Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

A week after returning to Jinling, a notification indeed arrived from above:

Form a tactical squad.

"The current intention from above is that you should be the captain, with Chen Lingyun as the vice-captain," Instructor Qi Changping said, "and then you can pick three others from your peers to make up a team of five, forming the Zhendong Army's first combat team. You need to coordinate with your team members as soon as possible, as there might be combat missions assigned to you at any time.

Do you have any questions?"

"Yes." Yan Yu said calmly, "The people I select will also need to be approved by those above before they can officially join the team, right?"

"Of course," Qi Changping replied, "Everything should be done by the book."

"I have no issue with the review process being done by the book," Yan Yu continued, "but you can't give me a hard time beyond what the rules prescribe. The people I pick can't be rejected unless they fail the political screening. Those who join can't be replaced without my consent unless I raise the issue myself.

In short, I must have the final say on personnel matters within the team, otherwise you may as well find someone else."

"Yan Yu." Qi Changping fell silent for a moment before saying, "The academy certainly supports you, but the academy is also part of the military, and in the military, no one gets to call all the shots. You are the Zhendong Army's first combat team; do you have any idea how many people are watching your performance around the clock?"

"For instance, victory and defeat are common in military affairs; no one can guarantee an undefeated record. If someone on your team underperforms and leads to a loss in a key battle, what then? If you don't allow those above to replace him, all the responsibility and pressure from the defeat will fall squarely on you."

"That's fine," Yan Yu said with indifference, "Even if we lose just once, I'll take all the responsibility. Reviews, demerits, dismissal, do as you please. But as long as I'm still the captain, I won't allow anyone to interfere with internal personnel matters. That's my bottom line."

Qi Changping fell silent for a moment, then turned to Chen Lingyun beside him and asked:

"Chen Lingyun, do you feel the same way?"

"Of course," Chen Lingyun said with a smile, "I think what Yan Yu says makes sense. If we lose with the people we've chosen, it's our responsibility; if people from above replace them and there's still a problem, will someone from above take responsibility?"

"Instructor Qi," she continued, "this doesn't really conform to military regulations, but the biggest rule in the military is 'win wars.' As long as we can win, I think these minor issues shouldn't be a problem. You can ask Grandpa Li and see what he thinks."

It took Qi Changping five or six seconds to realize that Chen Lingyun's "Grandpa Li" referred to Li Weiguo, the Commander-in-Chief of the Zhendong Army.

"Alright then," he said with a mix of amusement and resignation, "I'll go and ask for instructions."

After Qi Changping bid farewell and left, Chen Lingyun spoke laughingly:

"Even if Grandpa Li agrees to your demands, such matters can't be set in stone publicly; at most, they'll tacitly agree not to interfere with internal affairs for now."

"That's alright," Yan Yu said with a grand sweep of his arm, "I've made my stance as captain clear for starters. If later on someone foolishly tries to meddle, you, the vice-captain, can take the bullet for me."

"Oh?" Chen Lingyun asked in surprise, "Why me?"

"Nonsense, I don't have a dad who's the Governor of Jianghai," Yan Yu said as if it were obvious, "You're the young miss of an official family. Haven't you heard 'with great power comes great responsibility'? Make yourself useful! What's the point of you being a vice-captain if you're useless?"

"So, how do you plan to decide on the team members?" Chen Lingyun gently steered the conversation back to the main point.

"Don't worry," Yan Yu contemplated, "Su Yunjin and Lin Ning are quite capable, I have no objections to them joining the team. Zhao Yuanzhen is my person, definitely included..."

As he said this, he suddenly began to ponder.

In his past life, the Zhendong Army's first squad consisted of team captain Chen Lingyun and vice-captain Su Yunjin, with three teammates being Lin Ning, Qiu Ze, and Sun Ziyi—five people in total with three women and two men, the highest female ratio among the four armies, and thus mockingly called the "Ladies' Battle Team" by outsiders.

Now with Yan Yu and Zhao Yuanzhen, the obvious replacements would be Qiu Ze and Sun Ziyi. It wasn't because they were men, but rather an issue of team role assignments.

To put it in gaming terms: Su Yunjin was support/healer, Lin Ning was a frontline assault, both performed their primary jobs excellently, so there was no need for change. Chen Lingyun, despite being a ranged damager, wasn't particularly powerful; her main role was to use her brains to identify the enemy's weaknesses and land critical hits.

The problem with this trio of girls was a severe lack of direct siege capabilities; once Lin Ning was tied up on the front line and Chen Lingyun couldn't find an opportunity, the team was at risk of being wiped out. Hence, Sun Ziyi's explosive damage and Qiu Ze's supporting offensives were necessary to fortify the team's overall offensive capabilities.

This life had a completely different situation. Both Yan Yu and Zhao Yuanzhen were offensively inclined. Yan Yu himself was a jack-of-all-trades, capable of fighting, running, and supporting; Zhao Yuanzhen, as a Demonic Sect Enchantress, never trusted outsiders, and her ability to fight alone was essential for her own survival, with arson and assassination skills that were incredibly refined.

