Heartbeat Engine

"At ease."

"Attention!"

"Hold this stance for thirty minutes. Anyone who moves will have five extra minutes added."

The group groaned in despair.

Luo Ye and his friends could barely stay awake.

After staying up all night playing games and not realizing it was already 4 AM, they had to get up at 6:30 for roll call.

They were completely exhausted and dizzy.

The instructor walked around the formation, his sharp eyes scanning the group.

Suddenly, he frowned.

One student had his eyes closed and seemed to be sleeping.

Sleeping while standing?

The instructor walked up to the student.

The people next to him struggled to hold in their laughter.

"This student."

The boy suddenly snapped awake and locked eyes with the instructor.

"Present!"

Wang Dachui instinctively shouted, his eyes wide open, only to find himself staring at the instructor's serious face.

What just happened? Wasn't I in bed? Why am I standing in military stance now?

"Hahahaha!"

The surrounding students couldn't hold back any longer and laughed out loud.

But the instructor didn't laugh.

This meant the consequences were serious.

The instructor was silent for a moment, then a smile appeared on his face.

"That was so funny. Why did everyone stop laughing?"

"Come on, laugh, huh? You all don't want to laugh anymore?"

"Alright then, extra half hour in this position."

The instructor turned to Wang Dachui and said, "This student doesn't seem fully awake."

"Go run ten laps around the field to wake up."

"Instructor, I…"

"Fifteen laps."

"Understood!"

Wang Dachui bitterly lifted his arms and ran toward the field.

Poor Wang Dachui.

Luo Ye and the others silently prayed for him.

"Everyone, take a ten-minute break."

Luo Ye immediately slumped onto the ground.

Staying up all night, followed by an hour of military stance, was just too much to handle.

Wang Dachui sat down on the ground, doubting his life choices.

After fifteen laps, he felt like he was floating.

"Are you okay, Wang Dachui?" Luo Ye asked.

Wang Dachui looked up in a daze, staring blankly at Luo Ye, as if he was completely done.

Luo Ye was startled. He shook Wang Dachui's body.

"Hang in there, buddy!"

But Wang Dachui didn't respond. He lowered his head, his mouth moving.

"What did you say? Are you thirsty or hungry?"

Luo Ye leaned in to listen closely.

"I… want… a… girlfriend…"

Luo Ye: ??

Suddenly, Wang Dachui's eyes went wide as if he saw something shocking.

Luo Ye followed his gaze.

Not far away, a girl was handing a bottle of sports drink to Li Haoyang.

"Whoa!"

Wang Dachui's jaw nearly hit the ground. He was instantly wide awake.

"Damn it, my dog son is secretly flirting with girls behind my back."

Wang Dachui made a move to get up, ready to confront Li Haoyang.

"Calm down, buddy. Don't ruin Haoyang's future," Luo Ye pulled Wang Dachui back.

But at that moment, another scene caught his eye.

A group of girls had surrounded Shen Qiao, blocking him from all sides.

"Handsome, drink mine! I bought the peach-flavored sports drink!"

"I love you, handsome!"

"I want to have your children!"

It was like a fan event, and the whole scene left the military training commander in the audience stunned.

Just at that moment, the instructor shouted:

"Everyone, stand up!"

The formation snapped back into place.

Luo Ye, standing in the front row, noticed the girl who had handed Li Haoyang the drink was in the opposite formation, also in the first row.

She wore a military training uniform, had a cute "loli" face, and radiated youthful energy. Standing at around 170 cm, she had a great figure.

She was the "long-legged loli."

Occasionally, the girl would glance in their direction, probably looking at Li Haoyang.

So there are girls who like muscle men after all? No wonder Haoyang is getting attention on the first day of military training.

In the evening, the program performance began.

After a few rounds of singing "Unity is Strength," the instructor asked if anyone had any special talents to show.

"We want a one-on-one duel!"

Wang Dachui pointed at Li Haoyang and said, "Let's see who's better, the instructor's military boxing or our fitness coach's skills!"

The crowd became excited, and everyone started chanting.

"Duel!"

"Duel!"

The instructor looked at Li Haoyang and helplessly shook his head.

"Since everyone wants to see a duel, this student, please step forward."

Another duel?

Li Haoyang felt miserable as he stood up.

From class to military training, he was either being called out or about to be called out.

He felt like his university life was doomed. Would he always be picked in class too?

The contestants stood in position.

While Li Haoyang had muscles, the instructor's military boxing skills were far superior.

A few moves later, Li Haoyang was quickly defeated and returned to his seat with a sad face.

"Are you alright?"

The girl who had given Li Haoyang the drink earlier sat next to him, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," Li Haoyang waved his hand dismissively.

The girl's name was Liu Bingxin. Their female team's training spot was close to the male team, so they also rested together in the evening.

With girls around, the performances became more lively and energetic.

The two instructors watched the college students display their youthful energy, and they couldn't help but smile.

Luo Ye and Wang Dachui sat next to Li Haoyang.

As for Shen Qiao, he was surrounded by girls and couldn't escape.

"Coach," Wang Dachui grinned, "Tell us, how did you meet this beautiful lady?"

Li Haoyang stared at Wang Dachui, unsure of what to say. But Liu Bingxin answered casually, "I went to buy water for my roommate this morning. One of my roommates didn't like sports drinks, so I sold it to Li Haoyang since he seemed thirsty."

"Oh, so you were selling water. I thought my son was finally getting a girlfriend," Wang Dachui said, his mood instantly improving.

"Miss, which major are you in? I'm Wang Dachui, nice to meet you."

"I'm Liu Bingxin, Multimedia Class 2, from Lecheng."

"Lecheng? I've heard of the Lecheng Grand Buddha from your area," Wang Dachui joked.

Liu Bingxin and Wang Dachui chatted happily, with a thickset Li Haoyang sitting between them.

Li Haoyang seemed to have his emotional intelligence entirely focused on his muscles, looking awkward as he kept glancing around without knowing what to do.

Luo Ye, on the other hand, was intently watching a boy perform a song.

To be honest, the performance wasn't great, and he could sing better himself.

He liked singing and had been known as the karaoke king back in high school.

Suddenly, the scene of him and the fairy-like senior sheltering from the rain flashed in his mind.

Without thinking, Luo Ye stood up.

After the boy finished singing, Luo Ye took the microphone.

Wang Dachui, who had been chatting excitedly, froze in shock.

"You can sing?"

"One song, 'Rainy Day,' since there's no accompaniment, I'll sing acapella. Please bear with me," Luo Ye said, taking a deep breath.

He started singing softly.

"Suddenly, a rainstorm falls, waiting for you…"

"Suddenly, tears fall, how much have you suffered…"

"I wait, I wait, I think, but I can't wait for you…"

"If the sky clears but never shines on you…"

"I'll take you through the bustling crowd…"

His soft voice, though acapella, enchanted everyone in the room.