A burly man with huge muscles, wearing green army clothes from head to toe, the burly man had a deep scar on one of his cheeks. His eyes displayed deep intensity—he stood on the house walkway, folding his arms over his chest. When he saw Dumi coming for a handshake, he smiled slightly and he peered over Dumi's shoulder and he said, "My friend for a long time no see, is this the boy," his accent was so thick, resonant, and consonant-heavy Slavic accent. Winston tenses up and holds out his hand for a handshake. "Hello, I am Winston," Winston looked at his hand—the handshake with this man hurt his hand, he didn't want to scream when he was shaking this burly man's hands. He wanted to seem strong, so he put his hands in his pockets. "Easy now, Winston, this is your physical coach Boris, he is an ex-military. Boris, this is my first student, Winston, the kid I was telling you about."
Boris examined Winston with his arms folded to his chest, "At least he's not a pipsqueak, he has some built in him. Welcome to my humble abode," Boris gestured at both Dumi and Winston. Winston tossed his bag onto his shoulder—he scanned around the yard. With a widening of his eyes, he took in the scene before him: an expansive open field, significantly broader on the left, which was thoroughly equipped with various items resembling those used in military training drills. On the right side, there was a field with some homegrown vegetables. It did not surprise Winston, judging by how remote the area is. He would be surprised if Boris didn't have one.
As Dumi and Boris engaged in a conversation to catch up on each other's lives, they ambled along a lengthy walkway. Winston looked back and wondered why Dumi parked on the walkway entrance, why didn't he drive them inside the yard. After a significant duration had elapsed, they finally arrived at the residence, which presented itself with a frontage boasting abundant gardens and the presence of two dogs. When Winston first observed Boris's physique, he had a differing opinion about him, and he was surprised to see the way his house was kept. Boris turned around to face Dumi, holding up a cognac bottle with a light smile, Dumi nodded his head. Both continued talking about their history.
After leaving his bag on the brown leather sofa, which was positioned on the right side of the house, Winston then walked out of the house. Leaning on the concrete balcony, he involuntarily flinched as one of the German Shepherds brushed against his leg. As Winston crouched down and stroked the dog's entire body, he observed the tail wagging with enthusiasm and then brought his gaze closer to examine the tag attached to the dog.
"Anna, that is a beautiful name, so you are a girl?" Winston stood up and stepped on a squeaking ball—when he picked up the squeaking ball, Anna climbed on Winston's legs, tail wagging rapidly. "Fetch," Winston threw the ball straight down the long, rough walkway. Anna sprinted after the ball. "Kid, C'mon inside," said Dumi from inside the house.
Walking inside Winston, glancing at the half—empty cognac bottle on a wooden military chest lounge table. Boris gestured to Winston to sit on the brown leather couch. Boris, who sat on the other side of Winston, sat up close, "I got four days with this lad,"
Boris glanced at Dumi and then proceeded to voice his concerns, stating that the limited timeframe combined with the request to train Winston in a veteran-level style of instruction raised significant worries about the potential for Winston to sustain injuries.
"This kid may look weak, but trust me—he has endurance. Besides, he's the one who chose this kind of training. If he quits, he could lose his spot on the team. So yeah, we're working on borrowed time. That's why I need your veteran training."
Boris turned his head from facing Dumi to Winston, and he said, with his Slavic thick accent. "Kid, you sure this veteran training is hard. Brutal, even, it has even crippled some soldiers back in my hometown military base."
Winston, without skipping a beat, said weakly, "Yes sir, I can handle it." Boris, with a chuckle, Boris stood up and walked over to the corner of the room and pulled a wooden hinge of a hidden door. The cold white smoke flooded the room; Winston felt this icy smoke back to his spine. Boris looked at both of them with a grin, he said, "Okay, my friend, the first training is to survive the minus ten degrees Celsius freeze first for the entire day. Of course you're allowed to take five-minute breaks, and these breaks you will only get two of them,"
Winston walked closer to the hidden door, the cold was even colder the more he got closer. His breathing became hard—breathing in and out rapidly, he prepared himself to dive in. He ran down the wooden stairs, surprised that they were not slippery. Reaching the bottom floor, he scanned the room; the room was clouded with white smoke and hanging meats. As the imposing door violently banged shut, Winston found himself huddling and crouching, his entire body wracked with shivers. It was Boris who was in the process of closing the door, and the distinct sounds of heavy boots tapping were then heard as he moved about the room. How is this drill intended to contribute to my physical training? I thought he was gonna train me in some basic military exercises, on my god, it was freezing here. I guess he kept his meat here too. IIII will wait here for another ten to twenty mmmminutes bbbbefore I go out for my first five-minute bbbbreak.
This fundamental training session, designed as the initial phase for the veteran military exercise, aims to expedite muscle recovery processes. Furthermore, it effectively alleviates muscular discomfort and inflammation that often follow strenuous exercise, while also contributing to a reduction in body temperature and a lessening of physical exhaustion subsequent to demanding training sessions. Beyond these benefits, the activity actively fosters psychological resilience, leading to an elevated tolerance for stress, improved emotional regulation, and the development of disciplined conduct even when under significant pressure. In essence, Dumi opted for this approach both to gauge Winston's resilience and as a logical extension of his own prior training, wherein he maintained a meticulous watch over Winston's every move. He was also making a mental record of his exercise routine, and a concern arose within him that he might be overexerting himself without incorporating necessary rest periods.
The door creaked open after about five minutes, and both Dumi and Boris looked at Winston as he shivered, breathing warmly onto his hands. Boris raised his whisky glass to Winston. "I am surprised you lasted that long in there." Shivering, Winston grinned at both of them. As the room grew cooler, he regained control of his breathing. Another German Shepherd brushed against Winston's leg as he crouched down to check the name tag, which read "Ivan". Stroking Ivan's back, Winston drifted into the distance. Winston's thoughts turned to his family at home, wondering about their present actions. I wonder what Mom, Dad, Anita. are doing right now. Judging by the time right now. I suspect Mom is cooking some delicious dinner, and Dad is preparing to go to work. And Anita, I suspect she is on the phone with her friend, Dammit Anita, maybe she is in my room bouncing on my bed.
Winston's body temperature started boiling until Ivan licked Winston—his body temperature went back to normal. He slowed, breathing in and out, he needed to stay focused on the task at hand—the alarm clock rang. Winston turned his head towards the military chest lounge table, Boris silenced the alarm clock, and then he left the room, returning with a tray holding a pot and three plates. With a smile on his face, he proclaimed, "Beef Stroganov, my friends, it is my country's traditional cuisine."
Without waiting for another invite Winston rushed over to the dining table. Boris dished for him first since he was the first one at the table. Without waiting for Dumi or Boris to sit down, he shovels down the hot beef Stroganov dish. While quivering his mouth for the hot dish burning his mouth. With five spoonfuls, he was done. Boris tapped his shoulder with a calm voice
He said, "Okay, kid, you can now proceed with the training,"
Winston opened the floor door with a surge of pride, and a chilly wind blew out. This time the popular dish he had warmed his body, he walked in slowly and closed the wooden latch door behind him.