5: Chapter 5: Awarded Third-Class Merit! Insane, Self-Abusive Training!

At the shooting range, Zhao Jianguo offered Su Han a few more words of encouragement before leading the Division Commander and his party away.

Regimental Commander Wang Tiejun watched the motorcade depart. He turned around abruptly, a smile instantly blooming on his face. "Everyone, assemble!"

The soldiers from the three companies quickly fell into formation, everyone's eyes unconsciously drifting toward Su Han.

"Listen up!" Wang Tiejun barked, hands behind his back, his voice booming. "At ease!"

Shua!

The entire battalion extended their left feet in perfect unison.

"Today, a Sharpshooter has emerged from our 3rd Battalion! A Sniping Genius whom even the Military Region Chief praised!"

Wang Tiejun's voice echoed across the training ground. "Comrade Su Han's performance has not only brought glory to the 7th Company, but has also won honor for our entire regiment!"

He walked up to Su Han and patted his shoulder forcefully. "I have decided to award Comrade Su Han a Third-Class Merit!!"

Boom—

The scene instantly erupted into a frenzy!

"A Third-Class Merit?!"

"Getting a Third-Class Merit in his first year of service?!"

"My god! That luck is just too good!"

The soldiers buzzed with discussion, their gazes toward Su Han filled with envy.

In the army, a Third-Class Merit was not something handed out casually.

For ordinary soldiers serving two years, being named an Outstanding Soldier was already considered a good achievement.

Yet Su Han had only been enlisted for half a year and had already received such a high honor!

Everyone felt like they were in a dream.

No one would have expected that Su Han, who usually trailed at the bottom in every subject, would actually step up so hard at this critical moment.

Wang Tiejun scanned the area and continued, "I hope all officers and soldiers of the battalion will learn from Comrade Su Han, train hard in the skills to kill the enemy, and strive to be model soldiers! Dismissed!"

As soon as the formation broke, the soldiers of the 7th Company swarmed around him.

"Brother Han! You're treating!"

"Brother Han is awesome!"

"Brother Han, you were hiding your strength too deep!"

Wang Hao grabbed Su Han's arm. "Brother Han! From now on, you're my real brother! Teach me how to shoot!"

Soldiers from other squads also crowded around, chattering away to ask for guidance.

Zhou Haitao stood on the periphery, his expression incredibly complex.

He cleared his throat. "Quiet down!"

The soldiers finally dispersed, but the excitement in their eyes hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Zhou Haitao walked up to Su Han, sizing him up as if meeting this soldier for the first time. "Su Han... just how many more surprises do you have that I don't know about?"

Su Han grinned. "Grandson-in-law, this is just the beginning."

Zhou Haitao's mouth twitched, but surprisingly, he didn't argue.

He turned to the soldiers of the entire company. "Today, Comrade Su Han has brought glory to our 7th Company! Extra rations for the whole company tonight! Ten extra dishes for the 3rd Squad! Out of my own pocket!"

"Long live the Company Commander!"

"Long live Brother Han!"

The soldiers cheered and jumped for joy, dancing with excitement.

Zhou Haitao waved his hand. "Now, every squad return to your areas and prepare to clean your weapons and equipment. Same old rules: before we start, each squad sends one person out for a rifle disassembly and assembly competition. Whichever squad takes first, their weapons will be distributed to the other squads to help clean!"

His gaze swept over the 3rd Squad. "For the 3rd Squad, let Su Han participate!"

"Yes!" Su Han replied, standing at attention, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes.

...

Back at the company, the soldiers quickly gathered in the open space outside the armory.

Representatives from nine squads lined up, each with a table in front of them holding a type 95 rifle.

Zhou Haitao stood at the front, stopwatch in hand. "The rules are simple: disassemble then assemble. The first to finish assembly and pull the charging handle wins. Get ready—"

Su Han flexed his fingers, his gaze focused intently on the components on the table.

"Start!"

As soon as Zhou Haitao's command fell, the fingers of the nine soldiers immediately turned into afterimages, beginning to disassemble the rifles at high speed.

