Chapter 447 - 362: Conversation on the Mountain Top

The competition was, of course, just talk.

The whole team couldn’t tolerate Fang Huai and Lin Chong silently charging ahead and leaving everyone gasping for air.

The climb up the mountain wasn’t too difficult, just a few hundred meters high and a few kilometers in distance. In forty-five or fifty minutes, they could see the summit, and everyone was guessing whether Captain Hu was still letting them acclimate.

When they reached the top, the sun was already half-hidden behind a distant mountain. Fang Huai had a watch, and his timing was impeccable, arriving right at 6 o’clock.

When Fang Huai was the first to step onto the summit with the flag in hand, he finally understood why lunch was chosen to be here.

The summit was a rather large platform, and not far away was a big dip that led directly to the top of another similarly tall mountain. From this vantage point, these two mountains could actually be described as a single peak with twin summits.

On the ground were scattered tent frames, as well as generators—it was clear they were going to sleep here tonight.

A bunch of people, dozens of soldiers, were busy with their tasks.

Some were cooking, and others were anchoring seven or eight long black ropes between here and the opposite side. They had brought quite a lot of equipment.

It seemed that the soldiers who came up in air-conditioned buses didn’t have it easy either.

Today, it wasn’t bento boxes.

Among the scent wafting from the simple field kitchen, Fang Huai also smelled the aroma of sausages.

Since leaving, their quality of life seemed to have improved somewhat.

At this moment, Hu Peizhou, seeing the ongoing rope anchoring, walked over briskly with a frown and said to a lieutenant colonel:

"Old Jiang, what’s taking so long? Didn’t I tell you to set off right after lunch?"

Lieutenant Colonel Jiang turned around, looked at Hu Peizhou, and spread his hands helplessly, speaking in an authentic Chongqing accent:

"Oh man, the driver from your end was not familiar with the route, took an extra hour just to get out of the city!"

Just then, Fang Huai saw Hu Peizhou’s frown relax, and even a smile emerged.

He must have found psychological balance in the fact that even local troops in Chongqing could get lost.

The others who came up later were astonished at the bustling scene on the mountaintop.

The people from the big bus that left at noon, all of them were here, at least thirty people.

Oh my god, for the few of them, they were assigned so many support troops?

"Gather-gather! Assemble!"

Suddenly, a whistle sounded, and everyone looked over to see Captain Hu with a whistle in his hand.

They blow whistles on the mountain...?

"What are you dawdling for? Everyone assemble, quickly!" Hu Peizhou bellowed.

Rustling, the lines formed quickly, and everyone looked at Hu Peizhou, curious about what he was going to say.

"Look right!"

"Look forward!"

"Stand at ease!"

"Sing a song!"

Everyone was stunned and didn’t react quickly enough to stop their feet.

Seeing this, Hu Peizhou’s eyes showed a trace of dissatisfaction.

"What, after coming out here, you don’t remember your own names anymore?

Remember! You are soldiers! From today onwards, all daily routines and Three Major Decrees that can be upheld must be adhered to! There will be a whistle for scheduled activities!

If there are special circumstances requiring extra drills and you can’t stick to the daily routine, you will be notified!

After coming out here, even in the mountains, maintain pairs or trios, and report before going to the toilet! Did you hear that!"

"We heard!"

Everyone inwardly shuddered.

But that didn’t stop some from wanting to complain.

Oh my god, you talk about adhering to the daily routine, but where’s our breakfast?

All these grown men, going out for a bowl of beef noodles, need extra noodles, extra beef, extras, and a marinated egg. Now we’re out here for field training, and you only give us two meals a day?

Of course, Hu Peizhou wouldn’t let them eat their fill, keeping them hungry now and then for easier PUA tactics.

Even maintaining two meals a day wasn’t really on his agenda.

"Stand at ease! Sing a song!"

This time, there were loud, synchronized footsteps.

"Unity... ready, sing!"

