Lu Ziqing took a deep breath, "Next, I will announce the list of individuals who have passed the military officer training selection. Listen carefully!"
Song Lili stood still, her gaze fixed on Lu Ziqing on the stage...
As Lin Xinglan listened to the order in which Lu Ziqing called out the names, she began to panic. This was really... the names being called in the order of task completion.
Huh... Lin Xinglan blinked, she seemed to remember that Yang Xu was third and Feng Hua was fourth...
"Qing Luo. Bian Yiyi."
This was the eighteenth person...
Lin Xinglan was truly unable to grasp Lu Ziqing’s approach by now; the first two were called according to their ranks, but then it was completely erratic. Among them, a young man named Song Yangling, who had not completed his tasks, was called.
If, as Lu Ziqing had initially stated, there were only twenty slots for military officer trainees, then only two slots remained now.
Neither Song Lili’s nor Lin Xinglan’s names had been called, leaving aside them, there were five or six others who ranked ahead of them, including Shen Lingxi.
Lin Xinglan’s hands unconsciously clenched, and suddenly a glimmer of moisture appeared in her eyes because she knew better than anyone else that Tang Xiaohua was capable! She deserved to pass the selection; if she didn’t, it would truly be... because of her.
Thinking of this, Lin Xinglan felt unbearably sad.
Lin Xinglan’s hands loosened, her entire face, her expression went numb.
Only one slot remained...
She looked hurriedly at Song Lili standing in front of her, who remained upright and steady. She couldn’t see her face, nor discern what she might be thinking... whether she had already begun to blame her, whether she was too disappointed and upset to speak...
Standing next to Song Lili, Luo Shengnan slightly tugged at her lips, whispering to Song Lili,
"You don’t think you have a chance to pass, do you?"
Song Lili was unconcerned with Luo Shengnan’s schadenfreude, her almond-like eyes staring straight at Lu Ziqing who was still calling out names.
Just like Lin Xinglan, she couldn’t figure out Lu Ziqing’s strategy.
But unlike Lin Xinglan, she felt empty inside.
Do one’s best and leave the rest to fate, that was all.
The twentieth and final slot went to... Lin Xinglan?
For a moment, the trainees on the field were all stunned, not to mention others, even Lin Xinglan herself was dumbfounded.
Lu Ziqing called the name but no one responded,
"... Sir! Could there have been a mistake!"
Lin Xinglan had stepped out from the ranks, her eyes already brimming with tears.
What kind of result was this...
"Lin Xinglan, what do you mean?" Lu Ziqing asked sternly, "Do you not want this slot?"
"Sir, Tang Xiaohua and I were in the same group. Over the three days, her performance – didn’t you see it? Not only that, I was always dragging her down. It makes no sense that she didn’t pass the selection while I did!"
Lin Xinglan challenged fiercely, facing Lu Ziqing’s slightly narrowed eyes without any fear, she continued,
"Commander Lu, I don’t know what you are scheming, but I cannot accept this result!"
"Who told you that Tang Xiaohua didn’t pass the selection?" Lu Ziqing’s voice was chillingly cold.
Lin Xinglan was stunned, "Didn’t you say there were only twenty slots..."
"What if I now say there is a twenty-first?"
Lin Xinglan’s mouth opened slightly, a mix of astonishment and joy, along with embarrassment...
Lu Ziqing’s lips curled slightly, his deep eyes gently resting on the calm Song Lili, waiting quietly for the result,
"The final slot, the twenty-first military officer trainee, Tang Xiaohua."