Chapter 109: The Sharp Sword, Out of Its Scabbard, Must Cut Down the Enemy

  Ai's emotions were complex, she wasn't a person who advocated for violence. From childhood to adulthood, she had always lived in the upper echelons of society, never experiencing any setbacks or idolizing anyone, including her grandfather and great-grandfather who stood at the pinnacle of power. Perhaps it was because she had seen too much, treating high-ranking officials and nobles equally, and having encountered many skilled bodyguards. In her youth, she had even observed several military drills of varying scales, and as a trainee war correspondent, she had come into contact with several mysterious special forces units within the country, and had also followed peacekeeping troops onto the battlefield.

  It can be said that Tian's proud daughter Ai's life is perfect, with a good personality and being approachable, but deep down, she has never had any ripples. To own her and gain her love, one must first conquer her.

  Excellent men are like big white cabbages in the market for Ai Ai, they can be seen everywhere, her eyes have become picky and her heart has become big. Every time her family introduces a boyfriend to her, she will feel annoyed. Finally, she set a rule for herself: if you want me, come and conquer me first.

  Business magnate, government dignitary, wealthy family, sports star, literary prodigy...

  All kinds of excellent talents, even if you are just a bookworm, only understand your own research in that one inch and three points land, it's okay, as long as you can reach the ultimate in your industry, you are also a hero, and also the real man in everyone's eyes.

  Alas, over the years, Ai Ai had not found that person, and could never find that kind of heart-pounding feeling that came suddenly. But just today, when that man walked out of the collapsed factory building, Ai Ai felt as if she had been electrocuted, a feeling that was indescribable and unclear, something that had never happened before, and wasn't quite understood what it was.

  He wasn't an exceptionally handsome guy, nor was he a stylish man who caught people's eyes. But when he walked out covered in dust and blood, Ai Ai thought he looked incredibly handsome, so handsome that her heart skipped a beat, and she had an inexplicable urge to get closer to him.

  She didn't know if it was love that had arrived, she didn't resist, and if it really came, she would accept it gladly. As long as the other person wasn't married, it didn't matter, but she couldn't be certain, and needed to verify. Before verifying, her brain's unconscious behavior pushed her to pick up her phone, with an extremely lame excuse, becoming the first outsider to enter the training base.

  "I'm returning your communication device."

  Zhang Shidong's room was warm, which made Ai Ai feel drowsy after experiencing the double impact of cold wind and hot air. First she felt cold, then her body was warmed up by the flames at the scene, but before entering here, her body was pierced by a gust of cold wind again. As soon as she sat down in the warm room, Ai Ai's eyelids began to droop before she could say two words.

  "Take a rest for a while, the interviews outside are nothing new. Later I'll arrange for you to have a simple interview here, guaranteed to be an exclusive interview with the rescue and liberation army, so don't worry."

  Having obtained Zhang Shidong's promise, it was like the last anesthetic that thoroughly defeated Ai Ai. After drinking a bowl of ginger soup to warm up, she, who had a cleanliness habit, had never lain down on anyone's bed before, even as a war correspondent, she would rather sleep in a sleeping bag than sleep in someone else's used bed. But today, for some reason, she lay on Zhang Shidong's bed and even allowed him to open the military quilt and cover it over her body.

  "Take a good rest." Zhang Shidong indeed liked beautiful women, but he didn't have too many improper thoughts about Ai Ai. He simply liked her personality and was willing to become friends with her like buddies, just as when he first met her at the Cool organization's event, she brought a large group of top bands and models to cheer him on, he was also willing to pay out something for his friends.

  "Hmm, don't lie to me?" Ai Ai still had some doubts. She knew that now was the best time for an interview. Missing this opportunity would be unforgivable for a live-type host and a reporter who missed out on first-hand news. Before closing her eyes, she asked uncertainly once more.

  Zhang Shidong reached out his hand, without any evil intentions, and gently touched Ai Ai's forehead: "Smile in front of the camera, smile at work, smile when meeting people... When not in public, there is no need to smile. Actually, you look good even when you're not smiling, it's just that your stunning smile has overshadowed it. Having seen your image on TV so many times, I actually prefer the slightly melancholic expression rather than the perfect one."

  He finished speaking and left, but Ai Ai, who was lying in bed, couldn't sleep. Her whole body was stiff, her hands tightly grasping the sheets. After Zhang Shidong opened the door and left, she opened her eyes, gazing at the door with a bewildered expression.

  This is Ai's little secret. From young to old, whoever saw her would say that this little girl was really cute when she smiled. As she grew older, her smiling face was much more beautiful than her non-smiling one. Some people even said that when she didn't smile, the space between her eyebrows and her nose were not auspicious. Smiling had become her trademark, and it also became the best tool for her to become more and more beautiful. Over time, she got tired of smiling, didn't want to smile anymore, but found that she couldn't help but smile.

  She had secretly told herself that if someone said you were beautiful even when not smiling, this person would definitely become the one she trusted most. If it was a girl, they would be best friends; if it was a boy and he wasn't the type to make her heart skip a beat, they would be sworn brothers.

