Gasping to catch their breaths, the members of the Falcon Commando looked at Brian with great expectations. Judging from their unconcerned facial expressions, it seemed as though they were quite confident about passing the test. This week, they were pushed beyond their limits, both in body and spirit, but upon finding no appreciation from Brian, they couldn't help but feel a little frustrated.
Glancing around them from one corner to the other, Brian straightened his back. Standing in his camouflage pants with both hands inside his pockets, he stared at them coldly and said, "You are waiting my compliments, aren't you?"
"No, sir, no!" the soldiers all answered in unison, their strong public facade masked their panic.
"No?" With a face of utter nonchalance, Brian stood there eyeing them. His tone held a hint of mockery and sarcasm when he addressed them. "Do you think you've accomplished something worthy of my compliments? Your performance was just within the standard. You are complacent enough for waiting for your superior's praise, but you aren't even pushing yourself beyond your limits..." He stopped on purpose. He watched the soldiers in the first two rows lower their heads in shame. "I want you all to make a 10-kilometer trail run carrying 20 kilograms in weight!"
Their eyes shot up in bewilderment, cast down with disappointment, while Brian continued, "By that I mean, everyone! Including Daniel!"
"Cough--"
Danial coughed in shock, feeling like every wisp of air from his lungs had been knocked out, and he stood there struggling to inhale or exhale. It's not that he didn't want to run or that he couldn't. Daniel had done 20 kilometer runs carrying 10 kilograms in weight before. What he struggled to accept was the fact that they were all being punished, whereas they should have been, at the very least, praised for working so hard.
"Sir, I cannot accept this!"
An angry rebellious outcry interrupted everyone before Daniel could even open his mouth to speak.
The other members secretly screamed at their heart, wishing to strangle the first-class soldier for speaking out and disrespecting Brian. Quite literally, everyone, starting from the Captain up to the General had put in a lot of effort to invite Brian to train them. They were incredibly pleased when they heard that Brian had finally agreed. Just before the training, the chief official of the army base held a special meeting where the Captain emphasized repeatedly, "This is a once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity. It isn't easy for the Falcon Commando to come across a chance like this all the time! You should never ever cross Mr. Brian Long and let everything gone in vain!"
Well....... As a remarkable individual, Brian had already demonstrated his personality and dedication to the cause by training with them from dawn to dusk. None of them knew how he was in his personal life, but judging from their interaction with him in recent days, they knew that when it was time to get serious, he would transform into a machine that would not eat or rest until he had accomplished what he had set out to do.
His unfaltering work ethic and commitment could put most men to shame. Suddenly, something flashed beneath the surface of his hardened expression and they all hurried to investigate the sudden shift. But it was too late, the emotion disappeared before anyone could identify it.
Brian smiled, chuckling to himself and shaking his head. As everyone stood there like statues, hearts in their mouths, he slowly lifted his boots and walked towards the defiant first-class soldier... This first-class soldier was recruited into the Falcon Commando due to his excellent military ability as well as the outstanding overall quality of a college student. When it came to training, the first-class solider did his best every time, even though his body struggled to keep up with the pressure. Perhaps it was his arrogance, but he did not want to be looked down upon by Brian. And now, due to his diligence, he ended up surpassing most of his comrades.
"You don't accept it, do you?" Brian asked gently, his voice dripped in sarcasm. His voice was low and magnetic. The timbre of his voice sounded like the lowest note of the cello, which stopped their hearts and breathing.
The first-class soldier already felt the pressure rising, but his pride drove him forget his identity and he said with his chin raised, "Yes, sir!"
Brian chuckled and asked, "Why do you not accept it? Tell me."
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