172: Chapter 172 What kind of training is this? The soldiers were dumbfounded!

As his words fell, under the astonished gazes of everyone, Shen Wang began to unbutton his stylish camouflage jacket, revealing the more sporty, form-fitting training suit underneath.

He twisted his neck and stretched his wrists and ankles.

After lying still for three days, his muscles and joints indeed needed a good stretch.

He did a few squats and stretched the muscles in his thighs and arms, feeling in just the right condition.

Warm-up complete, he walked to the starting line of the 400-meter obstacle course.

Over a thousand pairs of eyes were fixed intently on him. Curiosity, doubt, and even a subtle sense of anticipation to see what 'new tricks the commander had up his sleeve' hung in the air.

Shen Wang took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening.

'Start!'

He gave a low shout, and his body shot out like an arrow released from a bow!

His initial sprint was extremely fast, heading straight for the first obstacle—the five-step stakes!

His steps were precise, left foot tapping, right foot following. His figure was light yet stable, passing through quickly as if stepping on plum-blossom stakes, without any of the stumbling a novice might display.

Next was the trench!

Shen Wang accelerated, pushed off hard from the edge of the trench with one foot, his body soaring into the air. The other leg swung over, and he landed steadily on the opposite side. The movement was so fluid it seemed practiced a thousand times.

The low wall!

Almost without pause, his right hand pressed against the top of the wall, and he used the leverage to flip sideways over it instantly, kicking up a faint cloud of dust.

Then came the high platform jump!

This was the first real challenge.

A nearly two-meter-high vertical wooden plank wall!

While running, Shen Wang adjusted his breathing. As he approached, he suddenly accelerated, pushing off the springboard with his right foot, propelling his body upward.

His hands accurately grabbed the upper edge of the wall. Using the strength of his core, he executed a clean pull-up, hooked his legs over, and flipped down!

The entire process took less than three seconds!

'Nice!'

Among the watching soldiers, someone subconsciously let out a low exclamation.

But most still thought... well, it didn't seem that difficult?

The regimental commander's moves were pretty cool, but that wall... with a good push, anyone could probably get over it, right?

Shen Wang's rhythm wasn't disrupted in the slightest.

The rope net!

He used both hands and feet, climbing with extreme speed, agile as a monkey;

The balance beam! He kept his core stable, passing through with quick steps, displaying astonishing balance;

The low-crawl net!

Without hesitation, he dropped into a prone position, quickly traversing it with a standard low-crawl technique, his movements both correct and swift;

The high wall!

This obstacle tested overall ability even more than the high platform jump. He still employed the fluid sequence of kick-off, grab, and vault, completing it in one smooth motion!

The final hundred-meter sprint!

Shen Wang fully unleashed the surging power brought by his 15 Constitution points. His speed increased once more as he charged toward the finish line with an unstoppable momentum!

He came to a stop, breathing slightly heavily. He wiped the fine sweat from his temple, then calmly brushed the dust from his combat uniform.

The guard soldier responsible for timing loudly announced the result: '1 minute 24 seconds!'

The entire area fell silent for a moment, followed by a buzzing wave of murmurs.

Not even a minute and a half?

It seemed like only a little over a minute in total?

So... that's it?

The soldiers looked at each other, their eyes conveying similar thoughts:

It looks... pretty simple, doesn't it?

Just run fast, jump high, and climb quickly, right?

What kind of training can this be?

Doesn't seem particularly special, huh?

Shen Wang took in everyone's expressions, a faint, barely noticeable curve lifting the corner of his mouth.

Why was the first thing he did after being discharged to come to the training ground?

Did they really think being a regimental commander was so easy?

Did they think just bringing weapons and supplies would earn genuine respect?

Especially facing these battle-hardened elites who had fought through blood and fire—without some real skill, would they ever truly accept you?

And this seemingly simple, yet intensely demanding 400-meter obstacle course—testing overall physical ability, technique, and willpower—was the carefully prepared 'lesson in humility' he had in store!

Think it's simple, do you?

Think anyone with legs can run it, huh?

Fine, then you try it!

'Did everyone see that clearly?' Shen Wang scanned the crowd, his voice calm.

'Yes, sir!'

The soldiers answered in unison, their voices loud, carrying a hint of nonchalance.

It really wasn't complicated. One look and you knew how to run it.

'Alright then,' Shen Wang looked at them with a half-smile. 'Does anyone want to give it a try?'

'If anyone can complete the entire course within two minutes—'

He paused, seeing many soldiers perk up their ears, before slowly dangling the bait:

'Tonight, extra rations—individual self-heating combat rations! As much as you want!'

'Whoa—!'

The words were like a huge rock thrown into a calm lake!

Individual combat rations!

That was the stuff of legend!

Even those who hadn't eaten them had long heard from fortunate comrades who had tasted them just how heavenly they were.

Meat, vegetables, rice, plus sweet compressed biscuits and chocolate.

Add hot water, and the aroma would waft for miles!

They said eating one meal was worth losing ten years of your life!

The soldiers instantly felt their throats go dry, unconsciously swallowing.

Their eyes grew fervent. They looked at each other, chests heaving, itching to give it a try.

But they hesitated. After all, this was their first meeting with the new regimental commander. What if they ran faster than him? Wouldn't that be disrespectful?

Shen Wang smiled and continued, 'It's fine, don't hold back! If you're men, don't hide your abilities!'

'Whoosh—!'

As soon as the words left his mouth, it was like opening a floodgate. The soldiers standing in the front few rows almost simultaneously took a large step forward!

Those behind, not wanting to be outdone, quickly followed suit.

In an instant, nearly half the unit surged forward, every face etched with 'defiance' and 'we'll do anything for those rations!'

It's just four hundred meters, isn't it? Less than half a mile!

The regimental commander finished in just over a minute. Two minutes? Should be a breeze!

Give it your all, and tonight you can eat the 'food of the gods' you've been dreaming about!

'Good!'

Shen Wang casually pointed at a particularly lean, agile-looking young soldier in the front row, whose eyes were brimming with eagerness.

'You, you go first!'

'Yes, sir!'

The chosen young soldier answered excitedly.

Stepping out of the ranks, he mimicked Shen Wang, doing a simple warm-up of his limbs. Then he took a deep breath, his gaze locking onto the track.

'Ready—go!'

At Shen Wang's command, the young soldier shot out like an unbridled wild horse!

His initial sprint was even faster than Shen Wang's had been! He was pouring all his energy into making a stunning impression.

For the first few steps, he charged fiercely. The five-step stakes were a bit clumsy but he passed them, and he barely cleared the trench.

But when he reached the low wall, his first attempt at the hand-vault was awkward, his form breaking. He almost got stuck, losing precious time.

By the time he rushed to the high platform jump, his energy distribution was already off balance from charging too hard at the start.

He tried to imitate Shen Wang's kick-off and jump, and his hands did grab the upper edge.

But his core strength was clearly insufficient. The pull-up was a tremendous struggle. His legs kicked in the air several times before he barely managed to haul himself up.

Flipping down, he nearly landed flat on his rear, a picture of disarray.

The soldier finally realized something was wrong!

This thing was nothing like how it looked!

Once his rhythm was disrupted, the rest became even more difficult.

He climbed the rope net slowly, wobbled precariously across the balance beam, and his rear stuck up high during the low-crawl...

By the time he stumbled, gasping like a bellows, across the finish line, he felt nearly broken. He leaned on his knees, panting heavily, his face flushed red.

Shen Wang pressed his stopwatch and announced the time:

'4 minutes 16 seconds.'