Chapter Fifteen: Unknown Assignments (Part One)

In the midst of intense training, Zhao Li suddenly received a command from his instructor, ordering him to visit the medical room once again. The other team leaders had grown accustomed to this, only expressing envy that he had the chance to meet the beautiful military doctor.

Yet, this was not the original training base; the medical officer here was likely someone else. Zhao Li had no expectation of seeing Christine—he assumed his physical condition had simply been documented and sent over.

“Reporting!” he called out, feeling anxious as he entered the unfamiliar medical room. Was there another medical officer here who intended to use him as an experiment?

“Come in!” The familiar voice stirred Zhao Li’s emotions. He couldn’t tell if he felt happiness or a touch of fear.

“Ma’am!” He saluted with precision, now resembling a proper soldier.

“Still calling me ‘ma’am’?” Christine sat gracefully at her desk, her smile so warm it could melt steel. “Long time no see, Zhao Li.”

“Christine, it’s been a while!” he replied, the words somewhat forced. As he gazed upon her exquisite face, his heart couldn’t help but flutter.

“How have you been lately? Did you absorb the vital energy?” Christine was serious this time, her allure subdued, which put Zhao Li at ease.

“I just finished absorbing it two days ago.” At the mention of this, Zhao Li’s mind tensed, cautiously calculating his absorption progress before giving a vague answer.

“My calculations show it should have been around these past two days.” Christine saw no issue, naturally continuing, “What did you feel? Did your internal circulation change, or did you notice any other differences?”

“Reporting—” He nearly added “ma’am,” but Christine’s playful frown stopped him. He had grown so accustomed during training to prefacing every answer with “reporting, ma’am” that Christine couldn’t help but scold him.

“My internal circulation sped up by a minute and a half.” Seizing the opportunity, Zhao Li described the effects a bit more dramatically, hoping to boost his training record and make Christine happy.

“Also, perhaps due to deepening mastery of the body-strengthening technique, I feel my stamina has improved significantly. Physical training no longer lags behind.” He spoke loudly, knowing Christine’s testimony would protect him from suspicion, even if his results seemed impressive.

Christine was clearly interested, eagerly inquiring, “How great are the effects?” A minute and a half faster in circulation likely meant Zhao Li had fully absorbed the vital energy she had infused into his meridians. With increased mastery, such improvement was expected, and reducing the cycle from twenty to eighteen and a half minutes was within reason.

“I haven’t undergone professional testing, so I’m not sure of the exact improvement. But at least, running twenty kilometers isn’t as exhausting as before.” Zhao Li spoke honestly, though he hadn’t had the chance to do a full run.

Christine seemed pleased, his progress indirectly affirming her methods. Though her attempt to accelerate his development nearly caused an accident and cost him his eligibility, the major general had insisted the project still belonged to Christine.

Christine always felt she owed Zhao Li something. Yet Zhao Li was still just a recruit in training, not officially in the army, unable to hear many truths. So, with a hint of compensation, she urged him, “Your recent performance is excellent. Keep it up!”

She hoped he understood her meaning—not to waste his efforts. Yet she could not spell things out, for that would be a breach of secrecy. Christine had made one mistake; she could not afford another. Revealing classified information was a grave error, and even without surveillance, she would never cross that line.

Fortunately, Zhao Li was clever and quickly grasped her intent. When he solemnly thanked Christine, she accepted with a smile.

This meeting was simply Christine checking his physical condition. She soon revealed that she was not the base’s medical officer, but had specially taken leave to come, just to see if Zhao Li had fully refined the vital energy she had infused. It was her way of seeing the project through to the end.

Christine’s stay was brief; she quickly returned to her duties. Zhao Li had no idea how vast this training base was, nor where he might find her again. Nonetheless, the beautiful doctor left a lasting impression in his heart, and even a trace of her vital energy within his body. Perhaps, when he missed her, he might sense her presence in that energy he had absorbed.

Zhao Li both feared and admired Christine. Fear stemmed from the consequences if she ever discovered his secret. Every time he faced her, her shifting aura left him flustered. Yet because of this, he found himself fond of her, appreciating her dedication to helping him improve.

But Christine’s identity was shrouded in mystery. No ordinary military doctor should possess such captivating charm. Even her subtle flirtations with other recruits—though the strict instructor Arnold seemed to object, he actually indulged her. To this day, Zhao Li was unsure whether Christine was truly a military doctor.

Before leaving, Christine shared something important: when evaluating a team leader, it was not only their personal performance that mattered, but the collective results of the entire team. In this regard, Zhao Li could boast—among the twenty squads, his team’s average score was the highest.

Returning to the ranks, Zhao Li forced himself to put Christine out of his mind. They belonged to different worlds. Perhaps they would never meet again; he would leave the army after his service, and Christine might rise through the ranks to become a high-ranking officer. Their lives would never intersect again.

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