Chapter 1172: Destination

"Ouch, this is really going to kill me."

The soldier, dusty and travel-worn with a face covered in grime, collapsed onto the ground, took off his shoes and socks, and looked at the large blisters filled with pus on the soles of his feet.

A strong smell of stinky feet permeated the air, but no one cared...

Wang Yan smiled, took out a needle, sterilized it by heating it with a lighter, and handed it over: "Pick them yourself."

"It's definitely going to hurt terribly even if I pick them."

"Who joins the army without getting a few blisters? Stop dawdling; come on, come on, I'll pick them for you," Wu Liuyi said as he walked over.

"No need, no need, I can handle it; I wouldn't dare trouble the squad leader," the soldier said, then gritted his teeth in pain as he used the needle to pierce the large pus-filled blister on the sole of his foot and squeezed out the pus inside.

Xu Sanduo had already finished picking his blisters long ago and was eating compressed biscuits on the side; he smiled and said, "Actually, it's not that bad; I got blisters yesterday and don't feel much."

"Get lost; you're limping when you walk, yet you say it hasn't affected you."

"It just doesn't hurt."

"You're just being stubborn."

Xu Sanduo just smiled; watching others grimace in pain made his meal go down well...

Over a thousand soldiers, organized by company and spaced some distance apart, were camped in the wild, drinking cold water, eating time-saving military rations, smelling their comrades' stinky feet, and the sour odor of sweat.

They had been marching continuously for two days, constantly switching between forced marches and regular marches, occasionally launching a rapid assault, which was even faster than a forced march.

A forced march was already nearly a light jog, while a rapid assault was a full-speed run, yet retaining enough physical strength to engage in combat, preparing to enter a combat state at any moment; the method to conserve strength was not running slower, but running for shorter periods, using the remaining time to advance at a normal marching speed to recover stamina.

Thus, they ran by day and ran by night, eating poorly, drinking poorly, and resting poorly.

At night, there would also be emergency assemblies followed by marching; after marching a certain distance, the soldiers would be allowed to rest, repeating this cycle of torment endlessly.

The soldiers were already covered in dust and grime, their legs long numb, and large blisters had formed on the soles of their feet, yet they could not stop and still had to march at a certain speed according to orders.

Along this journey, more than ten people had already broken down and were sent to the hospital by military trucks; some cried and shouted that they wanted to leave and quit the army, and even though this was the final stage, the darkness before dawn, there were still those who could not hold on.

Officers at all levels earnestly persuaded them, including the political commissar of the new recruit regiment, who personally appeared to conduct ideological work.

After all, leaving at such a time was always regrettable; it affected the performance assessment of the officers and had a lifelong impact on the new recruits who wanted to leave, so this was not a decision to be made lightly on a whim; therefore, adhering to the principle that the new recruits might be momentarily confused and needed guidance back to the right path, even if officers at all levels looked down on them, the necessary work still had to be done.

All of this was told by Gao Cheng as a joke during rest periods to boost everyone's morale; after all, those who broke down or entered the hospital due to other physical discomforts were already objects of schadenfreude and secret pride for others, let alone those contestants who cried and shouted to leave.

Happiness is derived from comparison.

Gao Cheng naturally had reasons to be happy, and his happiness was also derived from comparison.

Among the new recruit company under his command, not a single person had entered the hospital, and not a single one wanted to quit.

Actually, he had thought about this issue; he had led many new recruit companies, but this current batch was the best and the strongest; summarizing the reason, it all came down to Wang Yan.

The driving effect was not just talk; it truly had an effect.

Wang Yan was so strong it made people despair; during leisure time, he sparred with veteran soldiers, easily taking down seven or eight veterans alone, ranking first in every subject, truly living up to his reputation as a great beast.

Although he made people despair, Wang Yan's attitude was extremely correct; he even added extra training every day, united with his comrades, and apart from Cheng Cai, Wang Yan had good relationships with everyone.

Moreover, Wang Yan was the deputy squad leader, leading the less advanced with the advanced; everyone had seen what Xu Sanduo was like when he first arrived, yet he was firmly lifted up by Wang Yan and now ranked among the top within the company of over a hundred people.

This also prompted others to align themselves with Wang Yan, or rather, even if they did not align themselves, the veteran squad leaders would help them align, maintaining consistently high standards and strict requirements.

Consequently, the overall level of the entire company was a cut above the other companies.

During this long-distance march, there were naturally some in the company who broke down, but Wang directly volunteered, fully embodying the spirit of never abandoning and never giving up; while carrying a load of twenty kilograms, he carried another soldier on his back, while that soldier's load was shared among other soldiers, giving the broken-down person time to rest; throughout the journey, Wang Yan carried seven or eight people, forcibly marching while carrying people and bearing a load of several dozen kilograms, and even conducted a rapid assault once, which was quite perverted.

