Start with push-ups to gain experience

The blazing sun hung high in the sky, scorching the entire golden beach.

The sea was rippling with blue waves, and a few seagulls skimmed low over the crests of the waves, occasionally letting out a short cry.

In the distant deep-water harbor, several silver-gray warships were quietly moored.

The ship's main guns and missile launchers on the deck gleamed in the sunlight, exuding a chilling aura.

"One! Two! Three! Four!"

"One! Two! Three! Four!"

On the beach, a group of young people wearing camouflage short-sleeved shirts were carrying sturdy logs on their shoulders in pairs, chanting slogans as they trudged along.

The heavy breathing and the scraping sound of feet sinking into the sand almost drowned out the sound of the waves crashing onto the shore.

Sweat had completely soaked through their camouflage uniforms, the fabric sticking stickily to their backs.

Large beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, rolling down his sunburnt cheeks and falling into the scorching sand at his feet.

In the middle of the line, a young man wearing black-rimmed glasses suddenly lost his balance and stumbled forward, falling to the ground.

Just as he was about to fall to the ground along with the log, a large and powerful hand reached out from behind and steadily supported his lower back.

At the same time, it resisted most of the weight of the log tilting down.

The bespectacled man used the support to steady himself and turned to look at his tall, handsome companion behind him.

"Thank you, Brother Fang..."

He gasped for breath and thanked him, then gritted his teeth and started walking again with his leaden legs.

Fang Cheng didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

Then, he bounced the log on his shoulders with both hands, moved forward half a meter, and quietly shared more of the weight with the other party.

The instructor, dressed in a black training uniform, jogged backwards at the outer edge of the formation, the brass whistle around his neck swaying with each step.

"Haven't you eaten yet? Last 200 meters! Show some of the spirit of the Special Investigation Team, don't act like a bunch of cowards!"

The instructor yelled at the top of his lungs, his sharp eyes sweeping over the entire team.

Finally, his gaze fell on the young man who had just reached out to help someone, and a hint of undisguised surprise flashed in his eyes.

Among a group of exhausted newcomers with distorted faces and unsteady steps, the other party's performance was extremely abnormal.

His skin was fair, unlike the others who had their skin peeling and turning red from the scorching sun at the beach.

Although a few drops of water clung to his calm face, it was impossible to tell whether they were sweat or moisture from the sea breeze.

More importantly, his steps maintained a steady pace, his chest rose and fell rhythmically, and his breathing was exceptionally even and long.

If you add handsome features and a tall, straight figure to that.

At this moment, he didn't look like he was doing weighted running training at all, but rather like a model shooting a magazine spread at the beach, showing none of the dishevelment or exhaustion of others.

The instructors had trained new recruits in the special search team for several years, so their eyesight was incredibly sharp.

Of course, it's obvious that this kid wasn't using his full strength at all; he was far from reaching his limit.

In the past few days, Fang Cheng's performance in various physical training exercises has been extremely impressive. His physical fitness is even stronger than some of the special forces kings he has ever seen.

Logically speaking, someone with this level of physical talent should have been selected for the special operations personnel's grueling training camp long ago.

Why are you joining this group of logistics and administrative staff?
Facing the instructor's scrutinizing gaze, Fang Cheng let out a slight sigh, deliberately making his chest heave more violently.

It's not that his acting was bad; it's just that the amount of training he received at the newcomer training camp was far too simplistic for him.

Just like now, the two of them are carrying an 80-kilogram log together to run 1,000 meters. Compared to his long-term, almost self-torturous training plan, it's not even a warm-up.

In order not to appear too shocking, he had to constantly control the degree of muscle exertion and forcefully pretend to be struggling.

Pretending to be weak in this way is more mentally taxing than running wildly.

However, since he registered his background as a traditional martial artist when he applied, and his physical abilities were beyond those of ordinary people, it was somewhat plausible.

Fang Cheng's eyes narrowed slightly as he recalled his experiences over the past few days.

Counting from the day we arrived at this beautiful seaside base on the 22nd, today is the seventh day of training.

The hundreds of new recruits to the Special Search Team in the spring were divided into thirteen classes for unified training.

Because the training directions for special operations posts and logistics civilian positions are completely different, Fang Cheng, Ma Donghe, and Hou Peng were not assigned to the same camp.

Over the past few days, in addition to basic drill training, these new civilian staff members have also undergone training in beach weighted running, obstacle climbing, basic combat skills, live-fire shooting, and tear gas smoke chamber tolerance tests.

