Chong Lin was better than the other policemen. He was not the kind of person who was satisfied with simply passing the test. He didn't object to Dai Li's increasing workload, but like the other trainees, he was not as serious as he had been last week.
Once a goal was attained, people tended to relax a bit. Chong Lin fell into this category, as he had also reached the passing standard. To him, he had completed an important task, so it was no wonder he had begun to slack off.
"Even if you took the make-up test now, you would pass for sure. But is that all you want?" Dai Li looked at Chong Lin seriously.
Chong Lin nodded with embarrassment, "Sorry Coach Li, I know I was absent-minded during today's and yesterday's training. Don't get me wrong, I'm not objecting to training, I just relaxed a bit. I shouldn't be like that."
Dai Li smiled with satisfaction. He believed that if Chong Lin had the desire to improve, things would be easy.
"I changed our plans for the next three days. Would you like to take a look?" Dai Li handed a form to Chong Lin.
Chong Lin took the form, quickly looked through it, then asked, "Did you add more training tasks?"
"Yes. I not only added events, but I increased your workload as well. You have to train efficiently, otherwise you won't be able to finish daily tasks on time."
It was easy for Dai Li to say, but tough for Chong Lin to do. Chong Lin's face tightened up.
Increasing the quantity to make up for inadequate quality was Dai Li's plan. Chong Lin's lack of effort was mainly due to his psychological relaxation. If Chong Lin had not reached the passing standard yet, he would have been trying his hardest, and would definitely not be at ease now.
Dai Li's wanted to make Chong Lin feel nervous and pressured. That was why he had scheduled more tasks for Chong Lin.
Once a person realized that they had a lot of work left to do, they would naturally feel anxious. Such anxiety was the opposite of relaxation; anxiety could gradually reduce relaxation and push the person forward.
This method was exactly what Dai Li believed in. In fact, when coaches dealt with an athlete's lack of effort, many of them used this method. By increasing the workload, the athletes would be stimulated.
Increasing the workload was a science. Simply adding more workouts couldn't solve the problem. If a coach set a goal that was too high for the trainee to reach, the athlete wouldn't struggle for it, and it would have a negative effect.
The ideal execution was to make the athlete feel like they could finish the tasks on time, while in actuality the workload was just beyond the athlete's ability. This way, the trainee would have hope that as long as they worked harder the next day, they would complete the tasks. The athlete would have a practical goal worth fighting for, thus the training quality would improve.
Dai Li had the Coaching System, but he also had some true ability. When he was in college, he had been a good student who teachers liked. Although the System had brought him some benefits, during training Dai Li depended on his own ability.
Dai Li's new training plan was just above Chong Lin's limit, so Chong Lin could not complete all the tasks in time. Meanwhile, Chong Lin was not discouraged; instead, he felt he was just one step closer to his goal.
"Alright, it's about time to finish," Dai Li looked at his watch and said.
"One more task! Just one more task and I can complete today's plan!" Chong Lin was upset.
"Yeah, you are very close. Keep working hard, and you will make it tomorrow," smiled Dai Li.
On the training plan, Chong Lin's tasks for the next day were rearranged by sequence and amount. Some things had been added while others had been reduced. It seemed at first glance as if the total quantity was similar to the previous day, but in fact it was a little more than before.
Because of this tiny increase, Chong Lin was close to completing all the tasks, but failed again. The small gap had created enough separation to inspire him. He was no longer slacking off, but became more active, in hopes of completing his tasks on time.
While the other coaches were still seeking ways to encourage their trainees to work harder, Dai Li had gotten Chong Lin back to high-intensity training successfully. Dai Li felt that he was lucky to have Chong Lin as his trainee, as he always kept pushing to be better.
Seeing the other coaches stuck, Dai Li rejoiced. He knew that the gap between Chong Lin and the other policemen would soon be widened. After all, Chong Lin had once been an undercover investigator. Police officers who were qualified to be undercover agents, especially to detect drug lords, had to be outstanding. Those selected must be the best in terms of physical fitness, combat, marksmanship, etc, let alone IQ and psychological quality. Therefore, physically, Chong Lin was way better than the others.
To Chong Lin, even though he had only gotten back half of his previous ability, he was guaranteed to get a full score on the make-up test.
Chong Lin's leg injury had been caused by his own overthinking. Now that he knew there was nothing wrong with his leg, and had erased the mental blocks from his head, he immediately devoted himself to crazy training.
On the training field, sweat poured down from Chong Lin's face.
"15, 16, 17, 18..." Chong Lin forgot how many sets of eighteen pull-ups he had done today. According to the qualifying standard for the fitness test, eighteen was equivalent to a full score. Chong Lin was exhausted, but he still insisted in practicing.
"Officer Lin, you have been practicing for two hours. That is enough. Let's take a break," said Dai Li.
"No, I can do it!" Chong Lin refused.
Dai Li was about to say something, but stopped himself. He saw tenacity and persistence in Chong Lin's eyes. Chong Lin could hardly bear it.
So tired! No, I can't give up, I have to keep working! I must make up the time I missed...
At this moment, Chong Lin remembered that he was a policeman, and recalled the responsibilities he had.
...Loyalty to the motherland, loyalty to the people, and loyalty to the law... Chong Lin contemplated the vow he had made under the national flag on the first day he wore his police uniform.
...Obey orders, obey command; keep disciplined, keep secret... Chong Lin finally said to himself. Only strong belief was left in his mind!
...Be impartial and honest; observe duty, do not be afraid of sacrifice... He repeated the vow. Only one goal remained in his mind: holding on.
To Chong Lin, it was not only a hundred-word vow, but a career, a mission, and a responsibility; a faith to which he was willing to dedicate his life!
He was eager to return to his original status. He was eager to be the original version of himself!
The two-week training period came to an end. The police officers had their big test, then went to take the make-up fitness examination.
The test was not only for them, however; it was also for the coaches. Only the coaches who ranked in the top thirty would qualify to stay, and be formally enrolled in the national team's Youth Training Program.