My Dreamy Old Husband novel Chapter 56

Sophia could tell at first glance that Bayside University was dead serious.

The stony-faced drill instructors marched in step as they lined up in teams. One could tell at first glance that they were no ordinary soldiers, for they were identically tough and muscular in build, and their identically expressionless faces carried a seemingly replicated air of intimidation and sternness.

Contrary to the military training in high schools, which usually had ordinary two-year conscripts or military school students as their drill instructors, Bayside University’s drill instructors were all special forces.

Bayside University’s military training was notorious for its uncompromising strictness, for many students of the university failed their military training every year. If a freshman failed the military training, he or she would lose a lot of credit and end up having to redouble efforts over the next four years to make up for it.

Even though a year had passed since their military training, the sophomores still had a terrified look in their eyes when they saw the campus being covered in olive-drab, for the scene conjured up their fear of being dominated by the color.

All freshmen of the university must go for military training except for students of Junior Class. However, Nathan volunteered to attend the military training.

Since the campus was in complete chaos, Sophia kept the little Nathan by her side lest he wandered off. Gary had told Michael’s men in the military training camp beforehand about Nathan, so they would pay him special attention.

The military power of Bayside City was in the hands of the Fletcher Family, which was also the family who was in direct charge of this military training. Sophia had long been suspecting that Michael was related to the Fletcher Family, so she believed she didn’t have to worry much about Nathan, who would be on his home turf by joining the military training camp.

As Sophia led Nathan in search of their troop, they saw Richard and the few others. Xyla, who was wearing an army uniform that failed to conceal the diamond watch on her wrist and the partly visible diamond necklace on her chest, seemed extremely reluctant to part with Richard as she threw herself into his arms while sobbing. Kayla stood aside with her hands full of bags as if she wanted to go camping in the woods.

Contrary to Sophia’s expectations, Kayla was also dressed in army uniform.

The university would send some lecturers and sophomore students to chaperone the freshmen at every military training. These lecturers and sophomore students were responsible for dealing with the unforeseen circumstances involving students of their own faculties, such as buying drinks after the end of training sessions and sending collapsed girls to the infirmary.

Richard saw Sophia at a glance as the latter walked past them with Nathan. He called in a friendly voice, “Sophia!”

Sophia paused in her tracks and asked in reply, “Is there something, Richard?”

Richard’s eyes brightened at the sight of Sophia in army uniform. “The military training is harsh. Did you bring enough things with you? I have a lot of medications for heatstroke here…”

“Thank you, but I have no need for that,” replied Sophia before leaving with Nathan.

Richard had a wistful look in his eyes as he stared at her back.

After Sophia and Nathan had walked away, Nathan, who had been silent, suddenly said, “He’s disgusting…”

Sophia nodded. “Yeah, he’s quite disgusting.”

All the freshmen assembled in the several playing fields of the campus. After they lined up according to their classes, they were divided into groups.

The number of students in most of Bayside University’s classes was limited to forty. Each class was a company, and over ten companies constituted a battalion, whereas several battalions formed a regiment.

The students undergoing military training were divided into several regiments headed by their respective company commanders, battalion commanders, and regimental commanders, whereas the regimental commanders were subordinate to the commanding general.

It was said that the commanding general held the military rank of Senior Colonel, and he was a Fletcher, as in the Fletchers of Bayside City’s Four Great Families.

Sophia learned these from Hale in advance so that she wouldn’t cause trouble during her military training.

Sophia took Nathan with her as she stood in line with her classmates. The entire field was occupied by her faculty, which had a few hundred students of several different majors. When the time came for the speeches, the faculty’s leaders lectured the students to mobilize them and explain some must-knows about the military training.

After the speeches ended, the leaders began assigning the drill instructors to the groups.

Everyone watched in both fear and awe as a full team of drill instructors entered the field. Countless students craned their necks to peek at them with their eyes full of fear and wonder.

Those selected as the students’ drill instructors at Bayside University’s military training were all military elites. Not only were they taller than the average person, but they were also burly, and all of them appeared smart and attractive. As expected, most of the good-looking and masculine men had devoted themselves to the country.

Sophia’s class was designated as Company 49 of the Second Battalion of the Third Regiment, and the drill instructor assigned to them had the surname Ford. Having a standard height of 180 centimeters, he had chiseled features and a flinty, grave expression.

He wasn’t old, but the look in his eyes was as fierce as wolves and tigers. One could tell at first glance that he wasn’t an ordinary two-year conscript, for he had an unusually loud voice and tremendous inner strength.

Students in Sophia’s class were mostly ladies; out of 41 people in the class, only four were male, including Nathan. Company Commander Ford looked unusually tall and robust as he stood in front of a group of ladies, and he held the military rank of Second Lieutenant.

Sophia had done her homework before she came, so she knew that the military training had stringent scoring criteria. Since she always sought after good scores, she would, of course, strive for good scores without ever letting her guard down. Therefore, she stood at attention in the standard military posture from the very beginning.

Commander Ford’s eyes were filled with nothing but disdain as his frosty gaze swept over the company of 41 people.

Some of these students didn’t wear their uniforms properly; some wore their belts loose, and some didn’t straighten up while standing. Furthermore, a few students even had makeup and wore high-heeled sandals without having their army caps on.

Finally, he saw a lady who stood decently and was dressed up to standard, but she had a kid with her!

Commander Ford couldn’t care less about the fact that these students were a bunch of delicate ladies. He scolded right away, “Just take a look at yourselves. What the heck are you all wearing? The one who has a piece of sh*t on her head—fall out!”

Everyone exchanged glances with each other before turning to look at the only lady among them who didn’t wear an army cap. She couldn’t wear her army cap at all since she wore her hair in a bun.

The lady seemed to have powerful backing, for she didn’t give a d*mn about the Second Lieutenant. She stepped out of the ranks and said haughtily, “That’s not a piece of sh*t, but a bun on my head!”

Commander Ford neither looked at nor responded to her; instead, he called out several other people. “Those who wear makeup—fall out! Those who wear heels—fall out! Those who changed their belts to Anima—fall out! The one who has a kid with her—fall out!”

The few ladies moved out of line at Commander Ford’s command, including Sophia, who sighed in resignation as she stepped forward with Nathan.

As soon as she stepped forward, a young man wearing a spotless white shirt and a pair of sports shoes immediately emerged from the side.

Wearing a pair of glasses on his refined and handsome face, he hurriedly said, “This kid is a new student of the Junior Class, and his sister is in the class, so he came with her. You don’t have to pay attention to him, Commander Ford.”

Commander Ford’s eyes flickered as he seemed to have remembered something. Then, he pointed at Sophia and Nathan, saying, “Fall in, both of you.”

Sophia promptly got back in line with Nathan as she couldn’t help casting her eyes upon the man who spoke up just now.

The man seemed to be less than 30 years old, and he looked unreasonably good-looking with his sharp and artistic facial features, including the pair of thin lips and a pair of attractive eyes. His skin was as creamy-white as milk, and his casually combed hair hung loosely above the tip of his brows.

The female students’ eyes sparkled with infatuation when they saw him coming out.

The man was Quinton Clark, a lecturer in intermediate-level financial accounting who could have sold his breathtakingly handsome face for a living but instead chose to teach at university.

For this reason, not only did nobody ever skip his classes, but so many students attended his classes that no classroom could seat so many of them. The students had to save seats in advance whenever they attended his class, for they would have to stand in class if they were late.