  What about Zhang Shidong? Uniting two into one, Ai Ai hasn't truly experienced romance before, but she isn't lacking in knowledge on this aspect either.

  Fell in love, liked it.

  Then it's love, then it's liking.

  Ai Ai's body shrunk slightly, smelling the faintly fresh scent, intentionally putting her nose to the edge of the quilt, and the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, revealing a genuine smile that had not been seen for a long time.

  ……………

  Outside is bustling, but inside the training base is solemn. Everyone does their job as usual. The number of sentries on duty has been doubled to prevent reporters from sneaking in. In the cafeteria, four dishes are being cooked under Zhang Shidong's arrangement: braised pork with vermicelli, stewed goose with pickled vegetables, shredded meat with big pancakes, and braised fish.

  Enough quantity, delicious taste, guaranteeing a basic configuration of three catties of braised pork, one big goose and one fish for eight people per table. The cooks were busy now, those eliminated soldiers took a short rest before entering the kitchen to help, hot fire burning in the temporary stove pits on the outer small playground, large pots placed on top, drawing fire with steam rising high.

  The people inside took a short rest and then voluntarily intensified their practice. Now, they don't need anyone to supervise them; one by one, they practiced with all their might. The ones who were eliminated outside saw Zhang Shidong's expression as very complicated, having both regret and hatred, but more of it was a sense of pity - pity that they didn't persevere a bit longer and didn't learn the real thing.

  I saw a two-year-old soldier who was exceptionally excellent in all aspects, scraping fish scales and wiping away tears in front of the large aluminum basin. He was young and eliminated, but still had a strong sense of regret. Today, I saw Zhang Shidong's true skills, he is the only one among all people who has more regret than pity. Others are destroyed by their will and three views after questioning Zhang Shidong's moral character, they were eliminated without regret. This less-than-twenty-year-old kid is more in pursuit of the strong, now that the opportunity is gone, he is very regretful.

  Zhang Shidong moved a chair to sit beside him, the large pot with ten mouths raised the temperature nearby, and the big fire on the opposite side of the road also heated up the ground within several kilometers, it was warm outside, and many soldiers took off their coats.

  He lit a cigarette, and Zhang Shidong first sighed, patted the little warrior's head and said, "Do you like being a soldier?"

  "Hmm." The little warrior with a grudge didn't even lift his head. He had begged before, but no one gave him another chance.

  "Then do a good job, calm down and don't think about all sorts of things. You should know that the outside society is far more tempting than my destroying your willpower. I just used a little bit of striking method to make you lose balance in your mind. If you really encounter special situations in urban warfare, can you still expect your superiors to give you orders or escape?"

  Zhang Shidong's tone rose, and the people nearby all pricked up their ears to listen. The sound of scraping fish scales, chopping goose meat, and cutting sour vegetables stopped, leaving only the outside noise and Zhang Shidong's gradually rising tone.

  "I've shown you a despicable image, haven't I? You want to beat me up, don't you think that in your values, it shouldn't be like this? I'm destroying the thinking pattern you've had since childhood. Good people and bad people aren't judged by appearance, but by this." Zhang Shidong pointed to his heart.

  "Suppose you have an armed thug in front of you, who has taken a hostage and is holding a gun to the hostage's temple. The whole body is hiding behind the hostage in a troubled area. He demands that you put down your gun, if not, he will kill the hostage. What would you do?"

  "Continue to warn the other party? Put down the gun? Or fire? Assuming your marksmanship is not a problem, the other party exposed his brow during the retreat. Will you shoot?"

  The scene was silent, they were all waiting for Zhang Shidong's answer.

  "If it were me, I would pull the trigger, even if I failed, even if I carried a life on my back, even if I took off my uniform, even if I spent the rest of my life in pain and guilt. What are we? What kind of soldier am I training to be here?"

  "The last resort. It's the police, armed police, and special police who can't handle it, so you're deployed. Once you engage in combat, there's only one goal: kill him, don't hesitate, and don't underestimate your colleagues in front of you. Your purpose is to solve the problem in the simplest and fastest way possible, because you're the last resort, you have no time, and the culprit's psychological limit is about to be reached."

  "You indulged the enemy, compromised with the villain. Let's not talk about whether they fired at you first or not. If he ran away and even if he didn't escape your line of sight, during his escape, what if he opened fire on civilians? People would still die. What choice would you make? So, the soldiers I trained are a bunch of rascals, they don't talk about grand principles, they are the last line of defense for the country and the people. In the face of choices between 1 and N, they wouldn't hesitate. They are also the most psychologically resilient group of soldiers."

  "A sharp sword, out of its scabbard, must cut down the enemy."

  "Even if it's a double-edged sword, I have no regrets."

  "There is no way back behind you."

  "What's the difference, even if I'm infamous?"

  "Go and simmer for a while, go and settle down. You've lost your dignity, you've lost your pride, you've lost your temper. When that time comes, I welcome you anytime, because at that time, you won't be arrogant, you won't be obsessed with honor. Because, you are just shadows, the shadow of the motherland, the shadow of the people."

  PS: Thanks for the reward from 800116 and sold a cute.