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墨書 Inktalez
Sure enough, it had arrived; this was the issue I was concerned about! Previously, I might have taken over as the Old Company Commander and been promoted to One Continuous Long. Regardless of whether it was true or not, I should do my best to bring some quality soldiers into our Unit.
For me, the Reunion party was merely an arrangement. Only by showcasing my abilities and leadership could I attract more soldiers.
Thus, in the final match against Xu, I decided to join in to attract some passionate new recruits who loved martial arts. The performance by Xuan Hua Sheng Xiong and the others was also intended to demonstrate harmony—a way to handle interpersonal relationships among new Veterans. Similarly, Old Tang's emotional poetry recitation at the end likely had its effect as well; however, wasn't Old Tang supposed to return to the Second Company?
The troop division was jointly hosted by the Recruit Training Camp and the Military Department. Our Recruit Training Camp Company Commander was also the Deputy Chief of Staff, who previously served as the Military Affairs Section Chief. I had no concerns about his influence; with him in charge, I felt greatly relieved. It seemed I had already gained the upper hand. My only worry was Old Tang; after all, he belonged to the Second Company, and I feared we might clash over troop division issues.
As I left the Battalion, I pondered this problem. Generally speaking, troop division would occur after fifteen days, so it seemed necessary to gauge the situation among each New Recruits Company ahead of time.
As for Old Tang, it seemed we would all have to showcase our skills.
Lying in bed, I sorted through this phase of Unit affairs and relaxed a bit. Glancing at the clock, it was already past one—ah, New Year's Eve!
When I woke up, I busied myself directing everyone in decorating and creating a festive atmosphere for the New Year. I also discussed with Old Tang about the evening's additional meal plans—how we would watch the Reunion party and whether we should organize some programs or distribute some gifts. A multitude of tasks awaited me; just thinking about it made my head spin, so I had no choice but to tackle them one by one.
By the time everything was settled, it was already noon. Lunch was relatively simple; everyone looked forward to the evening's additional meal, so their portions were small.
I knew they were saving their appetite for later because Old Tang and I had decided to place a bottle of half a jin (250ml) liquor on each table for everyone to enjoy and set a festive mood.
In the afternoon, aside from cleaning up, we prepared for the tea party where we would watch the Spring Festival Gala. After returning from shopping with large bags of peanuts, sunflower seeds, candy, and big bottles of Sprite and Coke, I thought that should be enough for tonight. This had emptied out our Unit's funds.
Dinner for the additional meal started early at five o'clock. The food was plentiful and included alcohol, making for a lively atmosphere! Initially, each table enjoyed their meal separately before mingling between classes and eventually across squads. Surprisingly, many felt they hadn’t drunk enough and began borrowing liquor from one another while even some new recruits boldly approached Old Tang and me for a toast.
Old Tang worriedly said, "Isn't this going to cause trouble?"
Looking at the chaotic Cafeteria, I replied, "It’s fine; let them have their fun. This is these new recruits' last chance to gather together for an additional meal. After troop division is complete, they might not get together again for a year. Just make sure each squad leader keeps an eye on their people; those who drink too much can be sent back to Barracks to sleep."
Humans are truly emotional creatures. At the beginning of their training, the squad leader and the recruits often clashed, but as the time to part drew near, the recruits found it hard to say goodbye. Many of them, who usually couldn't handle alcohol, turned red and swayed after just a little drink, yet they insisted on toasting not only their own squad leader but also any squad leader they could find.
My usually lively recruit, Monkey, was now lost in the crowd, everyone flustered and no longer calm as before. Even Xuanhua came running to me for help, looking pitiful. I couldn't really assist him, so I tossed two bottles of liquor from the Company Headquarters' table to Sheng Xiong and said, "Just make sure they each get a drink at their tables. Once it's done, it's done!"
Sheng Xiong let out a loud cheer and nearly had his eyes glowing green as he jumped up and rushed over to Zhang Sheng with the drinks!
