Two days later, when Zhu Siqi arrived at Zhang Aihua's house again, Zhang Aihua informed him that he could begin training at any time. He just had to set a date, and the army would send a vehicle to pick him up. Zhu Siqi immediately agreed to go the next day.
The following day, Zhu Siqi arrived at Zhang Aihua's house early. He was so focused on his training that he didn't even have time to secure his computer, so he just told his landlord that he would be away for a month, leaving the rent payment as usual, and asked him to take care of his room.
Soon, an army captain arrived. After bidding farewell to Zhang Aihua, Zhu Siqi followed the officer out and got into the military jeep that would take him to the training grounds, located quite far from the city center.
The army base was located in a remote area. The captain took him to the supply room where he was issued a set of military uniforms, and then handed him over to a lieutenant. The lieutenant escorted him to his dormitory, assigned him a bed, and instructed him to change into his uniform and meet him outside.
Once outside, the lieutenant gave Zhu Siqi his first command: "From now on, I am your instructor. You will obey my orders without question. Obey, obey, obey. Do you hear me?"
"Yes!" Zhu Siqi responded promptly.
"LOUDER! I didn't hear you!" the lieutenant barked.
"YES!" Zhu Siqi shouted, almost instinctively using a bit of his internal energy in his voice, which made the lieutenant's ears ring.
The lieutenant, slightly startled by the intensity of his voice, quickly decided not to use such a method again to get Zhu Siqi fired up.
"Now, run five laps around the training field," the lieutenant ordered.
"Yes!" Zhu Siqi replied, then began running.
Having spent years practicing martial arts on a mountain, Zhu Siqi had no trouble with running, though he chose not to use his internal energy to ease the effort. He was here to push his limits, and he wanted to experience the training without relying on his extraordinary abilities. Each lap was 2 kilometers, and though he felt his muscles growing tired, his breathing remained steady as he kept pushing forward.
The lieutenant, watching from the sidelines, shouted, "Speed up, speed up, and speed up again! You're running as slow as a cow!" He continued to taunt Zhu Siqi, urging him to go faster.
Zhu Siqi picked up his pace, but without the assistance of his internal energy, he began to feel the strain. Sweat covered his forehead as he pushed through the pain. By the time he finished the five laps, his muscles were sore and his body felt exhausted. But he still kept his breathing under control. For the first time in years, he was aware of his body's limitations, without the usual flow of internal energy that helped him perform such feats effortlessly.
"Now stand at attention. Feet together, head up, arms at your sides, eyes straight ahead. Hold the position," the lieutenant instructed.
Zhu Siqi obeyed without hesitation. He stood in position as time dragged on. Five minutes… ten minutes… half an hour… an hour… two hours… nearly three hours passed before the lieutenant finally relented.
"Okay, you can relax! Let's head to the mess hall. You have five minutes to get your food and eat. You must be out of there in five minutes, or you won't have dinner," the lieutenant called out.
Despite his aching muscles, Zhu Siqi followed the lieutenant to the mess hall. It was packed with soldiers, each eating in silence, devouring their meals quickly, usually finishing within a minute or two. Zhu Siqi rushed to eat as quickly as he could, stuffing food into his mouth without even paying attention to what he was eating.
As soon as the lieutenant finished his meal, he set his chopsticks down and left. Zhu Siqi barely finished his own meal before following him out of the mess hall.
"Now you have one hour of rest. After that, meet me at the training field," the lieutenant said and left.
Exhausted, Zhu Siqi returned to his dorm, immediately stripped off his sweat-drenched training uniform, and tossed it into a bucket to soak. He changed into fresh clothes and collapsed onto his bed, utterly drained. His previous martial arts training, despite being physically demanding, didn't compare to the grueling physical exhaustion of maintaining such a position for hours. But instead of relying on internal energy to recover, he was forced to endure the full extent of his physical fatigue.
After an hour of rest, Zhu Siqi made his way back to the training field, where the lieutenant was already waiting.
"Today's training is basic footwork. I'll show you how to march. Watch closely," the lieutenant said before demonstrating the proper way to walk in formation, breaking each movement down carefully.
"Now, listen to my command. Stand at attention! Forward march. Left, right, left, right..." The entire afternoon was spent marching in formation, following the rhythm of the drill.
By the time dinner came, Zhu Siqi had mastered the stance and walking technique of a true soldier, looking no different from any other soldier.
After dinner, the lieutenant informed him, "Tonight, because it's your first day, I won't add any extra training. But from tomorrow onwards, you'll be doing five hundred push-ups, a thousand meters of frog jumps, and weighted cross-country runs every night."
Back in the dorm, Zhu Siqi was greeted by a solidly built sergeant who approached him with a friendly smile.
"Hey, you must be Zhu Siqi, right? I'm Chen Xiangdong, the squad leader of Team 3, Section 2 of the First Battalion," the sergeant said warmly.
"Yes, I'm Zhu Siqi," he replied.
"Anything you need, feel free to come to me. I know this is tough for newcomers. You'll get used to it after a while," Chen Xiangdong reassured him.
"Thanks, Squad Leader," Zhu Siqi said politely.
However, he soon realized that the others weren't as friendly. Many of the soldiers eyed him with strange, almost mocking expressions. It became clear to him that they didn't think much of him. He wasn't offended, though—he simply returned to his bed, lying down and meditating. His training in martial arts no longer required him to meditate in a seated position; he could now adjust his body's energy levels at will.
It wasn't long before he overheard some of the others talking about him.
"Do you think this kid will last three days?" one soldier asked.
"He's probably already calling home, crying. He looks like he's about to collapse after just today's training," another soldier snickered.
"You know, he managed to make it through this afternoon," Chen Xiangdong added thoughtfully.
One of the soldiers teased, "Squad leader, want to bet on how long he lasts? Only a bottle of wine, no big deal."
Chen Xiangdong, who seemed to have faith in Zhu Siqi, responded, "Alright, you want to bet? If he stays, I'll take ten bottles of wine from you all!"
Zhu Siqi now understood why the soldiers were skeptical of him. They thought he was just some rich kid sent by his parents to have fun in the military. They assumed he wouldn't last the full month. Some even made bets on how long he would stick around.
Hearing this conversation made Zhu Siqi even more determined to prove them wrong. He couldn't help but feel grateful for Chen Xiangdong's encouragement and support.
Later that evening, he overheard some officers discussing him.
"How's that kid doing, the one you're training?" one officer asked.
"He's got good physical potential, but I'm not sure he can handle the mental pressure," Lieutenant Li Yuan replied, skeptical about Zhu Siqi's ability to endure.
"Some say he's from a high-ranking family. His training's being closely watched," the other officer mused.
Lieutenant Li Yuan sounded frustrated. "It's just another assignment. I'll increase his training load tomorrow and see if he quits early. I bet he won't last long."
Zhu Siqi overheard the conversation but remained calm. This was just another challenge he had to face. He wasn't here to prove anything to anyone else. His goal was simple: to grow stronger and better.
As he lay down that night, he knew one thing for sure: he wasn't going to let anyone down. He would endure whatever came his way and rise to the challenge.