The next day, the thirty or so people who had managed to finish the twenty laps were placed together in a separate team, personally trained by Captain Zhang. The hundred or so others, who had taken too long yet still managed to finish, were handed over to Captain Li and Doctor Wang for their training.
Just like that, in a single day, the group was split into two teams and trained separately.
Still, this new team was not without familiar faces. Lan Jin and her three companions stayed together, of course, but there were also Doctor Zhou, Lao Shi, several teammates who had gone with them to clear weeds in the Maolin area, as well as a few ability users they had met yesterday at the base gates. Even Professor Pei's granddaughter remained.
Professor Pei's granddaughter was named Pei Xin. Pei Xin was part of Professor Pei's research group. Why she had appeared in the special training unit was unclear, but Lan Jin was certain of one thing: Pei Xin had not been among those who completed yesterday's run. So why was she suddenly here now?
There was no time to think it through. The moment Captain Zhang arrived, he said nothing and simply ordered them to run twenty laps as punishment.
Having learned from yesterday's lesson, the group almost immediately ran toward the track without hesitation. But Captain Zhang was not done. He watched them while muttering coldly, "Didn't know enough to line up before I came? Do I really need to spell this out for you? No discipline at all. Let me make it clear. Twenty laps, not one less. If you cannot finish within an hour and a half, however many laps remain will be doubled and added on."
Lan Jin and the others had good stamina, but even they struggled at the idea of twenty laps in just ninety minutes. Seeing everyone else quicken their pace, Lan Jin grew nervous and hurried to speed up as well.
Her eyes, however, kept straying toward Pei Xin's figure ahead. Doubts swirled in her heart. She leaned closer to Ling Jiang and whispered, "That woman, was she in our team yesterday? I don't remember seeing her."
"No," Ling Jiang answered firmly. "I was wondering the same thing. She wasn't here yesterday, so why is she suddenly in our group today?"
Ling Jiang was openly exasperated by Pei Xin. "She clearly has something against us. I don't even know how we offended her. Did you notice how she spent all of yesterday rolling her eyes at us?"
How could Lan Jin not notice? She had worried Pei Xin's eyes might cramp from all the glaring. Still, now she could only say, "As long as she does not provoke us, let's not bother with her."
But Ling Jiang did not believe it. "She seems to be targeting us specifically. You think she won't cause trouble? Just wait…"
Before Ling Jiang could finish, Captain Zhang roared, "Running means running. What are you chatting for? Want me to add laps?"
Ling Jiang snapped her mouth shut. The four of them picked up speed together in silent agreement.
Even with spirit spring water to restore their energy mid-run, the difference between trained and untrained bodies could not be ignored. Lan Jin and her companions ended up at the very back, barely scraping through all twenty laps within the ninety-minute limit.
At least they had not been forced to run more, and that was enough for Lan Jin. She dared not hope for anything else.
But Pei Xin… No one needed to count. Everyone could see Pei Xin had not finished the full twenty laps. She had stopped early and then timed her return perfectly, slipping back into formation as though she had completed everything.
Another girl in the team immediately spoke up in protest. "Instructor, that girl did not finish her twenty laps. Why did she just come back?"
Pei Xin instantly knew she was the one being called out. She turned and glared, snapping, "What business is it of yours?"
"Since when are we allowed to cheat? If you can do it, you join. If you can't, then go to the other side. Why drag us down?"
Pei Xin jabbed her finger toward Lan Jin and Ling Jiang, who were sitting to the side drinking water. "What about them then? They're dragging us down too."
"They finished all twenty laps on time…"
The girl had not even finished when Captain Zhang cut her off. "Shut up. Are you the instructor, or am I? Both of you, two laps. Go."
The girl accepted it without argument and returned to the track. Pei Xin, however, shot a venomous glare at Lan Jin and Ling Jiang before reluctantly following suit.
Captain Zhang shook his head helplessly. Each of them, it seemed, was nothing but trouble. His gaze then settled on Lan Jin and Ling Jiang.
Lan Jin frowned. "Why are you looking at me? I didn't make her talk."
"Exactly. She wasn't even here yesterday. Who knows what backdoor trick she used to get into this team."
Captain Zhang gave a sharp laugh. "And who taught you two to use that tone with an instructor? Both of you, five laps."
Lan Jin and Ling Jiang said nothing. They simply set down their water bottles and returned to the track, only to cross paths with Pei Xin again.
Seeing them punished as well, Pei Xin sneered, "Ha. You two aren't much better. Punished by Captain Zhang just like me."
Neither Lan Jin nor Ling Jiang bothered to respond. They increased their pace, quickly pulling ahead until they caught up with the earlier girl who had spoken out.
The three exchanged quick smiles. The girl introduced herself. "I'm Shen Zhiyan, from R City Base. I have a twin brother, Shen Zhiyu. He's in the team as well. I'll introduce him later."
"Nice to meet you. I'm Lan Jin, from H City Base."
"I'm Ling Jiang. We're from the same squad. Our other two teammates are resting over there. I'll introduce them to you later too."
Captain Zhang's eyes had never left the trio. Seeing them running together and even chatting, his temper flared again. "Having fun talking, are you? Do you even remember what I told you? All of you, one more lap."
Pei Xin, who had just barely managed to stagger through her assigned laps, froze when she heard this. Her legs trembled, unsure whether to move again.
Captain Zhang was already irritated at having Pei Xin forced into his team. Now, seeing her hesitate, he barked, "Run! What are you standing there for?"
Pei Xin was on the verge of tears, but she dared not talk back. Swallowing her frustration, she pushed herself forward again.
If it had been anyone else, they might have protested. "I wasn't even chatting. Why should I be punished?" But Pei Xin had no such standing. Her place here was dubious, her conscience weighed heavier than the others. What ground did she have to argue?
The others resting on the side could see what was happening. Everyone here was from one base or another. With a little thought, it was easy to understand. Clearly, someone had pressured Captain Zhang into accepting her.
Each lap was only one kilometer. Shen Zhiyan finished quickly, but when she saw Lan Jin and Ling Jiang still on the track, she realized their lap counts were different. Only after they finished did the running stop.
But this was not the end. While they had been running, Captain Zhang had ordered obstacles to be set up along the track. Which meant from now on, they would not only have to run laps but also navigate obstacles.
Captain Zhang finally spoke. "That's enough for now. Ten more laps, then you can eat."