Chapter 671
Chapter 671 Episode 017: Compatibility is Zero (1)
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4 min read
On the rugged mountain trail, they sprinted back and forth for 100 meters, a total of twenty times.
By the end, the only people who could stand on the mountain path were instructor Austin Shepherd and Nathan Foster.
"It’s too terrible."
Nathan Foster scowled, disheartened with his assessment.
"Expecting them to match your abilities in such a short time, isn’t realistic."
Austin Shepherd lowered his head, making notes on a sheet of paper, and nonchalantly replied.
Hmph, Nathan Foster did not respond.
Just as Austin Shepherd said, these rookies could not possibly improve their physical fitness in just a few days. And his expectations for them shouldn’t be too high.
After a while, Austin Shepherd finally stopped writing.
Hearing this, Nathan Foster curiously looked over.
From morning till night, Austin Shepherd never put down his sheet, either observing the rookies or taking notes.
Nathan Foster, who was responsible for supervision, vaguely knew what Shepherd was jotting down, but he wasn’t aware of the specifics.
And now, he was dumbfounded.
On that sheet, what caught the eye was not the scores, but the "compatibility."
The compatibility of each team member.
"What are you doing with this?"
Confused, Nathan Foster questioned.
With a tap on the A4 paper with his pen, Austin Shepherd grinned, "This is also a criterion for assessment, didn’t I tell you?"
Nathan Foster’s mouth twitched.
Every time Austin Shepherd discussed with him, he never heard anything apart from specific training plans...
"What’s the use of this?" Nathan Foster swallowed his pride and asked.
"To test teamwork," Austin Shepherd shrugged, glanced at the pile of soldiers sprawled on the ground, and said calmly, "You know, in real battles, it’s impossible to cooperate with an ideal partner. Even the most incompatible people shoulder the lives of their teammates in battle. You can’t take that lightly."
Nathan Foster was confused. They had never had such a task before.
"Their average age is only 21 to 22 years. When a bunch of young people get together, of course, there will be competition and rebellion. When they meet people who don’t get along, how can there be any cooperation?"
After a pause, Austin Shepherd gave a mischievous grin, "Veteran Soldiers, they aren’t the same as your generation."
Nathan Foster was left speechless.
It seems, that’s the reason, right.
Since leading these rookies, Nathan Foster increasingly felt that they were more difficult to manage than he had imagined.
Exceptionally hard to manage.
They were individualistic, opinionated, and had their own thoughts. Austin Shepherd said it was a good sign, but for them, the instructors, it added a lot more burden.
And the rookie who left the deepest impression on him and was the most challenging to deal with, was Flossie Wright.
"But, this could drag down some people’s scores."
Thinking about this, Nathan Foster looked solemn.
"Let it be a lesson."
Austin Shepherd seemed carefree.
Nathan Foster frowned at him.
After a moment, Austin Shepherd glanced at the resting and chatting rookies, and suddenly turned his head.
"In the last simulation, only about a hundred people survived till the end. Have you thought about the reason why?"
"The reason?"
"I’ve been observing their situation very clearly. Many of them only care about themselves, disregard teamwork, don’t understand cooperation, and stubbornly drag their teammates down." After a pause, he continued, "Yes, physical strength and ability are both problems. But we’re soldiers, we can’t leave the collective, we’re carrying the state on our shoulders, not personal desires. What the state wants from us is the success of a mission, not personal glory."
— End of Chapter 671 —