12: Chapter 12: Crushing the Navy Special Forces, Breaking the Army Record!

As the Marine Corps drew closer, the soldiers of the 7th Company instinctively stood up straight—the others were clad in identical digital ocean camouflage, tactical vests loaded with gear, their steps perfectly synchronized, exuding the distinct murderous aura of an elite unit.

The two officers leading the way were particularly striking: one had skin as dark as iron and eyes as sharp as an eagle's;

"It's the Black Shark Squadron leader, Lin Hu!" an old soldier whispered in shock. "Why did he come in person?"

Zhou Haitao strode to the front of the line, his expression solemn. "Attention!"

The soldiers of the 7th Company snapped to attention, and the two sides formed a standoff on the beach.

Lin Hu's gaze swept over the men of the 7th Company before finally settling on Su Han. "Are you the one they call 'Ghost'?"

Before Su Han could answer, Lin Hu had already taken a step forward. "I had things to attend to yesterday and couldn't participate in the confrontation. I heard the Army produced a tough guy who took on two of our squadrons single-handedly, so I came specifically to see for myself."

The atmosphere instantly became tense, like a bow drawn to its limit.

In the distance, Marine Corps Captain Long Zhan and Regiment Commander Wang Tiejun walked side by side, chatting and laughing, though sparks flew in their clashing gazes.

"Old Wang, your soldier is truly not bad." Long Zhan patted Wang Tiejun's shoulder. "Lend him to us to train for a few days?"

Wang Tiejun gave a superficial smile. "Old Long, when are you going to fix that habit of yours, trying to poach my people?"

While the two were bickering, Lin Hu had already challenged Su Han. "Well? Do you have the guts to have a go?"

Zhou Haitao quietly pulled Su Han back and whispered, "Careful, this guy is a former Navy Special Forces Soldier. He served in the Dragon Shark Special Operations Squadron within the Marine Corps. He's very strong."

Su Han smiled slightly, hands behind his back, and slowly took a step forward. "What are we competing in?"

Lin Hu flashed a successful-looking grin. "It's only interesting if there's a prize—if you lose, you apply for a transfer to our Marine Corps."

"What?" Zhou Haitao's face changed drastically. "You call this a competition? You're clearly here to poach him!"

"Su Han, you can't agree to this!"

The other members of the 7th Company also looked worried.

After nearly two months of training, Su Han had clearly become a class of his own in the 356th Regiment!

Not to mention Zhou Haitao, who treated him like a precious treasure.

Even Regiment Commander Wang Tiejun wished he could wall off the 7th Company for fear that other units would kidnap Su Han.

"Brother Han, don't compete with them," Wang Hao whispered a reminder. "The veterans said they're from the Special Forces and are very strong."

"Yeah, Brother Han, be careful. Don't fall into their trap!"

Su Han waved them off. "And if I win?"

Lin Hu waved his hand grandly. "From now on, all the expenses for your regiment's sea training will be covered by us, the Navy!"

The scene immediately erupted in an uproar.

"So generous?"

"Is the Navy that rich?"

Wang Tiejun and Long Zhan also stopped their bickering and looked over with interest.

"Huh? Why aren't you going up to stop it?"

Long Zhan looked at the calm Wang Tiejun with surprise.

Wang Tiejun laughed. "Why should I stop it?"

Long Zhan was stunned. "You don't actually think this Su Han of yours can be a match for my Marine Corps' Special Forces ace, do you?"

Wang Tiejun shrugged. "You never know."

Long Zhan: "..."

"You have that much confidence in this recruit of yours?"

"I admit, he did perform exceptionally well in the confrontation. But that was a confrontation; this is a head-to-head in specific subjects. My squadron leader was handpicked from the Dragon Shark Special Operations Team. Their individual capabilities are also very strong."

Wang Tiejun said, "I don't deny their strength, but... I believe Su Han's strength is not inferior to theirs."

Saying that, Wang Tiejun grinned at Long Zhan. "In short, just prepare plenty of military funds for our regiment's sea training. Hahaha..."

Long Zhan: "..."

Meanwhile, at the scene, facing the constant persuasion of the 7th Company soldiers, Su Han remained silent.

"Alright." After a moment, Su Han finally nodded. "What are we competing in?"

"Su Han!"

Seeing Su Han agree, the people of the 7th Company immediately became anxious.

Wu Gang pointed toward the sea. "Simple, I'll compete with you. Best of three rounds. First, a 400-meter Armed Swimming event. Upon coming ashore, immediately shoot at a target on a speedboat 300 meters away. Ten bullets. Within 10 minutes, the one with the higher score wins. If the scores are tied, the one who took less time wins."

"Second, close-quarters combat."

"Third, 400-meter Sea Crossing and Island Landing."

As soon as he finished speaking, the scene erupted.

"Are you crazy? The last two subjects are somewhat okay, but what the hell is the first one! Shooting steadily after a 400-meter swim?"

"Shooting at sea is already hard, and you want him to do it after being exhausted like a dog?"

