Special Forces: At the beginning, I was able to upgrade!

Southeast Railway Station.

Soldiers in green military uniforms stood tall, their eyes fixed on the big red banners that lined the walls. The slogans read, "Enlisting in the army is like further study; becoming a soldier makes you a talent!" Another declared, "One soldier brings glory to the whole family!"

Lin Yi woke up to the chaotic sounds of the station, the noise filling his ears as he looked around, confused by the unfamiliar scene.

Ding Dong!

Congratulations to the host for awakening the Entry Upgrade System!

The sudden mechanical voice in his mind startled Lin Yi. An inexplicable torrent of information surged into his brain, making his previously confused expression resolute. He understood now—he had crossed over into another world. He was now a college student soldier, freshly enlisted, and the Entry Upgrade System was his key advantage.

The system revealed that entries, ranked by rarity from white, green, blue, purple, gold, to red, could be triggered through his own actions. By defeating enemies, Lin Yi could pick up more entries, and once a month, he had the opportunity to upgrade one or even randomly boost it to a higher level.

"System, check the entries!" Lin Yi muttered.

A list appeared:

[Excellent Memory (blue), Learning Expert (blue),...]

But as Lin Yi focused on examining his entries, he didn't hear the whistle that signaled the recruits to gather, nor did he notice the other recruits standing up one by one.

"Soldier!" a loud voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts. "You! What are you looking at?"

Lin Yi snapped back to reality and realized that most of the recruits in the station lounge had already left. Only he and another recruit were still standing in place.

"I called you! Did you hear me?" A dark-skinned figure in a Type 07 army uniform and wearing the sergeant's insignia appeared in front of the other recruit, raising his voice.

"You weren't talking to me," the recruit said, his tone a bit defiant. "You kept saying 'soldier, soldier.' How was I supposed to know you meant me? I have a name."

The sergeant raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's your name?"

"Zhuang Yan," the recruit replied.

The sergeant nodded as if making a mental note of the name. But Zhuang Yan continued, "What about you?"

"Call me 'Squad Leader!'" the sergeant barked in response.

At that moment, another recruit hurried over, out of breath, and whispered to Zhuang Yan, "That's the squad leader."

Lin Yi observed the entire scene. It felt strange but oddly familiar. His eyes were drawn to the book Selected Shakespeare's Plays in Zhuang Yan's hand. His expression turned slightly curious—wasn't this the special character Xiaozhuang from the story? And wasn't the sergeant standing before him Zheng Sanpao?

"Oh, squad leader, I remember now," Xiaozhuang said casually.

"Zhuang Yan!" Zheng Sanpao repeated, his lips curling into a mysterious smile. "I'll remember your name. You can call me Xiaozhuang."

Zhuang Yan seemed unaware of the shift in the atmosphere and greeted the squad leader. "I remember you," he said.

Zheng Sanpao shot him a look, turned, and left.

Zhuang Yan muttered something under his breath, rolled his eyes, and picked up his oversized green marching bag, following the rest of the recruits.

"Interesting," Lin Yi thought to himself, a slight smile forming on his lips. This world was starting to become more and more intriguing.

---

As the train whistle echoed through the station, the recruits lined up in two neat rows, their faces filled with curiosity. One by one, they boarded the train, and as the locomotive began its journey, it headed toward an unknown destination.

Lin Yi and Zhuang Yan found themselves sitting together in silence. Across from them was the honest recruit who had kindly reminded them earlier. He reached into his bag, pulled out two apples, and enthusiastically handed them to Lin Yi and Zhuang Yan.

"Eat up," he said with a grin. "My name's Chen Xiwa, from Lu Province. What about you?"

"Lin Yi, from Xiangtan," Lin Yi responded, smiling.

Lin Yi knew Chen Xiwa's background well—his grandfather had served in the Eighth Route Army, and his father was also a soldier. A third-generation military man, Chen Xiwa was simple, kind, hardworking, and resilient. However, in the original story, Chen Xiwa failed the Wolf Teeth selection because of his lack of education, having only graduated from junior high school. Despite this, his qualities as a soldier made him someone who could easily be admired.

"I'm Zhuang Yan, but you can call me Xiaozhuang," Zhuang Yan added from the side, though he seemed distant, his eyes fixed on the train exit.

"Lin Yi, Xiaozhuang," Chen Xiwa repeated with a broad smile.

Lin Yi glanced at Zhuang Yan coolly. He knew the truth—Zhuang Yan had enlisted with a different motive: to find his childhood sweetheart. He wasn't truly passionate about the military. Lin Yi knew Zhuang Yan would have to experience a lot before he changed his mindset, but for now, Lin Yi remained a quiet observer.

Meanwhile, in the corner of the carriage, a few officers were already discussing the new recruits, scanning through their profiles.

"Did you see that?" one officer said. "We've got two college students in this batch."

The lieutenant officer overseeing the troops looked up with interest. "Oh? Two college students?"

"Yeah," the veteran soldiers seemed surprised. Although the army had been focusing on modernizing and recruiting more educated personnel, it was rare to see college students starting from scratch as new recruits.

The lieutenant officer flipped through the roster and chuckled. "The Drama Academy, specializing in art."

"Which ones?" asked Zheng Sanpao.

The officer pointed in the direction of Lin Yi and Zhuang Yan. "That group over there."

Zheng Sanpao's gaze locked onto the two. Zhuang Yan, with his bold attitude, stood out, but it was Lin Yi's calm and indifferent demeanor that truly caught his eye. Among the restless recruits, Lin Yi's composure made him stand out even more.

"Who's sitting next to him?" Zheng Sanpao asked curiously.

The lieutenant smiled. "Those two college students—looks like they've already stuck together."

"Lin Yi," the officer continued, "is a freshman from the School of Information Science and Technology at Yen Ching University. An orphan, completely self-taught."

"Oh?" The veterans showed even more interest in Lin Yi now. This was a true top student. To achieve so much as an orphan required immense determination and grit—qualities that far surpassed normal expectations. If Lin Yi could be nurtured well, he had the potential to become an officer someday.

....

Like it? add to collections