In the military, your background might be a bonus, but true capability is the only real passport.
Because of the pink Beetle mech, no one believed Lin Xiaohe had any real capability.
Perhaps she was just someone who got in through connections, here on Miluo Star merely to gild her resume.
Soldiers looked down on those who relied on connections, and so, Lin Xiaohe found herself isolated.
Her assignment sparked fierce debate among the higher-ups of the 5th Division.
Darsi slammed the table, roaring, “We are the 5th Armored Division’s Direct Special Reconnaissance Battalion! The only special reconnaissance battalion in the entire Federation! This is not a kindergarten. That pink Beetle mech makes me want to pass out just looking at it.”
The commander of the 5th Division tried to placate him, “Darsi, for the sake of our division, just bear with it. That person only requested that Lin Xiaohe be assigned to the Special Recon Battalion. They didn’t demand you protect her or ensure she earns merits. That’s already quite lenient, isn’t it?”
Darsi snorted coldly, “Hah? A special admission candidate, not required to earn merits?! Do you even believe that yourself when you say it?”
The 5th Division commander said meaningfully, “Darsi, don’t do anything unnecessary. Just treat her like an ordinary soldier.”
‘Ordinary soldier’ was code for cannon fodder, someone sent to die.
Darsi seemed to grasp the implication, his face darkening. “Sir, if Lin Xiaohe enters our Recon Battalion, then she becomes one of my soldiers.”
A soldier could die on the battlefield, but absolutely must not die in some scheme hatched by their superiors.
The 5th Division commander fell silent for a long moment before sighing heavily. “The military is undergoing reforms. Why are you the Federation’s only Special Recon Battalion? Because all the others have been disbanded. The restructuring will reach our 5th Division soon. That person holds significant sway in these matters.”
“Darsi, all I need is for you to turn a blind eye. I’m not asking you to violate your principles. For the sake of our 5th Division, you can do that, right?”
Darsi stormed out of the command room.
He was utterly fed up!
Especially when he saw Lin Xiaohe in the camp, cleaning her pink Beetle mech. The soldiers training nearby were distracted, all stealing glances at this bizarre spectacle. Darsi felt his blood pressure skyrocketing!
“Lin Xiaohe! What are you doing?! Do you have nothing better to do?”
Lin Xiaohe put down the cloth in her hand, looking bewildered at Darsi, who seemed like a fire-breathing dragon.
She hadn’t done anything, just cleaning her own mech. Was that a capital offense?
“Reporting, Sir. I actually don’t have anything to do.”
Darsi’s chest heaved. Oh, heavens, could someone please save him?!
The brave speak first.
“Reporting, Sir. May I ask what my mission is for this practical exam?”
“Don’t know.”
“Reporting, Sir. May I ask how long this practical exam will last?”
“Don’t know.”
“Reporting, Sir. Are you giving me a hard time on purpose?”
Whoa!
The training soldiers slowed their pace, pricking up their ears to listen.
Darsi undid the top two buttons of his collar, took a deep breath, and said with a forced, toothy smile, “Cadet Lin Xiaohe.”
“Here!”
“Go run fifty laps!”
“Yes, Sir!”
Lin Xiaohe was given physical punishment.
The training soldiers immediately picked up their pace, quickly leaving Lin Xiaohe far behind.
Lin Xiaohe was speechless, feeling thoroughly despised.
One lap was really, really big.
Lin Xiaohe had only run half a lap when her legs felt like they weren’t her own, and a burning pain stretched from her throat to her lungs.
Drenched in sweat, everything around her seemed to fade away.
Perhaps she should consider boosting that pitiful 7-point physical constitution?
“Oh my black hole, she fainted! She actually fainted!”
“Shocking me for 10,000 years! She didn’t even finish one lap!”
“Hahaha, my 10-year-old brother has better stamina than her.”
“Medic! Medic, hurry! I have every reason to suspect she’s faking it!”
The medic came and publicly confirmed Lin Xiaohe had genuinely fainted.
This news shocked the entire camp.
A special admission cadet from the Federal Central Military Academy with such a weak constitution—who would believe it?!
Therefore, this special admission must be fraudulent! She must have gotten in through the back door.
Wan Tianming and the students from the Command Academy initially thought it was fake news. After verifying it repeatedly, they confirmed it was undeniably true, leaving them all in a daze.
Zhou Fei: “Instructor Wan, I think we were a bunch of fools to consider Lin Xiaohe a major rival! With this kind of physique, any random middle school student is stronger than her.”
Wan Tianming rubbed his temples, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.
Had the Federal Central Military Academy’s admissions department been hacked? Their average physical constitution was S-rank or above. How on earth did Lin Xiaohe manage to sneak in as a special admission?
Bewilderment, confusion, perplexity. It made no sense.
“Alright, forget about her. You all focus on performing well. Military combat correspondents will be arriving on Miluo Star soon. Your performance, good or bad, will be reported faithfully. You wouldn’t want to embarrass yourselves all the way up to the High Command, would you?”
“Don’t worry, Instructor Wan! We’ll definitely make those Imperial scum witness the prowess of our Command Academy!”
In the infirmary, looking at Lin Xiaohe, who was asleep due to physical exhaustion, Darsi wore an expression of utter despair.
The medic held Lin Xiaohe’s medical report, turning it over and over in shock. “In this interstellar age, someone’s physique can actually be this poor? More fragile than glass! Darsi, are you sure you picked up the right person? Is she really a special admission cadet?”
Darsi’s expression was complicated. He didn’t even need to do anything against his principles. Here on Miluo Star, Lin Xiaohe could get herself killed all on her own.
He grabbed his hair, distressed. “I wish I had picked up the wrong person.”
At least then he wouldn’t have to endure this damnable guilt.
The medic clicked his tongue. He thought serving on the front lines had shown him a lot, that nothing could surprise him anymore.
The facts proved Lin Xiaohe could!
“Alright, Darsi. From a medical standpoint, I strongly advise against sending her to the front lines.”
Darsi was exasperated. “Are you joking? We’re the Special Recon Battalion. If we’re not on the front lines, where should we be? The rear?”
“You’ve forgotten? Our Recon Battalion has that… forgotten zone.”
Darsi remembered.
It was an area of mutated flora.
Long ago, the Federation sent starships to scan Miluo Star. That region showed up as a complete void; from space or the air, no technological means could scout what was inside.
Later, when the battlefield shifted from outer space to the planet’s surface, Command worried the mutated flora zone might impact the war and ordered their Recon Battalion to investigate.
Three consecutive squads were sent in. None returned.
With the frontline battles intensifying, Command simply gave up on scouting the area, only instructing the Recon Battalion to establish an observation post there to report any anomalies.
All these years passed without a single anomaly ever being observed.
The observation post became the place Special Recon soldiers least wanted to be assigned.
It was boring, offered no chance for merit, and was a complete waste of life.
The moment Lin Xiaohe opened her eyes, she saw Darsi’s large face looming over her.
His expression was solemn and serious. “Cadet Lin Xiaohe, I have an important mission for you.”
