They were all envious of Cheng Rushan and the way he and his wife seemed so affectionate.

Anyone could see what “affectionate” meant in this context.

Even the most clueless person could tell that if you mentioned something about a particular couple, they would imagine all sorts of romantic scenarios.

Whenever a young couple moved in, even if they did nothing at all, it was seen as if they were having a great time every night, which made Cheng Rushan the subject of envy.

So, Cheng Rushan’s first thought was, “Damn it, we can’t stay here!”

The next morning, around seven, Jiang Lin and Da Bao and Xiao Bao were washing up at the door.

Xiao Bao asked, “Mom, where’s Dad?”

Jiang Lin replied, “He probably went to get breakfast.”

Cheng Rushan had been very restless these past few days, waking up around five and leaving early, not wanting to be around Jiang Lin in the morning.

Da Bao was rinsing his mouth and went to check their urinal, intending to clean it.

He saw it was full and shouted, “Who filled our urinal?”

Xiao Bao ran over too, feeling very annoyed.

At that moment, He Liang came over with a bun in his mouth, “Sister-in-law, Da Bao, Xiao Bao, come and see!”

He Liang had a special fondness for Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan.

After gossiping with Jiang Lin in the morning, he felt even more friendly.

Jiang Lin asked, “He Liang, see what?”

He Liang replied with a smile, “Brother Cheng is in a competition.”

Jiang Lin was puzzled.

Cheng Rushan wasn’t someone who sought the spotlight and was very low-key.

Why would he be in a competition?

He wasn’t an active-duty soldier but part of the transport team, so he didn’t have any training tasks.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao, however, were excited and, forgetting about the urinal, pulled Jiang Lin to go see.

They followed He Liang to the playground.

The playground in the military district was mostly unused since the actual training happened in the military camp behind.

The area around the military district was either for officers, logistics, or their families.

Only the guard platoon and sentries trained in the playground area.

The dormitories where Jiang Lin and her family stayed were within this zone.

When they came for training in the morning, they found Cheng Rushan there as well.

His movements were swift and precise, showcasing both controlled endurance and explosive power.

He demonstrated the beauty of strength with his combination of restraint and force.

This drew the ire of several young men, who wanted to challenge him.

Among them were Zhao Quanyou, He Changjiang, Du Qiang, and Bie Dongshan, who lived in the same dormitory, along with Fang Chengguang and He Liang.

Fang Chengguang was there for exercise, while He Liang was just wandering around, enjoying the spectacle and having breakfast.

The young men, full of energy and eager to cause trouble, were jealous of Cheng Rushan’s new arrival, his good looks, and his beautiful wife.

They felt envious and decided to challenge him.

“He, are you Cheng Rushan from the transport team? The transport team practices this? Do you dare to have a match?” He Changjiang, sweating and acting arrogantly, stared at Cheng Rushan.

He Liang, who often spoke out of turn, tried to defuse the situation, “He Changjiang, you think you’re so great? Why challenge someone from outside the team? Why not take on our Chengguang instead?”

He Changjiang and the others were looking for trouble, and Cheng Rushan, who had already been running for 40 minutes and doing other exercises for another 40 minutes, was about to put on his coat and head to breakfast with Jiang Lin.

Cheng Rushan raised his eyebrows and looked at He Changjiang. “What are we competing in?”

Zhao Quanyou chimed in, “Military boxing!”

He Changjiang was skilled in military boxing, having earned top marks, and it was the only thing he could challenge Fang Chengguang in.

He Changjiang sneered at Cheng Rushan, “Do you dare?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “Let’s see your moves.”

Instead of taking a formal stance, He Changjiang demonstrated a side kick and a double arm swing, trying to show off his skill and confidence.

Cheng Rushan frowned slightly and said, “Is this just a show? It’s all just flashy moves.”

He Changjiang was immediately provoked. “Oh, who do you think you are? Looking down on people, huh?”

Cheng Rushan responded, “You treat military boxing like a gymnastic routine? That’s impressive, but I’m not interested.”

He draped his coat over his shoulder and turned to leave.

Seeing Cheng Rushan’s disdain, He Changjiang forgot his initial attitude and charged at him with a punch, “Let’s see what you’ve got!”

Cheng Rushan heard He Changjiang’s punch coming but did not dodge.

Instead, he leaned forward and swiftly lifted his leg to deliver a powerful kick to He Changjiang.

His leg was naturally longer than He Changjiang’s arms and carried more force, forcing He Changjiang to block the kick.

