The entire martial arts competition is randomly grouped after the corps mixed up soldiers from different detachnts, equivalent to drawing lots.
There are 18 people per group, with a total of 162 people divided into 9 groups.
Each group has a duty cadre responsible for planning the schedule and leading the contestants from their group to the competition venue allocated for their turn.
Each training venue is also staffed with cadres in charge of coordination.
The training tower is quite wide, with various subjects at each row of windows.
They include a 12-ter rope climb, a hook ladder climb to the fourth floor, a tal pull ladder to the third floor, a side staircase outside the building, and a load-bearing climbing course.
All four events are on the tower, and it’s bustling all around, with people everywhere.
Fang Huai, dressed in combat uniform, headed straight to the training tower to line up, waiting for his turn.
The Training Departnt Director Xu specially sent a cadre to liaise with the officials responsible for the training venue to let him "cut in line" for the hook ladder.
The rate of people turning their heads nearly reached one hundred percent.
"That new recruit... Isn’t that the new recruit from the provincial brigade yesterday?"
"Yes, yes, yes, didn’t you see? Those two female cadres are here to take photos and videos again."
"What the hell? He’s here to compete in the martial arts competition?"
"Damn... Fang Huai is here."
The last exclamation, of course, belonged to the Guiyang Team’s training team.
At this mont, Cao Yi spotted Chen Zhechang, who was watching the other detachnts’ scores under the training tower, and imdiately went over to pat him, whispering:
"Head Chen, how many events has our detachnt finished? How are the scores?"
Chen Zhechang was deeply absorbed, staring intently at the training tower and didn’t even notice Fang Huai’s arrival at the playground.
In fact, the training and operations cadres under the tower hadn’t noticed this either; they were all focused on the scores of the top contestants from various teams, devoting their full attention in preparation for comparing them back at their own detachnts.
When Chen Zhechang realized it was Cao Yi speaking to him and thought he was there specifically to check the competition scores, he anxiously picked up the training booklet in his hand to check, then shook his head and said softly:
"It doesn’t look good. Judging from the current results, we’re doing alright on the subjects in the training tower, but on the pure physical fitness subjects, looking at the current scores from the other detachnts, we’re likely to lose on the parallel bars and rings.
Alas, it’s not clear right now. The competition has just started; let’s wait and see."
At this ti, a soldier had just finished climbing down from the hook ladder on the training tower.
"Sun Tao, 15 seconds 25!!" the referee shouted.
"Good job!!"
Staff Officer Liu was also excited.
The head of the corps leadership couldn’t help but take a second look at the soldier.
This score was considered very good. The hook ladder event is inherently brief and has a very high chance of error. Even for the sa person, a small mishap can create a three to four-second difference.
Even among the top national competitors, no one could guarantee achieving 15 seconds with every attempt.
Many soldiers who arrived today took 18 or 19 seconds on their first attempt, so when this staff officer saw a good score, he couldn’t help but shout out loud, trying to garner so recognition from the corps leadership.
However, Chen Zhechang’s face fell again.
Squad Leader Liu Shoulin’s record of 15 seconds 36 had been broken.
The people around noticed this and began to smile faintly.
Staff Officer Liu of the Zun Y Team was even laughing and holding his hands up, saying, "Zhechang, Xiao Cao, has your team lost its edge this year without He Zhijun and Luo Ye? You can’t just rely on a single group! You need to cultivate new talents!
Look, apart from last year’s third-place Gui Qiang from our team, this year’s third-year soldier Sun Tao is starting to show promise! I think Lian Xu from Liupanshui, Wei Lijie from Anshun, and those from Zhencheng are not bad either!
It seems Guiyang Regint hasn’t produced any new rising talent this year!"
The Zun Y Team had cultivated quite a few new talents this year, with Gui Qiang currently holding the record for the single bar, completing 60 pulls, and now their team had also taken the record for the hook ladder.
These people were all nurtured after he took office, and these records also signified hopes for winning the championship; he could hardly contain his pride.
