Female Soldier

The muzzle flashed incessantly, the gunfire rapid and piercing. It stopped abruptly. Nimble hands quickly ejected and replaced the magazine, pausing for only a split second before the thunderous sound tore through eardrums again. It wasn't until all the targets were destroyed that silence returned.

Lin Yilan set down the heated gun barrel and stood with her hands at her sides.

Lieutenant Jones crossed his arms and nodded slightly. "Excellent combat skills, excellent technical skills, outstanding marksmanship. Overall, not bad." Her overall quality was exceptionally high. Jones was very satisfied with the results of his recent observations, but at the same time, he had to admit that putting someone like this in the infantry battalion as a regular soldier was truly a waste.

"Starting tomorrow, you are promoted to Corporal and appointed as Squad Leader."

"Yes, Sir." Her response was perfectly calm, showing no emotion, which made Jones appreciate her even more.

Besides appreciation, Jones also felt a bit of a headache. Although she was a usable talent, women were always trouble, and beautiful ones were double the trouble. "I don't care who you offended in the past. Under my command, only strength matters. However, you must be smart here. The infantry battalion has all kinds of people; you'd better handle them carefully."

Unexpectedly hearing such words from the rough lieutenant, Lin Yilan returned a salute. "I will work hard. Thank you, Sir."

The bottom rung of the military was a mix of dragons and snakes. Ninety-nine percent came from poverty, and rumors of bullying subordinates or internal brawls were common. It was by no means an ideal environment. But for three meals a day and a way out of poverty, there was always a steady stream of new recruits for the Imperial Army.

Eliminating insubordination from subordinates was easy; the army had the army's way. In the training grounds, they fought in turns. When everyone had been knocked down, the new captain's orders began to take effect. The commands of the strong were naturally respected.

draping a towel over her shoulder, Lin Yilan walked down from the combat arena.

Constant whistles came from the surrounding soldiers, who laughed and mocked those collapsed on the ground. Various gazes followed her, but she couldn't be bothered to pay attention. She turned on the tap by the wall and washed her face.

"You've got good moves." An unfamiliar voice spoke abruptly.

Lin Yilan raised her head. A shadow blocked the light. A man was standing extremely close, his muscular arm bulging in the backlight. "How about a match?"

"I'm not interested."

"You don't look like a rookie. Where did you serve before?" The man looked at her with keen interest, as if looking at an untamed wild horse, unabashedly sizing up her body. "What's your name?"

"Who are you?" Lin Yilan asked indifferently, her eyes sweeping over the epaulets on the uniform jacket slung over his shoulder.

"Lieutenant Dana!" The one who interrupted was Lieutenant Jones, his stiff tone revealing extreme displeasure. "You have a problem with my subordinate?"

"No." Dana spread his hands and smiled roguishly. "I saw she had good moves and just proposed a match."

"Her time should be used to discipline her subordinates, not to entertain boring pick-up lines," Jones snapped, giving him no face at all.

"Jones, don't get angry so easily. It's none of your business." Accustomed to Jones's terrible attitude, Dana didn't care. His gaze lingered on the silent young woman. "Just making a friend in the battalion. Besides, Angie from your squad climbed into my bed herself."

"Don't think everyone is like that stupid little slut." Jones was furious, veins popping on his forehead. The soldiers nearby retreated a few steps, scared by the roar. The atmosphere instantly froze. Everyone knew Jones's violent temper; a single disagreement could lead to fists flying.

"Fine. We're all in the army anyway. I'll get a chance to see how different she is." Dana gave a frivolous laugh and sauntered away nonchalantly, avoiding the conflict.

Jones glared at his retreating back, and only after a long while did he give a stiff instruction. "Stay away from that bastard. He's slept with every female soldier under his command, and recently he's been extending his reach into my squad. Sooner or later, I'm going to teach him a harsh lesson."

The fierce tone hid protectiveness. Lin Yilan smiled silently.

"Yes, thank you, Sir."

The unexpected provocateur was trouble, especially for Angie, a female soldier under Lin Yilan's command.

In the Sear Empire, both men and women could enlist, and during service, they were treated equally. Chaotic relationships between men and women were not surprising. Ordinary female soldiers found it hard to remain clean and independent in the strictly hierarchical army; most were reduced to playthings. It was said that Dana had seduced Angie with promises of protection, but obviously, as the novelty wore off, the promises turned to bubbles. Every time he showed up, Dana had his arm around a different female soldier, flirting openly in front of Angie, treating her as if she didn't exist.

