Free Web NovelChapter 194: Chapter 145: Into the city!
Friday.
Students’ day of excitement.
In that year, the brains behind that certain Fang company had just rushed to go public in HK, and the blessings of the big Internet factories had not yet arrived, young white-collar workers were also at the moment of happily looking forward to the weekend.
But the troops’ blessings had long been present.
Saturday guaranteed no rest, Sunday rest not guaranteed.
Tomorrow, the training team would arrive.
Currently, on the new recruits’ scorecard:
Fang Huai, 49 pull-ups, five kilometers in 20 minutes and 17 seconds.
Song Lin, 26 pull-ups, five kilometers in 20 minutes and 35 seconds.
Xiao Haishan, 17 pull-ups, five kilometers in 21 minutes and 44 seconds.
Han Yong, 8 pull-ups, five kilometers in 23 minutes and 52 seconds.
Everyone had deeply grasped the real meaning of the phrase "in the new recruit group, that’s not even called training."
Just three weeks after leaving the group, the training intensity of Special Service Squadron 2 almost had General Han passing.
But now, General Han was clearly the weak spot on the facade of Second Squadron.
So, the Squadron Leader decided, for now, to cancel Han Yong’s pickup truck boarding privileges, and every noon, Qi Xiaohui would train extra with Han Yong alone.
To put it plainly, it meant that both of them had to train.
Lying on the pickup truck and pretending to rest, Fang Huai had a bad feeling.
[Task Completion Degree: 49]
Damn it, had I known, I wouldn’t have worked so diligently!
In this period, both First-class soldiers and Soldiers had been swept up by his influence, apart from studying knowledge, their physical fitness had also greatly improved.
Even though the Task Completion Degree was growing more and more slowly, in these few days, it had still increased by more than ten points.
This speed up now didn’t match his original plan.
He still hadn’t gotten under 20 minutes for the five kilometers, the leg strength increase hadn’t unlocked, and the rewards were coming!
Clack.
When Han Yong next to him forcefully pulled up his ninth pull-up, Fang Huai’s heart skipped a beat.
He immediately checked the task interface.
[Task Completion Degree: 50]
Damn.
[Generating Rewards...]
[Please choose your reward.]
[1, Ladder Proficiency Lv1]
[2, Waist Strength Increase]
[3, Liver Strengthening]
Fang Huai sighed inwardly, but he could only calm down, observe, and compare the current options.
You could say, none of them was bad.
Last time it was the spleen, this time the liver; this option, like strength increase, cycled repeatedly, only appearing after completing a round.
It was bound to be completed eventually.
That is to say, if he chose the second strengthening of waist strength now, if the next reward still didn’t get under 20 minutes, restricting the leg strength enhancement, it’s very likely the third hand strength...
Would be ridiculously tough, right?
No, he definitely couldn’t suppress the legs like this; legs were too important.
He hadn’t dared to join the martial arts competition because his leg strength was too average.
The five kilometers was okay, he had improved quite a bit thanks to the internal organ strengthening, but for short-distance sprint events, like the one hundred meters, four hundred meters supply dispersal, load-bearing climbing, that would be a dire sight.
Ladder proficiency... pull-up bar exercises, hook ladders, double-section ladders, metal pull-up ladders.
There were many related subjects, and they were quite important.
Moreover, at national competitions, and later international championships, for over a decade, climbing to the fourth floor with a hook ladder had been a mandatory subject.
Skills, according to the rules, would only appear twice.
But, what is Lv1??
How many levels does this skill have in total?
Fang Huai called out frantically in his mind.
This time, the system actually answered him.
[Skill Class Rewards have an upper limit of Level 2. The chance of a Level 2 skill appearing is extremely low, and will only occur among already acquired skills.]
Only 2 levels??
Damn, no wonder a Level 1 water hose skill is so exaggerated!
A few days ago, Fang Huai secretly tried it. During the One Hundred Meters Ladder Attack Drill, others were struggling to hold two coils of hose in one hand, but he could hold three coils in one hand!
He found the water hose lighter than the average person when he held it!
Fang Huai had also wondered whether reaching Level 3 hose proficiency would make it feel weightless when held!
Choose 1.
The effects of skill class rewards were simply too exaggerated, both memory and hose proficiency had benefited him deeply, and there were only a limited number of choices. If he didn’t choose it this time, and next time he got the leg strength enhancement, he would face another major dilemma.
As the subtitles disappeared, Fang Huai opened his eyes.
He flexed his fingers and moved his feet.
Thinking of various ladders, that was a familiar feeling; he could even trigger his sense of smell to recall the familiar scents of wood and metal on different ladders...
And cement, and tile odors.
Cement??
Damn, are stairs also considered a ladder??
...
Half an hour later.
"Thump thump thump thump..."
"Thump thump thump thump..."
Fang Huai moved gently, but still disturbed Hao Chengbin, who hadn’t really fallen asleep in the dorm.
Hao Chengbin replied to a text from his girlfriend, heard the faint sound of footsteps coming from the stairwell, frowned, and rubbed his somewhat weary eyes, looking at the clock.
It was 1:55 AM.
At 2:20 AM, they would blow the wake-up call.
I got into bed at 12:40 and have been texting my girlfriend until now, telling myself I’d reply one last time then sleep, but by the time I was really sleepy, I didn’t feel like sleeping anymore.
It’s fine, though; I caught up on some sleep this morning, so I’m not tired.
I decided to get up, pulled out the mattress, spread out the quilt, put the pillow with the word "happiness" my parents brought from home and the mattress inside it, rolled it into a bundle, and tucked it away in the miscellaneous cabinet under the wardrobe.
