New Rivals in the Side Story

New Rivals in the Side Story

The next morning, Lu Chen, leaning on his cane, stood at the door of Lu Zhanting's office.

He took a deep breath and knocked on the door.

"Enter."

Lu Chen pushed open the door and saw Lu Zhanting sitting behind his desk, looking at a document.

"Reporting, Instructor! Recruit Lu Chen is here to submit his self-criticism!" Lu Chen stood at attention and handed over the documents in his hand.

Lu Zhanting didn't go to take it immediately, but instead looked up, his gaze falling on his leg, which was still in a splint.

"Dr. Li said you need to rest for at least three more days." His voice was devoid of emotion.

"Reporting, Instructor, my injury no longer affects my basic training! I request to return to the team!" Lu Chen stood up straight.

Lu Zhanting stared at him silently for a few seconds before reaching out and taking the thick self-criticism and application.

He first opened the 10,000-word self-criticism.

He read very quickly, almost ten lines at a glance, but Lu Chen knew that he hadn't missed a single word.

The office was quiet, with only the sound of papers turning.

Lu Chen stood there, his palms slightly sweaty. He was even more nervous than when he was waiting for the verdict on the training field.

Finally, Lu Zhanting turned to the last page and saw Lu Chen's application.

He put down the documents, leaned back in his chair, interlaced his fingers on the table, and looked at Lu Chen.

"You want to rejoin the team?"

"yes!"

"reason."

"I don't want to be a bystander when the next competition starts." Lu Chen met his father's gaze without backing down. "Besides, I don't want to be a burden to the team."

"A drag?" Lu Zhan-Ting raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. If my absence leads to my comrades being eliminated in the upcoming competition, then it is my responsibility."

Lu Zhanting looked at him and suddenly smiled.

It wasn't mockery, nor was it a sneer, but rather a feeling that Lu Chen couldn't quite put his finger on.

“Not a bad idea.” Lu Zhanting stood up and walked up to him. “Since you’re so eager to rejoin the team, then prove it to me.”

He pointed out the window: "Walk ten laps around the track. No crutches allowed. Once you've done it, I'll approve your application."

Lu Chen glanced at his legs, then at the playground.

One lap is 400 meters, so ten laps is 4 kilometers.

I'll walk this path with this injured leg...

"What, scared?" Lu Zhanting asked.

"Report, don't be afraid!" Lu Chen tossed his cane aside with a crisp sound.

He turned around and limped toward the door.

With every step he took, his knees throbbed with excruciating pain, but he didn't even flinch.

Lu Zhanting stood by the window, watching his son's stubborn back disappear through the doorway.

He picked up the phone on the table and dialed the infirmary number.

"Dr. Li, send a nurse to the edge of the playground to be on standby. Yes, bring a stretcher and a first aid kit."

After hanging up the phone, he sat back down in his chair, picked up the self-criticism, and began reading it carefully, word by word, starting from the first page.

This time, a smile played on his lips, a smile he himself was unaware of.

On the playground, Lu Chen was walking around and around.

He moved very slowly, each step a struggle. After only two laps, his forehead was covered in cold sweat, and the back of his training uniform was soaked.

The pain in my knee was getting more and more intense, like someone was drilling into it with an awl.

He knew that his father was watching him from his office upstairs.

He can't stop.

On the training field beside the parade ground, other new recruits were undergoing combat training. They soon spotted Lu Chen "strolling" on the field.

"Isn't that Brother Chen? His injury hasn't healed yet, why is he out training?"

"Yeah, they didn't even use crutches. Instructor Lu is too ruthless!"

Seeing this, Wang Lei was extremely anxious and wanted to rush over, but was stopped by the instructor next to him.

"Where are you going? It's training time, don't move around!"

"Reporting, Instructor, my friend..."

"Obey orders!"

Wang Lei could only watch helplessly as Lu Chen struggled to walk across the playground, feeling both anxious and angry.

Qin Feng was also in the group. He looked at Lu Chen's back with a complicated expression.

He always felt that Lu Chen's success today was largely due to the fact that he was Lu Zhanting's son and received special treatment from his father.

But today, he wavered.

This kind of almost self-destructive willpower is not something everyone can possess.

Lu Chen might really be different from what he thought.

Fifth lap...

Sixth lap...

Lu Chen's consciousness began to blur, and the scenery before his eyes was swaying. He could only force himself to stay awake by counting.

His right leg was completely numb, and he could only drag it forward mechanically.

He felt he could collapse at any moment.

Just then, he heard his teammates shouting.

"Go for it, Brother Chen!"

"Lu Chen, hang in there!"

"You're the best!"

During a break in combat training, Wang Lei and his teammates were waving their fists at him and cheering him on loudly.

