A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

Song Hongfei's self-torturing, insane training inspired Zhang Yi and Wang Zhi to share his hardships, and the three of them trained relentlessly together. From then on, the places on the West Point campus where the three of them could be seen most often were the parade ground and the obstacle course.

Everyone at West Point, from faculty to students, saw it all, and some American cadets secretly called the three of them "crazy."

“Oh, they’re training way too hard.” School affairs counselor Malena was even more worried. She suggested, “I think we should find a psychologist to take a look at Song Hongfei?”

However, her suggestion was immediately rejected by Lieutenant Colonel Winster, nicknamed "Old Cat," who was the tactical instructor of Song Hongfei's cadet team. Old Cat was a veteran who had been in the army for a long time, and he could see through what the soldiers were thinking with just a slight squint.

Old Cat confidently told Feng Liana and the others, "I can see with absolute certainty that Song Hongfei's eyes reveal determination and fortitude. He is very clear-headed and understands his own situation. He must have set a firm goal and belief for himself. We should not stop a young man's sincere and positive goal and his firm actions."

Brigadier General Louis, commander of the Cadet Corps and one of the three giants of West Point, saw Lieutenant Colonel Winster's confident demeanor and, after a moment's quiet thought, agreed. At the same time, he instructed Lieutenant Colonel Winster to keep a close eye on the mental state and physical condition of the three Chinese cadets and to pay attention to adjusting their training volume.

Originally, Wang Zhi and Zhang Yi, who were training with their good brothers, were secretly complaining in their hearts. They were already a bit overwhelmed and felt like they were about to go crazy.

That evening after dinner, Song Hongfei, as usual, wore a sand vest, sand leggings, and a machine gun ammunition box to run the 5-kilometer and 400-meter obstacle courses. He passed through the large archway of the Saiya Building and had just run to the "Buffalo" training ground by the Hudson River when he was dragged behind a high and low wall by Wang Zhi and Zhang Yi, who had been lying in wait, to be accused and questioned.

"Brother Song, spare us!" Zhang Yi was the first to complain. "Don't go crazy, okay? It's fine if you're thinking of taking your own life against the people, but don't drag us down with you! I'm about to fall apart!"

"People aren't made of iron. What if you ruin your health?" Wang Zhi continued earnestly. "You need to pay attention to the balance between work and rest! Scientists say that people need at least 8 hours of sleep a day, but now you get up before dawn every day. How can you get enough sleep?"

"The Japanese pirates are rampant, poisoning China. How can we, as men, sit idly by?!" Song Hongfei said solemnly. "Strengthen our bodies and defend our country!"

Pointing to a banner that read "Second to None" by the training field, Song Hongfei said earnestly, "There's a saying in the lobby of Grant Building: 'If time could be reversed, half the people in the world could become great.' It warns us not to waste our precious time! I don't want to regret it when I'm old. I want to be number one, I want to be the strongest!"

Then, looking at the two of them with a hint of gratitude, he said, "Don't worry, I know my body."

Finally, he added, "I can't stand not going crazy!"

This is indeed a very true statement, revealing his real situation, but how could outsiders possibly know?

After saying this, Song Hongfei ran all the way to the playground and sprinted away.

"What's going on? What does this mean?" Only Wang Zhi and Zhang Yi were left, completely bewildered, looking at each other on the edge of the playground.

They racked their brains for a while, but still couldn't come up with a solution. Finally, giving up, they gritted their teeth, stomped their feet, and roared as they raced off: "Song Hongfei, you son of a bitch, wait for me!"

Nearly three months later, Song Hongfei was finally able to integrate the two different consciousnesses and memories of the two lives into one. Perhaps both of them were top students in their past and future lives, or perhaps the thinking and consciousness of geniuses are interconnected.

His body gradually adapted to this miraculous, rare, and unheard-of condition, and his spirit and energy were reborn as if he had been transformed.

