Chapter Four: The Strange Test

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Ambition paid no heed to Jing Dong’s complaints but instead pointed toward the back of the crowd and said, “We agreed to check in at 8 o’clock sharp today. Everyone must be gathered by 8; there might be a roll call on the spot.”

With that, he led Wu Mingjie and Ouyang Nan toward the rear of the crowd and stood at the very back.

Seeing the three move together, Jing Dong followed, still grumbling unwillingly.

On the stage, Jing Zhiming surveyed the five hundred people gradually lining up below. The gap among them was immediately apparent.

Among these five hundred candidates in the preliminary selection, some came from regular combat units, while others were outstanding students recruited from various universities. The goal was primarily to enhance the special forces’ capabilities in technology, information, and other areas.

Yet, as an instructor, Jing Zhiming held a poor impression of the students.

After all, without rigorous training, it was impossible for them to gain a foothold in the Jinjiang Special Forces.

Therefore, before 8 o’clock, he did not follow the usual routine of personnel registration.

Instead, he waited until 8 o’clock to summon these new recruits, who had been scattered around the square, to gather in one place for a unified briefing.

“You may have entered this gate, but that does not mean you will become members of the Jinjiang Special Forces,” Jing Zhiming declared.

His words sparked murmurs among the five hundred; what kind of game was this?

Then Jing Zhiming continued, “Don’t think passing the preliminary selection means all is well. Your final exam is about to begin!”

Afterward, he turned to the assistant instructor behind him and said, “Tell them what the final test entails.”

A burly man with broad shoulders and a sturdy waist stepped forward from behind Jing Zhiming, wearing a miniature microphone on his ear. He explained, “No time limit, no restrictions on method. The course is one lap around the square, totaling 1,200 meters. Each of you will come down to the stage shortly to receive a wristband. Once worn, you may start running. Only when the last two hundred are eliminated will the top three hundred officially become Jinjiang Special Forces members.”

“Are they making us kill each other?” A slender, delicate-faced young man in front of Ambition couldn’t help but ask, his voice tinged with dissatisfaction and confusion.

No one answered his question. Clearly, those from the regular units who passed the preliminary selection began approaching the stage, taking wristbands from a transparent container, fastening them on their wrists, and starting to run.

Ambition said nothing and strode forward.

Ouyang Nan and Wu Mingjie followed. Jing Dong tried to call them back but finally trailed after them silently.

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Ambition casually picked a wristband and slipped it over his wrist. The band tightened automatically, fitting snugly, wrapping his wrist securely.

A row of LCD numbers lit up on the device.

“ID: 176”

“Speed: 0”

“Stride Length: 0”

“Average Speed: 0”

“Acceleration: 0”

“Interesting!” Ambition thought to himself. This simple data collection method minimized cheating and, during the prolonged run, prevented participants from determining their exact position or ranking.

However, there was a flaw in the assistant instructor’s requirements: no time limit, no method restriction. Simply walking at a normal pace would take days before any results would emerge.

Realizing this, Ambition took his first step. The data on his wristband began updating promptly.

Though his perception ability was at its lowest, he discerned a half-second delay in the data collection—not advanced technology, but among training wristbands on Blue Star, it was a commendable product.

Ouyang Nan noticed Xu Yan walking leisurely and asked curiously, “Xu Yan, why aren’t you running?”

“Running or not doesn’t matter. The ones who drop out won’t be me,” Xu Yan replied, nodding toward a person who had just finished a lap and passed them. “Running and walking consume different amounts of energy.”

Only then did Ouyang Nan understand the loophole Xu Yan had discovered. She smiled and said, “Your little trick won’t work.”

No sooner had she spoken than Ambition felt a gravitational pull underfoot. Each step became heavier. Meanwhile, those who were running seemed unaffected.

“You’re right!” Ambition gave Ouyang Nan a thumbs-up and broke into a run.

As he varied his pace, he found that the faster his steps landed, the less gravitational pull he experienced; the slower he went, the heavier it became.

Silently calculating, he estimated that maintaining a speed of about eight kilometers per hour would completely negate the gravitational effect, while going slower would increase the pull.

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“Ouyang, maintaining eight kilometers per hour keeps you free from gravitational drag.”

This speed was effortless for Ambition. For Ouyang Nan and the others, running more than 130 meters per minute initially was no problem, but after several laps, it would become taxing.

Ambition kept this speed, running steadily ahead. Ouyang Nan chased after him, matching his pace. As expected, at this speed, the gravitational pull was nearly imperceptible.

“How did you figure that out?” Ouyang Nan asked, curious.

“Just by trying a few times,” Ambition replied, looking ahead. “I reckon after ten laps, the difference will be clear.”

Ouyang Nan nodded. Even she couldn’t maintain eight kilometers per hour after ten laps.

On the stage, the assistant instructor Zhang Xudong, the burly man from before, held a tablet, carefully analyzing the data for all five hundred trainees.

“Captain, numbers 176 and 178 have the most stable speeds. It seems they’ve discovered the square’s gravity index.”

Jing Zhiming withdrew his gaze from the square to glance at the tablet, then looked back to search for those two numbers, 176 and 178.

Zhang Xudong pulled up real-time records and pointed in a direction. “They’re over there, running side by side.”

A faintly sly smile appeared at the corner of Jing Zhiming’s lips. “Adjust the gravity pull. Increase it by one level.”

An increase of one level meant raising the required speed to ten kilometers per hour.

Zhang Xudong adjusted the settings on the tablet. Suddenly, those on the square began to feel a difference. Those who were already sprinting remained unaware, but the joggers sensed it immediately.

Ambition adjusted his pace several times between slow and fast, then said to Ouyang Nan beside him, “Now it’s ten kilometers per hour. Let’s speed up a bit.”

He glanced at the changing numbers on his wristband, fine-tuning his rhythm.

Ouyang Nan followed closely, keeping perfect stride with Ambition.