He was so persuasive that he actually practiced extraordinary

Zhang Beixing turned his head and smiled faintly, replying casually, "Didn't I already say? I learned it from books."

"fart!"

Zhang Nengliang, who was standing to the side, was probably itching for a beating again, probably because he hadn't been beaten up in a long time.

"You can learn to drive a tank by reading a book? Then why bother with live-fire exercises? Just give everyone a book and teach them on their own!"

"If you don't want to talk about it, then don't. Why hide it from me?"

Sweeping across Zhang Beixing's cold gaze, Zhang Nengliang's voice gradually lowered, becoming as soft as a mosquito's buzz, and eventually fell silent.

Zhang Nengliang quickly pulled back from the brink, and seeing Zhang Beixing's increasingly bright smile, he finally recalled the fear of being dominated...

He casually looked away, hummed a little tune to himself, and remained silent, not daring to utter another sound.

Niu Nuli suddenly lowered his voice and asked mysteriously, "Hey Captain Zhang, your family isn't a military family, is it? Like, your grandfather is a military commander who specially sent you to the army for training..."

Looking at Niu Nuli's earnest and determined expression, Zhang Beixing was at a loss for words.

Sigh, you people, I've always wanted to treat you with the honesty and openness of an ordinary person, but all I get in return is distrust.

If I said I learned it from a book, then I learned it from a book, no doubt about it!

Since no one believes the truth anyway, let them speculate wildly...

Zhang Beixing glanced at him and teased, "Hey Lao Niu, can you stop being so gossipy? This doesn't fit your persona!"

"Oh right, that's a matter of privacy. Sorry for being so abrupt."

The stubborn ox tried to smile sheepishly.

"Alright, you've all had a long day, go back and rest."

Zhang Beixing waved goodbye to the two men and walked alone under the moonlight.

Under the cool moonlight, a long, dark shadow flashed past the parking lot of the Huaxia train crew.

But then, a patrol of soldiers passed by the barracks, and the dark figure retreated furtively.

Zhang Beixing glanced at it thoughtfully, and seeing that the other party had not yet succeeded, he looked away, feeling bored.

To catch a thief red-handed, you need to catch him red-handed; to drag a fox out of its den, you have to grab its tail first...

Six different national flags, each a different color, fluttered in the air above the venue.
The tall flagpole cast a row of light, interlaced shadows on the ground.

The two days of preparation time before the competition flew by, and representatives from various countries participating in this year's World Tank Competition finally arrived at the venue one after another.

The venue for the official competition is located in the demilitarized zone bordering multiple countries. As far as the eye can see, it is a desolate and sparsely populated area with rolling hills and little greenery.

Representatives and participating soldiers from various countries were fully prepared, and rows of formidable tanks were parked around the national camps. The tanks were covered with camouflage netting, concealing their main guns and anti-aircraft machine guns. These were displays of the most advanced military tank forces currently available to each country.

The competition has not yet officially begun, but a lively and tense atmosphere is already gradually spreading in the air.

Strength is the best foundation. On the Chinese team's side, the members all wore relaxed expressions, not because they were indifferent, but because they were full of confidence in their own strength.

"You're the devil I've run into!"

Wang Xiaowang suddenly appeared from somewhere, making a lot of noise.

"I don't know how these foreigners grew up, they're all so tall and strong, like oxen!"

"We drink milk every day in our unit, so why am I not growing taller?"

Wang Xiaowang's face was full of confusion, but with people coming and going around him, no one had time to pay attention to him.

Zhang Nengliang waved his hand dismissively and walked away.

"Go find Brother Dong. I don't have time to listen to your nonsense."

"How is this arguing? This is a very serious issue! Didn't we agree on a glass of milk every day to strengthen the Chinese people?" Wang Xiaowang pressed on, "This concerns the future development of the country!"

"The class monitor asked me to give the explanation, so please move aside."

Zhang Nengliang ran off like the wind. Everyone was busy with their work, and the atmosphere was very lively.

Before the opening ceremony of the competition, soldiers from different countries had time to visit and learn from each other, observe each other's tanks, exchange experiences, and foster camaraderie.

The overall atmosphere was harmonious, with everyone wearing friendly smiles. China has always been a peace-loving country, welcoming every visitor and warmly introducing themselves to the visitors.

Zhang Nengliang, who volunteered, kept moving through the crowd, introducing tanks to contestants from various countries and showcasing national strength, keeping himself very busy.

As the stirring national anthem played, everyone stopped what they were doing and talking, looked up at the podium, and quickly returned to their respective national groups.

