Chapter 3: A Group of Bare-Chested Men! Soldiers with Eight-Pack Abs  

The training ground for the big competition was on a beach by the sea.  

Looking out, there was the vast blue ocean with rolling waves, white surf crashing against the shore, and a stretch of light-colored sand.  

The sand on the beach was soft and fine, sinking easily underfoot.  

However, this natural environment had become a perfect training ground for the soldiers, making it ideal for full-body weighted exercises.  

Jiang Rou was slower and could not keep up with the quick movements of the young soldier ahead.  

But as she gradually caught up, she was completely stunned.  

Ah…  

…It was a group of bare-chested men!  

Not far from her stood a group of soldiers with bronzed skin, their muscular bodies exposed to the sun!  

The navy uniform consisted of blue and white naval attire.

This type of uniform, especially the white shirts, got dirty easily.  

So before entering the competition, all the soldiers had taken off their shirts, leaving only their dark blue military trousers.  

The midday sun on the island was blazing, burning against their skin with an intense heat. There was no chill at all.  

These bare-chested soldiers were sprinting wildly across the beach.  

They quickly formed a circle, with six or seven people inside engaged in a fierce battle.  

At the same time, a series of roars erupted—  

“Go! Go! Go! All of you, attack! Watch your footing! Don’t give them a chance to ambush! As long as you take down Regiment Commander Zhou, you’ll be number one in the military!”  

“Damn you! Five of you ganging up on Regiment Commander Zhou—so what if you win? You still have the nerve to call yourselves the best in the army?”  

“Shame? Do you all have no shame left?”  

“Regiment Commander Zhou, don’t hold back against these shameless bastards! Beat them until they surrender!”  

“If our barracks wins, we get an extra meal tonight! Extra pork! Everyone, fight for the pork!”  

In this era of scarcity, the temptation of pork was extraordinary.  

The shouting on the beach grew deafening, each cry louder than the last.  

Jiang Rou took in the chaotic yet exhilarating scene before her, feeling the overwhelming surge of masculinity in the air.  

Suddenly, she thought—this kind of time-travel experience could happen more often!  

Sunshine! Beach!  

Waves! Strong men!  

She loved it!  

This was not just an island—it was paradise!  

These rugged soldiers were warriors forged through countless hardships, their bodies covered in well-defined, powerful muscles.  

Their kind of raw strength was completely different from the artificially sculpted physiques of gym-trained men.  

Jiang Rou’s taste in men leaned precisely toward this type—sun-kissed and full of masculine energy.

In her past world, the trend had favored pale, slender men with delicate and refined features—male celebrities who looked elegant and cultured. It had been nearly impossible to find a rough and rugged man brimming with masculinity.  

But now…  

Right before her eyes, there wasn’t just one—there was a whole group of them.  

Among these soldiers, Jiang Rou’s gaze was naturally drawn to the most agile and striking figure in the crowd.  

A tall and robust physique, broad and enticing shoulders, a strong yet lean waist and abdomen—he had the perfect V-shaped body.  

And when this man turned around—  

The first thing Jiang Rou saw was…  

Eight-pack abs. (¯﹃¯)  

On his flat stomach, every abdominal muscle was sharply defined, accompanied by a deep, alluring Adonis belt.  

His wheat-colored skin gleamed under the sunlight, a radiant sheen highlighting his powerful form.  

Tiny beads of sweat trickled from his broad shoulders, gliding down his sculpted chest, over his chiseled abs…  

Flowing lower and lower—until they disappeared beneath the waistband of his military trousers.  

A sight so vivid, so intoxicating—it was almost sinful!  

Jiang Rou’s mind instantly became filled with all kinds of drifting thoughts.  

Meanwhile, at the center of the skirmish, the fight was still raging on.  

Five soldiers surrounded the tallest man, their muscular bodies repeatedly charging at him, trying to break through his defenses.  

And yet…  

“Aaaaah—Regiment Commander Zhou! Have mercy! My arm—my arm…!”

“Why are you pulling me? You go first! You go up first! I’ll follow right behind you!”  

“Hurry up and help! I’ve got hold of Regiment Commander Zhou’s right leg! Come on, grab his left leg! Work with me!”  

“I—I’m grabbing! I’m grabbing—ahhh…!”  

One soldier after another kept charging forward.  

Each of them was a well-built, muscular young man, yet the tallest and most imposing man in the center tossed them aside effortlessly, one by one.  

The scene was complete chaos, bodies flying in all directions.  

The beach echoed with the roars and grunts of men locked in battle.  

The towering man stood firm, his body slightly leaning forward, his powerful frame exuding an overwhelming sense of dominance—like a mountain ready to crush anything in its path.  

Even from a distance, Jiang Rou could faintly feel that pressure.  

By now, three soldiers had already been sent flying, leaving only two remaining.  

These last two were clearly well-trained—not attacking separately, but launching a coordinated strike at the same time.  

“Ahhh—!”  

With battle cries, they lunged forward.  

