119: Chapter 119 Persistence, Perseverance 119: Chapter 119 Persistence, Perseverance By the time Ye Yanran came out from the shower and saw Zhang Fan and his son, clad in camouflage uniforms, carrying military backpacks, and holding a model gun in hand, her eyes rolled with interest.
However, as a military academy graduate, she immediately recognized that the gun was a model.
Still, seeing such a look, her heart also surged with excitement.
“Uncle Zhang, do you have more of this equipment?” asked Ye Yanran quickly after drying her hair.
“Yes,” replied Zhang Dongyang, who had prepared several sets.
Once Ye Yanran changed into the gear, Zhang Fan’s eyes shone even brighter.
At this moment, Ye Yanran looked absolutely dashing, even more enticing than when she wore her police uniform.
“Our target is the rear mountain, a ten-kilometer cross-country run,” said Zhang Dongyang, taking off running first.
Ye Yanran followed next, with Zhang Fan bringing up the rear.
Of course, Zhang Fan chose to be last for a reason—watching Ye Yanran’s swaying figure was incredibly refreshing.
After a light jog of three hundred meters, the trio made it to the rear mountain.
But at that time, there were also seven or eight people around the mountain, all of whom were morning jog enthusiasts.
A few youths were startled by the equipment the trio of Zhang Fan wore, but they soon burst into laughter.
“Damn, I thought we had some special forces team here, for fuck’s sake, you scared the hell outta me.”
“Shit, guys, look quick, the one in the middle is a beauty.”
“Damn, a top-grade beauty, let’s follow them.”
Suddenly, four or five people lined up alongside Ye Yanran.
One of them, displeased, patted Zhang Fan on the shoulder and said, “Buddy, can you make some room?”
Zhang Fan gave the person a cold look without responding, turned his head back around, aimed his model gun, and continued following behind Ye Yanran.
At this time, he was no longer in the mood to appreciate Ye Yanran’s swaying figure.
Next up, they would be climbing the mountain.
The men felt somewhat wary of the gun in Zhang Fan’s hands; even though they knew it couldn’t be real, the naked metallic sheen deterred them from any rash actions.
Especially the powerful stride of Zhang Dongyang, their leader, made them suspect he wasn’t ordinary.
“Kid, you’ve got some guts,” one of them taunted.
“Us professional athletes wouldn’t dare to climb the mountain with such weight.
I bet you’ll be lying flat on the ground, exhausted before you make it one kilometer.”
Two kilometers in, Zhang Fan felt as if every muscle in his body was on fire.
“Can you keep up?” Zhang Dongyang asked in an unhurried voice, and though his forehead was covered in a layer of sweat, his breathing was incredibly steady.
Ye Yanran was breathing somewhat heavily, her face flushed with color.
After all, it had been several years since her graduation, and such intense weight-bearing cross-country running wasn’t easy for her.
But what astonished her was that Zhang Fan was following right behind her, nonchalantly.
She knew that during her first days at the military academy, weight-bearing cross-country was the most fundamental of the courses.
A twenty-kilogram weight for a ten-kilometer cross-country run.
She remembered when they started at the military academy, just the ten kilometers would have them longing for death.
This was no mere jogging on flat terrain.
Ten kilometers of cross-country was far more exhausting than twenty kilometers over even ground.
Plus, they were going uphill, doubling the difficulty.
How could someone who had never undergone military training endure twenty kilograms of weight on a two-kilometer cross-country trek?
Zhang Fan didn’t speak; at that moment, he had no energy left to talk, his breathing was utterly chaotic.
Although he had often run with his father since he was young, that was on roads and not very intense, just about 5,000 meters or so.
But now, even though his attributes had doubled, he was truly exhausted.
Could a man admit defeat, especially in front of a woman?
Hell no, even if it killed him, he had to finish the run.
Zhang Dongyang felt somewhat puzzled but seeing no signs of distress from Zhang Fan, he maintained his pace and headed towards the mountain top.
The young men following along looked at each other with odd expressions, astonished that the kid and that top-grade beauty had persevered for two kilometers.
“I refuse to believe you guys can run another kilometer,” someone panted as they spoke.
On the road, a group of middle-aged people out for a morning run watched Zhang Fan and his comrades with utter astonishment.
Their camouflage uniforms, military backpacks, and especially the assault rifles in their hands nearly scared them to death.
Damn, there’s no military base in this city, right?
Where did these three come from?
Driven by curiosity, they followed behind Zhang Fan and the others, neither too quickly nor too slowly, running towards the mountaintop.
After five kilometers, Zhang Fan only felt a burning sensation in his chest, as if there was a fire scorching his heart.
Ye Yanran’s condition was hardly any better than Zhang Fan’s; even though she hadn’t given up exercising in the years since graduation, this was a weighted cross-country run.
“Are you holding up okay?”
Zhang Dongyang’s breathing had also become more rapid.
He moved to one side with great surprise, slowing down as he glanced at Ye Yanran and Zhang Fan.
Zhang Fan nodded heavily without saying a word.
Ye Yanran was gritting her teeth, too exhausted to speak.
Seeing this, Zhang Dongyang turned back and continued to lead the way ahead.
The youths following behind looked at Zhang Fan and the others as if they were monsters.
As regular runners, they naturally understood the difference between a weighted run and an unweighted one.
The heavy footsteps of Zhang Fan and his team clearly told them that the bags on their backs were not light.
Damn it, it’s been five kilometers from the bottom of the mountain to here.
The middle-aged folk behind, sweating profusely, couldn’t help but stop; they simply couldn’t run anymore.
However, looking at Zhang Fan and the others, who hadn’t slowed down, their eyes still sparkled with immense curiosity.
Were they aiming to run up to the mountain top?
With curiosity propelling them, they followed behind Zhang Fan and his team, heading up the mountain despite their fatigue.
The heavy footsteps resounded on the cobblestone path.
The youths following Zhang Fan had stopped talking.
Because they too felt the pressure.
Climbing a mountain was already a task taxing one’s physical strength, let alone running up it.
And on top of that, Zhang Fan’s team was weighted down.
At the beginning, they thought this guy couldn’t run more than a kilometer, damn it, and now they were halfway up the mountain.
After seven kilometers!
Zhang Fan’s legs felt as if they no longer belonged to him; all he could do was breathe, grit his teeth, and lift his legs.
His legs were as heavy as if filled with lead, unbearably heavy, and with every lift, Zhang Fan felt as if his body was tearing apart.
Persevere, persevere!
I can’t lose to a woman.
Zhang Fan gritted his teeth, his breathing harsh and heavy.
Ye Yanran was on the verge of collapse; her brain was beginning to lack oxygen, but hearing the sounds behind her, she again felt unwilling to give in.
How could she possibly lose to the lecher Zhang Fan.
Persevere, persevere!
Zhang Dongyang was incredibly shocked.
He stealthily glanced at Ye Yanran and Zhang Fan, feeling a chill in his heart.
These two were almost at their limit.
But he couldn’t stop.
The limit must be breached by oneself.