When the news of Darkstone Security’s expansion was first spread, many security agencies and army units began personnel adjustnts.
Perhaps so people think "Darkstone Security is a prestigious military academy" is just a joke, but the officers in the Ministry of Defense, wearing sumr uniforms, enjoying air conditioning, drinking coffee, and tidying their hair in the mirror, suddenly realized, why not?
The "World Security Assessnt Report" submitted by the Strategic Command pointed out that in the next six years, there will be no large-scale wars affecting multiple countries worldwide.
Because during this period, various countries have only completed reconstruction work, and they still need to accumulate a few years of strength before they are qualified to launch a new round of wars.
This also ans that there is no opportunity for military training in the short term.
Military training is very important.
After opening up their minds, the Ministry of Defense is not idle all day; they are also conducting simulations and reflecting on what it ans to have missed the opportunity to participate in the last world war.
It ans that eighty percent of the countries in the world have already undergone the test of war. Whether they ultimately succeeded or failed, at least they gained experience.
But the Federation did not, which could be a terrible problem. If the soldiers cannot withstand the pressure, it could very likely trigger a chain reaction.
This is like those "amusing incidents" that happened in this world war; the collapse of front-line soldiers could directly incite fear among the soldiers in the rear.
If soone in the front can hold on and withstand the pressure, the soldiers preparing to go to the front line in the rear can perform more heroically than usual.
The Federation urgently needs soldiers and commanders who have experienced war.
Theorizing is always just theorizing. In naval simulation exercises, the Federation Navy could even defeat the Gafura navy head-on. If submarines had made contributions, the Federation would have had no role now.
So mid-level officers with potential suddenly processed their discharge papers, and so elite soldiers from units also retired. Each of them received a recomndation letter from the Ministry of Defense upon discharge.
"Is this what they call a ’ticket’?" After resting for two days, Ryan, a soldier who just returned ho from the Navy Assault Team, took his introduction letter and, along with fellow soldiers, headed to the Darkstone Security Training Camp.
The gatekeeper asked him to show his introduction letter, which he held in his hand, his tone filled with mockery, "My superior told you have good food here."
Ryan was a hothead in the Marine Corps, with great skills and top training results in all areas.
In this era without war, training results represent a person’s military capability.
This might not truly reflect soone’s military qualities, but it’s an inevitable situation.
His excellent ability led to so dissatisfaction with his new "assignnt." In his view, being placed in Darkstone Security was a waste of his talent.
He believed he should be joining overseas field units, performing tasks worldwide, not working at Darkstone Security, even though the salary here was quite good.
The gatekeeper glanced at him sidelong, showing no expression, his face stiff and rigid like it was carved.
After checking the introduction letter, the gatekeeper tore a corner off it and handed it back along with an ID tag, "You can go in now."
He didn’t respond to Ryan’s provocation; it was aningless. He himself had co from the military and understood how difficult it was to deal with people who had good military achievents, but that was okay.
No matter how difficult soone is, they beco more manageable at Darkstone Security.
This is not the Federation Army, which still has strict regulations and retains certain rules; this is a private enterprise, and the military’s ways don’t quite work here.
Ryan shrugged off the gatekeeper’s refusal to engage with his provocation and, carrying his backpack, walked into the training ground.
Looking at the familiar equipnt, he didn’t feel the slightest bit of nervousness; he was already very skilled with these things, and he could say that ninety percent of the people here didn’t handle them as well as he did.
After entering the camp, soone greeted him, assigned him a tent after looking at his tag, where so people already lived.
Everyone gave limited welcoming gestures to Ryan’s arrival; they rely glanced at him before withdrawing their attention.
Everyone was doing their own things; after they tidied up their bunks, they went out to adjust to the surroundings.
Here, it was still sowhat unfamiliar to them.
At noon, no one called them for als, causing so unrest. Ryan and his forr comrades also felt strange but considered it might be a form of hazing.
Such traditions exist in the military, harassing new recruits. Sotis they play pranks, which can be quite nasty, and new recruits must endure silently.
Those who rebel against it usually don’t have good outcos. This kind of hazing is practically a lesson for rookies to understand who is in charge in the military (superiors).
It’s just one missed al, everyone can endure it. By evening, there finally was a dinner call, but when Ryan and the others reached the cafeteria, their dinner made them reveal disgusted expressions.
