Chapter 137

Actually, you don't need to thank me for what I just did, because that is indeed my responsibility as an instructor.

Liu Xiaotian's tone was very calm, but to Tan Xiaolin's ears it sounded somewhat grating.

The gratitude that had arisen because Liu Xiaotian had taken all the responsibility upon himself instantly vanished.

In her view, the reason he said that showed he didn't look down on her from the bottom of his heart.

Anyone else in this situation would probably think the same way.

Because if it weren't so, Liu Xiaotian should at least have given Tan Xiaolin a mild reminder to pay attention in the future.

"Instructor Liu, I don't understand what you mean," Tan Xiaolin said, frowning slightly.

To be frank, Liu Xiaotian actually had not the slightest bit of looking down on Tan Xiaolin in his heart.

As for him, if one were to describe him with a once-popular term in the world, it would be "straight man."

Of course, it's not serious, far from reaching the level of "straight man cancer."

Now, as an instructor, Liu Xiaotian sees Tan Xiaolin and the eight female soldiers, regardless of their rank, as mere trainees; he doesn't even consider them as women.

Thus, Liu Xiaotian naturally fails to consider women's usual sensitive thoughts, speaking bluntly without any "technique."

"What do you mean? It's just the literal meaning—you can't understand?" Liu Xiaotian's brows also furrowed.

"You..." Tan Xiaolin said helplessly.

But there's nothing to be done; Liu Xiaotian's remark completely blocked all of Tan Xiaolin's "lines of attack," leaving no suitable opening for her to say anything else.

"Training Instructor Tan, if you have something to say, just say it straight; we still have training tomorrow morning, I'm going back to sleep." Liu Xiaotian seemed utterly unaware of Tan Xiaolin's emotional shift and spoke bluntly.

"Hah..." Tan Xiaolin let out a long breath, striving to calm her emotions.

She knew that trying to discuss this with Liu Xiaotian using a woman's way of speaking was impossible, because he clearly had no awareness of her gender advantage as a woman.

Based on that, Tan Xiaolin's only option now is to speak directly.

"Instructor Liu, I wanted to ask you whether my performance in today's training—namely, my acrophobia—will affect my future training, or whether it will affect my staying in the Fire Phoenix."

Actually, Liu Xiaotian wasn't completely unaware of why Tan Xiaolin sought him out; he just couldn't be bothered with small talk or guessing.

Since childhood he has heard the song "Don't Try to Guess a Woman's Mind," which is both a song title and a "truth" that has been further verified as he grew up.

If it were Qin Yuxi, he might still patiently respond with a few sentences, but Tan Xiaolin...

Unrelated to any other factors, things like facial features or figure have never existed in Liu Xiaotian's heart; he simply doesn't want to waste time and thought.

Sorry, I can't give you a final answer on this matter yet; strictly speaking, acrophobia is more often due to psychological factors and can be cured through targeted training and psychotherapy.

However, if your luck is bad and you suffer from pathological acrophobia, then you are not suited to continue any high-altitude training.

Because that would cause you to experience pathological conditions such as dizziness, which is very dangerous.

To be honest, I used to be like that. I believe that among you eight, the person(s) with authority, represented by you, must have learned about my situation through your own channels and should know that when I first joined the Red Blood Cell Group selection training, I long dared not parachute.

One could say that at that time I had psychological acrophobia, i. e., I was simply afraid.

But I successfully overcame it, which is why I can now be your instructor.

I won't say more; you're not an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old recruit, so I think you can still understand these principles, right?

Having said that, Liu Xiaotian turned and walked away, not giving Tan Xiaolin any chance to speak again.

Tan Xiaolin: ……

Pah! You face full of big cabbage! Does this person even know how to speak? What does 'not an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old recruit' mean? Even if it's true, you can't talk like that!

Who is this saying is old? Perhaps age is forever the biggest taboo in a woman's heart, regardless of her status.

As the Training Instructor of the Fire Phoenix Women's Special Forces Team, holding the rank of lieutenant colonel, Tan Xiaolin still could not remain immune to this matter.

Watching Liu Xiaotian's swiftly retreating back, Tan Xiaolin gave him a hateful glare, then turned and walked toward the dormitory.

She had decided that now her and Liu Xiaotian's statuses were worlds apart—one a trainee, the other an instructor—and their ranks were invalid during training.

But she will eventually have the training end, right?

By then, she will be the Training Instructor of the Fire Phoenix, while Liu Xiaotian, although promoted to officer, will still be only a lieutenant, two ranks below her.

Moreover, judging from the current situation, the superiors' positioning of their eight-person Fire Phoenix Women's Special Forces Team should be the same level as the Red Blood Cell Group.

At that time, her position will directly correspond to Gong Jian; as for Liu Xiaotian... humph.

Of course, the premise is that these eight of them can successfully complete all of Liu Xiaotian's training subjects and meet the standards; otherwise they will have to return and join the dozens of other female soldiers who have not yet been officially decided.

Although the name Fire Phoenix should be retained no matter what, the Fire Phoenix with over forty members will have a positioning one level lower than the Thunder Strike Team.

Although Tan Xiaolin wouldn't go so far as to make Liu Xiaotian's future salute when seeing her again a reason for her hard training, if such a day could really come, it would indeed be very much to be desired, wouldn't it?

However, Tan Xiaolin didn't expect it, nor did the other seven female trainees expect that in the coming week, Instructor Liu would, as if gone mad, forcibly increase the daily training time to sixteen hours.

Such training intensity is not something even female soldiers can bear, let alone male soldiers—not just anyone can endure it.

Yet, led by Tan Xiaolin, the eight Fire Phoenix team members actually gritted their teeth and persisted.

Physical fitness, shooting, hand-to-hand combat, tactics, and all other subjects—in such a short time, Liu Xiaotian trained them purely by cramming, utterly lacking scientific basis, simply crude and brutal.

Yet one cannot deny that the effect is truly obvious.

With the groundwork of those previous days, the eight female soldiers' growth is quite evident; they have already taken on somewhat the appearance of special forces.

Before the training ended on the sixth night after He Zhijun's visit, Liu Xiaotian did not immediately order dismissal; instead, he commanded the eight female soldiers to fall in and, in a calm tone, announced: "Tomorrow we rest one day; the day after tomorrow we assemble at six a. m. to go to the division headquarters for the evaluation!"

(End of chapter)