114: Chapter 114 Sister Qingcheng! I picked some flowers for you.

This question left Su Qingcheng stunned.

Did she hate him? In the illusion, she indeed had, hating the person who dug up her deepest inner pain to torment her repeatedly.

But now...

"I don't," she finally replied, her voice soft but firm. "I know this was necessary training."

Su Han put down the medical record, his gaze complex. "Your father was a hero."

These words were like a key, suddenly opening the floodgates of Su Qingcheng's tears.

She bit her lip but couldn't stop the tears from rolling down.

"At the final moment, he protected his comrades and destroyed vital intelligence."

Su Han's voice carried a rare hint of warmth. "The last words he left for you were indeed 'Better to die than surrender'."

Su Qingcheng's shoulders shook violently as all her grievances, pain, and strength collapsed in an instant.

She wailed like a child, as if venting all the suppression of these past years.

Su Han stood quietly by the bed, neither comforting nor stopping her.

Only when her crying gradually subsided did he hand her a clean handkerchief.

"Wipe your face." His tone returned to its usual sternness. "Rehabilitative training starts tomorrow. Your muscle condition is too poor."

Su Qingcheng took the handkerchief and suddenly noticed a clear row of teeth marks on the back of Su Han's right hand—clearly Xiao Budian's handiwork.

This discovery made her want to laugh for some reason, yet she also felt a surge of warmth.

"Chief Instructor," she gathered her courage and asked, "How are... the others?"

Su Han walked toward the door and replied without looking back, "A bit better than you, a bit worse than you."

Just as he pushed the door to leave, Xiao Budian rushed in like a small cannonball, holding up a crumpled wildflower. "Sister Qingcheng! I picked flowers for you!"

Su Han stepped aside to let her pass, but Xiao Budian suddenly stopped and stuffed a flower into his hand. "One for Great-grandfather too, but you're not allowed to bully people anymore!"

Su Han looked at the wilted wildflower in his hand, and the corner of his mouth twitched imperceptibly.

He leaned down and tucked the flower into Xiao Budian's braid. "Go keep your Sister Qingcheng company."

Outside the door, Zhou Mo was waiting with a stack of documents.

Seeing Su Han come out, he immediately stepped forward to report, "Chief Instructor, the psychological assessment reports are out. Li Xue and No. 12 Lin Yu have mild symptoms of PTSD and require psychological intervention."

Su Han nodded. "Arrange for a psychologist, but the training continues."

"But—"

"No buts." Su Han interrupted him. "The enemy won't wait for them to recover."

Zhou Mo hesitated but ultimately just sighed. "Yes, sir. Also, the Captain asked when you would be free; he wants to discuss the formal establishment of the Womens Special Operations Team."

Su Han's footsteps paused slightly. "Tell him we'll talk after they pass the final assessment."

"They've only just completed basic training."

"The training for dozens of special operations skills in the later stages hasn't even begun."

"What's the rush?"

At the end of the corridor, the window of the infirmary cast a warm glow.

Through the glass, Xiao Budian could be seen gesturing animatedly to Su Qingcheng. Although the girl on the hospital bed was pale, she showed her first genuine smile in days.

...

Inside the infirmary, sunlight spilled through the blinds, casting mottled shadows on the white sheets.

Seven hospital beds were neatly arranged. The female soldiers woke up one after another, their eyes filled with the daze of survivors when they looked at each other.

Li Xue leaned against the headboard, her fingers gently stroking the bandage on her wrist as she whispered, "I thought... I was going to go crazy."

No. 12 Lin Yu curled her body up. The injury to her left leg kept her face pale, but her gaze was more resolute than before. "At least... we made it through."

No. 18 Zhang Meng gave a cold laugh. Though her voice was weak, her tone remained defiant. "Crazy? Hah, I just want to pin the Chief Instructor to the ground and give him a beating right now!"

Her words made the other female soldiers chuckle, but they soon fell silent again.

They all knew that if not for Su Han's cruel training, they might never have been able to face a real battlefield.

Su Qingcheng listened quietly to their conversation, her gaze unconsciously drifting toward the window.

Through the infirmary window, the training ground a hundred meters away was visible—there, a familiar figure was undergoing training that bordered on self-mutilation under the scorching sun.

...

On the training ground, Su Han was shirtless, his muscle lines as distinct as if carved by a knife under the sunlight.

His hands were wrapped in bandages as he punched a specialized sandbag frantically. Every strike carried the sound of breaking air; the sandbag swayed violently, the iron sand inside making dull thudding sounds.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

His knuckles were already bleeding, but his movements didn't stop at all; instead, they grew faster, as if he knew no exhaustion or pain.

At his feet lay a row of training equipment—weighted vests, iron chains, sandbag leggings, and even a coarse hemp rope stained with dried blood.

"What... is he doing?" Li Xue's eyes widened, her voice trembling slightly.

No. 12 Lin Yu stared fixedly out the window, her throat bobbing. "Self-mutilation style training... He's challenging his own limits."

No. 18 Zhang Meng was silent for a moment, then suddenly whispered, "Madman."

But in her eyes, there was a hint of indescribable shock.

...

On the training ground, Su Han's movements still hadn't stopped.

He grabbed the iron chains from the ground, wrapped them around his arms, and began doing pull-ups.

The weight of the chains strained his muscles to the limit, veins bulging. Sweat rolled down his back, hitting the ground and kicking up tiny specks of dust.

"100... 101... 102..."

His breathing was heavy, but his counting remained clear.

In the distance, the members of the War Eagle Squad stood aside, but not one of them stepped forward to stop him.

Monkey crossed his arms and clicked his tongue. "How many times has it been for the Chief Instructor?"

Big Bear shook his head. "He hasn't stopped since we got back."

Zhou Mo's gaze was complex. "He's pushing himself."

"Pushing himself?" Monkey was puzzled.

Zhou Mo didn't answer, just watched Su Han quietly.

He knew that Su Han's training methods seemed extreme, but every time was a test of his own limits.

...

Inside the infirmary, the female soldiers watched the scene in silence.

Su Qingcheng's fingertips tightened slightly, gripping the bedsheet.

She suddenly understood that Su Han's cruelty toward them was never without reason.

He knew the cruelty of the battlefield better than anyone, and he feared more than anyone that they would die on it.

Therefore, he would rather they break during training than despair on the battlefield.

"He... is actually protecting us," No. 12 Lin Yu said softly, watching Su Han's training.

This was the first time they had seen the training of a true expert.

Of the things Su Han was training in now, not one of the seven of them could do even a single one.