Chapter 148: Chapter 148: Introduction to Swimming

Early the next morning, Joe Ga, Nis, and Antar finished their breakfast and, under the instructor's guidance, donned a thin, tight-fitting wetsuit to arrive at the actual training site.This was a special treatment for the boss's team. Compared with those wearing military uniforms, the wetsuits Joe Ga and his team wore, although exposing the arms and lower legs, definitely provided better core temperature protection around the chest and abdomen. Besides, they would be less burdensome while swimming. Dorian couldn't do the same, though. Riled up by his cousin's provocation, he vowed to complete the Combat Diving Training this time, and so he opted to wear the military uniform like the others to the training ground. The "training ground" was a pool 70 meters long and 40 meters wide, with half shallow water and half deep water. 20 instructors and 2 medical teams were on standby at the side, the mere setup looking quite intimidating. Cavalryman Sanderson was experienced, and with one look at the "training ground" setup he sighed and said to the old bull beside him, "Keep an eye on Tony, he's definitely going to swallow a lot of water today." The old bull, coming from an Army field unit, was unfamiliar with this pool-centric training. Watching two guys with red cross marks on their arms who kept maliciously laughing at everyone, the old bull uncertainly said, "What does that mean?" Explore new worlds at M-V-L Sanderson looked at the 5-meter-high platform at the end of the pool, shook his head, and said, "This is the Marine Corps recon units' initiation special training. You've already secured a position; if you start to struggle at any point, take Tony and get out. Tony is just too damn foolish; I worry he'll drown himself." Quitting wasn't in the old bull's dictionary. He ignored Sanderson's advice and curiously asked, "What's the purpose of this exercise?" Sanderson said, shaking his head in frustration, "It's for swimming training. Some jerks think the fastest way to learn swimming is to make people gulp enough pool water; if you drink enough and don't drown, then you've learned to swim." The old bull was a mediocre swimmer at best. He was about to say something when the instructor in the front shouted loudly, "See that platform over there? You're going to line up and jump into the pool. You've got five minutes to warm up. The water in the pool is a bit chilly, and if you can't endure, you're out." A few soldiers eyed the wetsuits on Joe Ga and his companions and cleverly tried to strip off their camouflage uniforms, only to be stopped by an instructor. Joe Ga heard the soldiers' complaints, turned around, spread his hands, and said with a smile, "To participate in this Combat Diving Training, I paid a lot. This kind of preferential treatment is what being a 'big spender' gets you. They can't scare me off because I haven't finished paying the money. If you can endure these two days without being eliminated, you'll get to enjoy the same treatment as me." Joe Ga's words provoked laughter. The soldiers stopped fussing since the boss's focus was no longer on eliminating them. If they couldn't take it and decided to quit, they could only blame themselves for not being tough enough—nothing to complain about. Joe Ga was able to dive and save people since he was a child, so naturally, his swimming skills were excellent. During his warm-up, he said to Nis and Antar, "Don't push yourselves too hard later. It's not a must for either of you to pass this." Joe Ga's double standard earned a chorus of jeers from the surrounding soldiers, especially from the two female soldiers who remained in the group, jeering with the most gusto. Hearing this, Joe Ga looked at 'Hemostatic Forceps' and another short and sexy female soldier and, spreading his hands, said, "Then I'll give you a bit of preferential treatment. You don't have to wear military uniforms. The rest, unless you think you're too delicate, better stick to the training honestly." 'Hemostatic Forceps' was from the Peruvian navy, well aware of the agony the upcoming training would entail. Having passed yesterday's selection, this strong-willed woman knew that basically, everyone here had made it through. The next two days of pool exercises were more of a preparatory training for combat diving—focused on endurance in the water—something unnecessary for her as a navy soldier. Rather than suffer in a military uniform in the water to prove her dedication to joining, she preferred to take advantage of the boss's words and be a bit lazy. Upon hearing what Joe Ga said, 'Hemostatic Forceps' promptly took off her uniform to reveal the tight-fitting boxer-style shorts and tube top underneath, showing off her very athletic figure, which elicited a round of whooping from the surrounding soldiers. Seeing 'Hemostatic Forceps' undress, the other female soldier hesitated for a moment but then decided to strip off her uniform under everyone's watchful eyes. But when this South American beauty took off her uniform, the surrounding soldiers collectively swallowed hard. Who could have guessed that this seemingly slender girl would turn out to be a bombshell with curves in all the right places once undressed? Wearing the same tight boxer-style shorts and tube top, this girl's sexiness quotient was several stories higher than 'Hemostatic Forceps'. Instructor Vito emerged through the whistles and, examining the Latin American beauty up and down, said with a smile, "Ladies first. If you can't take it later, remember to wave at me. I'll personally come to give you mouth-to-mouth resuscitation…" Amidst the increasingly loud jeers, Vito pointed to the 5-meter platform and addressed everyone, "Jump from there into the pool, then tread water in formation. Don't tell me you can't do it; if you do, you're in for a rough time. Because here, until you've filled your bellies, we won't rescue you." Joe Ga glanced at