"How is it, doing okay?" Gao Cheng also sat down and asked Wang Yan beside him.

"A man cannot say he can't; but what about you, Company Commander, can you hold up?"

Although Gao Cheng was the company commander, he was also marching with a load; it was just that his load was relatively lighter, but it was still nearly twenty kilograms.

"If you can make it, I certainly can," Gao Cheng gave Wang Yan a punch, "Your question is superfluous; do you look down on me?"

"How could I? Who doesn't know that our company commander can subdue tigers on the mountain and conquer dragons in the sea? I was just showing some concern."

"Get lost, don't try to flatter me," Gao Cheng scolded with a laugh, then immediately started chatting with the others.

He was truly happy, and even spoke to Xu Sanduo.

Xu Sanduo was also happy; he knew the company commander had never looked up to him, so being looked at directly and spoken to a few words now was already quite good.

Wang Yan watched with a smile from the side, occasionally interjecting a few words, making the atmosphere quite lively...

But the liveliness was ultimately limited; everyone still had to seize the time to rest, and the rest was not good either, as they were all outdoors under the open sky, where the night humidity was heavy and being outside was quite uncomfortable.

Yet the soldiers slept for a night without noticing anything, each snoring thunderously, looking as if they were sleeping extremely comfortably.

Wang Yan's adaptability was naturally outstanding; he felt uncomfortable, but that did not mean he could not rest.

Thinking back to those years, he had also experienced days of licking blood from the blade's edge and rolling in piles of dead bodies; truly, the past was too painful to recall...

The soldiers did not rest for long; before dawn, the assembly whistle sounded in the wilderness, its sharp piercing sound forcing people to wake from their sweet dreams and open their sleepy eyes.

For a moment, there were only exhausted sounds of groaning and sighing, one after another helpless long sighs, as they began to get up sporadically and pack their equipment.

It was not until the officers and veteran squad leaders began to curse that they were forced to speed up their packing; after experiencing a brief period of wakefulness, the new recruit regiment once again broke camp and set out.

However, compared to the previous two days, the atmosphere today was much better, with none of the previous lifelessness.

Because today was the last day; after circling around the military camp, they were finally returning, and by tonight, they could return to the camp to eat a hot meal, take a satisfying bath, and then cover themselves with quilts and sleep soundly.

Having something to look forward to is happiness.

And during the process of anticipation, it is especially happy...

Just like that, after another day of trekking, walking dozens of kilometers at varying speeds, the soldiers happily returned to the military camp.

After returning to the barracks and unloading their equipment, they assembled directly at the entrance of the canteen, queued up, and engaged in singing battles; the singing voices were truly louder than ever before, filled with joy, fully demonstrating the happiness of the soldiers at this moment after undergoing the baptism of a devilish march.

Finally, upon entering the canteen, when the soldiers held two soft, white steamed buns in each hand, taking a bite from one and then a bite from the other, while eating abundant dishes and drinking delicious pork rib and kelp soup, happiness reached its peak.

"Wang Yan, it's fragrant!"

Xu Sanduo, his mouth stuffed full of food, wore his characteristic simple and silly smile and mumbled, expressing the thoughts in the soldiers' hearts.

"Eat slowly; no one is snatching it from you."

Wang Yan took a bite out of half a bun, then reached out to take a plate of dishes and served himself half a bowl.

The soldiers at the table all blinked and looked at Wang Yan; finally, someone spoke the truth: "Squad Leader Assistant, you ate the most fiercely of all, yet you're still criticizing us?"

"I'm fine; I'm mainly worried about you choking. Hey, Guangcan, you go add some more dishes."

The one whose name was called stood up helplessly: "Why is it me again?"

"Should I go instead?"

"No, no, I'll go since I'm going; I'm willing to serve our squad."

The lad hurriedly got up, held the plate, and went to add more dishes...

Amidst such lively noise, they finished dinner as if fighting a war; after a busy rush of bathing and washing clothes, everyone finally lay down on their beds, chattering and laughing for a while until, gradually, the voices in the barracks faded, and all had fallen into exhausted, deep sleep...

Early the next morning, the reveille sounded as usual; the sleeping soldiers in the barracks jolted awake, habitually reaching to dress and tidy their quarters, but then remembering it was a day off, they muttered indistinct words one by one and lay back down to sleep again.

Wang Yan got up; he quietly dressed and tidied his quarters, and just as he was about to head out, he saw Xu Sanduo staring at him with wide eyes.

"Wang Yan, today is a day off."

"I know, but I can't sleep anymore, so I'm going out for a stroll. You keep sleeping."

"I can't sleep anymore either; I'm used to it." Xu Sanduo sat up.