In the distance, Wang Tiejun frowned. "Old Long, that's not fair. You're picking specifically what the Navy is best at."

Long Zhan raised an eyebrow triumphantly. "What, scared?"

"Scared?"

Wang Tiejun snorted. "I'm afraid your Marine Corps will lose all face!"

He had already seen Su Han's training report for the past month.

One could say those results were so good that even the Special Forces would doubt if they were just children!

"What do you think?"

Lin Hu asked Su Han.

Su Han nodded. "Not bad. Let's do it that way."

"For the first round, you go first. Set an example for me."

"Fine!"

Lin Hu didn't stand on ceremony.

Lin Hu took off his jacket, revealing a body of lean, strong muscle. The Marine Corps soldiers immediately broke into loud cheers.

"Captain Lin! Show them what's what!"

"Show them who the true king of the sea is!"

Lin Hu raised his chin provocatively at Su Han and then strode toward the sea.

Two Navy soldiers immediately stepped forward, equipped him with 20 kilograms of Armed Swimming gear, and handed him a type 95 automatic rifle.

"Start the timer!"

At the referee's command, Lin Hu charged into the sea like an arrow from a bow.

His freestyle stroke was textbook and powerful, each stroke kicking up a large spray of water.

"So fast!" Wang Hao exclaimed. "That's twice as fast as the fastest guy in our company!"

Zhou Haitao's expression was solemn. "Lin Hu comes from the Navy Special Forces. He participated in international military competitions and won a bronze medal in the Armed Swimming event."

On the sea, Lin Hu had already swum over 100 meters, his rhythm not faltering in the slightest.

At the 200-meter turn, he made a beautiful turn and began swimming back.

"Holy crap! 200 meters in just 3 minutes and 56 seconds!"

"And that's Armed Swimming, not just regular swimming."

The soldiers of the 356th Regiment were shocked when they saw this result.

When Lin Hu charged onto the shore, the timer stopped at 8 minutes and 28 seconds.

He was soaking wet and panting heavily.

He quickly dropped into a prone position and immediately raised his rifle to aim at the target ship 300 meters away.

He began taking deep breaths to manage his exhaustion and steady his breathing.

The speedboat rose and fell with the waves, the target appearing and disappearing.

Lin Hu's breathing became terrifyingly steady as his finger gently squeezed the trigger—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

After ten shots, the scorekeeper's voice came through the loudspeaker:

"100 points! All ten shots hit the bullseye! Total time: 8 minutes and 44 seconds!"

"Whoosh—"

A deafening cheer erupted from the crowd.

The Navy soldiers excitedly high-fived each other, and some even whistled.

Long Zhan looked at Wang Tiejun triumphantly. "How about that? This result could rank in the top three across the entire military."

Wang Tiejun pursed his lips and said nothing.

The result was indeed staggering—400 meters of Armed Swimming in just 8 minutes and 28 seconds, followed by only 16 seconds to aim and fire. This speed and performance were top-tier!

"Is this the strength of a Special Forces Soldier?"

The soldiers of the 7th Company were dumbfounded by the result.

In their understanding, the Special Forces were a mysterious branch of the military.

They had all heard how formidable they were.

But they had never seen just how formidable.

But now, they had seen it.

The difference between them and regular troops was like heaven and earth!

"Su Han should be able to do it, right? His Armed Swimming is also quite fast."

"But it's not just about speed; it's also about shooting stability after exertion! After a full-speed swim, your body is extremely exhausted and your breathing is unsteady, which heavily affects accuracy. Even though Su Han is great at both swimming and shooting, it's hard to say how he'll do when combining them."

Everyone in the 356th Regiment couldn't help but feel nervous for Su Han.

"Su Han, are you sure about this?"

Zhou Haitao came to Su Han's side and whispered, "If you can't do it, we won't compete. Since it hasn't finished, the bet doesn't count. If we don't acknowledge it, there's nothing they can do."

Su Han smiled indifferently. "Grandson-in-law, watch closely. Your Third Grandpa is going to show you how this old man crushes these so-called Special Forces Soldiers."

Zhou Haitao: "..."

The sea breeze blew gently, and waves lapped against the shore.

Everyone's eyes were focused on Su Han.

"Your turn." Lin Hu wiped the seawater from his face, a confident smile on his lips. "I hope you can give me some surprises."

"Go Brother Han!" Wang Hao suddenly shouted.

"Go for it!" The soldiers of the 7th Company cheered in unison.

Su Han nodded to them, put on the 20 kilograms of weighted gear, checked his rifle, and slowly walked toward the sea.

"Ready—Start!"

At the referee's command, Su Han shot into the sea like an arrow!

His movements were like Lin Hu's but even more fluid. His arms alternated strokes, and his leg kicks were perfectly timed. His body cut through the waves like a needlefish, his speed incredible!

"Hiss—" Lin Hu's pupils contracted. "His freestyle... how is it even more textbook than mine?"

The Navy soldiers also erupted instantly:

"Holy shit! That entry was way too beautiful!"