After he adapted, he had an even stranger feeling: the distinction between his past and future lives was becoming increasingly blurred. He could hardly tell which was real. Was it his past self from the Republic of China who traveled to the future? Or was it his future self who traveled back to the Republic of China? It all felt like an unbelievable dream!

Song Hongfei is now indifferent to his bizarre situation. Since he's here, he might as well accept it. That's all he can do. There's no point in thinking about it too much. He doesn't have a time machine, nor is he a god who can travel through time at will.

"Just consider it another experience and memory," Song Hongfei thought to himself.

Since fate has brought him here, there must be a reason. In these turbulent times, with the country in ruins, he must do his utmost to contribute to the nation and the people. Chaos is the time for a true man to establish his achievements, and this would be a perfect opportunity to fulfill his past ambition: "Give me three thousand brave warriors, and I will restore my vast China!" Only then will he not have wasted this opportunity bestowed upon him by Heaven, and only then will he have lived up to this cause and effect!

At this moment, everyone, including Wang Zhi, Zhang Yi, and Lao Mao, was incredulous to discover the changes in Song Hongfei over the past three months. He looked radiant, handsome, and full of a vibrant energy that seemed ready to burst forth.

After three months of grueling training, Song Hongfei's physical condition was now significantly improved.

In the 3-mile cross-country run, he wore sand-lined leg wraps, a sand vest, carried two boxes full of machine gun ammunition boxes filled with stones, and a Browning light machine gun, weighing nearly 30 kilograms, yet he still ran at the front of the team.

During those three months, he punched through three thousand-layered paper punching bags, each half a foot thick, and developed a pair of iron fists. Thick calluses formed on the joints of his fists. He didn't feel pain when hitting the punching bag with his bare hands, and he didn't even feel pain when a needle was stuck in it. Needless to say, it would be even more painful for him to hit a person. He didn't feel pain, but others couldn't stand it.

The tall beech trees on the West Point campus have very hard wood. He could knock off a layer of bark with just a few punches, and with a powerful punch, he could punch through a hard wooden box containing 81mm mortar shells, leaving the people around him speechless.

His legwork is also incredibly powerful. He can kick high, sweep low, and side kicks. He can kick a 100-kilogram suspended punching bag with all his might, sending it flying almost parallel to the ground.

During grappling, fighting, and wrestling training, Instructor "Old Cat" Winster would always have Song Hongfei demonstrate the moves directly. This became a regular practice for the whole team, and everyone had gotten used to it.

During combat training, Zhang Yi served as Song Hongfei's sparring partner. Song Hongfei shouted things that Zhang Yi couldn't understand, such as "Lushan Rising Dragon Fist!" and "Pegasus Meteor Fist!"

Wearing protective gear and a head shield, Zhang Yi took a punch to the head from Song Hongfei, who was wearing thick boxing gloves. It felt like being hit by a truck, and he couldn't catch his breath for a long time. He cried out in pain all day long. From then on, Zhang Yi resolutely refused to be Song Hongfei's sparring partner.

For him, 200 consecutive push-ups, 100 pull-ups, and 50 giant swings are child's play. He completes the whole set of exercises without even breaking a sweat.

Shooting training was Song Hongfei's forte; he had a natural talent for shooting since childhood. His specialty was rapid aiming and precise shooting; he could raise his gun and fire, hitting the bullseye every time. During each shooting training session, Instructor Wenster would call Song Hongfei over to demonstrate for the younger students, showing off his skills by hitting eggs and bottle caps with a 50-meter rifle using iron sights, astonishing everyone present.

Under Song Hongfei's guidance, Wang Zhi and Zhang Yi, who trained with him intensely, also improved their physical and military skills day by day, growing taller and taller, and exuding a vigorous and capable aura.

The West Point cadets' gazes towards the three of them gradually shifted from initial curiosity and confusion to habit and admiration.

The three men's striving spirit and outstanding performance impressed the entire school. They earned the respect and admiration of everyone at West Point through their hard work and dedication.