Chapter 21: Showing Strength

Just as Zhang Chu'an was freaking out, Chen Pai's voice came over:

"I'm fine, I just need to lie down for a while; I'll recover in a bit."

"Are you really fine? Do you not need to go to the infirmary to get checked?"

Zhang Chu'an asked cautiously.

"No need, but you kid hit hard; that kick left me unable to get up."

Speaking up to this point, Chen Pai couldn't help but feel some regret; if he had known the kid hit so hard, he wouldn't have sparred with him. How to put it? After contact over this period, Zhang Chu'an is a slippery person.

Handling conflicts between soldiers was also an attitude of muddling through, but he didn't expect the kid to be so ruthless in a spar; little did he know Zhang Chu'an had already held back, otherwise with that kick, let alone being a special forces soldier, Chen Pai would have had a hard time even being a soldier.

Seeing Zhang Chu'an still wanting more, Guo Jing asked with a smile: "Not fought enough? If not, I'll spar with you."

Zhang Chu'an looked troubled, but Guo Jing said with a smile: "In the unit, everyone speaks directly; if you lose, no one will have complaints, nor will they hold a grudge against you."

"Alright, let's spar."

Zhang Chu'an agreed readily; he knew Guo Jing was by nature loyal and honest and would absolutely not hold a grudge, and besides, he had been suppressed for too long.

He had never dared to fight anyone, afraid to show his true strength, like a rat in the sewer fearing exposure to sunlight.

After his grandfather died, his father Zhang Yude told him that once you attract others' attention, it is the beginning of disaster; even while studying at school it was the same; if his grades were bad, the teacher criticized him, and everyone paid attention to him.

Later he studied hard, his grades improved significantly, and the teacher praised him in front of the whole school, but he didn't want to attract others' attention.

At seven years old, his grandfather passed away; just before seven, he had learned the Jin Guang Incantation and thunder arts; his talent was probably unmatched by peers.

Before seven he wandered with his father and grandfather; after seven he lived alone cautiously; he had no one to trust; Guo Jing had his mother by his side, later Jiebei, then the Seven Heroes of Jiangnan.

Nie Huaishang had a big brother who loved and protected him.

Zhang Xiaofan had his parents by his side, and companions from Caomiao Village.

But after Zhang Chu'an's grandfather died and his father left, who did he have left? Who could he trust, who could he believe in?

So when he met Feng Baobao, he would do his utmost to help her and protect her, because they were each other's reliance.

To be honest, Guo Jing, having watched "The Outcast," felt heartache for Zhang Chu'an; others only saw him as despicable and shameless, a shameless person, but never thought this was merely a survival skill for an orphan with no one to rely on.

Social life taught him all kinds of slickness and worldliness; his life had no one to rely on or trust.

Standing on the training ground, Guo Jing said with a serious face: "Chu'an, go ahead boldly; I, Guo Jing, am also a small figure, with no ability and no skill."

"But if anyone wants to harm you because of your things, they must step over my corpse."

Guo Jing's eyes were sincere, his tone resolute; the effect of a sentence spoken by different people is different; if someone else said this to Zhang Chu'an, he would certainly think they were fooling him.

But Guo Jing is different; by nature loyal and honest, he never lies or deceives; what he says, he will definitely do.

Thinking of this, Zhang Chu'an smiled at Guo Jing: "Big Brother Guo, compared to marksmanship I am not your equal, but if it's hand-to-hand combat, you are far from my match."

Guo Jing of course knew this; although Zhang Chu'an wouldn't use the Jin Guang Incantation and thunder arts, the Wu Gong moves his grandfather taught him as a child could be used.

For example, the moves his dad used to beat him, the Cyclone Knee Break and the Black Tiger Steals the Heart; after narrowly dodging these two moves, Guo Jing couldn't help but complain: "These are the moves your dad used to beat you with as a child; that's too ruthless."

These two moves would be unbearable if they landed on him, but the spar between the two didn't end; Guo Jing's moves were wide and open, growing braver as he fought; over these ten years he had learned many military boxing moves from Dog-Head Old Gao.

And Zhang Chu'an's Daoist kung fu was also highly skilled, but overall Zhang Chu'an held the upper hand; the commotion between the two soon attracted everyone in the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company.

Especially the new recruits in Zhang Chu'an's platoon were shocked; during this period their impression of their platoon leader was completely that of an old slickster; even quite a few troublemakers wanted to challenge their regiment commander, but Zhang Chu'an had defused them all.

"My goodness, I didn't expect Platoon Leader Zhang to suppress Platoon Leader Guo; in the fight Guo Jing only had the ability to block, with no strength left to counterattack."

Sergeant Lao Pao couldn't help but sigh; before this he had always despised Zhang Chu'an's style and always wanted to spar with this loafer, and after beating him, tell him the army wasn't a place for someone like him.

Fortunately he didn't try; on the field, Guo Jing, suppressed by Zhang Chu'an, was knocked down over two hundred times in half an hour; this was under the premise that Guo Jing held back for fear of hurting Sergeant Lao Pao.

At this moment, Xiao Zhuang teased Sergeant Lao Pao: "Squad Leader, I remember you wanted to try with Platoon Leader Zhang long ago; after Platoon Leader Guo finishes, you go up and challenge him too."

Sergeant Lao Pao retorted with an unfriendly face: "I think you want me to lie in the infirmary for two days so you can relax, right?"

Meanwhile, nearby, Platoon Leader Miao said to Platoon Leader Chen: "It seems our Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company hides tigers and dragons, but why are you lying down talking to me?"

Platoon Leader Chen said leisurely: "Before, I also sparred with Zhang Chu'an."

The spar between the two made the onlookers on the outside shout it was satisfying; only when two people's strengths are close does it have watchability; after one hundred and fifty moves, Guo Jing, due to the huge gap in strength with Zhang Chu'an, was defeated.

As soon as Zhang Chu'an won, all the soldiers in the platoon cheered: "Platoon Leader is awesome."

"Platoon Leader, teach me that move you just used."

Looking at his subordinates cheering and surrounding him, Zhang Chu'an realized that standing in the sunlight was truly nice.

And Guo Jing walked over to Xiao Zhuang and others, speaking warmly: "Your platoon leader lost; you don't think your platoon leader is shameful, do you?"

"How could that be? Platoon Leader, in my heart, you are always the most powerful."

Xiao Zhuang said hurriedly.

"Alright, kid, stop buttering me up; by the way, Sergeant Lao Pao, I remember you privately wanted to spar with Platoon Leader Zhang many times; today there's a rare chance, why don't you try?"

Guo Jing also teased Sergeant Lao Pao.

Sergeant Lao Pao, his face flushed, said: "Platoon Leader, you know my skills best; with just my little ability, I can't last ten seconds in your hands; if I spar with him, isn't that purely looking for abuse?"

Seeing Sergeant Lao Pao like this, everyone in the platoon couldn't help but burst into laughter; after all, it was rare to see Sergeant Lao Pao admit defeat voluntarily.

"Alright, everyone, stop laughing at Sergeant Lao Pao; what did today's spar teach us? That there are always people better than us, and heavens beyond heavens; only by keeping a humble attitude can we constantly improve; only then, even if we lose, we can win it back next time."

After Guo Jing finished speaking, he shouted to the whole platoon: "Do you understand?"

"Understood."

The whole platoon responded in unison.