Glory of Special Forces Episode 3 Recap
> Glory of Special Forces Recap
The new recruits slowly returned from their night terrain assessment, but Yan Poyue, Xiao Yun Jie, and Lu Xiao Tian were still missing, leaving Company Commander Li Xiang puzzled and worried they might be lost. Meanwhile, the three missing recruits had already managed to subdue a Captain and were making their way towards the drill's central command post. Inside the command post, Ai Qianxue, the commander, was directing her troops.
The Special Service Company was making a final push, attempting to breach enemy defenses, but only two minutes remained, making it impossible for them to reach the command post in time. As Ai Qianxue was about to order the destruction of drones sent by the Special Service Company, Yan Poyue, Xiao Yun Jie, and Lu Xiao Tian, having stealthily approached, kicked open the curtain of the command post. Yan Poyue declared that everyone inside was captured.
Ai Qianxue, however, was too preoccupied with the ongoing battle to pay them any mind, treating their declaration as mere interference. Completely ignored, the three felt awkward. Yan Poyue, tired of being overlooked, dramatically looked up and smashed the power equipment with a shovel. The command post plunged into darkness. Moments later, the drill team announced that the enemy command post had been destroyed, leading to an unexpected victory for the Special Service Company.
Ai Qianxue, furious at the unexpected turn of events caused by the three recruits, fired several shots in their direction. Outside, the Special Service soldiers were equally bewildered, wondering how they had won. Back at the new recruit camp, Li Xiang grew increasingly concerned. With Yan Poyue, Xiao Yun Jie, and Lu Xiao Tian still unaccounted for, he dispatched teams to search the starting point, the train station, and the bus stop, fearing they might be deserters.
Chen Min Tao, the instructor, also expressed his worry about the serious implications if the three were not found. The Special Service Company's leadership struggled to understand their victory. The Vice Company Commander tried to analyze their win, claiming an elite team was sent to flank the enemy. However, Ai Qianxue quickly pointed out that no such team had been dispatched by her. Their roll call showed all soldiers present.
The drill chief later clarified that given the concealed location of the enemy command post, the Special Service Company would have sent a larger force if they had detected it. Therefore, the victory was attributed to the individual actions of the three new recruits, not the Special Service Company's strategy. He demanded an explanation by daybreak. At dawn, Yan Poyue, Xiao Yun Jie, and Lu Xiao Tian were driven back to the regiment by Staff Officer Zhang.
They were cheerfully eating, oblivious to the gravity of their actions. Staff Officer Zhang tried to explain to them that their actions were more serious than past incidents of military indiscipline, which had led to dismissal. Upon their return, Li Xiang, visibly upset, kicked stones while muttering about "stumbling blocks." Staff Officer Zhang, however, recognized their potential, calling Yan Poyue a "grindstone" rather than a stumbling block.
He revealed that the Regiment Commander and Political Commissar were asking about them, viewing them as valuable assets that could make Special Service even stronger. Li Xiang, caught between the Regiment Commander's request for his opinion and the Political Commissar's directive to "cultivate them well," confessed he was unsure how to proceed. During their formal reprimand, Li Xiang interrogated them.
Yan Poyue took responsibility, while Xiao Yun Jie tried to share the blame, and Lu Xiao Tian offered a verbose, overly apologetic explanation, claiming it was a misunderstanding caused by them getting lost. Li Xiang then tested Lu Xiao Tian's loyalty, asking if he would follow Yan Poyue and Xiao Yun Jie even if it meant certain death. Lu Xiao Tian responded he would make judgments as he saw fit.
Ultimately, Li Xiang announced their punishment: three days of administrative custody. Chen Min Tao was surprised by the lenient sentence. Li Xiang then elaborated that while Zhang Tianyang was dissatisfied with the outcome, he saw a strong desire in Yan Poyue's eyes—a desire he himself once possessed but now lacked. He believed this intense ambition made Yan Poyue overlook those around him, caring only for himself.
