Chapter 54: The First Step to Changing Fate!

Soon, all the soldiers had arrived at the live-fire training ground under the command of their respective officers.

They gazed at the training ground, at the dark, gaping muzzles pointed at them from the other side. For a moment, murmurs rippled through the ranks; none could fathom the purpose of this place.

“Brothers, this is our newly established live-fire training ground, designed especially for new recruits! Here, you’ll get to experience the true chaos of bullets flying all around. Today, I want each of you to feel it firsthand. Well, then—who dares to go first?” Chen Qingzhi smiled as he spoke to the group of new recruits.

Yet, as his words fell, the soldiers saw not a friendly smile but the grin of a devil. A shiver ran through every recruit, their nerves taut with dread.

“What’s wrong? No one willing to step forward?” Across the field, the recruits eyed the three Markov heavy machine guns and the sharp barbed wire. One after another, they shrank back, exchanging anxious glances, but not a single soul dared to volunteer.

Seeing their hesitation, Chen Qingzhi shrugged off his jacket, seized a rifle, and strode to the front of the barbed wire. Dropping to the ground, he began to crawl.

Instantly, the machine guns thundered. Three Markov heavy machine guns fired relentlessly, their blazing tongues of fire roaring just centimeters above the barbed wire!

Chen Qingzhi could feel the heat from the bullets as they tore through the air, burning the atmosphere and making it nearly impossible to breathe.

But this training was nothing new to him; he had braved it countless times. With practiced ease, Chen Qingzhi crawled through the wire and stood on the other side, watching the soldiers still hesitating at the barrier. He chuckled lightly. “Who’s next?”

The recruits remained frozen. Seeing this, Tiger grew impatient, cursing loudly, “Dammit, what a bunch of cowards! If you’re too scared to try this, how will you ever face the battlefield? Don’t let me look down on you!”

With that, Tiger grabbed a rifle and lunged toward the barbed wire.

Upon seeing his action, several regimental commanders also shed their jackets, took up rifles, and dove into the wire themselves.

With their officers leading the charge, the remaining officers shouted and cursed, kicking the hesitant recruits forward.

In the midst of the crowd, Liu Dayou watched the brigade commander standing on the far side, saw the regimental commanders crawling determinedly under the wire, and heard the machine guns firing overhead. Suddenly, he felt a fire ignite within him.

That fire made him tremble, filled him with an overwhelming urge to rush forward. In his mind, a voice whispered ceaselessly, “Go! Crawl forward! Isn’t this what you wanted—to change your fate? This is your first step toward growth!”

Hearing that voice, Liu Dayou, who had hesitated, clenched his teeth, pushed past the others, snatched up a rifle, and dove beneath the barbed wire.

The sight stunned the hesitant recruits. Even the veteran soldiers were surprised.

He was only a recruit, yet he stepped forward without hesitation. If nothing else, his courage alone earned the respect of all who witnessed it.

For the other recruits, watching Liu Dayou take the lead, shock mingled with admiration. They wondered, “If he can do it, why can’t I? Am I any less than him?”

With that thought, a group of recruits grabbed rifles and followed Liu Dayou under the wire, beginning their own crawl.

Once someone led the way, more recruits followed in quick succession.

Unaware that he had set an example for all, Liu Dayou struggled forward beneath the wire, gripping his rifle tightly. The fiery tongues of bullets roared just ten centimeters above his head.

The bullets scorched the air, making it hard for Liu Dayou to breathe; his chest felt as though it might explode.

Never had he felt death so close. He could even smell his own hair singed by the heat, a burnt odor wafting to his nose.

He gasped for air, swallowing hard, as the short span beneath the wire seemed an insurmountable barrier.

Liu Dayou wanted to quit; his will to survive urged him to give up.

But—he thought of why he had joined the army, his desire to rise above, to change his destiny. If he couldn’t pass even this small test, how could he ever hope to stand out?

He must crawl through. He must make it.

With that resolve, Liu Dayou pressed forward, the exit now within reach. At last, he crawled out!

Panting, he tried to stand, but his arms gave out; no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t rise.

At that moment, an arm reached out to him. Liu Dayou looked up to see a young officer smiling warmly. “You did well!”

It was the brigade commander—someone Liu Dayou deeply admired.

This commander always led by example, earning great respect among the recruits of the Independent Brigade. Liu Dayou had heard his squad leader mention that the brigade commander was an extraordinary man—he had once led a battalion to annihilate a Japanese regiment in the defense of Nanjing, killing several high-ranking enemy officers, and was hailed as a hero across the nation.

Liu Dayou was inspired. Hearing those stories, he had secretly vowed to become someone like his commander, to stand out and change his fate.

Now, his role model reached out to him. Liu Dayou paused, then grasped the commander’s arm.

He pulled Liu Dayou to his feet, patted his shoulder, and encouraged him, “I remember your name is Li Youcai, right? You did well. I believe that one day you’ll become an outstanding soldier!”

With those words, the commander walked away, leaving Liu Dayou standing in a daze.

The commander’s words echoed in Liu Dayou’s mind, again and again.

“Your name is Liu Dayou, right? You did well. I believe you’ll become an outstanding soldier one day!”

That sentence lingered like a spell, reverberating in Liu Dayou’s mind, refusing to fade.