Chapter 43: Chenguang He is Shocked!
He Chenguang was utterly bewildered!
As he slowly regained consciousness, he felt as if his entire body was being torn apart by pain!
But the very next second...
He suddenly felt his limbs and bones being nourished by a gentle, trickling stream.
A marvelous, magical energy coursed through his cellular structure, and the intense fatigue and pain gripping his body rapidly dissipated!
In just a brief moment!
His overwhelming exhaustion vanished completely!
He flexed his wrists.
To his sheer amazement, his body felt miraculously restored!
Had it returned to its absolute peak condition?
"What the hell? What's going on? How... how long have I been asleep?"
Suddenly jolted wide awake, He Chenguang couldn't help but curse out loud!
He was thoroughly startled!
There was no helping it!
Before losing consciousness, he vividly remembered participating in a major military exercise!
This drill was of paramount importance to him.
However, after two consecutive days of forced marches, the main force of the Red Team had stumbled right into the Blue Team's trap, resulting in a total rout!
He and a few comrades had been forced to go on the run.
While fleeing through the wilderness, he had finally reached his physical limit and passed out.
"Could I have been eliminated already? Am I in a hospital?"
He Chenguang jerked upright. The moment he opened his eyes, he saw Qin Yuan standing nearby, surrounded by a dense jungle.
Taking in the surrounding trees and Qin Yuan's military uniform, He Chenguang let out a long sigh of relief.
"Thank goodness I haven't been eliminated! Otherwise, everything would be over!"
"You are... Qin... Qin Yuan?"
However, when he clearly recognized the face of the person before him, his jaw dropped in utter astonishment once again!
He was too shocked for words!
There was no avoiding it!
It was precisely because of this soldier's appearance that he had suffered successive setbacks throughout this exercise!
Not only had he failed to take down a single enemy, but he had also pushed himself to the point of physical collapse and unconsciousness!
Prior to this, He Chenguang would never have believed it possible!
Such a thing simply could not happen to him!
Because, in terms of both physical stamina and marksmanship, he had always been the strongest!
Yet...
Just before the exercise began, they had engaged in a high-stakes, peak-level 30-kilometer armed cross-country race against Qin Yuan!
During that trial, Qin Yuan had unleashed a horrifying fraction of his boundless stamina and easily secured victory!
After Qin Yuan won, Gong Jian and Old Hei had actually informed He Chenguang and the others that there was no need to continue the competition.
After all, Qin Yuan had already won—and thoroughly so.
However—
He Chenguang and Wang Bingbing, both fiercely proud and competitive by nature, refused to accept defeat!
In their own words:
Even if they lost, they wanted to lose honorably!
So, they stubbornly pushed themselves to complete that 30-kilometer armed cross-country run at maximum speed.
Driven by the immense pressure of Qin Yuan's terrifying record, the two of them had achieved the best performances of their lives that day!
Both of them had even shattered the 30-kilometer armed cross-country record of the Iron Fist Regiment!
Yet the price they paid was exorbitant.
The moment they crossed the finish line, their bodies began to rebel.
The physical toll was simply too severe!
If not for their already exceptional physical fitness, the two of them would likely have been rushed straight to a hospital long ago.
But what made matters truly fatal...
Just at that critical juncture!
A Level One Combat Readiness order was issued!
They were given no time to rest whatsoever. Dragging their exhausted, bloodshot bodies, they were immediately thrust into this large-scale military exercise!
For the past two days, they had received virtually no sleep or rest.
The fact that they had managed to hold on until now could only be described as a miracle!
"Oh? You still remember me?"
Qin Yuan smiled casually and handed He Chenguang another bottle of energy fluid, before opening one for himself.
After taking a gulp, a wave of cool, refreshing energy instantly surged through Qin Yuan's entire body!
His mental focus sharpened instantly to an unprecedented degree!
All feelings of fatigue were swept away in an instant.
It felt as though...
He had rested comfortably for days and was returning to the battlefield at the absolute peak of his form!
"This world-class energy fluid is insanely powerful, isn't it? The feeling... it's even better than the nutritional fluid from Red Bull!"
Qin Yuan blinked, thoroughly satisfied with the miraculous effects of the energy fluid.
In truth, energy fluid and nutritional fluid were two entirely different items.
Energy fluid focused on replenishing stamina and explosive power.
Nutritional fluid focused on restoring body nutrients.
Naturally, their effects varied accordingly.
He Chenguang accepted the bottle handed to him by Qin Yuan and, without a word of hesitation, drained it in one go. He offered a bitter, self-deprecating smile, saying, "With physical stamina as terrifying as yours, even though we only crossed paths once, it's impossible to forget. I'll probably remember this for the rest of my life!"
He Chenguang sighed deeply.
There was no helping it!
Qin Yuan's sudden appearance had left an indelible impression on both He Chenguang and Wang Bingbing.
The agonizing torment of the past two days was something the two of them would truly never forget for as long as they lived!
Heaven only knew through what sheer depths of pain and brute willpower they had managed to drag themselves this far.
Hearing this, Qin Yuan raised an eyebrow in amusement.
What was He Chenguang implying with that remark?
"Brother Chenguang, I know I'm handsome and physically fit, but you don't need to etch me so deeply into your memory, do you? To the point of never forgetting me for a lifetime? I'm not sure I'm ready for such an honor," Qin Yuan teased with a smirk.
"Don't misunderstand, Brother Qin Yuan! It's just that... sigh, I suppose I brought this entirely upon myself!" He Chenguang initially wanted to explain, but ultimately, all his words dissolved into a sigh of resignation!
There was no way around it!
If the two of them hadn't pushed themselves so desperately to catch up to Qin Yuan, they wouldn't have ended up in this wretched state!
As the saying goes, those who court their own ruin find no sympathy.
After finishing the energy fluid, He Chenguang felt as though his body had instantly grown much lighter.
His spirits were soaring higher and higher!
He felt a sense of ease he had never experienced before, as if he had been transported back to his absolute prime before he even joined the military!
He Chenguang couldn't help his rising shock. "Brother Qin Yuan, what on earth did you just give me to drink? Why is the effect so potent? I actually feel like my condition has recovered instantly!"
He Chenguang stood up and leaped right out of the truck bed!
Straight punches, jabs, whip kicks, sweeping leg maneuvers!
He unleashed a rapid flurry of strikes and kicks, only to discover with absolute shock that his previously exhausted body had fully recovered in this brief span of time.
"How is this even possible? This is too miraculous!"
He Chenguang clearly remembered how agonizingly miserable his body had felt the moment he woke up.
Yet now—
How long had it even been?
Just a few casual words exchanged between them!
And he was completely healed?
Was the liquid Qin Yuan gave him some kind of legendary elixir of immortality?
He Chenguang was utterly dumbfounded!
"Ahem, what I gave you to drink is a special energy-replenishing fluid I concocted myself based on a secret family recipe passed down through generations in the Qin family! It's extremely precious—I usually wouldn't even bear to drink it myself! Still, being able to bring you back from the brink makes it entirely worth it!"
Qin Yuan had already prepared his excuse in advance!
In reality, if not for the system, Qin Yuan would never have given He Chenguang such a precious vial of energy fluid!
When it all came down to it, wasn't it all for the sake of unlocking that grid slot?
Besides!
Qin Yuan himself would also receive three bottles of energy fluid in return. Why wouldn't he take the deal?