109: Yifeng

At 6:20 the next morning, Lin Fang saw Yan Zhuohua at the training ground, so unsteady he could barely stand.

For the first time, he felt a sense of goodwill toward Yan Qinghe, who often came to visit and interrupted his training progress. Look at this—the results of one night were much better than any "ten-kilometer cross-country" or "armed swimming" he could arrange! It truly saved time and was highly effective.

It was just a pity that this trick could only be used on Yan Zhuohua.

Lin Fang sighed with regret but pulled himself together to continue the training mission, torturing Yan Zhuohua until he wished he were dead.

Various training sessions continued day after day, occasionally interspersed with "prison visits" involving candy and small cakes. Although Yan Zhuohua was exhausted during this month, he successfully brought his strength to a level much more powerful than it had been a few years ago. After all, age played a part; twenty-one was definitely better than fourteen or fifteen.

On the last day of training, Yan Zhuoyang specially gave him a comprehensive test. Seeing the final results exceed his expectations, he finally nodded in satisfaction. His younger brother, who had been training since childhood, was indeed stronger; he was more than just a little bit better than the soldiers he had painstakingly screened.

"Not bad, I'll count it as a pass!" Yan Zhuoyang said to Yan Zhuohua in a pleasant mood. "Rest well tonight. It happens to be Saturday, so Qinghe can come and spend the night with you."

"...The whole night?"

"Don't worry, you have to report to the Research Institute tomorrow afternoon, so I won't let him touch you. He'll just be there to keep you company."

Yan Zhuohua was relieved and became even more joyful and expectant.

"Alright, he'll be here in an hour or two. Arrange your own time—you can wander around or rest. Just don't forget to meet me at the parking lot at two o'clock tomorrow afternoon."

Having finally completed his special training, Yan Zhuohua returned to his dormitory in high spirits.

Just kidding, what was there to see? He had run all over this field during training and really didn't want to see it again. It was better to go back to the dormitory, play on his phone, and wait for Yan Qinghe.

This time, Yan Qinghe arrived a bit early, entering Yan Zhuohua's dormitory with practiced ease before ten o'clock.

"You're finally here!" Yan Zhuohua got up from the bed as soon as he heard footsteps. "My training is over!"

"I know! Didn't I specifically bring you some delicious food to celebrate?"

As Yan Qinghe spoke, he opened the large, heavy bag in his hand and took out several boxes of barbecue, seafood, stir-fry, fruit juice, as well as Yan Zhuohua's favorite fruit candies and small cakes.

Yan Zhuohua's eyes sparkled. "So much good food! But can we finish it all?"

"It's fine," Yan Qinghe said nonchalantly as he opened the boxes one by one. "If we can't finish it, we'll send it to Eldest Brother."

"Then we really are Eldest Brother's good younger brothers!"

The two "good younger brothers" ate their feast in the simple dormitory while chatting about the next month's special training.

"I have two pieces of news for you. Do you want to hear the good one or the bad one first?" Yan Qinghe asked him with a smile.

"I want you to turn the bad one into a good one before telling me."

"...Are you making things difficult for me?" Yan Qinghe arched an eyebrow. "But I really can't help you with this one."

Yan Zhuohua's eyes curved. "What exactly is the bad news that even you can't help me with?"

"Your test-drive training next month will be handled by the Research Institute."

"I know that!" Unlike this month's training, the test-drive training mainly focused on becoming familiar with mecha operations, learning relevant theoretical knowledge, and handling emergencies. These things could only be taught by the Research Institute.

Yan Qinghe's smile widened further. "So, it's specifically been put in Second Brother's charge."

"...I'd rather spend a few more months under Eldest Brother and Lin Fang." Yan Zhuohua seemed to lose the courage to go on in an instant. "Is it too late for me to desert now?"

"What do you think?"

Much of the joy Yan Zhuohua felt from the feast was diminished.

"And the good news?" He cheered up and continued to press.