Seeing this, Jiang Rou instinctively thought that this tall man would surely be unable to hold his ground and would be knocked off his feet.  

However…  

The man did not retreat in the slightest. Instead, he shifted his weight, bracing his broad shoulders, every muscle in his body tightening like a predator ready to pounce.

At the moment the two young soldiers charged forward, he gave them no chance to get close.  

First, he swiftly tripped one of them with a kick, then grabbed the other’s arm and executed a sharp sidestep.  

—It was an exceptionally clean over-the-shoulder throw.  

The next second—  

Bang!  

The soldier who had just rushed forward was now sprawled on the ground, limbs splayed in all directions, his face contorted in pain.  

What kind of strength could suppress such an attack?  

“Wow…”  

Jiang Rou was completely stunned. Her fair and delicate face, along with her bright, watery eyes, was filled with disbelief.  

She was not the only one shocked. Even the other soldiers were left dumbfounded, one by one.  

“Damn! As expected, we still have to rely on Regiment Commander Zhou!”  

“Regiment Commander Zhou’s arm strength is unbelievable! He actually overpowered an attack from five people!”  

“If I had that kind of strength, I’d definitely be transferred to the artillery unit!”  

Amidst the soldiers’ exclamations, the young sentry from earlier, Song Yan, proudly shouted at the crowd.  

“You bunch of rookies think you can challenge Regiment Commander Zhou? Keep dreaming! Train properly for a few more years before even considering it!”  

“Regiment Commander Zhou is the champion of our army’s big competition! Open your eyes and see clearly! Next time, think twice before acting recklessly!”  

“Regiment Commander Zhou, over here! It’s me, Song Yan! Someone’s looking for you!”  

Song Yan continued calling out loudly.  

Standing to the side, Jiang Rou heard every word.  

Regiment Commander Zhou…  

So this man was Zhou Chongshan.  

Jiang Rou’s eyes sparkled again.  

She took another careful look at the strong-built man—her fiancé, her future husband.  

Rumor had it that Zhou Chongshan was a cripple…

However, judging from Zhou Chongshan’s agile movements and swift footwork during the big competition just now, there was no sign that his legs had ever been injured.  

Could this also be something he deliberately fabricated to deceive the real heiress?  

Rumor had it that Zhou Chongshan was disfigured…  

As the man approached, Jiang Rou got a clearer look at his face.  

He had a ruggedly handsome face with deep, well-defined features and strikingly sharp facial contours.  

His strong and untamed masculine aura complemented his looks perfectly.  

In Jiang Rou’s eyes, he was an exceptionally handsome man.  

The only flaw…  

Perhaps it was the scar above his left temple, stretching from the corner of his eye to his forehead.  

The scar was slightly lighter in color than his skin, indicating that it was a recent injury.  

It extended across his forehead, disappearing into his short black hair.  

Yet, as Jiang Rou gazed at it, she felt that rather than ruining his appearance, the scar only added a touch of wildness to him.  

And those deep, boundless black eyes of his…  

This man was like a black panther in the forest—fierce and dominant, guarding his territory and upholding the honor of a king.  

Everything about him struck Jiang Rou’s heart with an overwhelming force.  

She could hear the rapid thumping in her chest, like a startled fawn leaping in panic.  

As Jiang Rou watched Zhou Chongshan, Zhou Chongshan was also looking at Jiang Rou.  

During the earlier commotion, he had noticed that this young woman had arrived with his guard, Song Yan.  

Judging from her attire, she was definitely not a local on this island.  

When he got closer, he couldn’t help but pause for a moment.  

She was too fair-skinned.  

The skin exposed beneath her yellow dress was as flawless and smooth as the finest white jade.  

Especially that slender, swan-like neck…  

He could almost see the faint blue veins beneath the surface.  

Her long black hair was braided neatly, resting against her pale skin.  

Not only was she fair, but her beauty was almost excessive.

She had an oval-shaped face, large eyes, a delicate nose, and a small, cherry-like mouth.  

Especially those eyes—clear, bright, and glistening, as if carrying a hint of spring warmth.  

They were… utterly captivating.  

The young woman stared at him so openly, her gaze fixed directly on him.  

Her eyes lingered, almost imperceptibly, across his exposed chest and abdomen, gliding over like the soft touch of a feather.  

Zhou Chongshan had spent years in the military unit, bathing naked with a group of rough men, completely exposed. It wasn’t as if he had never been seen before.  

Yet now, standing shirtless under the scrutiny of a young woman, he inexplicably felt a wave of heat rising in his chest, his abdomen tensing.  

It had to be the scorching sun.  

That was the only explanation for this illusion.  

Zhou Chongshan brushed off the dirt and grime on his body with a few quick movements, then grabbed Song Yan, who was standing nearby.  

In a deep voice, he asked: “Song Yan, who is she? Why did you bring her to a place like this?”  

Song Yan glanced at Jiang Rou, then at Zhou Chongshan, his eyes widening like bronze bells.  

“Commander Zhou, she’s your fiancée! She said she came to marry you!”