He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

Niu Nuli didn't finish his sentence, but the other two understood that he was referring to considering leaving the military.

"I heard you were going to retire from the army, and Ma Hanyuan and the others took turns trying to persuade you, but you wouldn't listen. Who was so capable of persuading you to come back?" Lan Zhiguang asked with a smile.

Niu Nuli looked slightly embarrassed, and Yang Junyu answered for him, "Haha, there's always someone who can subdue another. It's all thanks to Zhang Beixing that we were able to pull him back from the brink of disaster!"

Lan Zhiguang nodded: "Niu Nuli, Yang Junyu was right about something he said before."

"If I were to order you to participate in this tank competition, I believe you would do your best to comply."

"But I don't want that, because I hope you can genuinely participate in this competition. Whether you are fully committed or not will make a big difference in the outcome."

Niu stood at attention, looking serious.

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, Brigade Commander."

For veterans, being discharged from the military is the deepest pain in their hearts, yet it is unavoidable.

A single spark can start a prairie fire; once it's brought up, it's easy to lose control. Lan Zhiguang quickly changed the subject.

Lan Zhiguang stopped and looked at Niu Nuli with concern, asking, "Niu Nuli, I heard you were injured during the selection training. How are you now?"

Niu Nuli's expression was resolute. "It's all fine now. It won't affect the competition."

"That's good." Lan Zhiguang nodded. "You're Niu Nuli, the king of soldiers in our Ninth Brigade. We'll have to rely on you to get a good ranking in this competition."

"Definitely," Niu Nuli assured him firmly.

Lan Zhiguang reached out and patted Niu Nuli on the shoulder, his eyes full of trust.

Before he could say anything more, a slightly cheerful voice suddenly drifted over from afar.

"Comrade Brigade Commander, since I played such a big role this time, shouldn't I be rewarded?"

As soon as he finished speaking, everyone looked in the direction of the voice.

Zhang Beixing was leaning against a steel fence, waving at the group with a bright smile.

Lan Zhiguang smiled with delight.

"It's really true that you can't help but think of the devil and he appears!"

Yang Junyu asked curiously, "Lieutenant Colonel Zhang, how come you, such a busy man, have time to come over?"

Zhang Beixing strode towards the group.

"What kind of talk is that? Just because you're participating in the national competition, I can't come?"

Upon hearing this, the three people opposite him were all stunned.

Zhang Beixing continued speaking confidently to himself: "Don't forget, I'm the chief instructor of the combined arms battalion. I should at least be involved in this competition, right?"

what?
not kidding.

Are you also going to participate in the competition, Zhang Beixing?

Upon hearing Zhang Beixing's unequivocal words, the three of them were stunned once again, their faces showing expressions of astonishment.

If I remember correctly, Zhang Beixing initially refused the position of training instructor for the joint battalion, and it was only thanks to Kang Lei's intervention that the matter was settled.

How come your personality has changed so much after not seeing you for a while?
Something's fishy; there must be some hidden story.

Lan Zhiguang glanced warily at Zhang Beixing, who was standing in front of him, his eyes full of inquiry.

Zhang Beixing didn't say much. He walked straight to Lan Zhiguang, took out a confidential document from behind his back, and handed it to him.

Lan Zhiguang opened it in confusion and glanced at it, then frowned.

This...this is!?

Looking away, Lan Zhiguang pondered the confidential contents of the document, couldn't help but give Niu Nuli a deep look, and finally his gaze returned to Zhang Beixing.

Zhang Beixing acted as if nothing had happened, smiling as he asked, "Commander Lan, you won't be unwelcome if I come to participate in the competition with Lao Niu, will you?"

Are you going to compete with Lao Niu?
Now that the higher-ups have decided to send the Wolf Fang Special Forces and the Ninth Brigade abroad to compete, it seems that what is recorded in the documents is not unfounded. Niu Nuli has really been caught in the crossfire and is now in big trouble!
The mercenaries' kill list... things suddenly became tricky.

However, since a special forces mission order has been issued, temporarily replacing Niu Nuli might disrupt the superior's plans, so it seems necessary to have a serious talk with Niu Nuli.

However, at this moment, the fewer people who know about this, the better.

Lan Zhiguang remained calm, put the documents in a bag, put his hands behind his back, and spoke with a smile.

"How could that be? Of course, we warmly welcome the renowned Lieutenant Colonel Zhang from Wolf Fang to come and provide guidance!"

"Then I'll be bothering you for a while," Zhang Beixing said in a friendly greeting.

As they spoke, the two reached out their hands and made a brief handshake in mid-air.

Lan Zhiguang's eyes shone brightly as he said meaningfully, "Welcome to the International Tank Competition!"

A cry of alarm rang out from inside the combined arms battalion command tent.

