Glory of Special Forces Episode 23 Recap
> Glory of Special Forces Recap
During an urban anti-terror training exercise, Yan Poyue independently rushed forward to eliminate the targets. He reported that an eight-man squad was not agile enough and their advance was too slow, preventing an effective raid. He believed that being overly cautious would only hinder their speed and questioned if real enemies would show them mercy.
Lv Tu, angered by Yan Poyue's unauthorized action, reminded him that their goal was to complete the mission and return alive with their teammates, not simply to kill more people. Yan Poyue, still unconvinced, suggested they try his method for comparison. Lv Tu, however, refused and instead told them to remember the battle plan and repeat the training. During the second attempt, Yan Poyue once again used his own independent approach.
An exasperated Lv Tu declared the mission a failure, with everyone except Yan Poyue considered "dead." This sparked a heated argument among the team, with Yue Kong and Bai Long criticizing Yan Poyue for his arrogance and disregard for his teammates. Qin Feng, hearing the commotion, intervened. Although he suspected Yan Poyue was showing off, Bai Long and Lv Tu covered for him, claiming they were merely discussing battle tactics.
Later, Qin Feng invited Bai Long to his office for a private conversation, expressing his genuine happiness at Bai Long's return to Cheetah. Qin Feng observed that Bai Long was still unable to let go of the past incident involving Xiang Fei's sacrifice. Bai Long confirmed this, stating that he believed someone should be held accountable, and Xiang Fei should not have died.
Qin Feng then posed a question, asking if Bai Long would have felt the same grief if Cao Ben had died instead of Xiang Fei. Qin Feng explained that he, Lv Tu, and Leng Jing had learned to internalize their pain, believing Bai Long had too, until Bai Long openly challenged Cao Ben. This made Qin Feng realize that Bai Long still sought concrete answers. Qin Feng then asked Bai Long why he had a low opinion of Yan Poyue.
Bai Long bluntly called Yan Poyue selfish, a sentiment Qin Feng agreed with, describing it as severe individual heroism. Despite this, Qin Feng had intentionally kept Yan Poyue and placed him in Bai Long's team. Qin Feng explained that they represented two extremes of human nature – Bai Long's emphasis on camaraderie and teamwork versus Yan Poyue's individualism. He hoped that by living and training together, they could influence each other, adapt, and overcome their blind spots.
Bai Long, however, insisted that Yan Poyue should be the one to adapt. Qin Feng, as the captain, then assigned Bai Long two special missions: first, to actively engage with Yan Poyue during future training to improve their synergy; and second, to find Cao Ben after training that evening for a serious talk, explicitly forbidding any physical confrontation. During a meal, Yan Poyue found himself targeted by older soldiers.
Guo Xiaoxiao was about to intervene but was stopped by Yue Kong. These veterans intended to teach Yan Poyue a lesson, but in his eyes, they were not worthy. Xiao Yun Jie earnestly urged Yan Poyue to curb his temper and be more cooperative, but Yan Poyue refused to listen, adamant about his own approach. He argued that the current tactics were flawed, based on an overly rational view of the enemy, while real adversaries were desperate and irrational.
He believed the only way to succeed was to swiftly eliminate the enemy leader. Xiao Yun Jie pointed out that everyone else, like Guo Xiaoxiao and Yue Kong, also had their own ideas but chose to remain silent. However, Yan Poyue insisted he had his own methods and would not try to curry favor with the old soldiers just to fit in. Later that night, Bai Long found Cao Ben at the shooting range.
Cao Ben, who had also been deeply affected by Xiang Fei's sacrifice, recognized that Qin Feng had sent Bai Long to talk. He expressed his belief that he and Bai Long had nothing left to say to each other. Bai Long questioned Cao Ben's prolonged aiming without firing, implying Cao Ben was avoiding confrontation. Cao Ben acknowledged the depth of their shared pain and the constant reminder Bai Long's presence served.
