CR CH6

Chapter 6: Tardy

“Beep, beep—beep, beep—”

A piercing alarm shrieked in his ear. Jiang Tianji clicked his tongue in irritation, burying his head beneath his pillow.

“Someone shut that alarm off…”

His voice was slurred. Halfway through the sentence, he suddenly froze, snapping his eyes open and jolting upright.

Wait.

His foggy brain dredged up the surreal nightmare of yesterday. Jiang Tianji looked around—the stark, cold prison cell confirmed that every bit of it had actually happened.

“Starting tomorrow, you will officially become a member of the Basic Unit. When you hear the drill muster siren, report to the training ground.”

“Ah!”

Before his mind could fully catch up, a jolt of tingling pain shot through his body. Jiang Tianji let out a yelp, only to find Xiao Tuan’s digital display glowing a heated red, showing an angry \ _ / face.

“Squad Member Jiang Tianji, 1 minute and 24 seconds have elapsed since the muster siren sounded. Xiao Tuan has been continuously calling you for 1 minute and 21 seconds…”

“Holy shit.”

With no time to deal with this rogue, electrocuting AI, Jiang Tianji scrambled frantically into the washroom. A flurry of clattering and banging echoed from inside before he blasted back out like a hurricane, throwing his uniform into order as he sprinted for the exit.

The laser defense barrier had powered down. Jiang Tianji bolted through the corridors like a headless chicken, though fortunately the eccentric little AI had no flaws when it came to navigation.

Racing into the training grounds like a bolt of lightning, a sudden chill washed over the back of his neck. Panting heavily, he looked up, only to find the entire Sector 1 training battalion halted in dead silence, their eyes locked onto him.

Just as he stiffened, at an utter loss for what to do, the sound of slow clapping broke the quiet.

Ling Kongmiao had his waist-length hair bound in a neat, high ponytail. The smart visor over his eyes glowed with a faint blue ring as he applauded at a leisurely pace.

“Tardy on your very first day…” He paused, waving the digital timer in his hand at Jiang Tianji. “By 4 minutes and 59 seconds.”

“I take it you slept well last night?”

Before he could catch his breath, Jiang Tianji’s face flushed crimson down to his collar. Dropping his head, he murmured, “I’m sorry, Sir. It won’t happen again.”

Ling Kongmiao gestured for the drill instructors to resume training, then casually strolled over until he was standing right in front of Jiang Tianji.

“What are you buzzing like a mosquito for? Louder.”

Taking a deep breath, Jiang Tianji belted out at the top of his lungs: “I’M SORRY—SIR! IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN!”

The earth-shattering shout caught nearby recruits off guard, causing several to choke mid-drill.

Zhao Hengyi grinned, nudging the instructor next to him with an elbow to gossip in a whisper: “Where’d this simpleton come from? Is he the one the Boss dragged back yesterday?”

The instructor, minding decorum a bit better, kept his stern expression locked and barked, “Eyes forward! Looking for extra drills, are you?”

Only then did he take half a step back, muttering under his breath, “College kid. Probably thinks he’s still doing freshman orientation.”

Up ahead, Ling Kongmiao turned his head as if he had eyes in the back of it. Even through the smart visor, the suffocating pressure in his gaze was unmistakable. The gossiping pair snapped instantly into parade rest. Zhao Hengyi kicked the recruit in front of him who was maintaining perfect posture.

“Didn’t you hear him? What the hell are you daydreaming for?”

Recruit: “I—”

Zhao Hengyi dropped his voice: “Lunch is on me later.”

Recruit: “…Deal.”

Ling Kongmiao halted in front of Jiang Tianji, looking down at him.

Jiang Tianji had always enjoyed a height advantage and was used to looking down at others. Suddenly shaded by a looming figure, he couldn’t help but glance up.

Ling Kongmiao: “Since you’ve got energy to burn, let’s start with 5 laps of frog jumps.”

With that, he reached down, unhooked the black crop at his hip, and traced a wide circle around Sector 1 with the handle.

Jiang Tianji’s gaze unconsciously followed the arc. Once the realization hit, his eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

“Five laps?!”

One lap around Sector 1 was roughly a thousand meters. A single circuit was enough to take his life, and he had to do it hopping around a battalion of active recruits? Was this punishment, or was he being forced into an impromptu clown show?