If the two of them were to be joined by Sun Ziyi and Qiu Ze, the overall team output would be off the charts, while their adaptability would be greatly weakened. Therefore, Sun Ziyi was definitely not needed, and it was a choice between Qiu Ze and Lin Ning.

Both were assaulters, Qiu Ze specialized in offense, Lin Ning in containment. Since Yan and Zhao's offense was more than sufficient, Lin Ning was a more suitable choice over Qiu Ze.

However, doing so would change the team's gender ratio to 1:4, even more imbalanced than in his previous life.

No matter, it's decided. If there is a need to adjust the team later, the first to consider for replacement would be that good-for-nothing woman, Chen Lingyun.

"I think Lin Ning is fine, and Yun Jin..." Chen Lingyun contemplated for a moment and said, "As you previously mentioned, isn't her personality a bit too soft? And she might not be willing to join the team."

"I'm just going to talk to her," Yan Yu said indifferently. "See what she's thinking."

————————

If Chen Lingyun is the young miss of an official's family, then Su Yunjin is the young miss of a family steeped in scholarly tradition.

There's a saying, "On both banks of the Yangtze River, there's the only daughter of a household." Jiangbei Province, Jiangnan Province, Jianghai Prefecture—these places have historically been the homelands of weaving and significant sources of tax revenue. With plenty of money, there are naturally many scholars and officials.

If it so happens that there's an only daughter raised as the young miss in such a family, life is pretty much set to 'Easy Mode'; she wouldn't have to worry for most of her life.

Su Yunjin, who had barely suffered since childhood, maintained an indifferent and unconcerned attitude toward fame and wealth, influenced by her parents who were university professors.

Her only hobby was reading books, specifically novels. Not the kind of online fiction used for stress relief by the masses, but serious literary works—the kind that would immediately induce a strong sense of drowsiness in Yan Yu as soon as he glanced at their contents.

When Yan Yu found her in the library, Su Yunjin was sitting at a bright and clean spot by herself, quietly reading.

The pleasant afternoon sunlight streamed through the window grilles, illuminating her black hair, her simple hairband, and her delicately beautiful profile. No matter from which angle it was captured, the scene was beautiful to behold.

What was even more precious was that this wasn't a deliberately posed shot—Su Yunjin's temperament was naturally like that of a classical beauty who seemed as if she had walked out of a painting, her every frown and smile carrying a delightfully enchanting charm.

If it weren't for the nuisance that was the Spiritual Energy Resurgence, this young miss would probably have had an even better life. What a pity.

Yan Yu walked up to the table, pulled out the chair opposite her, sat down, and looked at the novel in her hands.

"In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower", the author was Marcel Proust.

Yan Yu didn't attempt to recall who this author was, as he was absolutely certain that all his knowledge of foreign literature had already been returned to his middle school and high school Chinese teachers. Discover stories with empire

"This book is a bit challenging to read," Su Yunjin put down the book and said softly, "Yan Yu, if you're interested in foreign novels, I suggest you try 'The Count of Monte Cristo' by Dumas."

"If I have time, I'll check it out," Yan Yu nodded, although he estimated that he might never find the time, even if he grew old enough to lie in a coffin, "Anyhow, is it convenient to talk now?"

"Sure," Su Yunjin closed the book and pushed it aside, "What would you like to discuss?"

"I wanted to ask about your life aspirations," Yan Yu asked casually, "Hmm... have you ever thought about experiencing a life you never imagined you'd have?"

Su Yunjin blinked at him comically and suddenly burst into laughter before saying:

"What kind of question is that? I'm living that kind of life right now, you know that I originally wanted to study Chinese Language and Literature, right?"

"I mean, do you want to go a step further?" Yan Yu made a hand gesture for 'a step further', "For example, how about we form a team and play around?"

"A team?" Su Yunjin pondered for a moment, "Who would be the team leader? You or Ling Yun?"

"Of course, it would be me," Yan Yu said, "Otherwise, it would be Chen Lingyun sitting here and extending the invitation to you now."

"Sure," Su Yunjin said with a smile, "I'm in."

She agreed way too quickly... Yan Yu asked without showing any sign of surprise:

"And if Chen Lingyun was the team leader?"

"Then I'd join too," Su Yunjin replied.

"So, what difference does it make to you who the team leader is?" Yan Yu couldn't help but laugh too.

"There is a difference," Su Yunjin seriously said, "If Ling Yun were the team leader, I'd have my hesitations, but I would agree because I'd be uneasy about her facing danger lightly."

"But if you were the team leader, I wouldn't hesitate, because I trust that you wouldn't let your team members take risks carelessly."

Yan Yu looked at her in amazement, thinking that he hadn't known Su Yunjin for that long, how could she trust him so much already?

"Well, you have a pretty accurate judgment of people," he paused for a moment, then stood up, "Once you join my team, you're one of my people. I won't be the team leader if I can't protect my members."

"I'll look for you again once the paperwork for forming the team is approved."

"Alright," Su Yunjin nodded with a smile, picked up the novel beside her, and resumed her leisurely reading.