Chapter 112: The Veteran’s Curses
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat
“The new recruits run really fast…Hurry up, show us if you can run back at this speed!”
A few veterans from the Iron Blood Fourth Company stood near the finishing line, teasing as Wang Ye approached. He glanced at them bur chose not to respond. Instead, he focused on controlling his breathing and ran toward the turning flag in front of him.
“It’s halfway done. Control your strength and keep it steady! ” Ye Sanshi reminded him as he reached the turning flag.
Wang Ye still didn’t speak, solely concentrating on managing his breath and rhythm.. He began to pass through the pile net in the opposite direction from when he came. This time, he had to cross the elastic ropes between rhe pillars, which was more challenging.
During the earlier observation of other recruits running, many of them had tripped on this obstacle. It was an exhausting 100-meter run, and even Wang Ye felt the strain on his legs. However, his determination and stamina allowed him to handle it better than others.
He carefully examined his footing, accelerating and taking large steps to cross the six ropes effortlessly. The experience of crawling through the pile net earlier gave him an understanding of how to maneuver efficiently.
The high and low walls posed no difficulty for him as he had encountered them before. Though his breathing had become heavier, he managed to hold on thanks to his 1.5 points of stamina.
Wang Ye successfully scaled the high wall and landed on the other side.
He brushed off the fine sand that had stuck to his hands while climbing the sandpit earlier. Despite looking a bit disheveled, he confidently grabbed onto the high wall with both hands and effortlessly flipped over with his waist against the wall.
To the observers, it might seem like a sign of exhaustion, but Wang Ye was still holding on strong.
“He’s exhausted, haha!”
“Of course, anyone would be if they ran so fiercely in the first 100 meters. Now, if he doesn’t tire out, who will?” the veterans commented among themselves, impressed by Wang Ye s initial speed and endurance.
Outside the running track, the veterans of the Iron Blood Fourth Company were still watching the show, their voices not bothering to be concealed.
Wu Jianfeng, who happened to pass by, glared at them. “Get lost! If you want to watch, do it quietly. Otherwise, after dinner, each of you will have to run an additional too to 400 meters before watching the news.”
Upon hearing this, the seasoned soldiers nearby immediately quieted down and shrunk their necks.
“Hmph, I’ve been busy training new recruits lately, and it seems like you guys are itching for a beating. Once I’m done with the new recruits, I’ll assess each one of you. If your results don’t satisfy me, you can say goodbye to your positions!” Wu Jianfeng asserted, using the opportunity to put some pressure on the veterans.
However, the recruits couldn’t grasp the full meaning of the situation. Although Wang Ye’s current speed didn’t seem slow, his physical exhaustion appeared to be nearing its limit. As time passed, he would only get slower and slower. If he jumped into that pit, there was no telling how many times he could climb out.
Wu Jianfeng had also been deceived by Wang Ye’s seemingly careless actions, disregarding his image.
Regardless, since he was already there, he still shouted, “Good luck, Wang Ye!”
Without saying a word, Wang Ye descended from the high wall and maintained a steady speed as he began circling around the pier. Even though he still had some energy left to speed up, he refrained from doing so, mindful of the obstacles ahead. He didn’t want to exhaust his stamina prematurely.
He had calculated his moves well before starting, but it was still a theoretical plan. Besides, he had only roughly estimated it before facing these obstacles. Having experienced the course, Wang Ye had abandoned his previous calculations and was now solely focused on the rhythm and techniques of running the 400 meters. He deliberately controlled his pace, reserving extra strength for the obstacles that lay ahead.
As he reached the pier, he faced the ladder. Taking a deep breath, he began to regulate his breathing, preparing to accelerate. The ladder required him to use more force for jumping, but he found this stage more manageable than the previous ones. His legs were weak and swollen, but his physical strength was holding up, and his hands remained strong.
Using his hands to lift the ladder and relying on his physical strength to sustain the increased breathing, Wang Ye managed to make it through without falling down.
“Good! ” a cheer came from beside him, and Wang Ye recognized it as Wu Jianfeng’s voice.
Ignoring the distraction, Wang Ye paused briefly to catch his breath before moving on. He continued to lift his legs and crossed the high platform with determined steps.
Lifting the ladder provided a brief respite for Wang Ye’s feet, allowing them to regain some stability. However, when he jumped down from the 1.8-meter-tall bench with his hands supporting him, he almost lost balance, and his legs remained weak.
Despite this, he knew he hadn’t completely depleted his stamina yet, which gave him some reassurance.
