Chapter 25 - Contraband

Translator: Li_Voon_Loke

Chi Heng and Qian Jiang had run less than half the distance because they had been too lazy in this training.

Even if they started to run now, they might not be able to reach the finish line before the end of the time. Their physical strength was just average.

“Brother Zhao, I can’t run anymore,” Chi Heng said to Zhao Rui, panting heavily with a red face.

“Even if you can’t run, you have to run! You mustn’t stop! If you two can’t finish the race within the stipulated time, I’ll also be punished with you.”

Only now did the two of them understand that Zhao Rui had taken the risk to come back and accompany them in the race. At this moment, they felt very ashamed, so they braced themselves and continued to persevere.

Finally, the three of them persevered and reached the finish line.

When he was training in the training space, the standard that Zhao Rui had set for himself was the 5000-meter run, so even if he continued to run after finishing the race, he wouldn’t feel particularly tired.

On the contrary, Qian Jiang and Chi Heng were so tired that their butts fell to the ground after the race and they took a short break.

Zhao Rui pulled them up. After running, one shouldn’t sit down immediately or it would harm their bodies.

Instructor He’s face was dark. He had been waiting for them in this open space for a long time.

“Instructor! The last two members of the sixth team have also completed the training.” Zhao Rui reported the situation to the instructor.

“Instructor.”

“Hello, instructor.”

Qian Jiang and Chi Heng also came to the instructor’s side and greeted him timidly.

“You are twelve minutes late. According to the regulations, if you are one minute late, you will be punished one kilometer. You need to run another twelve kilometers. This cross-country route is three thousand meters long. Run it four more times!”

Twelve kilometers! A full twelve kilometers!

After hearing the instructor’s words, Chi Heng and Qian Jiang couldn’t help but tremble. After running three kilometers, he was already as tired as a dog. If he ran another twelve kilometers, he would definitely be crippled.

Even Zhao Rui was a little scared. His special training in the training space was always targeted at five kilometers. He had never run so far in one go.

“What? Are you scared? What are you thinking when you don’t take this training seriously?” The instructor asked sternly.

Chi Heng and Qian Jiang were silent.

“Look at your fat body. You’ve been in the Military Academy for so long. Have you trained well?”

“And you, especially you!”

The instructor looked at Qian Jiang. “Do you know that you’re the worst in our sixth team? I hope you can share honor and disgrace with us in the future, and don’t drag the sixth team platoon down with you!”

“…”

Qian Jiang lowered his head and was speechless. He was not a person who did not know honor and disgrace. It was precisely because Qian Jiang’s shame was too strong that it made him feel uneasy. He felt that he was not qualified to be a soldier.

“Instructor, should we run now? The penalty is twelve kilometers.”

Zhao Rui used his courage to interrupt the instructor. He knew that Qian Jiang was a person who was very unwilling to drag others down. If the instructor continued to speak, perhaps Qian Jiang would cry and quit school again.

“Run? Go back and tidy up your internal affairs! Tomorrow, the first internal affairs evaluation will begin for the new recruits. I hope that the honorary flag belongs to the sixth team. If you don’t get the flag, I’ll double the penalty for you! Disperse!”

The recruits who had finished their training earlier had already been sent back to their dormitories by He Yingbo to clean up.

If Zhao Rui did not accompany them, He Yingbo would definitely punish Qian Jiang and Chi Heng. This was considered lucky for the two of them.

He Yingbo admired Zhao Rui even more. If he proceeded with the twelve-kilometer punishment, he might tire out this promising young man. Therefore, when he saw that Zhao Rui was also there, he was exempted from the punishment.

After saying that, He Yingbo left on his own.

The three of them looked at each other in dismay on the empty field.

At this time, Chi Heng had recovered his strength. After seeing the instructor leave, he couldn’t help but jump up in excitement. “Hahaha, you scared me to death. I thought that I would really have to run twelve kilometers as punishment, but it turns out that the instructor was just saying that.”

Zhao Rui felt helpless and said, “If only you were this energetic during your usual training.”

Qian Jiang’s expression was a little awkward because the instructor’s unintentional criticism just now had made his inferiority complex even worse.

“Qian Jiang, you’re not the only one who was scolded by the instructor. I was also scolded. Go back to your dorm and clean up well. Come to our dorm tonight to hang out,” Chi Heng hugged Qian Jiang and comforted him.

..

Qian Jiang didn’t respond.

Zhao Rui wasn’t a big mouth. He didn’t tell anyone about the encounter with Qian Jiang.

Chi Heng didn’t know either. He thought that Qian Jiang’s sadness was just because he got scolded by the instructor.

The three of them didn’t stay in the back mountain for long. The dorm brothers were cleaning up. Of course, the dirty work of cleaning the dorm couldn’t just be left to them.

The three of them quickly left the back mountain. On the way, Zhao Rui constantly encouraged and comforted the two of them.

When Zhao Rui and Chi Heng returned to the dormitory and pushed open the door of Dormitory 424, they found that the entire dormitory was brand new. All the items were placed neatly, especially the floor was so clean that they could see their reflection.

Bai Xiaofei and Zhang Cheng had already finished cleaning the dormitory.

“Sorry, comrades, we’re late.” Zhao Rui felt very apologetic and continued, “This time, it’s our fault. Next time, Chi Heng and I will clean the dormitory.”

Bai Xiaofei pretended to be angry and said, “Brother Zhao, you’re treating us like strangers. We’re all brothers in the same dormitory. It’s strange if we separate everything so precisely.”

“Good brothers, good brothers. You are really my good brothers,” Zhao Rui said happily from the bottom of his heart.

Chi Heng realized that he did not need to clean and immediately took off his shoes. He did not even wash his feet and lay directly on the bed. Immediately, the room was filled with the smell of stinky feet. It was really stinky.

“I say, you should at least wash your feet before going to bed,” Zhang Cheng said to Chi Heng with a frown.

Chi Heng stretched lazily. “Let me lie down for five minutes. I’ll go wash after five minutes. I’m so tired.”

Bai Xiaofei couldn’t stand it either. He covered his nose and protested, “No, your feet are too smelly! Hurry up and wash them!”

“Tch, you’re so petty. I’ll go wash them, okay?”

At this moment, there was a knock on the door.

Zhao Rui quickly opened the door and found that it was Qian Jiang standing at the door.

“Can I come in?”

Qian Jiang seemed very nervous. He stooped and hid a red plastic bag in front of him.

“Of course you can. Just come in,” Zhao Rui said and immediately moved to make way for Qian Jiang.

After Qian Jiang came in, he immediately closed the door and said to everyone in the dorm, “I’ll give these to you.”

At the same time, Qian Jiang opened the plastic bag in his hand, which was filled with cigarettes.

“F * ck! Awesome! Brother, how did you get them?”

Seeing these cigarettes, Chi Heng was extremely excited. Cigarettes were contraband, so it was forbidden to possess cigarettes in the Military Academy. Previously, when the seniors were inspecting, they confiscated all the cigarettes that the recruits brought..