ALL NOVEL Chapter 228 - Discussion
“We’ve finally come to this point. I honestly thought they’d keep going as they were—after all, with the abilities of those three, they could probably dominate the entire military competition field even without the benefits of an official team.” Instructor Tan sighed as he observed the scene of the four gathering together.
“Not possible to have zero impact,” someone replied. “The advantages of an official team are substantial; just having three lives increases their chances significantly. Even with all their skill, you can’t eliminate the chance of an unfortunate event, so formally forming a team is the wiser choice.”
“So now, the most combat-effective teams on the field are all official squads. From here on, the competition won’t just be a shooting match; we can expect the situation to escalate,” another instructor noted.
“And do we know anything about this newly joined student?” asked a senior advisor from the individual combat division, noticing the addition.
“Remember the student who helped rescue Warrant Officer Mace with Jiang Hui from Class Two? That’s him. He’s from Class One,” a nearby female second lieutenant quietly informed him.
“He’s from Class One, then…”
“Shh!”
The instructor who had started speaking quickly caught the hint, halting mid-sentence. Glancing at the front row, he noticed no one had overheard and let out a quiet sigh of relief.
Of course—Class One was overseen by Lieutenant Zou, someone with a notorious temper and a family background to match. Known for his lack of restraint, Lieutenant Zou was not the type of officer anyone wanted to provoke, especially not an ordinary lieutenant.
“That’s Lieutenant Zou’s student from Class One,” Captain Lin Qi observed, recognizing Xierman. He quickly checked the rankings and found Xierman’s name, though it was fairly far down the list, not particularly noticeable among the remaining contestants.
Captain Lin couldn’t help but sigh, “They did wait too long to form a team. Many of the top potential contenders have already joined other teams.”
Looking at the current landscape and anticipating the coming developments, Captain Lin agreed that forming an official team would give Jiang Hui’s group the strength needed to hold their own against the other squads.
However, when evaluating the team’s overall level, choosing Xierman—who currently doesn’t stand out in many areas—as the fourth member seemed a bit rushed and didn’t add much advantage to the group. Moreover, they still hadn’t found a fifth member, which left the team’s future filled with uncertainties.
Captain Lin’s remark wasn’t meant to mock or belittle anyone; it was simply a statement of fact. In the competitive arena, the rules are ruthless, and on a real battlefield, even more so. There was no need to hold back due to anyone’s background.
So Lin’s comment essentially pointed out the unfortunate fact that Xierman’s abilities and potential were somewhat lacking compared to the other three members of the team.
However, this didn’t particularly bother Captain Lin. After all, he had previously made less-than-favorable assessments of Jiang Hui, Huan Xian, and other students who had performed well in the competition. Xierman was just one more name on the list.
But to others listening, his words took on a different meaning and came across as quite harsh.
“…I think that student Jiang Hui might be in an even worse situation,” someone remarked. “In a competition where every second counts, all the skill in the world can’t compensate for her current condition. Her leg injury is serious, and there aren’t any specialized medicines on the field to heal torn muscles and tissue. Even with twelve more hours, her injury wouldn’t heal, and it’s bound to affect her performance going forward. No matter how resilient she is, it will definitely impact her score.”
“That tactics student must have known this, which is why he was so quick to drag others onto the team. I wonder which poor soul will be roped in next. In the end, they’ll all be dragged down together—I’m looking forward to seeing how it turns out,” Zou Yi sneered.
Instructor Tan was already used to Zou Yi’s blunt style. His comments were typically unfiltered and often tinged with his own assumptions, but at their core, they were usually accurate.
They had all witnessed the four forming their team, as well as Jiang Hui’s injury. Most of the people present were seasoned veterans, so it only took a glance to assess her condition. To those who had been on real battlefields, where missing limbs and serious wounds were commonplace, a flesh wound like hers might seem trivial. But for someone who hadn’t fully awakened and had never been in actual combat, it would be a challenge, and one that would hinder her for some time.
Moreover, that kid would still have to run around the field, injured, engaging in combat. It would likely be as Zou Yi said—her injury would inevitably affect her results going forward.
It remained to be seen if Huo Qi from Class One could take advantage of this opportunity to close the gap, leveling the advantage Jiang Hui had earned. Although the odds were slim, if he could at least narrow the point difference to a certain extent, even a loss would feel like a victory.
Of course, no matter who wins or loses, these talented students will ultimately belong to Baiska Intermediate Academy. The faculty hopes to nurture these young people, who are just beginning to shine, in the hope that one day they will bring honor to themselves, to Beska Intermediate Academy, and perhaps even to the entire Empire.
Instructor Tan looked at the different teams on the split-screen with admiration and felt deeply gratified, realizing that this year’s first-year students held so much potential. The future looked bright.
“Hey? Where did Captain Stark go? He was just here, wasn’t he? How’d he disappear so quickly?”
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Jiang Hui and her team were unaware of the teachers outside, who were watching them with pride and discussing their progress.
For now, the team’s movements were limited because of Jiang Hui’s leg injury.
Yes, Jiang Hui felt very embarrassed.
With only a limited amount of time left in the competition, her unexpected injury had forced her teammates to stay put, unable to move forward.
During this time, however, the other competitors would continue their progress, likely moving around, hunting, and gathering points just as they had done before. The pool of available points on the field would gradually shrink, making it harder to shift the final results.
Jiang Hui couldn’t help but feel frustrated, but she couldn’t bring herself to go against Huan Xian’s decision. He was adamant that they would stay put for another two hours, insisting on checking and changing her bandages every half hour to monitor her recovery—even more diligently than Jiang Hui herself.
This only heightened her feeling of being a burden to everyone.
On the other hand, Zhou Xiuwen and Xierman seemed completely at ease. The two of them relaxed without any hesitation, each choosing a comfortable spot. One leaned against a rock beside Jiang Hui, while the other sat cross-legged on the ground, cheerfully going through the supplies the new teammate had shared with him, looking completely unbothered.
In the entire team, Jiang Hui seemed to be the only one feeling anxious.
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This part is coming to a close, and you can guess how the next challenge will unfold.
Author Note: The process of forming this five-person team took some time, as I wanted to highlight each character’s personality and background. They’ll all be important figures later on, so even if it feels a bit long-winded, please be patient with me. I hope you won’t mind!