C15 Mecha Training in Progress

Zhuge Yao didn't overthink it. In his past life, he had mastered up to the ninth exercise and could even manage the tenth with some effort. With a graceful leap, he seized the parallel bars, starting with the second exercise of an abdominal curl-up, followed by the third exercise of a one-arm pull-up with a backward lean. His movements flowed seamlessly, exuding not only an air of mastery but also an aesthetic grace. Finding his rhythm, he performed the fourth exercise, a hanging leg double-arm pull-up, and then demonstrated the fifth exercise, a double-arm pull-up with an abdominal twist.

"Great job!" The crowd cheered in unison, admiration evident regardless of their class affiliation.

Company Three's Class Three had been soundly defeated, yet their spirits remained unbroken. Instead, they redoubled their efforts in training. The entire Battalion Three's recruits were determined to outshine the Machine Maintenance Class and reclaim their honor. Wang Kai hadn't anticipated this motivational effect. His initial intention was simply to help out Class Ten, who lacked guidance, by including them in the training sessions out of kindness.

Post-morning drill, the classes assembled at the canteen entrance. Tang Hao arrived just in time. Battalion Commander Liu Jianfeng spoke first, extending the Dragon Knight Army's welcome to the new members and urging them to commit to their training. Led by the Class Three Monitor, thirty classes of recruits sang in unison, belting out "I Am a Soldier."

"I am a soldier, in love with the common folk." The soldiers sang with gusto. It might not have been melodious, but the volume was impressive, filling the air with vigor.

Company Three's Class Ten recruits were bewildered; they hadn't learned the song and could only bellow along haphazardly. Zhuge Yao was the exception. Not only did he know the song, but he also seemed to naturally take on the role of lead singer. Tang Hao turned in astonishment at the robust chorus behind him, only to see his own recruits singing with varying degrees of accuracy.

Following the song, the classes filed into the dining hall, which was already brimming with food. Each class gathered around a large table, standing in line until the class monitor's command signaled them to sit and begin their meal. The morning fare included buns, steamed bread, soy milk, and fried dough sticks. Rumor had it that lunch and dinner would feature ten dishes and a soup, a lavish spread of six meat and four vegetable dishes.

With only fifteen minutes allocated for breakfast, which included time for washing dishes and tidying up, many new recruits initially left the table hungry and headed to training on an empty stomach. Later that morning, as per the training schedule, Tang Hao led the new recruits of his class to the Mecha Storage.

The advantage of being in the Machine Maintenance Class was evident. While others were limited to familiarizing themselves with and training on a single mecha, each member of this class had their own. Additionally, the facility housed a variety of mecha parts, making Tang Hao's detailed explanations much clearer to the recruits.

Lei Xun found himself zoning out during Tang Hao's earnest lecture. Was this really their class monitor? He seemed like a completely different person. The rest of the class shared the sentiment, though they kept it to themselves. After all, who wants to be the nail that sticks out and gets hammered down?

"Lei Xun, step forward and disassemble this Assault No.66," Tang Hao called out, clearly displeased to see someone not paying attention during a lesson that others would be eager to attend. Lei Xun, caught off guard, could only muster a bewildered "Ah, what's wrong?"

The class erupted into laughter at the sight of Lei Xun's confusion. The poor guy was just too comical, and it seemed his misfortune was the day's entertainment.

Their laughter, however, quickly turned to dismay as Tang Hao, feeling as though he'd been slapped in the face, barked, "All of you, each dismantle a mecha. No using the Machine Arm, and anyone who hasn't finished by lunchtime will skip their meal."

After issuing his command, Tang Hao stormed off without another word. The members of Class Ten exchanged uneasy glances, their mirth replaced by the grim realization that manually dismantling a mecha in under two hours was a near-impossible task. It looked like they were in for a hungry afternoon.

Zhuge Yao, however, wasn't so quick to despair. He had faced challenges like this before. Two hours was tight, but not impossible. While assembling a mecha might be out of reach, he knew there were plenty of tricks to dismantling one efficiently.

Zhuge Yao wasted no time and got straight to work. Gongsun Yan, an expert in the field, quickly followed suit. Seeing this, the others had no choice but to muster their courage and join in.

Lei Xun's approach was straightforward and forceful: he began by removing the Mecha's legs, causing the upper body to topple over for easier disassembly. Xia Yan and Gongsun Yan each had their own techniques, piloting their Mechas to dismantle each other's. It was unclear whether this could be considered cheating. Meanwhile, the rest employed their unique skills, aiming to take apart the Mecha in front of them as swiftly as possible.

Zhuge Yao could have easily enlisted the help of the Small Yellow Man, sparing himself the effort and completing much of the task. Yet, he chose not to; this was, after all, a training exercise meant to deepen his familiarity with the Mecha, and relying on the Small Yellow Man would defeat the purpose.

In his past life, he had acquired numerous skills for dismantling others' Mechas. Now, applying these insights to his own Mecha, he was equally adept. Each Mecha had its critical components; once these were removed, the remaining parts would naturally come apart. However, a word of caution was in order: one must dodge swiftly to avoid being hit by the dislodged parts.

The two hours flew by, and Tang Hao returned to the Mecha Storage to find, to his astonishment, that nearly everyone had finished their task. He noticed Zhuge Yao, Lei Xun, and a few others assisting another recruit.

"Okay, time's up. Those who've finished can go grab some food. Anyone who hasn't, stay behind and work on another Mecha," Tang Hao stated calmly, his inner excitement belied by his composed exterior.

Earlier, he had spoken in frustration, not expecting much from the new recruits—perhaps half a Mecha dismantled at best. Yet here they were, eight recruits done and one nearly there. Such an impressive batch of newcomers was a rare find indeed.

"I'll pass on the meal. We're a team, and we don't leave anyone behind. Qiu Heizi, I'm with you. I'll take apart another one, consider it extra practice," Zhuge Yao declared boldly to Tang Hao, then moved to the next Mecha to begin another round of disassembly.

"I'm not hungry anymore either. I'm going to take apart another one; the last one just didn't cut it," Xia Yan declared with a sense of duty, turning on his heel to dismantle another Mecha.

The others quickly agreed, saying they had lost their appetites as well and were eager to continue with the disassembly. Qiu Heizi was moved by the camaraderie; with so many standing by his side, he was determined to put in the effort.

"Keep at it, keep at it. Let's see if you've got what it takes to take apart every Mecha in this warehouse," Tang Hao called out with intentional loudness before walking away, though he couldn't quite hide the smile on his face. Never leave a man behind, never give up – the sole creed of the military. He felt a pang of nostalgia; these new soldiers reminded him of his younger self.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, two days had passed. The members of Class Ten had devoted every moment, aside from meals, to the Mecha Storage, tirelessly assembling and disassembling the Mechas. They worked relentlessly, without a single complaint, while others had moved on to piloting practice. They were still in the phase of getting to know the Mechas inside and out.

The third day of enlistment was a day to remember – the day of the Recruit Company's Mecha Competition. The army held this event annually to assess the driving skills of the recruits, aiming to tailor future training more effectively. This year's competition had a twist; the Tank had arranged for a veteran soldier to spar with the new recruits' champion, a strategic move to temper the rookies' pride and set the stage for political education.