The atmosphere inside the room was already quite tense, and Tang Xiaohua’s visit made it even more so.
Gao Jun glanced at Lu Ziqing and then at Shen Xinhui, swallowed hard, and said quietly,
"Commanders, then... I’ll take my leave first."
Lu Ziqing waved his hand dismissively.
As Gao Jun left the office, he finally let out a long breath. Tang Xiaohua was walking not far in front of him, her tall and lean figure suggested she came from Tanjin, but Gao Jun had his doubts...
Tanjin was truly a remote and impoverished place; this clean and fair-skinned girl looked like she came from the city no matter how one looked at her.
She had been taken hostage during a terrorist attack yet managed to survive. Over fifteen hundred teachers and students at the Xilin Military Academy testing site could be said to have been saved by this young girl, but for some reason, the military and school authorities were reluctant to publicize the honor that belonged to her.
Her military cultural quality was strong, as was her psychological constitution. After more than a month of military training, her performance was exceptional.
Setting aside the mysteries surrounding her, it was a fact that Commander Lu and Commander Shen were now at odds because of her.
In the officer candidate recommendation, after much consideration, he decided to recommend Tang Xiaohua, but before the recommendation could be submitted, it was intercepted by Commander Shen and replaced with Luo Shengnan.
He didn’t know... what the final result would be.
"What does Commander Lu plan to do? Surely not to make a fuss over what some milk-nosed young girl said?"
Shen Xinhui’s voice was deep, his mood already very bad.
"What do you mean by making a fuss?"
Lu Ziqing asked, puzzled.
"It’s not like you’re planning to hold a selection for officer candidates, just like the entrance exams... and let all the students participate..."
"Shouldn’t it be like that, Commander Shen?"
Lu Ziqing stood up, picking up a stack of thick recommendation forms from the table,
"What are these? The most excellent students with the most ideal and officer qualities? No! These represent class! Background! Connections! Greed!"
He looked directly at Shen Xinhui and tossed the stack of recommendation forms into the wastebasket beside the table...
"Commander Shen, your lordship has said that I have the authority to decide on this matter and am not subject to your commands."
Shen Xinhui was so angry he was almost steaming, and after a long while could not speak; whereas, Lu Ziqing having said his piece, simply left. Shen could only glare at the door,
"Reckless brat! Someday, you will regret being so insolent in front of me!"
The next day, Lu Ziqing returned to the military academy, but the array was different; Qi Yong accompanied him, followed by a squad of soldiers.
A procession crossed the parade ground...
All the teams in training stood neatly in formation at once, as Lu Ziqing took his stand on the training field’s high platform. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, feet apart, and upon speaking, his voice was robust,
"I am Lu Ziqing, Commander of the Xilin Military Region! The eight hundred and twenty soldiers of the new recruits’ company, listen up!"
"I will select twenty people from among you to join my officer candidate class, which I will lead directly, trained with guidance from the most outstanding officers of the major military region. The goal is to cultivate you into the finest young officers of Country G for the next decade! You will become the legends of the Xilin Military Region, a force that will astonish our national military, a bold stroke in the military history of the entire Country G!"
Under the sweltering heat, on the sun-baked training ground, sweat dropped only to evaporate instantly.
Fiery eyes were all focused on Lu Ziqing, hearts surging with hot blood, eager to try.
"But likewise, you must endure hardship more than anyone, be stronger than anyone, and be superior to everyone! You will pass through the most stringent and perilous tests, even if the cost of failing is... death."
"Now, soldiers who volunteer for the selection, step to the very front of your formations."