As the opening ceremony was about to begin, participating teams from various countries quickly lined up and gathered in front of the podium.

Listening to the national anthem of the previous tank competition's victors echoing in the square, Zhang Nengliang muttered resentfully to himself:
"Just you wait, this time I'm going to cut the song."

"Silence! Pay attention to military appearance and discipline."

Niu Nuli glared at him, and Zhang Nengliang immediately quieted down.

Representatives from the competition's organizers stepped onto the stage. A foreign military officer wearing a boonie hat walked to the microphone, stood in front of a large blue screen displaying the word "International," and loudly welcomed them.

"Distinguished representatives from various countries, and brave warriors, please allow me, on behalf of the organizing committee, to extend our warmest welcome to you."

The audience erupted in applause. This is international practice; the host country must be given enough face, otherwise, if the referee is unfairly treated, there's no recourse. This has been an unspoken secret in recent years.

The old officer smiled with satisfaction and continued:
"The purpose of holding this World Tank Anti-Terrorism Competition is to explore future warfare models and the effective use of tanks in anti-terrorism operations."

"Victory and glory have been the goals pursued by soldiers around the world for countless years. Therefore, this time we will adopt a brand-new, combat-oriented approach. Finally, I wish you all the best in achieving excellent results!"

"Next, please welcome Ms. Vera to introduce the specific rules of this competition."

As soon as he finished speaking, applause erupted again in the hall.

Female officer Vera strode forward, her golden ponytail peeking out from behind her military cap, which made her look even more youthful, beautiful, and dashing.

The moment she appeared, the eyes of all the male soldiers present lit up involuntarily.

If it weren't for the fact that I'm still wearing this military uniform and feel ashamed of failing the country's nurturing, there would definitely be a lot of wailing and howling.

Vera's beautiful eyes flickered slightly as she glanced at the crowd below the stage, but not finding the figure she was looking for, she withdrew her gaze with little interest.

With clear and articulate pronunciation, Vera spoke fluent English, her clear voice resonating throughout the venue through the microphone:
"In the first round, we will still use the most traditional tank racing and firing scoring mode. The first crew to reach the firing area and complete the firing mission will receive bonus points. Three crews will be eliminated in the first round." "In the second round, team members can gather to discuss tactics..."

……

From the command tents of the various delegations, cameras transmitted live footage of the scene back. The Chinese delegation was no exception; Brigade Commander Lan Zhiguang and Battalion Commander Yang Junyu, among others, were not present at the scene.

Zhang Beixing, who had served as the chief instructor of the combined arms battalion, naturally didn't bother listening to the organizers' long-winded explanations. He was also in the command tent, watching the big screen, drinking the new Longjing tea that Lan Zhiguang had brought from China, looking leisurely as if the upcoming competition had nothing to do with him.

The camera panned across the teams of participants from various countries.

Yang Junyu clicked the mouse, freezing the image on the G country delegation.

On the large screen, the face of a bearded major from Country G appeared.

"This man is named Harvey, and he is a favorite to win this competition."

Lan Zhiguang nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly, and said, "This man is quite strong, and his subordinates are all elite soldiers. His reputation is well-deserved; the fact that foreign media think so highly of him means he's definitely not just a paper tiger."

Yang Junyu frowned slightly: "I'm more worried about Lao Niu right now."

Zhang Beixing downed the hot tea in his cup in one gulp, placed the cup back on the table, and casually glanced at the big screen out of the corner of his eye.

"This kid doesn't look honest at all; he's a cunning old fox."

Lan Zhiguang laughed heartily:
"What, Captain Zhang can read fortunes?"

Zhang Beixing casually replied, "Of course. I've been studying the Book of Changes lately, and I'm planning to accumulate more experience to conquer it in one fell swoop."

The listener may be unaware of the meaning, but the speaker may be intentional.

Come to think of it, it's been quite a while since I've been able to settle down and study properly after withdrawing my Golden Dragon Eyes.

Zhang Beixing had already thoroughly mastered the Book of Changes, a comprehensive work on ancient feng shui.

Everything is ready except for the final push. Once you accumulate a certain number of merit points, you can make a "transcendent" withdrawal of this book. Who knows what new surprises it will bring? Let's wait and see.

Lan Zhiguang didn't take Zhang Beixing's words to heart, assuming he was joking, and turned to ask:
"But with that rascal Zhang Nengliang in our crew, we shouldn't be afraid of Harvey when it comes to scheming and trickery, right?"

“There’s really no need to worry,” Zhang Beixing interjected. “If they dare to use force, I’ll take care of them all in no time.”