"That stroke frequency... it's faster than Captain Lin's?!"

"50 meters, 48 seconds!" the timekeeper's voice rang out.

The whole place went silent for a moment.

"What?!" The Black Shark members' eyes widened. "Captain Lin took 52 seconds for 50 meters; he's 4 seconds faster than Captain Lin?!"

Long Zhan's expression changed slightly. He turned to look at Wang Tiejun, only to find a faint smile on Wang Tiejun's lips, as if he had expected this.

On the sea, Su Han's speed didn't slow down at all; instead, he got faster and faster!

"100 meters, 1 minute 42 seconds!"

"A full 10 seconds faster than Captain Lin!"

"How is this possible?!" The Navy soldiers were completely shocked.

Lin Hu's face had turned ashen, and his fists clenched instinctively.

200 meters, 3 minutes 50 seconds!

"Another 5 seconds faster?!"

"Is this guy... a monster?"

At the turn, Su Han performed a nimble flip turn. The movement was seamless, without the slightest hesitation, and his return speed remained terrifying!

"300 meters, 5 minutes 40 seconds!"

"400 meters, 8 minutes 10 seconds!"

The moment Su Han's feet touched the sand, the timer froze at—

"8 minutes and 10 seconds!"

"A full ten seconds faster than Lin Hu!"

Dead silence!

The Navy soldiers' mouths hung open, unable to believe their eyes.

Lin Hu's face was completely pale, his lips trembling. "8 minutes 10 seconds... this... this has already broken the Navy record! Not a single person in Dragon Shark can swim that fast!"

However, even more shocking was Su Han's condition—he was only breathing slightly harder, and his face showed little sign of fatigue, as if the 400-meter Armed Swimming was just a warm-up!

"This guy... how can he act like nothing happened after a 400-meter Armed Swimming event?" Lin Hu's voice trembled.

Su Han ignored the surrounding shock. He strode to the shooting position, but instead of lying down like Lin Hu, he directly took a—standing position!

"Standing position?!" Lin Hu cried out. "Is he crazy?"

"After just swimming 400 meters, his body must be shaking. How can he hit anything from a standing position?"

"And the target ship is 300 meters away with such big waves!"

The Navy soldiers all shook their heads, thinking Su Han was being too arrogant.

However, Su Han just lightly rolled his shoulders, and then—

Raised his rifle!

His movements were without hesitation, his muzzle pointing steadily at the distant target ship.

The target ship rose and fell with the waves, the bullseye appearing and disappearing.

Bang!

The first shot rang out, and everyone held their breath.

"Ten points!" the scorekeeper's voice came through.

Bang！Bang！Bang！

The next nine shots followed with almost no pause. Su Han pulled the trigger quickly and steadily, his muzzle barely moving, as if the swaying of the waves had no effect on him at all!

"This... how is this possible?!" Lin Hu was completely stunned.

"Standing position shooting, and he's still this steady?!"

"Just how terrifying is his core strength?!"

The moment the final shot rang out, the scorekeeper's excited voice echoed across the beach through the loudspeaker:

"100 points! All ten shots hit the bullseye! Total time: 8 minutes and 25 seconds!"

"A full 19 seconds faster than Lin Hu!"

The entire field was silent!

Everyone stared intently at that upright figure as if they were looking at something non-human!

"This... this..." Lin Hu's lips trembled, but he couldn't form a complete sentence.

Long Zhan's face had turned incredibly ugly.

As a Marine Corps Captain, he knew all too well what this score meant—Su Han's Armed Swimming and shooting abilities had completely crushed the Navy's most elite Special Forces Soldiers!

"Score control..." Lin Hu suddenly muttered. "He was controlling his score!"

These words exploded like a bomb in the crowd.

"That's right! He didn't look tired at all when he came back, proving he still had plenty of stamina. He clearly could have been faster while swimming but deliberately held back his speed!"

"And if he can shoot this accurately from a standing position, wouldn't he be even more terrifying in a prone position?"

Wang Tiejun finally couldn't help but burst into laughter. "Old Long, it looks like your Navy's budget is going to take a hit!"

Long Zhan's face was dark, and he didn't say a word.

Su Han walked back to the line, and the soldiers of the 7th Company swarmed him, their voices a jumble of amazement:

"Brother Han! You're incredible!"

"Breaking the Armed Swimming record and getting all bullseyes in shooting—are you even human?!"

Su Han just smiled slightly. "Just good luck."

Lin Hu suddenly strode over and stared intently into Su Han's eyes. "Just now... how much of your strength did you use?"

The question caused the surroundings to fall silent instantly.

Everyone pricked up their ears, waiting for Su Han's answer.

Su Han thought for a moment and said sincerely, "About seventy percent."

"Seventy percent?!" Lin Hu's voice cracked.

Su Han nodded. "I held back on the last 100 meters, otherwise I could have been a bit faster."

These words were like a heavy hammer, making all the Navy soldiers see stars.

Seventy percent of his strength, and he broke the army-wide record?!