The Better

The new recruit to the guard force received a stern reminder from his senior officer: “I need hardly say that you must be more alert, more intelligent, and quicker in your actions than the smugglers and criminals you confront. Your success lies in proving yourself better than they are!”

It was the recruit’s first night patrolling the area, and the atmosphere was thick with tension. He returned to the camp by midnight, panting and drenched in sweat, feeling the weight of the challenge that lay ahead.

“What happened?” his senior inquired, noticing the recruit’s distressed state.
“I came face to face with a gang of three criminals who pointed their pistols at me,” he replied, his voice shaky.

“What did you do?” his senior pressed.
“I was alert enough to read the situation and smart enough to jump into my jeep. They drove at eighty kilometers per hour; I drove at a hundred!” he said, a sense of satisfaction filling him as he recounted his thrilling escape.