Chapter 306 - 242: Have you ever risked your life for 100 bucks?

Today is definitely the end of the world.

For the first time, Zhang Tianwang felt fear towards the pull-up bar.

In the past, he used to love standing in front of the bar, waiting for everyone to finish their pull-ups before performing the finale, then proudly watching the others.

Thirty-three... and it was actually the lowest.

The highest number, by the equally reticent Huang Yong, was 52!

The ceiling of the Special Duty was so high!

He definitely had no chance to show off here anymore.

Thinking of this, Zhang Tianwang’s heart felt desolate.

At this time, Cao Yi had roughly gauged the performance of the newcomer and walked over to Fang Huai, picking up the training log and comparing it against everyone’s past achievements.

He clicked his tongue unsatisfactorily and pushed his tongue against the roof of his mouth.

"Tsk, there’s hardly been any improvement on the pull-up bar recently, should we intensify the arm strength training for everyone?"

But Fang Huai shook his head, drawing a few circles on the ground with his foot.

"Except for the new comrades, everyone has a two-minute time limit, so you definitely can’t see any progress. If it’s an official assessment, everyone can employ tactics and manage their rest times.

Unfortunately, the Second Squadron has too many people. I suggest that if more are added in the future, the Squadron must apply to expand the pull-up and parallel bars area, adding four pull-up bars and two parallel bars.

This shoddy place, if it’s not okay, I’ll spend a few thousand to renovate it in a few days."

Upon hearing this, everyone felt a twinge of anxiety.

Chen Zhenghai also joined the conversation, "Big Rich Fang, this is everyone’s blessed land! We know you’re wealthy, but you don’t have to save money for the government, just spend it filling everyone’s stomachs!"

Everybody laughed at his comment.

Zhang Tianwang from below, upon hearing this, felt like he had found a blind spot.

A couple of days ago, it was also him who talked about spending money to treat others.

Today he is still proposing to pay out of pocket to replace the pull-up and parallel bars.

Is this how he became squad leader?

With this in mind, Zhang Tianwang once again looked up, "The training isn’t over yet, is it? Doesn’t Fang Huai need to do pull-ups? Is he just responsible for counting?"

This brilliant comment once again won a 100% turn-back rate.

Wang Peng, who had heard a few same-year soldiers praising Fang Huai today, didn’t have such a naïve idea as Zhang Tianwang. He just clenched his fists tightly, wanting to see where this new recruit king, Fang Huai, was better than him.

In the short term, could he catch up?

In his view, since he had already offended Fang Huai, if he couldn’t be stronger than him, he would always be suppressed by him in the future.

Song Lin’s record was 31, and they praised him; he thought that Fang Huai could at least do 45 to 50.

Fang Huai, upon hearing this, closed his pen as well, his eyes filled with a hint of anger as he stared below.

However,

he was staring at He Zhijun.

"Assistant He, last Thursday, you took down my pull-up record card and threw it into the training tower. I’ve rested for three days, and today, I want to challenge you. If you lose, you will have to personally put it back up!"

As soon as these words were spoken, there was an immediate cheer from the surroundings.

The two had been competing with each other for a while, from when He Zhijun first arrived and suppressed Fang Huai, to now an ongoing back-and-forth. Today, there was another great show to watch.

He Zhijun also stepped out of formation, facing the training with an uncharacteristically competitive spirit.

The desire to win, it’s an essential quality for a soldier who can enter top-level competitions.

When facing those weaker than him, he could provide careful guidance and warm encouragement, like he did with Fang Huai from the new recruit group.

But when facing those who could rival him, he would not concede, showing no weakness, just like with today’s Fang Huai from the Second Squadron.

He Zhijun had progressed somewhat in physical fitness since returning from concentration training in the Southwest region.

Unexpectedly, Fang Huai, just by training in the Squadron, was gradually able to keep up.

In this aspect, Fang Huai had truly surprised him.

So, when he beat Fang Huai at pull-ups last week, he directly took Fang Huai’s record card and threw it into a corner of the training tower.

Training should have a bit of a fiery edge.

He was pushing Fang Huai, but also himself.

He Zhijun smiled, "Alright, young man, if you lose, it’ll be the same as last time, treating the entire Squadron to drinks!"