Fang Chengguang noticed that Cheng Rushan was not holding back and was using military boxing techniques with great force and speed.

He Changjiang couldn’t keep up. In just a few moves, He Changjiang was struggling, but Cheng Rushan made sure not to humiliate him, always holding back a bit.

Fang Chengguang said, “He Changjiang, don’t embarrass yourself!”

As he spoke, Cheng Rushan’s foot was about to strike He Changjiang’s throat.

Zhao Quanyou and the others shouted, “Stop!”

Just before the kick could land, Cheng Rushan suddenly eased up.

The force of his kick vanished as if it had sunk into the sea.

“Excellent!” Fang Chengguang applauded.

Fighting skills don’t really rely on specific moves; the goal of training is to be able to strike and defend effectively, to recognize and exploit an opponent’s weaknesses, and to win.

A good fighting skill is one that can protect oneself and defeat the enemy.

One fundamental yet challenging requirement is: the ability to control the force!

It’s harder to control and retract force than to deliver a powerful punch.

Being able to strike with the force of a tiger and retract it smoothly is much more difficult.

He Changjiang’s face changed as he felt the intense force almost hitting his throat.

He was sure that if Cheng Rushan had continued, his throat would have been crushed by that brutal force!

Cheng Rushan had shown mercy!

He Changjiang’s legs went weak, and he almost fell.

Zhao Quanyou had to steady him.

Bie Dongshan, feeling unsatisfied, said, “Not only should you be able to fight, but you should also be able to run. Can you run fast?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “I’m not an athlete; my running is average.”

Bie Dongshan wanted to challenge him in a sprint, since he was proud of his 100-meter speed and could compete with athletes in that regard.

Bie Dongshan proposed a 100-meter race.

Cheng Rushan calmly said, “Let’s do it after fifty push-ups.”

He wasn’t trying to embarrass Bie Dongshan or intentionally exhaust his legs, just assessing his stamina.

Bie Dongshan twitched his mouth in frustration.

He Liang, enjoying the drama, said, “Dongshan, don’t be shy. Go for it!”

In the end, Bie Dongshan’s pride in his sprinting didn’t surpass Cheng Rushan’s performance.

Fang Chengguang knew that some military personnel had explosive power that could exceed that of athletes in short sprints.

They could match the speed of 100-meter champions in the short term, but they didn’t focus solely on that.

He was curious why someone as impressive as Cheng Rushan was in the transport team.

Watching Cheng Rushan easily outmatch He Changjiang and the others, Fang Chengguang realized that Cheng Rushan was truly remarkable, with enviable physical abilities.

Zhao Quanyou and the others still couldn’t believe how a transport worker could be so impressive.

Why would someone so capable need to live in the dormitories?

“You’re so impressive, why are you in transport? Why don’t you become a battalion commander or at least a company commander? I don’t believe it!” They were determined to test Cheng Rushan’s limits.

“We’ll have a team match!”

“Dare to?” Although He Changjiang felt it was unfair to gang up on Cheng Rushan, he was still itching to find a way to bring him down.

Cheng Rushan raised an eyebrow, noting that aside from not having eaten breakfast that morning, he was in good shape.

He was about to suggest waiting until after breakfast, but Fang Chengguang, who had been observing coldly, snorted, “Your face is thicker than the calluses on your feet!”

Bie Dongshan shouted, “Chengguang, don’t just watch. You’re the top in combat training, so you should step up!”

Fang Chengguang scoffed, “You think just because you’re handsome I’ll join in? Don’t spoil my mood!”

Bie Dongshan and the others laughed.

He Liang had already brought Jiang Lin, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao to watch the excitement.

He was explaining to them, “Brother Cheng is amazing. Look at that pull-up bar—he did eighty pull-ups without breaking a sweat.”

“He Liang, which side are you on?” Zhao Quanyou yelled at him, questioning his loyalty.

He Liang laughed, “I’m with Sister-in-law, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao. Just admit defeat, don’t make fools of yourselves. Do you really think you’re so great? If you were, you’d be a squad leader already.”

He Changjiang and his group considered Fang Chengguang their leader, but he wasn’t interested.

He Liang and Fang Chengguang were close friends, so he wasn’t afraid of them and often teased them.

Da Bao and Xiao Bao were extremely excited, cheering Cheng Rushan on enthusiastically.

“Dad, go for it!”

“My dad is the best!”

Cheng Rushan excelled in combat, sprints, and pull-ups, leaving He Changjiang and the others feeling defeated.