Taking a deep breath while propping himself up on the ground with his hands, Wang Ye charged forward once more. The next stage involved drilling, and this was where Wang Ye had an advantage. Unlike Nan Guyan, who had a wide and heavy build, Wang Ye’s nimbleness made this stage more manageable for him.
He slowed down, bent down, and used his hands to support himself as he passed through the most challenging part of the 400 meters the two-meter-wide pit. If he wanted to, he could jump down and climb up on the other side, but given his current physical exhaustion, it would be a difficult test to make it across by jumping.
The veterans closely observed Wang Ye during this part of the course. They knew that this particular obstacle was a crucial point of challenge for him.
The seasoned soldiers of rhe Iron Blood Company were left astounded as Wang Ye swiftly overcame the challenging pit. He wasn’t running slowly anymore; despite not appearing as agile or polished as the veterans while passing through the obstacles, his overall speed and the time it took to clear each stage were far from slow.
The veterans had thought that Wang Ye s speed was solely a result of him forcefully expanding his stamina. Thus, they were curious to witness how he would handle this particular stage, expecting him to struggle or fail.
To their disappointment, Wang Ye proved them wrong. Despite the increased difficulty due to the rainwater in the pit, he showed resilience and determination. After taking two deep breaths to gather himself, he clutched his fists, relaxed them, and then pressed his back against the wall, propelling himself forward. Before the seasoned soldiers outside could fully grasp what was happening in the pit, Wang Ye had already leaned against the wall, placed one foot on it, and with a loud sound, he rolled forward and successfully landed on the other side.
The seasoned soldiers were left in disbelief, uttering exclamations and expressing their astonishment at Wang Ye’s unexpected fear. He had exceeded their expectations, leaving them in awe of his abilities.
They couldn’t help but exclaim, “Damn…”
“You made it already?”
“This guy is something else…”
The veterans were taken aback by Wang Ye’s unexpected success. They had been almost certain that he would struggle or fail at this stage, but he proved them wrong by making it through in one go.
Despite looking miserable as he got up from the ground, Wang Ye had no time to worry about what others thought. He continued running forward with determination, showing no signs of giving up.
As the surrounding veterans, along with Ye Sanshi and Wu Jianfeng, watched in silence, there was an uproar behind the starting line. The group of people who had already finished the run or were yet to start cheered him on.
“Go, go, Wang Ye!”
“Vice Class Monitor Wang, come on!”
After overcoming the last challenging stage, the five-step stance, Wang Ye faced no more difficulties. He steadily and swiftly crossed it left and right in one go.
Now, with only the final 100 meters left, Wang Ye took a deep breath, clenched his fists tightly behind the flag, and prepared himself for the last sprint.
With a burst of energy, he picked up his pace and astonished everyone watching. Despite their incredulous gazes, he accelerated even further, surpassing their expectations. His speed was neither slower nor much different from that of the seasoned soldier who had run the last hundred meters. In fact, he even felt like he was getting faster as he gradually increased his pace.
The veterans couldn’t help but express their astonishment, with one of them exclaiming, “Fuck!”
As Wang Ye crossed the finish line, a platoon leader shouted his time, “One minute, 44.21 seconds!”
The onlookers behind erupted in laughter and cheers at his impressive performance.
As he finished, Ye Sanshi, who had been following him closely, hurriedly approached and helped Wang Ye up after he crossed the lane. Wang Ye fell into the arms of his classmates from Class 5, Gu Yingnan, and Zhang Ping’an.
Exhausted from the intense effort, Wang Ye s physical strength, which was 1.5 times that of an ordinary person, was truly drained.
Amidst the laughter and celebration, Wang Ye managed to speak, “Haha… Help… i need help… Take it slow, slowly… Help me up, and let’s move around slowly!”
As Ye Sanshi approached, he rushed to help Wang Ye up, handling him with utmost care, as if Wang Ye were not a rough man, but his precious newlywed wife.
To Ye Sanshi, Wang Ye was a treasure!
Finishing the 400 meters in one minute and forty-four seconds was no small feat. Even though Wang Ye had only overtaken one veteran, the fact remained that he had outperformed an experienced soldier. What made this achievement even more remarkable was the fact that it was Wang Ye’s first time running the course.
In the past, if anyone had claimed that a new recruit could achieve such a result on their first attempt, Ye Sanshi would have dismissed it as an unbelievable claim. Yet, the miracle was happening right in his own class, with Wang Ye defying all expectations and surprising everyone with his performance..