With these words, the surroundings burst into an uproar.

"Wow... Assistant He, so strong! Kill Fang Huai!"

Fang Huai’s face darkened a bit.

Dammit.

Why does this guy always target his weaknesses?

I’m out of money! The expenses rely on the few thousand left of that thirty-eight thousand, and this month it has all been spent treating everyone to drinks and late-night snacks.

He had only a few dozen left in his pocket.

April’s income would also take a couple of days to reach his father’s account, and after calculating the cost of the equipment sent to Sichuan and his parents still busy with arrangements he made, they must be feeling the pinch too, and he still had to cover Yang Shaoqing’s ticket that was booked. He now felt embarrassed to ask his parents for money.

Dammit, a drink for each person in the Squadron would cost at least a hundred!

"What, you don’t dare to bet even a bottle of drink? No way, if I lose, I’ll also treat everyone to drinks!" said He Zhijun with a smile.

Everyone else was amused.

Everyone knew Fang Huai was a rich boy, but they didn’t know that the rich boy’s face was also strained.

"Mother’s Smelly Pussy."

"Hehe, Assistant He, remember you said that! Bring it on! I ’ve been treating everyone every day, today, I also want to drink something for free!" Fang Huai bluffed, despite being broke.

He Zhijun straightened up, "Alright! I’ll go first!"

The surroundings erupted, "Assistant He! Go for it!"

The new guys were a bit stunned.

What pull-up record card, what initiative to challenge.

Even fools could hear that Huang Yong wasn’t the strongest; the bouts between these two were the real high-end matches of the Second Squadron.

Zhang Tianwang’s last shred of hope was completely shattered.

Wang Peng also clenched his fist tighter.

It turned out that he was actually better than Squad Leader Huang’s 52.

...

"Sixty-six!"

"Sixty-seven! Assistant He, you’re amazing! Another new record!"

The people around were all yelling excitedly.

The new recruits held their breath in disbelief.

Straight up and down, sixty-seven.

Their feelings couldn’t be summed up with just a "fuck."

It was more like fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...

They were from other Detachments, and except for Wang Peng who was from the City Brigade, the rest were from county squads. They had never really been exposed to provincial-level Martial Arts Competitions before and could have heard He Zhijun’s name, but had forgotten it.

But today, that name was etched into their minds.

Could a Soldier actually compete with him?!

At this moment, He Zhijun’s face showed a rare tangle of emotions, pausing on the bar, switching hands to rest.

Being able to switch hands on the pull-up bar and still achieve the effect of resting, only the mighty could accomplish it.

But at that moment, Fang Huai roared, "Five seconds are up! Get down from the bar!"

He Zhijun instantly looked at Fang Huai with disgust.

He had no choice but to get off the bar.

"Hey, Little Fang, you went too far. I could have broken my limit today."

"Haha, we had a bet today!"

As he spoke, Fang Huai grabbed a handful of fine sand from the ground and absorbed the sweat on the bar.

He then positioned himself under the bar and stared intently at it.

"Alright!"

This time, He Zhijun acted as the referee, "Get on the bar!"

Fang Huai shook his hands, jumped on the bar, held still for three seconds, and then started pulling himself up.

The entire Squadron counted for him in unison.

Only Fang Huai and He Zhijun received such treatment.

Fang Huai was also fiercely climbing, silently chanting in his mind.

A hundred bucks, a hundred bucks...

Since being reborn, he had never imagined that one day he would fight so hard for a hundred bucks.

...

"Sixty-six!!"

"Sixty...seven! It’s a tie!"

He Zhijun began to closely watch Fang Huai’s hand-switching technique.

But Fang Huai didn’t switch hands; instead, he muttered a curse under his breath.

"Damn... the temper of a poor man!"

"Sixty-eight!"

"Damn, Fang Huai won!"

At that moment, a thunderous voice erupted, "Mother’s Smelly Pussy, Fang Huai, give me one!"

It was Ye Jiahong, who had been lurking at the back of the group this whole time.

He felt the timing for him to make an entrance had arrived.

Unexpectedly, as soon as Fang Huai saw him, he immediately got off the bar.

"Captain Ye! I actually forgot about you! You’ve lost a week’s worth of training! Get over here and get on the bar!"

