EM Chapter 28. Elimination

The daily training was heavy and repetitive. Only on the first day did the instructors supervise directly. After that, no one checked on them again. Everything relied entirely on self-discipline, but it was precisely this setup that pushed everyone to fight harder. Because here, everyone was competing.

Song Feng vaulted over the 800-meter obstacle course. Looking back at Wei Xiaoyan catching up behind him, he grinned.

“Look at this, full of life, aren’t they?”

Wei Xiaoyan had noticed it too. Some of the trainees had long surpassed the minimum requirements listed on the sheet, and they were still pushing forward. As long as there were people still going on the field, no one dared to stop. Only half would be allowed to stay, and no one could guarantee they would be in that half. With everyone giving it their all, it was hard not to feel anxious.

Bai Xuyao quickly cleared the barrier behind them and ran up. “Come on. Where to next?”

Song Feng glanced at him and nodded in approval. “Not bad. Faster than yesterday.”

Bai Xuyao panted. “Still not as fast as you two.”

“Just keep training. We’re not the fastest either. A bunch of top-tier guys are still ahead of us.” Song Feng led them toward the next site. “The afternoon session’s been canceled. It’s a ten-kilometer armed swim this time. Hope you’re faster than last time. You swim pretty well.”

“I’ll do my best,” Bai Xuyao scratched his head. “Other than technical stuff, swimming is probably my only strong suit.”

Song Feng looked surprised. “Why didn’t you say so before?”

“Everyone here’s a top soldier. I was afraid even my strong suit wouldn’t measure up.”

“Fair enough. Still, you really do swim well.” Song Feng grinned and slung an arm over his shoulder. “Since we’re sharing, what else haven’t you told us? Got a girlfriend? Is she pretty? What’s her figure like? What’s her cup size?”

“…”

Xiao Mingxuan stood at the window with binoculars in hand. Once again, he saw the two with arms around each other, and one of them grinning like a full-on scoundrel. His head throbbed.

Back in his days running with the rich kids, he had heard plenty about Second Young Master Song’s infamous exploits. Even Commander Song could do nothing about it. That man lived for thrills and indulgence. As he himself once said: as long as it felt good, it was worth it. He never said no to anything.

Xiao Mingxuan had only planned to keep the man close, never expecting to be faced with this. Only recently did he begin to understand just how far Song Feng was from him. Even if he could see him every day, he still had no idea where Song Feng’s heart truly lay. He did not even know if Song Feng could fall for someone at all.

He tried to picture Song Feng one day stopping in his tracks, settling beside someone for good, devoting himself wholeheartedly to that person with unwavering love. His hand went to his forehead. With that man’s personality, was such a day even possible?

“Vice Captain,” someone behind him approached. “Everything’s ready.”

Xiao Mingxuan pulled himself back to the present and nodded. “Double-check everything. The elimination round begins in three days.”

“Yes, sir!”

Time moved swiftly, leaving no room to pause or reflect. That night, after dinner, Song Feng and Wei Xiaoyan strolled around the training field. They even skipped the usual five-kilometer weighted run.

“Boss,” Wei Xiaoyan asked, “Eliminations start tomorrow. What do you think we’ll be tested on?”

“Anyway, they’re not going to stand on the field with a stopwatch. That’d be pointless.” Song Feng squinted toward the distance. The sunset cast his eyes in a gleaming layer of red. “Physical training can always be worked on later. If they eliminate people based solely on that, they’d be ignoring each soldier’s actual strengths. That would be a waste.”

Wei Xiaoyan nodded. “Everyone’s situation is different, so the missions should vary too. What do you think we’ll be assigned?”

“We’re mercenaries. Even if they don’t know that for sure, after these past few days of watching us, they must’ve figured out we’ve come from real combat.” Song Feng paused, locking eyes with Wei Xiaoyan. Understanding flashed instantly between them. He grinned. “Come on. Let’s get a good rest tonight and be sharp tomorrow.”

The night passed quietly.

The next morning, after breakfast, they lined up for roll call. One by one, names were called, and the selected individuals left the camp to receive their assignments and set off. Song Feng and Wei Xiaoyan were kept for last. The instructor handed them a map and a backpack.

“Be back by sundown tomorrow.”

Song Feng gave a casual reply, then left camp with Wei Xiaoyan. He looked down to check the contents: two knives, a coil of rope, a compass, a signal flare, and rations for one day.

Wei Xiaoyan looked at the markings on the map. “Most of the others went out solo. They actually lumped us together into one team. Interesting.”

Song Feng nodded with a smile, tilting his head to examine the map. “Notice anything?”

“The sketch is rough. Just general outlines. Looks like more than half of the real terrain isn’t marked at all. Definitely not going to be an easy path.”