He confessed that for three years, everyone had hidden their true feelings – sympathy, pity, and apprehension – but Bai Long's appearance had constantly reminded him that he was not the one who should have survived. Cao Ben applied to join Bai Long's Team Nine, explaining that he needed to face certain things himself and that Bai Long acted like an X-ray machine, forcing him to confront his inner demons.
Qin Feng acknowledged the importance of understanding, not pity, in their unit, and approved Cao Ben's request, believing extreme environments would foster the necessary understanding between them. The next day, during one-on-one combat training, Yan Poyue, ever the provocateur, challenged Yue Kong. He even suggested a bet: the loser would drink the winner's foot-washing water.
Just as they were about to begin, Bai Long suddenly pushed Yue Kong aside, declaring he would fight Yan Poyue to cure him of his arrogance. Bai Long's attacks became increasingly vicious, making Xiao Yun Jie visibly anxious. Lv Tu observed, noting that such intensity was "training for actual combat." The fight ended in a draw, with Lv Tu remarking that it had been a long time since anyone could match Bai Long.
After the fight, Yan Poyue again questioned the team's battle plan, calling it problematic. Lv Tu explained that the Cheetah Special Forces' tactics were forged through years of real combat experience and countless lessons. He emphasized that abandoning an injured comrade, even to survive, would only lead to a life of greater pain, directing his gaze towards Cao Ben. Based on her observations during training, Guo Xiaoxiao felt Yue Kong's skill was not superior to her own.
She approached Qin Feng, challenging why she was assigned as an observer while Yue Kong was the sniper. Qin Feng, dismissing her complaint about going over her direct superior's head, decided to arrange a sniper competition for them the following day to determine who was qualified to be the sniper. Leng Jing expressed concern, fearing that such a competition might damage Guo Xiaoxiao's confidence as a female soldier.
However, Qin Feng believed that as "Lone Wolf," Guo Xiaoxiao, with her high aspirations, would only truly cooperate with Yue Kong if she was genuinely convinced of his superiority through a direct confrontation. Yan Poyue, overhearing this, cautioned Guo Xiaoxiao that Qin Feng's ready agreement meant the situation was more complex than it seemed, hinting that Yue Kong had yet to reveal his true capabilities.
The next day's sniper competition involved multiple stages: an initial shot at 350 meters, a weighted run to 700 meters for a second shot, moving targets at 900 meters, and a final shot at the endpoint. As the competition progressed, Yue Kong's exceptional skills became evident. During the final stage, a critical moment arose when Leng Jing stepped in front of the swaying target. Yue Kong, with unwavering confidence, successfully hit the target.
Guo Xiaoxiao, on the other hand, hesitated, her face covered in sweat, and ultimately could not fire, demonstrating a lack of confidence in her own aim. After the match, Guo Xiaoxiao claimed that Yue Kong wouldn't have won if Leng Jing hadn't stood in front of the target. Yue Kong disagreed, explaining that her shooting excelled in defense, while his excelled in offense. He offered to be her observer if she could master both offensive and defensive shooting.
Meanwhile, in the criminal underworld, all northern routes into China were sealed, prompting Kun Sheng to avoid further confrontation with Chinese military police. This decision, however, greatly displeased Xing Tian, who saw it as weakness. During their discussion, the northern blockade and Kun Sheng's reluctance to challenge Chinese authorities were confirmed.
Kun Sheng, recalling how his past ambition to expand his forces and flood China with drugs led to the near-collapse of Red Scorpion, warned Xing Tian against repeating his mistakes. During their discussion, Kun Sheng pulled out a gun and shot a Chinese associate standing next to Xing Tian, not Xing Tian himself, as a chilling warning.
Taking advantage of the situation, Xing Tian successfully swayed another one of Kun Sheng's men, who had been forced to serve Kun Sheng due to his family being held captive, to his side. The man chose to follow Xing Tian when offered a new path.
