104

"A group of diligent, good actors! If they went to Hollywood, they would definitely not end up struggling."

Long Zhan was not intimidated by this group of "bandits." He had worked his way up from the Marine Corps to the Navy SEALs and from the SEALs to the current Green Team.

He had seen too many of the flashy, intimidating operations in the U.S. military.

He was almost immune to it!

In the two adjacent iron cages diagonally across from Long Zhan, the expressions on the faces of Clay and Brian were clearly more curious than nervous.

The other new recruits were largely in the same state.

The special training instructor, Aidan, clearly hadn't thought that a few "training companions" wearing Balaclavas and role-playing as thugs would be enough to intimidate this group of newcomers who had already endured countless trials and tribulations.

He opened up and got straight to the point, addressing the group in a way that resembled a test answer format:

"Listen up, welcome to the final SERE assessment.

Before I finish all your training and hand you over to Chief Instructor Malcolm, I need to remind you of something.

You've completed 99% of the training, and only one last step remains before entering DG.

But only after passing this assessment will you officially graduate from Green Team. If you fail here, everything you've done up to now will be for nothing.

I also want to remind you that the more effort you put in during this training, the more you will gain from it. My advice is simple: do your best in everything you do."

*Bang!*

As Aidan finished his speech, a tall instructor beside him kicked the iron cage.

The tall instructor did not introduce himself, and Long Zhan had never seen him before. He had not appeared in any previous training sessions.

Long Zhan could only guess that this instructor had a specific focus—he likely only specialized in advanced survival training.

As Long Zhan and the others were speculating about his identity, the tall instructor began his "initiation."

He shouted at Long Zhan and the others in the cage: "From this moment on, you will experience the despair of this world. Pushing your physical limits will become your daily routine.

If you still think that the Green Team's advanced SERE survival training is the same as the SERE training you underwent as SEALs, then I'm afraid I have bad news for you.

You will pay the price for that misconception, and you won't be able to pass my assessment.

There are no rules here, and no one gets special treatment.

If something goes wrong with your body, go straight to the medic, and we'll send you to the hospital. Once you recover, you'll be sent back to your original SEAL base.

If your mental state is compromised, then go home and find your mother.

Now, the training officially begins."

The tall instructor's words were brutally simple, without a single unnecessary sentence.

He turned and walked out.

The "thug" companions followed right behind him and left as well.

Once all the instructors had left the narrow basement, two companions pushed the heavy iron door, sealing the basement into a confined space.

At the moment the iron door closed, the four corner speakers in the room suddenly blared to life.

"Woo…Woo…Woo…"

"Wah…Wah…Wah…"

"Screech…Screech…Screech…"

The sounds were like the wind in a haunted forest at midnight, the heartbreaking cries of a baby, and the sharp screeching sound of metal scraping across glass—all mixed together.

Each one of these noises on their own would be unbearable to the average person, but now they were all combined.

Even worse, the sound from the four large speakers echoed throughout the narrow basement, filling every corner.

The sensation was utterly torturous.

Long Zhan and Brian, along with the other recruits, immediately covered their ears when they heard the sound, but it did absolutely nothing to block it out.

All they could do was endure the unbearable noise until it finally stopped.

For Long Zhan, the first obstacle of the final assessment was this nauseating noise torture. If they could pass this test, they would officially become part of DG and be recognized as first-class operators.

Meanwhile, Long Zhan's friends in DG had gathered together to discuss the upcoming end of this year's Green Team selection.

"I just heard some good news today. Green Team is undergoing the final SERE assessment, and we'll soon be able to bring in new recruits," Trent said.

Trent had never cared much about Green Team training, but after getting to know Long Zhan, he had started paying attention to Green Team's progress.

"This is definitely good news. If that's the case..."

Ray glanced at Sonny and joked, "Even if Sonny retires because of the pressure, we'll still be able to fill the two vacancies."

"Cut it out!"

Sonny wiped his big beard and retorted smugly, "I'm way younger than you. By the time you retire, I won't even be close to retirement."

"Hahaha."

Sonny, feeling youthful, deliberately acted smug, causing everyone around to burst into laughter.

"The advanced survival assessment for the development team is not something the SEALs can compare to," Diaz chimed in. "They'll suffer a lot in the test. I hope Jibril can hold on."

"Wow! Wow!"

Sonny shouted, deeply empathizing, "It's a long few days; I doubt I'll ever forget it."

"Long, don't worry. With his strength, the remaining Green Team recruits will probably be eliminated, and that freak of nature won't have to worry."

Trent and Brock nodded in agreement, having no doubts about Long Zhan's abilities.

"Okay, since we're on the topic, let's discuss it."

Ray drew everyone's attention to a subject, saying, "If Clay passes the final assessment, should we pick him for the team?"

"Why don't you ask Long?" Jason scoffed.

"He doesn't need to be asked anymore, does he?" Ray rolled his eyes.

The meaning was clear—since he had already spoken with the team leader, Long Zhan joining Bravo Team was a done deal, no further discussion needed.

"Haha, you're right."

Jason chuckled as he put his arm around Ray's shoulders and then stroked his chin thoughtfully. "If we recruit Clay, that'll take up two spots. Other teams will need new recruits as well. This might be a bit tricky."