Through Lu Chen's blurred vision, he saw Wang Lei's flushed face and the concerned looks in the eyes of his other comrades.

A surge of power welled up from the bottom of my heart.

He is not fighting alone.

He gritted his teeth and straightened his back again.

Eighth lap...

The ninth lap...

The last 100 meters.

Lu Chen practically "moved" himself step by step to the finish line.

When he finished his tenth lap and stopped, his legs gave way and he collapsed to his knees.

The nurses from the infirmary and Wang Lei and the others rushed over immediately.

"Brother Chen!"

"Lu Chen, how are you?"

Lu Chen lay on the ground, panting heavily, unable to utter a single word.

He simply raised his head and looked in the direction of the office building.

He knew his dad was watching.

He did it.

...

Three days later, the new phase of training officially began.

All the new recruits assembled on the parade ground, and Lu Zhanting stood at the front of the line, announcing the new rules.

"Starting today, you will be divided into four teams, codenamed Dragon, Tiger, Leopard, and Wolf. Over the next month, you will participate in a series of competitions and assessments as teams. After one month, the team with the highest total score will receive a reward for all its members. The team ranked fourth will have two members eliminated and sent back to their hometowns."

As soon as he finished speaking, a commotion broke out in the line.

They really need to eliminate people!

Everyone's expression turned serious.

"Now, I announce the four team captains." Lu Zhanting's gaze swept over the crowd.

"Captain of Team Dragon, Qin Feng!"

Qin Feng stepped forward, his face bearing the expected arrogance.

"Tiger Team Captain, Zhao Hai!" A tall, outstanding recruit stepped forward.

"Leopard Team Captain, Sun Yi!" Another recruit with top grades stepped forward.

“Wolf Team Captain…” Lu Zhanting paused, his gaze falling on Lu Chen.

"Lu Chen!"

Lu Chen stepped forward, his expression calm.

He had already guessed this outcome.

"Now, the four team captains will take turns choosing their team members. Qin Feng, you go first."

Qin Feng pointed without hesitation to a new recruit who was particularly talented in shooting.

When it was Lu Chen's turn, he did not hesitate at all.

"I choose Wang Lei."

Wang Lei was stunned for a moment, then his face flushed with excitement as he ran up to Lu Chen. He hadn't expected that Brother Chen would choose him first.

The selection process continues.

Soon, the four teams were formed.

Lu Chen's "Wolf Team," apart from Wang Lei, consisted of mostly average-performing, unremarkable students. Qin Feng's "Dragon Team," on the other hand, comprised almost all the top students in every subject.

Anyone with a discerning eye can see that the Dragon team is the strongest of the four teams, while the Wolves team is the weakest on paper.

"Alright, the teams are all divided," Lu Zhanting announced. "You have ten minutes to get to know each other. The first competition will officially begin in ten minutes."

The four teams immediately dispersed and formed their own circles.

The atmosphere was somewhat somber for Wolves.

One of the team members said with a worried look, "Brother Chen, with our current roster, isn't it obvious we're at the bottom? Look at Team Dragon, they're all either fighting champions or sharpshooters, how can we compete with them?"

“Yeah, it feels like we’re just here to make up the numbers,” another chimed in.

Wang Lei couldn't stand it anymore and roared, "What discouraging talk! The competition hasn't even started and you're already giving up? Brother Chen hasn't even said anything, what's the rush!"

The team members fell silent, all turning their gazes to Lu Chen.

Lu Chen smiled and patted the first team member on the shoulder: "Your name is Li Hao, right? I remember you. In the 5km cross-country race, your endurance was the best among everyone."

He then looked at another person: "Your name is Chen Mo. You are usually quiet, but I have observed that your ideas are very insightful during every tactical simulation."

He looked at each person one by one, accurately called out each person's name, and pointed out a little-known virtue in each of them.

“Each of you has your own strengths. Individually, we may not be as good as Qin Feng and his team. But we are a team.”

Lu Chen's gaze swept over everyone, his voice not loud, but unusually firm.

"War is never a game for one person. I don't ask you to be the strongest individual soldier, I only ask you to be the most reliable teammates. As long as we work together as one, there is no battle we cannot win."

Do you believe me?

Looking into Lu Chen's sincere and confident eyes, the team members' unease and dejection were gradually replaced by something called "hope".

"I believe you!" Li Hao was the first to shout.

"We believe in you, Captain!"

"Yes, let's fight them!"

Looking at his teammates who had regained their fighting spirit, Lu Chen smiled.

He turned his head and looked at the Dragon Team not far away.

Qin Feng was also looking at him, his eyes filled with provocation and disdain.

Lu Chen did not look away. He met Qin Feng's gaze and slowly made a fist gesture.

The competition has only just begun.