The northern frontier wind carried the chill of early autumn, sweeping through the entire military district compound.
In the air, besides the usual smells of cooking and the sounds of training commands, there was an added tension—a charged atmosphere ignited by excitement.
The annual military district’s grand competition was about to begin.
This was not just a contest.
It was a brutal battleground for the honor of each battalion, watered by the blood and sweat of countless soldiers, the ultimate stage to prove oneself.
The entire Fierce Tiger Battalion had entered a high-speed, battle-ready state.
Lu Zhanting was busier and stricter than ever before.
He seemed almost grown from the training grounds itself, personally taking part in drills, rolling in the mud with his men, sprinting through obstacle courses.
His voice was hoarse as if sandpaper had scraped it raw, yet his eyes burned fiercely.
Su Wanqing could feel the impending storm of change.
The man came home later and later, always carrying a strong scent of sweat and earth.
He spoke little and ate quickly, as if still on a mission.
Sometimes he would sit on the sofa holding a towel to wipe sweat, only to fall into a deep sleep.
Su Wanqing had no complaints and asked no questions.
She quietly managed everything at home with care and steadiness.
She would time boiling hot water just before his return.
She would quietly add an extra serving of his favorite braised pork at the dinner table.
After he fell asleep, she would softly drape a thin blanket over him.
From the gossip of Liu Sao and other military wives, she pieced together the full picture of this grand competition.
“Our Fierce Tiger Battalion was the overall champion last year. If we win again this year, it’ll be a three-peat!” Liu Sao said, unable to hide her pride.
“But this year, it sounds tough,” another military wife lowered her voice mysteriously. “The ‘Cheetah Regiment’ from the neighboring division has a few fierce contenders this year. They broke several records in the preliminaries. Their momentum is strong!”
“What’s there to fear! They may have new recruits, but we have Captain Lu!” Liu Sao slapped her thigh emphatically. “As long as Zhanting is around, the Fierce Tiger flag won’t fall!”
Listening to their talk, Su Wanqing’s heart tightened with worry.
She didn’t understand the complex military events, but she understood Lu Zhanting.
She knew the weight of honor and responsibility borne on the broad shoulders of that man.
He was defending the name “Fierce Tiger Battalion” with his blood and sweat.
On the day of the competition, the sky was high and clear, the clouds thin and white.
The largest training ground in the district was decked with colorful flags, teeming with people.
On the podium, military district leaders sat solemnly.
Around the training ground, family members and support staff packed the area like a black tide.
Su Wanqing and Liu Sao found a spot with a great view.
This was her first time witnessing such a grand scene—the thunderous beating of drums and loud slogans filled her ears, and before her eyes marched orderly, imposing rows of soldiers.
A scorching heat surged uncontrollably in her chest.
“Wanqing, look! There’s Zhanting!” Liu Sao excitedly grabbed her arm, pointing toward the entrance.
Su Wanqing’s gaze followed immediately.
Lu Zhanting was leading the Fierce Tiger Battalion at the very front.
He wore a crisp training uniform, his tactical belt cinching his lean waist, combat boots on his feet, and his face painted with camouflage.
His posture was as upright as a peak, his steps steady like a clock, exuding a ruthless aura forged from battles among corpses and blood, instantly becoming the sole focus of the entire crowd.
Su Wanqing’s heart suddenly skipped a beat.
She had seen the gentle and caring Lu Zhanting at home, and the imposing, calm Lu Zhanting on the training grounds.
But she had never seen him like this.
Like a world-class fierce blade finally unsheathed—sharp, magnificent, and overwhelming.
The competition officially began.
The first event: a collective 5-kilometer armed cross-country run.
At the sound of the starting gun, hundreds of soldiers burst forth like unleashed beasts.
Lu Zhanting stayed at the very front, controlling pace and speed like a finely tuned war machine.
He didn’t just run himself; he frequently glanced back, shouting brief yet powerful words of encouragement:
“Fierce Tiger Battalion!”
“Keep up!”