"Unity is strength, unity is strength, this strength is iron, this strength is steel..."

Their voices thundered like a storm.

It was everyone’s first time singing Ding-dong songs on the mountaintop.

As they heard their own singing echoing around the mountains, they were invigorated, and their song grew louder and more sonorous.

As the song ended, everyone still seemed a little reluctant to stop.

"Time to eat! Line up over there to get your food!"

After Hu Peizhou gave the order, everyone lined up like a new recruit group to get their meals.

"Number 1, come over after you get your food!"

Standing at the front of the line to get food was Hu Peizhou, finally extending Fang Huai his first invitation to dine together.

"Yes!" Fang Huai responded immediately.

The others looked at Fang Huai with a hint of envy.

Dammit, not only did he carry the flag and have a private chat, but by the looks of it, this guy was going to be the first one eligible to exchange for pig’s feet.

Five dishes: mapo tofu, hand-torn cabbage, sausages, shredded potatoes, and marinated tofu.

One meal, two types of tofu.

Only one meat dish.

And the non-commissioned officer serving the food seemed to have mastered the arcane skill of the university cafeteria auntie—the sausages, just four or five slices per person, and any excess would be shaken off. The hand that did the shaking made everyone want to kneel down and help steady it.

At the sight of the food, Fang Huai suddenly felt he had been thinking too much before, and had overestimated Hu Peizhou.

This, how was this not a bento box? It was just the additional process of serving the food themselves.

Self-service... no, his-service, no, it-service bento!

Thinking about the next forty-something days of eating this, Fang Huai could only think about the Japanese POWs in Siberia to feel a bit of happiness.

They only had two dishes a day.

Fist-sized potatoes and potato-sized fists.

After getting his food, he walked towards Hu Peizhou, who was standing at the edge of the hollow.

Seeing a Lieutenant Colonel like him also holding a bowl of food with not even a sausage in it, just a few vegetarian dishes, he suddenly felt a touch of sadness.

Ah... the guy, a deputy head of the whole corps, enduring hardships with everyone here, is genuinely a down-to-earth cadre...

Just as Fang Huai was thinking this, Hu Peizhou stared at his own bowl and suddenly scraped off the rice on top, revealing a whole half bowl of sausages underneath. He picked out several pieces with his chopsticks and put them into Fang Huai’s bowl.

"Tired from carrying the flag? Eat more meat."

Fang Huai was so astonished he felt a tingling sensation on his scalp.

Oh my god, how could there be such a blatant display of corruption by a cadre??

We all carry backpacks, and you come up empty-handed!

"Eat it or not, if not, give it back." Hu Peizhou’s chopsticks were on their way again.

Fang Huai started shoveling food into his mouth as he held his bowl.

At that moment, he suddenly thought that Hu Peizhou, with his petty ways, really resembled Old A’s Yuan Lang.

However, Hu Peizhou’s willingness to act petty in front of him also showed his recognition of him.

Originally, Fang Huai had planned to act unfathomably profound in front of Hu Peizhou, to rattle him, but with that gesture of the sausages, Hu Peizhou had gained the psychological upper hand.

"Talk about your squadron’s renovation." Hu Peizhou said as he scraped through his rice.

Upon hearing this, Fang Huai hurriedly wolfed down all the sausage mixed with rice in his bowl, then slowly started speaking:

"You first talk about your training class."

Hu Peizhou didn’t fuss either. His chopsticks swept across the hollow in front of him and the several ropes there.

"As you can see, and as I’ve said, we train as we go."

"That’s equipment for T-type rescue, right? This spot is quite suitable, but if it were up to me, I’d find a wide valley to teach the V-type rope bridge as well. Your spot has obstacles, so you can’t teach the V-type."

Hu Peizhou’s pupils contracted slightly as he looked at Fang Huai anew.

"Whoa, you kid, you’ve got some stuff! The new techniques from JIBC (University of California, Berkeley) that were only started to be disseminated by the Hong Kong DAS training center for rope rescue training in ’06, you even know about those?"

