Chapter 298: Do You Want This Blessing?

Xiong Yao nodded: "The full name of the Armed Police is the People's Liberation Army of Dragon Country Armed Police Force; they are also soldiers, so they naturally have to participate. In the past, whenever it was a physical‑type event, without exception they always took first place."

"Next year, our Division will send you, so you can really show them some color!"

Lu Yang suddenly felt a draft slipping in through his collar, and an inexplicable chill ran over his body.

He forced out a polite yet awkward smile: "Chief, I think I might, perhaps, should, not be very accustomed to a competition of this scale?"

Xiong Yao snorted coldly: "Even if you're not used to it, you must adapt; this is an order!"

He squinted and asked, "Kid, hearing the words 'Armed Police', are you scared?"

"Not at all!"

"Then go! Go showcase the style of our Eastern Theater, the Army Iron Foot Company!"

"Alright! Then, can I use an alias?"

"An alias? What would you use that for? What we need is to hold our heads high, to let everyone—especially those Armed Police guys—see that our Army also has talent, and to make the name Lu Yang echo across the arena!"

"......"

Lu Yang really wants to withdraw his previous three‑kilometer result.

He has already been singled out by the top Armed Police commander and has angered a whole bunch of people.

Never mind whether his current results can even qualify him for next year's arena; the poor guy is completely lost.

After the competition ends, it's unclear whether he can leave the arena safely.

Rumor has it they aren't even issuing new shoes this year; he's truly afraid those hot‑tempered guys will physically vaporize him, force‑embedding massive amounts of heavy metal.

After the Chief of Staff finished his briefing, he took a call, got into a vehicle, and left; before departing he reminded Lu Yang that he must train diligently from now on, and he'll come to observe every so often.

Moreover, it's mandatory to make progress; if there's no progress—or if he regresses—hehe...

Then the Chief of Staff gave Lu Yang's rank insignia a meaningful pat and shot him a "do as you see fit" look.

Xiong Yao rode away in a vehicle while the others laughed broadly; compared with Ma Qing'an's excitement and Wang Zhongxi's delight, Lu Yang, the person concerned, truly had a bitterness in his heart that was hard to get out.

After returning to the Sixth Company, Lu Yang propped his cheek on his hand and sat dazed by the flowerbed.

【2】 Chen Panpan, like a little duck, squatted in front of him, just staring at him, making him worry to death.

Chen Panpan was like a little duck, squatting in front of him, just staring at him like that, worrying him to death.

When Lu Yang tilted his head left and sighed, Chen Panpan hugged her legs and slid to the left; when Lu Yang turned his head right and sighed, she slid to the right again, emphasizing a "stay‑by‑your‑side" attitude.

"Platoon Leader, are you unhappy?"

"Not really?"

"Then why are your eyebrows... like this?"

Chen Panpan tilted her head, mimicking Lu Yang's worried expression, twisting her brows into a shape like the Chinese character for 'river'.

Lu Yang really wasn't interested in joking with her: "The higher-ups told me to take part in next year's Military Games, which is basically the same as the three‑army grand competition."

Chen Panpan's eyes lit up: "That's a good thing! Why aren't you happy? I heard Liu Ziqiang mention before that a Division only has a few slots, and those who go must be Soldier Kings!"

"This good thing is offered to you; do you want it?"

"I want it!"

Chen Panpan was first excited, but then, like a deflated ball, said: "But I'm sure I won't get a ranking; if I go, I'll only embarrass everyone, so I won't go; but Brother Lu, you're different, you're especially strong, you'll definitely get a ranking!"

Lu Yang explained: "You don't understand the prestige of this Military Games; participants are top experts from all fields. When the Armed Police join, all the internal security, mechanized, Special Operations units are a bunch of quench‑body freaks."

"'Quench‑body', do you know what it means?"

Chen Panpan excitedly raised her hand: "I know, I know, it's the body‑cultivation great beings in xianxia novels, who temper their bodies with heavenly thunder, walking the mortal‑to‑saint path!"

Lu Yang lightly gave her a brain‑fry: "Have you lately been secretly getting into Hong Huang topics again? Watching less, you know, affects sleep."

Chen Panpan touched her head, giggling: "I only read on weekends now; the MP3 of the novel was borrowed by Zhang Jiaheng, he hides in his blanket and watches it excitedly, sometimes at midnight he doesn't even dare to pee, and he calls me to join."

"What is he reading?"

"The Lost Tomb."

"No wonder he looks so listless during the day, I thought..."

