98: Chapter 98: A Sweet Trap

After Xiao Budian left, a rare sense of relaxation permeated the dormitory.

The female soldiers carefully shared those dozen or so wedding candies as if they were the most precious gifts in the world.

"Half a piece each, that way everyone can have a taste." Lin Yu broke a candy in half and handed it to Li Xue beside her.

Li Xue took the half-piece of candy and gently held it in her mouth. The sweetness instantly dissolved on the tip of her tongue, and she couldn't help but squint her eyes. "So sweet... I almost forgot what candy tastes like."

"Shh—keep it down!" Zhang Meng pricked up her ears to listen for any movement outside. "If the Chief Instructor hears us, he'll find a way to make trouble for us again."

Su Qingcheng leaned against the side of the bed, slowly savoring the sweetness of the candy. "Do you guys think... we can really rest for half a day this time?"

"They probably... won't use Gas Grenades again, right?" one female soldier said uncertainly, her eyes constantly darting toward the door, fearing that a gas canister would roll in the next second.

Lin Yu suddenly lowered her voice. "I always feel like something's wrong. Since when has the Chief Instructor been this kind? Could he be planning some big move again?"

The female soldiers looked at each other, and the sweetness of the candy suddenly turned somewhat bitter.

"Who cares!" Zhang Meng tilted her head back and swallowed the candy directly. "Enjoy the moment first! Even if it's a trap, I'm definitely eating this candy!"

————

Sunlight spilled through the gaps in the curtains onto the dormitory floor, forming a golden band of light.

The female soldiers were sprawled across their beds, finally falling into a long-overdue deep sleep.

Lin Yu curled up in the corner of her bed, a sweet smile still lingering at the corners of her mouth; Li Xue hugged her pillow, letting out slight snores;

Even the usually alert Su Qingcheng relaxed her tense nerves, her breathing steady and long.

Outside the dormitory, Su Han stood under the shade of a tree with his hands behind his back, with Zhou Mo standing beside him.

"Are you really letting them sleep this long?" Zhou Mo checked his watch. "It's already been four hours."

The corners of Su Han's mouth curled up slightly. "Let them sleep. Let them build up their energy... this afternoon's training will be even more exciting."

————

The piercing sound of the assembly whistle suddenly rang out, and the female soldiers sprang from their beds like a reflex.

"Assemble! Fast!" Su Qingcheng was the first to rush out the door, and the others followed in a scramble.

On the training ground, Su Han had his back to them and was checking his watch.

The female soldiers quickly lined up in formation, not daring to even breathe loudly.

"Hmm, the reaction speed is 3 seconds faster than yesterday." Su Han turned around, a rare smile actually appearing on his face. "Did you sleep well?"

The female soldiers were stunned; they hadn't expected the Chief Instructor to ask that.

"Report! Very well!" Lin Yu answered, gathering her courage.

"Report! I've never slept so soundly!" Zhang Meng grinned.

Su Han nodded. "That's good. After all... from now on, you probably won't be able to get a good night's sleep for a long time."

Female soldiers: "..."

"Relax," Su Han waved his hand. "No surprise attacks today, let's just chat first."

He sat down casually on the steps at the edge of the training ground and signaled for the female soldiers to sit as well. "Do you know why the Womens Special Operations Team was formed?"

The female soldiers looked at each other; no one dared to answer.

"Because modern warfare requires it," Su Han said to himself. "In certain special missions, female soldiers have more advantages than male soldiers."

He looked at Su Qingcheng. "For example, in intelligence gathering and undercover work behind enemy lines, women are often less likely to arouse suspicion."

Then he looked at Lin Yu. "Or in medical aid and psychological counseling, women have a natural affinity."

The female soldiers gradually relaxed and began to listen attentively.

"But—" Su Han's tone shifted. "This doesn't mean the requirements for you will be lower than for male soldiers. On the contrary, you have to put in more effort to prove you are worthy of the title 'Special Forces Soldier'."

He stood up and patted the dust off his trousers. "So, starting today, we will adopt a point-based assessment system."

"A point system?" the female soldiers whispered among themselves.

"Everyone starts with 100 points," Su Han explained. "Lack of initiative in training, failing assessments, slow assembly speed, talking back to instructors... points will be deducted for all of these."

The corners of his mouth curled into a meaningful smile. "Of course, those who perform well can also earn points. Once your points are gone... you are directly eliminated."

The female soldiers gasped; this was far more cruel than simple physical training—every small mistake could end their future.

"Now, count off!"

"One!" "Two!" "Three!" ... The female soldiers counted off in sequence, finally stopping at "27."

"Very good, 27 warriors." Su Han nodded. "From today on, you only have numbers, no names. From Number 1 to Number 27, remember your number; it will stay with you until the end."

He turned and gave Zhou Mo a look, and the latter immediately brought over a stack of number tags and distributed them to each female soldier.

Su Qingcheng received the "Number 5" tag, Lin Yu was "Number 12," and Zhang Meng was "Number 18."

"This afternoon's training is very simple." Su Han pointed to the obstacle course in the distance. "Armed Cross-country, 20kg load, 10 kilometers."

The female soldiers breathed a sigh of relief—compared to eating bugs and fighting crocodiles, this was practically not worth mentioning.

"However..." Su Han added, "the last three will have 10 points deducted."

The female soldiers' expressions instantly froze.

"Report!" Number 12, Lin Yu, plucked up her courage and raised her hand.

Su Han's gaze swept over. "Speak."

"Can we... eat something first?" Lin Yu's voice trembled slightly. "It's been over ten hours since we last ate."

The other female soldiers also looked at Su Han expectantly, their eyes filled with both hope and fear—they were afraid the instructor would bring out those wriggling "high-protein" snacks again.

The corners of Su Han's mouth turned up slightly. "Lunch? Haven't you already eaten?"

The female soldiers looked at each other with blank expressions.

"Report, Chief Instructor!" Number 18, Zhang Meng, couldn't help but say, "When did we ever..."

Her words stopped abruptly because Su Han slowly pulled a familiar candy from his pocket—it was exactly the same kind of candy that Xiao Budian had secretly given them!

The female soldiers' faces turned pale instantly.

"It seems you recognize this." Su Han toyed with the beautifully wrapped Wedding Candy, his smile warm. "The 'condolence gifts' Xiao Budian gave you will be your only food for the next three days."

"What?!" the female soldiers exclaimed in unison.

Number 5, Su Qingcheng, stood up abruptly. "Report! This is unfair! Those candies were received during our rest time, they shouldn't count as—"

"Rest time?" Su Han interrupted her. "In the Special Forces, there is no true rest. Every minute and every second, you are in 'training'."

He walked up to the female soldiers, his voice suddenly stern. "When you're undercover behind enemy lines and an innocent little girl hands you a candy, would you dare to just eat it? Hmm?"

The female soldiers fell silent.

"Remember this lesson."

"The 27 of you will share those dozen or so candies. For the next three days, you are forbidden from eating anything. Even if you catch a rat in the mountains, you cannot eat it."

Female soldiers: "..."