“Not a single one falls behind!”
Under his lead, the battalion’s formation cut through the pack like a dagger through enemy lines, never breaking formation, tearing through the long-distance run, and crossing the finish line with an overwhelming, crushing advantage.
The crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.
Su Wanqing clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white, feeling as if her heart would break free from her chest and leap from her throat.
The next event was shooting.
Moving targets, stationary targets, ultra-long-range sniping—the difficulty steadily increased.
When it was Lu Zhanting’s turn, the noisy training ground fell eerily silent.
All eyes fixed on him.
He was the army district’s acknowledged sharpshooter, and his shooting was nearly a performance of violent beauty.
His posture with the rifle was textbook perfect.
His gaze focused and cold, as if the entire world had vanished, leaving only him and the tiny target far away.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The gunshots were crisp, brief, and precise.
The spotter’s voice followed, trembling with uncontrollable excitement:
“Ten ring!”
“Ten ring!”
“Ten ring again!”
Whether moving or slightly swaying targets in the wind, he missed none.
The final event: ultra-long-range sniping.
The target: eight hundred meters away, a tiny bullseye no larger than a fist.
This distance was well beyond the effective range of regular rifles—a test of both physical and psychological limits for the shooter.
Previous top marksmen barely managed to hit the paper.
Lu Zhanting lay prone, calmly calculating wind speed, humidity, and bullet drop through his scope.
Time ticked by.
Dead silence fell, so still one could hear a pin drop.
Su Wanqing was so nervous she forgot to breathe, her lungs aching.
Just as everyone thought he would time out and give up, a gunshot rang out without warning.
Bang!
A deep, muffled boom struck everyone’s eardrums.
At 800 meters, the tiny bullseye erupted in a clearly visible puff of dust.
A hit!
After a brief silence came a flood of cheers like a dam breaking, almost shaking the sky itself!
The leaders on the podium all stood, applauding vigorously.
The soldiers went wild, rushing forward to surround Lu Zhanting, repeatedly tossing him high into the air.
“Captain Lu is awesome!”
“Fierce Tiger Battalion, mighty!”
Su Wanqing watched the man thrown high in the air, tracing a powerful arc, tears streaming down her face, blurring the world.
That was her husband.
A true hero who stood tall and proud.
If the morning events showcased Lu Zhanting’s invincible personal might, the afternoon’s comprehensive tactical exercise fully revealed his terrifying talent as a commander.
The event: “High Ground Assault and Defense.”
Lu Zhanting’s Fierce Tiger Battalion was the attacker, facing off against the much-anticipated Cheetah Regiment.
The exercise began. The Cheetah Regiment relied on the natural terrain to build an impenetrable crossfire network, ferocious beyond measure.
Several probing attacks by the Fierce Tiger Battalion were all ruthlessly repelled.
“The Fierce Tiger Battalion has really hit a brick wall this time.”
“The Cheetah Regiment’s defense is like an iron bucket. Captain Lu Zhanting is probably going to fail.”
Whispers rose from the spectator stands.
Su Wanqing’s heart twisted painfully. She didn’t understand the complex tactics, but she could see the Fierce Tiger’s blue flag was barely making any progress under the enemy’s fire.
At that moment, Lu Zhanting made a decision that stunned the entire audience.
He gave up the frontal assault.
He split his forces into three. Two squads advanced on the flanks, creating fire harassment and feigning the main attack, firmly holding the enemy’s attention.
He personally led a small elite squad of only a dozen men to take the cliff behind the high ground—an area almost no one dared to tread, known as the “Slope of Death.”
It was an almost vertical cliff, wet and slippery, covered in moss. A single misstep meant certain death.
“Is he crazy?!” A commanding officer on the podium shouted.
Everyone’s heart leapt to their throat at that moment.
Su Wanqing was even colder all over, clutching her mouth with all her might to keep from screaming.
She saw Lu Zhanting be the first to scale the cliff.
Like a crouching leopard, he used tiny crevices and protrusions on the rock to climb steadily and swiftly.
