What Should I Do If My Ex-Girlfriend's Pheromones Smell Too Good? - Chapter 23

Chapter 23: Training: This Kind of Project is a Physical and Mental…

Shu Qiong propped herself up on her arm and took a look; it was only 2:00 AM. Yan Xiangyu was sleeping peacefully, her body curled inward.

Thinking of the hateful reaction from the woman in her dream, Shu Qiong had a momentary urge to smack her awake.

Forget it, forget it. She tugged at the quilt and collapsed back onto the pillow to continue sleeping.

On the first day of the training camp, everyone woke up early. Perhaps because they had things on their minds and were restless in an unfamiliar environment, everyone snapped awake the moment the alarm rang.

Shu Qiong climbed down from her bed with a “bird’s nest” for hair and dug out her training uniform to change. Turning around, she saw Yan Xiangyu tying up her hair and couldn’t help but marvel at how well the woman suited all-black. Even the shapeless, loose trousers highlighted her straight posture and superior long legs.

She was truly the type who would look good even in a burlap sack. Shu Qiong fangirled for two seconds.

Yan Xiangyu casually finished tidying herself up and then, with natural ease, knelt down to tie Shu Qiong’s combat boot laces.

Shu Qiong’s eyes widened instantly.

Yan Xiangyu promoted her services: “The way I tie laces is extra secure; they won’t come loose no matter how much you move.”

Hearing this, Jin Yan came over to “steal” the technique, so Shu Qiong had to obediently extend her legs and serve as a teaching model for Yan Xiangyu.

Before 7:00 AM, the number of people gathered on the training ground was already quite impressive.

Shu Qiong took the opportunity while the instructors hadn’t arrived to look around. The sea of military academy students was dense, with training uniforms bearing various school badges.

As the most reliable “veteran,” He Xuchou gave a final reminder to her nervous juniors: “The training here doesn’t involve much teamwork; it’s all individual projects. However, try not to get separated. Staying close makes it easier to look out for one another.”

She craned her neck to look ahead, spotting the instructors approaching: “The instructors here have… not very friendly tempers. Don’t get into conflicts with them. Be a bit low-key and obedient; otherwise, their methods for dealing with troublemakers are very harsh.”

Chang Xichun nodded: “The instructors at the base are all active-duty mecha soldiers from the military—the kind who could be deployed to the front lines at any moment.”

Shu Qiong and the others all turned solemn.

As they spoke, several instructors holding megaphones stood before the trainees: “For the sake of our first day meeting, here’s a tip: if you haven’t eaten breakfast, go eat now. I won’t care if you start wailing like ghosts later. No one’s leaving? Fine!”

A few scattered students walked onto the field. Seeing that the instructors had already arrived, their faces fell.

The instructor shouted sternly at their loose formation: “Arriving later than the instructors? Run five extra laps to sharpen your memory!”

Shu Qiong glanced at her wristband; it was still two minutes until seven. She finally understood what He Xuchou meant by “not very friendly.”

Another instructor continued the lecture: “Everyone here is a top student from their respective academies. I assume you’ve heard enough praise in the first dozen or so years of your lives? Good, because for the rest of this training camp, you will receive the exact opposite: lashings! Soon you will realize that the strength of a military student is completely inadequate in front of a real soldier. Don’t believe me? Remember your confidence at this moment! Start by running for half an hour; let me see if you’re still breathing!”

Equipped with lap counters, everyone resignedly hit the track.

An instructor, while supervising their warm-up, yelled through a megaphone: “Many of you are starters on your school teams, right? How many are aiming for the Inter-High League championship? Raise your hand so I can see.”

Jin Yan muttered, “Who would actually raise their hand? That would just make them a target for observation.”

To her surprise, people actually raised their hands. Shu Qiong scanned the crowd; the most conspicuous was a group running at the front, wearing the same school’s training uniform.

Chang Xichun immediately sneered: “People from Jida (Mecha Specialty Joint University). No wonder they’re so arrogant.”

Shu Qiong asked curiously, “Jida? The ones who were in the top three of the league last year?”

Noticing the instructor’s gaze sweeping toward them, the Military University group quickly put on “determined faces.” Once the gaze shifted, Chang Xichun nodded, holding a grudge: “Yes, the ones who mocked our school in an interview for being in decline. Hmph, I’ve been practicing my marksmanship all year just to blow their captain’s head off on the field!”

He Xuchou explained for her juniors: “Jida’s captain frequently harassed A-Chun during the competition last year. The day after being explicitly rejected, he stated publicly in an interview that Jida would always step over Military University’s head.”

Chang Xichun’s face contorted, clearly remembering unpleasant memories: “A lot of the male Alphas from Jida have that ‘Big Alpha-ism’ ego. Don’t learn that bad trend; it stinks!”

“Hey! You guys from Military University! Why are you huddling up? Whispering secrets?” an instructor roared into a megaphone.

Chang Xichun and the others scattered, each accelerating their laps.

Only Yan Xiangyu and Jin Yan stayed unhurriedly with Shu Qiong, until the Mecha Master waved them off: “I have a feeling this ‘warm-up’ half-hour run isn’t that simple. Run as fast as you can, don’t worry about me.”

Shu Qiong planned the ideal number of laps she could manage and allocated her stamina accordingly.

