"What's wrong, Vice Class Monitor?" Wang Yue asked.
Tang Le heard the Vice Class Monitor's expression turn displeased. However, remembering he needed a favor from Wang Yue, he put on a smile again. "Military training this morning was tough, wasn't it?"
"Not too bad, not particularly tiring," Wang Yue shrugged. He genuinely didn't feel much.
Tang Le laughed heartily, "Come on, we're all classmates. How can I not know? I'm exhausted."
At this moment, Xie Jiban interjected playfully, "Vice Class Monitor, you're exhausted, but our youngest here doesn't seem to be. Didn't you see he didn't even break a sweat?"
Tang Le carefully observed Wang Yue for a moment. His expression soured further. He had initially assumed everyone was tired, only to discover this kid felt nothing.
Tang Le took a deep breath and smiled. "It's like this, Wang Yue. I'm looking for you today because I need you to do me a favor."
"What favor?" Wang Yue asked, not quite understanding.
Tang Le leaned closer to Wang Yue's ear and whispered, "Can you pretend to be sick and resign from the Class Monitor position? I want to be the Class Monitor."
Wang Yue was a bit taken aback after hearing Tang Le's request. He couldn't fathom why Tang Le would say such a thing. Didn't he realize how tactless it sounded?
"I know it's a bit difficult for you, brother, since lying isn't a pleasant thing to do," Tang Le said, putting an arm around Wang Yue's shoulder. "But brother, I really want to be the Class Monitor for this military training. I've prepared for it for a long time, and I didn't expect you to snatch it away today, hahahaha..."
Wang Yue felt a bit speechless and replied, "Vice Class Monitor, I think you should talk to the instructor about this. After all, he's the one who assigned me this position."
Tang Le chuckled, "Ah, don't you understand? The instructor didn't favor me because you're too outstanding. He was instantly drawn to you. But if you were sick, I would undoubtedly be the best choice for Class Monitor."
"What you say makes sense, but I don't intend to feign illness," Wang Yue said, smiling and pushing Tang Le away.
"Wang Yue!" Tang Le quickly called out in a low voice. "Are you really this uncooperative? We're classmates. You're even snatching away the Class Monitor position from me? You don't like it anyway."
"I've suddenly started to like this position," Wang Yue said, flashing a grin. His perfectly white and straight teeth sparkled under the light.
"What do you mean by that!" Tang Le blinked in surprise, and his expression turned ugly.
"I mean, I suddenly like this position. Is that not allowed?" Wang Yue replied.
"How can you be like this? This position is of no consequence to you, but it holds great significance for me. Do you understand?" Tang Le grumbled in a low voice.
"Then tell me," Wang Yue said, inviting him to make his case.
"It's just very important to me. If you help me with this, we'll be brothers from now on," Tang Le said. "Do you want another brother or an enemy?"
"I'm afraid I can't help," Wang Yue shrugged, shook off Tang Le's hand, and walked away.
Tang Le didn't follow. He watched Wang Yue's retreating back with a venomous gaze. In his eyes, if it weren't for Wang Yue, he would have secured the Class Monitor position with certainty.
"Ungrateful dog, just you wait and see how I deal with you later," Tang Le gritted his teeth, thinking.
After Wang Yue left, his roommates started asking questions.
"What did the Vice Class Monitor want with you just now?" Jiang Baiqi asked curiously.
"He wants me to give up the Class Monitor position for military training," Wang Yue said with a smile. "He also said that if I don't give it up, I'll be his enemy."
"Hahaha." Liu Yitong laughed. "What era is this? He's still pulling stunts like this. It's quite amusing."
Xie Jiban also shook his head. "This guy is too power-hungry. Good thing our Class Monitor isn't him. If he were, wouldn't he be flying through the roof? Now, having Shi Bing as Class Monitor is truly what everyone wants!"
The four went to the cafeteria for lunch and then returned to their dormitories to rest. Military training officially began at two o'clock in the afternoon. The afternoon was the toughest part because the sun was usually more intense then. Standing still under the scorching sun, just the thought of it made one sweat profusely.
During the lunch break, Jiang Baiqi and Xie Jiban had considered playing a couple of games, but the thought of the afternoon training made them lose interest. They were afraid they'd collapse from exhaustion on the training ground and make fools of themselves.
At half-past one, Wang Yue's alarm clock rang. Everyone was startled awake.
"Damn, it's already one-thirty? I haven't had enough sleep," Jiang Baiqi yawned.
"Let's go. If we're late, the instructor will definitely punish us severely," Xie Jiban said.
The four spent twenty minutes getting to the training ground. As it turned out, some people were indeed late. The person who was late was none other than Tang Le, who had threatened Wang Yue earlier. It was evident he had rushed; his face was covered in sweat.
"Instructor, I'm sorry, I'm late," Tang Le said obediently, standing outside the formation.
"Why are you late?" Li Feilong snorted. "I emphasized this morning that no tardiness is allowed, and you're late this afternoon. What, are you trying to test me?"
Tang Le shook his head vigorously, "No, no, absolutely not! Instructor, I just forgot to set my alarm."
"Then why are your roommates here? Shouldn't you consider if there's something wrong with your character?" Li Feilong said indifferently.
"They called me, but I thought my alarm hadn't gone off yet, so I wanted to sleep in a little longer," Tang Le replied.
"Alright, enough talk. Twenty laps around the field, run," Li Feilong waved his hand.
Tang Le hesitated, but dared not resist. He began to run laps around the field. Other classes also had latecomers who were currently running laps, so Tang Le wasn't entirely unique.
"I'll say it again: no tardiness, no tardiness, no tardiness!" Li Feilong said sternly. Everyone held their breath, watching the instructor's anger. It was best not to provoke him when he was angry.
After his outburst, Li Feilong resumed the afternoon military training. Tang Le was in for a tough time. Twenty laps around the field, what did that mean? A 400-meter track, twenty laps amounted to 8,000 meters. By the end, Tang Le could barely run. Sweat poured from him, and he started walking.
Li Feilong saw this and reprimanded him, "Did I tell you to walk? Run! For every lap you walk, you run two!"
Tang Le had no choice but to resume running. Finally, after finishing his laps, the formation had already taken a break halfway. He was so exhausted he almost collapsed onto the ground. He inwardly resented the instructor, thinking, "It was just one instance of being late, and he's this harsh."