“Chief Yue, I’m so sorry, so sorry!” Xiao Zhao apologized repeatedly.
Chief Yue Guohuai had also caught what Yaya had said, so he knew Xiao Zhao wasn’t really at fault. He waved a hand at him, then held Yaya a little closer. “No more sudden braking this time, alright?”
“Understood, Chief Yue.”
Chief Yue Guohuai gently tapped Yaya on her little nose. “Sweetheart, don’t talk nonsense.”
Yaya wrinkled her little nose in protest, insisting she wasn’t talking nonsense. She pointed at Xiao Zhao and finished her thought: “Uncle Zhao is… getting married soon.”
Chief Yue Guohuai was taken aback. He turned to Xiao Zhao. “Xiao Zhao, you have a sweetheart?”
Xiao Zhao had been by his side for so long, and if he did have someone, Chief Yue would need to give him some time off. He couldn’t let him miss out on such an important life event.
Xiao Zhao looked both amused and exasperated. “Chief Yue, I don’t.”
“Really?” Chief Yue didn’t seem convinced.
Xiao Zhao shook his head firmly. “Chief Yue, really, I don’t.”
“Soon… very soon.”
Yaya didn’t know how she knew that Uncle Zhao would have a girlfriend soon, and that they’d be getting married right after. But the thought just popped into her head, just like when she had known that her Second Aunt was carrying a baby brother.
“Xiao Zhao, sounds like good fortune is heading your way!” Chief Yue Guohuai let out a hearty laugh.
Xiao Zhao chuckled along. “Well, I’ll take Yaya’s kind words as a good omen.”
After they got out of the car, worried that Yaya might get cold, Chief Yue wrapped his own army overcoat around her again.
Yaya had never come to the company base with her grandfather before, and she was bursting with curiosity. Her big eyes darted around, taking in everything.
It looked pretty similar to her father’s base, but there were a lot more people. Every now and then, a whole company of soldiers would run past in neat, orderly rows.
She was looking at them, and they were looking back at her with equal curiosity. Yaya didn’t hold back – she flashed each and every one of them her sweetest smile, enthusiastically waving her little hand. “Hello, uncles! Hello, big brothers!”
She kept this up all the way to the competition grounds. Once there, Yaya had no more attention for anyone else; she was focused solely on searching the whole arena for her father.
Chief Yue took his seat on the main platform. Everyone else stood up to salute and greet him. He motioned for them to sit back down, then carried Yaya straight to the very center seat and sat down with her.
Finally, Yaya spotted Yue Mingyuan. And of course, Yue Mingyuan had spotted Yaya too – his father was already noticeable enough, but Yaya stuck out like a bright red flower amidst a sea of green uniforms. She was practically impossible to miss.
Yaya waved vigorously at Yue Mingyuan, and he gave her a small nod in return.
Yaya wasn’t sure if he could see her clearly from that distance, but she mouthed the words anyway: “Go, Daddy!”
Yue Mingyuan couldn’t help the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. But at the same time, a pang of sadness hit him – Yaya could speak so clearly now, and he had missed this entire stage of her growth.
“Captain Yue, please don’t smile like that. When you do, it makes all of us nervous,” said one of the soldiers he had brought along.
And that was nothing compared to the soldiers from the other companies who were about to compete against him. They had all heard the saying: “One smile from Captain Yue, and you never know what’ll happen next.”
The happier Captain Yue looked, the more brutally he was about to go all out. They wanted to live, after all!
Of course, Captain Yue wouldn’t literally beat them to death, but he could beat them within an inch of it.
Still, there were always a few rookies who hadn’t yet experienced Yue Mingyuan’s skill firsthand. They didn’t take him seriously.
“You guys are such cowards! With a build like his? I could take on three of him at once!” boasted one man, who was exceptionally tall and burly. Standing there, he looked like a small mountain.
And he wasn’t just bluffing – he really was a formidable fighter. Back in his village, he could easily take on not just three, but five men at once and toss them all aside.
The problem was, he got into fights all the time back home. His parents, worried he might get into serious trouble, had sent him to the army, hoping the military would straighten him out.
“Shanzi, if you can beat Captain Yue… well, actually, forget beating him. If you can just hold your own against him for ten moves, my cigarettes are all yours, anytime,” said his squad leader.
One of the veterans in his squad chimed in, “I’ll share my meals with you.”
Another one went even further: “I’ll introduce you to my sister.”
“You all mean it?” Fu Dashan asked, hardly believing his luck.
The squad leader pointed at the ground. “A real man’s word is as solid as a nail!”
Even though Fu Dashan didn’t know exactly how formidable Yue Mingyuan was, he’d heard the stories. His goal this time was to defeat him and become the army’s combat champion.
With these added incentives, his fighting spirit burned even brighter.
But before he could get to Yue Mingyuan, he’d have to beat everyone else first.
Yue Mingyuan was the previous year’s army combat champion, so he was scheduled to appear last in the competition.
This would also be the very last time he’d ever participate in this army-wide tournament. In the future, he wouldn’t compete anymore, and neither would anyone else from his unit – though he would still come to observe.
After all, these competitions were a great opportunity to spot promising talent. Anyone who stood out here or in military exercises could become fresh blood for their team.
Given the current international situation, the chances of large-scale war breaking out were very low, especially among the major nuclear powers. Smaller nations wouldn’t dare provoke them lightly.
But peacetime was only on the surface. Behind the scenes, there would always be skirmishes and special operations, and that was exactly the kind of work for their special forces unit.
That’s why their unit would need to expand further and strive for even higher standards. Every single soldier had to possess exceptional, top-tier abilities.
Fu Dashan’s skills were indeed impressive. He disposed of his opponents one after another with ease, including seasoned veterans who had participated in multiple competitions.
After giving Fu Dashan a short break, Yue Mingyuan stepped up to face him.
Fu Dashan noticed Yue Mingyuan hadn’t even put on his outer jacket. He immediately felt disrespected, and his anger level shot through the roof. Like a charging bull, he rushed at Yue Mingyuan.
Yue Mingyuan dodged nimbly. Fu Dashan reacted quickly, swinging his arm around to follow.
Yue Mingyuan sidestepped again. Fu Dashan’s fist slammed into the ground, leaving a large crater.
Yaya had absolute faith that her father would win, but she was still nervous. Her little hand gripped Chief Yue Guohuai’s tightly. “Grandpa…”
Chief Yue thought Yaya was scared. He gently rubbed her back to soothe her. “Yaya, don’t be afraid. It’s okay, Yaya.”
“Grandpa, Yaya’s not scared. Go, Daddy!” Yaya cheered him on in a small voice. “Daddy has to win!”
“Don’t worry, your father’s got this.”
To the untrained eye, it looked like a brawl. But to the trained eye, it was a display of skill. Both men had come off the battlefield, and in their spare time, they trained and competed regularly.
Fu Dashan had plenty of strength and speed, but he was too impulsive and impatient. He lacked composure and experience. He was simply no match for Yue Mingyuan.
Yue Mingyuan would have him finished within five moves.
Chief Yue already knew how it would end, so he didn’t pay much attention anymore. Instead, he focused on protecting Yaya, making sure his precious little granddaughter didn’t fall.
