Chapter 18: Military Training, Part 2

Night fell like thick, ink-black liquid pouring down. The searchlights of the Kangzhuang 611 Military Training Base pierced the darkness, casting a pale, ghostly glow over the training ground.

Li Yi instinctively tightened the collar of his camouflage uniform. The evening breeze carried residual heat from the day, brushing against his cheek with the distinct scent of dust that hung in the air of the training field.

He gazed at the neatly arranged training equipment in the distance. Having relied on his past life’s military training experience and regular exercise, he had thought night training would be merely a somewhat grueling trial. Yet, he was unaware that what awaited him would be a crucible that would utterly overturn his understanding.

A sharp whistle suddenly tore through the night sky, startling the owls roosting in the treetops. Instructor Chang strode forward, wielding a tactical flashlight. Its beam swept across the ranks, casting interlacing shadows on the faces of the students.

“All present! March in place—move!” The command burst forth like thunder. Li Yi took a deep breath and stamped his right foot heavily. The dull thud of his shoes hitting the concrete echoed like war drums in the silent night, sending a slight numbness through his chest.

At first, the formation was as scattered as loose sand, footsteps chaotic and uneven. Some faltered repeatedly, their camouflage pants rustling as they stumbled; others swung their arms stiffly, resembling mechanical puppets. Instructor Chang frowned and paced back and forth, the cold light of his flashlight precisely locking onto each misaligned movement. “Raise your knees five centimeters higher! Swing your arms so they cut through the air! This is marching, not stepping on cotton!”

Suddenly, he stopped in front of a boy, pressing down on the trembling knee and thrusting it upward sharply. “Power comes from the thigh—again!”

As the training continued, sweat traced winding paths down Li Yi’s spine, soaking the camouflage fabric with dark stains. The night breeze brought no relief; instead, it carried heat rising from the sun-scorched ground, wrapping them in a steam-like embrace, as if inside a giant steamer.

During the march, Instructor Chang marked the ground every seventy-five centimeters with white chalk lines, demanding that toes precisely strike each mark.

Li Yi fixed his gaze on the pinpoint of light twenty meters ahead. His leg muscles tightened like iron chains, and every kick stretched his tendons to the brink. The girl beside him breathed more heavily, her steps light and unsteady, as if treading on cotton, nearly stumbling several times.

“Hold on!” Chang suddenly burst into the ranks, grabbing a boy’s shaking arm and harshly swinging it sideways. “Swing your arms with strength! Marching kicks must have the force to shatter the ground!”

The boy’s face flushed crimson, veins bulging on his neck. His renewed kick raised a cloud of dust, golden mist rising in the searchlight’s beam. The rhythmic stomping, heavy panting, and Chang’s sharp reprimands intertwined, composing a stirring symphony under the night sky.

Time slipped by unknown until the command finally rang out: “All troops, rest in place!” The students collapsed like cut strings of kites, some lying face down on the scorching ground, others sprawling on their backs gasping for breath.

Yet Chang’s voice followed immediately: “Sit up! Who told you to lie down? If you don’t want a break, start the next training now!” Like a jolt of electricity, everyone flipped upright, backs straightened. Even the most lax students dared not slack off.

Carrying a file box, Instructor Chang approached a makeshift projection screen. The portable projector flickered on, casting the words “Fundamentals of Military Theory” in bold characters on the white wall.

“Who can tell me—what is military theory? Why do we study it?” His gaze swept over the group, a tactical pen deftly spinning in his palm.

The training ground buzzed with whispered discussions. A boy in the front row raised his hand first. “Military theory teaches us how to fight and read maps!”

“I think it’s about understanding how modern wars are fought!” a girl with a ponytail added.

“And things like cyber warfare and information operations too!” came a chorus of voices from the back.

Listening to his classmates, Li Yi’s mind stirred with echoes from the lectures of Engineer Ai he had watched in his previous life—words that ignited passion in the dead of night now surged like a tide within him.

He stood and raised his hand, voice steady and powerful: “Military theory teaches us that ‘dignity exists only upon the sword’s edge, and truth lies within the range of a cannon’s fire.’

“The world appears peaceful today, but beneath the surface currents rage. Every clash at the negotiation table, every phrase spoken in diplomatic halls, is a contest of national strength.

“Without a strong defense, no eloquent words mean anything; without an unyielding military, so-called justice and truth lose their foundation.”

Silence fell like a shroud. Chang’s hand, clutching the remote, froze mid-air. A flicker of astonishment gleamed behind his glasses.

After a brief pause, thunderous applause erupted, startling the night birds along the training ground’s edge. The applause roused the neighboring unit and drew the attention of Zhang Pu, the military training commander.

“Old Chang, what’s going on?” Zhang Pu strode over, the static crackle of his walkie-talkie breaking the night air.

Unable to hide his excitement, Chang grabbed Li Yi. “Commander Zhang, listen to this young man’s perspective!”

When Li Yi’s speech was repeated, Zhang Pu’s eyes scanned him like X-rays. Doubt gave way to admiration.

He patted Li Yi’s shoulder heavily. “Good lad! To link theory and reality so thoroughly is no small feat!”

After this brief interlude, the training resumed. Instructor Chang integrated Li Yi’s insights into his explanations, analyzing the importance of military theory today with references to hotspots like the Middle East.

The thirty-minute theory lesson ended, and a new round of intense training awaited. But this time, the students’ eyes shone with a thoughtful light, and their marching steps grew more synchronized and resolute.

During breaks, singing competitions became rare moments of relaxation. “Opposite team, your turn!” echoed through the base in waves.

Li Yi joined the chorus, shouting at the top of his lungs. Sweat dripped from his chin, soaking the collar of his camouflage uniform. When the neighboring unit launched into “Unity is Strength,” they countered with the louder “Song of the Strong Army.” Amid the surging voices, the day’s exhaustion seemed to transform into the fiery blood of youth.

At nine o’clock, training finally ended. Instructor Chang led everyone back to the dormitory to teach housekeeping skills.

“Fold your blankets three parts, smooth seven parts; the corners must be sharp as if cut by a knife. Toothbrush holders, washbasins, and stools must be aligned in a straight line.” As he demonstrated, his hands pressed and shaped the neatly folded blanket like a block of tofu.

Li Yi crouched nearby, eyes fixed on every detail, repeatedly folding and pressing the blanket. Sweat stained the fabric with dark patches.

Moonlight streamed through the iron bars, illuminating the silhouettes folding blankets in rhythm. Li Yi lay on his bed, sore all over but wide awake.

The blazing sun of the day, the night’s shouting, and those resonant words echoed ceaselessly in his mind. He understood now that this military training was reshaping not only his body and willpower but his very understanding of responsibility and duty.

Meanwhile, in a brightly lit office elsewhere on the base, Instructor Chang and Zhang Pu were fervently discussing Li Yi’s file. Outside, the night wind stirred the curtains, heralding that Li Yi’s military training journey would soon confront even more unforeseen challenges and opportunities...