Chapter 26

Ten formations, two people per group.

Pairs replaced one another in turn, and one formation’s twenty-five groups finished running very quickly.

Each checkpoint had different instructors recording results and assigning cross-scores.

The three-thousand-meter obstacle assessment tested not only individual ability and quality, but also teamwork and cooperation.

The students of the Tenth Formation stumbled and struggled, but finally all reached the finish line.

After everyone from the Tenth Formation finished, the Ninth Formation also began its sprint.

By the time it was the First Formation’s turn, it was already noon.

“Use your fastest time.” Nie Yun, who had been standing silently at the side all this time, suddenly spoke. “Sang Yuan, Ji Tang, the two of you go first.”

The two of them froze for a moment, then stepped forward as instructed.

They exchanged a glance, then, under the sound of the whistle, charged forward directly.

The first time the two had competed on the four-hundred-meter obstacle course, they had both felt unsatisfied afterward.

This time, the three-thousand-meter obstacle course allowed them to compete and cooperate at the same time. Neither of them needed to hesitate.

Their level of tacit understanding did not seem like that of people who had only known each other for a short time. Their division of labor and cooperation flowed smoothly, like moving clouds and running water.

“The assessment results will be announced directly tonight. The bottom fifty will be eliminated and will leave the base tomorrow.”

Nie Yun’s words immediately silenced the students who had originally been excitedly discussing the three-thousand-meter obstacle training they had just finished.

The results would be announced tonight, and they would leave tomorrow?

Everyone was shocked by this news.

The first batch of eliminated people would leave tomorrow, five days after entering the base.

This was the first time they had felt how cruel this reality was.

The words spoken on the first day they entered the camp had been powerful and resounding. Now, the students [bailiantales.com]whose results were not very good had already begun feeling uneasy, their expressions turning a little ugly.

Even if one was going to be eliminated, naturally, the later it happened, the better. Being part of the first batch eliminated was truly too embarrassing to face.

Tonight, there was no study session for each major. Instead, everyone gathered in the conference room where they usually took exams and waited for the list of eliminated names to be announced.

The students, who had been talking all around, suddenly fell silent and stared fixedly at the list in Nie Yun’s hand.

“Now I will announce the elimination list. Students whose names are called will pack their luggage tonight and leave tomorrow morning.” Nie Yun did not deliberately keep them in suspense and went straight to the point.

“Li Shangke, Wang Lei, Liu Haichen…”

As names were read one after another, the students whose names were called turned ashen, their eyes reddening.

The atmosphere gradually became heavy, and the air was filled with a suffocating pressure.

“All students whose names were called today do not need to come to the training ground tomorrow. Tomorrow morning, buses will be arranged to send you out together.”

“After returning to your schools, you are not allowed to speak of anything that happened at West Mountain Base, especially anything marked confidential.”

“Once any leakage is discovered, all of it will be handled as treason.”

Everyone burst into an uproar. Although their homeroom teachers had already emphasized this during their studies, Nie Yun’s words once again raised the seriousness of the matter to the highest level.

Treason was the greatest crime in the empire. Not only would the individual become someone everyone condemned, even their family members would never be able to raise their heads again for the rest of their lives.

“The students whose names were called just now may return to the dorms. The rest of you, continue back to your respective classrooms for cultural studies.” Nie Yun dropped that sentence and left the conference room.

Everyone looked at one another. Under the gazes of everyone present, the fifty students whose names had been called lowered their heads and left the conference room in shame and anger.

“This move is ruthless enough. They lost all face.”

“That’s not even the worst part. The real baptism of stares will be after they return to school.”

“Exactly. Think about it. They were happily selected for nationwide training, but in less than a week, they’re being sent back directly. Hiss, just thinking about it is social death.”

The remaining students discussed quietly as they each returned to their classrooms to continue studying.

The military’s complete lack of mercy tonight only strengthened their determination to study seriously.

Aside from the fifty students [bailiantales.com]whose names had been called, the others did not know where they ranked.

Because of this, for the next five days, the remaining people would all have to study desperately and perform well in physical training. Otherwise, if they were eliminated because of a moment’s carelessness, just thinking about it was terrifying.

When Sang Yuan returned to the dorm, the others from Yun City University were discussing the matter. Seeing Sang Yuan come back, they quickly waved him over. “We were just saying that our school has at least made it through the first checkpoint completely.”

“As for the rest of the assessments, we really can’t say. We can only try our best to push forward and avoid elimination.”

“Among all of us, only you and Ji Tang have the greatest hope of staying until the end. We’re entrusting all of Yun City University’s hopes to the two of you.”

“Entrusting what?” Ji Tang pushed the door open and entered. Seeing Sang Yuan standing in front of the group, he raised an eyebrow.

“We’re entrusting you two to give it your all in the upcoming competitions. Whatever you do, don’t let Yun City University end up with zero people left.” Lu Ci clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.

Ji Tang chuckled. “You should work hard too. Rather than placing your hopes on others, it’s better to place them on yourselves. Maybe all of you can stay.”

“I’m very self-aware.” One of the students smiled bitterly. Among the ten who had come this time, his physical fitness was the worst. Being lucky enough to escape the first round of elimination already made him feel like his family’s incense had worked wonders. He was even thinking of going to a temple to worship again after going back.

“The main thing is, we don’t know what the assessment content will be. A small exam every three days and a major exam every five days… I keep feeling that the major exam topic won’t be the same every time.” Lu Ci scratched his head.

He had a strong premonition that Instructor Nie Yun definitely would not let them pass ​stolen content​every assessment so easily by testing the same items each time.

Lu Ci’s premonition was correct. In the days that followed, the students finally witnessed what it meant for each assessment to be more perverted than the last.

The second major exam was parachuting from a plane and reaching a designated location to retrieve the item each person had drawn before departure.

Each person’s item might be the same, or it might be different.

This meant that several students might all want the same thing, but there was only one item.

How to obtain the designated item became a problem they had to think through and decide for themselves.

After the assessment ended, another fifty students were naturally called out.

This time, two people from Yun City University were eliminated.

“I’m sorry. I really am a little afraid of heights. I couldn’t overcome it.”

“Me too. That height… I really couldn’t accept it.”

Both of them drooped their heads, their eyes red.

“It’s okay. You two go back first this time. Next time, maybe it’ll be our turn to go back. We’ll meet again at Yun City University.”

“Mm. I hope all of you can hold on until the end.”

The two of them left the camp early the morning after the assessment. No new people were added to Sang Yuan and the others’ dorm, so the remaining Yun City University students still lived together.

As time passed quickly, there were fewer and fewer people in the dorm. In the end, only Sang Yuan, Ji Tang, Lu Ci, and another Physical Education Department Alpha, Zheng Yong’an, remained.

The four of them were the last remaining fruits of Yun City University, while in the entire base, only thirty people were left.