“Easy or not, we still have to walk it.” Song Feng pulled out the compass to check their direction. “Let’s go.”

They jogged off at a moderate pace. There was no need to rush. As long as they returned by the deadline and ranked in the top half, they would pass. The priority now was to conserve energy. The map marked two locations, one nearer, one farther. They would need to reach both, retrieve whatever was there, and return to base.

The mountain paths were rugged. Birds called now and then in the forest, giving the morning air a sense of vitality. After ten kilometers of running, they continued advancing through thick forest. The terrain was difficult, like navigating an endless obstacle course.

“There it is.” Wei Xiaoyan lowered his voice and pointed ahead. “It’s on the map. We’re close to Point A. Should be right in that direction.”

Song Feng nodded, shouldered his pack more securely, and drew the two combat knives. “Alright. Eyes sharp.”

Wei Xiaoyan chuckled and took one. They moved cautiously. “Boss, you think they’ve got snipers out here?”

“If they’ve got snipers,” Song Feng exhaled, “we might as well pack it up now.”

“Fair.”

Point A was located behind a large rock jutting from the mountain. Song Feng studied the spot with narrowed eyes, scanning their surroundings. Wei Xiaoyan tilted his head upward, checking the treetops for any movement. He made a hand signal indicating that he saw nothing suspicious.

Song Feng shook his head, signaling the same. He gestured with a hand. Wei Xiaoyan nodded. The two of them flanked the rock from either side and crept forward slowly. Just before reaching the rock, Song Feng suddenly froze and lifted his chin at Wei Xiaoyan. In response, Wei Xiaoyan deliberately stomped the ground to make some noise and muttered loudly,

“Should be around here somewhere.”

Song Feng narrowed his eyes and waited two seconds. Then he launched himself forward, vaulting over the stone. On the other side, a man was crouched, preparing to ambush Wei Xiaoyan. He had not expected anyone to leap down from above. By the time he realized something was wrong, it was already too late.

Song Feng clamped an arm around his neck and twisted his body so his back pressed against the rock, using the man as a human shield. He slid the blade of his knife across the man’s throat and paused.

“So it’s just you. No one hiding in the trees.”

The man stood frozen. “How did you know?”

“Why do you think I chose this angle? If there were snipers in the woods, they would have fired the moment I moved. That’s why I used you to block the shot,” Song Feng said with a smile. “Shame. I was hoping to see some friendly fire.”

The man’s face darkened. After a pause, he asked, “That’s what field experience teaches you?”

“Something like that. You think through every possibility before you act.”

Wei Xiaoyan strolled over and said lazily, “This is probably just the warm-up. They only sent one guy to test us. B point is probably going to be a mess.”

Song Feng nodded, then ran the flat of his blade gently across the man’s neck. “You’re dead now.”

He tossed the man aside and began rifling through his gear. The man lay there in resignation, but after a moment asked, “You guessed there would be an ambush?”

“We’ve both been through the real thing. And they put us in a team? What else would this be if not a game? Fun, huh? Next time, bring a couple more.”

The man instantly shut up, his face going even darker.

Song Feng checked his things. “You didn’t bring a communicator?”

“No. A and B are separate targets. No contact between them.”

“So no one knows if you’re alive or dead, or what happened here. That many unknowns makes it more interesting.”

Having taken the A marker, he and Wei Xiaoyan continued toward B. Song Feng handed him a gun. “Perfect. Two of them. This guy was basically just delivering our gear.”

“If he heard that, he’d probably go kill himself,” Wei Xiaoyan said with a grin.

Song Feng shrugged. They resumed a steady jog. Wei Xiaoyan glanced at the distance and asked, “Think they’ll be using night vision?”

“Can’t rule it out.”

“Then let’s speed up. We can’t arrive at B after dark. That’ll put us at a disadvantage.”

Song Feng nodded. “Go.”

They gradually picked up the pace, crossing two ravines along the way.

“Was that on the map?” Song Feng said, furious.

“No,” Wei Xiaoyan snapped. “Whoever drew that thing was a bastard. We’ll have to push harder.”

Song Feng agreed and broke into a full sprint. They stopped only twice for a brief rest and a bite to eat. Finally, by dusk, they reached their destination.

B point was clearly marked. A large flag hanging brazenly from a tree. The more obvious it looked, the more uneasy they felt. They crept in slowly and soon found a large tree nearby. The area was surrounded by waist-high grass, perfect for concealment. Song Feng scanned the surroundings. The trees were dense, and there was no telling who might be hiding behind one.

“Fuck this. You’re forcing my hand.”

He drew a breath and burst forward, moving fast with unpredictable shifts in direction. Several gunshots rang out near his ears. He dropped low and rolled forward, diving behind a tree. The trunk was immediately peppered with blank rounds.