After a while, a few Jida students overtook her. Seeing the Military University badge on Shu Qiong, one whistled provocatively: “An Alpha?”

Shu Qiong ignored them, focusing on her breathing rhythm.

The group, finding her lack of reaction boring, sped away, leaving only a parting shot: “Is Military University out of people? Is the quality of single-soldiers so poor this year?”

He Xuchou, who happened to lap around to her side, heard them clearly. This female Alpha, who had already run two kilometers yet could still speak freely, looked much more relaxed than those from Jida. She said to Shu Qiong, “Ignore them. You are our ace this year. Use the training camp to shore up your weaknesses first, then use your specialty to give everyone a big surprise on the field.”

Shu Qiong’s throat felt a bit spicy; she actually felt it would be more like a “big fright.”

However, she gained a bit of confidence. The people from Jida hadn’t realized she was a “fake” single-soldier? Did that mean her physical fitness wasn’t actually that bad?

He Xuchou ran off, and soon Yan Xiangyu lapped back to her side. Shu Qiong felt like a scenic landmark; everyone passing by had to stop, say something, or “check in.”

What Yan Xiangyu said, however, was serious: “Jin Yan and I have observed. At least one-fifth of the people here are not single-soldiers.”

“That many?” Shu Qiong felt pain in her throat the moment she spoke.

Yan Xiangyu guided Shu Qiong on her foot placement while keeping a steady pace: “Mhm. Some have quite good stamina and claim to be single-soldiers to the outside world.”

“Haha! But they can’t escape this lady’s keen eyes!” Jin Yan caught up from behind, joining the conversation.

Shu Qiong had already accepted her role as a check-in point.

As a Commander, Jin Yan’s physical fitness surpassed most single-soldiers. She spoke while adjusting her breathing: “Knowing oneself and one’s enemy is a basic skill for a Commander. Just because I joke around, you haven’t really forgotten that this lady is a brainpower expert who plays with tactics, right?”

Shu Qiong couldn’t help but ask: “So?”

Jin Yan confessed honestly: “I dug through the participant lists for the last three Inter-High Leagues in advance. After that, I checked the historical records on each school’s Star-Blog. Don’t many military schools use their school teams as recruitment brochures?

“Aha, I found quite a few group photos. I’ve memorized about seventy to eighty percent of them. As for the unfamiliar faces, I can guess their roles based on how they interact within their teams.”

Shu Qiong wasn’t surprised. The young lady was just goofy in personality, but her Commander studies were genuine; her professional quality was definitely there.

Jin Yan then mentioned an interesting phenomenon: “I found that a few military schools actually plan to field a team of pure single-soldiers. It’s one thing not to have a Commander, but they don’t even want Mecha Masters? Who’s going to fix the mechas when they break on the field?”

Shu Qiong muttered weakly: “They can just steal someone else’s.”

“Kill the whole team except for the Mecha Master and ask her: do you want to cooperate with us or die with your teammates? If it were me, I’d definitely choose the former. One must endure humiliation to bear a heavy load.”

After saying that, she panted heavily. “Or they could just kill all the Mecha Masters so everyone is back at the same starting line.”

Anyway, if it’s a full-single-soldier team, they won’t be short of thugs.

“…”

Jin Yan turned her head to look at her for a long time, then suddenly said sincerely, “I’ve realized you are very suited to switching to Commander.”

Your heart is particularly dirty.

Shu Qiong accepted this naturally, treating it as a compliment.

After the half-hour long run, the differences in stamina among the students became clearly apparent.

He Xuchou and Yan Xiangyu were, without surprise, in the first tier. They finished their laps looking like nothing had happened, waiting at the finish line for their other teammates.

The most unexpected was Qin Liang; this low-key Beta performed with extraordinary stability. She actually had the energy to control her speed, maintaining exactly the same pace from the first lap to the last.

Shu Qiong and Chang Xichun looked at each other, both gasping for air. Fine, the two of us are the pitiful pair.

The instructor looked at the bodies collapsed across the field with disdain: “Can’t handle just a warm-up? Alright, everyone, attention! Moving on to the main topic of the day.”

The instructor led them to a vast arena divided into narrow, track-like lanes. In each lane stood a man-sized combat robot. Currently, they were standing motionless at the start of each track in standby mode.

“Everyone, find a lane and stand in it. Once you’re in front of it, the robot will activate and launch an attack while moving toward the finish line at a steady pace. During the process, every effective block you land counts for one point. Dodging does not score.”

“Don’t think it’s simple,” the instructor sneered. “See the ceiling? The intelligent system will act as a sniper. Being hit by a red dot in a non-vital area deducts five points. A hit to a vital area resets your points to zero, and you’ll go back to the start. Reach the finish with eighty points, or don’t bother eating lunch.”

Wails of despair rose throughout the arena.

Chang Xichun lamented: “This kind of project is a physical and mental double-destruction for a sniper.”

Shu Qiong agreed, nodding: “When do we get to the shooting part? My heart is filled with violence; I really want to kill someone.”

Chang Xichun added playfully: “It’s time to let them see our Military University’s double-sniper system for this year.”

The military students in the nearby lanes heard this and fell into thought.

So Military University’s strategy this year is a double-sniper path? I’ll report this finding to the team leader in a moment!