The assessment concluded, Xue Rengui stood before Fang Er, a proud expression on his face.
Fang Er had been continuously astonished by him from beginning to end during this evaluation.
With his skills, he had proven himself to be a qualified paratrooper, and Fang Er had no reason to refuse him any longer.
Having achieved renown as a general on land for millennia, perhaps he could do even better in the air?
"From now on, you are a member of the paratroopers. Do not disappoint me!" Fang Er said, smiling at Xue Rengui.
"Yes! Paratrooper Xue Rengui, everything for the paratroopers!" Xue Rengui declared, raising his fist high above his head in a solemn oath.
Fang Er nodded with satisfaction, then turned to Zhang Tian. "Explain the important points about parachuting to them again. I will bring the parachutes tomorrow."
"Yes, my Lord!"
Leaving the Fifth Division's encampment and returning to his mansion, the sky had already darkened.
In his study, he took out the nine parachutes he had previously exchanged from his system space, along with nine sets of wingsuits for Xue Rengui and his men to use the next day.
The next morning, with the equipment loaded onto a tractor, Fang Er, accompanied by Yan Shuangying and Su Feng, rumbled towards the Fifth Division's encampment.
Zhang Tian and Xue Rengui were already waiting.
Seeing the parachutes Fang Er brought, Zhang Tian happily rushed forward. "My Lord, these parachutes are so light and portable!"
"What is this?" After asking about the parachutes, he touched the wingsuit curiously. "Have you seen flying squirrels?" Fang Er asked, playing coy instead of answering directly.
Zhang Tian nodded affirmatively. "Yes, I have! I remember there's a flying squirrel hole about ten miles west of here."
"Go and send someone to catch a few. Then you'll know what this is," Fang Er instructed.
"Understood! My Lord, please sit here and rest. I guarantee I'll bring back a nest within an hour!"
The parachutes and wingsuits were unloaded. Zhang Tian led Xue Rengui and the others to drive the tractor towards the flying squirrel hole.
Indeed, within an hour, Zhang Tian and his men returned. Zhang Tian, carrying a bag, ran towards Fang Er as if presenting a treasure. "My Lord, we caught thirty of them. Is that enough?"
Fang Er was stunned. "Are there so many flying squirrels now?"
"Let me see," Fang Er said.
"My Lord, open it here? Wouldn't they all fly away?" Zhang Tian asked uncertainly.
Fang Er: ???
"Flying squirrels can fly away? Don't they just glide from high places?" Fang Er wondered. "Could it be that people in the Tang Dynasty had better physical abilities than in later generations, and their flying squirrels were also more capable?"
"Are you sure this thing can fly out of the bag?"
"Of course. We had a lot of trouble catching them," Zhang Tian said, not understanding why Fang Er would ask such a foolish question.
"Reach in and grab one for me to see. Why do I feel like we're talking about different things?" Fang Er sensed something was not quite right.
Zhang Tian took out a pair of gloves from his pocket, put on two thick layers on his right hand, and then reached in to grab a dark, fuzzy creature.
"What the!"
"I was talking about flying squirrels, and you caught bats!"
"My Lord, it's this one, isn't it? A mouse that's eaten salt, it flies, a flying squirrel!" Zhang Tian, fearing Fang Er couldn't see clearly, shoved the bat in front of his eyes.
"What nonsense about a mouse that's eaten salt! Whose rumor is this?"
"Hmm? Bats and wingsuits do look quite similar, don't they? It's not entirely unusable."
System: It's over, this kid's brain is broken!
Fang Er: ??????
System: Let me teach you some common sense! Although wingsuits are called flying squirrel suits, their design principles are based on bats!
Fang Er: ...
"The kid who named wingsuits 'flying squirrel suits' probably also believed that bats were mice that had eaten salt, right?"
System: It's hopeless, this kid is truly beyond saving! They're called flying squirrel suits because the posture of flying in a wingsuit resembles that of a flying squirrel!
Fang Er was completely bewildered!
"Damn it, why does this feel so convoluted?"
"Never mind, since it's confirmed that bats can be used, it's manageable."
Someone got a thin rope and tied it to the bat's leg. Fang Er then told Zhang Tian to release his grip on the bat.
Feeling the pressure removed, the bat instinctively flapped its wings and flew out.
However, after flying less than three meters, it was pulled back by the rope.
"Everyone come over!" Fang Er called out to Xue Rengui and the other twenty paratroopers.
They quickly gathered around.
"Watch carefully, I'll give you an hour to see how this thing flies."
Zhang Tian took off his gloves and scratched his head. "My Lord, why are we looking at this thing?"
"It just flaps and flies, what's so interesting about it?"
"Just watch when I tell you to, stop asking so many questions!" Fang Er sat down on a chair, propped up his legs, and retorted.
Zhang Tian had no choice but to join the paratroopers, tilting his head back to watch the bat struggle to flap its wings.
Perhaps Fang Er had overestimated the creature's stamina, or it was tired.
In any case, the bat gave up after flying for less than ten minutes, collapsing onto the ground. "Whatever, I'm not flying anymore!"
"Change, change! Let's try another one!" Fang Er's voice was heard.
After an hour, and having gone through four bats, Fang Er slowly stood up and walked to the helicopter. He picked up a wingsuit and personally put it on Zhang Tian.
Once it was fitted, Fang Er lightly patted Zhang Tian's leg with his scabbard. "Come, spread your legs."
Zhang Tian froze. After a moment, he said with a blush, "My Lord, it's not appropriate here, is it? So many people are watching. Why don't we go inside?"
Fang Er suddenly felt countless crows cawing above his head and struck Zhang Tian's head with his scabbard.
"What are you thinking? Your mind is so filthy!"
"I told you to spread your legs, hurry up!"
The surrounding paratroopers were doing their best to suppress their emotions, their bodies trembling.
Zhang Tian turned his face away, closed his eyes, and spread his legs.
"Damn it, I can't face anyone, I misunderstood the meaning!"
"Raise your arms!" Fang Er's voice rang out again.
This time, Zhang Tian cooperated perfectly, doing as he was told without a word.
After he struck his pose, Fang Er pointed at the extended wingsuit with his scabbard and said to everyone.
"Look, does this suit resemble a bat?"
"Huh, you're right, it does look a bit like it!" Xue Rengui leaned in and touched the wingsuit.
"Truly, when you spread your arms and legs like this, it's as if you've grown wings!"
"Commander, quickly flap them and see if you can fly!"
Listening to their words, Zhang Tian actually began flapping his arms and legs, but only managed to hop awkwardly in place.