Addicted: Book Two - The Raging Flames of Passion

Chapter 35 - Breaking the Body's Limits

To everyone's surprise, Bai Luo Yin just calmly said, "I have no comment. I am completely in favor of your evaluations, we are indeed lacking in our skills."

Zhou Ling Yun could see the immense energy and talent hidden in Bai Luo Yin's eyes. It had the kind of intrinsic quality that he had not seen in a long time. For someone like Zhou Ling Yun, who loves and appreciates talent as he does life, Bai Luo Yin's appearance undoubtedly had provoked a formidable struggle within him. By this time, the hidden desire in his heart was roaring.

"I will repeat it once more. Discard all the records of your previous achievements. I would rather see you accomplish a 10% success rate under these kinds of circumstances than never being able to reach a 100% score in optimal conditions!"

Shortly after, the meeting concluded and aside from Bai Luo Yin, the rest of the battalion commanders took their leave.

"Why did you allow Liu Chong to come to this kind of place?" Bai Luo Yin asked.

"I did not allow him to come here." Zhou Ling Yun said rather indifferently. "You guys were the ones that forbade him from coming. Also, I did not invite him here. Do you understand? I only gave him an opportunity to decide for himself."

"If you did not provoke him, would he have made this kind of rash decision?" Bai Luo Yin's voice revealed a deep sense of dissatisfaction.

"Impudent fool!"[1] Zhou Ling Yun roared. "Is provocation a word you can use with me? What qualifications do you have to challenge me? There are only orders here, not friendship! Discard this obnoxious behavior of yours, otherwise—don't expect to keep your mouth!"

Standing not too far away, the soldiers on the scene witnessed with concern the unjust admonition Bai Luo Yin suffered under the hand of their overbearing superior.

Bai Luo Yin remained persistent in his views, "I did not say those words for the sake of friendship. It is in the interest of the Army! Liu Chong is a rare talent. You set him up in this bitterly cold place while knowing full well that he is still in recovery. You know, it is highly possible that he will suffer lifelong disability. Is this your way of training your troops? Or could it be that your motive for training everyone is not to make them strong but rather to destroy them completely?"

Zhou Ling Yun's heavy hand firmly struck Bai Luo Yin's head before he said, word by word: "Our troops will not train useless people!"

Bai Luo Yin stiffened as his lips tightly pursed.

Then Zhou Ling Yun's hand shifted slowly from the top of Bai Luo Yin head to the side of his lips before he ruthlessly twisted his mouth, and derisively yelled, "Control your mouth!"

Not having drunk any water for an entire day, Bai Luo Yin could feel that his lips were already dry. Adding to that the frigid environment and Zhou Ling Yun's harsh action, countless wisps of blood started to seep from his lips.

Soon after, Zhou Ling Yun loudly announced in front of the officers and soldiers, "Deputy Battalion Commander Bai Luo Yin has openly disobeyed his superior's direct command. He is to have no food for a day and must climb 100 trees as punishment. I hope that the lot of you will see this as a warning!"

All the officers and soldiers on the scene were secretly frightened for Bai Luo Yin. In their memory, ever since Bai Luo Yin arrived in the Army, he had never received any disciplinary actions. Aside from his outstanding performances, he also had formidable backing from Gu Wei Ting. Therefore, in regard to problems concerning Bai Luo Yin, many superiors would take this into consideration.

Zhou Ling Yun spat out a few more words, "Every one of you must remember, I will not give anyone special privileges! Even if you were the son of the Chairman of the Central Military Commission, you will still be punished according to the same disciplinary rules!"