Clack, clack, clack—

The sounds of metal parts clashing rose and fell.

Wang Hao clenched his fists nervously, staring unblinkingly at Su Han's movements.

He saw Su Han's hands moving like butterflies through flowers, his actions so fast they were almost a blur.

Removing the buttstock, ejecting the magazine, separating the upper and lower receivers, taking out the bolt assembly...

Every step was precise and flawless, moving like flowing water.

"Holy crap!" Wang Hao couldn't help but swear. "Brother Han's hand speed is way too abnormal!"

Soldiers from other squads also noticed Su Han's anomaly and looked over one after another.

The representative from the 2nd Squad was even distracted, accidentally letting the recoil spring fly out, and scrambled to pick it up.

"We just started disassembling, what's the rush?" a veteran from the 1st Squad snorted dismissively, his hands never stopping.

However, the very next second—

"Report! Finished!"

Su Han's booming voice was like a thunderclap, making everyone's scalp tingle.

Zhou Haitao's stopwatch had just reached 13 seconds. He snapped his head up, looking at the fully assembled type 95 rifle in front of Su Han in disbelief.

"That's impossible!"

The representatives from the other eight squads stopped their movements in unison, staring at the scene dumbfounded.

"13 seconds?! Fully assembled?!"

"I just fucking finished disassembling mine!"

"Is this guy even human?!"

The scene was in an uproar; the soldiers' jaws were nearly hitting the floor.

Zhou Haitao walked quickly to Su Han and picked up the rifle to inspect it carefully—every part was in place, the bolt pulled smoothly, and it completely met the standards.

"You..." Zhou Haitao's voice trembled slightly. "How did you do it?"

Su Han smiled slightly. "Reporting to the Company Commander, practice makes perfect."

"Bullshit!" Zhou Haitao blurted out. "The regimental record is only 21 seconds, and you're a recruit who's only been in for half a year..."

Halfway through his sentence, he suddenly realized something and snapped his mouth shut.

Right, this recruit had just blown up ten wine bottles from 1,200 meters away!

Compared to that, what was this?

Zhou Haitao took a deep breath to calm his emotions. "3rd Squad wins! The other squads will help them clean their guns!"

"Yeah!" The soldiers of the 3rd Squad cheered, rushing forward to toss Su Han high into the air.

"Brother Han is awesome!"

"Brother Han is mighty!"

Wang Hao's face was flushed with excitement. "Brother Han, when did you practice this? Teach me!"

Su Han was tossed in the air, smiling without a word.

In his past life in the Special Forces, they had to disassemble and assemble weapons hundreds of times a day. Although this body had changed, the muscle memory remained.

...

That night, the 7th Company's canteen was brightly lit, filled with laughter and joy.

Zhou Haitao indeed kept his promise, paying out of pocket for ten hearty dishes.

Braised pork, sweet and sour ribs, steamed fish... the aroma of the dishes filled the long tables.

"Come! A toast to our 7th Company's Sharpshooter!" Zhou Haitao raised his drink cup (alcohol was banned in the army), a rare smile appearing on his face.

"Cheers!"

The soldiers cheered in unison, the atmosphere festive.

Su Han was seated next to the Company Commander, enjoying the treatment of an "honored guest."

"Su Han," Zhou Haitao leaned in and lowered his voice, "about before... I was in the wrong. Don't take it to heart."

Su Han raised an eyebrow. "The Company Commander is referring to...?"

"Just... that..." Zhou Haitao stammered, his face turning beet red. "The matter of calling you Third Grandpa..."

Su Han realized and intentionally raised his voice. "Oh~ so that's what Grandson-in-law is talking about!"

"Shh!!" Zhou Haitao waved his hands frantically. "Lower your voice!"

Although the surrounding soldiers pretended not to hear, their shoulders were shaking like sieves from suppressed laughter.

Su Han smiled and lowered his voice. "Don't worry, Company Commander, I'm a very magnanimous person. However..."

"However what?" Zhou Haitao asked nervously.