"What?! A kill list?!"

Niu Nuli suddenly stood up and asked in surprise, "What is that?"

He thought for a moment, then quickly added, "What grudge could there be... that mercenaries would want my life?"

Inside the tent were only Niu Nuli and Lan Zhiguang, who were having an in-depth discussion about the confidential document.

Lan Zhiguang nodded solemnly and said in a deep voice, "That's right, your name is on the international mercenary wanted list, with a bounty of two million US dollars."

"Although there are orders from higher authorities, I still hope you can seriously consider this. Perhaps you should withdraw from this tank competition."

Niu Nuli did not answer directly, but changed the subject.

"Hehe, my head is now worth more than the six apartments my family got from the demolition compensation. If word got out, my son would be scared to death!"

"Niu Nuli..."

As he spoke, Niu stood at attention, his voice firm and resonant.

"report!"

"I've made up my mind. This competition might be an honor that a soldier might only experience once in his entire life, so I must participate!"

Lan Zhiguang frowned and asked, "But this competition is overseas. If a dangerous situation occurs, we will have difficulty dealing with it."

“Even if it’s an overseas competition, surely there are basic security measures in place?” Niu Nuli pondered. “Besides, Zhang Beixing’s insistence on participating at this time is probably for this very reason.”

Seeing Niu's perseverance in upholding his own opinions and his willingness to disregard his personal safety for the sake of national honor, Lan Zhiguang was deeply moved.

“Niu Nuli, you are the most outstanding soldier I have ever led. With the national interest at stake, I cannot make any decision for you. I hope you will consider this carefully.”

Niu Nuli shook his head resolutely, his words firm and certain.

"No need, I've already made up my mind!"

Seeing this, Lan Zhiguang stopped trying to persuade him and stood up to pat Niu Nuli on the shoulder with his strong hand.

"Okay, I respect your choice, and I believe that your era of hard work is far from over."

As he spoke, Lan Zhiguang walked up to Niu Nuli and looked him straight in the eye with a calm gaze.

Niu Nuli met his gaze, and the two remained silent for a long time, neither uttering a word.

Old Niu could tell that the brigade commander seemed to have something to say, but since the brigade commander didn't speak, he didn't feel comfortable asking first.

After a long while, Lan Zhiguang finally couldn't hold back any longer.

Lan Zhiguang sighed softly, his tone carrying a certain indescribable meaning.

“Niu Nuli, I’ve been training you since you were a recruit. I’ve watched you grow step by step and eventually become the king of soldiers in the Ninth Brigade. It wasn’t easy.”

Niu Nuli didn't know why the brigade commander suddenly brought these things up, but he was always straightforward and spoke his mind without ambiguity.

He immediately replied without looking away, "Of course I remember, and I'll never forget it."

“When I was a new recruit, I almost lost my life during an exercise. It was you, Brigade Commander, who dragged your injured leg and let me climb out of the ditch by stepping on your shoulder. As a result, you suffered from an old injury that lasted for many years, and I have always felt bad about it.”

Upon hearing Niu Nuli suddenly mention this past event, Lan Zhiguang couldn't help but shake his head and laugh.

"I'd trade one leg for your life, what's not worth it?" Lan Zhiguang laughed. "Even if I had to use my other leg to save you now, I wouldn't hesitate."

"Do you know why?"

The cow shook its head vigorously, remaining silent.

Lan Zhiguang said decisively, "Because you are a good soldier, a king of soldiers that I personally trained. No one in this army understands your abilities better than me. Your value is far more than that of a sergeant major!"

Upon hearing such high praise, Niu Nuli scratched his head somewhat embarrassedly.

"Well... hehe, brigade commander, your words make me a little embarrassed."

Lan Zhiguang smiled and sighed meaningfully.

“Niu Nuli, you are the best soldier I have ever led. It’s a pity that times have changed. Otherwise, with your qualifications and abilities, you would at least be a battalion commander now, and you would have a chance to become a regimental commander.”

Upon hearing this, Niu Nuli waved his hand and grinned from ear to ear.

"No, no, no, I don't even dare to dream of becoming a battalion commander. Although I haven't been promoted to officer several times, I will always remember your kindness to me, brigade commander."

Lan Zhiguang stopped talking and got straight to the point.

Looking at the resolute Niu Nuli in front of him, he solemnly said, "When you come back this time, I will risk my reputation to fight for another opportunity to promote you."

what?
Is the brigade commander going to personally intervene to secure a promotion opportunity for him?

That must have taken a huge amount of face and favors!

Is it worth it for him, a mere soldier?
Niu Nuli paused, then hesitated, as if he wanted to say something but stopped himself.

"Commander, this..."

But Lan Zhiguang interrupted him directly, raising his hand, "Stop being so wishy-washy, you're not allowed to refuse, obey orders."

