reached the door in the chaos, Guan Yuqi suddenly stopped, pulling back a rushing Cheng Yifei. "Wait, this isn't right!"

"What’s not right? Finding her is what’s important! She couldn't have been gone long; maybe we can still catch her. If we drag this out, she’ll really be gone," Cheng Yifei said anxiously.

Noticing this detail, the others realized something was amiss. If she had truly run away, why would she have tidied up her living area?

"Don’t go to the platoon leader yet. Everyone, go out and look for her—check the kitchen squad, the mess hall, or any other likely places," Guan Yuqi said, calming down. She decided it was better not to escalate the situation.

"Let’s run together!" Guan Yuqi took a deep breath. "Even if she really has run away, she’s likely already outside the camp. Getting there a few minutes earlier won't help much; we’d better confirm it first."

Cheng Yifei fell silent. After all, a deserter in the squad was a disgrace to them all.

Guan Yuqi, whose own secret fears had been voiced, felt a bit awkward. She secretly congratulated herself for holding back; otherwise, she wouldn't know how to clean up such a mess. She cleared her throat to ease the tension. "It’s not that we don’t trust you, it’s just that this change of yours is so sudden."

Only then did they notice that while the quilt on the bed wasn't folded to standard, it had at least been tidied.

They hadn't experienced the fires of war or felt the true weight of combat, but their dedication as soldiers remained the same. Hearing Xu Qiao greet her, Guan Yuqi instinctively looked her over. Seeing the beads of sweat rolling down her forehead and her pale, exhausted complexion, she could guess that Xu Qiao had already run quite a few laps.

It was a false alarm, and the members of the communication squad were relieved that the situation hadn't become common knowledge; otherwise, they would have become the laughingstock of the entire regiment again.

"Squad leader, you were actually out looking for me, weren't you? Worried I’d run off again?" Xu Qiao asked, looking at Guan Yuqi as if realizing something.

After yesterday's adjustment—even though she had nearly been carried to the infirmary—her body was slowly becoming accustomed to the intensity of the training. Xu Qiao didn't hold back; she hadn't intended to stop anyway, fearing that if she did, she wouldn't want to move again. She knew her physical fitness was poor—abysmally so. If she couldn't even handle basic training, what kind of soldier was she?

After completing another lap, she saw Guan Yuqi nearby and smiled. "Squad leader, up so early?"

Seeing Cheng Yifei about to speak, Guan Yuqi interrupted her. "If Xu Qiao hadn't run away, we would have gone to the platoon leader, woken everyone up, and caused such a scene—how embarrassing would that have been?"

After all, a Chief Petty Officer who didn't need to salute the platoon leader must have some real skills! Yet, seeing those skills applied to the kitchen squad—training a group of cooks to look like real soldiers—was somewhat bizarre.

***

Since the squad leader had spoken, the others had no objections and hurried off to search. For someone in Xu Qiao’s condition, it required grinding away inch by inch. As long as one was willing to endure hardship, they would eventually catch up—there were no shortcuts.

"The situation is that no matter what I say, no one will believe me. So, I’ll just use my actions to prove it."

If Xu Qiao’s memories were clear enough, she would have known this was the first time Guan Yuqi had smiled at her since they met.

"I won't demand that you understand, or even act exactly like we do, but at the very least, before you do anything, remember that you are a soldier now, not an ordinary civilian."

Guan Yuqi guessed that the previous injury had taken a toll on her, and while she might have done some training beforehand, treadmill running in a gym was a completely different concept from the weighted running they did here. Jumping straight into it was bound to be overwhelming.

Xu Qiao looked at Guan Yuqi with some surprise. It seemed she had truly underestimated the soldiers of this era.

Guan Yuqi looked back, shaking her head. "You tell me, if she had really run away, would she have bothered to tidy her living area?"

Xu Qiao ignored their curious stares and the strange atmosphere, heading early to the kitchen squad to report for duty.

Xu Qiao laughed dismissively. "I know you don't believe my words, and you certainly don't believe I can change."

It seemed this body wasn't beyond redemption. As long as she persisted in training, she believed her physical fitness would gradually improve, perhaps even catching up to her past self.

This apology was meant not only for the person she was today but also for the former Xu Qiao.

After a long moment, Xu Qiao regained her composure and said solemnly, "Thank you, Squad leader, and... I’m sorry."

