Chapter 485: Play‑Acting Becomes Real, Gao Feng Takes a Beating

At noon, Lu Yang was flipping through the daily training results in his office.

Gao Feng stormed in from outside, angry, and launched a barrage of questions at him.

"I'll ask you just one thing: if the soldiers wear out their bodies, who's responsible?"

Lu Yang looked up calmly, as if he had known Gao Feng would come all along.

He glanced at the troops watching outside, walked over, closed the door, and drew the curtains.

Gao Feng still thought Lu Yang was afraid he couldn't reason with him, so he shut the door: "Who exactly set this training plan? Do you realize the intensity is seriously over the limit?"

Lu Yang: "I know."

"Know?"

Gao Feng widened his eyes in disbelief: "You know it's over the limit, yet you keep training like this. Isn't that intentional?"

Lu Yang shook his head: "I'm not being deliberate; I'm being intentional."

Those who followed, including Ma Qing'an, were left baffled and hurriedly asked him why.

Lu Yang lifted his cup, took a sip of water, and stared at them with a calm expression.

"Have you ever shopped at a mall?"

"Don't get it, what do you mean?"

"There's a pair of branded sports shoes priced at a thousand yuan; would you buy them?"

Lu Yang answered himself: "Most likely not, because it exceeds expectations and budget. But if the shoes are marked at 2,500 yuan, and today's store celebration slashes 1,500 yuan, plus a free water cup and a pair of socks, would you buy them?"

Gao Feng knit his eyebrows, seeming to ponder the question seriously.

If the style is one he likes, he'd probably feel tempted and even think he's gotten a bargain.

The other three exchanged glances, a flash of light in their eyes, and He Zhen Tao instantly grasped Lu Yang's point.

"The training plan is deliberately overloaded, waiting for everyone to reach their limit, then finding a pretext to scale back, so that they'll actually be more willing to accept it?"

Lu Yang nodded: "Exactly that."

Gao Feng wore a skeptical expression: "So you knew we were coming?"

Lu Yang shook his head: "To be precise, I knew Company Commander Gao would definitely come; because you've always treated the soldiers like your own children, a caring Company Commander."

Gao Feng's face, which was about to flush red, instantly lost its color.

Initially, he thought Lu Yang was saying he had no scheming, that his temper was short and he'd flare up at the slightest thing.

But he didn't expect a twist later, giving him a way out; still, Lu Yang wasn't wrong—he truly cares deeply about the soldiers' feelings.

He Zhen Tao was curious: "Is this a method Chief of Staff Xiong came up with, or you…?"

Lu Yang: "I changed it. It was originally five kilometers each in the morning, noon, and evening; I swiped my pen and made it ten kilometers. Later I'll have to put on a show in front of everyone and adjust it back to five kilometers."

"Then, depending on the situation, over the next two months we'll gradually increase to six kilometers, or perhaps six and a half kilometers."

"What a clever trick!"

Ma Qing'an pressed: "And the meals—are they also intentional?"

Lu Yang: "That's not it; it's because we truly have no money, we're genuinely poor."

Everyone: "......"

Pan Yuan: "I went inventorying the Warehouse yesterday; didn't you see there's beef and mutton in the freezer, and also frozen shrimp?"

Lu Yang: "The freezer does have beef, mutton and shrimp, but the quantity is small; we can't sustain daily consumption. It can only be a symbolic extra meal on weekends, or a reward when training improves."

"But on nutrition, I've also taken note; later we'll add a boiled egg per person at each meal. Boiled eggs are the most economical protein source, their nutritional content is the ancestor of sea cucumbers."

Lu Yang's explanation was both admirable and heartbreaking.

What's admirable is his ability to first raise the price, then discount it, grasping consumers' love for a bargain.

If you start with three five‑kilometer runs daily, people won't notice, but later increasing the load could spark discontent and resistance.

But if you start with ten kilometers, then cut it in half, and gradually add a little more, the soldiers won't resent it; they'll feel grateful.

Thus, the unit becomes easier to lead, and training can be completed with quality and quantity intact.

The heartbreak stems from the fact that this unit truly has no money, is genuinely poor.

Especially when Lu Yang told them that the initial funds, equipment, supplies, and a few training devices were all "borrowed" through shady deals, it evoked an indescribable sigh.

Everyone knows how crucial funding is in building a unit; now, being penniless, lacking everything, can three months truly shape this Quick Reaction Force?

Lu Yang comforted: "When the car reaches the mountain, a road appears; when the ship reaches the bridgehead, it straightens itself. Chief of Staff Xiong once commanded a Division Zhencha Daitui, possessing rich command experience, and we're all selected from the Army's elite forces."

"In our unit, any one of us could be sent out and easily handle Squad Leader duties, and could earn rankings in Regiment competitions."

"Three months is neither too long nor too short; we'll bite the bullet, push hard, and should be able to reach the former Division Zhencha Daitui level without issue."

The four exchanged looks and all thought Lu Yang's words made sense.

