Special Forces: From the very beginning, I can upgrade the entry

To help Zheng Sanpao, Chen Xiwa, and the others familiarise themselves with the examination setting, the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company had been granted a one-week leave, with Lin Yi leading the group.
For these reconnaissance soldiers, who spent their days deep in the mountains and forests, their first visit to a coastal city was a novel experience. The unique seaside scenery quickly captured their attention. Lin Yi was also keen to wander around—curious to see what differences existed between this life and his previous one. Thus, dressed in casual clothing, the group strolled leisurely along the shoreline, enjoying their rare downtime.
“Squad Leader! Vice Squad Leader!”
“What’s going on over there with all those people?”
Chen Xiwa’s sudden exclamation drew the attention of both Zheng Sanpao and Lin Yi. Not far away, a crowd had gathered, with caution tape sectioning off the area—clearly, something had happened.
“Let’s go!”
Lin Yi’s expression hardened as he made a quick decision, jogging toward the scene.
“Yes, sir!”
Without hesitation, the other reconnaissance soldiers followed. At the scene, reporters were already broadcasting the event live.
“An hour ago, several diving enthusiasts ventured into an underwater cave out of curiosity. Unfortunately, one of them—a female high school student—became trapped when her legs got stuck between the rocks.”
“A professional diver, who happened to be passing by, bravely rescued the girl but ended up trapped herself—inside a cave, dozens of metres underwater.”
Several military-green jeeps drove into the restricted area.
A group of soldiers, clad in navy-blue camouflage uniforms, disembarked—members of the Naval Frogman Unit.
A Navy Lieutenant Commander approached the police on the scene.
“What’s the condition of the trapped individual?”
“No immediate danger for now, but her oxygen will last only another ten minutes at most.”
The officer provided a precise update.
“Captain Long!”
“Our personnel and equipment are in place.”
A Navy Sergeant named Balan rushed over and saluted.
“Take your men down. Assess the underwater situation. The rest of you, prepare to assist.”
Long Baichuan issued his orders swiftly.
“Yes, sir!”
Balan immediately set things in motion.
The
members wasted no time.
They donned their diving suits, secured their gear, and plunged into the water. Their progress was monitored in real-time, the data feeding directly into the navy’s laptop screens. However, moments later, a frown crept onto the face of one of the sergeants.
“The entrance is too narrow! Balan and the others can’t get through. What do we do?”
“It’s too tight.”
“Try removing the oxygen tanks.”
Long Baichuan’s expression grew solemn. At that moment, a dark-skinned recruit spoke up.
“Captain Long! Balan has already attempted the dive once. Let me go instead.”
“Why should
go? If he’s going, I’m going too!”
A burly recruit protested, unwilling to be left behind. Immediately, the veteran soldiers snapped at them.
“You recruits need to stay out of this!”
“Yeah? Say that again!”
“You wanna go, then go!”
Tensions flared as the naval soldiers began arguing. The dark-skinned recruit hurriedly explained.
“The only reason we can’t get through is because the entrance is too narrow—the oxygen tanks are getting stuck.”
“We
just stand aside and do nothing, but—”
“Enough!”
Long Baichuan cut them off.
“I’ll give you both a chance.”
“Go down and try.”
“Yes, sir!”
Excited, the two recruits immediately started preparing.
“But listen—make sure you prioritise safety!”
Long Baichuan reminded them sternly.
“Of course!”
The two recruits eagerly headed toward the jeeps to get their gear. Their fellow newcomers gathered around, encouraging them.
“Brother Chong, Brother Yan! This is our chance to make a name for ourselves!”
“Yeah! Show those veterans what we’re made of!”
“Just be careful down there.”
Dressed in their diving suits, the two recruits plunged into the water. However, as the minutes ticked by, they soon resurfaced, breathless and unsuccessful.
Watching their failure, the assembled navy soldiers grew visibly anxious.
“Vice Squad Leader.”
“The navy isn’t doing too well here.”
“How much longer can that person hold on? If we keep waiting, she won’t make it.”
By now, Lin Yi and his men had pieced together the full picture of the situation. That was why Chen Xiwa voiced his frustration.
“Lin Yi.”
Zheng Sanpao and the other veterans turned toward him. Compared to the Navy, the Army had far less diving experience.
While reconnaissance soldiers did receive underwater training, they weren’t specialists. Among them, the only one with a real chance of pulling off the rescue was Lin Yi. His breath-holding ability—thirty minutes underwater without an oxygen tank—was unmatched in the Southeastern Military District’s army.
“Let’s go.”
Lin Yi glanced at the sea. Determination flickered in his eyes.
“Yes, sir!”
The reconnaissance soldiers swiftly followed him to a secluded spot where Lin Yi began stripping down in preparation. Meanwhile, the police overseeing the rescue were also growing increasingly desperate.
“Captain Long! We can’t afford any more delays—our divers are running out of oxygen!”
“Commander, should we use
to blast open the entrance?”
A navy sergeant proposed.
“Absolutely not!”
“Underwater explosives are far too dangerous!”
Long Baichuan rejected the idea outright.
“Then we use
to send Balan back down.”
“Can you guarantee a
?”
“Then what do we do?”
The sergeant looked helpless.
“If we remove the oxygen tanks, we won’t even
the entrance—forget about saving anyone.”
“But if we keep the tanks on, we’ll just get stuck again. You tell me—what’s the solution?”
Long Baichuan wasn’t paying attention to his complaints anymore.
His gaze had shifted toward a mischievous-looking young man leaning against a military jeep.
“Come with me.”
Long Baichuan gestured for him to follow.
The young man, clearly puzzled, climbed into the vehicle.
“Uncle!”
“I dozed off just now—what’s happening?”
The young man rubbed his eyes, still half-asleep. Long Baichuan ignored his excuses.
“You once held your breath underwater for eighteen minutes—that wasn’t just talk, was it?”
“Of course not!”
The young man puffed out his chest proudly.
“Back in my village, Old Guo, Man Yi, and Xiao Long can all vouch for me!”
“Hmm.”
Long Baichuan nodded.
“Would you
go down and rescue someone?”
“Rescue someone?”
The young man hesitated.
“Uncle, I can hold my breath, but I’ve never actually saved anyone before.”
“And if something happens to me, what will my mother do?”
“Uncle, I’ll just return the money I owe you—I’m outta here.”
He turned to leave.
Long Baichuan immediately grabbed him.
“Don’t worry. I’ll go down with you myself.”
“Well…”
“And listen—there’s prize money for rescuing someone.”
Long Baichuan added seriously.
“How much?”
The young man’s eyes lit up.
“Two thousand.”
“Seriously?”
“Yes.”
Long Baichuan maintained a firm expression.
“So if I save them, I get two thousand?”
The young man’s voice grew louder.
“Don’t believe me?”
“Of course I do, Uncle! You’re a real hero—your word is gold!”
“Then get ready—we’re going in.”
Long Baichuan prepared to leave.
“Wait—Uncle.”
“You need to write that down.”
“Verbal agreements don’t count—we need it in writing.”
The young man hesitated.
Long Baichuan’s face froze.
“Where am I supposed to find paper and a pen?”
“I’ve got them!”
Grinning, the young man pulled a notebook and pen from his pocket.
Long Baichuan was speechless.
Still, he quickly scribbled the agreement, handed it over, and led the young man toward the water.