“That was close.” He exhaled. From the direction of the shots that flew past him, he could roughly estimate where they were. Then he suddenly darted to the side, his body curving through the air. At the same time, he pulled the trigger. Two shots rang out. A bullet struck his calf, but he managed to take one of them down.

He found cover behind another tree. His earlier marksmanship had startled the others, and they hesitated to fire. He guessed they were planning to flank him, so he stayed put and lazily called out, “I’ve been hit. I’m losing too much blood. I think I’m dying.”

There was no response. He called again, “This is outrageous. I bet no one else had to deal with an ambush. You’re singling us out.”

“Of course it’s selective,” someone replied from not far away. “You coming out, or should we come get you?”

“I already said I’m dying. How am I supposed to come out?”

“Drop your weapons.”

Song Feng obediently tossed out his gun, his knife, and his backpack. “There. Collect the corpse. I’ll head back and pack with Xiaoyan.”

Someone nearby let out a laugh. “It’s not that serious. You were already marked as passing. We just wanted to mess around with you two.”

Wei Xiaoyan lay in the grass without blinking, watching intently. Soon, he spotted three men stepped out of the forest. One of them had a white mark on his chest, clearly taken out by the boss. The other two approached cautiously, one with his weapon trained on the direction of the voice, the other scanning the surroundings without ever letting down his guard.

He waited a few seconds. No other movement. Then he burst from the underbrush, fired two rapid point shots in mid-air, and dropped both men on the spot.

As he ducked behind a nearby tree, a bullet cracked past his ear. He let out a breath of relief. Just as he suspected, there was still one more hidden out there.

With Wei Xiaoyan drawing their fire, Song Feng seized the chance to rush out and recover a rifle. He ducked back into cover before the enemy could react. Facing two opponents with the advantage now on their side, the outcome was never in doubt. After finishing the fight, Song Feng gave a lazy grin and called out to Wei Xiaoyan, asking him to retrieve the flag.

One of the four remaining men protested, “You should be dead too, right?”

Song Feng shook his head and stepped closer to show them the injury. A white mark grazed the side of his calf, just a scratch.

The four stared at him in silence.

Song Feng waved innocently and walked off with Wei Xiaoyan, cheerful as ever. Night had begun to fall. It was no longer possible to keep up their original pace, so they slowed down. After a short break in between, they estimated they would not make it back until the following morning.

“Boss, give it up. There’s no way we’re making it back in time for breakfast.”

“How would I know if I don’t try? I’m not eating those goddamn compressed rations,” Song Feng darted forward. “Besides, I want to see how Comrade Bai’s doing. I brought him out here, after all, I—ow—”

It had rained two days ago, and there were still muddy pits along the path. He had been running too fast and went straight down into one.

Wei Xiaoyan looked on with visible pity and hurried over. “Boss, are you alright?”

Song Feng crawled out looking absolutely miserable, completely caked in mud.

Wei Xiaoyan tried to console him. “It’s fine, we’re almost there. Just hang in a bit longer and you can go shower.”

“……”

Wei Xiaoyan paused, then added, “Are you still eating dinner?”

“……Yeah.”

“……”

Song Feng groaned as he got up, pitifully dragging himself toward the camp. But the moment they reached the gates, his face lit up. Standing there in full gear was Xiao Mingxuan, his combat uniform pristine and streaked with camouflage paint, tall and commanding.

Song Feng immediately charged forward, and to the collective gasp of everyone nearby, wrapped the man in a bear hug. “Ah, if it isn’t the big boss himself,” he grinned as he rubbed against him. “I missed you so much.”

Then he stepped back and said cheerfully, “Anyway, see you around.”

Xiao Mingxuan looked down at his now-ruined, freshly issued uniform. After a moment of thought, he decided it had been worth it. For a hug, it was a fair trade.

Song Feng and Wei Xiaoyan went off to shower and eat. After that, they sat counting the returning soldiers while waiting for Bai Xuyao.

It was not until afternoon that he finally appeared. Song Feng smiled and stepped forward, about to praise him for surviving the elimination round, only for Bai Xuyao to charge over and roar, “You fucking bastards!”

Song Feng and Wei Xiaoyan blinked in confusion. “What happened to you?”

“What happened?!” Bai Xuyao yanked his backpack open and flung it away. “Just take a look at what I had to bring back!”

The two of them peeked in, only to find two plastic bottles inside. Each bottle held a small mouse.

Song Feng: “……”
Wei Xiaoyan: “……”

“You assholes, I’ve been on edge the whole damn time, terrified they’d chew their way out. I couldn’t even sleep!”

Song Feng instinctively looked over at Xiao Mingxuan. So this had been his way of helping Bai Xuyao face his fear?

Xiao Mingxuan glanced at Bai Xuyao once, then looked away, standing straight and composed at the gate, as if it had nothing to do with him.