Ye Jiahong stood rooted to the spot, "Oh my god... my stomach hurts."

After saying that, he tried to leave.

Fang Huai pointed at Ye Jiahong angrily, "Grab him and bring him over!"

...

Ye Jiahong, out.

Twenty-eight pull-ups, bottom of the stream.

In reality, Cao Yi was even worse, barely managing twenty-four or twenty-five.

But among the Cadres, they were not considered weak; in fact, they were very strong.

More than twenty-five consecutive pull-ups in the National Troops would definitely put someone above average.

Of course, not the troops from the comment section, but the real ones.

Some, even by the time they were discharged, struggled to do even five.

Special Duty Soldiers, however, were selected from hundreds, even thousands, and not just anyone in the entire brigade, whereas Cadres were not.

Also, the Fire Brigade Cadres usually rotated through training, with those not training busy with other tasks, or if they were older, they wouldn’t train much.

Partly out of laziness, partly for work, and also for the sake of prestige.

Some physically strong Cadres liked to show off to impress their subordinates; the weaker ones were less willing to participate to avoid giving Soldiers fodder for gossip.

The strong get stronger, and the weak get weaker; the disparity in physical fitness among Cadres was definitely larger than among Soldiers.

Fang Huai had no illusions about changing the fitness level of the Cadres; that would be opposing most of the group.

But for his own Squadron, changes could still be made.

Looking down at Wang Peng, who seemed dejected, at Zhang Tianwang, who still couldn’t believe it, and at Qin Hongjun and Zhou Tiannu, who seemed somewhat awe-stricken, Fang Huai felt the shock had achieved its effect. He then glanced at his watch and turned to Cao Yi, saying,

"Instructor Cao, it’s about time, let’s start the actual training."

There was an immediate chorus of agreement from below.

Zhou Tiannu checked the time, already ten o’clock, and asked someone nearby in a surprised whisper,

"...It’s ten already, and we’re just starting the actual training?"

Chen Zhenghai, who had somewhat become familiar with him, chuckled,

"Lunch is at twelve, these next two hours are the main event; everything before was just a warm-up."

Zhang Tianwang tensed his hands but managed to force a relaxed smile on his face.

"What’s there to fear about training? I love training!"

...

"Zhou Tiannu, add two weighted plates!"

"Zhang Tianwang, add three plates!"

"Han Yong, why are you sneakily lowering the speed again? You think I can’t see that?"

With Fang Huai around, his eyes were like radar, there was no stopping in the entire gym.

Lately, he had introduced several new exercises for everyone, which meant there were several more items for each set of training.

The newly arrived four had been assigned not too heavy equipment weights at first, but soon Fang Huai began to increase their workload based on their training speed.

"Everyone, speed up! No extra training today, whoever finishes three sets as prescribed first gets to rest!" Fang Huai shouted.

Everyone was overjoyed to hear that.

Damn, are we reaping the benefits of the newcomers?

In the past, completing three sets with all the equipment in the gym, those who finished quickly would inevitably get extra exercises from Fang Huai, who always found ways to fill the time.

Today, it must be that the Big Demon King Fang didn’t want to overwhelm the new guys and preferred to let them progress gradually!

Everyone’s pace picked up significantly.

Instructor Cao looked at this scene and smiled.

It was the end of the month, time to increase everyone’s workload.

Those who finished quickly today would have to face an increase next month.

Fang Huai watched everybody train intensely while happily keeping record.

Instructor Cao leaned closer to look.

Chen Zhenghai, bench press 75KG, +2.5KG.

Hao Chengbin, seated row machine, 80KG, +5KG.

Ye Jiahong, pec deck, 75KG.

He laughed, "Yo, you’re even increasing your master’s? With his old arms and legs, maintaining his current fitness is already good enough!"

Fang Huai smiled, "That’s at his own request, are you going to join in?"

Instructor Cao’s face fell, "I didn’t make a bet with you!"

Fang Huai’s face had a mocking smile, he leaned in close and whispered, "I’m planning to visit Group Leader Sun from the Education Department soon; I even called him, and he was quite enthusiastic."

Instructor Cao clenched his fist over his mouth, "Mmph... I don’t need a bet! I’ll join the training on my own initiative!"