Guan Yuqi accepted her apology and smiled at her with genuine relief.

She was not the old Xu Qiao; she sincerely wanted to stay here as a soldier—even an excellent one. She made sure that at the end of every day, she was completely exhausted, yet still able to function; the balance was controlled perfectly. Her few days with the kitchen squad made her realize these were no ordinary cooks.

In her rush earlier, they had only known she was missing and hadn't looked closely.

Xu Qiao didn't know that the communication platoon had nearly been turned upside down because of her. It was fortunate that the squad leader was calm and observant, not disturbing others; otherwise, she would have become famous for all the wrong reasons today.

When she first arrived, she hadn't touched a rifle; instead, she was relegated to being a cook, holding nothing but sickles or kitchen knives. It never felt like what a soldier should be doing.

Seeing that now-familiar figure, she felt an instant sense of relief.

After several laps, although she felt exhausted, she wasn't as drained as she had been yesterday. She could barely manage to keep going.

However, they didn't coddle her in every aspect. Once they reached the training ground, they were exceptionally strict. They never gave her a chance to slack off, always pushing her to the limit of her physical endurance, forcing her to expend every last ounce of strength.

"What made you decide to get up early and train on your own?" Guan Yuqi asked, feigning indifference.

After a few days of training, Xu Qiao had figured out the temperament of Squad Leader Wu.

"But... it’s best that you think this way."

Physical fitness was a matter with little technical requirement. Even if scientific training was emphasized now, that was only for when one reached the limit of their potential later on.

So, her previous disappearances hadn't been running away at all, but rather going out early to train alone. To be better, her inner desires weren't enough; she had to produce actual results.

***

Noticing this peculiarity, some joy seemed to creep into Xu Qiao’s otherwise mundane life.

Guan Yuqi had searched the whole area without finding anyone, but when she circled back to the training ground, she saw a staggering, stumbling figure running.

Realizing this, the dissatisfaction in Guan Yuqi’s heart vanished. She didn't even mention the search, simply nodding. "Good to get out and get some activity in early!"

At the very least, she had never seen any other kitchen squad in the regiment train like this during their breaks—nor with such systematic, professional guidance. But for the current Xu Qiao, it was the best arrangement possible.

Looking at how she was always cold and strict with everyone, she wasn't as heartless as she appeared. She said she wouldn't coddle a female soldier, yet she never made Xu Qiao clean up after the sheep, nor did she assign her the dirtiest or most grueling tasks in the mess hall, even though those were the duties of a kitchen hand.

"If... if something really goes wrong, I’ll take responsibility."

It was clear she had given her all; her ability just hadn't caught up yet. Still, it was much better than the pile of laundry she usually left on her bed.

Thinking of this, she grew happier, even forgetting her momentary exhaustion.

Prompted by her words, the others realized what happened and instinctively looked at Xu Qiao’s bunk.

"That's right! Squad leader, if we don't find her, she'll really be gone!" The others, hearing this, grew anxious and crowded around to urge her on.

"We are soldiers. No matter who you were before, the moment you put on this uniform, it becomes your responsibility, your faith!"

She had come to terms with it later. So what if she was a cook? As long as she wore this uniform, she still had a chance. Before coming to the camp, this wasn't the life she had imagined. She had grown accustomed to the fires of war, to sleeping while clutching her rifle, eyes half-open.

This change brought Xu Qiao great joy; no matter what, it was progress.

So, early this morning, before anyone else woke, she had gotten up and snuck out to train alone. It was from this point that Xu Qiao realized Squad Leader Wu was definitely no ordinary kitchen squad leader.

Having learned her lesson yesterday, she didn't dare run too fast, just slowly adapting.

From the fires of war to the era of peace, from intense passion to mundane routine—not everyone could adapt to such a contrast. Who was to say this experience wasn't a form of tempering?

Putting other things aside, regarding the most basic training and the simplest tasks, she needed to catch up. She couldn't be better than others immediately, but she couldn't be looked down upon either.

She snuck in extra training every day just to become stronger, but people were prone to laziness, and that was when she needed someone to supervise her. Squad Leader Wu played that role—not only supervising her but also providing professional guidance.

As the days of training passed, Xu Qiao could clearly feel her physical fitness accumulating rapidly. And this feeling of improving every single day was truly wonderful.