16: Chapter 16: Su Han's First Battle! Shocking the Entire Audience!

At five o'clock in the morning, the training ground of Purgatory Base was already crowded with people.

The Captains of the participating units were conducting their final mobilization.

Over at the Falcon Special Forces Brigade, Wang Yuanchao stood before the War Eagle Squad with his hands behind his back. His gaze swept across the group, finally resting on Su Han.

"Su Han, do you know which events you are participating in today?"

Su Han stood at attention and replied, "Reporting to the Captain: the Triathlon this morning. Upon completion, I will immediately transfer to participate in Close Quarters Combat. This afternoon is the 20-kilometer Armed Extreme Cross-Country."

Wang Yuanchao frowned slightly. "All three events are high-intensity. Are you sure you can handle it?"

Before Su Han could answer, Monkey chimed in sarcastically, "Don't worry, Captain. He already said he's 'fine with anything'!"

Wang Yuanchao glared at Monkey, his tone softening as he turned back to Su Han. "Today's events are very physically demanding. If you really can't keep going, just give up. I won't blame you."

"Thank you for your concern, Captain." Su Han smiled slightly. "I will do my best."

Wang Yuanchao nodded, gave a few more instructions to the other members of the War Eagle Squad, and then announced their dismissal.

...

The Triathlon venue was located at the comprehensive training field on the east side of the base.

When Su Han arrived, more than a dozen Special Forces Soldiers were already performing warm-up exercises.

Ten minutes later, the referee called for the assembly.

"Now, beginning roll call:"

"Divine Sword Commando Unit, Zhou Long!"

"Present!"

"Divine Sword Commando Unit, Wu Hai!"

"Present!"

"Flying Dragon Special Forces Brigade, Chen Feng!"

"Present!"

"Wild Wolf Special Forces Brigade, Zhong Delin!"

"Wild Wolf Special Forces Brigade..."

"Snow Leopard Special Forces Brigade..."

"Dragon Shark Special Operations Team, Lin Hu!"

"Present!"

"Dragon Shark Special Operations Team..."

"Falcon Special Forces Brigade, Su Han!"

"Present!"

"Lynx..."

"..."

As soon as the roll call ended, a burst of whispering broke out on the scene.

"Falcon only sent one person this year?"

"And it's a fresh face, I've never seen him before."

Hearing Su Han's name, Zhou Long turned to look over, a hint of contempt flashing in his eyes. "Falcon has run out of people? They sent a green recruit to make up the numbers?"

Su Han ignored him and went about his own stretching exercises.

The referee finished counting the participants and verified their identities before announcing loudly: "A total of 18 people are participating in the Triathlon event, which is divided into three stages: 5-kilometer Armed Cross-Country, 400-meter Obstacle Course, and 3-kilometer Armed Swimming. The total score will be calculated based on completion time."

He pointed to the mountain path in the distance. "Stage one: 5-kilometer Armed Cross-Country with a 20-kilogram load. The route has been marked. Upon reaching the finish line, referees will inspect your equipment to see if anyone has cheated. Inspection time will not be included in the assessment time. Once the inspection is complete, immediately proceed to the 400-meter Obstacle Course, followed directly by the 3-kilometer Armed Swimming! The final time will be recorded when you reach the finish line of the Armed Swimming!"

"Is everyone clear?"

"Understood!" the eighteen men answered loudly!

"Good! Now, loosen up your bodies. The competition begins in three minutes!"

"Su Han!"

Lin Hu walked over.

Su Han smiled and said, "Does your Marine Corps really like this kind of event? During roll call just now, I noticed that all four Marine Corps units signed up two people each. On the Army side, half of the units only had one person sign up."

Lin Hu laughed and cursed, "Nonsense! Who in the Marine Corps isn't an expert at swimming and obstacle courses?"

"This event has always been swept by our various Marine Corps units for the top three spots, okay?"

"However, this year, there's an exception."

"With you joining, no one can take first place from you."

Su Han said modestly, "It's not as exaggerated as you say. You've only seen my shooting and swimming. Maybe my physical stamina and obstacle course skills are actually quite poor?"

Lin Hu curled his lip. "Do you really think we're stupid? After sparring with you, wouldn't I investigate your training scores in the 356th Regiment?"

"Looking at those scores, no one in any Special Forces unit across the entire military can compare to you."

"It's no exaggeration to say they won't even be able to see your taillights."

Saying this, Lin Hu spread his hands. "Anyway, I've given up. I'm just aiming for second place."

"You better take it easy on me, kid. Don't pull too far ahead; leave me some dignity."

Su Han gave a helpless smile. "I'll try."

"Besides the Divine Sword Special Forces Brigade, how are the other Special Forces Brigades?"

Lin Hu was taken aback. "Do you really know nothing about the other Special Forces units? Didn't that group from Falcon tell you?"

Su Han said, "They only mentioned Divine Sword from the Beijing Military Region."

Lin Hu couldn't help but curse, "Those idiots from Falcon actually didn't tell you even this? They really don't treat you as a teammate at all."