Ling Kongmiao: “Is there a problem?”

“No, Sir, I just think five laps might be a bit—”

Before he could finish, Ling Kongmiao cracked the crop against the ground with a loud snap.

“Squat.”

“Sir, yes, sir!”

Jiang Tianji dropped into a squat with his hands behind his head on pure reflex. The motion was so fluid it practically screamed a desperate will to live.

My dignity went out the window yesterday anyway, Jiang Tianji thought in resignation. Whatever. At least holding my head covers my face.

Ling Kongmiao nodded in satisfaction, pointing the crop forward. “Begin.”

Is this actually training, or is it a compliance test and a public humiliation festival?

Jiang Tianji gritted his teeth, chanting silently, It’s fine. Everyone’s busy drilling, nobody’s paying attention.

Then, he forced out the first agonizing leap.

He had summoned a bit of resolve, hoping to power through quickly and get it over with. But for some reason, the exalted commander followed right beside him, offering running commentary.

“Good.”

“Decent.”

“Don’t stick your ass out. Tuck it in.”

Even without a mirror, Jiang Tianji knew his face was burning red enough to forge steel. Gradually, the exhaustion numbed out, and his pace quickened. He just wanted this nightmare to end.

If he had known his useless ears wouldn’t pick up the siren, he would have pulled an all-nighter rather than be late.

“Good stamina. Jumping this fast… did I underestimate you with five laps?”

Ling Kongmiao strolled along with arms crossed, murmuring thoughtfully.

Jiang Tianji’s vision went black. Stumbling, he collapsed to his knees. Panting raggedly, the defiant edge from earlier was completely gone.

“Sir… I’ve truly hit my limit.”

Ling Kongmiao chuckled, tapping him lightly on the rear with the crop. “Limits exist to be broken. Four and a half laps to go.”

“…”

His breathing grew ragged and heavy, an unbearable soreness clawing straight out of his bones.

“Sir, I really can’t…”

By the third lap, Jiang Tianji was sprawled flat on the ground, dragging himself forward like a dying tortoise, only to be hauled up mercilessly by Ling Kongmiao.

“Keep going.”

By the fourth lap, both legs were like overcooked noodles, completely beyond his control.

Ling Kongmiao crouched down with a smile, offering to “loosen up his thigh muscles” with acupressure. The very first press wrenched an earth-shattering howl from Jiang Tianji’s lungs. He tried to recoil, but against the staggering gap in strength, he was pinned down and worked over for two solid minutes.

His desperate wails echoed across the entire training ground, making even the stony-faced drill instructors nearby wince and turn their heads.

When Ling Kongmiao finally dusted off his hands and asked whether he preferred more massage or more jumping, Jiang Tianji couldn’t even form words. Wiping away stray tears, he scrambled up and resumed hopping in grim silence.

After what felt like an eternity, Ling Kongmiao blew a whistle, signaling the end.

By then, Jiang Tianji couldn’t lift a single finger.

Like a spent toad, utterly indifferent to the gazes of mortal men, he lay sprawled across the dirt.

It coincided with the end of warm-ups. As the troops took a breather, Ling Kongmiao called out toward the formation:

“Ji Yandong.”

“Present!” A refined-looking recruit stepped out.

“Over here.” Ling Kongmiao waved him over, gesturing at the dead-dog lump on the ground. “He’s in your squad. Take him away.”

Ji Yandong: “…Understood, Sir.”

Sprawled on the ground, Jiang Tianji’s mind was adrift, only catching the sound of departing footsteps.

“Boss!” Zhao Hengyi called out with a grin.

“In Z01, address me as Captain or Sir. Stop sounding like a gangster.”

“Understood~ Captain, where are you headed?”

“The Federation Central District. An A-rank mission got bumped to S-rank; I’m heading over to inspect the situation.”

“Got it. Safe travels!”

As the voices grew muffled, Jiang Tianji slowly closed his eyes.

—The devil is finally gone.

A presence approached, casting a shadow over him.

“Um, are you alright?” Ji Yandong asked, at a loss for where to grab him. “Can you stand?”

He looked to be barely over 170 centimeters and wasn’t particularly built. Jiang Tianji knew at a glance the guy couldn’t carry him, and muttered weakly, “I’m fine. Don’t worry about me, let me catch my breath…”

Ji Yandong checked the time, looking troubled. “We only have a five-minute break. Can you push through?”

