Dragon Raja: Lu Mingfei's War Journey

Chapter 62 The Contest with Caesar

Lu Mingfei silently ate the food in his hand. He could clearly feel that the gazes directed at him were filled with disappointment, resentment, and even anger.

Sergeant Hermann achieved his goal; he successfully transferred some of the recruits' stress and resentment from the training itself onto himself, the failed sergeant, and onto the successful sergeant and his class on the other side.

He knew he lacked management experience and there were many areas for improvement in his command today, but looking at the eyes of the people in his class, a nameless anger and a sense of powerlessness still surged in his chest.

Damn it, he didn't want to lose either! He didn't want to eat this cold soup and hard bread! But what could he do? He had already tried his best!

Just then, a burst of laughter erupted from Caesar's class, as if someone had told a joke. The laughter sounded particularly jarring in the suppressed silence of Lu Mingfei's class.

Otto slammed the dark bread he was holding onto the table with a dull thud, splashing some of the cold soup from the bowl.

"A bunch of bastards!" he growled, his voice barely containing his anger.

All eyes turned to him, then quickly glanced at Lu Mingfei.

Lu Mingfei put down the bread in his hand, raised his head, and calmly swept his gaze over Otto, then over the other silent companions, whose eyes showed the same anger.

"Can't you eat?" Lu Mingfei asked.

Otto was taken aback, not expecting Lu Mingfei to ask such a question. He retorted, "Who could eat this stuff! Look at what others are eating!"

"So?" Lu Mingfei continued to ask, his tone still calm.

"You smashed the bread, poured out the soup, and then what? Go hungry tomorrow and keep losing? Keep eating cold food? Or are you planning to steal from the next table?"

Otto was speechless and his face turned bright red.

Lu Mingfei picked up his hard bread, took a big bite, and chewed it with difficulty.

"We lost today's training session. It's my fault; I didn't command well. But you guys also had problems. Your movements were slow, uncoordinated, and you didn't cooperate well with each other," Lu Mingfei continued.

Someone tried to argue, but he stopped them by raising his hand.

"What's the point of complaining and blaming now, except to make everyone feel worse and more divided? That bastard Herman wants to see us like this."

His words stunned some people, and they began to think.

"Kaiser Hoffmann is very strong, and his command ability is better than mine, but training has only just begun. We have plenty of time, and we will definitely be able to surpass them," Lu Mingfei said firmly.

He was a little slower than Caesar when he went through those obstacles today, but that was because he was completely unfamiliar with these training exercises. Once he was familiar with them, he was confident that he wouldn't be slower than Caesar.

Just then, Caesar at the next table stood up and walked towards Lu Mingfei, carrying a plate in his hand.

"I admit you're a very good opponent, I acknowledge you, but it will be difficult for you to beat me. My team is stronger than yours," Caesar said with a smile, looking at the people next to Lu Mingfei with some disdain.

He then placed his own plate in front of Lu Mingfei, on which was an untouched sausage. He was always very generous to respectable opponents. After doing this, he turned around and sat back down.

Lu Mingfei stared blankly at the sausage on his plate, realizing that it was Caesar, the victor, mocking him.

The new recruits nearby also witnessed this scene, and they were all furious, their faces turning red. This was a direct provocation, and no one could tolerate it. Just when everyone thought Lu Mingfei would throw the sausage away...

Lu Mingfei, however, did not do that. Instead, he went to the kitchen and borrowed a kitchen knife.

Everyone in Caesar's class, including Caesar himself, looked serious when they saw the kitchen knife in Lu Mingfei's hand. Could it be that Lu Mingfei was so arrogant that he was going to fight them?

But Lu Mingfei only borrowed the kitchen knife to cut sausages. He cut the sausages into twenty-four pieces, gave one piece to everyone in the class, and kept none for himself. He licked his fingers that had just held the sausages and said casually.

"Eat up, don't waste food. You only lost once, you can win it back tomorrow."