I took a good sniff of that floral pillow; it still had a bit of the scent of home.
That pillow was the one I’d slept on since I was a child, made when my parents got married. When Grandma died and I went home, I deliberately found this pillow to bring back, so I could smell home when I went to sleep.
Hao Chengbin felt a heartwarming familiarity and locked the cupboard with satisfaction.
I straightened up the army blanket, the brimmed hat, and the armed belt under the bed and put them neatly in place.
I ironed out the imprints left by the brimmed hat on the quilt and smoothed out the bed sheet a couple of times.
Morning routine completed.
I headed out, planning to stop by the Squadron Department for a bit.
As a Non-commissioned officer platoon leader, I need to communicate more with the Squadron Leaders about recent training and upcoming work arrangements.
But as soon as I stepped out, I saw a figure flash by the stairwell to the far right.
That figure seemed familiar.
With hands clasped behind his back, Hao Chengbin walked over and just as he reached the stairwell, he saw Fang Huai gasping for air as he rushed upstairs.
"Hey, hey, what are you doing? Thinking of practicing load-bearing climbing?"
Fang Huai was sweating bullets, a hint of a smile on his face as he stopped and panted,
"No... Squad leader, I’m just exercising... exercising my legs..."
Hao Chengbin was quite surprised; this kid doesn’t even pant like this when running more than ten kilometers.
"How many times have you run?"
Fang Huai braced on his legs, his breathing becoming more even, and said, "About a dozen times? I train for a while, rest for a while."
Of course, Fang Huai wasn’t incapable of panting; it’s just that his usual running speed wasn’t enough to make him winded.
Climbing stairs, such an explosive activity, wore on him so much that even his strong heart and lungs began to struggle under the pressure after a point.
And his legs were so sore they could scarcely hold him up.
But in this half-hour, Fang Huai found himself becoming addicted.
It was exhilarating.
It was as if he had overcome the fear of sprinting up stairs, and he had completely mastered the rhythm and inertia of ascending and descending.
When going up and down stairs, he could switch from two steps to three, or even four, grasping the best moment to land and alternate his footing.
And with the help of the handrail, he could manage all the inertia while turning and smoothly transition to the next corner.
In short, as soon as the strength in his legs increased once, his load-bearing climbing performance could be saved.
"This afternoon I was going to suggest going for a run to check our performance. With your leg training, what can you test?
Forget it, let’s wait until Monday!
I just saw you resting in the pickup, didn’t I? What, risen from the dead?"
Fang Huai’s expression turned awkward:
"Squad leader... how is it everyone knows we were resting in the pickup?"
Hao Chengbin chuckled, "What, you went upstairs secretly and didn’t see?"
Realizing something, Fang Huai waved his hands repeatedly: "Squad leader, I didn’t go to the Happy Area upstairs! I was just going up and down the stairwell, purely exercising my legs!"
Hao Chengbin smiled, his interest piqued, and he started climbing the upstairs stairs, waving Fang Huai over:
"No big deal. Come on, let me give you a tour! You’ve been here for almost a month, and you don’t even know what the upstairs of the Squadron Building looks like, right?"
Fang Huai readily said with a grin, "During the rain, I’ve been to the Fourth Floor Gym a couple of times."
Hao Chengbin said no more but continued climbing.
"Follow me."
...
Third floor.
"Lounge."
As he spoke, Hao Chengbin gently pushed open the door.
The scene inside made Fang Huai inwardly exclaim, Damn.
A dimly lit fan-shaped room with all the curtains drawn.
Near the door, against the wall, were two of those northeastern bathhouse-style single long sofas where you could put up your feet and completely lie inside—wavy in design, presumably ergonomic.
On each sofa lay a soldier. There was a small coffee table in the middle with some snacks and two cans of drinks.
Across from the window was a projection screen, with a DVD player and various movie discs beside it, and a standing air conditioner in the corner.
If you turned on a movie and brought in a couple of girls with popcorn boxes...
Staying in this room for a night would start at 200 yuan.
Aside from a faint foot odor, it was a true paradise!
Compared to the pickup where we secretly rested at noon and were quite satisfied with, it was like comparing bows and arrows to machine guns—not just a class difference, but a whole different era.
In my past life, the place I sneaked off to rest as a new recruit was the training tower! Having a place to lie and lean in a pickup was already great, wasn’t it?
Damn, who would have thought the Special Duty Team could be so luxurious?
Hao Chengbin just let him take a quick look; the door was soon closed.
The two of them moved on.
"This one, Microcomputer Room."
This room was quite long, and Hao Chengbin didn’t open the door; he walked directly to the window.
But his expression turned dark as he tapped on the window.
Fang Huai peeked inside and saw Liu Jianfeng, who, upon seeing Hao Chengbin by the window, immediately panicked and turned off a power strip on a desk, then ran out sullenly.
Glancing further, there were four rows, five columns, a total of twenty computers. Not only for playing Dota together, but enough to hold an elimination tournament! frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓
And with LCD monitors, probably 19 inches!
At the beginning of 2008, most internet cafes didn’t even have screens this good!
Then came the Billiards Room, and the Reading Room.
This surely couldn’t be the Cultural and Sports Center?
Damn, I’ve made it to the city.
This Provincial Special Duty Team and the county squadron were worlds apart!
And the fourth floor was quite high...
If you tell me there’s a swimming pool here, I’ll be thoroughly impressed.
Hao Chengbin laughed softly: "There’s not much else to see, two Family Reception Rooms, just ordinary bedrooms, they are for Cadre family use. Come on, let’s go to the fourth floor."
