173: Chapter 173 Catching the Spy!

The passing time for the 400-meter obstacle course is 2 minutes and 30 seconds.

The army-wide record is 1 minute and 21 seconds!

Shen Wang can run it in under a minute and a half because he has 15 points in Physique!

As for the others, especially those encountering it for the first time, without technique and relying purely on brute force, finishing within 5 minutes is considered fast.

After Shen Wang announced the time, the scene went quiet for a moment.

"4 minutes and 16 seconds?"

The soldiers, who were just boiling with excitement and thought two minutes would be a breeze, were a bit bewildered.

"This short guy is usually known in the company for his agility and endurance, how could..."

But some still refused to accept it!

"Report! I want to try!" a burly man shouted unconvinced.

"Come up!" Shen Wang nodded.

The burly man roared and charged up.

He had plenty of strength and managed to scrape over the high wall with brute force, but his agility was too poor; he missed his footing on the five-step stakes, nearly fell off the balance beam, and struggled even more crawling through the low-wire net...

He finally reached the finish line, panting like an ox.

"4 minutes and 11 seconds!"

"Report! I want to try too!"

"Go!"

"4 minutes and 08 seconds!"

"Report!"

"4 minutes and 09 seconds!"

...

One by one, the indomitable soldiers stepped forward to challenge it.

Most of their times hovered around 4 minutes, with only a few whose overall physical fitness was exceptionally outstanding barely managing to finish under 4 minutes.

When over a dozen people had tried consecutively and the best time was only 3 minutes and 55 seconds, everyone realized something was wrong!

"This thing... really is something!"

"It's not as simple as it looks at all!"

Those individual obstacles might not seem like much on their own, but running them in sequence is a comprehensive test of stamina distribution, explosive power, coordination, technique, and even psychological resilience!

The way everyone looked at Shen Wang changed completely!

That minute-plus performance, so effortless and fluid, represented what kind of terrifying physical fitness and control?

If before, the soldiers' feelings toward Shen Wang were mainly respect and gratitude, then now, there was added a tangible awe for a strong person!

Their regimental commander was not just the "Mr. Shen" who could bring massive amounts of weapons and supplies and change the course of the war, nor just the "national treasure" they needed to protect with their lives; he was also a hidden powerhouse in his own right!

In the most intuitive and irrefutable way, he had effortlessly established a peak that needed to be looked up to, right on the foundation of the physical fitness and military skills they were most proud of!

Seeing the light in everyone's eyes—a mix of shock, admiration, and a burning competitive spirit—Shen Wang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"This regiment is a success!"

"Commander... how, how did you do it?"

The young soldier who had tried first caught his breath and couldn't help but ask with awe.

Shen Wang smiled: "Familiarize yourself with the obstacles, master the techniques, allocate your stamina reasonably, and most importantly—persist in training."

"From today on, this is your training ground!"

"I can tell you that the passing time for this 400-meter obstacle course is 2 minutes and 30 seconds; those who can run it in under 2 minutes are considered excellent!"

"I believe that as long as you are willing to train, every one of you can meet the standard, or even surpass it!"

"Passing in 2 and a half minutes? Excellent in 2 minutes?"

The soldiers chewed on these two numbers, and thinking back to their own "dreadful" performances just now, a spirit of not giving in and a strong desire to train were completely ignited!

Just then, the Brigade Commander, Li Yunlong, Zhao Gang, and others who had received the news also arrived at the training ground out of curiosity.

Seeing this strange venue and the expressions on the soldiers' faces, they were all quite interested.

After exchanging pleasantries, the Brigade Commander and the others couldn't help but try it out themselves.

The result was predictable: the Brigade Commander had seasoned technique but his physical fitness was no longer at its peak; Li Yunlong had plenty of courage but lacked finesse; and Zhao Gang had the standard physique of an intellectual...

After running it, they were all panting and drenched in sweat, with results not much better than the soldiers'.

Wei the Monk managed to run a 3 minute 31 second time, the current best, thanks to his superior physical fitness, but it was still some distance from the passing mark.

But precisely because of this, the Brigade Commander and the others were even more shocked!

This seemingly simple combination of obstacles likely had a more comprehensive and efficient effect on tempering the soldiers' overall quality than simple cross-country running or bayonet fighting!

It was practically a "comprehensive quenching furnace" tailor-made for soldiers!

At the same time, they were even more amazed by Shen Wang's superhuman performance.

"Mr. Shen, your physique... it really opened my eyes!" Li Yunlong wiped his sweat and sighed sincerely.

Shen Wang waved his hand: "Don't be discouraged, everyone. After all, it's the first time and you're unfamiliar with it. As long as you train scientifically, your performance will improve quickly."

"Scientific training?"

The Brigade Commander was thoughtful upon hearing this: "Mr. Shen, I think this set of things could be promoted throughout the army. Do you mind?"

Shen Wang smiled: "Of course I don't mind! If conditions permit, I suggest promoting it throughout the entire army!"

The Brigade Commander's eyes lit up, and he nodded immediately: "Great! I will organize the materials and report to headquarters immediately! This is definitely a good thing for improving individual combat effectiveness!"

After all the challenges and discussions, dusk had nearly arrived.

When everyone returned to the headquarters in the city, the stars were already appearing.

In the headquarters, the Brigade Commander and Li Yunlong were still excitedly discussing the magic of the 400-meter obstacle course and how to promote it.

Shen Wang listened, and when the conversation paused, he changed the subject, his tone calm but carrying a hint of chilliness:

"Brigade Commander, Regiment Commander Li, there is something I need to inform you about!"

"These past few days, through some... special channels, I have been receiving some intelligence."

He paused and looked at the Brigade Commander: "Regarding the Japanese and puppet spies lurking in City Name and several other counties in Southeast Shanxi, I have already grasped the specific locations and information of a considerable number of them."

The Brigade Commander raised an eyebrow, surprised: "So fast?"

He knew well the difficulty of anti-espionage work, especially with such deeply hidden enemies.

It had only been three days, and there was already such definitive progress?

The efficiency of this "special channel" was simply too astonishing.

But he didn't ask further, just immediately said seriously: "Mr. Shen, what do you need us to do? I state here that whatever you need, we will fully cooperate!"

Shen Wang nodded, his eyes as sharp as knives.

"Starting tomorrow, we will conduct screening and arrest operations."

"I will provide the list and locations in batches. We need to comb through Southeast Shanxi from beginning to end, thoroughly."

"Okamura sent me a bullet, and I haven't properly 'returned the gift' yet!"

If before it was just national righteousness and hatred for the country and family, then now, it was also mixed with a touch of personal vendetta!

Cleaning out the spies is just the first step; to resist foreign aggression, one must first ensure internal stability!

Once all the spies are cleared out, the next step is for Shen Wang to prepare to take action against Okamura!