Glory of Special Forces Episode 19 Recap
> Glory of Special Forces Recap
The intense training continued to escalate, with increased difficulty. During a shooting drill, the instructor, Cao Ben, announced the results. Bai Long, designated as number 30, and Guo Xiaoxiao, number 31, barely met the standard, while everyone else failed. Cao Ben emphasized that to join the Cheetah Special Forces, they needed to put in two hundred percent effort. In three days, they would face a physical shooting assessment under extreme conditions, and anyone scoring below eighty-five points would be eliminated.
Xiao Yun Jie, exasperated, complained that the training was designed to push them to their limits, as if everyone was a sniper. Yan Poyue requested additional ammunition for extra practice, but Cao Ben reprimanded him for wasting too many bullets and advised him to use his brain more in future training. Determined not to be eliminated, Yan Poyue approached Guo Xiaoxiao, who was known to be a skilled sniper, for guidance.
He explained his intention to improve his shooting for the upcoming moving target assessment. Guo Xiaoxiao, identifying herself only by her number, 31, initially seemed reluctant. She told Yan Poyue that to become an excellent shooter, one must achieve stability of mind, hand, and vision. Yan Poyue, proud of his years of horse stance and brick-holding training, believed his hands were steady enough. Guo Xiaoxiao, however, pointed out his recent target scores, which contradicted his claim.
She then asked how long he could hold his breath underwater, to which he replied around three minutes, a time he considered close to a professional diver's record for an ordinary person. Guo Xiaoxiao scoffed, stating that he needed to hold his breath for at least six minutes, and that her personal record was seven minutes and forty-five seconds, which she considered her regular performance.
Intrigued, Yan Poyue asked how she achieved this, and she told him to meet her at her dorm before lights out. Later, while washing up, Xiao Yun Jie tried to engage Bai Long in conversation, asking if this was his second enlistment, but Bai Long dismissed him curtly.
Zhou Zi Jian then pulled Xiao Yun Jie aside, whispering that their regiment had been reorganized and transferred to a high-altitude base to serve as "sparring partners"—essentially professional punching bags for other elite units. This meant they truly had no way back. Xiao Yun Jie rushed to tell Yan Poyue the dire news, stressing that they absolutely could not afford to be eliminated and return to such a fate.
Yan Poyue, confident in their abilities, assured him they wouldn't be eliminated, and then proceeded downstairs to find Guo Xiaoxiao. A sentinel initially blocked him, but Lv Tu arrived and allowed Yan Poyue to explain his poor shooting performance and his desire to learn how to stabilize his body from Guo Xiaoxiao. Lv Tu was pleased by Yan Poyue's initiative, noting that the day's training had clearly benefited him.
Lv Tu also informed Yan Poyue that Guo Xiaoxiao, as a sniper, achieved exceptional breath-holding times far beyond what she had revealed, explaining that prolonged static apnoea leads to greater shooting stability. He elaborated on the technique, involving multiple deep breaths to purge carbon dioxide and calm the mind, and how immersing oneself in cold water could further slow the heart rate to approximately seventy percent and reduce oxygen consumption, eventually allowing for self-hypnosis and similar effects in combat.
Seeing Yan Poyue’s eager quest for knowledge, Lv Tu agreed to give him ten minutes to speak with Guo Xiaoxiao. Yan Poyue knocked on her door. Guo Xiaoxiao opened it and immediately placed a needle and a few rice grains in his hand. Her first instruction was for him to perform one hundred push-ups, then hold his breath and use the needle to carve a flower onto a grain of rice.
She explained that this "micro-carving" was the most basic training for hand-eye coordination, and a more challenging version of a known exercise where soldiers, after intense physical exertion, are made to pick up scattered rice grains one by one to train their immediate transition to stillness. Yan Poyue found the method unbelievable and struggled, his hand trembling uncontrollably after the push-ups. Guo Xiaoxiao laughed at his initial attempt, which angered Yan Poyue, who started to walk away.
Guo Xiaoxiao quickly chastised him, reminding him that as a special forces operative, he might face overwhelming enemy numbers and would need to retreat while engaging in sudden ambushes. In such situations, emotional outbursts would be useless and endanger his comrades. She stressed the importance of transitioning from high-speed movement to immediate stillness while maintaining a calm state, enabling precise shots with steady hands.
She explained the two key factors for hand stability: learning to deceive one's own body and mastering military techniques. Deceiving the body involved generating an intense belief that failure to stabilize instantly would result in death, thereby forcing the body to unlock its full potential, much like a person hanging by one arm over a cliff could defy physical limits under threat of death.
She also advised targeted training, such as moving in a "Three Charge One Stop State," an irregular pace that makes a soldier a difficult target for snipers, similar to a vehicle swerving to avoid artillery fire. With Guo Xiaoxiao's guidance and constant practice, Yan Poyue eventually succeeded in carving a flower, albeit a simple one that Guo Xiaoxiao teased looked like a kindergarten teacher's red flower. Despite her teasing, Yan Poyue was immensely proud of his achievement.
Three days later, the assessments began. The first was moving target shooting over mid to long distances during a march. The visibility was intentionally reduced to simulate battlefield conditions, forcing soldiers to rely on instinct. Guo Xiaoxiao performed flawlessly, hitting all ten targets. Yan Poyue, however, only hit four targets in his first attempt, leaving him with a low score and requiring exceptionally high scores in subsequent rounds to avoid elimination.
The second assessment involved shooting at moving targets in a simulated alleyway, performed in pairs. The instructor warned that failing to hit targets could lead to elimination or accidental injury to a teammate. Yan Poyue (number 27) and Guo Xiaoxiao (number 31) were paired for this round. To everyone’s relief, both Yan Poyue and Guo Xiaoxiao hit all ten bullseyes, demonstrating Yan Poyue’s progress under Guo Xiaoxiao’s tutelage. Qin Feng, observing their success, allowed himself a small smile.
The final phase of the assessment was a physical shooting test under extreme conditions. Soldiers had to engage moving targets, emptying their magazines within thirty seconds, all while being sprayed with ice water and simultaneously answering random tactical questions from the instructors.
Soldiers were tested on their knowledge of equipment like the M18A1 Claymore's lethal range (60 degrees, 50 meters), the Dragon Missile's flareback danger zone (30 meters), the M2 Bradley's maximum crew (9 personnel), and the Mk 19 Automatic Grenade Launcher's maximum range (1600 meters).
When Qin Feng provocatively asked Guo Xiaoxiao if female soldiers were weaker than males, she defiantly declared her strength and, when ordered to do fifty push-ups, volunteered to do one hundred, prompting Qin Feng to demand two hundred instead. Yan Poyue was also challenged with complex calculations involving C-4 explosives and safety fuses. Yan Poyue endured the harsh conditions, his mind resolute.
He acknowledged that Qin Feng, a major, held immense power over their fates, but he inwardly vowed to master his own destiny. He then reflected in a letter to Ai Qianxue, enclosing the tiny rice grain carved with the red flower, that his final test, the "Hellish Week," was set for tomorrow, and he was determined to uphold the honor of their 247th Regiment.
Following the grueling training, Qin Feng assembled the recruits and, to their utter surprise and suspicion, announced that, as a reward for their outstanding performance, they would receive a day of rest tomorrow. Xiao Yun Jie expressed his unease, convinced that this unexpected respite was too good to be true, but others tried to reassure him.
