Chapter 437

Chapter 437: This Is Impossible?

Seeing some of the candidates casually grab a few snacks and quickly display affirmative expressions, Major General Sun also revealed a satisfied look. He continued, "The list is secondary; what truly matters is that you’ve all given your best. Some things cannot be forced, so this list can be read or not!"

Major General Sun waved the A4 sheet in his hand, showing a lightly nonchalant expression, seemingly indifferent to the rigorous process that had filtered the sixty astronaut candidates down to the final step.

Is it really not that important?

The answer was certainly not; the fourteen candidates understood very well. They were not foolish; fools couldn’t become astronauts.

The fate of these fourteen individuals was entirely tied to this thin piece of A4 paper, determining whether they would be working in the sky or crawling on the ground, even within the next few minutes.

Noticing all the candidates quietly focused on him, Major General Sun nodded slightly. If anyone couldn’t help but ask questions, even if their name was still on the list, he would strike it out right there.

Haste makes waste; if a person hadn’t put in the effort, how could they expect to become an astronaut?

"Alright, I can see you’re a bit anxious, so I’ll announce the list," Major General Sun said, noticing the fourteen faces that were quietly awaiting instruction. He smiled lightly and held the list in front of him.

Without prior agreement, the fourteen candidates straightened their backs, their heartbeats quickening slightly. No matter how good their mental resilience was, there was bound to be a little nervousness at this moment. True astronauts would remain calm even if fireworks went off nearby; their heartbeats wouldn’t skip a beat.

“Ahem, I will read out the names of those who passed!” Major General Sun cleared his throat, almost like a CCTV host. After hosting countless selections, he had certainly honed his ability to control the atmosphere a bit.

“Number 45!”

Major General Sun announced the first candidate who would become an astronaut.

“YES!”

A weak cheer erupted among the candidates, and Number 45 clenched his fist tightly, feeling that his hard work had paid off as he finally made it through.

The others felt a chill in their hearts. This disordered announcement felt shocking; Major General Sun seemed to want to toy with everyone, smiling in a way that suggested ulterior motives.

Everyone stayed composed and listened quietly.

Major General Sun casually continued, “Number four!”

Wei Yuni’s face lit up with joy, though she kept silent. Being the only woman, her success felt quite reasonable. The significance of female astronauts slightly lowered the selection standards.

Number two, Wang Xuejun, noticed a slight change in his expression. “That was close; that’s ruthless!”

“Number 23!”

Another candidate showed surprise on his face, clearly not expecting to pass.

“Number 9!”

Number 9, a master’s in engineering, was undoubtedly an essential technical expert among the astronauts. Though expected, he still expressed happiness.

“Number 34!”

“Number 51!”

“Number 11!”

Wang Xuejun’s expression darkened. Why hadn’t his name been announced yet? Was there some unexpected change? Had he been eliminated?

Worry overwhelmed him, and he began to feel anxious about what he had to lose.

“Number 18!”

“Yay!”

Meng Yinan’s eyes widened as her baby face lit up with joy, her eyes nearly disappearing in her smile, resembling someone who just won a grand prize. If not for the professional psychological training she had undergone, she might have jumped up right then.

“Boss!” Meng Yinan immediately shared her excitement with Lin Mo, who smiled faintly, clenched his fists, and gave her a thumbs-up. “Keep it up!”

“Mm!” Meng Yinan nodded firmly, her heart fluttering as she imagined the mystery and beauty of space.

The aerospace training center had a good eye; this little cat had great potential, solid fundamentals, and was very meticulous, making very few operational mistakes. With a few more years of training, she would definitely become a mature and composed astronaut.

Wang Xuejun, however, had yet to hear his name called and began to feel quite nervous. His fists clenched tightly, the nails digging deeply into his palms. Having come this far, being eliminated would feel like a complete loss, a bitter end for someone who had always sailed smoothly.

Not just Wang Xuejun; others left without their names called wore expressions of disappointment. Number 15, Lai Yaowu, Number 35, Qi Ping, Number 39, Zhao Yue, and Number 53, Huang Bocheng, all shared the same tense demeanor.

Eight candidate numbers had already been announced as passed, meaning only two spots remained. For the six candidates still waiting, their chances were slim, just one in three.

While those already called felt a surge of joy, the rest became increasingly anxious.