After a pause, Lin Hu still told Su Han: "For the top three in the Army, it's Divine Sword from the Beijing Military Region, Wild Wolf from the Southwest Military Region, and Snow Leopard from the Northeast Military Region. Those were last year's top three. Of course, besides Divine Sword, second and third place change frequently, and the Desert Wolf from the Northwest also often breaks into the top three."

"As for the Marine Corps, our Dragon Shark from the Southern Military Region is one, and the other is Tiger Whale from the Southeast Military Region. The other two were only established recently, so no need to pay them much attention. Just like your Falcon, they basically linger at the bottom."

Lin Hu wanted to say more, but at that moment, the referee's whistle blew.

"All participating members, assemble!"

The eighteen participating Special Forces Soldiers quickly lined up. Su Han stood at the end of the line, his gaze calmly scanning the other contestants.

"Ready—"

With the sound of the starting gun, Su Han shot out like an arrow from a bow, instantly leaving the others behind.

"Holy crap!" Lin Hu's eyes widened. "Is this kid crazy?"

Zhou Long of the Divine Sword Commando Unit sneered, "A rookie is a rookie; he doesn't even understand how to pace himself."

"Let him run. He'll collapse before he hits three kilometers," Wu Hai shook his head dismissively.

"What's with this guy? Who runs a long-distance race this fast? Especially since it's a triathlon, with the four-hundred-meter obstacle course and Armed Swimming still to come!" Looking at Su Han's receding back, Lin Hu was also clearly stunned.

...

Meanwhile, at the Purgatory Base Command and Observation Room.

On a massive electronic screen, the live footage of the Triathlon was being displayed in real-time.

The positions, speeds, and heart rates of the eighteen contestants were constantly being updated.

The contestants were all wearing smart monitoring wristbands that could detect some of their basic physiological data.

The Captains of the major Special Forces units sat around a circular conference table, sipping tea while observing the progress of the competition with great interest.

"Hey, Old Wang, the newcomer your Falcon sent this year is quite interesting, isn't he?" Chen Shuai, Captain of the Flying Dragon Special Forces, pointed at the screen with a teasing smile.

On the screen, Su Han was leading the pack, his speed far exceeding the others, having already pulled nearly 200 meters ahead of the second-place runner.

Wang Yuanchao's expression was not very good, and he let out a cold snort. "He's not from our Falcon; he's a connected person forced upon us by the higher-ups."

"Oh?" Everyone's interest was piqued, and they all looked over.

"No wonder!" The Captain of Wild Wolf slapped his thigh and laughed. "I was wondering why I'd never seen this character before. So he's a 'paratrooper'!"

"Tsk tsk, Old Wang, your Falcon has some good luck this year. Even a connected person can run this fast?" The Captain of Snow Leopard teased intentionally.

Wang Yuanchao kept his face dark and said nothing, inwardly cursing: "What's the use of running fast? The triathlon is about endurance. This kid is sprinting right out of the gate; he'll definitely stall later!"

"Hey, any guesses on who will take first in the triathlon this year?" Chen Shuai changed the subject, his gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Is there even a need to ask? It'll definitely be one of those four from the Marine Corps!" the Wild Wolf Captain said without hesitation. "They train in swimming and obstacles year-round, and their energy distribution is the most scientific. Haven't they swept the top three every year?"

"I wouldn't be so sure." The Snow Leopard Captain shook his head. "Zhou Long and Wu Hai from the Divine Sword Commando Unit are in good form this year. I saw during the warm-up that their muscle definition is even leaner than last year. They might just snatch a spot."

"Hahaha, Old Liu, you don't really think the Army can beat the Navy, do you?" Chen Shuai laughed loudly. "The final part of the triathlon is a 3-kilometer Armed Swimming. Navy guys swim faster than fish in the water; can the Army guys even compare?"

Everyone roared with laughter, except for Long Zhan, who sat to the side with a mysterious smile, saying nothing.

"Old Long, why aren't you saying anything?" Chen Shuai asked curiously. "Your Dragon Shark sent Lin Hu and another newcomer this year. Where do you think they'll place?"

Long Zhan slowly took a sip of tea and smiled. "I think... this year's first place might not be from the Navy."

"Huh?!" Everyone was stunned, followed by a burst of boisterous laughter.

The ones laughing the loudest were naturally the Marine Corps Captains from the other three Military Regions.

"Old Long, you didn't drink too much last night, did you?"

"If it's not the Navy, could it actually be the Army?"

Long Zhan smiled without speaking, merely pointing at the screen. "See for yourselves."

Everyone turned their eyes back to the big screen and suddenly their eyes widened—

Su Han had already finished 3 kilometers, and his speed hadn't decreased at all; in fact, he was still accelerating!

"Holy crap! What's with this kid?!" Chen Shuai exclaimed. "His pace is almost catching up to a professional marathon runner, isn't it?"

"And his breathing rhythm hasn't faltered at all!"

"Look at his heart rate; it's actually staying below 140! Is he a damn monster?"

Wang Yuanchao could no longer sit still, staring intently at the screen. "Impossible... he's carrying a 25-kilogram load. How can he run this fast without getting tired?"

