The next morning at eight, Wang Qiqi and the others stood at the designated spot, waiting for the drill instructor to arrive. Although Manman had received her IV drip late the previous night, the three of them immediately booked a room at a nearby hotel and rested for a few hours, but due to concerns about Shi Man’s condition, neither of the two rested well. Wang Qiqi seized the last moments to gather her spirits. After all, if the instructor turned out to be lenient, that would be one thing, but if he wasn't, they were truly finished.

Though Wang Qiqi kept her eyes closed, she could still hear the chatter of those around her. "I wonder if our instructor will be easy to deal with."

"Hope we get a handsome one."

Listening to their discussions, Wang Qiqi thought to herself that if a truly handsome guy existed, he would either be a star or in the National Flag Guard. How many handsome men would honestly choose to serve in the military? Even if some did, they wouldn't necessarily become instructors, and even if they became instructors, they might not be their instructor. She really hoped for a more relaxed one.

"He's coming, he's coming!" someone whispered.

Hearing this, Wang Qiqi instantly snapped her eyes open and straightened her posture. No matter what, she couldn't leave a bad first impression on the instructor on the very first day of military training.

"Oh my god, our instructor looks so stern," Han Meina next to her groaned about their bad luck. "His face is like a poker face."

Wang Qiqi looked up at the instructor approaching them and sighed inwardly. "He is handsome, yes, but the problem is..." Heavens above, his face was set in stone, completely lacking any smile for a first meeting. Wang Qiqi mused that someone who smiled might not be easy to get along with, but someone stern and unsmiling, unless you knew them well, wouldn't be easy either. Looking at the counselors for other classes, she told Han Meina, "I think the upcoming military training is going to be brutal."

Han Meina nodded. "Let's just behave."

Cao Rui walked up to the front of Wang Qiqi's class formation. His eyes swept over them quickly, followed by an immediate snort. "Have none of you eaten breakfast? You can't even stand straight."

Good grief, he hadn't even introduced himself before delivering a show of force. Everyone’s faces immediately fell. They had all thought they were standing perfectly straight when they saw the instructor approach, yet in his eyes, they were still standing poorly. After all, they were newly enrolled university students. Though no one spoke, their expressions betrayed their thoughts.

"My name is Cao Rui, and I will be your instructor from now on. Over the next half month, I will train you rigorously so that outwardly, you look like soldiers." Cao Rui’s second sentence almost made everyone collapse in fear. To look like soldiers on the outside! While they hadn't been to a real barracks, they had certainly seen military programs on television. Thinking of the training those soldiers endured on screen, they all simultaneously felt that this half-month of military training wouldn't be easy at all.

Where there is oppression, there is resistance. "We aren't active soldiers, and we aren't in a military academy. Is such strictness necessary?" A female voice called out from the back.

Cao Rui heard the protest and looked utterly disdainful. He thought to himself, if he hadn't been unlucky, why would he have to put up with these pampered young ladies and frail scholars? Look at them; he hadn't even started the real training, and just a few words had provoked a protest. "First, you should report to me, Instructor, and only speak after receiving my permission. Second, you are in military training now; you must train like a soldier."

Wang Qiqi listened to him, then looked at his face again. Alright, Wang Qiqi admitted that this instructor, Cao Rui, while perhaps too serious, could certainly pass for a handsome man. Furthermore, his voice was quite good—at least for Wang Qiqi, a lover of good voices, it sounded very masculine. The biggest issue was how incredibly strict his TU was. Even though this was military training, which instructor actually treated students like real soldiers? It was usually just a formality. Only this fool was taking it seriously.

Perhaps it was the first day of training, and everyone wanted to give the new instructor some face, or perhaps Cao Rui's speech had subdued them. The first day of military training passed with more fright than harm, or rather, although there were minor issues, they remained within a manageable scope.

Wang Qiqi immediately collapsed onto the bed after showering. "I feel like my legs aren't mine anymore." They had stood at attention in the open square for the better part of the day. Although the instructor had been relatively lenient by letting them stand in the shade, as the sun moved, the shade slowly shrunk until it disappeared entirely. They should count themselves lucky the sun wasn't scorching hot, or someone definitely would have been sent to the infirmary.

Han Meina couldn't fathom how she had endured it. She had considered feigning heatstroke to faint, but when a girl in their class genuinely collapsed, the instructor walked over, took her pulse for a moment, and simply said, "If you want to lie down, then lie down." The girl could only reluctantly stand back up. Of course, the instructor wouldn't let her off easy; afterward, she had to stand at attention for an extra half hour—alone, under the sun, during everyone else's rest time. This tactic had truly scared off a crowd of people who were considering faking illness.

