"Cut the flattery." Li Chang’an glanced at him.
"Why didn’t you give it a try just now?"
"Me?" Sun Yang waved his hand.
"Captain, I wouldn’t dare make a fool of myself with my meager skills. I’d better save it for when we’re actually fighting the Insect Race!"
"You’re just too lazy to move, aren’t you?" Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes.
"Aw, don’t be like that, Ruo Xi!" Sun Yang said, sidling up with a grin.
"See? I was observing tactics. Learning a thing or two. It might come in handy later!"
"Alright, that’s enough," Li Chang’an said, checking the time.
"After dinner, get ready for more training tonight!"
"More training tonight?" Sun Yang wailed.
"Captain, isn’t this a bit much? We’ve all been at it all day. Can’t we get the night off?"
"Time off?" Li Chang’an sneered.
"If you think this is too much, you can always request a transfer to the logistics department. I guarantee you’ll have every day off there!"
"Fine, I’ll shut up!" Sun Yang shrugged helplessly.
"Let’s go. No dawdling," Li Chang’an said, leading the way to the mess hall.
...
In the mess hall, the group sat around a table, the atmosphere much more relaxed than it had been on the training grounds.
"Think the higher-ups will give us a bonus after this mission?" Sun Yang asked between bites.
"Can you stop obsessing over rewards?" Han Ruoxi shot him an irritated glare.
"Completing the mission is our duty. A reward is just a bonus!"
"Duty?" Sun Yang pouted.
"Ruo Xi, I think you’re becoming more and more like the Captain. You even sound like him!"
"Leave me out of it," Li Chang’an said, glancing up at him.
"Sun Yang, if you don’t shut up, I’m doubling tonight’s training!"
"Alright, alright! I’ll shut up, okay?" Sun Yang quickly lowered his head and ate, still muttering under his breath.
’He’s like our mom and dad all rolled into one. The Captain’s just fated to worry about everything!’
"The Captain worries so you don’t have to," Shen Qiuyue commented lightly.
Sun Yang shook his head with a wry smile, not daring to say another word.
That night, the training grounds lit up as the entire Insect Hunter Squad assembled.
Li Chang’an stood in the center of the field, a small terminal in his hand, his expression as impassive as ever.
"Tonight’s training is divided into three parts," Li Chang’an announced, his gaze sweeping over the others.
"Physical recovery, tactical coordination, and simulated combat.
You will not slack off during any part of it. Especially the simulated combat—I don’t want to see anyone dropping the ball again!"
"Captain, when you say ’dropping the ball,’ you’re not talking about me, are you?" Sun Yang raised his hand, a sly smile on his face.
"I’m the fastest runner on our team. How could I possibly drop the ball?"
"That’s right. Fastest to run, slowest to fire," Li Chang’an said, giving him a cold look.
"Your Pulse Gun’s aiming time is a full second longer than everyone else’s. That is dropping the ball!"
"Whoa, Captain, you still remember that?" Sun Yang rubbed his nose, laughing awkwardly.
"That was a special situation!"
"What special situation?" Han Ruoxi raised an eyebrow.
"You, in the middle of an Insect Race nest, saying ’This thing’s too tough, I need to adjust’—you call that a special situation?"
"Ruo Xi, can’t you stop dredging up my past like that?" Sun Yang whined, looking miserable.
"It was my first time seeing an Insect Race warrior that huge! I got a little nervous, that’s all!"
"Enough chatter!" Li Chang’an cut off their bickering.
"Save it for the training grounds. We’ll see how you perform!"
"Captain, since we’re training so late, shouldn’t we have some nutrient solution to keep us going?" Sun Yang asked tentatively.
"If you have the extra money, feel free to buy your own," Shen Qiuyue said flatly.
"What the base issues is more than enough. Stop trying to find excuses to be lazy."
"Hey, I’m not being lazy, I just—" Sun Yang started to argue, but Li Chang’an cut him off.
"One more word out of you and you’ll start with weighted gear."
Sun Yang snapped his mouth shut and stood silently at attention.
Li Chang’an glanced at the time and activated the timer on his terminal.
"Get ready to start.
First drill: physical recovery run. Ten kilometers each, timed!"
"Ten kilometers?!" Sun Yang’s eyes went wide.
"Captain, isn’t that a little brutal?"
