Chapter 42: Shaking Out the Trousers in the Morning Breeze

Chapter 42: Shaking Out Trousers in the Morning Wind

Zhou Zhihan maintained an innocent expression, shrinking his neck slightly and shrugging. "Saturday, Major Jeff Hunter believed my test scores were falsified, suspected me of using stimulants, and refused to acknowledge my results.

This made me very angry!

This is an insult to me.

This is also an insult to all Chinese international students.

To prove my innocence, I slept right here last night.

Because today, as a first-year cadet, I will participate in the physical fitness test alongside the graduating class.

To prevent anyone from claiming my future good results are fake once again, I have been living here in my bare skin since last night, staying under everyone's watchful eyes until the competition begins, to prove that all the scores I achieve today are entirely clean."

Zhou Zhihan spoke in a smooth, unhurried tone, showing no trace of anger.

Not showing anger made it all the more impactful.

The reason was so absurd yet impossible to refute.

This left Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen completely speechless.

When Major Jeff Hunter questioned Zhou Zhihan the day before yesterday, he and several other instructors were also present. Although doing this was somewhat unorthodox, it was indeed a good way for Zhou Zhihan to prove his innocence.

Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen was usually very strict when training cadets; it was his duty and responsibility. In truth, if Zhou Zhihan had really taken stimulants, as an instructor, he would have lost face as well.

Who wouldn't want the cadets under their command to be top-notch?

Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen's expression softened slightly. If he were the one being falsely accused, he truly couldn't manage to remain as calm as Zhou Zhihan; he probably would have demanded Major Jeff Hunter produce evidence yesterday or else see him at a military court.

Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen looked solemnly at his student, thinking to himself that even if Zhou Zhihan was eager to prove himself, he shouldn't have agreed to Major Jeff Hunter's challenge to test alongside the graduating class.

Aren't you being far too confident? Are you certain you can achieve good results during a physical test and competition with the graduating class?

How could I possibly believe that?

You are merely a first-year freshman. Wanting to take the test alongside fourth-year graduates, the invisible pressure alone could crush you.

The senior graduating class is filled with formidable competitors, and the intensity of every test is abnormally high. How could a first-year freshman possibly withstand it?

And most crucially, the physical constitution of you Chinese people simply cannot compare to Westerners. This is not me looking down on you—nor am I belittling you—it is simply an unchangeable fact.

***

Although you performed exceptionally in the three physical tests yesterday, your scores among the entire student body could only be considered middle-to-lower tier. Furthermore, the three tests given to you yesterday were the most basic ones without much substance; any first-year cadet with passing physical fitness could basically complete them.

You mustn't let that puff you up with pride!

At that moment, Major Jeff Hunter also hurried over. The moment he entered the school gates, someone informed him of what was happening on the playground.

Hearing this, Major Jeff Hunter furrowed his brow deeply and strode toward the playground. Ever since the school was established, it was the first time such a bizarre and absurd thing had occurred: "Which bastard did this? If I catch him, I'll make sure he's lower than dirt!"

Late last night, several patrolling students on duty had discovered someone snoring soundly inside a tent on the playground, but they didn't know who it was.

It was the first time the cadets had encountered such a situation, and not knowing how to handle it, they could only report it to Major Jeff Hunter first thing in the morning when he came on duty.

Heaven knows if some instructor did this on purpose, just waiting for some unlucky fool to walk into the trap.

As Major Jeff Hunter muttered curses under his breath while walking over, Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen had already made Zhou Zhihan, wearing only a pair of large shorts, crawl out of the tent's bedding.

At that moment, the morning climate in Chicago was still quite cold. Zhou Zhihan held his shoulders with both hands, barefoot, walking on tiptoes with his neck shrunk, looking precisely like a molting autumn chicken, which provoked waves of loud laughter among the cadets.

The laughter of the cadets at this moment was mostly good-natured. Because of Zhou Zhihan's antics, everyone could pause and watch the spectacle instead of running laps.

With the appearance of Major Jeff Hunter, the cadets immediately quieted down significantly.

