“Damn! Qiang, that’s just not cool. We’re brothers, it’s completely normal to talk about love and romance. Why are you embarrassed to talk about it? Besides, Xiao Xin and the others were on duty last night, and they told me everything they saw. You were chatting with Yang Xue on that stone bench until late, and then you went into the room with her. Am I wrong? Hehe, as for what happened inside the room, I’m an experienced guy, I get it, but do you really need to hide it from me?”

I’ve seen shameless people, but never one this shameless. Wang Qiang was at a loss, utterly defeated by Wen Quanxin’s strong ability to speculate. Furious, he could only laugh helplessly, “Haha, oh~ you’re the experienced one, right? Then tell me, according to you, what should I have done after going into the room last night?”

Wen Quanxin’s eyes sparkled, thinking Wang Qiang was sincerely seeking advice, so he put on a master teaching an apprentice demeanor, “Well… you should seize the opportunity and get down to business!”

As the word “business” was spoken, who would have thought Wang Qiang would suddenly change his expression. Grabbing Wen Quanxin’s right arm, he flipped him around.

This time Wang Qiang didn’t hold back. While using force, he continued mockingly, “Come on, keep talking! Don’t stop, explain in more detail.”

But Wen Quanxin, already helpless from the pain, kept pleading and dared not say another word.

Seeing the pain was real and not feigned, Wang Qiang relaxed his grip a bit. After all, he held no deep grudge against Wen Quanxin; he just wanted to teach him a lesson. So he patted the latter’s chest and warned, “I’m telling you to stop spewing nonsense in front of me. Joking is fine, but I have no relationship with Yang Xue. Mocking me is one thing, but saying that about a young lady, where’s she supposed to put her face? And also, stop calling yourself my brother!”

With his lecture over, Wang Qiang strolled off downstairs, not caring what Wen Quanxin thought, leaving the latter standing there awkwardly.

A moment later, a startling thought popped into Wen Quanxin’s mind: “My god! Did he actually do nothing last night?”

Downstairs, Wang Qiang went straight to the living room. He thought he’d feel lighter after shaking off Wen Quanxin’s annoying presence. But as soon as he showed up in the dining room, before he could sit, a string of discussions hit his ears:

“Hey, Qiang, why do you look so drained?”

“Whoa, guys, look! He shaved his beard and slicked his hair back. Hey, Xiao Wu, what did that magazine say? What does it mean when a man starts grooming himself?”

“Hehe, it means that man is in a situation.”

“Oh, so Qiang has a situation!”

Wu Chao and a bunch of dining soldiers were teasing Wang Qiang, chuckling with their bowls in hand.

Perhaps due to his previous encounters, Wang Qiang seemed immune, showing no over-the-top reactions. Instead, he took on a “dead pig isn’t afraid of scalding water” demeanor, leaving the jokesters puzzled.

Helping himself to a big bowl of porridge, Wang Qiang leisurely found himself a seat.

He was indeed hungry, and Wen Quanxin wasn’t entirely wrong; he had chatted late into the night with Yang Xue.

Yang Xue was just as she claimed—remarkably good at staying up late. If Old Xu hadn’t intervened, she might have chatted with Wang Qiang all night.

But once inside the villa, after escorting her back, they exchanged goodnights and went to their separate rooms. There was no “fun” scene as others had hoped.

Old Xu was exhausted after his night patrol, so after a simple freshen-up, he headed downstairs to eat.

Upon serving himself some porridge, Old Xu noticed the peculiar atmosphere around him.

Why is it so quiet today! Normally, when these guys are together, they’d be bragging and bantering. But today…

Old Xu looked around curiously and asked, “Hey, comrades, what’s up? Why so quiet? Has something happened?”

When the words fell, everyone exchanged glances, only to smile wordlessly.

Only Wang Qiang chuckled wryly twice, then pointed to his head meaningfully, “Old Xu, there is a problem, but it’s not external; it’s inside some people’s heads.”

Smart as he was, Old Xu, astutely reading the room, immediately understood the depth in Wang Qiang’s words. Shaking his head, he simply dug into his meal.

After finishing, with everyone resting for half an hour, Old Xu appeared before them again.

Everyone was engrossed in gossip about Wang Qiang and Yang Xue, entirely unaware of the coming “ordeal” awaiting them.

So what kind of “ordeal” was it?

Old Xu quietly approached, “Hehe, you all seem to be chatting happily, looking pretty spirited.”

Wen Quanxin didn’t grasp Old Xu’s intent, still playfully replying with a grin, “That’s right, Old Xu, we’re like the morning suns at 8 or 9, the flowers of our homeland, the pillars of the nation, of course…”

“Very good!” Old Xu interrupted loudly, not letting Wen Quanxin finish.

This left the crowd bewildered, but sitting in a corner, Tang Xiaoquan sensed something amiss.

“Remember last night when we talked about being ready to defend the villa at all costs? I believe in your conviction, but fighting is not just about conviction; you need a strong body. So starting today, we’ll begin physical training every morning.”

Soon after, Lei Tong and Hua Biao, who were modifying nearby, softly muttered, “We’re done for! Did you see the sergeant’s expression?”

“Qiang and the others are doomed. The lieutenant’s devil training methods are something he’ll never forget.”

As part of Old Xu’s unit, the soldiers were familiar with his habitual expressions, especially in training.

And at that moment, Old Zhang’s expression was exactly like that, prompting Lei and Hua to speak as they did.

Though they’d gone four months without systematic training, Old Xu’s look rekindled memories of past drills in the troops among the soldiers.

Back then, Xu Renjie was famous for his rigorous training in the company, always assigning additional plans beyond the regular task to himself and his soldiers.

Moreover, he was demanding perfection in every technique, exhausting his soldiers daily.

But it was his personal example and pursuit of perfection that kept their platoon at the forefront in various internal and external competitions. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please vote for it on Qidian (qidian.com) with recommendation and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile readers please visit m.qidian.com to read.)

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep