The sounds of encouragement for Zhang Lu filled the arena, while the veterans countered by loudly cheering for the “Madman.”

For a moment, the voices of the newcomers and veterans clashed, each side straining to out-shout the other, faces flushed with excitement.

Zhang Lu felt the energy from her classmates fueling her strength, and she began to close the gap between herself and the Madman.

As they reached the ladder climb again, she finally pulled ahead of him. With renewed determination, she tackled each obstacle with ferocity, pushing her physical limits to the extreme.

Finally, she reached the finish line, leaping forward.

The newcomers erupted in cheers, ecstatic as they lifted her off the ground and threw her into the air.

“Zhang Lu! We won!”

“Woohoo!”

“Hahaha!”

The jubilant cheers filled her ears, drowning out the buzzing from her exhaustion.

Zhang Lu’s heart raced from the intense run, but a broad smile broke across her face as she celebrated alongside her classmates.

In stark contrast, the Madman’s expression darkened, and the other veterans kept their distance, wary of provoking him.

His nickname hinted at the fierceness he could unleash when angered.

The Madman’s gaze remained fixated on the beaming Zhang Lu, as if he were committing her face to memory.

His look was intimidating, causing the nearby veterans to instinctively move away, fearing the violent energy emanating from him.

“First time tasting defeat, huh?” someone patted the Madman on the shoulder.

He turned to see the instructor smiling beside him.

“I’ve told you before that there are always others out there better than you. I’m glad to see someone knock you down a peg. And don’t hold a grudge against that girl; you might not be able to beat her.”

The Madman replied with a glance before turning away to rejoin his team, saying nothing in response.

In the following obstacle race, the veterans dominated once again, further deflating the newcomers’ pride after getting into the military academy.

Only Zhang Lu remained unfazed, and the others looked up to her as a beacon of hope.

Once all the races concluded, the instructor stood before both the newcomers and veterans and announced a punishment that left the newcomers groaning.

Those who lost the 400-meter obstacle race would have to run five kilometers with weights before they could eat dinner.

The Madman, along with a few other defeated veterans, found themselves jogging alongside the newcomers.

As they passed by Zhang Lu, he gave her a lingering look.

She met his gaze unflinchingly, her expression daring him to try her.

The Madman eventually averted his gaze.

The food at the special training base was similar to that of the military academy, but because they were training airmen, it was even more varied to ensure the newcomers received adequate nutrition.

Zhang Lu enjoyed her meal, relishing every bite as she wasn’t picky with food.

After finishing, she thought for a moment and tucked a steamed bun into her bag for later, just in case she got hungry at night.

With female soldiers in the air force, Zhang Lu shared a dormitory with them.

Once she entered the dorm, she discovered that her roommate hadn’t returned yet, as she was still running due to the punishment for losing the race.

Zhang Lu began to tidy up her own space.

After washing up and settling into bed, her roommates gradually returned, exhausted from the day.

They had no energy left, flopping onto their beds without caring about their dirtied uniforms.

“Oh my gosh, that smiling tiger really knows how to put us through the wringer!” one exclaimed.

“Yeah, making us compete against veterans was brutal,” another added.

“I’m most afraid he’ll pull off more unexpected stunts like that in the future.”

“That’s entirely possible! Zhang Lu, what do you think?”

Zhang Lu, half-reclining on her bed with one leg crossed over the other while munching on an apple she had bought at the academy, replied, “Of course it’s possible. But let him try! We can’t always be weaklings; eventually, we’ll overpower those veterans!”

She spoke with a sense of determination, unafraid of challenges, and held no good feelings toward the smiling tiger instructor.

Instead, she thought about how to bring the veterans down a notch.

“Exactly! One day, we’ll defeat those veterans and let them taste the bitterness of punishment!”

“We can’t give up!”

“Aerospace Class One will win!”

The morale in the dorm surged, each girl rolling up her sleeves, ready to take on the veterans.

But for now, that day seemed far off.

A few girls who were close with Zhang Lu asked, “We heard the Madman ranks in the top three for physical fitness among the veterans. How did you manage to beat him?”

Zhang Lu pondered for a moment, crunching on her apple.

“Maybe it’s because I’ve loved climbing trees since I was little, so I have a knack for climbing the ladder.”

“You’re wasting your breath asking her; Zhang Lu has trained in martial arts since childhood. If we want to win, we need to work twice as hard!”

A slender girl, who lived opposite Zhang Lu and had a clear understanding of her own abilities, said.

She leaned on her bed and turned to Zhang Lu, asking, “Zhang Lu, can you teach me how to quickly improve my physical fitness?”

Zhang Lu shook her head, saying, “It’s not that I don’t want to teach you, but training has no shortcuts or quick fixes. You can only improve step by step; otherwise, your body won’t be able to handle it. However, I can teach you the breathing techniques I used during my martial arts training, which will help with your physical conditioning.”

The thin, dark-haired girl immediately nodded, “Okay, thanks, sister!”

