Special Forces: From the very beginning, I can upgrade the entry

Chapter Thirty-Four: Miao Lian’s Provocation—Lin Yi’s Tough Training for Xiao Zhuang!

Once the military district officers had departed, Miao Lian turned back toward the soldiers of the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company. His expression was darker than it had ever been.

“Did you all see that? Did you?”

A heavy silence settled over the field. No one dared to breathe too loudly.

Miao Lian’s gaze fell on the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company’s banner, still held aloft in a soldier’s hands. His anger flared, and without hesitation, he snatched the flag and flung it to the ground.

“Company Commander!”

The flag bearer’s face turned pale with shock.

“What flag? What are you even holding it up for? We just got trampled! What right do we have to carry a banner anymore?”

“Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company—from this day forward, we have no flag!”

Miao Lian roared hysterically.

“Flying a banner after getting humiliated? Have you no shame?”

“Listen up—you lot are nothing compared to when I was your age. Not one of you is stronger than I was back then!”

“And what are you staring at me for? You still have the nerve to look at me? What, you think I’m proud of you?”

“Cowards. Weaklings. Useless excuses for soldiers!”

“A single Special Forces unit walks in, and you get wiped out.”

“A single Major walks in, and you get wiped out! And you call yourselves soldiers ready for war?”

“Just go ahead and die on the battlefield then!”

As he shouted, Miao Lian’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

This was his reconnaissance company—his men.

If not for Lin Yi’s intervention, Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company would have been crushed underfoot without even putting up a fight.

“Report!”

“Speak!”

“Rest assured, Miao Lian—we will surpass them sooner or later!”

Zhuang Yan declared loudly.

“Hah!”

Miao Lian actually laughed in anger.

He strode up to Zhuang Yan and demanded,

“And how exactly do you plan to surpass them?”

“With the will to fight—and the will to win!”

Zhuang Yan didn’t even hesitate.

“The will to fight and win!”

“The will to fight and win!”

“The will to fight and win!”

Every reconnaissance soldier present roared in unison, their voices echoing across the shooting range.

“Good!”

“I’ll be watching!”

Miao Lian’s expression finally relaxed into a faint smile.

“At the annual military exercise, if Langya Special Operations Battalion completely surrounds you like dumplings in a pot…”

“Then take those words of yours and flush them down the toilet!”

“Platoon Leader—dismiss them!”

“Yes, sir!”

Chen Guotao, the platoon leader, responded immediately.

Just as Miao Lian turned to leave, his eyes fell on Zheng Sanpao, still standing dazedly in the middle of the shooting range.

“Old Cannon—why are you just standing there like a corpse?”

Pfft—!

Zhuang Yan couldn’t hold back a chuckle.

Miao Lian shot him a sharp glare before marching toward the company headquarters.

Chen Guotao removed his steel helmet and gave the order.

“Alright, everyone—dismissed!”

As he bent down to retrieve the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company’s banner, he noticed that not a single soldier had moved.

He frowned.

“What are you lot standing around for? I said dismissed!”

“Platoon Leader!”

No one expected that it would be Chen Xiwa who spoke first.

“We are not leaving! We will train until we can raise our banner once more!”

“We will train!”

“We will train!”

“We will train!”

A chorus of voices erupted across the field.

Miao Lian, who had been walking away, paused. He glanced back, and the corner of his mouth curled up ever so slightly.

“Miao Lian.”

“You got what you wanted.”

“Look at them—they’re practically howling now.”

“If Langya underestimates them during the annual exercise, they just might suffer a serious setback.”

Lin Yi smirked knowingly.

Only he had recognised Miao Lian’s true intention. This entire outburst had been a carefully planned psychological trap. By shaming his men and triggering their sense of honour, he had successfully ignited their fighting spirit.

“You know, that article of yours seems to have caused quite a stir.”

“Otherwise, Minister Zhao wouldn’t have gone around kicking over every reconnaissance unit with Captain Gao in tow.”

Miao Lian gave Lin Yi a thoughtful look.

“Hmm.”

Lin Yi’s expression grew serious.

“The integration of Synthetic Forces is an inevitable path for our military’s evolution.”

“In today’s world of sweeping military reforms, our army cannot continue to rely on sheer numbers and outdated structures.”

“Informatization, modernization, and elite specialization—we must develop greater combat effectiveness with limited funding and manpower.”

“As the sharpest blade of the armed forces, reconnaissance units will face the most intense restructuring.”

A flicker of regret crossed Lin Yi’s face as he spoke. Because he knew—if the military reform began with reconnaissance forces, then Miao Lian would inevitably be among those retired early and transferred to civilian positions. For a man like Miao Lian, who had dedicated his entire life to the army, being forced to leave would be a devastating blow.

Miao Lian, of course, was well aware of this reality.

Taking a deep breath, he patted Lin Yi’s shoulder.

“It’s fine.”

“This is nothing I can’t handle.”

“When the day comes that the army no longer needs me, I will simply move to a new post and continue serving the Party and the people.”

In the original timeline, after retiring from the military, Miao Lian had returned to his hometown and joined the public security bureau.

He had become the captain of the anti-narcotics division, later cracking down on major drug trafficking operations in Yuanshan Town.

Eventually, he had risen to the position of Director of the Provincial Public Security Bureau’s Narcotics Division. His was a lifetime of service.

“I understand.”

Lin Yi gazed at him deeply, his respect for this man growing even stronger.

“Alright.”

“The second fire has been lit.”

“Now, it’s time for you to ignite the third.”

Miao Lian instructed.

“Yes, sir!”

Without another word, Lin Yi turned back to the training field. Standing before the assembled reconnaissance soldiers, he bellowed:

“All personnel—prepare for two hundred push-ups!”

“Thud!”

Apart from Chen Guotao, who had already left, Lin Yi held the highest rank among them. But more importantly, he held their utmost respect. Without hesitation, over a hundred reconnaissance soldiers dropped to the ground and began doing push-ups.

“Zhuang Yan!”

“Because of your foolishness, everyone is being punished!”

Lin Yi towered over him, his voice like a blade.

“Report!”

Zhuang Yan clenched his jaw, fire burning in his chest.

“Why?”

“Make it five hundred push-ups!”

Lin Yi didn’t even glance at him as he issued the order coldly.

The soldiers flinched. The speed of their push-ups increased instantly. Glancing around, Zhuang Yan gritted his teeth.

Because of one careless remark, he had turned two hundred push-ups into five hundred.

Even among trained reconnaissance soldiers, five hundred push-ups would leave them utterly drained.

“You are a unit—one man makes a mistake, the entire team pays for it!”

In the vast expanse of the training field, only the sound of ragged breathing remained.

Lin Yi’s voice rang loud and clear.

“On the African savanna, there are three apex predators: lions, leopards, and hyenas.”

“A pack of hyenas will not dare challenge a fully grown lion.”

“A leopard will never hunt a hyena.”

“But if a young lion is isolated, it will become prey for both.”

“A truly intelligent person does not challenge stronger opponents recklessly, spouting empty bravado.”

“Words are powerless, but they can enrage your enemy—leading to disastrous consequences.”

“These five hundred push-ups are to teach you one lesson: without strength, no matter how much anger or frustration you feel, you must swallow it.”

“Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company does not need empty talkers.”

“It needs warriors.”

“Do you understand?”

“Understood!”

The soldiers roared in unison.

For the first time, true shame gripped Zhuang Yan’s heart.

This wasn’t a school. This was the army.

Had Captain Gao been the enemy, he and his comrades would already be dead.

And all because of his pride.