Behind him, his team moved silently but resolutely.
Sweat soon soaked their camouflage uniforms, sharp rocks tore their palms, leaving streaks of blood.
Every inch upwards was fraught with terrifying danger.
Finally, after one squad member was declared “fallen over the cliff” by the judges, Lu Zhanting was the first to reach the cliff’s summit!
Without a moment’s rest, he immediately gave a series of clean, precise tactical signals to his team.
This squad was like a silent, poisoned dagger, silently and accurately piercing the unsuspecting heart of the Cheetah Regiment’s command post.
When a plume of blue smoke—the signal for “fallen”—rose from the Cheetah leader’s helmet, he hadn’t even realized where the enemy had come from.
The tide of the battlefield instantly reversed.
The Cheetah Regiment, having lost its command center, was thrown into chaos and became scattered.
The main force of the Fierce Tiger Battalion seized this rare opportunity, launched a thunderous all-out attack, and successfully took the summit in one powerful push!
The signal marking the end of the exercise sounded.
Fierce Tiger Battalion — victory!
After a long, suffocating tension, the entire training ground erupted in the most frenzied and passionate applause and cheers ever heard.
This was more than just a victory.
It was a classic special operation case worthy of being included in the military district’s textbooks!
Lu Zhanting had completely conquered everyone present with his extraordinary courage and calm wisdom.
When he led his squad down from the high ground, countless eyes filled with awe, admiration, and fanaticism greeted him.
At the awards ceremony, representing the Fierce Tiger Battalion’s three-peat achievement, Lu Zhanting accepted the championship banner symbolizing the highest honor in the military district from the district commander.
Standing on the high podium, still smeared with dirt and grass, sweat and camouflage paint mixing on his face, looking somewhat disheveled.
But standing there, he was like a towering mountain—solid, steady, making all other glory pale in comparison.
He took the banner and suddenly raised it above his head.
“Fierce Tiger Battalion!” he roared hoarsely, shaking the sky.
“Invincible in battle!”
Below, every soldier in the Fierce Tiger Battalion shouted back with all their might, their voices breaking through the clouds.
At that moment, Su Wanqing felt this man was shining.
She gazed at him foolishly, her heart full to bursting with a burning emotion called pride.
The military wives around her all congratulated her in the most envious tones.
“Wanqing, you’re truly lucky!”
“Yeah, marrying such a towering hero is worth it!”
Su Wanqing only smiled, her eyes never leaving the man on the podium who had completely captured her heart.
As if sensing across time and space, Lu Zhanting’s eyes on the podium pierced through the bustling crowd and locked precisely on her.
Those eyes, usually as cold as frost, melted in that instant, revealing a subtle warmth only she could perceive.
He even barely perceptibly curled the corner of his mouth in a smile.
A silent smile belonging only to the two of them.
Su Wanqing’s heart felt gently cradled by a warm hand; all the excitement, worry, and pride she had felt finally settled into the purest affection and tenderness.
She thought how fortunate she was—to be this man’s wife.
When the ceremony ended, Lu Zhanting was immediately engulfed by his excited comrades.
Su Wanqing did not go forward to disturb him, only stood quietly at a distance, smiling softly, waiting for him.
After exchanging a few words with his comrades, Lu Zhanting pushed through the crowd and, amidst countless envious, jealous, and congratulatory glances, took step by step toward her.
His tall figure shielded her from all the noise and glory behind him.
He stopped before her.
Said nothing.
Simply and naturally reached out to take her hand.
His palm was hot, calloused but strong, wrapping her soft small hand firmly and tightly.
“Let’s go home.”
He looked at her, his voice low but clear in her ear, calming all her racing emotions.
“Mm.”
Su Wanqing nodded heavily, a smile lingering in her eyes and on her brows.
Hand in hand, they walked side by side on the road home.
Behind them, the cheers and roaring voices thundered.
Before them, the quiet path was bathed in golden sunset glow.
Their shadows stretched and overlapped under the setting sun, inseparable forever.