Wang Xuejun turned to glance at his biggest competitor in the selection: Number one. He couldn’t help but feel puzzled about why Major General Sun hadn’t mentioned him yet. Were they saving his name for last? This thought frustrated him; the Major was really good at keeping people on edge.

But then he noticed Lin Mo wearing an unconcerned expression, like he had everything under control, and felt a pang of irritation. Was this guy not nervous at all? Did he not care if he got selected or not? Or was he just too confident?

How could Number one not have connections at the base? That could be a disaster.

“Number 35!”

Whether intentional or not, Major General Sun slowed his voice.

“Ah!”

Some astronaut candidates gasped in surprise, quickly covering their mouths, afraid they might jinx their chances.

Number 35, Qi Ping, grinned silently, laughing silently to himself.

Only one opportunity left!

Thump, thump, thump!

Wang Xuejun and the others could no longer control their racing hearts, their breaths quickening.

The last slot might come down to either Number one or Number two. The remaining candidates’ faces darkened as they lacked confidence compared to Number one and Number two, who were now vying for just one place.

It was truly unexpected that both Number one and Number two hadn’t made it through together but were instead competing against each other. Such a scenario surprised many.

Life is indeed unpredictable!

Wang Xuejun felt a bitter resentment. Why did Number one have to be his competitor? Was he really going to be eliminated? At this moment, his heart was racing like a drum, uneasy with his rising anxiety.

“Ha ha, the last one isn’t something to dwell on too much; keep calm, keep calm!” Major General Sun, noticing the tension among the five remaining candidates, waved his hand playfully before revealing the last spot.

“Number 2!”

His voice wasn’t loud, but it resonated in everyone’s ears, not just for those who hadn’t been selected, but also for those who had.

Everyone’s mouths fell open, eyes wide in shock.

“Holy!” Wang Xuejun’s fist shook as he felt a momentary weakness, almost thinking he had misheard and been eliminated.

Yet, others’ uncertain gazes turned toward Number one. How was that possible?

“Alright, we’ve passed ten candidates and eliminated four. I’ll announce the successful candidates again: Number 2, Number 4, Number 9, Number 11, Number 18, Number 23, Number 34, Number 35, Number 45, and Number 51. After three days of rest, we’ll begin formal astronaut training. Be prepared for the intensity and difficulty of the selections.”

After announcing the list of selected astronauts, Major General Sun neatly folded his paper and placed it in his breast pocket, letting out a long sigh of relief. This round of selections was finally over, even though the continuous workload had drained much of his energy.

When Wang Xuejun finally heard his number called the second time, joy flooded his face, and he wildly punched the air.

YES!

This is how it should be!

Major General Sun smiled slightly at Wang Xuejun’s outburst.

The expressions of Number 15, Number 39, and Number 53 showed disappointment, but they quickly returned to normal.

In this brief time of less than two months, they all learned to keep a calm mindset. Even if they didn’t become astronauts in the end, they still gained a lot of valuable professional knowledge and training methods they could apply in their work.

Moreover, maintaining a calm mindset was the biggest takeaway from this experience. In the military profession, mental resilience often decides how far a person can go in their future career.

“Major General Sun! Did you perhaps overlook someone?” Meng Yinan noticed that her superior hadn’t been selected and immediately became anxious. She had made it; surely her strong superior deserved to be included as well. How could Major General Sun not have called out his number?

Others, including Wang Xuejun, joined Meng Yinan in casting questioning looks at Major General Sun, seemingly convinced someone had been overlooked.

Major General Sun frowned, pulled out the paper again, glanced at it, then returned it. He nodded, confirming, “No, it’s correct. Ten candidates, and not one was missed.”

“Major General Sun, why isn’t Number one here? Did you forget to mention him?”

Meng Yinan seemed unwilling to let it go so easily. While soldiers were bound to follow orders, they were also often the most resistant to management.

Major General Sun was somewhat surprised that anyone would question the training center’s selection list. He spoke in a serious tone, “There was no oversight. Number one was eliminated!”

His clear response left no room for doubt; Lin Mo was out, plain and simple.

This straightforward reply triggered a collective gasp from the other candidates, including Wang Xuejun, Wei Yuni, and Meng Yinan, who all wore expressions of disbelief.

“No, that can’t be possible?!” Meng Yinan’s face turned pale, as if she herself had been eliminated.