"Lord, what is all this...?" Ryan’s comrade stood in front of the food truck, eyes practically bulging out.
He prodded the food in the truck with his fingers, the sticky blood remaining on his fingers.
"Where’s the cook? Did they forget to turn on the heat while preparing dinner? It’s all raw!"
Indeed, the food truck was full of piles of blood and flesh from animals they couldn’t identify; none of it was cooked, all raw, cut into one-centiter thick slices like steaks.
Blood dripped from the bottom of the cart, the stench so overwhelming it made those nearby take a few steps back.
The weather is so hot that after just a short ti, there seems to be a strange sll.
"Is anyone there? Is there anyone? Damn it, soone tell us what’s going on?"
So people started to make a fuss. Hungry all day, and given only this at night, no one could adapt.
At this mont, the sound of marching boots ca from outside, followed by the command "Attention," and everyone instinctively stood up straight, facing the entrance of the dining hall.
Then, a man who looked about thirty-six or seven walked in, "You can call by my na... or call Major. I will be your commanding officer. I just heard soone making a commotion. Who will tell what you were fussing about?"
To beco a Major in his thirties, this guy must have an incredible background. The new recruits in the dining hall were upset but did not show it because they knew what the military was like and that rank ant everything.
No one made a sound, and it seed like the Major wasn’t planning to let them off. As the standoff continued, Ryan stepped forward, "Report, sir, we are discussing how to handle dinner."
The Major looked at him for a mont, "What’s your na?"
"Ryan, sir."
"Very well, Ryan. We have now entered enemy territory teeming with enemy outposts. We are at a disadvantage in manpower, and we need to complete a formidable task — to stay hidden or traverse enemy territory without being detected."
"Tell , how will you handle the dinner situation?"
Ryan answered without hesitation, "I can bring more food, sir!"
"The food you brought is gone."
"I can eat fruits and so plant leaves, sir!"
"There are so poisonous plants around you, and you don’t know how to identify them."
"I Can..."
Before Ryan could finish, the Major raised his hand to stop him, then turned to his adjutant, "Sa question, how would you handle it?"
The adjutant turned and walked to the serving cart, picked a piece of slightly dried raw at, sliced it with a dagger from his side, and swallowed it.
"I would eat this at, sir!"
The Major nodded in satisfaction. "Very well..." he said as he looked at the others, "this is your dinner: raw at. You may choose not to eat it, but we have a twenty-kiloter full load cross-country tomorrow morning. I hope you have the strength."
"If anyone falls behind and cannot keep up, you can genuinely retire!"
"Now, dismissed..."
After the officers left, those in the dining hall stared blankly at the raw at on the cart, and so gagged. In an age where even steaks need to be well-done, who the hell likes raw at?
On the first day, Ryan endured it with diarrhea and vomiting.
By eight o’clock the next morning, Ryan, a bit weary, arrived at the field. The full load cross-country was up next, and what made his scalp tingle was that he had ten pounds more load than the others.
He looked at the officers, clenched his fists, and spoke up, "Report, sir."
The Major looked at him, gesturing for him to continue.
"Why do I have ten pounds more load than the others, sir?!"
Even a troublemaker has his advantages. Despite facing his superior, he dared to confront him to figure out why he was being treated differently.
If they were really trying to use him to set an example, or had issues with him, he didn’t care whether or not he stayed.
Looking at Ryan’s defiant face, the Major’s answer surprised everyone—
"Yesterday you said you brought more food. Now I’m giving you this opportunity. The extra ten pounds is the food you supposedly brought. Is there a problem?"
Three to five seconds later, Ryan shouted back, "No, sir!"
The Major nodded, "Very good. Anyone else have questions?"
No one spoke up.
"I must remind you, we are now in enemy territory, and all actions that could expose us are inadvisable."
"You may think I’m giving you trouble, but in reality, this is a real case we encountered in Alia. We were surrounded by anti-governnt forces. If we were exposed, we would be overwheld by countless enemies and then eliminated."
"I need to be responsible for your future. I’d rather have you washed out here than see you die on the battlefield."
"This isn’t an exercise on a military base, or military training. We will soon embark on a live ammunition mission abroad. Each of you could die there, including ."
"The only thing I can do now is to give you as many chances to survive as possible, to equip you with more self-rescue skills and abilities."
After finishing his speech, the Major’s gaze lingered on each soldier’s face for a mont, "Move out!"
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