Chapter 530: You

Everyone immediately turned their gaze to Zhou Kaidong, as if wanting to verify the truth.

When they saw Zhou Kaidong nod vigorously with a serious expression, each person felt a slight lift from their previously listless state.

Not for any other reason, but because this is the Special Forces' secret training site, so that they can also conduct training here later.

Whether as Army or Navy, the words "Special Operations" are a mountain that ordinary soldiers cannot surpass.

It represents absolute strength and absolute authority.

Regular unit selection starts from the New Recruit Company.

But Special Operations selection comes from the most elite units and must pass through multiple rounds of selection.

In other words, if you have even the slightest flaw, or even a bit of bad luck, they will reject you.

"Brother Lu, I'm just so impressed with you; how did you find this place? That's amazing!"

"I heard Auntie Kang talk about it before; I thought it was bragging, but it's actually real?"

"So on this island, are there Special Operations people there? Should we train together with them?"

"Also, that thing where they hang someone upside down on a tree and whip them—what kind of training is that? Why haven't we heard of it? Is it some kind of reverse interrogation, pretending to be captured, a twisted training?"

Lu Yang watched these guys, who earlier were spouting nonsense like invertebrates, suddenly perk up at the interesting content.

"What's the exact situation? Once we land on the island, you'll know, right?"

Lu Yang slammed the steering wheel hard to the left, heading toward the back of the island, that is, the south.

Kang Changyi, seeing this, hurriedly warned, "Wrong, wrong."

"Where's the mistake?"

"The landing spot is at that location; there's a shallow sandbank on the north‑west side where you can drive the boat straight onto it. Trust me, Zhou Kaidong and I have been there before, I know the way!"

"Heh, you remember it quite clearly."

Lu Yang let out a cold chuckle; he had already fully figured out who had delivered that batch of supplies when they were on the island.

It was just that at the time he was busy training on the southern cliff, so he hadn't encountered it.

Soon, with practiced ease, he steered the speedboat to the rugged reef shore on the south.

"We've arrived, disembark."

Even though it was already dark.

But they could still see the reef beach being pounded by waves.

Initially, everyone thought there was some opening here that they could go through.

But when they stepped off the boat onto the slick stones, they realized there was no entrance at all, let alone a path.

Wu Sida asked with a wild imagination, "Instructor, could you be planning to have us stay on this reef beach overnight, letting the waves temper our bodies and forge our will?"

Lu Yang waved his finger, "You reminded me; this could be a reserved training item for strengthening willpower. However, the waves are too small today—better wait for a typhoon's harsh weather, which would be more suitable."

Everyone's muscles tensed instantly, and they glared fiercely at Wu Sida.

They were just a jinx, afraid Lu Yang would have no way to handle us.

Kang Changyi was the first to muster courage, bracing himself against a stone, feeling his way forward a few steps, and looking up at the nearly ninety‑degree vertical cliff wall.

He seemed to see on the cliff wall a series of small protrusions, like large nails attached to the surface.

Just as he wondered what they were for, Lu Yang formally announced the next training item.

"First training: island landing."

"Haven't we already come up?"

"This is a reef beach, not a true island landing in the proper sense."

"Isn't there a shallow sandbank over there you can go straight onto? Why not take that route?"

Lu Yang looked at Kang Changyi, "You're talking a bit too much, you know?"

Kang Changyi quickly fell silent, thinking Lu Yang was here for the first time and had taken the wrong path due to ignorance of the specifics.

But he himself had properly set foot on the island, gaining experience; he even knew the island's general terrain, where it was flat and where tents could be erected.

He still remembers the instructor in a tactical vest, stern and sharp‑tongued, exuding the aura of a high‑level master.

Lu Yang continued, "I want you, in a moment, to climb up this rock wall one by one."

"What?"

"How are we supposed to climb that?"

"It's so high, almost vertical, too dangerous, right?"

"It just rained, the reef beach is slick, the rock wall is covered in moss—how could we possibly climb it?"

People find it hard to understand things beyond their cognition.

Here, some people have never experienced rock‑climbing training.

Even if they have, it was with safety gear on a dedicated climbing wall.

A professional climbing wall has footholds, places to leverage, soft mats on the ground, and safety ropes, so a slip wouldn't cause major trouble.

But in the wild, climbing a smooth vertical cliff is no different from courting death.

Lu Yang, with a bundle of rope on his back, let out a cold cough, and the chatter instantly fell silent.

Around them only the sound of waves crashing against the reef rose and fell.

He said gravely, "If we were at war now and had to conduct an island assault; you're the enemy—where would you set up an ambush? The beach, the shallow sandbank, that's a given."

"Have you seen the movie 'Normandy Landing'? The bunkers are placed on both sides of the shallow sandbank, forming a crossfire network."

"Soldiers in the landing craft who try to rush up must face the fire network directly; as many as come, as many will die."

