The Glory of Youth

At the training commencement ceremony for the 270th Brigade's new recruits, An Lei had the veterans demonstrate a rocket soldier's operational procedures to the newcomers. Xia Zhuo immediately voiced his doubts, arguing that the rocket soldiers' positioning after the “mark your positions” command was flawed and impractical for combat. After the ceremony, squad leader Lü Zheng harshly reprimanded Xia Zhuo, but Xia Zhuo refused to admit fault. Lü Zheng ran to complain to An Lei, only to find An Lei actually calculating the issue Xia Zhuo had raised. Lü Zheng requested Xia Zhuo's transfer out of his squad, but An Lei refused. Lü Zheng attempted to distribute care packages as customary, only to be driven away by Lin Anbang's sycophantic flattery.

Upon learning Fang Zhenjun's true identity, Lü Zheng rushed to his side to halt their duel. With the 270th Brigade's imminent relocation to a new camp, morale among Xia Zhuo and his comrades was low. Lü Zheng rallied the troops, leading them in chants of “Defend our homeland!” The leadership decided to combine the redeployment with a military exercise. As the 270th Brigade entered the camp, Xia Zhuo and his comrades witnessed various heavy weapons before them, a powerful sense of pride and admiration welling up within them. A doctor named Huang Wen was dispatched from the base hospital to serve as the brigade's psychologist during the exercise.

The 270th Brigade suddenly received a base alert: a terrorist organization had secretly implanted an irreversible program into a launch device, with the explosion scheduled for twelve hours later. Xia Zhuo conceived a plan to alter the magnetic field to intercept the missile, but Ouyang Jun dismissed it as impractical. When Xia Zhuo approached Qi Peng to submit his proposal, he learned Ouyang Jun had already submitted an identical plan—one deemed more feasible. Confronting Ouyang Jun about stealing his idea, Ouyang Jun denied it, suggesting Xia Zhuo verify the records himself. Xia Zhuo went to the archive to verify it, only to be caught red-handed and immediately locked in a detention cell.

In detention, Xia Zhuo replayed today's events and realized this was likely just a drill. He frantically sought someone to unlock the door. Xia Zhuo earnestly presented his theory, but Lü Zheng scoffed at his analysis. Ultimately, Xia Zhuo failed to convince the company commander and others, landing him back in detention. Xia Zhuo refused to give up. He knew failing to find An Lei meant losing the competition. Lü Zheng spotted Xia Zhuo escaping through the ventilation shaft on surveillance and entered the detention cell to investigate. When Lü Zheng opened the door, both Lin Anbang and the others were stunned. Yi Zimeng had vanished. Lü Zheng guessed both Xia Zhuo and Yi Zimeng were in the tunnel and made no attempt to search for them.

Brigade Commander Wang Jinying personally interrogated Xia Zhuo, who articulated his thoughts with eloquence. Impressed by Xia Zhuo's analysis, Wang Jinying invited him to join the 334th Brigade, but Xia Zhuo promptly declined. Meanwhile, Battalion Commander Qi and others finally realize the problem aligns with Xia Zhuo's predictions, prompting them to activate the contingency strategy. The 270th Brigade issues Xia Zhuo and Yi Zimeng administrative warnings, leaving Yi Zimeng deeply disheartened. The exercise is forcibly terminated, and leaders like Fang Zhenjun express profound regret over its failure. Xia Zhuo was returned to the 270th Brigade, where Lü Zheng personally led a team to retrieve him. Though Lü outwardly expressed disdain, he was secretly overjoyed.

The 270th Brigade moved into new barracks and commenced comprehensive training. An Lei and Political Commissar Liang proposed forming a specialized unit capable of executing decisive final strikes, which Liang supported. They sought veteran input, intending to select volunteers for a combined arms company—the elite “Battle Blade Company.” Lü Zheng also recognized Xia Zhuo's potential, so he entered him into the Elite Gunner Selection Competition. Ouyang Jun was displeased upon learning Xia Zhuo intended to go easy on him, demanding Xia Zhuo compete seriously and even berating him. Xia Zhuo grew furious, and the two clashed again over the matter.