Li Xiang stated that they both thought highly of Yan Poyue, even if Yan Poyue did not yet acknowledge their worth. He also revealed that the incident was likely Yan Poyue's deliberate plan to attract the attention of the Regiment Commander and Political Commissar, which was half a success, with the other half depending on whether they could endure the Special Service Company.
In the confinement room, Xiao Yun Jie and Lu Xiao Tian remained upbeat, even planning a "post-war review." Yan Poyue, however, was not at ease. During their confinement, they observed an exceptionally strong individual named Xiao Fei, known as the 'Dragon,' training rigorously outside. Even Company Commander Li Xiang paled in comparison to Xiao Fei's individual prowess, which encompassed shooting, equipment, and grenade throwing.
However, Xiao Fei was known for not being good at leading soldiers and had been rejected from the special operations detachment for three consecutive years, now constantly pushing himself in self-competition. This observation further stimulated Yan Poyue. His heart pounded as he stared at the faint light from the window, images of being trapped resurfacing from his past.
He knew the past became a scar the more he tried to forget it, and all he could do was let the present become the past by pushing himself relentlessly. Ignoring Xiao Yun Jie and Lu Xiao Tian's pleas to stop, Yan Poyue continued his strenuous exercises day and night without food or water. Eventually, he collapsed from dehydration and muscle spasms. Xiao Yun Jie and Lu Xiao Tian frantically called for help.
Zhang Tian Yang rushed Yan Poyue to the infirmary. Ai Qianxue, encountering them there, learned of Yan Poyue's condition. She gently admonished him, advising him not to always seek to stand out, as the military was a collective, and such behavior would only harm himself. Yan Poyue, still absorbed in his thoughts, merely acknowledged her words but turned away.
After Yan Poyue's recovery, Company Commander Li Xiang made a formal request to the Regiment Commander to cancel the Special Service Company's drill results. Despite being informed that this would negatively impact the company's annual training scores and his own promotion prospects, Li Xiang insisted, stating that the Special Service Company would not engage in falsifying records.
He also declared his willingness to take Yan Poyue and Xiao Yun Jie into his company, even though no other unit would want them after the incident, but on the condition that the regiment would not interfere with his arrangements. He acknowledged that these two soldiers sought opportunities, and by attracting the attention of higher-ups, they had created their own opportunity. The next morning, the three recruits in confinement were woken by music.
Yan Poyue quickly realized it was not morning exercise, but the new recruit commissioning ceremony. They were still locked up and ineligible to participate. Yan Poyue, calmer than his companions, noted that it was precisely the third day of their administrative custody. Just as Xiao Yun Jie began to despair about being forgotten, Zhang Tian Yang arrived, announcing the end of their administrative custody and instructing them to put on their uniforms.
Due to missing the main ceremony, Chen Min Tao held a special make-up commissioning ceremony for them in their dormitory. He conferred upon Yan Poyue, Xiao Yun Jie, and Lu Xiao Tian the rank of Private, emphasizing the responsibility that came with it. The three raised their right hands and solemnly pledged allegiance. Chen Min Tao then announced their assignment to the Special Service Company and ordered them to report immediately.
Their excitement turned to dismay when they discovered their assignment was not to the elite Special Service combat units but to the kitchen squad. Yan Poyue, utterly displeased, immediately ran to Li Xiang to protest, arguing that as the top recruit in the comprehensive assessment, he shouldn't be relegated to the kitchen. Li Xiang's curt and dismissive response only fueled Yan Poyue's indignation, but he had no choice but to return to the kitchen.
At the kitchen squad, Yan Poyue, Xiao Yun Jie, and Lu Xiao Tian reported to Squad Leader Fan Jin. Fan Jin, aware of Yan Poyue's attempted protest, assigned him to slice a large basket of onions. Xiao Yun Jie and Lu Xiao Tian were tasked with peeling potatoes and emptying slop, respectively.
As Yan Poyue struggled with the onions, tearing up from the fumes, Fan Jin noticed his clumsy cutting technique and pointed out that his cuts were too uneven for cooking. The new recruits’ journey in the kitchen had just begun.
