108: Chapter 108: Bah! I don't care!

An ice-cold cola can pressed against Su Qingcheng's burning cheek, and cold droplets of water slid down her chin.

Her throat was as dry as if it were on fire, and the tip of her tongue unconsciously licked her cracked lips.

Su Qingcheng's vision blurred for a moment; she could see the water droplets condensing on the cola can and hear the faint popping sound of carbonated bubbles.

Her body instinctively leaned forward, but at the last moment, she clenched her teeth tightly and forcibly turned her face away.

"Number 5, unit designation, Peoples Liberation Army of Huaxia." Her voice was so hoarse it was almost inaudible. "I have nothing else to say."

Su Han raised an eyebrow, a faint, indiscernible smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

He turned and walked toward Li Xue, swaying the cola can in front of her.

"Number 7, you look like you're about to collapse." Su Han's voice suddenly became gentle. "Just say one word, and you can drink an ice-cold beverage immediately and go to the infirmary to rest."

Li Xue's legs had already been scalded bright red by the steam, and her lips were cracked and bleeding.

Her gaze unfocused for a moment, but after seeing Su Qingcheng's signal to shake her head, she closed her eyes with difficulty.

"No... no..." Her weak voice was almost drowned out by the sound of the steam.

"Interesting." Su Han sneered, suddenly raising his voice. "It seems you still don't understand your current situation!"

He snapped his fingers, and Monkey immediately pushed over a food cart laden with chilled watermelon, cold noodles, and iced drinks.

The aroma of the food permeated the scorching air, and the female soldiers' stomachs simultaneously let out cries of protest.

"Last chance." Su Han picked up a slice of watermelon, its bright red juice dripping onto the ground. "Whoever speaks first gets to enjoy these. The rest will continue to be hung up until tomorrow morning!"

Number 18, Zhang Meng, suddenly let out a hoarse laugh. "Chief Instructor... is that all you've got?"

Su Han narrowed his eyes and looked at her. Zhang Meng's feet were swollen beyond recognition, yet she still wore a provocative smile on her face.

"The owner of the small shop at the entrance of our village... is better at tempting people than you." Zhang Meng swallowed with difficulty. "At least... he puts out some adult magazines..."

The War Eagle team members watching from the shade burst into laughter.

Monkey almost spat out the cola in his mouth, while Big Bear gave a thumbs up. "This woman's got guts!"

Su Han laughed instead of getting angry. He walked over to Zhang Meng and held the watermelon under her nose. "What about this?"

Zhang Meng's nose twitched, but she abruptly turned her head away. "Pah! I don't want it!"

"Good, very good." Su Han nodded, then suddenly turned to all the female soldiers. "Since you all have so much backbone, we'll add one more condition—from now on, if anyone so much as glances at this food, everyone gets an extra hour of punishment!"

The female soldiers closed their eyes in unison, hanging on the wooden stakes like seven statues.

— — — — — —

Under the shade of a tree in the distance, the War Eagle team members sat on folding chairs, enjoying their iced drinks.

"I bet they won't last two hours." Monkey took a bite of watermelon. "Especially that Number 7, she looks like she's about to collapse."

Big Bear shook his head. "I bet three hours. That Number 5 has some skills; she's using some kind of breathing technique to stay calm."

Zhou Mo did not participate in the bet; his gaze remained fixed on Su Qingcheng.

The willpower displayed by this seemingly fragile girl surprised him.

"Did you notice," Lynx suddenly said, "Number 5's fingers have been moving, as if she's drawing some pattern."

Zhou Mo narrowed his eyes to observe carefully.

Sure enough, Su Qingcheng's hands, tied behind her back, were moving slowly, as if writing in the void.

"It's the Su Family's internal energy cultivation method." Zhou Mo realized with a start. "She's silently reciting the mantra to distract herself."

Monkey whistled. "That's cheating! Should we tell the Chief Instructor?"

"No need." Zhou Mo smiled. "Being able to think of using her family's martial arts at a time like this is a capability in itself."

— — — — — —

The scorching sun gradually slanted westward, but the temperature on the training ground did not drop in the slightest.

Number 12, Lin Yu, was in the worst condition; her fractured left leg was swollen until it shone, and her face was as pale as paper. Sweat soaked through her training uniform, forming a small puddle at her feet.