Niu Nuli continued, keeping his eyes straight ahead: "Yes!"

He was always a soldier, and he would absolutely obey any order.

Lan Zhiguang frowned and said, "Get a good ranking, and then come back to see me alive."

Niu Nuli brushed the ground, stood at attention, and saluted.

"Guaranteed to complete the mission!"

The atmosphere inside the combined arms battalion's training dormitory was lively and enthusiastic.
The soldiers were busy with their own tasks. Some were engrossed in reading, some were carefully cleaning their weapons, and many more were chatting together, always bringing up the competition and military academy.

Zhang Nengliang has always been an independent person and did not participate in the chat, but he has indeed grown a lot during this period.

He was no longer the boastful Zhang Nengliang who was jokingly called "the good soldier made of coal," but had transformed into a truly outstanding soldier.

Since joining the training camp, Zhang Nengliang has achieved outstanding results. He used combined arms tactics on the front lines and drove a tank to defeat Niu Nuli's Type 965 tank. Yang Junyu highly praised him for "carrying the new banner of the Ninth Brigade".

Therefore, before the combined arms battalion officially entered closed training, Zhang Nengliang was promoted to deputy squad leader by Yang Junyu, becoming the most outstanding soldier among the new recruits, and did not embarrass his old squad leader Niu Nuli.

Yu Dalei, who was in the same period, was a person who always cherished dreams.

He dreamed of becoming a deputy squad leader, a squad leader, and taking the military academy entrance exam. Although some family and personal factors were involved, it is undeniable that he was also an outstanding soldier.

Although he felt a little resentful about Zhang Nengliang being promoted to deputy squad leader, he was not jealous of it.

After all, he had seen Zhang Nengliang's outstanding performance all along and had to admit that he was impressed.

The military is a place where you reap what you sow, and it will not bury any talent.

Excellent soldiers deserve the treatment and rewards they are entitled to, and there is nothing to argue about that.

For Da Lei, whether he was the deputy squad leader or the squad leader, it was just a small step on his path forward.

His pursuit and ideal was to pass the entrance exam for a military academy and become an officer.

Since becoming class monitor is out of the question for now, I can only study and review even harder to prepare for the exam.

Just like now, no matter what others are saying or doing, Yu Dalei is still engrossed in his studies, immersed in the ocean of textbooks.

Of course, he wasn't the only one who wanted to apply to military academy.

La Qiangdong, known as "Brother Dong" by everyone, also wants to take the military academy entrance exam and become an officer!
So, during training breaks, La Qiangdong also picked up a review book and studied it diligently.

La Qiangdong was truly suffering; you could tell from his face, which was scrunched up like a bitter gourd, with his nose and eyebrows almost twisted together.

There's nothing he can do; he can't compare to Yu Dalei, a college student.

La Qiangdong's cultural foundation was not solid to begin with; even with the simplest physics knowledge, he would rack his brains for a long time to figure it out.

When studying the following questions, which of the following can be considered as a point mass?

La Qiangdong stared at the multiple-choice questions in the book with a furrowed brow, and couldn't help but mutter to himself.

"A. Study the time it takes for a car to cross a bridge."

"B. The time it took for the car to travel from Beijing to Dalian."

"C. Investigate whether there is a risk of the car overturning when going uphill."

"D. Study the position of a person in a car while it is in motion."

After reading it, La Qiangdong's mind was still blank.

He sighed helplessly, put the book on the table, and turned to look at Zhang Nengliang next to him.

"Liangliang, what's the answer to this question? They all look pretty much the same to me."

"Wait a minute, let me see."

As Zhang Nengliang spoke, he picked up a book from the table, glanced at it, and said without hesitation, "Choose B!"

"So fast?"

La Qiangdong was startled and quickly snatched the book back, the pages rustling as he flipped to the answers at the back.

The answer to this question in the workbook is B!

La Qiangdong's eyes lit up, and his face immediately filled with admiration.

"Wow, it really is B! How did you measure it? Teach me!"

Zhang Nengliang smiled with a mysterious expression.

"These are all techniques, and they can't be easily passed on to outsiders."

"Come, come, have some water." La Qiangdong solicitously served tea and water, almost to the point of giving Zhang Nengliang a back massage and shoulder rub.

"Cough cough!"

Zhang Nengliang cleared his throat in a pretentious manner, just about to speak.

Just then, a voice rang out from outside the tent.

"If three are long and one is short, choose the short one; if three are short and one is long, choose the long one."

"If two are long and two are short, choose B; if they are uneven, C is the best."

Upon hearing this sound, Zhang Nengliang couldn't help but grimace.

"Who the hell is this? Can't you let me finish my act?!" (End of Chapter)