,

He was a man who had experienced hunger, so how could he bear to waste food? At the same time, he thought of Marcelo. When Marcelo was distributing food, did he also have to resist such temptations? But now he was the leader of these people, and he had to take care of them as much as possible.

The new recruits in Lu Mingfei's class looked at the small piece of bread on their plates, then glanced at their squad leader, Lu Mingfei, who was looking down and nonchalantly continuing to gnaw on the piece of black bread that was so tough it could break your teeth, seemingly completely unconcerned about the provocation from before.

Otto stared at the sausage, his Adam's apple bobbing. He recalled his earlier outburst and suddenly felt a sense of shame, as well as a strange feeling of being truly treated as one of his own.

He silently stuffed the sausage into his mouth and chewed it vigorously.

Carl, Bruckner—everyone in the class silently ate their share, without cheers or thanks, but something invisible began to quietly grow in this fractured team.

The resentment disappeared, replaced by a sense of frustration and a determination to prove himself.

After dinner, Lu Mingfei's squad quietly cleared away the dishes, then helped each other and walked silently back to the barracks. No one complained about the cold dinner anymore, and no one cast resentful glances.

Back at the barracks, Lu Mingfei didn't rest immediately. He first checked Bruckner's ankle, got him some cold water to apply, and then went to check on the others' wounds, giving them some basic treatment.

He also urged everyone to go to bed. After everyone was in bed, he helped them put their guns and backpacks next to their bedside tables, and even arranged their shoes and clothes so that they wouldn't be in a rush the next day.

He acted like a patriarch taking care of his children, and some people felt embarrassed and quickly tidied up themselves.

After everything was tidied up, he lay back down on his bed. Caesar, who was next to him, had already moved to another barracks to live with his squad.

Just as Lu Mingfei closed his eyes to prepare for sleep, Bruckner, who was sleeping in the bed next to him, asked softly.

"Squad leader—can we win tomorrow—?"

"We can win—" Lu Mingfei replied softly.

"I trust you."

"Hmm." Lu Mingfei didn't open his eyes, but only made a low response from his throat. The response was very soft, but it was like a silent promise.

Inside the barracks, rustling sounds could be heard from the other bunks, but no one spoke.

Lu Mingfei knew he wasn't a born leader, nor did he possess Caesar's innate charisma that inspired followers.

All he could do was to lead by example, take responsibility, care for his comrades, and fight alongside them in the most clumsy yet practical way.

What will tomorrow's training be like? What new tricks will that freak Hermann come up with this time? Caesar's team is definitely gearing up to keep winning, all of this is putting him under immense pressure.

The next day, in the early morning.

The sharp whistle once again tore through the darkness before dawn, and Sergeant Hermann's roar arrived as expected.

"Arise! You pigs! Three minutes! Assemble on the playground!"

The barracks instantly erupted in commotion, but this time, Lu Mingfei's squad reacted noticeably differently. Although still hurried, their actions were much more orderly than yesterday.

Many people almost instinctively reached for the headboard, where guns and backpacks were already placed in the most convenient positions, and boots and clothes were neatly folded, saving precious time of searching.

"Quick! Keep up!" Lu Mingfei was the first to spring up, slung his backpack over his shoulder, picked up his rifle, and roared as he rushed toward the door. He didn't look back to check, because he believed that with the preparations made the night before, his men could keep up.

Sure enough, as he rushed out of the barracks, he heard a flurry of hurried footsteps behind him. One by one, his platoon members rushed out. Although some were still disheveled, at least they all had their equipment.

Caesar and his class appeared on the playground almost simultaneously and swiftly. Caesar saw that almost all of Lu Mingfei's class rushed out on time, his eyes flickered slightly, but his face still maintained that proud composure.

Three minutes are up.

Sergeant Herman coldly counted the number of men: Lu Mingfei's squad, all present! Caesar's squad, also all present!

This result surprised Sergeant Herman. He gave Lu Mingfei a second look, his expression ambiguous.

Then they began standing at attention, but this time they added gun-holding postures, marching in step, and bayonet fighting.