Han Meina suddenly remembered something. "Does the 'Black-Faced Instructor' know Traditional Chinese Medicine?" Otherwise, how could he check her pulse and know the girl was faking it?

Feng Yanjie and Li Xin were in the best shape. They were even the ones who helped fetch dinner for everyone. So, while Wang Qiqi and the others were lying on their beds trying to replenish their energy, only the two of them were still helping fetch hot water and cooling it down for everyone. "Maybe so," Li Xin said, deeply impressed. "I never thought this instructor knew how to take a pulse."

Feng Yanjie nodded beside her. "He is quite capable. I heard our instructor is actually the lead instructor," Feng Yanjie added, relaying gossip she’d overheard while queuing for meals earlier.

Wang Qiqi, amazed that Feng Yanjie and Li Xin still had the energy to discuss the instructor after standing at attention for most of the day, was truly impressed. "Aren't you tired?"

Feng Yanjie was at an exciting part of her story and waved her hand dismissively. "It was only for a short while. Back in my hometown, I went through much tougher training." Feng Yanjie took the opportunity to talk about often climbing mountains with her grandfather back home.

Although Feng Yanjie made it sound effortless, Wang Qiqi was stunned. Han Meina and the others stopped sighing about how cruel the instructor was, realizing that the burden the instructor placed on them today was far lighter than the exercises Feng Yanjie endured in her hometown. "It seems the Black-Faced Instructor wasn't wrong; it's not that he's too tough, it's that we are too soft."

"Hmph, I think the instructor just has it in for us, finding fault with everything," Duan Xiaomin retorted. "During their rest time, we’re standing at attention. When they are standing at attention, we’re still standing at attention. Do you think they stand better than us? I bet the instructor just went through a breakup."

"Very possible," Bai Ge analyzed. "Didn't you notice that while the other instructors sit together chatting during breaks, ours stands alone under the sun?"

Bai Ge pointed to her head. "Either his brain is malfunctioning, or he just broke up with someone."

"Maybe his position was usurped."

Wang Qiqi joked lightly, "Alright, I'm going to sleep. I hope they don't blow the wake-up whistle in the middle of the night." Wang Qiqi was extremely grateful that the school hadn't forced the first-year students to undergo training at an actual military base; that would have been a true tragedy. If the instructor was unhappy and couldn't sleep, blowing the wake-up whistle at night would leave them with no choice but to get up.

As soon as Wang Qiqi finished speaking, they heard snoring. Everyone looked around and realized Zhang Yan had already fallen asleep. It was only just past seven o'clock, yet this girl was already asleep—a testament to how exhausted she was.

In the days that followed, Wang Qiqi and the others endured the Black-Faced Instructor's strictest training, and not a single person dared to fake fainting. Of course, Wang Qiqi slowly began to notice her stamina improving, though her skin was darkening day by day. No matter how much sunscreen she applied morning and noon, within half an hour on the ground, she would start sweating, and within an hour, even the most waterproof sunscreen would be useless.

Wang Qiqi’s miserable days were visible to Zhu Lina and Shi Man, but what could they do? Fetching meals? Unfortunately, two lively members of their dorm were already handling meal runs. And their own instructor, despite the waterproof protection, was slowly getting stricter to ensure they wouldn't rank last in the final inspection parade. As for first place, the instructor knew who it was, and so did every freshman; no other class dared to hope beyond Finance Class One.

Cao Rui watched the university students march past him. Although his face remained expressionless, anyone staring intently into his eyes could see satisfaction there. Initially, he thought this class had too many girls, too many pampered types, which was why he gave them such a harsh introduction and maintained strict demands afterward. He had fully expected them to complain or request a transfer, but he hadn't anticipated they would persevere. This earned their respect, and tomorrow was the day of the inspection. "Alright, that's enough for today. Rest on the spot."

The first reaction from everyone upon hearing the Black-Faced Instructor’s words was to check if their ears had deceived them. They had only marched for an hour. Based on their experience together lately, they knew the instructor wouldn't let them rest for less than an hour and a half. However, no one dared to look at anyone else, fearing that if the instructor noticed, the penalty would double.

"Rest on the spot. If you prefer not to rest, I won't object to you continuing to march," Cao Rui thought to himself, surprised that his rare moment of kindness elicited such a reaction. He secretly chuckled; whether intentionally or not, he had completely won them over.

Hearing the instructor repeat the command, everyone knew they hadn't misheard. After a few steps in place, they turned toward the instructor’s position and sat down cross-legged. These actions were ingrained in every student’s mind. Even though today was technically the last day of training, and tomorrow's performance review was merely a formality, no one would dare to make a mistake at the final hurdle.

(To be continued)