The squad leader was momentarily taken aback out of nowhere, it felt like the old Hedy, the one who used to hide in a corner and quietly wipe away her tears, had suddenly returned.
Without thinking, he reached out and gently patted her head. Then, out of habit, he pulled a tissue from his pocket and handed it to her.
Hedy accepted the tissue and looked up, though the tears in her eyes never fell.
As she got up to leave, the squad leader snapped out of his thoughts and quickly said, "The new Captain is arriving this afternoon. Don't forget about the important opportunity I mentioned! Hedy, as long as you work hard, you can seize it!"
Hedy turned back and asked him, "Would it make you happy if I did?"
The squad leader nodded firmly. "Of course!"
If it could make this kind old squad leader happy, Hedy was willing to do anything.
"Okay then. Just wait and be happy," she replied.
The squad leader watched her walk away, stunned. That was strange...
The expression on her face just now full of pride and confidence was completely different from the timid, tearful girl he remembered.
Although Hedy had no idea what this "important opportunity" was, she believed that if she set her mind to something, she could absolutely achieve it no matter how difficult it might be.
Back at the dormitory, Hedy found herself once again the target of hostile stares.
She was getting used to this.
"Hedy, did you apologize to the monitor?" Susan asked coldly.
Hedy shot her a frosty look. "Yes. Why?"
Susan stood up, and the girls around her followed suit, trying to look intimidating.
"If you knew you needed to apologize to the monitor, then shouldn't you apologize to us too?" Susan stepped closer, eyes narrowed with venom. "Because of you, we were laughed at. Because of you, we didn't get first place. Do you think the monitor is the only one you owe an apology?"
Hedy glanced around the room. The expressions on the others' faces showed they agreed with Susan.
But before Hedy could respond, Chloe stormed in with a washbasin in her hands and shouted, "What do you mean by that?! We all know Hedy's health hasn't been great! But she's been training hard every single day! What more do you want from her?"
Susan hadn't expected anyone to defend Hedy and shot Chloe a sharp look. "We're not asking for much. We just want her to understand that she's dragging the rest of us down."
"So what if she's slow?" Chloe snapped, her voice rising. "She used to be, sure. But now she's working hard! If you keep pushing her like this, do you want her to give up entirely and really become a deserter?"
Realizing what she had said, Chloe turned awkwardly to Hedy. "I... I'm not saying you're holding us back. I mean, they shouldn't just blame you. Ignore them. Just keep working hard."
She turned back to Susan, eyes blazing. "Some people are always making trouble over little things. But I haven't seen them get up early to train like Hedy does. So who are they to criticize?"
Susan glared at her and said through gritted teeth, "Fine, Chloe. You want to defend her? Don't come crying later when you regret it."
Chloe hadn't meant to go this far, but the moment she heard that, she slammed the washbasin on the floor with a loud clang, stepped in front of Hedy, and said with her hands on her hips, "I won't regret it! Susan, don't think we're all afraid of you. If you've got a problem, come at me!"
The sound echoed through the hallway. Curious recruits from other dorms came over to see what was going on. Seeing things getting out of hand, the rest of the girls quickly pulled Susan away.
Once the tension eased, Chloe looked deflated. She turned to Hedy and muttered, "Did you see that? I just went and offended them all for you. So you better work hard and make me proud or I'll totally lose face."
Hedy smiled.
She hadn't expected Chloe to stand up for her like that.
In truth, no one had ever defended her that way before. No one had ever shown that kind of loyalty or spoken up when others provoked her.
"You're so stupid," Hedy said with a laugh as she bent down to pick up the washbasin and handed it back.
Chloe took it and sighed. "I know, right?" She paused, looked at Hedy again, and patted her shoulder. "I don't know why... I just feel like you're going to surprise us all. They're laughing at you and bullying you now, but maybe you'll be stronger than all of them one day."
Hedy was moved by her words. She smiled softly and nodded. "Since you said that, I'll find a way to make sure you keep your face."
Not long after, afternoon training began.
The sun blazed down on the training ground as the entire recruit company assembled. The instructor confirmed the news: the Captain was absent.
"This is your acting Captain," he said, introducing the man standing beside him.
Hedy couldn't help but lower her head and sigh.
Why is it him again?
"My name is Arthur, and I'll be serving as your acting Captain for the next few days," he announced, his voice loud and commanding.
The female soldiers erupted in excitement.
Not only was this Captain tall and well-built, but he was also incredibly handsome! The instructor, who was considered good-looking himself, seemed to fade in comparison.
"He's so handsome!"
Someone blurted it out, and the crowd burst into laughter.
Even Hedy couldn't help but giggle. She looked up at Arthur standing tall in the sun his presence was magnetic, his aura unmistakable.
Normally, the Captain played the "bad cop," and the instructor played the "good cop." But with the Captain away, the instructor had to maintain order on his own.
"Be serious!" he barked, trying to regain control.
Unfortunately, his authority didn't quite measure up, and the girls continued to chatter, unable to settle down.
Just as the instructor was about to speak again, Arthur raised a hand to stop him.
He scanned the crowd with cold, piercing eyes. Without saying a word, an invisible pressure seemed to sweep across the field like a crashing wave.
Before he even spoke, the entire training ground went silent.
The girls who had been laughing moments earlier froze, staring wide-eyed at the handsome new Captain. The atmosphere became tense and focused.
Hedy recognized this kind of person someone who could command a room without needing to raise their voice. People like that either held great power or had seen too much bloodshed. Either way, they inspired fear or awe.
But Arthur's presence was something else altogether.
The breeze blew through the training ground, and not a sound followed.