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

“…This…”
Long Baichuan and Wu Gang were momentarily stunned by Lin Yi’s words.
But as they recovered, they exchanged knowing smiles.
As seasoned naval officers, they immediately understood what Lin Yi had just done—he had not only distanced himself from the situation but had also framed the entire event under the banner of rescue operations. No matter how this incident was discussed afterwards, Lin Yi would always stand on the right side of the argument.
Long Baichuan studied him with amusement.
“You don’t look like you’re even twenty.”
“Our Vice Squad Leader joined last winter—he’s only
.”
“And not just that, he was the
in the Hunan Province entrance exams—a Yanjing University student.”
Chen Xiwa, still upset over how the navy personnel had treated them earlier, spoke up with evident pride.
A heavy silence fell over the scene.
Even being a Yanjing University student didn’t explain such a meteoric rise.
The only possibility would be that he had already earned his rank through actual military merit, which was nearly impossible in peacetime. Long Baichuan and Wu Gang exchanged glances before shaking their heads.
Moments ago, they had been thinking about recruiting Lin Yi into their reconnaissance unit. Now, it was
. Someone like Lin Yi was prime officer material for the army.
There was no way the land forces would ever let him go.
Besides it wasn’t guaranteed that the Amphibious Reconnaissance Unit could even provide the right environment for someone like him.
The Navy recruits standing nearby gawked at Lin Yi’s youthful face.
Even Jiang Xiaoyu’s eyes practically sparkled with admiration. At that moment, Lin Yi’s gaze landed on Jiang Xiaoyu. He noticed the young man wasn’t wearing a standard military uniform—just a base logistics uniform. A thought crossed his mind, and he stepped forward.
“I overheard someone say they could hold their breath underwater for over fifteen minutes—was that you?”
“Yes.”
Jiang Xiaoyu nodded.
“So, if I hadn’t gone down just now—
were planning to?”
“Yeah.”
Jiang Xiaoyu nodded again.
Truthfully, it wasn’t about the 2,000 yuan reward.
That had just been his excuse.
He had never actually rescued anyone before—he’d been nervous as hell.
“Good! Very good!”
Lin Yi patted him on the shoulder approvingly.
“Ever considered joining the military?”
“Huh?”
Jiang Xiaoyu blinked in surprise.
“Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company—one of the army’s elite units.”
“We welcome any young patriot who wants to serve.”
“It doesn’t matter where you come from. If you have the heart to serve your country, we need people like you.”
Lin Yi’s words were deliberate.
As he spoke, his gaze swept over the navy soldiers around him—especially Lu Yan and Zhang Chong.
There was no need to say it outright— Everyone here knew how the navy had treated Jiang Xiaoyu before. There had been clear tension among them. Otherwise, even someone as easygoing as Chen Xiwa wouldn’t have gone out of his way to boast in front of Long Baichuan.
The navy soldiers visibly stiffened.
For the first time, they felt… embarrassed.
“I…”
Jiang Xiaoyu hesitated.
He wasn’t sure if he should say yes or no.
Before he could answer, Long Baichuan threw an arm around his shoulders.
“He’s
one of us—part of the
“He’s not going to the
.”
“Yeah, yeah!”
Jiang Xiaoyu glanced at Long Baichuan and quickly agreed.
“Alright then. If fate allows, we’ll meet again.”
“Sir, we have business elsewhere. We’ll be taking our leave.”
Lin Yi nodded politely, changed back into his clothes, and led his men away from the beach. Watching the group of army NCOs walk off, Long Baichuan’s expression grew serious.
“Old Wu…”
“That brat just gave us a
, didn’t he?”
“It’s about time we
the bad habits in our
.”
“Agreed.”
Wu Gang could clearly see the
behind Lin Yi’s words.
Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company. One of the army’s sharpest blades. Every single one of their men was an
. Even dressed in civilian clothes, their military bearing never wavered. When faced with a crisis, they didn’t hesitate. They didn’t argue. They acted. Meanwhile, his men had argued amongst themselves, insulted their own, and judged others.
This was a serious issue. The Amphibious Reconnaissance Unit was supposed to be the navy’s elite force—its sharpest weapon. But they had no right to behave like entitled prima donnas.
“Uncle Long, I…”
Jiang Xiaoyu hesitated.
“What ‘I’?”
“You’re
now.”
Long Baichuan ruffled his hair.
Wu Gang didn’t object.
If Lin Yi had seen potential in this kid, then that was reason enough to keep him.
……………………………………………………………………………………………
“Lin Yi.”
“You never
planned to recruit that kid for
unit, did you?”
“You wanted him in the
.”
Zheng Sanpao’s eyes were sharp.
“Shff!!”
The others immediately turned to look at Lin Yi.
Lin Yi smirked.
“Old Cannon, do you know which unit those navy soldiers belonged to?”
“No idea.”
Zheng Sanpao shook his head. Not just him— Even Chen Xiwa and the others looked confused.
“Amphibious Reconnaissance Unit—also known as the Frogman Unit.”
“They’re the navy’s elite force.”
“They hold the same status in their command as we do in ours.”
“To train their frogmen, the navy created a brutal training base called Beast Camp.”
“New recruits don’t just go through three months of training.”
“They spend two years in intense, merciless conditioning before they qualify as true frogmen.”
“Hah—!”
The reconnaissance soldiers stared in shock.
“Holy hell!”
“That’s practically Special Forces level!”
Chen Xiwa exclaimed.
“So… you were afraid they wouldn’t take Jiang Xiaoyu—so you pretended to recruit him first?”
Zheng Sanpao finally put the pieces together.
“Precisely.”
“Jiang Xiaoyu is better suited for the navy.”
“At least for now.”
“His lung capacity and quick thinking make him perfect for the Frogman Unit.”
“And since Beast Camp lasts two years, missing a three-month recruit camp is insignificant.”
“But for us—he’d have to pass local recruitment exams, go through standard boot camp, and then be assigned to a unit.”
Lin Yi’s expression turned serious. Jiang Xiaoyu would find his true potential in the Amphibious Reconnaissance Unit. There, he would meet the mentors who would change his life.