Lu Yang glanced over; Zhang Jiaheng over there also seemed shrouded by some mysterious force, realizing Lu Yang was staring at him.

He hurriedly tucked his neck in, pretended to be more serious.

Lu Yang turned his head, looking at Chen Panpan's innocent, carefree demeanor, hesitated a moment and asked.

"May I ask you a question?"

"Sure."

"If— I mean, if you were an Armed Police soldier. You and your entire detachment's comrades were punished because of something some outsider did, losing face and also suffering huge losses."

Lu Yang looked at him seriously and said: "Suppose at a certain moment you and your teammates happen to encounter that person alone, what would you do?"

Chen Panpan replied brightly: "Of course I'd kill him."

"......"

"But he's handsome?"

"Then you have to kill him even more—shoot him, then jam a 'two‑step' into his butt!"

Lu Yang suddenly felt a localized burst of pain.

Even the usually pure Chen Panpan couldn't tolerate it, let alone those hot‑tempered Armed Police sharpshooters who follow the body‑cultivation path.

You have to know, this is the Military Games, and those who can come are the top‑most elites from all units.

They are truly one in ten thousand, the pride of the heavens, the elite Soldier Kings.

If surrounded, with Lu Yang's current strength he could at most take down one or two.

If four or five surrounded him, he is confident he can dodge with agile footwork and leg skill to get away.

But if an entire squadron, or a whole detachment of Armed Police mobile elites charged at him, Lu Yang would dig a grave on the spot and bury himself; those hot‑tempered guys would have to yank him out to whip a corpse.

"Brother Lu, why did you suddenly ask such a strange question?"

"Nothing, nothing, just curiosity."

Lu Yang sent the kid off to training.

He stood up and found the sun overhead made his head dizzy and his back was soaked with a large wet patch.

Chen Panpan walked away a few steps, then ran back again, bouncing: "Brother Yang, can you take me to see the world at next year's Military Games? I can carry your clothes and water bottle, be your sidekick."

"I want to see what the Soldier Kings of other units look like, to see how big the gap between me and them really is?"

Lu Yang saw the hopeful look on his face and couldn't bear to refuse.

After all, if something really happens, someone has to call an ambulance, right.

Chen Panpan, being so straightforward, definitely won't be like Liu Ziqiang and Sun Chen, those two slicksters who would slip away the moment trouble arises.

Of course, Zhou Kaidong also has to come; he's my old Squad Leader, and we have a deep bond; in a critical moment, he can help share some firepower.

Just then, Kang Changyi, who holds both the clerk and Acting Platoon Leader posts, came over with a message, saying the Company Commander needed him for something.

On the way there, he had already rehearsed in his mind a rough template of the "Iron Foot Eighteen Bronze Men Formation."

When the time comes, Ding Tengfei, Kong Long, Zhao Chuanwu, and Zaxi Nima—anyone who can be called—should be summoned, so that Lu Yang feels safer while he is defecating on site.

After all, a person is most vulnerable while defecating; and Little Wu always has some real skill on his body.

We also have to bring Wanbao Mountain; that kid has a big megaphone on him, which can be used to confuse sight and muddle hearing.

"Company Commander, you looking for me?"

Lu Yang didn't knock or salute; he just pushed the door open and went in.

He and the Company Commander were already on such familiar terms that they could wear the same pair of pants; being too formal would feel odd.

Ma Qing'an had a cigarette clipped to his ear, and he didn't know where it came from, hurriedly waved at him: "Come, come, I've got something to tell you."

"I just called He Zhen Tao and told him you broke the record; the Division wants you to join next year's Military Games, and he was overjoyed."

"Also, he told me something else; in past Military Games, our navy, army, and air force have always been trampled by the armed police, which made everyone lose face."

"If, if you have a chance to shine on the field and, in multiple events, completely outshine those old armed police, maybe the three‑service commanders will be overjoyed, and it might not be just a Second‑Class Merit."

"Not a Second‑Class Merit, then, what could it be?"

Lu Yang's heart raced, and his breathing became a bit rapid.

Even though the answer was already clear, he still wanted to hear those words from the Company Commander.

Ma Qing'an wore his hat askew, his spirit soaring, and said: "The thing above a Second‑Class Merit is, of course, a damn First‑Class Merit, and it's a standing First‑Class Merit! How about it, still feeling empty, got motivation now?"

Lu Yang swallowed his dry throat, his eyes blazing with a fierce craving for merit: "For a First‑Class Merit, I'll stake my life, be the bravest of the three forces, and crush those old armed police!"