After the old man went home, he started contacting his old friends. They were all living far apart, but he wanted to ask if they knew any good brain surgeons.
"Hello, this is Tang Xu speaking."
"I want to ask if you know any doctors who are very good at brain surgery?"
"Oh, okay, thank you, goodbye."
"Hello, this is Tang Xu."
"I want to ask if you know anyone who is really skilled at brain surgery."
"Oh, okay, thank you, goodbye."
All afternoon, the old man didn't even know how many calls he had made. He kept asking the same questions again and again, but every answer was the same—"No, sorry."
He sat alone in the study, tears filling his eyes, but he knew he couldn't fall apart.
Time passed quickly. A week went by, and Tang Xu still hadn't found anyone who could do the brain surgery. The hospital also didn't offer any effective treatment plan.
The only good news was that the condition hadn't gotten worse. The shrapnel hadn't moved.
In the hospital room, Felix spoke to his grandfather.
"Grandpa, I want to leave the army."
"Have you thought it through? You know I don't have many years left. Look at your brother's condition. While you're in the army, before I step down, I can help arrange a path for you. If you follow it well, you'll be able to take care of your brother in the future."
"When I'm gone, no one will care about us anymore. You'll have to find your own job and support both you and your brother. We don't know how long this situation will last, and the future is uncertain."
"If you stay in the army, even after I'm gone, I can arrange everything. Our family's background can help you build a good future. But if you leave, you'll have to rely only on yourself. I don't suggest you leave the army. Being a soldier can help take care of both you and your brother."
Felix hesitated after hearing that. What his grandfather said made sense. If he left the army, the best he could become was a worker or maybe an office staff member. Without his grandfather, anyone could step on them. He understood this world too well.
Grandfather saw his hesitation and said, "Take your time to think about it. There's no rush. Spend more time with your brother these days. I'll ask for leave for you."
"Okay, I understand, Grandpa."
At the base
During this time, Sienna kept training with the Second Battalion. She found out that her physical strength wasn't weak at all. Maybe she had misunderstood herself, or maybe others were just too weak.
Since Felix was on leave, Rowan had to handle everything himself, so Sienna started training the soldiers too.
One evening, Sienna asked Rowan, "What about Felix? Doesn't he need to train? I haven't seen him for half a month."
"He has something to deal with and took leave. It's fine. You just focus on training your group. When he comes back, I'll give him extra training."
"Oh, okay." Sienna nodded to show she understood.
Over the next week, Sienna led the soldiers in the Second Battalion through their training. Every day, they trained on the field to improve their endurance and strength.
They also went through several tactical training sessions to improve their combat skills and teamwork.
But the most important part was individual combat training. That was Sienna's strength.
She clearly understood that only when each soldier had excellent personal skills could they perform well on the battlefield. So she paid special attention to improving each soldier's personal abilities.
During the individual combat training, the first thing she arranged was shooting practice.
"Today we officially start training."
"Yes!"
She led the soldiers to the shooting range, where they practiced using and operating different firearms. Each soldier had to do precise shooting training to improve their accuracy and shooting speed.
Next, Sienna organized close combat training.
"Pair up into two and have a sparring match, while also pointing out each other's weaknesses."
"Yes."
She also personally taught the soldiers combat techniques. The soldiers learned various boxing and fighting skills, and they also did practical battle simulations.
On the field, they simulated combat situations, practicing their reactions and fighting techniques.
In addition to shooting and fighting, Sienna also trained the soldiers in reconnaissance and stealth skills.
She led them in a series of scouting exercises, including hiding, observing, and reporting.
They did stealth action simulations in the forest, learning how to move quietly under the enemy's nose, gather intelligence, and communicate it in time.
During the training, Sienna noticed each soldier's strengths and weaknesses, offering specific guidance and training.
She taught them how to use their strengths while helping them overcome their weaknesses.
She believed that if each soldier could fully realize their potential, they would be strong, and Rowan would be safer on missions.
After a week of training, Sienna saw improvement in the soldiers. Their shooting accuracy increased, their fighting skills became more refined, and their reconnaissance and stealth abilities clearly improved.
The teamwork among the soldiers also became more coordinated, and they were able to work together to complete various tasks.
On the last day of training, Sienna arranged a mock battle. She divided the soldiers into two teams and let them face off in the training field. The mock battle tested both their individual abilities and teamwork.
The battle began, and the two teams fought fiercely. Sienna observed closely, paying attention to every soldier's performance.
She saw the soldiers fighting with confidence, using their shooting and fighting skills to defeat their opponents, while their reconnaissance and stealth abilities helped them find weaknesses in the enemy. They coordinated well, supporting each other and forming a strong combat team.
When the mock battle ended, Sienna praised the soldiers for their performance.
"Congratulations," Sienna said. "You now have excellent personal and teamwork abilities. You're ready for any combat mission. Keep working hard to improve yourself."
Sienna knew that only by constantly improving could they stand firm on the battlefield.
That way, when they went on missions with Rowan, they would be able to protect him.
"Yes!"
"Dismissed."
Hearing these words, everyone scattered.
Later that night, Sienna said, "Honey, the training is done. From now on, they'll handle it on their own."
"Okay, thank you, dear. You don't need to worry about it now; the captain will take care of the results."
"So, I won't be going for a while?"
"Yes, stay home and rest. You've had a tough week."
"I'm fine."