"Number 12..." Number 7, Li Xue, called out to her weakly. "Hang in there a little longer... think about the insects... we've eaten..."

Lin Yu nodded with difficulty, her lips moving a few times, but she couldn't make a sound.

Su Han stood in the monitoring room, watching this scene through the monitors.

His fingers tapped lightly on the desk, his eyes complex.

"Chief Instructor," Zhou Mo pushed the door open and entered. "The medical officer says Number 12's leg injury needs immediate treatment, otherwise it might leave permanent damage."

Su Han did not answer immediately; his gaze remained on the few female soldiers.

"Wait another ten minutes." Su Han finally said. "If they can still hold on, it means they have broken through their first limit."

— — — — — —

Su Qingcheng's consciousness began to blur.

She felt as if she had returned to her childhood, to the scene of practicing martial arts with her father in the Su Family ancestral hall.

Back then, she thought horse stance training was painful; now that she thought about it, it was simply heaven.

"Qi sinks into the dantian, the heart is like still water..." She recited the mantra silently in her heart, trying to use her family's cultivation method to resist the pain and temptation.

Suddenly, an image intruded into her mind—her father standing at the door in his police uniform, smiling at her and saying, "Little Qingcheng, Daddy will be right back."

That was the last time she saw her father alive.

"Dad..." She called out in her heart, her tears evaporating as soon as they flowed out.

She suddenly understood Su Han's intention. This was not simple torture, but to make them find the strength to keep going in their most desperate moments.

For some, it was honor; for some, it was hatred; but for her, it was that father who never came home.

"I can do it..." She said silently to herself, "I must do it..."

...

When they woke up again, they found themselves lying in a cold, damp, enclosed room that looked like a prison.

In front of them were cold, rusty iron bars.

Their wounds had been simply bandaged.

In the dark and damp basement, the seven female soldiers were curled up in their respective iron cages.

Each cage was less than two square meters, with a height just enough to barely stand.

The mottled rust on the iron bars looked particularly hideous under the dim light.

Number 12, Lin Yu, had a high fever, and the wound on her left leg had already festered.

She curled up in the corner, her teeth chattering uncontrollably, her forehead pressed against the cold iron bars seeking a trace of coolness.

"Water..." She murmured hoarsely, her cracked lips seeping traces of blood.

In the cage next door, Number 18, Zhang Meng, was scraping the rust off the iron bars with her fingernails, making a harsh "squeaking" sound.

Her eyes were bloodshot, staring fixedly at the tightly closed iron door at the end of the corridor.

"Stop scraping..." Number 7, Li Xue, advised weakly. "Save some energy..."

Zhang Meng turned a deaf ear and continued to scrape with her fingernails.

Suddenly, her movements paused—footsteps came from the iron door.

"He's here." Number 5, Su Qingcheng, opened her eyes abruptly. Even though every muscle in her body was screaming with pain, she forced herself to sit upright.

The iron door opened slowly, and Su Han's figure appeared at the doorway.

He was holding a tray in his hands, filled with steaming hot food—braised pork, steamed fish, white rice... The rich aroma instantly filled the entire basement.

"Hungry?" Su Han smiled and walked to the front of the cages, deliberately placing the tray where it was within reach of the female soldiers but just out of grasp.

The female soldiers' gazes were simultaneously glued to the food, the sound of their Adam's apples bobbing rising one after another.

"Do you want to eat?" Su Han picked up a piece of braised pork with a perfect balance of fat and lean meat and swayed it in front of the cages. "As long as you tell me your real name and unit designation, all of this will be yours."

Number 7, Li Xue's stomach let out a loud "rumble." She lowered her head in shame, but her eyes still uncontrollably glanced at the piece of meat dripping with sauce.

"Number 7," Su Han squatted down, making eye contact with Li Xue. "You haven't eaten for 36 hours. If this continues, your stomach will start to digest itself."

Li Xue's tears slid down silently, but she just shook her head.

"Stubborn." Su Han stood up and turned to Number 12, Lin Yu. "What about you? Your leg injury needs nutrition to heal."

Lin Yu weakly raised her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz: "My name is... Lin..."

"Come on, say it... once you say it, this will all be yours..." Su Han pushed the tray toward her cage.