These days, even brushing one’s teeth is no easy task.

It was impossibly crowded, and there was absolutely no place to wash up! This school was truly stingy, dumping students into such a dump for military training. Just thinking about it filled her with resentment!

Yet, unable to find an outlet for her frustration, she had no choice but to swallow it. After waiting in a long, grueling line, it was finally her turn. She opened the faucet, and Shangguan Xiao let out another groan of despair.

What was this? The water was trickling out at a speed that could rival a turtle. At this rate, who knew how long it would take just to brush her teeth!

Wash her face? By the time the water pressure increased even a fraction, the instructor was already bellowing outside the door. Her loud voice echoed: "What are you people dawdling for? Do you want breakfast or not?"

Realizing their sustenance was at stake, everyone picked up the pace. Efficiency suddenly soared! Having finally finished her miserable brushing, Shangguan Xiao decided she would have to come earlier next time. Otherwise, if brushing her teeth was this painful, how was she supposed to survive the rest of it? She quickly washed her face, grabbed her belongings, and returned to the dormitory. Back in the room, she pulled on the military uniform she had left out to air yesterday and took a loaf of bread she had prepared from her suitcase.

She unwrapped it and began to gnaw on the bread. When the others saw that Shangguan Xiao had actually brought rations, they all thought it was incredibly foolish. Breakfast was coming up soon; if she ate bread now, how would she have room for that?

Ignoring their disdainful looks, Shangguan Xiao continued to chew. In truth, she had anticipated this before coming to training; bringing bread was better than bringing nothing at all. If there really was no food, she would have something to fill her stomach. If there was food, what she brought could serve as dessert. Either way, she wouldn't be at a disadvantage! Besides, she might as well eat now to avoid any trouble if some idiot decided to defy the instructor during breakfast. If that happened, forget breakfast—even lunch might be in jeopardy! Furthermore, there was no telling what kind of grueling physical labor lay ahead. If she didn't fill her stomach properly, she feared she might lose control of her temper and accidentally strangle the instructor in the yellow sand.

Murder was illegal, after all! She didn't want to throw her life away because of an instructor. Of course, as "cannon fodder," she possessed the necessary self-awareness. If some reckless fool caused a scene later, she would already be full and wouldn't need to worry about a thing! Ha! She truly felt she was brilliant.

After quickly finishing the bread, she drank a bottle of milk. She wiped her mouth elegantly with a tissue, tidied up her luggage, folded her quilt according to the requirements, and walked out the door.

Sigh! Being well-fed and rested really did wonders for one's mood. She stretched, let out a comfortable yawn, and wiped the corner of her eye. She was so sleepy! She walked to her class's assigned spot and sat cross-legged on the ground without hesitation.

She placed her lunchbox and water bottle to the side and closed her eyes to conserve her energy. She needed to be well-rested to have the strength for the devilish training to come! Slowly, the others arrived one by one. They had been sitting on the ground for quite a while when several instructors finally approached, carrying a few heavy crates.

The crowd looked at the crates with anticipation, but only Xiao felt that there was nothing good inside. She had heard the instructors' footsteps; they were clearly much heavier than usual. What could be that heavy? Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't food! The instructors dropped the items on the ground and stood in front, looking stern. The people below began to whisper, speculating about what kind of food might be in the crates.

Xiao shook her head. Someone next to her nudged her and leaned into her ear to whisper, "Hey, what do you think is in the crates?"

The blinding sun continued to radiate heat. Shangguan Xiao reached up to wipe the sweat from her forehead, rolled her eyes at the girl, and replied, "Whatever it is, it's not food."

The girl was about to ask why, but the head instructor in front placed her hands on her hips and roared with imposing authority, "Have you all finished your chattering yet?"

Instantly, the scene returned to its initial stillness; the surroundings were silent as the grave. As the saying goes, the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. No one wanted to be the first to speak and risk being "shot" by the instructor. They still needed to stay alive to enjoy their lives back home!