At five in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten.
It was already autumn, the temperature just right—not too hot, not too cold.
On the main plaza of the Jinnan Military District headquarters, more than ten field helicopters were parked.
Beside each helicopter, five soldiers stood at attention.
They wore camouflage, with the insignia of their own unit emblazoned on their chests.
On the chest of Frank Xu and the other Knife-Edge squad members, there was a sharp military blade. They stood tall and steady on the plaza, each face especially composed.
Not far away, a group of officers walked by, led by Gavin Yue, whose shoulder bore a golden star.
Gavin Yue wore his uniform, radiating a battlefield-honed aura of discipline and killing intent. His record was outstanding.
At his side, Eldest Brother Su looked serious, Colonel Sean Chen wore a mocking, self-satisfied expression, and Major Hugh Hu smiled genially, seeming easy to talk to.
Besides them, everyone present held at least the rank of major, each one looking fierce and full of energy.
The group circled the plaza, their eyes scanning the faces of the soldiers beside each helicopter, the atmosphere growing increasingly tense.
Soon, they finished their circuit of the plaza. The time was now six thirty.
Gavin Yue stepped slowly onto the platform at the front of the formation. Standing there, he swept his gaze around, didn’t use a microphone, but squared his shoulders, took a deep breath, and spoke in a resonant voice that belied his age: “Comrades! You are the future and hope of the Jinnan Military District! Each of you is the strongest in your unit, representing your squad’s strength!”
“In thirty minutes, you will be dropped onto a deserted island! For three days, you’ll compete in a team survival exercise! I sincerely hope you achieve the results you deserve—bring honor to your unit and yourself!”
“Right now, you should have only a combat knife, a multifunction watch, a roll of bandages, a box of matches, and a rope—nothing else!”
“Your goal on the island is to eliminate the other teams. The rule: cut off the insignia on your opponent’s chest! If you’re eliminated or need to withdraw early due to an accident, just press the button on your watch! A helicopter will extract you within fifteen minutes!”
“This will be a brutal battle—a chance for you to prove yourselves! Do you understand?”
Gavin Yue shouted in a deep, commanding voice.
“Understood!”
All the soldiers from more than ten units answered in unison, their voices shaking the plaza.
“Very good! In twenty minutes, board the helicopters for the island!”
After a few words, Gavin Yue led the others toward the command room.
Inside the command room, people were calibrating equipment. The central big screen was split into countless smaller screens, each showing a different soldier from a different unit.
Gavin Yue entered, pulled out a chair, and sat down, taking a sip of tea.
Major Hugh Hu smiled at Eldest Brother Su and said, “Old Su, I heard your squad made extra preparations for this exercise.”
“Frank Xu and the others in your squad run over two hundred laps a day? Isn’t that a bit too much pressure?”
Major Hugh Hu chuckled.
Eldest Brother Su raised his head proudly. “Those kids are pushing themselves. I’m worried they’ll burn out—I’ve talked to them a few times, but it’s no use. They don’t listen to me anymore!”
Though he said that, Su’s face showed no sign of anger at all.
Colonel Sean Chen sneered from his chair, “Deputy Commander Su, that’s a strange thing to say. I heard you brought in an unofficial instructor to train them?”
“That’s not exactly by the book!”
Colonel Sean Chen’s eyes were sharp as he stared at Su. “Not only that, you had that person provoke our squad’s Hawkeye recently?”
“If Hawkeye didn’t have such insane physical ability, he might’ve fallen for your trick! But it’s no use—our Hawkeye is the three-time Single-Soldier Showdown champion. No way he’d miss this exercise or the one-on-one tournament!”
Colonel Sean Chen spoke coldly.
Hearing Sean Chen’s words, Su’s face changed, but before he could reply, the others chimed in.
“Yeah, Old Su, that’s not really by the rules. You can’t just bring anyone into the military as an instructor, right? Our soldiers are carefully trained—what if someone ruins them?” complained a short, stocky major.
“That’s right, it doesn’t make sense. Besides, how could an outsider train elite troops? Last night, I happened to pass your squad’s training camp and saw that kid—he looked super young. Is he still a student?” another officer nodded.
They were all siding with Colonel Sean Chen.
The strength of Sean Chen’s Flying Eagle squad was obvious, while Knife-Edge had been crushed several times in a row, barely able to fight back.
“So what if he’s young? Strength is all that matters! If he’s got the skills, the results will speak for themselves!” Su said, clearly annoyed.
“Results? Do we even need to wait? With Hawkeye and Tiger Fang on our side, your Knife-Edge squad is nothing but a stepping stone for my Flying Eagle!” Colonel Sean Chen laughed heartily.
Gavin Yue knocked on the table. “Quiet, all of you!”
As soon as he spoke, even if Eldest Brother Su and the others were still upset, they all shut their mouths and said nothing more.
“We’ll know the results of this exercise in three days. But what I want to talk about is next week’s Single-Soldier Showdown.”
Gavin Yue smiled. “This time, a mysterious figure will be coming to watch the Single-Soldier Showdown.”
At this, Gavin Yue’s face grew mysterious. “If anyone from your squad takes the championship this time, they’ll earn military merit and an instant promotion!”
“A mysterious figure?”
Eldest Brother Su and the others’ faces all changed slightly.
“Is it someone from the Lin family, the Xu family, or the Ye family?”
Someone guessed aloud.
But Gavin Yue just smiled and said nothing more.
Seven o’clock.
All the squads boarded the military helicopters.
On the plaza, Frank Xu of Knife-Edge slammed the cabin door shut.
On the neighboring helicopter, Tiger Fang from Flying Eagle gave Knife-Edge a mocking grin, raised his thumb, and drew it across his throat in a beheading gesture.
“This time, we’re going to win.”
Frank Xu looked at the others and spoke in a low, steady voice.
Lately, he’d barely managed to unleash a three-burst sonic boom with the Nine-Star Burst Fist.
At that moment, Evan Lin was sitting in a classroom, quietly taking a simple in-class math quiz.