Chapter 126

East side of the island

The airport, barracks, command building and other base facilities are all situated here.

The remaining area of the island is the primeval forest that Umbrella deliberately preserved.

At this moment, the coastal beach at the edge of the base facilities

"Everyone, perk up! Stop lounging! Can't you get enough sleep?! In a bit, run ten kilometers with me to wake up!"

A drill instructor wearing a black short‑sleeve shirt on the upper body and jungle‑camouflage combat pants on the lower body was shouting at a group of recruits.

"Yes! Sir!"

Standing in front of the instructor, with their backs to the sea, the thirty recruits also responded loudly.

These recruits, dressed in black short‑sleeve shirts and shorts, varied in height but were generally of standard build, and their faces were somewhat youthful.

They appeared to be only sixteen or seventeen years old.

In fact, the recruits training on Minos Island are 14‑ to 16‑year‑old orphans selected by the Red Queen and White Queen from orphanages around the world.

The instructors, meanwhile, are "part‑time" members from four USS squads.

Since Minos Island was completed, the USS garrison moved from the mother nest to Minos, with Han Ke serving as the island's overseer.

However, four Alpha were not stationed on Minos Island because they were responsible for Sui Bian's security.

In fact, Sui Bian today could be described as one of the top combat forces not only within Umbrella but even among all humanity.

But Sui Bian's role as owner and chairman naturally requires the Alpha to handle duties such as driver, assistant, and bodyguard.

On Minos Island, besides the "part‑time" instructors, the USS's main duty remains covertly eliminating forces hostile to Umbrella.

Last year, after pressuring the U. S. government and attempting to unite major global corporations to oppose Umbrella's families, Umbrella delivered its most direct and blunt response

which was the "clean‑up operation" carried out by the USS.

As professional personnel, with the assistance of the Red Queen and White Queen, the USS left no trace at all.

The leaders of the two most radical families seemed to have died violently overnight as if struck by a sudden disaster.

There was no evidence indicating Umbrella's handiwork.

Nevertheless, the other families understood that Umbrella deliberately refrained from total extermination, so they settled down and would not engage in any small actions in the short term.

Currently, each USS is responsible for thirty recruits, totaling about two thousand new soldiers, who are undergoing daily morning beach running training.

Following the usual procedure.

After the morning run, the recruits spend the rest of the morning receiving cultural lessons, tactics and theory from professional teachers and the USS, and they also need to understand the operating principles of various weapons.

At noon, there is a two‑hour free period for eating and resting.

From afternoon until before dusk, they receive physical, hand‑to‑hand, survival, and shooting training from the USS.

After evening, it is again free time for the recruits.

They may also use the entertainment room's computers and game consoles for LAN battles, or go to the media room to watch movies or TV series.

In short, the living conditions are far beyond what an orphanage could compare to.

The intensity of military training is not overly high, after all the recruits are at the age of physical growth.

Each USS and the thirty recruits they oversee constitute a single collective.

The USS not only teach military matters but also instruct these still‑forming recruits on how to be human and why they do everything they do.

Moreover, there is an assessment at the end of each month.

The collective that ranks first in the assessment receives corresponding rewards, such as a full day off or a trip to the nearest African country.

Conversely, the collective that ranks last faces penalties, the most "severe" being assigned two days of toilet‑cleaning duties.

Even the USS serving as instructors must share the punishment with the recruits.

After a year of training.

Putting combat capability aside for now, the recruits' collective sense of honor is especially strong.

Originally orphans, the recruits have experienced parental‑like guidance, criticism, and care from the USS, and share hardships with comrades of similar age.

Moreover,

No one wants to clean toilets for two days.

The stench is one thing; the main issue is how embarrassing it is!

In another two years, this batch of recruits will become the backbone of Umbrella.

After the first batch, a second, third, and subsequent batches will graduate from Minos, continuously supplying Umbrella with a steady stream of personnel.

In the future, Minos Island will also serve as Astate's training base.

However, the ten OriginalBody have not yet reached adulthood, so the recruitment plan for the new generation of Astate has not been launched.

Nevertheless,

At this moment, the OriginalBody are on Minos Island, experiencing wilderness survival in the island's forest.

When the recruits followed the USS instructor for the morning run, a Fisher‑Eu vessel voluntarily deactivated its Optical Camouflage and appeared over the waters east of Minos Island.

Soon, under the guidance of the base tower, the Fisher‑Eu slowed as it approached the airport and switched to vertical take‑off/landing mode over the landing field.

Two military‑green Humvees drove along the edge of the runway and stopped directly near the tail of the Fisher‑Eu.

The aircraft doors and vehicle doors opened almost simultaneously.

Sui Bian and four Alpha stepped out of the cabin; the ones disembarking were Han Ke and four armed security guards.

"Major, your management of Minos Island is excellent," Sui Bian said, seeing Han Ke come to greet him, and made a rare joke:

"I never thought the living legend once nicknamed 'Death God' would unexpectedly be fit to be a school principal in management."

Seeing his most loyal early subordinate again, Sui Bian still made jokes, though his facial expression changed little.

"Just obeying the gentleman's orders,"

Han Ke likewise answered with a flat expression, seemingly as taciturn as usual.

"You've worked hard." At this moment, Sui Bian spoke with a slightly heavier tone: "You bear a heavy responsibility; if there's anything needed on Minos Island, just say it."

"Yes." Hank did not shirk.

"Alright, let's talk as we walk."

"Yes."

Following, Sui Bian and Hank et al. boarded a Humvee and drove away from the airport, heading toward the base complex.

Soon after.

The command building located at the center of the base.

Inside a large conference room on the fifth floor.

Sui Bian stood behind the east-side floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the energetic new recruits on the beach who also had clear fighting goals.

"Swish-!"

Just then, the conference room's automatic door opened.

"Thud! Thud!"

And a group of "people" with extremely heavy footsteps walked into this conference room.

"Father."

The leading "person" called Sui Bian father, so the identity of this group of "people" became apparent.

Upon hearing "father," Sui Bian's mouth corner involuntarily twitched up slightly, but his expression returned to its original faint smile, which flashed by.

He turned around and saw ten sons wearing jungle camouflage combat uniforms, their faces somewhat dirty.

(End of chapter)