They still weren’t satisfied and insisted on challenging him to a shooting match.

Cheng Rushan replied, “Sorry, I haven’t trained in shooting.”

When he joined the suicide squad, it was during peacetime with no large-scale wars, so he didn’t have the opportunity to practice shooting extensively.

Of course, he knew how to use a gun and was reasonably accurate, but he hadn’t received professional training.

He Changjiang and his group thought they had found a weakness and insisted on having the match.

Fang Chengguang said, “No problem, I’ll take you to the shooting range another day. A couple of days of practice and you’ll beat them.”

He Changjiang retorted, “Chengguang, you’re underestimating us.”

He Liang laughed heartily, “Serves you right! You shouldn’t eavesdrop and then act tough.”

He wasn’t bothered by his big mouth; he just found it amusing that they were caught eavesdropping.

Cheng Rushan told He Changjiang and the others, “As logistics personnel, your physical fitness is already quite impressive.”

Instead of comforting them, this remark stung like a fly—since they were transferred from the rear military camp.

They felt humiliated, questioning whether they were too weak or Cheng Rushan was too strong.

Cheng Rushan bid them farewell and went to get food.

He approached Jiang Lin, Da Bao, and Xiao Bao, saying, “You must be starving.”

Jiang Lin replied, “No, we made porridge, warmed up some buns, and have pancakes. We don’t need to eat at the cafeteria.”

She took a towel to wipe the sweat from Cheng Rushan’s neck to prevent him from catching a cold and reminded him to put on his coat, as it was still chilly here in early spring.

The others observed the couple’s intimate exchange, noting how Cheng Rushan, who was usually aloof, became so soft and affectionate with his wife.

To the young men, this kind of long-lasting affection was something they disdained.

To them, a real man might have a woman, but she was just a support and a necessity, not someone who should distract from a man’s grand ambitions.

Cheng Rushan left with his wife and kids, and He Liang immediately followed them to join the meal.

He had seen Jiang Lin take out the zhajiang (bean paste sauce), and the buns and noodles looked delicious.

“He Liang, you really gave him face. He’s just a transport team leader,”

He Changjiang and the others complained, feeling a bit envious.

They had grown up with Fang Chengguang, who had never treated them like this.

He Changjiang couldn’t help but feel jealous.

Fang Chengguang responded, “Fortunately, he’s just a transport team leader. Otherwise, would you even get a chance to spar with him? What are you complaining about?”

Zhao Quanyou and the others shouted, “Fang Chengguang, you haven’t fought him, so we haven’t really lost!”

“Yeah, unless you go up against him.”

Fang Chengguang shrugged off the challenge, saying, “I concede, I can’t beat him.”

As Cheng Rushan had said, their martial arts looked impressive but were just for show—beautiful but not tested in life-and-death situations.

Cheng Rushan’s skills were lethal, focusing on how to protect oneself and kill an enemy.

Even the simplest moves, when powered with strength and speed, could be deadly.

Fang Chengguang saw real killing intent in Cheng Rushan’s eyes, not the youthful arrogance of He Changjiang and the others, but genuine battle spirit.

This kind of aura was very captivating, especially for those who were competitive and unyielding.

Back in their dorm, Jiang Lin and the kids had prepared a simple meal: millet porridge, buns, dumplings, boiled eggs, and a small bowl of noodles mixed with spicy sauce.

He Liang, holding a bowl of noodles, saw Fang Chengguang approaching and smirked, “Fang Chengguang, you’re late.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao warmly greeted Fang Chengguang, “Uncle, we’ll let you sleep in our bed and treat you to noodles!”

Fang Chengguang got a larger bowl of noodles and half a boiled egg from Da Bao, which made He Liang extremely envious.

It wasn’t just about the half egg; it was that Da Bao and Xiao Bao hadn’t given him anything, despite how much he talked to them and shared stories and gossip!

He Liang couldn’t understand why the kids favored Fang Chengguang just because he looked good.

It seemed so unfair that they judged based on appearance!

He Liang mentioned, “Since today is Sunday, the school is closed. The teachers in this compound are pretty lazy—they don’t work on Saturdays and you won’t find anyone today. I’ll take you to the principal and arrange everything directly.”

The primary school in the military district had teachers assigned from outside, but the principal was one of their own logistics officers, Director He of the Health Department.

Fang Chengguang replied, “I can’t just take the kids’ noodles without doing something in return. I’ll take them myself.”

He Liang chuckled, “He Changjiang is going to be really jealous now.”