Chapter 119: Military Honor

“No,” Cheng Jingmo said calmly, “I thought about it, and it’s better not to bring this up.”

Yu Xiangnian pouted in resignation.

She had intentionally phrased her question vaguely to see if Cheng Jingmo would misinterpret it.

Well, she should have more faith in Cheng Jingmo’s innocence!

The response he gave was to a joke she made in the morning.

Earlier, she said, “Cheng Jingmo, I earn about ten bucks a day translating at home. Since I’ve been accompanying you for these three days without doing anything else, you should mention it to your leaders and get me some compensation.”

Cheng Jingmo explained why he didn’t bring it up to his leaders, “We don’t really need that little money. If they offer it, fine, if not, then it’s okay. Asking for compensation makes things awkward, and how would it look to them? You need to show your leadership that you’re dedicated. Whether you get compensation or not doesn’t matter much.”

Yu Xiangnian had only been joking and didn’t actually expect any money.

After Cheng Jingmo’s lengthy explanation, she was even more tired and drowsily responded with a “Hmm,” letting the matter drop.

After a while, Cheng Jingmo said, “Yu Xiangnian, you once said that the future society will need knowledgeable and cultured people, and I completely agree. I think the same applies to the military.”

He paused before continuing, “I didn’t study much before joining the army, and I’ve only learned some cultural knowledge since then, but I’m still far behind compared to you. I also want to learn and know everything like you, so… could you teach me?”

He waited for a long time, but Yu Xiangnian didn’t respond. All he could hear was her steady breathing.

Cheng Jingmo: “…”

He realized that Yu Xiangnian had actually fallen asleep.

She hadn’t fallen asleep this quickly in the past! Why did she fall asleep in just a minute or two today?

He felt a bit disappointed.

It was the first time he had shared so many personal feelings with her, and Yu Xiangnian hadn’t heard a single word.

He sighed, took Yu Xiangnian’s hand resting on his chest, and placed it on his lips.

So soft and smooth, and with a pleasant scent—how could he let anyone else kiss it!

Earlier that day, when one of the foreign military personnel was leaving, Yu Xiangnian extended her hand to shake his. However, he took her hand and bent down to kiss the back of it.

At that moment, Cheng Jingmo felt only anger and forgot to consider the situation. He was about to push the man away when Yu Xiangnian quickly withdrew her hand.

Then she said something to the foreign military personnel in a language he didn’t understand.

The foreign soldier laughed nonchalantly and then shook hands with Yu Xiangnian.

Thankfully, it turned out to be a false alarm!

No one is allowed to kiss Yu Xiangnian!

The next morning, at the time scheduled for the negotiation.

Our side was fully prepared.

However, just as they were about to enter the negotiation room, the other side suddenly proposed a contest with our soldiers before continuing the talks.

Proposing a contest on someone else’s turf.

Yu Xiangnian, though not a soldier, could sense the provocative intent.

Of course, another purpose was to test the capabilities of our military.

After Yu Xiangnian translated the other side’s intentions, Yu Jiashun and the others remained expressionless.

Since the guests had made a request, they naturally had to accept the challenge.

Yu Jiashun straightened his already straight back, unafraid, and asked, “What do you want to compete in?”

Yu Xiangnian translated, “Basic skills.”

“How will the competition be held?” Yu Jiashun asked again.

According to the other side’s requirements, each side would send three soldiers of different levels. The time taken by the last soldier to complete the tasks would be calculated, and the side with the shortest time would win.

This was not just a simple contest; it represented the honor of the soldiers.

Everyone marched toward the training ground in unison.

Yu Xiangnian was closest to Yu Jiashun, and she heard him whisper to Hao Yi, “We can’t embarrass ourselves, but we also need to give the other side some face.”

Hao Yi understood and then selected himself, Cheng Jingmo, and Yu Xiangyang to compete.

Yu Xiangnian was still worried.

Our country’s overall strength was weak, and many people were still struggling to make ends meet. Many countries took advantage of the weaker ones.

Cheng Jingmo and the others’ diet was not particularly nutritious, and their physiques were visibly less robust compared to the opposing team.

Moreover, the opponents had come prepared and were certainly aiming to win.

In her thoughts, the whistle for the contest blew.

Scenes she had only seen on television were happening right in front of her.

A wall over two meters high was scaled with a single leap; a narrow horizontal beam, only as thick as an arm, was crossed in a few swift steps; a low barbed wire, not even knee-high, was crawled under in a matter of seconds…

The three members of the opposing team and Cheng Jingmo and Yu Xiangyang were roughly at the same level, but Hao Yi was clearly lagging behind by a large margin.

Since the timing was based on the last person to finish, Yu Xiangnian found herself clenching her fists in anxiety.

However, during the final event, Hao Yi suddenly accelerated and crossed the finish line simultaneously with the opponent’s last member.

Hao Yi, nearing fifty years old, was truly impressive for his stamina and endurance!

Yu Xiangnian quickly understood his intention.

He showed everyone that both sides ended up tied, but everyone knew that he had intentionally lagged in the beginning.

There was a reason why he was a leader!

He didn’t put pressure on Cheng Jingmo and Yu Xiangyang, fulfilling Yu Jiashun’s directive: not to lose face and also to give the opponent some face.

After the contest, everyone wore graceful smiles, ready to return for the negotiation. However, the opponents proposed a second round.

Yu Jiashun and the others still smiled, but their gaze towards the other side had turned colder.

“What’s the competition?” Yu Jiashun asked.

Yu Xiangnian replied, “Shooting, with the same three people as before, including precision shooting and obstacle shooting.”

Yu Jiashun snorted coldly.

The other side’s intention was obvious—everyone had weaknesses.

Those strong in basic skills might not excel in shooting.

And the opponents had certainly chosen their best for today, people who were strong in every aspect.

Their goal was to defeat us in the contest and gain an advantage in the upcoming negotiations.

But unfortunately, they had miscalculated!

Our soldiers were also versatile!

Yu Jiashun said to Hao Yi, “There’s no need to worry about preserving face.”

Hao Yi understood.

Yu Xiangnian and the others stood far away to observe the competition, unable to see the details, only hearing the intermittent gunfire.

Yu Jiashun and the opposing general both held binoculars, watching the situation.

When the gunfire ceased, Yu Jiashun lowered his binoculars, his expression calm, and extended his hand, saying, “We concede.”

The opposing general looked somewhat embarrassed but politely shook his hand in return.

Ten minutes later, the competitors returned from the shooting range. Cheng Jingmo had sweat on his temples, but his eyes remained as calm as ever, showing no sign of joy.

Their eyes met for a couple of seconds, and Yu Xiangnian gave him a playful wink before turning her head away.

She had to stay highly focused and couldn’t let her mind wander.

Cheng Jingmo lowered his gaze, his thin lips pressed tightly together, trying to suppress the corners that wanted to rise.

Yu Xiangnian’s gesture was quite playful!

At a time like this, she wasn’t serious at all!

Yu Jiashun cleared his throat, masking his joy, “Is there anything else to compete in?”