Glory of Special Forces Episode 12 Recap
> Glory of Special Forces Recap
Yan Poyue regained consciousness in the hospital after undergoing surgery for a perforating gunshot wound to his left posterior chest and a concussion. Qin Feng, from Cheetah Commando, who had saved him, was by his side. Yan Poyue recognized Qin Feng and, when asked about his injury, asserted it was his duty. Qin Feng explained that the waterway leading to the border was Cheetah Commando's territory, and Yan Poyue and Xiao Yun Jie had crossed the boundary.
Qin Feng's men had observed them but did not intervene. He stressed that as a soldier, Yan Poyue should focus on a soldier's duties, not a general's. Qin Feng then showed him a mark and asked if he had seen it before. Yan Poyue confirmed he had seen it in the forest and on armed drug traffickers during a previous attack on their sentry post.
Qin Feng identified it as the symbol of Red Scorpion, an armed drug cartel involved in kidnapping, trafficking, and even preying on other drug cartels. He warned Yan Poyue that he was lucky this time, as he only encountered ordinary traffickers; facing Red Scorpion would have been far more dangerous. Yan Poyue claimed to have fought them, but Qin Feng corrected him, stating that Fan Jin was the one who engaged them while Yan Poyue was merely observing.
Yan Poyue then declared his ambition to join Cheetah Commando. Qin Feng found him too impatient, remarking that Cheetah Commando does not favor such individuals. Qin Feng also subtly chastised Yan Poyue, reminding him that Zhang Tian Yang, his squad leader, was in the adjacent room, severely injured while covering him. Qin Feng had expected Yan Poyue's first question upon waking to be about Zhang Tian Yang and expressed his disappointment.
Overwhelmed with regret, Yan Poyue struggled to get up, then resentfully pulled his blanket over his head. Meanwhile, Xing Tian relentlessly trained new recruits, allowing only the winners to eat. Miya, a young woman who was a former drug addict and had sold herself, then got caught stealing drugs from them, displayed exceptional skill with a gun, impressing Daddy Kun.
Xing Tian reported her progress to Daddy Kun, who offered to teach Miya how to use a Dha, a Burmese knife. Miya refused, unwilling to kill for them. Daddy Kun, respecting her wish to leave, offered her a challenge: if she could traverse the Kachin Hills with a bow and arrows and return alive, she would be free to go wherever she wished, with his protection within Red Scorpion territory.
Xing Tian, however, believed she had a worthless life and would not survive. Fifteen days passed without a trace of Miya. Xing Tian, uncharacteristically concerned, ordered a boat to the Kachin Hills, though he told Lai he was going to the casino. Miya eventually returned, bloodied but alive, having used six arrows. True to his word, Daddy Kun offered her freedom, but to Xing Tian's surprise, Miya knelt, calling him "Daddy Kun," and asked to be taught the Dha.
Xing Tian questioned why she didn't leave, to which Miya replied that she had many opportunities to kill him but wanted to defeat and kill him fairly. While still recovering in the hospital, Yan Poyue visited Zhang Tian Yang, who remained in a coma, vowing to repay his debt. Xiao Yun Jie and Lu Xiao Tian also came to the hospital, playfully calling Yan Poyue a hero.
They informed him that Luo Fu Gui was safe and cooperating with the authorities. Ai Qianxue, a psychological counselor, conducted an assessment with Yan Poyue. She asked about his first kill, where his knife got stuck in bone, making him feel helpless. His second kill, using a blunt electrical pen, made him feel the victim's hot blood.
Recalling these events, Yan Poyue grew visibly distressed, but Ai Qianxue had to ask about the third kill, which he described as feeling the handgun's recoil. Ai Qianxue tried to normalize his experience, explaining that post-traumatic stress symptoms were common for soldiers in their first combat. Yan Poyue vehemently denied having any issues, banging on the bed and declaring that only the weak suffer from psychological trauma.
The doctor, though acknowledging Yan Poyue's strong psychological fortitude and lack of immediate sequelae, warned of a possibility of him developing an extreme personality given the unprecedented experience of three close-quarter kills. Upon his return to the company, Yan Poyue suffered from recurring nightmares of the killings, waking up with agonizing screams.
The military announced that Cheetah Commando would expand, selecting elites from various units, with the Mobile Regiment chosen as a key unit for the first phase of military reform. After his discharge, Yan Poyue, awarded a Second-Class Merit, began training with renewed, almost manic, intensity. Li Xiang and Chen Min Tao, impressed by his dedication, decided to recommend him for the special forces selection.
Li Xiang, anticipating his own transfer to civilian work, expressed hope for Yan Poyue's promising future, acknowledging Yan Poyue's desire for self-reliance. Zhang Tian Yang, having recovered from his injuries, also reported his intention to join the special forces selection, having heard about it through a regimental notice.
Political Instructor Chen Min Tao expressed concern about his recent injury, but Li Xiang supported Zhang Tian Yang, recalling his own missed opportunity to join the special forces and wishing his former squad leader success. Zhang Tian Yang assured them his decision was not influenced by Li Xiang's impending transfer, but rather his own dreams. He also said that if he did not pass the selection, he would return to the company to continue his duties as a squad leader.
Regiment Commander Liu, protective of his unit's talent, expressed his concerns to Qin Feng about losing his best soldiers to the Cheetah Commando. He made it a condition that Qin Feng could not take Yan Poyue. Surprisingly, Qin Feng readily agreed. When asked for his reasoning, Qin Feng explained that while Yan Poyue possessed many qualities of an excellent soldier, he was too self-centered, prioritizing his own ambition to surpass everyone.
Qin Feng emphasized that special forces operations often involved desperate situations where absolute trust in comrades was paramount, even above oneself—a quality Yan Poyue currently lacked. They briefly discussed the military reform, with Qin Feng mentioning his own unit's transition from commandos to special forces, implying that adaptation was necessary for everyone. Yan Poyue’s intense training continued day and night, leaving him sleep-deprived.
Lu Xiao Tian perceived this as an attempt to show off, but Fan Jin, having experienced combat and killing himself, recognized a deeper, more troubling issue. He worried that Yan Poyue was not coping well with taking three lives, stating that such an experience could not be overcome quickly. During a training session, Zhou Zi Jian provocatively remarked about Yan Poyue having "blood on his hands."
This triggered Yan Poyue, who, flashing back to the killings, lost control and attacked Zhou Zi Jian with potentially lethal force, pushing away anyone who tried to intervene. Zhang Tian Yang and Xiao Yun Jie rushed in to restrain him, eventually managing to pin him down until he calmed.
A doctor later confirmed that Yan Poyue was suffering from typical post-traumatic re-experiencing symptoms, noting that while medication could be prescribed, it would only offer temporary relief, with a high likelihood of relapse. The doctor suggested transferring him to the military region general hospital for more specialized care. Despite this, Yan Poyue vehemently insisted he was fine and begged Li Xiang and Chen Min Tao not to suspend his training.
