Cunning Thorn

Cunning Thorn is a military novel by Fenwu Yaoji (real name Dong Qun) following Bullet Marks, sharing the same story background as Bullet Marks and The Fifth Unit; the protagonist Feng Yinglou, like Zhan Xiage, has extraordinary experiences and a "military soul." The story begins with Feng Yinglou's childhood: at home he is kept in line by his father's rolling pin, and at school he endures whatever comes, never daring to fight back when bullied—so long as no bruises show on his face, he will not be beaten again at home. At the age of eight, an instructor from the elite training school of China's Fifth Special Unit meets him and says to his father the words that change the boy's life: "Your son was a tiger, but you have raised him into a cat." Thereafter the boy, long used to being kneaded by others, is sent to the elite training school. He is always the hardest-working and most desperate, yet always last in every assessment; even the instructors shake their heads and sigh, unable to bear sending home a child whose eyes are full of pleading. But a cadet without passion or talent, mechanically struggling only out of fear of being eliminated, can hardly survive in an elite training school brimming with talent. In a chance encounter on the street, Feng Yinglou meets Xiao Hongfei, sees for the first time that someone can live so boldly and freely, and tastes liquor for the first time. Thereafter he passes step by step through the trials of military-school training, sworn brotherhood, and jungle and field survival, moving from a "cat" raised by others toward a "tiger." In the special forces, snipers often bear the code name "Eagle," while medics protecting VIPs or providing emergency care often carry the character "Shan" in their code names; and the all-around elite who can adapt quickly to any environment and complete various combat missions alone is called a "Thorn." Feng Yinglou's code name is "Cunning Thorn."