Skylar Crowe felt a surge of anger. A country bumpkin like Vera Xavier—what right did she have to compete with Susan Caldwell for a man? Especially a man so exceptional!
Lost in thought, she failed to notice when her academy's squad shifted forward. Her mind was so preoccupied that she reacted a beat too late. Her hesitation made the entire formation look untidy.
The drill instructor's sharp gaze shot toward her. She quickly cleared her mind, not daring to let her thoughts wander, and hurried to catch up.
The officials on the platform noticed the slip-up. The elderly leader, Zhang, who had just returned, frowned. "The overall caliber of the students from these academies this year is lower than in previous years," he commented.
No one refuted his statement. In their eyes, even if this was just a performance review following military training, there was absolutely no room for sloppiness. It was a fundamental matter of attitude.