The Special Third Regiment used to rank in the upper middle within the Army; otherwise it wouldn't have been selected for collective conversion to the Navy.

Those who made it here are the Regiment's top, most outstanding soldiers—a truly one‑in‑a‑hundred selection.

In three months, with Lu Yang the brilliant instructor leading training and Chief of Staff Xiong steering the big picture, raising the unit's strength a notch should be no problem.

Gao Feng asked: "Then, what's the next step—just push the door open and announce a reduction in load?"

Lu Yang shook his head: "We definitely can't be that direct; we have to argue, create a dispute, even let it escalate to physical conflict…"

"Do we have to actually fight?"

Once fists are raised and the situation escalates, Chief of Staff Xiong can step in to mediate, align with public sentiment, announce reduced training, and grant everyone half a day off each week for rest and adjustment, making everyone happy.

Everyone wore puzzled faces, curious where Lu Yang learned these tactics, thinking he was too scheming, the ploy too deep?

Lu Yang opened the left drawer, took out a book, and placed it on the table.

"The Art of Thick and Black?"

"I've been reading it lately; I'm actually putting it into practice."

They were thoroughly convinced; the same task given to them would never achieve such results.

Even though the process was a bit cumbersome, a bit convoluted, a bit scheming.

But as long as we can boost the results in a short time, slap Night Tiger Reconnaissance Battalion in the face after three months, and get more funding and support, everything is worth it.

Gao Feng took a deep breath, looked at him: "I understand. Then where do we start, what should I do?"

Lu Yang walked over, opened the door, and the onlookers outside immediately craned their necks, wanting to see what was being discussed inside.

Lu Yang had Gao Feng stand near the doorway: "Later just scold me; whatever you scolded me for before, scold me the same way later. After all, you're still defending that stance for everyone; the others will come over to intervene and mediate in a moment."

"Got it."

"Are you ready?"

"Ready for what?"

Gao Feng stared blankly at Lu Yang.

Lu Yang gave him a mischievous grin, then smashed a fist into his nose.

Gao Feng's head went blank; he stepped back two paces and ended up right at the doorway, where the onlookers saw him.

His nose burned; he touched the fresh red spot and said, "Damn you, you dare lay a hand on me?"

Lu Yang grabbed a teacup and smashed it onto the floor, shattering the glass into pieces: "What the hell if I hit you? What kind of words are you calling that? Saying I've forgotten my roots, saying I'm not human?"

"Everyone else's tired, does that mean I'm not? That training plan wasn't drafted by me; why are you shouting at me? If you're so capable, go shout at the Chief of Staff in the brigade headquarters!"

"All you do is talk big, you can't even manage the soldiers you lead, keep them in the unit; in the end it was I who begged the superiors. What right do you have to talk about me here?"

Gao Feng had earlier been thinking how to keep the act going; now his nosebleed has dried up, he's been slapped in the face, and a wave of anger surged instantly.

"Damn it, when I was in the army, you were still playing in the mud, and you're lecturing me now?! Don't forget, who led your New Recruit Company!"

"You joined the army early! All those years of service, what good did it do? You were just pushed up by me, weren't you?"

"I've been numb for a long time!"

"You spicy neighbor!"

Enraged and embarrassed, Gao Feng charged straight at him.

In the office, Ding Ling's betel nut clacked, tables and chairs rattled, curses kept coming out, and the onlooking soldiers were all stunned.

Even Kang Changyi and Guo Yongwen, who had come over after finishing their meals to join the fun, were stunned: how did it come to a fight?

"Stop fighting, stop it, cease, stop right now!"

Ma Qing'an, He Zhen Tao, and Pan Yuan each loudly tried to break up the fight while tossing notebooks and scrap paper toward the doorway, creating a false impression of a fierce battle.

The more realistic this play is, the more the soldiers will believe it without doubt.

Only then will they increasingly understand how hard‑won the upcoming "happiness" is, and thus cherish it even more.

But they didn't expect that at this moment Gao Feng was completely amped up, his stance as if he were desperate to find Lu Yang.

Lu Yang, unwilling to be outdone, kicked his little brother, sending him sprawling out the door; he clutched his leg and couldn't get up for a while.

"What are you looking at, got nothing to do?"

Lu Yang stood at the doorway, pointing at the soldiers watching the spectacle, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

The soldiers below fell silent at his command; as soon as Lu Yang said "Everyone, scram," they scattered like birds and beasts, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

When everyone had fled, Ma Qing'an walked out with a grin, looking at the crouching, pained Gao Feng: "That was pretty close to the real thing, quite professional. No wonder you managed to trick my sister."

He Zhen Tao: "Alright, Old Gao, stop pretending, get up, the floor's cold."

Gao Feng, clutching his leg, covering his groin, shouted: "You think you're a big shot, this damn guy really kicked me, ugh… it hurts me to death!"

Lu Yang quickly made an excuse to slip away, and when he saw his retreating back, Ma Qing'an and the others finally realized: the kid still holds grudges, turning the fake act into a real fight!