Jiang Tianji’s instinct was to say no. But Ling Kongmiao’s face surfaced in his mind, idly twirling that crop: “What should I punish you with next time?”

A shiver ran down his spine, snapping his consciousness back to full alert. He opened his eyes, struggling to extend a hand toward Ji Yandong.

“Brother, lend me a hand.”

“That’s our squad leader. Who’s your brother?”

Before Ji Yandong could reach down, a hulking youth with a buzz cut and monolids stepped up, scowling as he looked Jiang Tianji up and down, clearly displeased that a deadweight had been dumped into their squad.

Even so, he reached out and hoisted him up with practiced ease.

“Hiss…” Jiang Tianji’s face twisted in pain.

“Feng Huo!” Ji Yandong swatted him, frowning. “He just arrived and isn’t used to the training yet. Cut him some slack.”

The buzz-cut youth, Feng Huo, clicked his tongue, bent over, hoisted Jiang Tianji onto his shoulder, and carried him over to their squad’s designated area.

Jiang Tianji didn’t feel offended in the slightest; instead, he was amazed the guy could haul him around so effortlessly.

“Holy shit, you’re strong.”

“Obviously.” Hearing that, Feng Huo flexed an arm, boasting arrogantly, “You’ve got a decent frame. Put in the work and you’ll catch up to me eventually.”

“Name’s Feng Huo. What’s yours?”

He extended a fist. Seeing his straightforward demeanor, Jiang Tianji bumped it.

“Jiang Tianji.”

The rest of the squad gathered around. One of them bumped his shoulder with a grin.

“Hey there, I’m Huang Qi… Nice pipes you got, by the way. Screaming like a dying phoenix back there.”

Jiang Tianji let out an awkward chuckle, unsure of how to reply. Fortunately, another recruit smacked Huang Qi upside the head.

“Ignore him, he’s missing a few screws. I’m Li Cheng.”

“Qi Xiuyi.”

“Liu Zhaoxi…”

A squad had around seven members. With break time running out, they only had a moment for brief introductions.

When the whistle blew, everyone lined up to begin the daily physical conditioning drills. Having bypassed the recruit onboarding phase, Jiang Tianji lacked any gradual ramp-up. Layered on top of Chief Ling’s “special care” from earlier, his complexion was already turning faintly green.

Their drill instructor was a middle-aged man with a perpetually deadpan face. Still, he proved reasonably understanding, walking up to Jiang Tianji.

“Your situation is unique. For the first three days, you may move slower than the others, but you must complete every set.”

“Sir, yes, sir.”

Too exhausted to manage a facial expression, Jiang Tianji could only push out an acknowledgment that sounded as steady as possible.

At some point, the shouts around him grew distant. His eyes glazed over as he mechanically carried out commands, until his frame swayed, on the verge of collapsing. The instructor finally plucked him from the line.

“Decent endurance.” The instructor clapped his shoulder, his expression softening slightly. “Don’t be late tomorrow. That’s enough for you today; you can stand down.”

Before Jiang Tianji could even exhale in relief, the instructor added:

“Next up are combat simulations and weapons drills.”

Having barely caught his breath, that single breath lodged in his throat. Jiang Tianji’s vision went black, and he tipped straight backward.

“Whoops.” A figure stepping up from the side caught him by the collar in the nick of time. Zhao Hengyi rubbed his chin, assessing impartially: “Only passing out now? Better endurance than I thought.”

The instructor treated Zhao Hengyi with clear deference: “Indeed. Officer Zhao, what should we do with him now…?”

Zhao Hengyi slung the limp youth under his arm, heading toward another training sector while offering a casual wave.

“I’ll take him straight over to calibrate combat simulations. Might as well see how his composite reflexes hold up.”

The squad members exchanged glances, their eyes wide with shock and pity.

Ji Yandong watched their retreating backs, hesitating before finally voicing his concern: “Instructor… he hasn’t even had foundational combat training yet. And in that state… will he be okay?”

The instructor fell silent for a moment, then waved a hand.

“Officer Zhao should know what he’s doing.”

In short, everyone silently prayed that Zhao Hengyi remembered: the kid hanging off his arm wasn’t a rigorously screened Special Support candidate.

He was just an innocent college boy dragged out of his dorm room yesterday.