Chapter 748: Level 2 Athlete

Chapter 748: Chapter 619: Level 2 Athlete

“Attention, everyone!”

The general inspection concluded, Zhang Su issued a command, and the combat personnel from each team promptly stood at attention. The teams may not have been perfectly aligned, but their spirits were exceptionally high, completely free from the desolation and defeat commonly seen in the apocalypse.

This time, he didn’t use the portable loudspeaker; his booming voice had a more awe-inspiring effect. He adjusted his sunglasses on the bridge of his nose and slowly said, “Let me talk about the future plans. First, the combat personnel on Celestial Horse Island are divided into three tiers!

The most elite is the Yama Corps, followed by the Elite Corps, and then the Reserve Corps. Each corps will further divide teams based on numbers and naturally appoint corresponding captains and team leaders to manage.

Different corps enjoy varying levels of resource allocation, primarily reflected in daily necessities and cigarettes. In the coming days, someone will educate you thoroughly on this!”

When the announcement finished, Zhang Su didn’t continue speaking, allowing everyone some time to digest.

Once he felt that most people’s gazes had returned to clarity, he continued, “I know you’re very concerned about training, so let me talk about that next. The Elite Corps will tentatively have two special training days every week, guided by Yama Corps instructors, while the Reserve Corps… won’t have any!”

With this statement, the atmosphere became subtly delicate, with the nearest source of subtlety coming from Ju Mumio’s gaze.

Ju Mumio looked at Zhang Su with a puzzled expression, as if to say, “You’re not suggesting I’m the instructor, right?”

Meanwhile, more people began to feel uneasy; even the female members of the Yama Corps had extraordinarily strong combat skills, definitely having undergone unique training methods. No one standing out in the barren field would not want to grow stronger.

“I need to explain something here!”

Zhang Su could feel everyone’s anxious mood. He said, “Special training, being special requires exceptional physical fitness. To be honest, those with a weak foundation would be exhausted in just three minutes and might even injure themselves!

When this training was first introduced, some Yama Corps members were injured, so even if you enter the Elite Corps, there’s only two days of training per week!”

A few people thought Zhang Su was exaggerating, but the majority recognized his words, and those who knew they weren’t capable felt relieved.

Those who felt confident couldn’t help but show a proud smile.

And so, the gap began to widen!

“However, even in the Reserve Corps, aside from basic training, I will be teaching some special combat skills, both for dealing with humans and techniques for killing zombies.”

Being named the Reserve Corps also means they are backup forces—they must play a role in critical moments and cannot be left to their own devices.

“Alright, enough chit-chat, let’s start the test now! First up, the two-hundred-meter run!”

Despite such a straightforward test, there wasn’t much joy on people’s faces, because the simpler the test, the fiercer the competition.

Just as everyone thought they would go to the highway, they saw Zhang Su riding a small electric scooter, taking the end of a rope from Qi Xiaoshuai, and riding toward the far end of the field ridge.

“No way… running two hundred meters on this broken land? This…”

“What’s wrong with that? If zombies come chasing you, can you choose the terrain? You have to escape in the ruins too; this isn’t that bad!”

“No problem at all; I think this place is fine. If you don’t think you can do it, just withdraw and don’t waste time.”

Soon, the two-hundred-meter distance was set, the area cleared, and Zhang Su said, “Ten people per group in such a spacious spot. Do not jostle for others’ paths. Standards… twenty-four seconds for males, twenty-six seconds for females to pass.”

Many didn’t understand the significance of the standard or even the concept of hundred-meter sprint speed, showing little reaction.

“Report!”

But not everyone was clueless—a female raised her hand.

“What’s the issue?”

Zhang Su looked at the woman who called out, standing among the Barracks Branch’s team. He remembered her last name might be Ma; he forgot her full name.

“Chief, according to standards, the two-hundred-meter benchmark for male second level athletes is twenty-three point six seconds, females twenty-seven, a difference of three point four seconds!”

Ma Xueyan was once a professional track and field athlete, having won a medal in the province games, specifically in the hundred-meter and two-hundred-meter sprints, so she was very knowledgeable.

As soon as these words were spoken, many people gasped upon hearing them.

A broken path, disarrayed shoes, bulky clothing, second-level athlete standard?

You must be joking!

Due to King Yama’s authority, many harbored doubts, but kept their mouths shut, thinking the standard was fixed. If they couldn’t meet it, others might not either…

Zhang Su faced the doubts without putting on airs, chuckling as he said, “Originally planning to treat everyone equally, zombies don’t care if you’re male or female, but considering the gender differences, I’ve relaxed the policy slightly. Since someone raised the issue, how about raising the male standard by half a second, to twenty-three point five seconds—how’s that?”

“Hey, you… shrew, do you have some cat trouble or what, damn!”

“Look what you’ve done, fine, gaining no advantage and making it harder for us, damn!”

“Don’t, Brother Su, don’t listen to this woman’s nonsense—we men don’t have it easy!”

The male combatants instantly had a headache.

Li Zongkai and Yuwen exchanged glances, shaking their heads with a bitter smile, thinking Mr. Zhang’s trick of shifting hatred was too deft.

“I, I am, I didn’t mean that… Chief, your decision was good; I don’t have any dissatisfaction or see a problem, please change the male members’ qualifying time back to twenty-four seconds.”

Ma Xueyan felt the angry stares of male members and was so anxious her face turned red.

“Yes, Chief, don’t change it, I think it’s fine.”

“It’s great, really great.”

Many female members spoke up to support Ma Xueyan, not wanting her to be targeted. Since there were initially fewer female members, they should stay united and support each other.

Zhang Su smiled and nodded, saying, “Alright, if everyone has no issue, we’ll go with the original standard! Any other questions?”

Exercising sheer authority isn’t always good; using small tricks occasionally works better.

“Report! I have a question!”

Liu Yao raised his hand high.

“Ask away!”

Zhang Su’s attitude toward familiar faces was much more straightforward.

“Ahem…”

Being treated differently, Liu Yao wasn’t displeased. It showed their closeness in relationship. He cleared his throat and loudly asked, “Chief, does passing mean entering the Elite Corps, and what happens if you don’t pass?”

This was a question many cared about. The qualification standard had distracted them before; now, with Liu Yao bringing it up, everyone perked their ears to listen.

“Today’s afternoon test consists of three items; passing two allows entrance into the Elite Corps, one goes to the Reserve Corps. If outcomes show you do not pass any, don’t lose heart; you can start with the logistics department, train more daily, and have opportunities later!”

“Any more questions?”

“Yes, Chief, if all three items are passed, can one have special consideration to join the Yama Corps?”

Liu Yao shouted aloud, yet nobody minded because that’s something many wanted to know.

“This afternoon’s test standards are for the Elite Corps and Reserve Corps—entering the Yama Corps requires my personal assessment. Do you want to test it?”

“No, no, I’m just asking!”

Liu Yao waved his hand and shook his head, his comical demeanor causing everyone to chuckle.