After counting the optical computers and confirming the quantity, Director Zhang turned and nodded to the instructor, then silently stepped aside.
The officer did not speak at first. He swept his gaze over the group, his expression stern, as if he were sitting in judgment.
Xie Ti felt as though the instructor was scrutinizing him for flaws; he couldn't help but shrink back slightly. When he turned to look at Liulan and saw him wearing that same indifferent expression, he finally eased his tension and began to imitate Liulan, straightening his back.
After all, they were facing a soldier who had been to the battlefield and seen bloodshed; he carried a natural air of authority. The group, who had been chatting and laughing freely in front of Director Zhang moments ago, all fell silent, not daring to move a muscle.
Seeing that everyone’s attention was now fixed on him, the instructor began his introduction. "My name is Nanwei. From today on, I am your instructor."
Seeing that he didn't continue, Xie Ti was taken aback. "That’s it? It’s over?"
The introduction was far too brief; aside from his name, he had revealed almost nothing else.
"In this base, you only need to know that I am your instructor, what my name is, and that you must obey your superiors’ orders absolutely. That is enough."
"Report, Instructor!" Zhu Yiyi suddenly raised her hand.
Nanwei looked toward her. "Speak."
"I would like to ask, are we the only new recruits you are leading? Will we not be training with other soldiers?"
Nanwei withdrew his gaze from her, looked at the entire group, and stated with an expressionless face, "Almost every Federation Soldier comes from a military academy. Without training, you do not yet qualify to join any squad. In order not to disrupt the training of others, I will lead you through basic adaptive training for these next few days."
In short: weaklings aren't worthy of being soldiers.
Nanwei’s merciless critique left everyone feeling deeply embarrassed. Zhu Yiyi could only offer a sheepish laugh as she lowered her hand.
Although everyone was self-aware of their own abilities, who among those standing here—besides Liulan—hadn't achieved some level of success in their respective fields? To be looked down upon so suddenly was something they were truly not accustomed to.
"How does one qualify?"
Just as silence fell over the group, a crisp, masculine voice that sounded unfamiliar to Liulan spoke up. Liulan followed the sound and discovered it was Yao Nian, who had been sitting next to Du Jinfeng these past few days.
On the Starship, the two who spoke the least were him and Liulan. Liulan was ostracized by others, whereas this person was simply withdrawn by nature and disliked talking.
Yao Nian was very handsome, possessing the kind of look that was popular in the entertainment industry. According to Xie Ti, Yao Nian had played the devoted second male lead in a recently aired hit period drama and was currently at the height of his fame, with everyone eager to associate with him. It was just a pity that he was truly too cold and difficult to get along with; one couldn't even strike up a conversation with him.
As soon as Yao Nian appeared on camera, the live-stream comments surged with an enthusiasm that hadn't been there before, and the volume of discussion showed signs of eclipsing all the others.
"Isn't the instructor clearly trying to give us a hard time right off the bat? How does Yao Nian dare to ask? He’s so bold," Xie Ti whispered to Liulan, shielding his mouth.
Yao Nian… the name sounded a bit familiar. Liulan couldn't help but look at him twice.
Even though Xie Ti tried hard to cover his mouth, their clandestine gossiping did not escape Nanwei’s sharp eyes.
Nanwei first glanced toward Xie Ti, scaring him into closing his mouth immediately, and then replied, "Three days from now, the base will arrange a test for you. Only those who pass will earn the qualification to become Federation Soldiers. Additionally, you must salute and request permission to speak before saying anything."
Zhu Yiyi pursed her lips. "There’s a test, too..."
Though everyone had anticipated that the military wouldn't let them join the ranks easily, they hadn't expected the military to prepare a special test just for them. It seemed the military's attitude was much more cautious than it had been in the previous season.
"Report, Instructor!" Du Jinfeng gave a standard military salute.
"Do you have any more questions?"
Du Jinfeng asked with his back held straight: "May I ask what the training schedule is?"
What Du Jinfeng asked was exactly what the others were concerned about. Since the goal was to pass the test, a thorough training plan was, of course, of vital importance.
Hearing this question, Nanwei did not rush to answer. Instead, he took a box from behind him and opened it in front of them.
Liulan lifted his eyes to look. Inside the box were several wristbands—no more, no less, the number exactly matching the number of people in their group.
"These are military communication wristbands. From now on, most of the problems you encounter in the base will have to be solved using these."
Noticing the confusion in everyone's eyes, Nanwei continued to explain: "These wristbands are equipped with many functions. One of them is to assess your physical fitness and skill levels, to determine your grade and outline a preliminary training plan for you."
"It's that convenient?!" Zhu Yiyi exclaimed in surprise.
The way everyone looked at the wristbands now held a hint more curiosity and expectation.
Bailin asked hesitantly, "How will it assess us?"
"For now, it is based on your physical examination results. During every training session afterward, it will collect data and update it periodically."
Lü Shi, standing to the side, guessed something and tentatively asked: "Then, if the results of the physical exam don't meet the basic requirements..."
"You will withdraw from the program immediately and leave Milixing," Nanwei said heartlessly.
The live-stream comments erupted in an uproar upon hearing this.
"The requirements this year are so much stricter."
"They have to be strict, don't they? We all saw how disastrous the results were last season."
Physical examination... Liulan frowned involuntarily.
On the day before they departed for Milixing, Liu Ang had suddenly taken him for a full-body physical. He had assumed it was the production team verifying his health, but he hadn't expected it to be a requirement from the base.
He pressed his lips together.
If that was the physical report they had, then things might be a bit troublesome.
Although the change in Liulan’s expression was very subtle, the sharp-eyed viewers caught it at once. The "haters" who didn't want to see him succeed immediately began to stir.
"Liulan’s face is so dark; it looks like his physical results are terrible."
"Laughing to death. Is this weakling Liulan going to be eliminated on the very first day?"
Chen Yan’s fans and Liulan’s haters watched the drama unfold while secretly cursing Liulan, all of them hoping he would fail the physical exam and be sent home right away so that they could finally vent their pent-up frustration!