Strongest Soldier King

The next morning, the warm winter sun shone upon the earth, and a cool breeze blew, sweeping away the dust on the training ground, swirling and vanishing into the Void. The soldiers, dressed in camouflage uniforms, were not training in groups as usual, but were assembled into two neat and precise squares, looking straight ahead without glancing elsewhere, each emitting a fierce aura. To enter the Special Forces, each one was an Elite Soldier who had passed through numerous challenges.

The seriously clad commanding officer approached the front of the square, his stern gaze sweeping across the field, and his resolute face wearing a satisfied expression. Moreover, he exuded a sharp murderous aura, like a sheathed sword under the warm winter sun, ready to strike, and once unsheathed, no one would dare question the sharpness of the sword.

A Lieutenant, wearing a Type 07 jungle camouflage uniform, jogged forward, saluted, and shouted loudly, "Report, commanding officer! The regular Special Forces squad has assembled completely, twenty members expected and twenty members present. Awaiting orders, duty officer Fang Jian."

"At ease," the commanding officer commanded coldly.

"Yes, sir!" The Lieutenant brought his feet together, chest out, saluted again, turned around, hands at his sides, jogged to the front of a square, lowered his hands, stood at attention and then shouted loudly, "At ease."

With a "swish" sound, twenty fierce warriors placed their hands behind their backs, spread their feet shoulder-width and calmly watched the commanding officer, waiting. Although curious, no one dared to breathe heavily. The uniform movements exuded a ferrous air of martial intent, as if to set the sky ablaze.

The duty officer of the rookie Special Forces squad also ran up to salute and report to the commanding officer, then returned to command at ease, finally turning to face the commanding officer, silently waiting. The commanding officer had gathered the two Special Forces squads together, and it certainly was not for no reason. The overly energetic crowd anticipated hearing the deployment orders.

The commanding officer stepped forward, saluted robustly and declared, "Now, I hereby make an appointment: Comrade Luo Zheng is appointed as the leader of the first squad. Luo Zheng, step forward."

Luo Zheng, dressed in a Lieutenant's uniform, was standing behind the commanding officer. Hearing the command, he stepped forward, standing beside the commanding officer, solemnly saluting the soldiers in both squads. His whole being emitted an imposing aura of valor, his spirited eyes blazing with intense combativeness.

The warriors, all at once, raised their hands to return the salute. The news of the contest had been heard by all, and Luo Zheng's exploits of killing the most enemies had spread far and wide. Everyone was curious and respectful towards Luo Zheng, who had moved directly from the rookie team to the Elite Team and led his squad to the fourth place in the contest. No one dared overlook Luo Zheng's capabilities, as the bullets flying across the battlefield said it all. Regarding the commanding officer's appointment, no one dared question it, just as when the commanding officer had directly moved Luo Zheng from the rookie team to the first squad of the Elite Team, proving his astute judgment.

"The first squad has always had a vacancy, and now, we have a candidate for squad leader. We need five soldiers, and these five will be selected from among you, whether from the rookie team or the regular team. Every one of you has a chance, especially those in the rookie team. Though you are relatively inexperienced, it doesn't mean it's impossible. Comrade Luo Zheng is the best proof. So, show your strength and accept the selection," the commanding officer bellowed, his voice echoing across the training field, stirring everyone's blood to a boil.

Joining the Elite Team was the struggle and goal of every warrior, ordinary teams included, but even more so for the rookie team. Skipping the ordinary team and heading straight into the Elite Team was a tempting prospect for the rookie team. Their passions fully ignited, the warriors of the ordinary team were also wildly excited. No one dared to be mediocre, and no one was willing to fall behind. Anyone who could enter the Special Forces had their own pride and honor. For these, they were willing to sacrifice their lives.

"Next, please, Comrade Luo Zheng will speak," the commander shouted loudly.

Luo Zheng cast a cold look over the audience and saw his former self from several months ago in them—pride, fanaticism, loyalty, confidence, enthusiasm. Although it was his first time speaking in front of so many people, Luo Zheng did not show any nervousness and loudly declared, "Brothers, first squad, first in battle. Therefore, I need warriors who strive to be first. The first squad has no place for slackers."

Everyone looked fervently at Luo Zheng, their eyes shining as if they were the high sun in the sky, intense and dazzling. In literature, there is no first place; in martial arts, there is no second. Those who came here were not willing to just get by day-to-day. Luo Zheng's words truly ignited everyone's pride.

Seeing that Luo Zheng was not nervous and was also adept at sparking the combat zeal of everyone, the commander couldn't help but laugh and he completely relaxed, filled with anticipation.

"You all have been on the battlefield and should know that there are two key points: to run fast and shoot fast. Only by running fast can you catch the enemy and survive on the battlefield; shooting fast gives you the chance to fire first and eliminate the enemy. Of course, shooting fast does not mean lack of accuracy. We are the first squad, and my demands are not high, just these two: run, first; shoot, first," Luo Zheng declared loudly.

Luo Zheng's understanding of the battlefield resonated with everyone, and his innovative selection criteria stirred them up. Everyone agreed with Luo Zheng's combat philosophy, gearing up and making mental preparations. The commander, seeing this, suddenly understood Luo Zheng's previous emphasis on "speed" in training theories and, giving it some thought, smiled with realization.

"Some of you might not agree with my combat philosophy, and that's fine. There are no fixed rules on the battlefield, and everyone has their own methods of survival. Those who agree, show me what you've got. Now, I announce, those who want to join the first squad, step out and accept the assessment; those who don't, please step back," Luo Zheng stated.

After waiting a bit, not a single person left. Whether they were chosen or not was one thing, but simply being unwilling to join and then being just average was another. Withdrawing was seen as cowardly; no one could afford to lose that face. Just when they were about to give up, the road had come to an end. Luo Zheng, having risen from the ranks, of course understood everyone's mindset and didn't point it out, but shouted loudly, "Now, a ten kilometer weighted forest run. Follow me, the first ten to keep up will move on to the next stage."

Out of forty contestants, the first stage would eliminate three-quarters, showing Luo Zheng's obsession and preference for speed. Yet, everyone remained unflinching. A ten-kilometer weighted forest run was considered child's play, no one took it to heart. As for keeping up with Luo Zheng, that was selectively overlooked by the group as they vigilantly watched their competitors. Having trained together normally, they were well aware of each other's capabilities and silently assessed themselves—some rejoiced, others felt despair.

The commander didn't understand what play Luo Zheng was putting on and was full of suspicion but didn't interfere. Instead, he covertly ordered someone to notify the medical team to follow up just in case. While others were concerned about the ten-kilometer weighted forest run, the commander keenly picked up on Luo Zheng's latter statement and muttered to himself, "Can they keep up?"