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墨書 Inktalez
I ran all the way to the Battalion, pondering along the way why the staff at Headquarters would be calling for me. As a Squad Leader, I shouldn't be on their radar. With these thoughts swirling in my mind, I finally reached the Battalion and picked up the phone. "Hello, this is Squad Leader Wang Wei from Company One. May I ask who is calling?"
"Hello, Wang Wei! This is Operations Training Staff Officer Liang Hui. The Commander has ordered you to report to his office immediately after receiving this notification!"
"Understood!"
After hanging up, I felt a mix of confusion and fear. I was puzzled because I couldn't understand why the Commander would want to see me at this moment; there were no urgent training missions or visiting superior workgroups. Yet, I had a nagging feeling that it might not be good news.
The fear stemmed from the fact that, unlike many larger units, it was rare for us Special Forces to encounter a Colonel in our daily lives, let alone a Commander or Political Commissar. To me, they seemed like distant suns—brilliant and untouchable, shining brightly for all to admire. Now, suddenly being summoned by a Battalion Commander made me feel uneasy.
I set down the phone and reported to the Battalion, instructing the Communicator to relay my situation back to our company. After adjusting my uniform and borrowing a cap, I headed towards the headquarters. Climbing up the steep slope in front of the building, I paused for a moment, gazing at the solemn structure with a sense of nostalgia. It was rare for a Squad Leader like me to come here; firstly, our rank was too low, and each visit would require countless salutes—a hassle indeed; secondly, most visits were about seeking favors, making entry daunting and often embarrassing.
After ensuring my uniform was in order, I stepped through the main entrance. The guard stood at attention about five or six steps away and saluted me as I approached; it turned out to be a soldier from Second Company on duty rotation. I quickly returned the salute and continued inside. As I walked further in, a joke about our Unit came to mind: He Baisha had participated in duty rotations since joining our Unit but always seemed half a beat behind—lost in thought or daydreaming. Once, when the Political Commissar rushed out of the headquarters, he mistakenly thought that the soldiers outside would see him first and salute him. So before stepping out fully, he raised his hand in greeting prematurely. Unfortunately for him, He Baisha was distracted and only realized there was a leader when he saw him coming out; he hurriedly saluted back, resulting in an awkward moment where it looked like the Political Commissar was saluting He Baisha instead.
Thinking of this made me smile slightly and eased my nerves a bit as I quickened my pace to reach the Commander's office on the third floor.
Standing before the Commander's office door, I took a deep breath and knocked firmly. "Reporting in!"
"Come in!"
I pushed open the slightly ajar door and stepped inside. Upon seeing the Commander behind his desk across from me, I snapped to attention and saluted. "Reporting! Squad Leader Wang Wei from Company One has arrived! Please advise!"
"Oh, Wang! Please have a seat," said the Commander as he looked up at me and nodded.
"Yes!" I immediately turned to find a place to sit.
As I turned around, I was taken aback—Old Bi was also here!
Indeed, Old Bi was seated on one of the sofas to my left, looking relaxed and seemingly unfazed by my nervousness.
I cast a questioning glance and slowly walked over to another sofa, sitting up straight and waiting for the Commander’s instructions.
After a while, the Commander finally closed the folder and said to us leisurely, "Ah, you two are here. Let's get started."
I directed my gaze at the Commander, focusing intently, afraid of missing any information.
"Wang, you've performed well since joining our team. I knew I didn't make a mistake in choosing you," the Commander paused for a moment.
A ridiculous thought suddenly popped into my mind: what if I stood up straight, bowed my head, and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Leader!" I wondered what kind of reaction that would provoke. A smile crept onto my lips at the thought.
Perhaps sensing my expression, the Commander shifted his tone. "Wang, you must not become arrogant; do not let me down with my expectations of you."
This time, I dared not show any expression and listened attentively.
"The reason I called you here is to assign you a mission. You two are among the higher-quality and more capable young comrades in our unit. I have every reason to believe that you can complete the tasks assigned by the organization."
I was puzzled and unsure what the team was getting at.
"The military is about to conduct a Scout training session, selecting personnel from across the army to participate. After training, there will be assessments, and outstanding candidates will be added to the military's direct Reconnaissance Battalion. The best among them may even be sent to the Special Operations Brigade for further training." At this point, the Commander paused, seemingly observing our reactions.
I maintained a blank expression because I had no interest in this. My expertise was in clinical medicine; my family had been in medicine for generations, and becoming a doctor had always been my aspiration. After joining the military and being reassigned to lead troops was merely following orders; I had no strong desire for it. Back then, I was more playful and not inclined towards units focused on intense training.