Upon hearing Zhang Beixing's guarantee, Lan Zhiguang burst into laughter:

"Haha, alright, Zhang Beixing, I'm relieved to hear you say that!"

When the stirring national anthem finished playing, it meant that the first round of the competition was about to officially begin.

Zhang Beixing looked away from the screen, said "It's my turn," and then turned and walked out of the barracks, striding towards the venue to meet Niu Nuli and Zhang Nengliang.

Brigade Commander Lan Zhiguang and Yang Junyu watched Zhang Beixing leave together, and then their eyes returned to the big screen.

Looking at Niu Nuli's resolute face in the video, Lan Zhiguang remained silent for a moment before letting out a sigh:
"Although Harvey is a tough opponent, Zhang Nengliang will not suffer any losses. With Lao Niu's excellent military skills and Zhang Beixing's absolute martial prowess, I believe that this golden combination of the three of them will not disappoint me."

"It's a pity that this is the first and probably the last time such a combination will happen."

Yang Junyu glanced at the brigade commander sideways and asked in a low voice:

"Is Niu Nuli planning to retire from the army?"

Lan Zhiguang gave an irrelevant answer: "If he wants to leave, no one can stop him. But I hope he can stay."

"Letting a highly qualified military talent like Lao Niu leave would definitely be a loss for the military. Hopefully, this competition can bring him new motivation."

Yang Junyu smiled slightly, but he didn't think Niu Nuli would insist on retiring from the army.

"As long as Lao Niu doesn't leave, how could the Golden Train Crew possibly be the last? Brigade Commander, you're overthinking it."

Lan Zhiguang shook his head and said softly, "I hope so. But don't forget, Zhang Beixing isn't one of our soldiers. He's a special forces soldier from the Wolf Fang Special Operations Brigade. Do you really think you can poach him?"

“If he can come, I’d give up my battalion commander position to him.”

Yang Junyu laughed it off, his expression completely genuine and seemingly unaffected.

In the military, there's no such thing as hiding one's abilities and biding one's time. It's a place where strength reigns supreme and the victor is king.

A person with real ability is a truly promising talent, and will earn everyone's respect and desire; they will be in high demand no matter where they are.

In this peaceful era, Yang Junyu naturally admired Zhang Beixing, who had risen from a recruit to a lieutenant colonel in the army through numerous military achievements.

Lan Zhiguang smiled slightly: "I think Zhang Beixing is not someone that can be bought off by a battalion commander. His ambitions are definitely not limited to this."

Yang Junyu wanted to say something more, but Lan Zhiguang waved him off:
"Alright. Instead of indulging in wishful thinking here, let's focus on how to train a new armored soldier king so that he can carry the banner of the Ninth Brigade in the future."

Upon hearing this, Yang Junyu couldn't help but smile knowingly and cheerfully said:
"Actually, Zhang Nengliang is quite good. He went to the battlefield with Zhang Beixing and has real combat experience, which is something I am ashamed of myself for."

"Moreover, his tank skills have improved rapidly in just one year. If the Ninth Brigade can truly produce a new armored soldier king, I believe that person will definitely be him."

"Oh ho." Lan Zhiguang asked, feigning surprise, "You speak highly of him. I've heard you often criticize him?"

Yang Junyu chuckled:
"I learned all of this from you. Jade needs to be carved to become a useful object. Zhang Nengliang is just a 'beggar.' If I don't teach him a lesson, he probably won't know how high my expectations are."

Lan Zhiguang gave a soft "hmm," and after a moment's thought, added a token remark:
“There’s a limit to how much you should scold someone. I’ve heard that this kid has always wanted to go to the red blood cell department. Let’s not try to steal him and end up losing more than we gain. We might not be able to recruit Zhang Beixing, but instead he might steal one of our key employees.”

"Understood!" Yang Junyu stood at attention immediately.

……

With thirty minutes remaining before the start of the first round of the preliminary competition, the participating soldiers from various countries were doing their final warm-up exercises.

Wang Xiaowang, La Qiangdong, and several other soldiers from the original squad were conducting a final pre-race inspection of the tanks, showing great care and attention.

"Your Chinese tanks are indeed very good, very good."

"Thank you."

After seeing off the last group of foreign athletes who came to visit, Zhang Nengliang exchanged a few polite words with them before finally letting out a long sigh of relief.

However, before he could fully exhale, someone else arrived uninvited.

Harvey, the pre-match favorite and much-discussed champion, strolled confidently towards the Type 965 tank with two subordinates, beaming with pride. (End of Chapter)