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墨書 Inktalez
As dawn broke, the recruits of the Azure Wind Antelope were called to rise, leaving them no time for breakfast. To make matters worse, Chang Guohong had arranged for breakfast to be located eleven kilometers northwest of their current position. From this moment on, breakfast would be withdrawn in an hour; if they couldn't reach it in time, they would miss out entirely.
Can you understand the agony? Running until their lungs felt like they were on fire, yet watching breakfast fade into the distance. They knew a grueling training session awaited them afterward, which explained the consistently high elimination rate.
As everyone dashed off into the distance, quickly disappearing from sight, it was evident just how enticing breakfast was, reflecting how harsh Chang Guohong's training methods were.
"Brother Jufeng, how do you think they've progressed lately? No one has been kicked out for being late this morning," Chang Guohong remarked.
Chang Guohong was not one to seek praise; he simply understood that training the Azure Wind Antelope was no easy task. He needed to constantly gauge Jufeng's thoughts; otherwise, this custom-tailored arrangement could cost him dearly.
Jufeng stood with his hands clasped behind his back on a high point, gazing at the dust clouds kicked up by the running figures, uncertain whether he felt satisfaction or disappointment.
Suddenly, Jufeng turned and stared intently at Chang Guohong, causing the latter to break into a cold sweat.
"Were you more dedicated when you were training Yao than you are now?"
Chang Guohong was momentarily taken aback and quickly apologized. "I'm sorry, Brother Jufeng. I understand now; I will treat them as strictly as I did Zhu Yao."
Jufeng smiled warmly and patted Chang Guohong on the shoulder. "You must understand that after undergoing such harsh training, the Azure Wind Antelope will face extremely dangerous missions in the future. If their skills aren't sufficient, it could endanger them. Do you understand?"
With that, Jufeng climbed into an off-road vehicle first. Chang Guohong sighed inwardly and muttered under his breath where only he could hear: "Ah, don't blame me; it's Brother Jufeng who wants you all to push yourselves to the limit. I'm just following orders. If you can't keep up, it might be better to leave early."
After a moment of melancholy, Chang Guohong also got into the vehicle and took on the role of driver as they sped away.
Today Zhu Yao was absent because Chuyang had insisted on learning some life-saving tricks from her. Unable to withstand that gentle torment any longer, Jufeng had no choice but to send Zhu Yao away. Surely they were having a delightful time together now; he just hoped that Azure Waterside's luxurious decor wouldn't become collateral damage.
Four wheels were certainly faster than two legs—especially over a distance of eleven kilometers; this conclusion was indisputable. Therefore, when Jufeng and Chang Guohong arrived at their designated location, aside from twenty armed guards escorting the breakfast supplies, there wasn't a single other soul in sight.
A large truck filled with fast food mostly contained high-protein items like jerky. If they were to share a meal together, it would be quite an upgrade. Jufeng approached the truck, leaped up into the cargo area, opened a package of food, and began chewing. After a moment, feeling it inappropriate to eat alone, he tossed a package to Chang Guohong. The latter looked surprised but followed Jufeng's lead and joined him in the truck for food and drink.
"When we train next time, make sure to call Tong Bailong too; if he sees this food, he'll be overjoyed."
Chang Guohong nodded in agreement but refrained from adding anything further; he wasn't particularly eloquent and knew that speaking too much could lead to trouble.
"I'll bet you can't do it," he said with a challenging grin.
Jufeng had been eating for quite some time, wiping his mouth and glancing at the limited edition luxury watch on his wrist that Lu Qijia had gifted him. Estimating that the first group of team members was about to arrive, he felt a playful urge.
Chang Guohong hesitated, unsure if he should accept the challenge. If he did, it might come off as disrespectful, so after much deliberation, he decided to flatter Jufeng instead.
"Well... how could I dare to bet against Brother Jufeng? You have an uncanny ability to predict outcomes; I would surely lose."
Chang Guohong was talented and decisive but lacked the boldness and drive of a true leader. Hearing Chang Guohong's words, Jufeng felt bored but refrained from criticizing him. He imagined that if Bill were here, he would have made this moment much more entertaining.
"What I mean is, among the first arrivals, there will definitely be some who help those lagging behind by bringing food, while others will only care about themselves. What do you think?"
"That..." Chang Guohong pondered over the guidelines he had set during the team's training, which forbade forming cliques. Could there really be someone willing to take risks to carry food for others?
"Brother Jufeng is always right. If I find out today that anyone has been negligent in their duties, they will face severe punishment and immediate expulsion from the team."
Without waiting for Chang Guohong's last words to fade away, Jufeng picked up a pack of food and threw it directly at Chang Guohong's head, leaving him feeling bewildered and anxious.
"Foolish! No wonder you’ve put so much effort into the Starlight Ranking only to be arrogant in Huaguo. Let me ask you: do you think being a killer is more important than being a person?"
"This..." This was already the third time Chang Guohong had stammered today, beads of sweat forming on his forehead.
"Brother Jufeng, I truly don’t understand what you mean."
Jufeng took a handkerchief handed to him by one of his subordinates and wiped his hands clean before speaking solemnly: "In this world, no matter what profession you pursue, the most crucial step is to first be a good 'person'! If someone loses their humanity, they will inevitably face retribution from countless others. A killer may seem heartless, but that's only true for those who live isolated lives. What we need are individuals willing to fight for our collective cause; even if they are selfishly motivated, they must possess at least a minimum level of loyalty."
"Self-centered team members may seek personal advancement and thus fail to make friends. In contrast, those willing to take risks are likely to have formed deep bonds with others. Both approaches have their merits; however, if we strictly adhere to rules in this special operations team, it will be difficult to foster camaraderie. In future missions, how can they trust their teammates with their backs? If they can't even manage that, then Azure Wind Antelope is nothing but a scattered group."
Jufeng's eloquent words stirred something within Chang Guohong. He reflected on his previous focus on maintaining the Starlight Ranking based solely on strength while neglecting the bonds between teammates. This oversight meant that when he wasn't present during collective missions, it would be hard for them to achieve anything significant. In contrast, during Heroic Journey's assassination attempt on Jufeng, those who acted as bait showed no reluctance or resentment when striking; that was trust in their teammates.
"Brother Jufeng's words have enlightened me. From now on, I will improve my training methods and foster mutual growth. I hope Brother Jufeng will continue guiding me."
Upon hearing this, Jufeng couldn't help but chuckle helplessly. "Who said I wanted to dismiss you? The fact that I'm willing to work with you means I hope you'll keep doing well. If anyone does bring food later on, make sure to take note of them secretly; such individuals are loyal and will undoubtedly contribute significantly to our team's cohesion."
Chang Guohong clasped his fists and bowed his head, saying, "I will strictly follow Brother Jufeng's orders."
As soon as he finished speaking, at the end of his gaze, he finally saw some indistinct figures. The silhouettes gradually approached, becoming clearer in his view. To his surprise, the first wave consisted of only a dozen people.
"Let's go; we shouldn't put pressure on them."
The first group of a dozen people took a brief rest before diving into their food. Of course, some were unable to eat after intense exertion and could only hold their food in hand, letting their chests heave heavily. Just as Jufeng had said, indeed one or two individuals had taken advantage of the moment when no one was watching to sneak a few extra packs of food into their pockets.
After the initial dozen, more and more people arrived continuously. Within a short time, most had the fortune to eat. Unfortunately, by the time the armed personnel slowly closed the doors of the vehicle and drove away, there were still dozens who had not arrived and missed out on breakfast.
Some managed to eat a little thanks to their teammates, while others had to go hungry.
(To be continued)
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