"In the army, you are the Company Commander. But in private..." Su Han drew out the last word meaningfully.

Zhou Haitao gritted his teeth. "In private, you are my Third Grandpa!"

"Good boy~" Su Han nodded in satisfaction and placed a piece of braised pork into Zhou Haitao's bowl. "Here, Grandson-in-law, eat more."

Zhou Haitao: "..."

This scene happened to be seen by Su Lingxue as she walked into the canteen. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Third Grandpa, Haitao, you two..."

Zhou Haitao, as if granted a pardon, quickly stood up. "Ling Xue! Why are you here?"

Su Lingxue shook the insulated food container in her hand. "I didn't have much to do this afternoon, so I made some dishes in the family quarters for the soldiers to try. I didn't expect..."

She looked at Zhou Haitao, then at Su Han, and suddenly giggled. "You two are getting along quite well?"

Zhou Haitao gave two dry laughs. "That we are, that we are..."

Su Han smiled and said kindly, "Ling Xue, Haitao is a good kid. He knows how to respect his elders. Not bad."

Zhou Haitao: "..."

Su Lingxue grabbed Zhou Haitao's hand in surprise. "Really? Third Grandpa agrees to our marriage?"

"Well..." Su Han intentionally pondered for a moment. Seeing Zhou Haitao sweating from nerves, he then smiled. "Of course I agree! Where else would one find such a good Grandson-in-law?"

"That's great!" Su Lingxue's eyes reddened with emotion. "I'll call mom and dad and tell them right away!"

She turned and ran out of the canteen, leaving Zhou Haitao standing there looking at Su Han with a complex expression.

"Thank you," Zhou Haitao said softly, this time with genuine sincerity.

Su Han waved his hand. "We're family, no need for formalities. However..."

"However what?"

"Starting tomorrow, I'm going to conduct special training," Su Han said seriously. "I hope the Company Commander can approve my request for individual training."

Zhou Haitao nodded without hesitation. "No problem! Just say the word for whatever equipment you need!"

"Also..." Su Han hesitated. "I'd like to borrow the company gym, two hours each in the morning and evening."

The company gym was generally only open on rest days.

It wasn't large, but it had all the equipment needed for physical strength training.

"Done!" Zhou Haitao decided. "I'll give you the gym key. Go whenever you want!"

The conversation between the two was clearly heard by the surrounding soldiers, their eyes turning green with envy.

Individual training! Use of the gym anytime!

This treatment was unique in the entire regiment!

...

After dinner, the squads returned to their dorms, preparing to rest a bit before the night training session.

"Night training is canceled tonight! Free activities!"

At that moment, Zhou Haitao's voice echoed in front of the 7th Company's dormitory building, drawing a cheer from the soldiers.

"The computer room is open! If you want to play games, go grab a spot!"

"The basketball court is also open! Organize yourselves by squad, and no fighting!"

The soldiers scattered in excitement. Some grabbed basketballs and rushed to the court, some ran to the computer room in groups, and others pulled out decks of cards to battle for three hundred rounds.

Wang Hao threw an arm around Su Han's shoulder. "Brother Han! Let's go! I'll carry you in a game! My Yasuo is amazing!"

Zhao Xiaohu also leaned in. "Exactly, Brother Han made a huge contribution today, we have to celebrate!"

Su Han shook his head and turned toward his locker. "You guys go ahead, I have things to do."

Under everyone's puzzled gazes, he began to gear up fully—combat boots, tactical vest, duty belt...

"Brother Han, you're..." Wang Hao's eyes widened.

Su Han didn't even look up as he stuffed weights into his rucksack. "My physical fitness is too poor; I need to make up for it."

"No, isn't tonight for rest?" Zhao Xiaohu was completely bewildered.

Su Han didn't answer and continued adding weights to the rucksack until it was packed full.

Wang Hao curiously tried to lift it and almost threw out his back. "Holy crap! This must be 40 kilograms?!"

"40 kilograms?!"

The soldiers in the dorm cried out in unison.

Their usual armed cross-country runs were only 20 kilograms. This was double?!