Nis and Antar once more to recheck their condition, then said, "I'll go down first. If either of you feels unwell, be sure to tell me immediately. Don't listen to them; we aren't here to drink water." Nis, quite pleased with Joe Ga's favoritism, pulled Antar and, with a smile at the corners of her mouth, went ahead of the South American girl up to the 5-meter platform and then dove boldly into the water. Joe Ga had been repeatedly reminding Nis and Antar because he was worried about their swimming abilities, as the places they grew up didn't offer much assistance for swimming. What Joe Ga hadn't expected was that these two women would perform so effortlessly in the pool, their arms and legs moving rhythmically in such a way that their shoulders remained above water, and it seemed as if they weren't straining at all. Relieved, Joe Ga relaxed, climbed up the high platform amid the laughter of everyone, and executed an entry dive with a two-and-a-half forward somersault. The splash was a bit large, but that didn't stop the soldiers from generously offering their flattering applause. As everyone entered the water, a waterborne formation began to slowly take shape. Joe Ga heard some joking behind him, turned around with a malicious smile, and then devoted himself to treading water. Many knew how to swim, but not many could continuously tread water for 40 minutes without getting tired. Joe Ga, with his excellent swimming skills, went from having half his shoulders above water to only his neck in 20 minutes. Those seemingly simple 20 minutes had exhausted most of the people, and then some began to drown. Tony was the first; the old bull was second. Tony, nearly passing out from swallowing too much water, was pulled to the shore by the instructor, lay on his side, expelled water, and had his mental state checked. After determining he likely wouldn't die, and with Tony's own consent, he was allowed back into the water. The old bull did the same, but as an extrovert, he not only swallowed enough water for himself but, to hold on a little longer, he also grabbed Sanderson, causing the unfortunate Cavalryman Sanderson to swallow a few mouthfuls of water as well. In the end, if the instructor hadn't intervened and dragged the old bull to the shore, Sanderson would have been unlucky too. Compared to physical fatigue, the feeling of drowning was extremely terrifying for some. Unlike Tony and the old bull, who kept failing and trying again to the point where even the instructors began to admire them, before the 40 minutes were up, some declared they were quitting. Even knowing there was no risk to their lives, they still opted to quit due to an inability to fight the fear of drowning, eliciting hisses from the soldiers in the pool. This was the so-called 'determination' test. Logically speaking, testing the determination of mercenaries who were just there for the money seemed like making trouble out of nothing. But Joe Ga still thought it was worthwhile, because he noticed that in just 40 minutes, as the 'cowards' dropped out, the remaining soldiers strangely began to feel a sense of superiority and honor. Joe Ga was an amateur, but camaraderie was effective on everyone. Facing tough training, people naturally regarded those who suffered alongside them as their kind, even if you didn't like them, knowing in your heart they were on your level. The 40-minute water treading exercise eliminated four more people! Because of their significantly weaker foundations, Tony and the old bull were pulled by the instructor into a shallow area of about 2 meters deep for remedial training, and at that moment, everyone realized that as long as you didn't give up, you wouldn't be eliminated. Vito, who had been standing by the poolside, perhaps not seeing the effects he had envisioned, didn't give them any time to adjust and quickly began the second phase. Four AR70 rifles were thrown into the pool, and Vito shouted at the soldier at the front to retrieve the guns from the water then pass them backward. The gun had to be held for five seconds before passing it on, or else they had to start over. As the training intensity increased, so did the risk of drowning. Compared to the soldiers treading water in uniform, Joe Ga's energy consumption was much less, but by now, he too was starting to feel tired. His fingertips began to tingle slightly, and his legs were no longer as powerful as they had been at the beginning. In response to Vito's command, Joe Ga, as the leader of the row, took a deep breath and dived 4 meters to the bottom, grabbed a rifle and quickly surfaced. On the way up, he saw the guy behind him give up halfway down and shoot to the surface in a fluster, swallowing several mouthfuls of water, then without being ready, he was ordered back into the water by the instructor's stern command. Joe Ga fiercely held the rifle above water for five seconds, then passed the hot potato-like weapon to Nis beside him. Seeing Nis already struggling, he couldn't help asking, "You okay?" Nis silently shook her head, struggled to stay afloat, held the rifle for five seconds, and then passed it to Antar behind her. Once Antar passed the gun to the Latin American woman behind her, Joe Ga was surprised to see a hand grabbing the woman's pants, pulling her up to stay afloat. Searᴄh the NôᴠelFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality. The owner of that hand was 'Hemostatic Forceps', the woman with the scar on her face who didn't seem to be exerting herself while keeping steady on the surface with just her legs and one hand, even with another person in tow. After the gun-passing drill had been repeated ten times, ensuring everyone experienced what it felt like to dive for the gun in extreme exhaustion, more people chose to drop out... With constant medical emergencies pulling people out, Joe Ga's attention was no longer on those who had quit. From 'Hemostat's movements, he discerned something useful.