Living in a crowded and noisy dormitory, Fang Cheng naturally couldn't maintain his usual exercise routine.

He could only meditate and contemplate quietly by leaning against the headboard after turning off the lights each night, or enter his inner world to wander in and watch the images transmitted back by the Sun's Heart Network.

Perhaps because he was free from the tedious daily routines and focused on his work, his visualization skill progress bar had been increasing remarkably well during this period.

To date, I have gained at least 50 experience points.

More importantly, his mental attribute also successfully broke through from 70 points to 71 points.

It's important to know that the higher the base attributes go, the more difficult it becomes to improve them.

The spiritual energy contained within his consciousness now is completely different from when he only had a dozen or so attribute points.

At this level, even a single point increase requires a massive amount of foundational accumulation.

The only downside is that reaching the expert level in driving skills did not trigger any additional mental attribute bonuses.

Fortunately, the skills "cooking" and "focus" are only a hair's breadth away from being upgraded.

Once military training is over and I return home, I'll put in a little extra effort and I'm sure I'll be able to get the upgrade and enhancement rewards soon.

"The finish line is here! Release!"

With a loud shout from the instructor, Fang Cheng's thoughts were interrupted, and a series of dull thuds echoed across the beach.

Logs fell to the ground, kicking up dust as high as a person.

The newlyweds, like toys that had been wound up and then slumped haphazardly on the beach, greedily inhaling the air.

Fang Cheng stood still, his hands supporting his knees, breathing slightly in rhythm with the others.

The instructor strolled forward slowly and then blew his whistle.

"Beep—"

"All students of Class 3, stand up and line up!"

Upon hearing the command, everyone could only drag their aching muscles and barely manage to get up and form three horizontal lines.

The instructor stood with his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly sweeping over the tired faces, his tone unusually gentle:

"Congratulations on making it to the last day. Today's log run was the graduation assessment, and your new recruit training camp is now over!"

"Assemble on the parade ground at 11:00 AM. After listening to the speech from the headquarters leaders, pack your bags. You can leave the base at any time!" There was a two-second silence in the ranks, followed by a deafening cheer.

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief, put their arms around each other's shoulders and chatted and laughed, and all the fatigue and depression that had accumulated over the past few days dissipated.

Fang Cheng also straightened up and stretched his shoulders and neck.

It wasn't that he found training tiring, but rather that he felt it was a waste of time to play house with these newcomers, seriously delaying his normal training progress.

Half an hour later, in the dormitory of Class 3.

The room was filled with a strong, sour smell of sweat, and the two rows of iron-framed beds creaked and rattled as they were rocked.

The training camp finally ended, and everyone was in a relaxed mood. The sounds of conversation, laughter, and banter mingled together, creating a particularly noisy atmosphere.

Everyone was busy stuffing all sorts of daily necessities into their suitcases, or standing shirtless on the balcony, haphazardly pulling down clothes that were drying outside.

"Brother Fang, I'm so grateful to you for pulling me up on the beach today, otherwise I would have knocked out two of my front teeth."

The young man with glasses who had just finished showering walked over, his hair still wet, as he dried himself with a towel.

His name is Lin Chen, and he works in the research department doing drug analysis.

He is usually a very gentle and introverted person, and he can hardly utter a word in front of strangers. He only gets along well with Fang Cheng.

During the seven-day training camp, he followed Fang Cheng around all day, calling him "Brother Fang," and almost regarded Fang Cheng as the backbone of this unfamiliar environment.

Fang Cheng stopped folding clothes, looked up and smiled:

"It was just a small thing. But you should go to the gym more often to work on your lower body strength in the future. Don't sit in the office all day staring at the microscope. Good health is the greatest asset."

"Brother Fang is right. I will definitely work out more when I get back this time."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen nodded in deep agreement and casually draped the towel around his neck.

A young man with a crew cut, who was frantically stuffing his military boots into his carrying bag, overheard their conversation and chimed in:

"Brother Fang, your physique is truly amazing. It's such a waste that you didn't apply to the Operations Department or the Intelligence Department, but instead went to the Medical Department."

"You know, the benefits and allowances for those front-line positions are much better than ours, and they will be more likely to be rewarded and promoted in the future."

The crew-cut young man was named Zhao Qiang. Despite his rugged and sturdy appearance, he was a genuine top student from a prestigious university and was assigned to the General Staff Department, which placed the greatest emphasis on intellectual work.

This guy is very outgoing and a typical northerner—straightforward and outspoken.