Fang Huai sneered, "I’ve always been keeping track. Actually, the techniques from the European IRATA (International Industrial Rope Technology Association) are more suited to the changing high-altitude rescue environment of modern society. Their T-type rescue includes a fall arrestor and a 4:1 mechanical advantage design. North America’s are too inhumane. Just watch, the Hong Kong Fire Department will sooner or later change instructors. Eventually, the rope practices in several municipalities will follow suit until it’s nationwide."

"Hnng..." Hu Peizhou looked surprised and asked:

"You... know a lot about this technique? Have you had any training abroad?"

Heh, I’ve trained in our squadron’s library.

In ’09, IRATA began gradually guiding the national fire services in rope rescue techniques. Before he was discharged in ’12, European teams even visited their detachment. Everyone had video conferences to study.

But back then, everyone was just sleepy.

Fang Huai waved his hand, "Let’s not talk about this. How did the leadership agree to this expensive training? This year, our whole corps got very little subsidy from the equipment bidding ministry, mostly self-reliant, getting funds from local governments. Your big Southwest training can’t possibly be funded locally, right?"

"Pulled some strings, begged for it, and some leadership took a liking to it."

Hu Peizhou spoke of "pulling strings" and "begging," two extremely disdainful terms in the troops, everyone despises, with great nonchalance.

Oh my god, comrade!

Deserving of someone who hides sausages in his bowl!

Fang Huai really wanted to give him a handshake.

But on his face, he showed a hint of regret.

"Tsk, what a waste of money. Would’ve been great to invest it in the squadron. To be honest, our squadron has everything. We’re just short of a helicopter."

Fang Huai never forgot about the helicopter.

Hu Peizhou was shocked.

"Your Guizhou Brigade, with nine detachments in all three tier brigades, just how much have they invested in you? A helicopter, you dare to think about? Even Sichuan Firefighting with 22 detachments and first-tier brigade wouldn’t assign a helicopter to a squadron, would it?"

Fang Huai felt a bit disappointed upon hearing this.

A helicopter surprises you so much, it shows you’re not strong enough.

Then what am I talking to you for?

I might as well just be your student.

"Captain Hu... which unit are you from? Do you have connections at the ministry? If you don’t have sway, I’m heading off to rest."

Hu Peizhou’s mouth started twitching.

He... looks down on me?

"Number 1, watch your tone!... This training class is approved with the Bureau Chief’s signature!"

The words "Bureau Chief" were particularly emphasized.

The title "deputy" is omitted, so authoritative.

Upon hearing this, Fang Huai broke into a grin.

"Ah, leader, I really need to have a good chat with you about our squadron’s ’all-hazard, major emergency’ plan!"

At that, his demeanor softened, and his smile widened.

Hu Peizhou felt he had met his match on being petty.

He looked at his watch, speaking seriously:

"Five minutes, clarify your ideas a bit."

But Fang Huai said, "Can’t do it in five minutes. If you’re interested, I can call my squadron and have them send you the mature plan. Our squadron’s renovation is a template, not suitable for every squadron, but definitely applicable to every general team, including your Hunan General Team."

Hu Peizhou pondered for a moment, then nodded:

"Alright, set up the tent tonight, and come see me."

"Okay."

"And..." Hu Peizhou pointed at the several large ropes in front of him and said:

"This, do you know how to do it? You go first later, give us a demonstration. Lin Chong has learned it, but I think it’s better if you demonstrate first, the effect will be better."

Fang Huai was stunned.

Damn, I’ve never handled these hands-on either! T-type rope techniques weren’t even widespread when I was discharged. All these carabiners, I’ve never even touched, how would I know?

Damn, I’ve boasted too much.

Military merit shop, check your gear.

After a while, Fang Huai, swallowing his pride, said, "Ah, I was saying they should try more mistakes, but alright, I’ll demonstrate."

Military merit value −3.