"Old Wang, you said he was a connected person just now?" the Snow Leopard Captain asked suspiciously. "Could he be a top-tier soldier secretly trained by your Military Region?"

Wang Yuanchao's expression flickered between light and dark, and he was already starting to regret it in his heart: "Damn it, if I'd known, I should have investigated clearly first..."

"Look! He's reached the 5-kilometer finish line!" someone shouted.

On the screen, Su Han crossed the 5-kilometer finish line with a time of only 15 minutes and 28 seconds!

The referees clearly hadn't expected Su Han to run so fast and scrambled to check his equipment, confirming that the load was fully in line with the standards.

"This score... has it already broken the all-military record?" Chen Shuai murmured.

"More than that." Long Zhan finally spoke, his eyes flashing with excitement. "His 400-meter obstacle course and Armed Swimming are even more terrifying."

"How do you know?"

Everyone looked at Long Zhan in confusion.

Wang Yuanchao asked even more anxiously, "Old Long, do you know him? Do you know something?"

Long Zhan smiled and shook his head. "There's no point in saying these things now. Let's wait until we finish watching."

Wang Yuanchao could only suppress the shock and curiosity in his heart and continue staring at the screen.

After the referees finished checking his equipment, Su Han immediately rushed to the 400-meter obstacle course assessment field.

After bursting from the starting line, Su Han's leg muscles were like springs compressed to the limit and suddenly released.

The Captains in the observation room couldn't even see his starting movement clearly; they only saw a camouflaged figure catapult out.

"That starting speed!" The Wild Wolf Captain's teacup hung suspended in mid-air.

Before the first 1.2-meter low wall, Su Han suddenly accelerated again three meters away.

His right foot stepped precisely onto the middle of the wall, his left leg swinging up in tandem, and his entire body took flight like a giant roc spreading its wings.

The most shocking part was that he didn't use his hands for support at all, completing the leap purely with the explosive power of his legs.

"Crossing a low wall without hands?!" Chen Shuai slammed the table and stood up. "How much vertical jump power does that require?"

Wang Yuanchao quickly calculated in his head: "It would take a net jump height of at least 1.5 meters to do that..."

Before the 2.4-meter high board, the normal way was to run and jump, then use a pull-up to flip over.

But Su Han suddenly changed direction two meters away, his right foot stepping on the side support pillar for leverage. He shot toward the top of the high board like a cannonball.

"What is he doing?" The Snow Leopard Captain's eyes widened.

Su Han's hands had just touched the edge of the high board when his core muscles instantly tensed like iron.

On the monitoring screen in the observation room, the contours of his back muscles were clearly visible through his training uniform.

With a dazzling 360-degree rotation, like a gymnast on a horizontal bar, he used only his arm and core strength to whirl his entire body over the high board.

"That core strength..." The teacup in Long Zhan's hand trembled slightly. "Even our Marine Corps climbing instructors couldn't do that..."

On the 5-meter-long single-log bridge, Su Han's performance was even more breathtaking.

Instead of slowing down to maintain balance as was conventional, he accelerated into a sprint.

Every time his toes landed, they stepped precisely on the center line of the log, his step frequency so fast it almost left an afterimage.

"0.3 seconds per step!" a technical officer exclaimed while looking at the data. "That sense of balance is simply..."

Before the words were finished, Su Han suddenly took flight just as he was about to reach the end. While performing a front flip, his right hand struck the finish marker pole, and he landed already adjusted into a posture to run toward the next obstacle.

This movement, full of performative flair, left the observing Captains collectively petrified.

Before the 2.5-meter-wide trench, Su Han's response once again subverted their understanding.

He didn't use a conventional jump to cross it. Instead, one meter from the trench, he suddenly turned sideways, supporting himself with a single arm on the ground, and his whole body spun horizontally like a top to fly across.

"Single-arm supported spinning jump?!" Chen Shuai's voice changed pitch. "How much arm strength is needed to..."

The monitoring screen switched to slow-motion replay at the right time: Su Han's right triceps bulged to the point of nearly tearing his training uniform at the moment of support, and a shallow pit was even pressed into the ground.

This movement allowed him to complete the longest distance leap with minimum energy consumption.

The 30-meter low-crawl under the wire was supposed to be the most time-consuming part, but Su Han displayed a hair-raising way of moving.

His body glided across the ground as if it had no bones. Every time his arms reached forward, they pulled his entire body more than two meters ahead.

Even more terrifying was his breath control—he completed the entire stretch while holding his breath to avoid inhaling dust that might affect his speed.

"1 minute and 28 seconds! A new all-military record!" When the timer's trembling voice rang out, the observation room was so silent a pin could be heard dropping.

This score was a full 6 seconds faster than the original record held by the Marine Corps.

Wang Yuanchao suddenly realized that the back of his training uniform was soaked through.

He stared fixedly at Su Han's calm face on the screen. This young man, whom their entire team had treated as a "connected person" and mocked and marginalized time and again, now stood like a God of War in the sunlight.