Major Jeff Hunter was a figure of real power in the school and usually stern. When the cadets saw him, it was like ordinary school students seeing a strict dean or the principal.

And the instructors were like homeroom teachers.

Second Lieutenant Jonas Hansen hadn't been willing to look Zhou Zhihan in the eye precisely because he was frustrated by his lack of improvement.

Shortly after the cadets stopped jeering and laughing, Zhou Zhihan did something entirely unexpected by anyone.

He directly took off his large shorts, shook them a few times, and turned them inside out for everyone to see: "Look, look, there is nothing at all inside these shorts of mine! Today's breakfast, I will eat it together with all you officers. I refuse to carry the blame of using stimulants ever again, and I also hope that from now on, no one will ever use this to spread rumors and stir up trouble."

In fact, Zhou Zhihan had long since noticed out of the corner of his eye that Major Jeff Hunter was squeezing through the crowd of cadets who had stopped running, walking over in a fury.

"Boom!"

All the cadets burst into laughter. Zhou Zhihan shaking his underwear looked precisely like a matador.

Looking at Zhou Zhihan standing bare in the morning wind shaking his underwear, Major Jeff Hunter was furious: "Now, immediately, right now, put on your clothes and get the hell back to your country!"

Then, pointing at the laughing cadets: "All of you, continue running laps. This morning, add ten extra laps."

Major Jeff Hunter ordered the several instructors nearby to lead the first-year cadets in running their extended punishment. He wanted this bastard named Zhou Zhihan kicked out of here immediately.

***

"Fuck..."

"Oh God! What have we done?"

Hearing that they had to run extra laps, the cadets complained bitterly, wailing across the field!

Yet there was no help for it. In military academies, extra training runs were the most common thing in the world. If it weren't for the fourth-year graduates undergoing physical testing today, the major probably would have doubled their extra running distance.

Looking at Zhou Zhihan, Major Jeff Hunter's face was so dark it looked like a thunderstorm was about to break.

Zhou Zhihan said loudly, "Sir! I had a reason for doing this. To restore my reputation, I had no choice but to resort to such extreme measures! Please understand, sir!"

The corners of Major Jeff Hunter's mouth twitched uncontrollably: "What reason could possibly make you do this?"

"Sir! The day before yesterday, you claimed I passed the test only because I used stimulants. At the time, I had no way to produce favorable evidence to strike back.

Similarly, sir, since you claimed I used stimulants, you should produce solid evidence; otherwise, it amounts to false accusation. As an international student, I have the right to report you to the West Point military justice department.

But I will not do that, because I am not someone who fails to distinguish right from wrong or lacks gratitude.

I know it was my previous slack training that let you down, so when I achieved a few good results, it was reasonable for you to question them.

I also know that all the officers have my best interests at heart; it is only through questioning that I can improve.

Today, I wanted to put on a good performance, but I was afraid that people would once again gossip behind my back. That is why I resorted to this extreme measure, letting everyone monitor me, letting everyone bear witness to my innocence, and letting everyone know that whatever the world's finest soldiers can accomplish, Chinese soldiers can accomplish just as well—or even better."

There was nothing wrong with Zhou Zhihan's words: I respect you and refuse to argue with you blindly, so I can only use this method to prove my innocence!

Major Jeff Hunter's face was ashen. Every word Zhou Zhihan spoke was entirely reasonable. He indeed went a bit too far yesterday; accusing a cadet of using stimulants without evidence was truly inappropriate.

This indeed smacked of false accusation. If Zhou Zhihan appealed to the military justice department of the academy, he would genuinely land in big trouble. With many people present yesterday, the justice department's investigation would be meticulous and strictly based on facts.

Major Jeff Hunter felt that he had indeed acted unfairly yesterday and should not have suspected a student of using stimulants, especially an international student.

Stimulants could destroy a student's reputation and could also destroy the reputation of a nation.

Once this matter alarmed the National Government's Embassy in the United States, it would turn into a major incident.