Chapter 1 Leaving

Nie Yan and Xie Yao walked out the door together, heading towards the villa where Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others usually trained. When they arrived, Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others were already dressed in smart suits, standing in a neat row, looking every inch the soldiers.

"Good day, Instructor Nie! Good day, Ma'am!" Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others shouted at attention when they saw Nie Yan, their voices clear and resonant.

Nie Yan nodded and said, "At ease. I'm here to see you off to the station today."

Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others responded in unison, their expressions somewhat somber.

"Don't look so downcast. Even though you're leaving this time, you can always come back to visit when you have time. You're welcome to come and stay. Let's go." Nie Yan said with a hearty laugh. Having spent so much time with Wang Duo and the others, he couldn't help but feel a little sad at their parting.

Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others glanced behind Nie Yan, looking like they wanted to say something but hesitated.

"If there's anything you want to say, just say it." Nie Yan glanced at them, his gaze settling on Wang Duo. "Wang Duo, you speak."

"Yes, sir." Wang Duo straightened his body, hesitated, and then asked, "Instructor Nie, is Ci Dao (Stab) not coming?"

Nie Yan's eyes swept across the faces of Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others. These guys were gnashing their teeth at Ci Dao a few days ago, so why are they asking about him now? He suddenly understood something. Ci Dao's training requirements were indeed very strict, but the bond between soldiers was something that ordinary people couldn't understand.

"He said he's not coming." Nie Yan replied.

"Oh." Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others were visibly disappointed.

"Let's go," Nie Yan said, understanding the sense of loss in Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others' hearts.

The group walked outside, preparing to take the subway to the train station. They were rather silent along the way. In fact, Ci Dao spent more time with them. Ci Dao was basically the one training them during the day. In the evening, Nie Yan himself had many things to do, and he mainly contacted them through Ci Dao.

"Before you left, did Ci Dao say anything?" Nie Yan asked, looking at Wang Duo.

"Instructor Ci Dao said not to say we were his students after we got out, so as not to embarrass him," Wang Duo said with some embarrassment.

Hearing Wang Duo's words, Nie Yan laughed. That was very much Ci Dao's style.

"That's just how Ci Dao is. Don't mind him," Nie Yan said.

Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others looked back at the direction of the villa, still hoping that Ci Dao would come.

The group took the subway for three minutes and arrived at the train station. When they arrived at the train platform, the train was already parked there, and it would depart in twenty minutes.

Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others stood in a row in front of Nie Yan, very neatly, like they were meeting a leader. But Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others were obviously much older than Nie Yan, which attracted the attention of the surrounding passengers.

"Just relax a bit," Nie Yan said, waving his hand.

Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others looked at each other blankly and shifted to a slightly more relaxed stance.

Xie Yao couldn't help but cover her mouth and chuckle. Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others were indeed a bit old-fashioned.

Nie Yan smiled wryly and said helplessly, "There are still twenty minutes before departure. I'll call Ci Dao."

Wang Duo quickly stopped him and said, "Let's just forget about it."

"Didn't you want to see Ci Dao?" Nie Yan asked in confusion.

Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others looked at each other, all a little embarrassed. To be honest, they were still a little in awe of Ci Dao.

"Then forget it, get ready to board," Nie Yan said, waving his hand. He understood what Wang Duo and the others were feeling at this moment. Ci Dao not coming was indeed depressing.

Wang Duo and Lin Yi were just about to board the train when they suddenly heard a soft voice say, "Instructor Ci Dao is here." They both looked into the distance and saw Ci Dao slowly walking over.

"Didn't you say you weren't coming?" Nie Yan looked at Ci Dao with a bit of amusement. He actually saw a different expression on Ci Dao's face, which was a novelty.

"Good day, Instructor Ci Dao!" Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others said at attention, their faces showing a look of pleasant surprise. They really didn't expect Ci Dao to come.

"I'm just here to take a look. If you're not selected in that competition of yours, don't come see me again," Ci Dao's expression was much gentler than usual.

"Yes, sir!" They said in a loud voice, their morale boosted.

"Alright, get on the train," Ci Dao said, waving his hand a little impatiently.

"Yes, sir!" They straightened their chests and shouted almost in unison, "Instructor Nie, you've worked hard! Instructor Ci Dao, you've worked hard!" Then they bowed deeply, bending ninety degrees, holding the position for a full ten seconds.

Nie Yan felt a stirring in his heart, his nose slightly sour. During this time together, they had unknowingly established a deep bond. He looked at Ci Dao next to him. Ci Dao's lips trembled slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he didn't. Nie Yan could understand Ci Dao's feelings at this moment, but Ci Dao was always used to hiding his emotions beneath a cold exterior.

An indescribable emotion spread through everyone's hearts.

"Go, go, don't dawdle here," Ci Dao said with a somewhat desolate tone.

Wang Duo and the others silently nodded and then walked into the train carriage.

Nie Yan and Ci Dao watched as Wang Duo and the others disappeared into the depths of the carriage. After a moment, the doors closed, the train started, and slowly pulled away from the station.

Looking into the distance, Wang Duo and the others were gathered by the train window, waving vigorously. "Goodbye, Instructor Nie! Goodbye, Instructor Ci Dao..."

The train soon disappeared into the horizon.

"Those guys," Nie Yan said with a chuckle, retracting his gaze and looking at Ci Dao. "Do you feel a little reluctant to see them go?"

"The farther they go, the better. I'm happy to have some peace and quiet," Ci Dao said with an indifferent expression.

Nie Yan sized up Ci Dao meaningfully. No matter how much Ci Dao tried to hide it, his expression had revealed his inner thoughts.

Ci Dao was a little embarrassed by the scrutiny, and said with a stiff expression, "I'll go first, wouldn't want to intrude on your alone time." After saying that, he turned and left.

Ci Dao was an interesting fellow, Nie Yan couldn't help but smile. After seeing Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others off, he could finally put one thing to rest. As for how far they could go, that would depend on their own fortune. He believed that after this period of training, they should have made considerable progress. He wondered if they could meet the selection criteria for the 012 Special Forces Brigade.

After seeing Wang Duo, Lin Yi, and the others off, Nie Yan and Xie Yao went back to school for classes.

Everything was as calm as usual. After finishing a day of classes, Nie Yan and Xie Yao returned to the villa together. In the evening, the two of them entered the game again.