After it was fully light, Sergeant Hermann brought dozens of wooden sticks.

"On the battlefield! Besides shooting, when you charge into the enemy's trenches or the enemy charges into your trenches, you must be prepared to engage in hand-to-hand combat! Next, your two squads will engage in combat against each other! The losing squad will have lunch by the pit!"

As soon as Sergeant Hermann finished speaking, the already tense atmosphere on the training ground was instantly ignited, adding another layer of tension.

The phrase "eating by the pit" in particular brought back bad memories of yesterday. Some of them even dreamed about the pit last night, and no one wanted to go there again.

Soon everyone received a wooden stick, and then they began to duel in pairs.

Lu Mingfei's side was burning with anger, and they fought exceptionally fiercely. However, due to several injuries sustained yesterday, the two sides ended up with a record of twelve wins and twelve losses, with the final outcome falling on Lu Mingfei and Caesar.

In the center of the training field, an area instantly cleared out as all the new recruits, whether from Lu Mingfei's squad or Caesar's squad, gathered around to watch the upcoming battle.

Even the supervising sergeants crossed their arms and watched with great interest, while Sergeant Major Hermann stood by and watched as well.

"Boss Caesar! Teach him a lesson!"

"Go, Sergeant Hans!"

Both sides started cheering wildly for their class monitors.

In the arena, Lu Mingfei and Caesar stood facing each other, each holding a wooden stick.

Caesar casually slung the wooden stick over his shoulder, his posture relaxed, but his icy blue eyes gleamed with a hunting-like excitement.

He looked at Lu Mingfei, his lips still bearing that signature smile that carried an air of arrogance and scrutiny.

"Lu Mingfei, today's competition is real. Let me see if your skills are as tenacious as your will." He was still bothered by the run the day before yesterday.

Lu Mingfei did not answer. He simply adjusted his grip on the stick slightly, lowered his body slightly, and locked his gaze tightly on Caesar.

He knew Caesar was strong, after all, his physical strength was undeniable, but Lu Mingfei was no pushover either; he was a wolf who had truly fought to the death.

"Begin!" Sergeant Hermann gave the order.

Almost the instant the words fell, Caesar moved.

Without the slightest probing, he moved with the swiftness of a leopard, and swung the wooden stick in his hand down at Lu Mingfei with great force.

Lu Mingfei dodged sharply to the right, the wooden stick grazing his left shoulder as it fell, the force of the wind stinging his cheek.

He couldn't fight head-on; that was his instantaneous judgment. In terms of pure strength, the blond youth in front of him was clearly superior, and a direct confrontation would be unwise.

Despite missing his first strike, Caesar continued his offensive. With a flick of his wrist, he changed the wooden stick from a chop to a sweep, slashing across Lu Mingfei's waist and abdomen. The speed and fluidity of the movement revealed his extremely solid fighting skills.

Lu Mingfei had no time to retreat, so he could only hold the wooden stick upright at his side and parry the attack.

boom!

With a muffled thud, Lu Mingfei felt a violent jolt in his arm, his hand went numb, and he staggered two steps to the side by the immense force.

"Class monitor!" Otto and the others exclaimed.

Caesar's group erupted in excited shouts.

"Good reaction, but unfortunately lacking in strength." Caesar stepped forward again, his wooden stick sweeping towards Lu Mingfei like a storm.

The sound of wooden sticks clashing against each other rang out densely. To outsiders, it appeared to be a one-sided suppression, with Lu Mingfei like a small boat in a storm, on the verge of capsizing at any moment.

But just as Caesar was about to end the battle in one fell swoop, Lu Mingfei struck with his staff. The staff struck Caesar at an extremely tricky and decisive angle. Caesar hurriedly tried to block, but when he pulled back his staff to block, he realized that Lu Mingfei's strike was actually a feint.

Under the cover of the feint of the wooden stick, Lu Mingfei's body, with an unnatural lightness and speed, slid sideways into Caesar's blind spot like a ghost, followed by another powerful and heavy strike. This time, it was not a feint.