Everyone was whispering, finding joy in seeing the usually unbeatable Provincial Brigade struggling.
Chen Zhechang strained to keep his smile.
The provocative glances around him were sothing he had never encountered in his three years as the Provincial Brigade’s training and operations cadre.
Just then, Cao Yi patted Staff Officer Liu and said with a relaxed smile:
"Big Liu, the new talent from our detachnt is here."
Everyone looked in the direction of the sound, only then noticing that another focus had already been present on the playground and was now walking their way.
Fang Huai, dressed in his ergency rescue suit, no longer had the rank of soldier so clearly displayed on his shoulder straps, but many were saluting him with their eyes.
Staff Officer Liu noticed the corps leadership about 30 ters away were also intently watching the young man and asked with so confusion, "Is he...?"
Fang Huai was in his ergency rescue suit, and Liu didn’t recognize him at first.
"He’s the new recruit from our squadron; yesterday you were still talking to about him," Cao Yi said with an inexplicable smile.
"Hmph..." Staff Officer Liu frowned, "Him? Your squadron sent him to compete? Didn’t the four from Guiyang Special Duty just finish the hook ladder?"
Chen Zhechang also asked with so shock, "Why is Fang Huai here too? I thought you didn’t let him participate?"
Speaking of this matter, Cao Yi also felt a bit awkward:
"He wasn’t sent by our squadron; he was sent by the corps. The corps captain and the political commissar are all waiting to see the results of this ’king of the new recruits’."
King of the new recruits.
This title sent a buzz through the crowd.
The new recruits had barely been in the units for a month and a half; the large-scale assessnt of the new recruits in each detachnt hadn’t even started, and in so detachnts, the new recruits were still undergoing centralized physical training and hadn’t even been assigned to a squadron yet.
And now there was suddenly a ’king of the new recruits’? Was this a self-appointed title?
As everyone was still in shock, Fang Huai had already approached and said to the cadre in charge of the training site:
"Sir, it’s my turn; I’m going to choose a ladder."
"Go ahead," the cadre responsible for the hook ladders nodded toward the several hook ladders on the ground.
Fang Huai quickly picked one up under everyone’s gaze. Then he turned to Head Chen and asked,
"Head Chen, what was the fastest ti this morning?"
Chen Zhechang, reminded of Fang Huai’s previous 15 seconds 46, instantly felt a surge of excitent:
"It was that last one, 15 seconds 25! Your squad leader Liu Shoulin scored 15 seconds 36 today, Zhou Yong 15 seconds 89. Do you have the confidence to beat them?!"
The crowd was once again in shock.
Isn’t Liu Shoulin this year’s lead horse for the Guiyang Regint?
Asking a new recruit to beat him?
Does that even make sense?
Surprisingly, Fang Huai frowned, thought for a mont, and then said,
"Was the squad leader just now using the stance by the window when climbing the ladder? It isn’t against the rules to use the window stance?"
Cao Yi imdiately said, "This year’s rules allow standing by the window! Perform well!"
From these few words and the looks around him, Fang Huai had already sensed the frustration of the Guiyang Regint this year and laughed, "No problem, but my score won’t count towards the squadron’s results. The leading cadre from the whole corps just told , my score will count for the Corps’ Police Duty Squadron."
These words also took a dig at Cao Yi, who had been indecisive about putting him in the competition.
Upon hearing this, Cao Yi rolled his eyes, "Just climb well, will you!"
The starting point for the hook ladder sprint was 30 ters away, very close to the Head of the Corps.
All the competitors had started their climb under the scrutiny of the leadership, which demonstrated the imnse psychological pressure they were under.
Fang Huai took the ladder back to the starting point and did so warm-up exercises.
Commissar Zou, standing to the side with arms crossed, voiced his encouragent, "Young man, go for it!"
Zhang Zhongting also reminded him, "Stay calm! Just like during training!"