“The subsequent production and assembly of the mecha are being handled by our family and the Fu Family, so I'll be coming here frequently next month for field inspections to confirm details based on your training and other interactions. Once the test-drive ends perfectly, the project can be launched and production can start in the short term, equipping the first batch of the Vanguard as soon as possible."

Yan Zhuohua was already well aware of those later goals. The important part was: "How frequent is this 'frequent'?"

"I'll be staying at the Research Institute for two or three days every week."

Yan Zhuohua became visibly happy. "Really?!"

"Really," Yan Qinghe smiled dotingly. "And the further along we get, the longer I'll stay. I might even accompany you throughout the final days of your test-drive."

This good news was enough for Yan Zhuohua to ignore the fact that he was about to fall into the hands of his mischievous Second Brother.

The next afternoon, Yan Zhuohua met Eldest Brother at the parking lot on time, and they went to the Research Institute together.

Speaking of which, for the sake of confidentiality and security, the Research Institute had built its core base directly inside the Military Camp. It was less than a twenty-minute drive from the training ground where Yan Zhuohua had been staying. If it weren't for the fact that entering the Research Institute's territory required multiple identity checks, Yan Zhuoyang would have wanted his brother to just run over there with a weighted pack.

Here, Yan Zhuohua truly should thank the Research Institute's security procedures.

When they reached their destination, Fu Yifeng also happened to get out of his car, and both parties walked inside together.

"Long time no see. I heard you were put in confinement." Fu Yifeng started joking as soon as he spoke.

"Yeah," Yan Zhuohua's legs felt a bit weak at the thought. "What about you? What was your excuse?"

"I was in a bad mood a few days ago and went drag racing, so my dad broke my legs."

Yan Zhuohua instinctively looked at his perfectly intact legs.

"...That's a good excuse," Yan Zhuohua nodded. "But how are you going to explain that you're better in a month?"

"Oh, the doctor said I have a minor fracture and will recover in over a month."

The logic was sound, much better than his own excuse, which had the side effect of gossip flying everywhere.

"Hey, I heard from my cousin that people from our two companies will also be coming often to follow the progress. Does your husband still need me as a monitor?" Fu Yifeng leaned close to Yan Zhuohua and whispered.

"...You'll have to ask him."

Their conversation stopped there because they had finally reached the conference room.

There were already quite a few people sitting in the conference room. Besides the Researchers from the three parties and the relevant persons in charge seated around the conference table, twenty or so soldiers sat with upright postures on the perimeter, all looking to be around twenty years old.

At a glance, Yan Zhuohua saw his mother, Jiang Fuyue, in the first seat on the right, as well as Yan Zhuoyan right below her.

"You're here? Sit down quickly; the meeting starts in ten minutes." Yan Zhuoyan motioned for Yan Zhuohua and Eldest Brother to take the two empty seats below him.

As for Fu Yifeng, he sat on the opposite side with the Fu Family.

"Second Brother, what are those soldiers in the back for?" Yan Zhuohua whispered to Yan Zhuoyan.

"They're the first batch of Pilots Eldest Brother and the others selected before the new year. They'll be attending classes with you, which counts as accumulating experience and getting familiar in advance by watching your operations."

Yan Zhuohua glanced back and continued to ask, "But can they understand?"

This really wasn't Yan Zhuohua being biased, because the content they had to learn was quite profound. Many combat soldiers were somewhat lacking in theoretical courses like physics and chemistry, let alone the ones with the strongest combat capabilities. To stand out from the crowd, they needed extreme physical fitness and long-term training, and these factors were optimal during their high school and college years. Consequently, they inevitably fell short in academic subjects—at least, almost none of them could reach the level of Yan Zhuohua, who had been immersed in it since childhood.

Aside from families like the Yan and Fu families, who cultivated their children in all aspects from a young age and possessed numerous resources and the most suitable training plans, it was rare for ordinary families to produce a top-tier soldier who was "skilled in both the pen and the sword."