With a sharp whistling sound, the Hokushin Ittō-ryū - Hokushin Danryū wooden staff struck heavily in the middle of Caesar's hastily defending staff. A snapping sound rang out, and the staff in Caesar's hand was actually broken in two by Lu Mingfei.

Half a wooden stick flew into the air!

The entire room fell silent!

Everyone stared wide-eyed at the scene in disbelief. The smiles on the faces of the Caesar's men froze, and the cheers caught in their throats.

The students in Lu Mingfei's class held their breath, their hearts pounding as if they were about to jump out of their chests.

Caesar gripped the broken stick, his arm numb from the impact and his hand throbbing with pain. He looked down at the stick pressed against his neck and said in a dry voice.

"I lost—"

He conceded defeat. The proud Caesar Gattuso would not make excuses for his failure. His opponent had broken his weapon in a direct confrontation and pressed it against his vitals, which was an undeniable victory.

"We won!!! The class monitor won!!!"

After a brief moment of deathly silence, Lu Mingfei's class erupted in a deafening roar of cheers! Otto and the others rushed onto the field like madmen, tossing Lu Mingfei high into the air, catching him, and tossing him up again.

They won! Their class monitor, in full view of everyone, defeated the seemingly invincible Kaiser Hoffmann head-on.

This was not just a victory in an individual contest, but also a huge boost to the morale of the entire Lu Mingfei class. The frustration of being given the cold rice yesterday and the anger of being looked down upon all turned into unbridled joy and pride at this moment.

The members of Caesar's squad, on the other hand, were like wilted eggplants, all dejected and dispirited.

Sergeant Herman stepped forward, scrutinized Lu Mingfei for a few seconds with a critical look, and then spoke.

"Quiet!"

The training ground fell silent again, and everyone looked at him.

"The match is over! Hansband has won! Hoffmann's team lost and, as per the rules, will have lunch by the pit!"

The verdict turned the members of Caesar's class pale, many showing expressions of pain and fear, but no one could defy the decision.

But Sergeant Hermann wasn't finished. He looked at Lu Mingfei's squad, a signature eerie smile spreading across his face: "As for you, Hansband—as the victors, the mess hall will give you an extra meal at noon today! One extra sausage each!"

"Yay!!!" The cheers from Lu Mingfei's class once again resounded through the sky.

Caesar silently threw the broken stick in his hand to the ground and moved his still somewhat numb arm.

He listened to the deafening cheers from the other side and looked at the ashen faces of his own teammates. His face was expressionless. The feeling of defeat gnawed at his pride like a venomous snake, but it also completely put away his complacency.

He walked up to Lu Mingfei, and the two looked at each other again.

"You win, Lu Mingfei." Caesar's voice was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"You're very strong too. If you're not careful, I might be the one who loses," Lu Mingfei said.

"A loss is a loss," Caesar said firmly, waving his hand to interrupt him.

"But there won't be a next time. I will become stronger, and I will win the next confrontation." With that, he turned and left.

Lu Mingfei watched his retreating figure without saying anything more.

At noon in the cafeteria, Lu Mingfei's class received their hot meals and extra sausages as they wished. Everyone's face was beaming with smiles, and they joked with each other, completely unlike the atmosphere of the previous night.

It can be said that fortunes change, and Lu Mingfei's prestige was truly established in this battle, as he fulfilled his promise from the previous night.

Meanwhile, Caesar's group silently ate their coarse lunch by the edge of the stinking pit, amidst the nauseating smell. No one spoke; there was only silence and repression.

Caesar continued to stare at the dead pig in the pit, frantically chewing on black bread. Today was the first time he had ever lost, and he would remember this day forever. He would also remember that guy named Lu Mingfei.

An incredibly strong fighting spirit ignited within him; he, Caesar Gattuso, would never fall because of a single defeat.

"Lu Mingfei—let's see who will be the ultimate winner!"