Chapter 122: Knowing When to Bend and When to Stretch

Secondly, I do not believe that punishing me indiscriminately is a commendable action. Trying to force me to admit to a fault I did not commit is bullying—an abuse of power from a superior. This is not Korea; we do not subscribe to the archaic notion that seniority or age grants one the right to trample over juniors. Please spare me such toxic cultural dregs; I am a passionate youth, not your subordinate to be abused.

Lastly, I must state my defense. You claimed that because I am a woman, I should be more tolerant—ha! That is laughable. After we disembarked, they intentionally quickened their pace and jogged away to ditch me. I will not make an issue out of being abandoned because of my gender; I will instead use the very concept of "team spirit" that you keep preaching to ask you: is this the kind of noble spirit worth upholding?

You only think about imposing a sense of responsibility upon me. Why don't you reflect on whether this collective is even worth my approval? Based on how they viewed me through prejudiced lenses, isolated me before we even left the boat, and then tried to ditch me afterward—what kind of place was that? It was a zone you yourselves warned us was high-risk. The fact that I didn't retaliate is a testament to my kindness. If I recognize this as a true collective, I will contribute to it and possess the so-called sense of collective honor. But if this group is not worthy of my recognition, then it is merely a gathering of people.

She had even set aside past grievances to provide them with two cotton swabs and a flag as payment to have someone escort them—is that not evidence of team spirit?

"Jiang Huan! You—you are being unreasonable! Go swim in the water for an hour to cool off!"

Jiang Huan dropped all pretenses. "If you want to go, go yourself. If you insist on forcing me to be the one to suffer grievances just to avoid any so-called negative impact on the group, then I’m sorry, I choose to withdraw from this selection."

Jiang Huan turned cold, and the Head Instructor’s face turned livid.

In the military, this would be a clear case of insubordination that required discipline. However, as sharp-tongued as Jiang Huan was, she wasn't wrong—this was not the military. To put it bluntly, this was a recruitment drive for a suicide squad meant to hold the front line against inhuman threats.

Suddenly, there was a stir in the crowd. Xie Congzhou stepped forward: "I do not accept the punishment imposed on Jiang Huan. I will testify for her; when it comes to group cohesion, she is second to none."

Arlin had wanted to speak up for a while, but her background in obedience had held her back. Now that someone else had taken the lead, she stood out as well: "I hadn't found a flag, and it was Jiang Huan who gave us one. If she had no heart for the team, would she have done that? She could have kept it to trade for items herself! And by the way, she even shared her water with me. How much clean water did we even have? She gave me two big gulps!"

"Exactly! We were also helped by Jiang Huan. I had an abrasion, and Jiang Huan gave me all her share of the gauze without keeping any for herself."

"Head Instructor, Jiang Huan even led us to find the other scattered teammates later on!"

Everyone was at that hot-blooded age, and hearing Jiang Huan’s words had already stirred them. Being further galvanized by Xie Congzhou and Arlin, the crowd erupted in a display of collective indignation, with the vast majority standing up to protest on Jiang Huan's behalf.

Jiang Huan had been full of negative energy, ready to wash her hands of this and leave. At worst, she could be the queen of her own cave; she would figure out how to handle information and secure a safe shelter on her own. This was not her only option.

But seeing these people standing up for her caused that negativity in her heart to miraculously dissipate. Although she still felt bitter, she bowed to the crowd and raised a hand, asking for silence.

"I can understand what it’s like to be blinded by preconceived notions, but I hope a qualified leader can be objective and listen to the truth. If you still don't trust me, Head Instructor, I am willing to stay away from the group entirely until you have investigated this thoroughly. Consider it a self-imposed exile. How does that sound?"

Look at that—listen to how well she can bend and stretch when necessary. Jiang Huan truly hoped the Head Instructor would be foolish enough to let her wander off on her own.