Squad Leader Liu Yong heard the noise and came over. He was also startled when he saw Su Han's rucksack. "Su Han! Are you crazy? Such a heavy load will cause injuries!"

Su Han was already fully dressed, beads of sweat glistening on his forehead under the lights. "Squad Leader, I know what I'm doing."

With that, he took a deep breath and stepped out to start running.

The soldiers in the dorm looked at each other. No one knew who followed him out first, but soon everyone poured into the hallway.

In the night, Su Han's figure looked exceptionally lonely under the camp's streetlights.

He ran very slowly, every step looking like it took all his strength. The rucksack pressed his waist down several inches.

"40 kilograms..." Liu Yong murmured to himself. "This is fucking risking his life!"

He wanted to stop him, but he no longer had that authority.

One could even say the Company Commander no longer had the authority.

With the Military Region Chief's order, no one in the entire regiment could interfere with Su Han's training anymore.

Wang Hao swallowed. "Brother Han's shooting was so fierce today, why is his physical fitness..."

"What do you know!" Liu Yong interrupted him. "Shooting relies on talent and skill, but physical fitness is the foundation! Su Han is trying to fix his weaknesses!"

...

By the end of the first lap, Su Han was already panting like a bull.

Sweat had soaked through his training uniform.

"Huff... huff..."

His lungs felt like they were burning, and his legs were as heavy as lead.

This body was truly too weak!

In his past life in the Special Forces, he could run ten kilometers with a 50-kilogram load without even losing his breath.

But now...

"Keep going! I must keep going!"

Su Han gritted his teeth, forcing himself forward.

Second lap, his legs began to shake.

Third lap, his vision became blurred.

Fourth lap, only the thunderous sound of his own heartbeat remained in his ears.

...

"Fifth lap..."

By the basketball court, the soldiers of the 7th Company had long since stopped playing. They all stood by the side, silently counting.

Soldiers from the computer room also came out upon hearing the news. The entire 7th Company had gathered on the camp road.

Zhou Haitao stood at the entrance of the company office, stopwatch in hand, his expression solemn.

Su Han's speed had slowed to a walk, every step looking like he might collapse.

"Company Commander! Make him stop! Something's going to happen!" Liu Yong said anxiously.

Zhou Haitao shook his head. "Wait a bit longer."

He knew that look too well—it was the stubbornness of a soldier breaking through his limits.

He didn't understand why Su Han, who had been slacking for the past six months and was considered a piece of trash by the whole company, would change so completely in his mindset.

Was it because of his wife?

But that didn't seem right either!

It couldn't be that as soon as his wife arrived, his shooting skills would instantly become god-tier, could it?

...

As the sixth lap began, Su Han's face was as pale as paper.

"Blargh—"

Suddenly, he stumbled and fell to his knees, dry-heaving violently, vomiting yellowish-green bile all over the ground.

"Brother Han!"

Wang Hao and several recruits rushed over, but were stopped by a sharp shout from Zhou Haitao: "Don't move!"

Everyone froze in place, watching helplessly as Su Han used his trembling arms to push himself up and start walking again.

"Company Commander!" Liu Yong stomped his feet in frustration.

Zhou Haitao stared intently at the swaying figure, his fists clenched white. "Count the laps for him!"

"Seven!"

"Eight!"

"Nine!"

The soldiers' voices grew louder, eventually turning into a shout from the whole company.

People from other companies in the camp were also alerted and came out to watch.

"Isn't that the 7th Company's Sharpshooter?"

"What is he doing?"

"Running with a load? That rucksack looks so heavy..."

...

On the tenth lap, Su Han finally collapsed.

It wasn't that he gave up, but that he was truly exhausted.

His consciousness began to fade, and he vaguely heard the cries and footsteps of his comrades.

In the last moment before falling into darkness, he felt someone catch him.

"Su Han! Are you okay?!"

It was Zhou Haitao's voice, carrying an unprecedented level of anxiety.

Su Han wanted to laugh, but he didn't even have the strength to pull at the corners of his mouth.