Around them, the Corps’ reporters and both Zhang Ning and Wang Yu picked up their caras.
Many eyes were starting to focus their attention here.
Fang Huai didn’t say a word, took a deep breath, nodded, and shouted:
"Okay!"
He took a ready stance with his body, lifted the ladder, and prepared to sprint.
The referee, giving him due respect, even pulled out a starting pistol usually used for sprinting and aid it upwards.
"On your marks, get set..."
"Bang!"
This ti, no one false started.
Fang Huai, carrying the ladder, rushed out quickly, significantly faster than he had been before.
Zhang Zhongting couldn’t help but mutter, "So fast..."
What he ant by fast was that in such a short ti, Fang Huai had improved again.
Exaggerated.
"Hmm... The ladder is really well gripped, it’s not shaking at all, but the speed is still... Oh, his foot is in pain today, right?" Boss Wu muttered to himself.
Training Departnt Director Xu imdiately approached and said, "Yes! He said when he arrived that he twisted his ankle and it felt uncomfortable."
"Not bad."
As the leaders spoke, the cadres at the bottom of the tower already felt Fang Huai bringing a gust of wind as he approached.
The hook ladder he carried tilted slightly, much like a skilled samurai drawing a sword, it passed across at a subtle angle and already reached the corner of the wall.
With a "clang," the hook ladder successfully mounted the wall.
Flying ladder!
For a new recruit to complete this step showcased his skill.
Deng deng deng...
A few steps later, there was a leap, and he stood firmly on the second-floor windowsill.
He didn’t use the window to rest!
He stood up, ladder lifting with him, and then flung it up, flipping it over!
"Tat!"
The crisp crack of the wooden ladder raised the heartbeat of many onlookers.
Those familiar with the hook ladder know that this crisp action is the ultimate pursuit when practicing the breakdown movents of the hook ladder!
In regular practice, to be able to hook the ladder so crisply in one go is a thrill unmatched for many!
It is sothing that is easier said than done, but he managed it on the first attempt!
Everyone hadn’t had ti to react yet.
Deng deng deng...
"Tat!"
Another ladder was flung, again without excess movent, and it was hooked in place!
He grabbed the ladder, flipped over, climbed up rapidly once more, flipped over, and entered through the window!
Even smoother than Jacky Cheung jumping through a car window in "High Voltage Wire"!
Ever since Fang Huai climbed the tower, the crowd watching had been silent.
Below, the referee’s voice asking for the unit could be heard.
Fang Huai wasn’t listed in the Martial Arts Competition roster.
A few seconds later, the referee responsible for timing finally appeared, to the anticipation of everyone, and poked his head out.
"Corps! Fang Huai, 14 seconds 73!!"
As soon as the voice fell, the surroundings plunged into silence again.
"Good job, brother!" Chen Zhechang yelled out.
People around him were at a loss for words.
A thousand words couldn’t match a record-breaking performance.
The level of skills displayed during the entire process was top-notch.
Cao Yi felt as if a heavy stone had been lifted from his chest.
Based on Fang Huai’s level today, there should be no problem entering the Grand Martial Arts Competition. In five months, with the pace at which he’s improving, he would certainly contend for the peak.
Then, there was lancholy.
"Corps’ Fang Huai."
Alas, today’s performance should have belonged to the Second Squadron!
ters away, the smiles widened on the faces of the Head of the Corps.
Last ti it was He Zhijun making that impression on them.
"Good, good, 0.5 seconds faster than the last record! This batch of new recruits is going to produce so real talents!" Commissar Zou said with great satisfaction on his face.
Even the usually silent General Luo chuckled and said, "Ah, that performance was worth my attention! I didn’t dare to speak just now, fearing the lad would let down!"
Zhang Zhongting looked astonished.
"General Luo... this is my nephew!"
General Luo said with a smile, "Your nephew, but today he was also my pick!"
At this mont, Boss Wu, hands behind his back, calmly said, "Director Xu, compile his results and send a copy."
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