Ebony Fox adjusted the binocrs, zooming in for a clearer view. But the girl was standing with her back to her, making it impossible to see her face.
Before their turns, the other contestants had made a big show of preparing, either taking off their jackets or rolling up their sleeves and pant legs to avoid getting hindered. For all their bluster, not a single one had managed to clear all the obstacles. They had fallen in every imaginable way, sprawled across the course in various undignified positions. In her unit, that level of physical fitness wouldn''t even qualify them to peel potatoes.
But this girl was different. Although Ebony Fox couldn''t see her expression, she watched as the girl stood quietly with her hands in her pockets, a posture of casual nonchnce, with no unnecessary movements.
Ebony Fox narrowed her eyes. With such a slight frame, she doubted the girl could even make it past the first two obstacles.
Just as she was pondering this, the whistle blew. The slender figure shot forward like a gust of wind, sessfully clearing one obstacle after another.
Watching her move with an ease that made it look like child''s y, the smile on Farrell''s face froze. How could she be so fast?
Juniper navigated all eight obstacles without a single pause, running straight to the finish line and hitting the timer. The world record for the 400-meter obstacle course was 1 minute and 32 seconds. Juniper''s time was... 1 minute and 31 seconds. She had actually broken the world record, and by exactly one second!
What was more, she had lookedpletely rxed while running. After stopping, she wasn''t even out of breath, clearly indicating she hadn''t given it her all. If she had really pushed herself, her time would have been even better.
"Whoa!"
The students were silent for a few seconds, then erupted into thunderous cheers and apuse as they registered the time.
"Hey, hey, hey! Laugh! Why aren''t youughing anymore?" Theputer science andw students gloated at the broadcasting majors, their voices dripping with sarcasm. “I seem to recall someone saying we were all brains and no brawn. Well, how about now? Better than some majors, right? All talk, and no skills to back it up!"
The broadcasting program admitted students based on abination of professional and academic scores, with a lower admissions threshold than the other, more rigorous departments.
The broadcasting students all lowered their heads, silent as mice.
“Well, Farrell, no wonder you rmended this girl for the men''s 400-meter obstacle course," an instructor from a neighboringpanymented. He hadn''t seen such an impressive run in a long time and was generous with his praise. "A time like that is better than many trained professionals. I''m ashamed to evenpare."
Farrell''s mouth twitched. He tried to smile, but couldn''t. His intention had been to humiliate Juniper, hoping she would fall and injure herself. Who would have thought she would be so incredible?
Juniper finished her run and walked over to Farrell, stopping beside him. "I brought you honor. You must be pleased, right?" she said, her lips barely moving.
Farrell''s head snapped up, so enraged he nearly choked. The insult was devastating!
"Tsk." With that, Juniper walked back to herpany to receive the adoration of her peers.
Farrell stood frozen, staring at Juniper in disbelief. This was the useless girl Ynda had told him about? A top schr, perfect military posture, and now outstanding physical fitness. She had grown up in the Sherwin family. How could she be so exceptional, and why would Ynda...
Farrell turned to look at Ynda, his expression hardening.
Meanwhile, in a nearby administrative building.
"Well," Ebony Fox''s subordinate said, pressing his face against the window and holding his eyes wide open with his hands after watching Juniper''s entire run. "Who would''ve thought a little eighteen-year-old girl would be the one to break a world record? Herconditioning is insane. She''s got the makings of a specia forces soldier, no doubt about it."
"Who is she?" Ebony Fox asked, her voice raspy. She kept her eyes narrowed, fixed
on the girl, a strange emotion flickering across her otherwise cold face.
"Let me check."
Her subordinate made a quick call to the person in charge of the training and got his
answer.
"The girl''s name is Juniper Payne. Eighteen years old. She was the top scorer on this year''s college entrance exams.” He paused for emphasis. “With a perfect score in every subject. Tsk, tsk. She''s theplete package.”
"The top scorer?" Ebony Fox''s gaze remained locked on Juniper, seeing only the lower half of her face beneath the cap''s brim. She had clearly seen the exchange with the instructor. She was smart and has an attitude...
“Ma''am, you''re not thinking of taking her on as your protégée, are you?” the subordinate asked cautiously.
Ebony Fox had been a senior instructor at the Huntsman Institute, a facility deep in the Amazon rainforest that trained elite special forces and mercenaries for countries around the world. The soldiers she''d trained were now legendary figures scattered across the globe.
Then, two months ago, the notoriously solitary Ebony Fox had inexplicably epted an invitation from the Orient Country''s military to be their general military instructor and, concurrently, the chief instructor for Era University''s military training.
He had once asked her why she''d bother with these kids. They were all rookies, the
type to see stars after a single punch. It seemed so boring.
All Ebony Fox had said was, "The raw recruits are more of a challenge."
He had no idea what to make of that.
Her protégée? Ebony Fox tossed the binocrs to her subordinate and sat down, crossing her long legs. She lit a slim cigarette, the pale smokeveiling a face that was strikingly beautiful yet so cold it dared anyone to approach. A striking picture of cool, intimidating beauty.
“Get me her file," Ebony Fox said slowly, exhaling a plume of smoke. The girl''s
physical conditioning looked promising. Eighteen years old.....
If her sister were still alive, she would have been the same age.