After breakfast, a new day of training began.


    Farrell continued to single out Juniper, finding all sorts of ways to give her a hard time. But not only did she deftly sidestep his attempts, she also managed to put him in an awkward position several times. The animosity between them was now set in


    stone.


    After several days of standing at attention and marching, the training was finally moving on to something more interesting.


    “I heard we''re doing the 400-meter obstacle course today," Hattie said, pointing at the obstacles set up on the field, her excitement palpable. “But it looks really hard. I don''t think I could even get past the first set of steps."


    "Me neither," Cynthia agreed with a pout. "We have to climb over that? I''d die!"


    "This time, eachpany is only sending one person," J said, craning her neck. "I hope Farrell doesn''t make you go."


    That creep was always picking on Juniper. It was too much.


    "Yeah,” Queenie nodded, indignant on her behalf. "Juniper, if he picks you, just refuse. If he gives you a hard time, we''ll fight him." She was so done with that guy. “So fierce?” Juniper said, hands in her pockets, a casual smile gracing her lips. "Well..." Queenie was all talk; the thought of an actual fight made her nervous. But she could always tattle to Mr. Schwartz and have him deal with Farrell!


    "Still talking? Have you no sense of discipline?” Farrell snapped, his gazending on the group, his anger ring.


    "Tch." Hattie rolled her eyes, and the girls moved to their designated spots. Sure enough, as soon as they were settled, Farrell announced who would be


    participating.


    "Juniper!"


    At the sound of her name, everyone''s head swiveled to look at her.


    Was he serious? Could his personal bias be any more obvious? All the otherpanies were sending male students, and strong ones at that. Juniper, with her slender frame, was going to run an obstacle course?


    “Sir, I request permission to participate,” a male student from theputer science department spoke up, unable to stand by.


    "I decide who goes," Farrell said, dead set on making Juniper suffer and be humiliated. "Anyone else with an opinion can give me fifty push-ups."


    "Sir-" J and Queenie started to protest, but Juniper stepped forward and said calmly, "Fine."


    Queenie and J looked at Juniper, and after catching her eye, they reluctantly fell silent. They knew she was a skilled fighter, but these obstacles were genuinely difficult for a girl.


    “Step forward!” Farrell called Juniper to the front, then addressed the rest of thepany. “Let''s all look forward to seeing if our top schr''s skills are as sharp as her tongue."


    "Pfft-" A few students from the neighboring broadcasting department let out contemptuous snickers.


    "You''d better do well, Juniper. Don''t disgrace ourpany. If you really can''t make


    it, don''t force yourself. It would be so embarrassing to fall into the mud."


    Theputer science andw


    students gritted their teeth in


    frustration. They were supposed to be the samepany, but there was not team spirit. Especially Ynda subtly spreading rumors, more and more people thought Juniper was just a show off. They were naturally delighted at the prospect of her making a fool of herself.


    Once everyone was assembled, the 400-meter obstacle course officially began. The course consisted of eight parts: staggered posts, a


    trencha low wall, a high tform monkey bars, a a bnce beam


    high wall, and a low wire.


    The first to go was a male student from the foreignnguages department. He cleared the posts and the trench smoothly, but when he reached the low wall, his arms gave out, and he tumbled to the ground.


    "Hahaha..."


    The clumsy fall drew a wave of jeers from the crowd.


    The second contestant was from the nextpany. He also did well on the first few obstacles, but he got stuck at the high tform, failing to vault er it after several attempts... His instructor could only shake his head and tell him to move on. In the end, he ran out of time, stumbling through withoutpleting the course.


    The third contestant went up...


    Meanwhile, in a tall building not far away, a slender woman in a camouge uniform


    was observing the training ground through a pair of binocrs.


    "Ebony Fox, today''s event is the 400-meter obstacle course," her subordinate reported, reading from a file.


    "A 400-meter obstacle course?” The woman adjusted her binocrs, a faint, cold smile touching her lips. “Kids these days are just hothouse flowers. They get winded after running two steps..."


    She hade to the university hoping to scout some promising talent. Hmph. All show and no substance.


    Just as Ebony Fox was grumbling to herself, a tall, slender figure caught her eye. This event was dominated by male students, so why was there a girl participating?