These matters didn't affect the psychology of the girls. Tang Ziyi and the group boarded the helicopters, accompanied by another 20 soldiers assigned to supervise when necessary. From Tang Ziyi's explanation, Ling Qingyu understood that in this operation, the military had decided to send in a small squad as well.
Since the higher-ups were still arguing and remained unambiguous, the military couldn't act without orders from above, even though this base's superior was well-connected with Gu Yi. Nonetheless, sending a small squad was still possible under the condition of anonymity. This squad would receive no support apart from Spirit Fox once they landed on foreign soil.
The helicopters lifted into the air and ascended to a great height. Their rear compartments remained open.
At a particular altitude, the pilots announced that the stage was set. Tang Ziyi glanced at Ling Qingyu, who surprisingly stood at the forefront, brushing aside the girls behind her to take the lead.
Tang Ziyi thought this bastard wanted to get off first and rest and laughed at her childish behavior. However, her mouth fell open as she saw Ling Qingyu taking over the so-called instructor and checking the exterior without any fear of the height.
Compared to the operators, she was so brave and nonchalant, as if these actions were as simple as drinking water or eating food.
When Tang Ziyi looked at the girls, she saw nervousness in many of their eyes. No matter how much they had shared their experiences or trained, there was still a bit of apprehension. But she knew very well that after this flight, these girls would leap towards becoming the most professional paratrooper specialists.
Of course, their insecurities were sensed by the soldiers accompanying them. Their eyebrows raised with suspicion, even contemplating whether to report their unproven findings. Forget it, they thought, let's see how they jump before making any conclusions. These girls shouldn't be underestimated.
Even under the overwhelming momentum of an army of soldiers, they didn't flinch or make any sudden reactions. The soldiers thought that if they reported early and were proven wrong, they would be too ashamed to walk around in the future.
Soon, all the girls jumped from the helicopters' compartments, like dumplings scattered across the sky.
Tang Ziyi patted Ling Qingyu and jumped ahead. Seeing no one left in the helicopter, Ling Qingyu nodded at the crew and leaned backward.
Unlike the others, who tiptoed all the way to the edge before leaping down, Ling Qingyu simply tilted and let gravity do the work.
In midair, watching the helicopters grow smaller, Ling Qingyu twisted her hips and looked down. Her eyes scanned the horizon, counting her girls.
Don't ask why her eyesight was so good—what else but an all-out enhancement in physique? These small dots were amplified in her perspective.
She spread her limbs to slow down to the maximum allowed speed and observed her girls. Since the group was to land around a designated spot and the altitude they jumped from was a bit low, chutes began deploying. Mentally counting and ensuring every girl deployed theirs successfully, as well as the special forces units who jumped alongside, Ling Qingyu dove.
She surpassed the operators who had leaped earlier than her and controlled her flight direction toward the white cross she saw in the distance.
On the ground, important military personnel and officers watched in amazement, nodding their heads from time to time. The chutes heading toward the target area had already impressed many.
"Look, what's that?" one of them asked, pointing his finger and squinting his eyes. "Don't tell me someone can't deploy a chute successfully?"
"No, it shouldn't be, right?"
A commotion spread as the black dot fell faster and faster, even surpassing those with chutes.
Just when people were thinking the figure was about to crash land based on the speed, a chute was launched from the back.
A rectangular parachute slowed the figure's descent and directed it toward the target. However, most were still not optimistic, worrying that even with the chute, the speed might hurt the person.
Contrary to their expectations, the figure managed to decelerate and landed perfectly on the white X mark, merely taking two steps after touching the ground lightly.
There was no crash as everyone had predicted. The landing was as light as a feather—handsome and fierce.
Gasps and silence ensued as the crowd watched in amazement, particularly the specialists who understood how difficult the achievement was, and yet the figure had made it look effortless.
The demand for such superb technique on the physique was unimaginable. The ability to withstand the pressure caused by the sudden snap of the parachute and the toll on the body during deceleration was a pain in the ass for most paratroopers.
Many deployed their chutes early, but this figure had behaved as if nothing had happened!
The rest of the operators landed and completed the task. Every girl was excited, no longer dreading the great height because their subconscious familiarity had perfected their original skills.
As long as the recruitment period passed, the girls would regain their courage and control. Tang Ziyi landed not far from the X and clicked her tongue in amazement. This was godlike, not mortal.
Honestly, she and the girls were dumbfounded by Ling Qingyu's deeds. Damn, they never expected their boss to be so impressive.
The girls regrouped and went ahead for two additional runs. Afterward, everybody collapsed from physical and mental exertion.
In fact, the girls were okay, but they knew they must not show off too much in front of others. There were experts around, trying to analyze their secrets.
However, they still felt the drain in energy. Mental exertion couldn't last long, no matter how well they scored in terms of strength, stamina, and agility.
Tang Ziyi walked up to Ling Qingyu and patted her shoulder. "I realize and sympathize with your sacrifice. But for the good of everyone, it's worth it."
Ling Qingyu pursed her lips and didn't reply, shrugging off Tang Ziyi's teasing remarks. She knew best whether Tang Ziyi was truly sympathetic.
Nonetheless, Tang Ziyi should understand her plight and struggle. The group had only jumped three times; she had been doing it for 30 years…
Perhaps because of her stunning achievement, Ling Qingyu was quickly sought out by many personnel, both officers and sergeants.
Ling Qingyu nodded in response but didn't say much, pretending to stay cold. Although she respected soldiers and their creeds, provided they were truthful to their oaths, she didn't want to associate with them too much.
It wasn't that she looked down on them—they lived in different worlds. Soldiers usually interacted with curses and swear words, which made her a little uncomfortable.
She knew they meant nothing more than friendly banter, but for someone whose education and etiquette ranked in the very high echelon, she would never fit in, nor would she pretend to.
Plus, she was only here for the mission, assigned by Miss System. She shouldn't always be on the battlefield, right? Her goal was to be a powerful boss behind the scenes.
Even though the soldiers avoided impolite remarks because Ling Qingyu and the operators were all female, an estrangement remained.
To avoid further trouble, Ling Qingyu stuck close to Tang Ziyi throughout the 'interactions.' In contrast, her girls were building great rapport, which made Ling Qingyu a little protective of her 'daughters.'
She couldn't let these bastards kidnap her girls and had to stay vigilant, ready to act at a moment's notice.
Fortunately, other than daily conversations, nothing excessive occurred. The girls weren't fools; they knew Ling Qingyu had secrets that must be guarded.
They had to be mindful of their daily actions, and Instructor Tang had taught them many times how to fight against malicious inquiries and spying, hidden under the table.
The moment they became part of Spirit Fox, their relationships were destined to be affected by the work.