"What’s your usual distance?" Li Chang’an’s tone was calm.
"Five kilometers..." Sun Yang answered in a small voice.
"Then today it’s ten. Consider it an intensified training session," Li Chang’an said, his expression grim.
"Captain, this isn’t ’intensified,’ this is double!" Sun Yang grumbled through clenched teeth, but one look at Li Chang’an’s severe expression and he didn’t dare say more.
...
The squad began running laps around the training grounds, Sun Yang already panting.
"Captain, seriously, can’t you give us some time to recuperate? We just got back from a mission today!"
"The mission is over, but that doesn’t mean your body can relax," Li Chang’an said from the sidelines, his eyes scanning each person.
"This recovery training is to ensure you can get back into combat-ready state faster for the next mission!"
"Captain Li, you make a good point, but you’re completely heartless!" Sun Yang managed to gasp out.
"Heartless?" Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes from beside him.
"Sun Yang, are you sure you came here to be a soldier? And not just to ’experience life’?"
"Ruo Xi, can’t you cut me some slack?" Sun Yang gasped, not daring to slow his pace.
"You think you’re hot stuff just because you’re fast?"
"Damn right I am!" Han Ruoxi huffed, accelerating and leaving Sun Yang in her dust.
Shen Qiuyue ran ahead of them, silent, simply maintaining a steady pace as she pushed onward, lap after lap.
...
After finishing the ten-kilometer run, they all stopped, gasping for breath.
Sun Yang collapsed right onto the ground, waving his hand weakly.
"Captain, I don’t think you’re training us. I think you’re trying to kill us!"
"It won’t kill you," Li Chang’an said, walking over to loom above him.
"Your stamina reserves aren’t half bad. Otherwise, I really would have increased the load."
"Captain, that wasn’t a compliment, was it? It sounded a little sarcastic," Sun Yang asked, looking up.
"If you can’t tell, don’t ask," Li Chang’an said before turning to the others.
"Next up is tactical coordination training. It’s a simulated mission scenario. You’ll assign roles amongst yourselves."
"A simulated mission? What’s the scenario this time?" Han Ruoxi asked.
"An Insect Race ambush.
Objective: defend the stronghold and hold out for reinforcements," Li Chang’an explained simply.
"I will be observing from the sidelines to see how well you coordinate."
"And you, Captain?" Sun Yang asked, getting to his feet and dusting himself off.
"You’re just going to watch? Isn’t that a bit unfair?"
"You’re the squad members. I’m the Captain," Li Chang’an stated, his tone flat.
"What you need to improve is your ability to coordinate, not your dependency on me."
"Fine, the Captain’s right," Sun Yang pouted.
"So, how are we splitting up the roles?"
Han Ruoxi was the first to speak.
"I’ll take main DPS. Qiuyue will be on the front line. You’ll handle ranged support, and Bai Lin will provide tech support."
"And the Captain?" Sun Yang asked, unwilling to let it go.
"The Captain’s job is to watch for our mistakes and then chew you out for them," Han Ruoxi shot back without mercy.
"Fine, fine, you’re the boss," Sun Yang said, waving his hand in surrender.
...
The simulation began. Standing at the control console, Li Chang’an used his terminal to operate the projection system, transforming the training ground into a rudimentary mission scenario.
Holographic Insect Race enemies closed in on the squad from all directions.
"Careful! Enemies approaching from the left!" Shen Qiuyue warned, simultaneously blocking an attack from one of the Insect Race with her sword.
"Got it!" Han Ruoxi unleashed an arc of electricity, striking one of the Insect Race square in the head.
"More behind us!" Sun Yang opened fire, the beams from his Pulse Gun suppressing several Insect Race attempting to flank them.
"Bai Lin, jam their signal source!" Han Ruoxi commanded loudly.
"Working on it! Give me five seconds!" Bai Lin reported calmly, his hands flying across his own terminal.
As the holographic Insect Race closed in, the squad’s teamwork grew even more seamless.
Despite a few minor mistakes, their overall performance was fluid.
"Stop!" Li Chang’an hit the pause button on his terminal, and the holographic scenario vanished.
"The coordination was good this time, but there are still a few issues," he said, walking over to stand before them.
"First, Sun Yang, your zone of fire was too narrow, which let an Insect slip past on the left."