I laughed heartily and said to Old Tang, "You know, letting them have some fun among themselves will help them vent their energy and keep things safe. The more you try to suppress them, the more likely something will go wrong. On New Year's Eve, everyone inevitably thinks of home. This way, it lightens everyone's mood, doesn't it? Plus, with the holiday coming up, there’s no training—let them relax a bit."
This was the most memorable Spring Festival I had experienced. After dinner, everyone was noisy as we gathered in the Unit's conference room. Many had already drunk enough to head back to sleep, but a portion insisted on watching the Spring Festival Gala. So there I was with a bunch of older guys spending a noisy and lively New Year's Eve night together. We hardly paid attention to what was being performed on stage, but we were genuinely happy because it felt like one big family.
After a two-day break for the Spring Festival, everyone took a moment to rest before diving into live-fire shooting and grenade training. Safety and stability were paramount; we were all on edge until the entire battalion completed their training subjects and awaited the final assessment.
At this point, troop allocation came back onto the agenda. However, this time it was various Old Companies that came knocking.
The first one to find me was none other than Old Bi from the Special Operations Unit. This guy hadn’t visited me in three months and suddenly showed up right before the recruits finished their training—any fool could guess he had ulterior motives!
I waited for him to enter and didn’t let him speak first. "Old Bi, don’t beat around the bush. You’re here to snag some of my recruits, aren’t you?"
Old Bi chuckled without denying it. I continued, "You’re really pushing it! I've been here this long and you haven’t even checked in on me? Oh right, I’ve grown some melons for you to pick!"
Old Bi still wore that silly grin until I finished speaking. Then he said to me, "Well, we’re brothers after all. I won’t take advantage of you; I’ll give you a clear message: let me take three recruits with me—fair enough? I just need three!"
I didn’t even look at him. "What does your news have to do with me?"
"Very important!" Old Bi leaned closer. "The higher-ups have decided that once the Recruit Training Camp ends, you will be announced as the acting Company Commander for First Company!"
Ah! So soon! I hadn’t even reacted when Old Bi leaned in and whispered, “The last Reunion party had a big impact. The higher-ups have decided to assign Old Tang as your Instructor! Is this news worth three soldiers?”
Old Tang as an Instructor?! I really hadn’t expected that! I had imagined myself as a Company Commander and thought about what kind of Instructor I would be paired with. I was worried that the person assigned wouldn’t be on the same wavelength as me, making Unit construction really difficult.
But Old Tang was different. As a fellow Local University Student, we shared common ground in our thinking and had worked together before. During this time, Old Tang had been actively cooperating with my work, and we complemented each other well, never clashing over Unit matters. If I could partner with Old Tang, that would be the best outcome. I looked at Old Bi skeptically, “Old Bi, your news has always been spot on. Can you tell me where you got this information? Is some member of the Standing Committee your relative?”
To be honest, I had always been suspicious of Old Bi’s connections. How did he always know everything in advance? It had to be someone at the level of the Standing Committee!
Old Bi didn’t say anything but chuckled a couple of times. After pondering for a moment, I said, “Alright, you go choose soldiers. The training report is with the Clerk; you can take a look at it yourself. You’re the first one to choose soldiers, so keep it low-key and don’t make a fuss. Just remember, if you get selected in the end, whether you actually go or not, I can’t guarantee!”
Old Bi smiled mysteriously, “That’s my business; you don’t need to worry about it.”
In the end, Old Bi chose three soldiers. He initially wanted to take Sheng Xiong with him, but Sheng Xiong refused to go no matter what. With no other option, he took the other three soldiers instead. I felt a bit regretful; however, Guan was willing to go along because he thought the Special Operations Unit sounded impressive.
In the following days, quite a few Company Commanders even came to our Unit for visits, all with one goal: to select soldiers. However, since we weren’t too familiar with each other and I was about to become One Continuous Long, I had no reason to help them out of either public or private interest. Therefore, I brushed them off. Time passed quickly, and before we knew it, the new recruit assessments were over; it was finally time for soldier assignments—the Recruit Training Camp was about to officially conclude!
(The entire story of "Soldier Assignment" is complete; stay tuned for "Soul Guiding," "Love Like the Wind," and "The Work of Chasing the Wind." Tomorrow will be even more exciting!)
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