Perhaps due to the lack of expected feedback, the Commander frowned slightly, lit a cigarette, and continued, "Every year we send one officer for selection; every year they get eliminated. We’ve been at the bottom of the rankings despite being an Engineer unit. This year, no matter what, you need to give me some face."
I was somewhat taken aback; sending me would be pointless as I came from a Military Doctor background—I'm not cut out for this.
Before I could think much further, the Commander added, "According to notifications and preliminary assessments, it seems that only Squad Leader Bi meets the criteria. So whether we can break through this year depends on you, Squad Leader Bi."
"Why did they call me here if I'm not needed?" Old Bi thought, feeling frustrated. At this moment, he should have spoken up, yet he remained silent, his head bowed as if he had no reaction.
"Wang Squad Leader, you have another assignment," the Commander said, glancing at me with a strange look in his eyes. I quickly straightened up. "Considering your background in clinical medicine from a prestigious university, this training session will include skills such as battlefield first aid and self-rescue from injuries. The military has searched the database for qualified Military Doctor candidates to serve as Instructors. The higher-ups have specifically invited experts in Battlefield First Aid to teach. The Military Doctors will be responsible for support and assistance during this process, which is also a learning opportunity for you. Upon your return, you will also be responsible for our team's Lifeguard training."
I felt a wave of despair wash over me. Hadn't I already been reassigned as Squad Leader? Was the database not updated? I wasn't even a Military Doctor anymore! It was infuriating to think about it; ever since joining the army, my clinical skills had become rusty. What could I possibly teach? My family had already expressed their concerns about my career path—after five years at Medical University, they thought it was a waste to lead troops instead of pursuing another four years in a different field where I could at least gain another year of military service! And I hadn't learned anything about battlefield first aid at the Local University! What was I supposed to teach?
The Commander seemed unconcerned about my predicament and turned his attention to Old Bi's attitude. "Squad Leader Bi, please express your stance!"
After a moment of hesitation, Old Bi replied weakly, "I will obey the organization's decision and strive to complete the mission."
I was taken aback by his response. Wasn't that a death wish?
I nudged Old Bi, who looked at me listlessly. Just as we exchanged glances, the Commander waved his hand. "You two can go prepare now. Liang Hui, the Staff Officer, will help you with any related issues. Specific notifications are with him; you can check it out yourselves."
Reluctantly, I saluted Old Bi and we exited.
"Ah, it's over! I can't go on the mission now! I was hoping for an easy month!" Old Bi complained as soon as we stepped outside.
"I'm not in the mood for anything right now; I don't want to go anywhere," I replied calmly.
"Well, now it's fine; we're stuck together again."
"Get it straight; we're not the same! I'm an Instructor; you're just a Cadet!"
"Nonsense! You're just a Veterinarian!"
"Watch your mouth! Don't insult my profession; say one more word!"
“Veterinarian!”
The two of us continued to joke around until we unknowingly arrived at Lieutenant Liang's office. After announcing our arrival, we reported our purpose to Lieutenant Liang, who had already prepared two copies of the relevant notifications from higher-ups for us, placing them on the desk.
I took one copy and opened it, reading it carefully. What Commander had said sounded so mysterious, but it turned out to be just a training session for the core members of each unit's Reconnaissance Platoon. Additionally, it aimed to fill the vacancies in the Reconnaissance Battalion caused by Retirement and transfers. The Special Operations Brigade would also send out an Observer to assess outstanding candidates and select elites to supplement the military district's Special Operations Brigade. As for the Health Instructor section, I noted that five individuals would be drawn from various units. I didn’t feel much about that; I was just curious if any of these people were my classmates from training in Guilin.
While I was engrossed in reading, Old Bi nudged me. “Hey, you’re not really thinking about going, are you? You’re taking this too seriously. Neither the Special Operations Team nor the Reconnaissance Battalion needs a Veterinarian!”
“Shut up! I just want to see if I can run into some classmates. As for the Special Operations Team, I never thought about joining. Aren't you the one who graduated from First Military Academy and is known as Stone Finger? I think you could make it into the Special Operations Team.”
“I don’t want to join!” Old Bi replied firmly. “I have too much of a playful spirit; that place isn’t suitable for me. Besides, I've already spent four years at Stone Finger, and I don’t want to live like that anymore.”
Lieutenant Liang, who had been watching us with a smile, suddenly said, “Alright, enough joking around. It’s time to brief you on the tasks assigned by Commander.”
What the hell? There are tasks even during training?
(To be continued, more exciting content tomorrow!)
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