Looking at Angie, who had been knocked to the ground and couldn't get up for a long time, Lin Yilan sighed inwardly and marked an 'X' in her notebook. The psychological impact was too great. Even if Dana did nothing, just his presence made Angie panic and tense up. Her coordination with her teammates became problematic; she even kicked away a teammate who was providing support. Lin Yilan felt it was necessary to conduct separate training for her. Otherwise, with her recent performance, she would be extremely dangerous in wartime.

After training ended, Lin Yilan kept Angie behind.

The female soldier's delicate face was filled with unease, the shadows under her eyes making her look haggard. Although she sat with her back straight, her fingers were stiffly gripping her knees.

"Angie, what is going on with your performance lately?"

Her voice wasn't loud, but the female soldier looked as if she had been stung. "I'm sorry, Sir."

"Feeling unwell?" Lin Yilan tried to find a reason.

"No, Sir." Angie trembled. "It's my fault. I will work harder."

"It's not just a matter of physical fitness. You can't coordinate with your teammates; there's absolutely no tacit understanding." Angie seemed to treat her comrades as dangerous enemies, full of vigilance and defense.

Angie lowered her head and didn't speak.

"Your previous record was 'Good'."

The answer was still silence.

Lin Yilan didn't like to force answers, but she had to find the crux of the problem. "Because of Dana?"

Angie's clasped hands suddenly tightened, knuckles turning white.

Lin Yilan took it all in. "That reason shouldn't cause you to reject your teammates."

"I—Sir, I will overcome it—"

"This isn't a small problem. Once on the battlefield, you won't just lose your own life; you'll also drag down the teammates supporting you."

Tears appeared in Angie's eyes, and she bit her lip neurotically.

"Tell me the reason, or I can only report to Lieutenant Jones that you are no longer suitable for a combat unit."

The last sentence shattered her remaining will. Angie lost control of her emotions and began to sob.

"I'm sorry, Sir." Tears rolled down one after another, soaking a large patch of her dark blue uniform. "—Please don't—I—I—"

Handing over a handkerchief, Lin Yilan waited quietly for her to calm down. After quite a while, Angie finally stopped crying, turning into a state of utter dejection.

"What exactly happened?"

"A few months ago, Lieutenant Dana expressed interest in me and wanted to sleep with me. He wasn't the first. I thought maybe he could help me escape the situation of being a sex slave for others, so I agreed."

"Who were the others?"

Angie named three people, all from the same company but not Lin Yilan's squad.

"Did they threaten you? Since when?"

"Since I came to Xiuwa. Before that... of course, there were others. This is the army's custom. Everyone knows female soldiers exist for the male soldiers to use." Angie's face was pale and numb.

"Why didn't you report it to Lieutenant Jones?"

"The Lieutenant wouldn't care. It's the norm." Angie's words were filled with bitterness. "He hates Dana overstepping boundaries, but he looks down on incompetent people even more."

Lin Yilan lowered her eyes and was silent for a moment. "What happened later?"

"I submitted to Dana. He beat up those three guys. The people in the squad looked down on me because I defected to an outsider and took off my pants." Angie's voice became broken. Her sunken eyes were red, shedding tears of humiliation and hatred. "Not long after, Dana got tired of me and started hitting me... He even raped me in front of his subordinates, and in the end... he called them to join in..."

Unable to retaliate and having fallen into an awkward and shameful situation, the shadow of violence brought about strong physical rejection. Angie instinctively feared the approach of any man. Lin Yilan understood the reason, but found the handling of it tricky.

After a long while, the female soldier, having calmed down from her emotions, waited for the final judgment.

"Angie," Lin Yilan began with difficulty. "What happened to you is infuriating, and you shouldn't have to bear all this injustice. But right now, you cannot be a qualified soldier. Going to the battlefield is equivalent to suicide. I cannot let you continue to serve under these circumstances... Have you considered applying for discharge?"

"No, Sir. Please don't kick me out of the army." Angie begged with despair and sorrow. "I don't know how to do anything except be a soldier. If I leave here, I'll only starve to death. Please don't do this."

"Your parents and family?"

"My parents are all dead. My brother threw me into the army as soon as I came of age. Although the pay is extremely low, at least it fills my stomach. I have no other choice."

"Try finding a job in another city? You are still young; the army is not a good place."

"I have nothing." The female soldier, tormented by her predicament, looked bleak. "The army is terrible, but no decent job would want a young woman with no skills. Unless I become a streetwalker, and I don't want to sink to that level."

Facing those wet, pleading eyes, Lin Yilan fell into a dilemma, unable to judge what the correct decision was.