“Good sister, Lu Lu, teach us too!”

Zhang Lu didn’t refuse.

She finished the last piece of fruit from the apple core, sat up from the bed, and said, “I’ll teach you right now; it’s very simple. Sit properly and do as I say.”

All the girls in the dormitory sat up on their beds, closing their eyes and slowly adjusting their breathing, as if the whole world had quieted down, and they could only feel their own existence.

After teaching, Zhang Lu let them practice on their own.

One girl opened her eyes and said, “How amazing! I feel so calm.”

“Me too,” another chimed in.

Zhang Lu smiled and proudly nodded, “Of course, this is a secret formula!”

The girls believed her and looked at Zhang Lu with gratitude, which made her laugh heartily, “I was just joking! But this breathing method was indeed previously not widely shared; now that rule is gone.”

This was taught to Zhang Lu by her martial arts teacher, and at that time, she had asked him if she could teach it to others.

The teacher nodded, “Of course! As long as it’s not used for bad things, I hope more people learn my family’s martial arts to prevent it from becoming lost.”

The girl soldiers were amused and laughed as they surrounded Zhang Lu, “Oh, you dared to trick us.”

“Ha ha ha!” Zhang Lu jumped and grabbed the bed railing to dodge her roommates who were coming to tickle her.

“You must respect your teacher! I just passed on a martial arts secret to you.”

The girls laughed and teased her, “Yes, yes, Master~”

“Hey!”

The dormitory was filled with laughter and joy, and the instructors preparing for room checks outside also had smiles on their faces.

“These new students this year are quite lively,” one instructor noted.

The smiling instructor nodded, “Indeed, there are a few promising talents.”

---

After the winter break, Cen Huai’an returned to school and was called by Hu Pandeng and Xiao He to eat.

Their schools were not the same, and everyone was busy with their studies, so they had little time to meet.

Hu Pandeng, stroking his buzz cut, said, “We agreed to reunite in the capital… to eat, drink, and have fun. In the end, there’s nothing—only studying! The teachers clearly said university would be easier; who knew it wouldn’t be easy at all!”

Hu Pandeng’s tone was particularly aggrieved because he didn’t particularly enjoy studying. However, everyone in his class was working hard, and he didn’t want to be left behind.

Xiao He had adapted earlier than him and even joined the school’s Go club, participating in two competitions.

“I’ve found there are so many talented Go players in the capital—truly a hidden dragon and crouching tiger.”

That was Xiao He’s most genuine feeling.

“But compared to you, An An, those people don’t play as well as you do.”

Xiao He couldn’t quite articulate that feeling, but he could subtly sense that Cen Huai’an’s skills were high.

Cen Huai’an pushed the menu towards the two, saying, “There are people who are better than me.”

It was just that those skilled players preferred to compete professionally, and there were fewer opportunities for college students to participate in Go competitions.

Xiao He looked into Cen Huai’an’s eyes: “I still want to play a game with you.”

Cen Huai’an replied, “Let’s eat first; you two order.”

The three didn’t choose an expensive restaurant but rather a nearby one that had delicious food at reasonable prices, and they all enjoyed their meal.

After leaving the restaurant, Cen Huai’an took the two to his school’s library, where he and Xiao He played Go for two hours.

Hu Pandeng couldn’t understand what the two were playing, and the library was too quiet, so he eventually went out to stroll around Jinghua University.

When Cen Huai’an and Xiao He emerged from the library, Hu Pandeng couldn’t stop expressing his fondness for Jinghua University.

“The campus is really big, the cafeteria food is delicious, and the atmosphere is exactly what I like; this is my dream school!”

Though Xiao He’s school wasn’t Jinghua University, it wasn’t bad and was one of the few renowned schools in the country. Hu Pandeng’s school was a bit worse than Xiao He’s, but it was still a decent school.

However, after seeing Jinghua University, they all liked it very much.

Cen Huai’an said, “Then let’s aim to get in here in the future.”

Hu Pandeng shook his head vigorously, “Forget it; I have self-awareness.”

Xiao He pursed his lips, his eyes firm: “I’ll work hard.”

---

“Huai’an!”

Cen Huai’an had just come out of the cafeteria when he saw Bangzi standing at the entrance.

He walked over, “Bang Ge?”

“Let’s go eat.”

Cen Huai’an didn’t ask how Bangzi found him or why he suddenly wanted to eat together; he simply grabbed his bag and followed.

“I went to Yangcheng during the winter break.”

“I know.”

Business at school during the winter break wasn’t as good as during the school year, so Bangzi had free time to go to Yangcheng.

He didn’t rely on anyone; apart from asking Cen Huai’an for some tips about Yangcheng, he solved everything else himself.

Bangzi’s temperament was evident, and having grown up among crowds, he had seen all kinds of people, so there was no need to worry about his survival skills in a foreign place.

They arrived at a restaurant they often visited and requested a private room with curtains.