Chapter 1: A Chance Encounter with Joy

“Mom, Dad, you should go back. I’m joining the army, not going to the battlefield.”

At the train station entrance, a young man of seventeen or eighteen looked helplessly at the middle-aged couple holding onto him tightly.

The young man wore a green military uniform, a large red flower pinned on his chest. Standing at one meter eighty with a strong build, he appeared robust and masculine.

Su Yang looked at his parents’ faces—familiar yet strange—etched with worry and couldn’t help but start explaining.

In his previous life, he was an orphan raised in a welfare home. With the country’s support, he attended university. Grateful to the nation since childhood, he was determined to serve his country after witnessing border skirmishes and enlisted upon graduating from college.

However, to his surprise, he failed the physical examination and couldn’t realize his dream. Drowning his sorrows in drink, he awoke to find himself seemingly transported back to the late 1990s.

He had been reborn into the body of a boy with the same name!

After a month or so, Su Yang accepted the reality and resolved to start anew.

Though an orphan before, he respected the parents of his new body, because he had never known parental love before and accepted their affection wholeheartedly.

But he wasn’t pleased with the original boy.

Though only seventeen, physically fit and decent-looking, he was an underachiever academically. If it weren’t for his parents running a small restaurant to support his education, he might not have even earned a high school diploma.

So, after accepting this reality, Su Yang decided to enlist.

First, to fulfill his dream of defending his country; second, to gain the qualifications to enter a military academy through the army.

He was confident that with his university-level learning ability, getting into a military school shouldn’t be a problem.

After bidding farewell to his parents, under the urging of the commanding officers, Su Yang picked up his luggage and entered the train station, boarding a green-painted train.

His home was in Spring City, and this train was headed for Jinling. Su Yang endured the grueling two to three-day journey on the train with the seasoned soldiers, his backside practically hardened like iron.

But instead of arriving at the bustling city of Jinling as he expected, the train pulled into a small station nestled in the mountains.

Faced with an unfamiliar environment, the new recruits shook off the fatigue of the long train ride and keenly observed their surroundings. If not for the serious expressions of the commanding officers, the soldiers might have already started chattering excitedly.

“All personnel, take your luggage and disembark immediately!”

As the train came to a stop, the officers loudly instructed everyone in the aisle.

Su Yang slowly picked up his bags from the seat and reluctantly followed the officers, squeezing off the train.

“Everyone wait here. We still need to transfer trains and ride for several more hours to reach our destination. Don’t wander off.”

“If you need to use the restroom, report it!”

Though stern, the officers still cared for the recruits who hadn’t yet been admitted to the camp, repeating the instructions over and over.

Su Yang placed his luggage in front of his seat. Unlike the others who excitedly chatted and observed their surroundings, he rubbed his already cold hands.

“The damn weather is freezing!”

Stretching his stiff limbs to warm up, Su Yang glanced up at the gray, drizzle-filled sky and muttered curses under his breath.

He had never experienced the era of green trains in his past life, so these consecutive days on the train made him quite uncomfortable.

Moreover, the southern winter’s cold snap brought a sudden temperature drop. For someone used to the perpetual spring of Spring City in Yunnan Province, it was pure torture.

But despite the complaints, Su Yang wasn’t a whiner. Feeling his hands warm up, he reported to the officer and went to the station restroom to relieve himself.

“Make way! Make way!”

Just as Su Yang finished, a crowd of new recruits speaking with northern accents rushed into the cramped restroom.

He had to use standard Mandarin to call for them to give way.

Returning to the hall, Su Yang noticed another train full of recruits had arrived at the already crowded small station, though he wasn’t surprised since the officers had told them earlier this was only a transfer point.

New recruits from all over the country would depart from here to various units in the Southeast Military District.

Back in the group, no sooner had Su Yang sat down than a recruit approached and sat beside him.

He barely had time to look before he recognized someone startlingly familiar.

“Xi Wa?”

He was stunned. How could he meet someone who looked exactly like Chen Xi Wa from “I Am a Special Forces Soldier” while enlisting?

Hearing Su Yang’s voice, Chen Xi Wa quickly turned his head, puzzled. “You know me?”

“No? I just heard your commanding officer call your name,” Su Yang replied, trying not to show his shock.

Chen Xi Wa nodded, still confused. “I’m Chen Xi Wa from Dongshan. Do we know each other?”

Su Yang’s mind reeled. Had he truly crossed into the world of “I Am a Special Forces Soldier”?

If that were the case, where was Xiao Zhuang?

Suppressing the turmoil within, Su Yang feigned nonchalance and shook his head, then quickly scanned for the familiar figures of Zhuang Yan and Zheng Sanpao.

As expected, he found little Zhuang among Xi Wa’s group, quietly reading a book.

This confirmed Su Yang’s suspicion that he had entered the “I Am a Special Forces Soldier” universe.

Lost in thought, a whistle blew, snapping him back to reality.

“Everyone, stand up and prepare to board!”

Su Yang stood up along with the others, looking toward the sound, where Zheng Sanpao pocketed his whistle and glanced at Zhuang Yan.

“That guy! That guy!”

Su Yang couldn’t help but smile, knowing the rebellious Zhuang Yan was about to have a confrontation with Zheng Sanpao.

He said nothing, as the commanding officer watching him gave a sharp look.

Quickly picking up his luggage, Su Yang fell in step with the group.

...

“Hey, tell me, who among these new recruits shows potential?”

By the train aisle, an officer chatted with several veteran squad leaders.

“I have one here—Su Yang, from Yunnan Province. Only seventeen, just graduated high school. Looks physically fit and has a decent personality—not some troublemaker.”

The soldier in charge of Su Yang spoke up, pointing him out.

“It’s too early to judge personality. I prefer those with a rebellious streak; they’re more interesting to train. Too good-natured, and they end up just being cannon fodder.”

One veteran disagreed.

Zheng Sanpao glanced at Su Yang but kept silent.

“Old Pao, you should say something. Don’t hide good soldiers.”

The officer prodded Zheng Sanpao.

“The ones I’ve seen are all rough types. Nothing to say.”

Zheng Sanpao shook his head.

“Rough types? Old Pao, I’ve heard you chatting with some soldiers. I know your style. You wouldn’t waste time on them if you didn’t see potential.”

The officer didn’t believe Zheng Sanpao’s words.

“Besides, I’m telling you, among the soldiers you’re keeping an eye on, there’s one university student, studying directing at the Drama Academy.”

“Who?” The others were surprised.

“The guy sitting by the aisle!”