"Blood flows like a river, bodies litter the ground, and even a single bullet can take two lives."

Everyone remained silent, quietly watching him, and Lu Yang watched them in return.

"What is the Raptor Team's duty?"

"It's infiltration, covert entry, reconnaissance, coordinating to destroy key facilities, preparing for the main force's arrival."

"You think the cliff is steep, the rock wall too slick, impossible to climb, and the enemy will think the same, especially in the rain."

"Report!"

Chen Panpan raised a hand and asked a question: "What if the enemy does the opposite, deliberately setting an ambush here—wouldn't that be a trap for us?"

Lu Yang thought the question was good: "That possibility does exist, but you should know; even if an ambush is set here, the danger coefficient is still far lower than a frontal approach."

"In plain terms, at most three or four people are sent to guard the cliff top, and after a while they have to turn on flashlights and peek down."

"If, like today, there's no moon, the surf is loud, and it's a backlit side, doesn't that provide perfect natural cover?"

"And at the same time on the shoal, there could be thirty to forty people digging fortifications, wielding rocket launchers and heavy machine guns…"

Lu Yang had already made it clear: the more dangerous the place, the easier it is to be overlooked.

The island's perimeter is so long that even if the enemy has a whole regiment, they can't defend every position.

Therefore, places that seem dangerous and impossible often produce unexpected results.

But a new problem arises: what if the advance fails and they die before the main force arrives—what then?

If it's a real battle and they are the vanguard, they actually aren't afraid of death.

After all, at that time they know sacrifice is meaningful; as soldiers they are willing to risk their lives, but now it's just training—this is taking it too far, right?

Lu Yang understood everyone's concerns, so he volunteered: "How about this—I'll find someone to demonstrate first, then we go up one by one, okay?"

"Alright, alright, alright!"

The group nodded like chicks pecking grain, and Kang Changyi was the most excited.

Just as he wondered who would be so brave to volunteer first, a gaze landed on him.

"Kang Changyi, you go first."

"Huh?"

Kang Changyi slammed his chin to the ground, stunned: "I—I can't."

Lu Yang: "Can't do it, or just don't dare? I know you learned rock climbing at the military academy, don't pretend to be dead."

Kang Changyi shook his head wildly: "I'm not pretending to be dead; I'm afraid that if I slip even once, I'll actually fall to my death. At the academy they always used safety ropes and soft mats; there's no such protection here, so I don't dare go up."

Lu Yang pulled him out directly: "Weren't you just bragging, saying you've been here before and have seen elite Special Forces training? No one here has more experience than you; you're the best to demonstrate."

"What about Zhou Kaidong? He's also seen it, has more service years than me—why not let him go?"

"He's the Squad Leader of my New Recruit Company; what if he gets injured or broken?"

Zhou Kaidong grinned, giggling foolishly.

Those words sounded oddly heart‑warming, instantly easing the chill and the discomfort in the stomach.

Which veteran Squad Leader doesn't hope his troops succeed and keep his reputation in mind?

Which teacher doesn't wish his students to flourish everywhere and hopes they might visit after graduating?

Kang Changyi turned green when he heard that.

Social customs, when said face‑to‑face, you can't even pretend, can you?

If I get hurt or die, you wouldn't feel sorry?

Ding Tengfei chuckled reassuringly: "Kang Changyi, don't worry; if you happen to die from a fall later, we'll make sure you go out gloriously and with dignity."

The others all grinned: "Hehe, doesn't that mean we get to feast?"

"It's more than just feasting; I have to eat and take everything. This guy is too stingy normally."

"I'll handle the plastic bags for packing, I'll pack the drinks, I'll take away all the remaining alcohol…"

Kang Changyi, anguished, pointed at them: I haven't even started climbing, I'm not even cold yet!

These heartless ones are already eyeing the feast, wanting to eat and take everything, even packing away the napkins!

Lu Yang urged: "Make good use of time; if you're hesitating, just stay put."

Kang Changyi clenched his fists, silently walked to the rock wall, repeatedly telling himself he must save face and prove his strength to everyone.

But when he looked up at the rain dripping from above and the endless smooth rock face, his heart ultimately gave way to retreat.

"I—I can't."

"Tch~"

I thought this guy was going to make a big show, but after brewing for half a day, he just pulled a big lump.

As Kang Changyi walked back, he stubbornly muttered: "If there were safety ropes, I'd dare!"

The others laughed and surrounded him, mocking: "With safety ropes, who wouldn't dare? I would too; just talking is useless—if it's not possible, it's not possible."

Kang Changyi snapped: "Anyone got the guts to go up? This sheer vertical wall in the rain makes it impossible for anyone to climb; even if someone makes it, there's at least a fifty‑percent chance they'll fall to death!"

"Maybe, maybe someone actually could climb up."

"In this situation, who would dare climb without protection? I'd call them 'dad'—that's what I say!"