This kid knew well—if she wanted to succeed, she could only rely on herself.
Sergeant Zhang deeply respected that about Yan Xiyan. He had seen her grit, her composure, and her silent determination during the past year, especially when she trained with the rookie soldiers. She was different.
Saturday evening. Her official training began.
In the middle of a dimly lit training room, Sergeant Zhang stood like a silent predator. With only one light overhead casting sharp shadows across his face, he looked more like a nocturnal leopard than a soldier.
Though his voice carried the weight of age, his presence was sharp—lethal.
"Yan Xiyan, I am a sniper. What I can teach you are the lessons carved from my years of experience.You have one minute.Decide—do you want to learn from me?"
The words echoed in the silence.
A sniper...
Yan Xiyan shivered slightly under the cold light. So this was Sergeant Zhang's true identity.
No wonder—no wonder his eyes had always carried a killing intent. No wonder he felt so dangerous even when he was smiling.
But she didn't back down.
She clenched her fists subtly and suppressed the tremble in her heart. When she spoke, her voice was clear and calm—like an ancient well, undisturbed and bottomless.
"I have no other options. I will go forward… with no regrets."
Sergeant Zhang studied her for a moment, then gave a slow nod.
"Fair enough.There's no turning back from this point on."
He stepped back into the shadows, hands behind his back.
The first training session began.
"Snipers," he said, his voice deep, "are the embodiment of death in the eyes of our enemies.To our comrades, we are heroes—lethal precision, the tip of the spear."
"We infiltrate enemy camps alone.We change the tide of war… with a single shot."
Yan Xiyan stood still, spine straight, breathing controlled, eyes unwavering. She listened.
"The snipers I train will not be ordinary people."
His gaze was like a blade.
The training program Sergeant Zhang had prepared for her was ruthless—designed not for the average soldier, but for a warrior of the highest caliber.
"A sniper needs more than marksmanship," he continued."They need an indomitable will. A body that doesn't break. A heart that never flinches."
The New Recruit Camp had already begun implementing the first phase of the Six-Year Plan.
As a sniper, Sergeant Zhang would teach her how to handle every type of sniper rifle, how to breathe in silence, how to disappear into the landscape. But more than that, he would train her will—to bend steel with her spirit.
"You'll learn everything—weapon systems, sniping philosophy, professional tactics.You're to persist until your body gives out."
Yan Xiyan didn't hesitate.
"I will obey your orders and never flinch!" she answered, her voice unwavering.
Though she looked calm, her heart surged with excitement. This was her path. Her rebirth.
Sergeant Zhang laid out the schedule with a grim expression.
"Up at 5:00 every morning.Eight kilometers of jogging, gradually increased.Two hours of willpower training every night.Back to your academic classes by 10:30 PM."
"You'll train with us, but you'll also excel in school.You must graduate… with outstanding results."