A few days ago, during shooting practice, his semi-automatic rifle jammed, and he was sweating profusely with anxiety.

Fang Cheng happened to be at the target position next to him and helped him troubleshoot the mechanical problem. The two quickly became acquainted.

Hearing him say that, Fang Cheng neatly put the clothes into his bag and casually replied:
“Frontline departments earn their money by risking their lives. I’m not ambitious; I just want a stable job. The medical department is relatively easy, which suits me perfectly.”

Lin Chen glanced at Fang Cheng, then turned and walked to the bedside table.

He tore a page from his notebook, picked up a ballpoint pen, and quickly wrote down a string of numbers and an address.

Then he walked back and handed it over with both hands:

"Brother Fang, this is my phone number and address. You can come to the research department to find me anytime you have time."

Seeing this, Fang Cheng did not refuse. He reached out, took the note, stuffed it into his pocket, and casually gave out his phone number.

Seeing that the two had exchanged contact information, Zhao Qiang naturally didn't want to be left behind and quickly took out his phone as well:

"Yes, yes, let's add each other as friends. We'll all be hanging out in the same headquarters compound from now on, so it's good to have more friends and more opportunities."

He followed Lin Chen in saving Fang Cheng's number into his contacts, then gave his own phone number to the two of them, and then loudly proclaimed:

"Brother Fang, Chenzi, once we're done with our onboarding work, we have to find some time to get together for a meal. It's on me!"

Fang Cheng smiled and nodded:
"No problem, let's keep in touch when we have time."

Seeing someone take the lead, the other newcomers from the same dormitory, who were assigned to the administration, organization, and finance departments, also gathered around, taking out their phones to exchange contact information.

The special search team's departments are relatively independent. Although the medical department is part of the logistics department, everyone inevitably suffers from minor ailments such as headaches, fevers, and sprains.

In addition, Fang Cheng was gentle and kind, had excellent grades, and demonstrated strong physical qualities during the training camp, so he naturally became someone that everyone wanted to befriend.

In retrospect, having lived and eaten together for seven days, and being trained to the point of exhaustion by the instructors, this natural camaraderie will be the first stepping stone for them to build connections in the special search team in the future.

Amid the lively atmosphere, Fang Cheng skillfully handled the greetings from everyone while deftly stuffing his neatly folded clothes into his bag.

The leader's speech ended at noon.

As usual, the base canteen served a final simple meal, but Fang Cheng didn't want to stay even a second longer.

The food at the training camp, to put it nicely, was plentiful and filling, with plenty of carbohydrates.

To put it bluntly, it's just throwing all sorts of vegetables and minced meat into a big pot and stewing them together; the taste is hardly better than plain, watery soup.

After eating this kind of food for seven days, all he wanted to do was take a taxi back to the city, find a decent restaurant, order some hearty dishes, and properly satisfy his rumbling stomach.

Special Search Team Seaside Base, outside the gate.

Fang Cheng carried his heavy luggage and walked to the roadside on the asphalt road.

Using his still-healing leg injury as an excuse, Ma Donghe pulled some strings to get a special treatment note, stayed at the camp for two days as a formality, and then slipped away.

As for Hou Peng, he was immediately pulled away to a lunch gathering by several colleagues from the intelligence department right after the midday break, leaving him unable to attend to other matters.

Fang Cheng came out alone, and he was happy to have some peace and quiet.

The base was built on the edge of a remote coastline, surrounded by wasteland and wind-resistant low shrubs.

Due to the level of secrecy, not a single ordinary house can be seen nearby, and the nearest bus stop is more than two kilometers away.

He walked to the shade of a tree by the roadside, took out his phone, and was about to call a taxi.

"boom--"

A deep, resonant engine roar came from afar, abruptly breaking the tranquility of the suburbs.

Fang Cheng looked up and saw a sleek silver luxury sports car slowing down as it approached, hugging the side of the road.

The tires made a slight rubbing sound as they rolled on the asphalt road before coming to a smooth stop in front of Fang Cheng.

The car window slowly rolled down.

A cool breeze wafted from the carriage, revealing a handsome face.

Those deep eyes held a hint of lazy smile, and her features were so exquisite that there was no fault to be found; you could even see traces of light makeup.

This appearance would be comparable to that of a top-tier celebrity, even on screen.

The person in the driver's seat rested one hand on the leather steering wheel, turned to look at Fang Cheng, and a slight smile appeared on their lips:
Where are you going? I'll give you a ride.

Fang Cheng recognized the newcomer and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes:
"Cheng Jiashu?" (End of Chapter)