"Doesn't your body hurt?"

"A little, but not as much as during the first month after I arrived; it's no hindrance. I'll stroll with you."

While speaking, Xu Sanduo got up, dressed, and tidied his quarters; once finished, he trotted out of the barracks and found Wang Yan, who was standing there smoking.

"Where are we strolling to?"

"The drill ground, of course; walk a couple of laps to loosen up."

Wang Yan extinguished his cigarette butt, tossed it into the flowerbed beside him, and headed toward the drill ground.

Xu Sanduo quickened his pace, stood side by side with Wang Yan, took a small step up, matched Wang Yan's rhythm, and marched with synchronized arm swings.

Two people form a row, three form a column; everyone knows this. If you don't march properly and get caught by the patrol, you'll be reprimanded.

Xu Sanduo said, "Wang Yan, Chengcai told me our assignments are already decided; you're definitely going with the Company Commander to the Seventh Company, right?"

"It was decided long ago; not only am I going to the Seventh Company, but I'm also joining the squad of our old Squad Leader and old Platoon Leader."

"That's great." Xu Sanduo smiled, then asked, "Do you know where I've been assigned?"

"I'm not the Company Commander; how could I possibly know?" Wang Yan smiled and shook his head.

"But the whole company knows; you have the best relationship with our Company Commander, and Chengcai says you definitely know."

"Where do you want to go?"

"Of course I want to stay in the Seventh Company with you, preferably serving under our Platoon Leader just like you." Xu Sanduo spoke without hesitation; seemingly imagining that scene, he smiled broadly, truly happy.

But immediately his face fell, filled with disappointment: "Still, I know our Company Commander looks down on me; because when I first arrived, I raised my hands in surrender upon seeing the tank, he has never liked me, and he definitely won't accept me."

Indeed, he wouldn't.

Even though the current Xu Sanduo was far stronger than his counterpart at the same stage in the original drama, Gao Cheng's initial dislike upon their first meeting remained unresolved. Even this time, although Shi Jin had fought for Xu Sanduo just as he originally did, Gao Cheng refused to agree no matter what, leaving Shi Jin with no recourse.

Wang Yan knew all these matters; Wu Liuyi had told him. He also indeed knew where Xu Sanduo would be assigned, because he had previously asked Gao Cheng.

Nothing unexpected; he was still taken in by the Third Company and still sent to the Fifth Squad on the grasslands.

In the original drama, Xu Sanduo was too useless and not outstanding enough, which is why he was sent to the Fifth Squad. Now, however, due to Xu Sanduo's various changes—from a new recruit who raised his hands in surrender at the sight of a tank barrel to a soldier who trained hard and studied diligently—the Instructor of the Third Company, who was also the Instructor of the New Recruit Company, He Hongtao, had witnessed it all with his own eyes.

He Hongtao was a principled man; he treated Old Ma on the grasslands well, genuinely considering Old Ma's interests. He also treated Xu Sanduo well; in the original drama, after Xu Sanduo later joined the A Brigade and participated in an operation to capture drug traffickers at the border, he killed a female drug trafficker, damaging his Dao heart, and He Hongtao devoted himself to caring for him.

Speaking of the matter of killing the female drug trafficker, it actually made Xu Sanduo appear quite elite. He didn't shoot the female drug trafficker dead with a gun; rather, in a moment of panic, he casually snapped her neck...

He Hongtao hoped that by sending Xu Sanduo, with this spirit of his, to the Fifth Squad on the grasslands, he could bring some changes to the Fifth Squad and guide those few individuals there onto the correct path...

Looking at Xu Sanduo's expectant gaze, Wang Yan smiled and shook his head: "I truly don't know where you're going; I never asked. Even if you knew in advance, what could you do about it? For you, as long as you don't stay in the Seventh Company, it's all the same wherever you go, isn't it?"

"Yes." Xu Sanduo became dejected again.

"What's the big deal? We're all in the same unit; it's not like we won't see each other in the future. We have holidays; by then, we can definitely visit each other and check in. What did I tell you?"

"As long as you constantly break through your own limits, being stronger today than yesterday and gaining more than yesterday, that is the correct path; that is what a good soldier should do."

Wang Yan nodded, patted Xu Sanduo on the shoulder: "Sanduo, remember this: wherever you go, you are a good soldier, and you can do even better."

"Yes, I definitely can; I just can never catch up to you." Xu Sanduo chuckled foolishly again.

"See, you're back to saying that again? Let's go; run two laps to loosen up. Physical fitness is the foundation of everything; we cannot slack off. Let's see if you can catch up to me."

Having said this, Wang Yan darted forward.

Xu Sanduo was a step slower, but then he smiled and began running with long strides...