Chapter 1196: One Person's Perseverance

Old Xu was thoroughly hoodwinked, carrying with him the beautiful hope that his precious son would one day return home to become a police officer.

He stayed here for two days; during those two days, he toured the unit, rode in an armored vehicle just like in the original drama, and Wang Yan still took many photos of him.

By the time Old Xu left, he had eaten eight meals and drunk alcohol at seven of them; one could say he had never been sober.

However, this could not be said to be Wang Yan's intentional doing; originally, Old Xu himself was a drunkard who did nothing but sip Hongxing Erguotou when idle. Wang Yan served as the main companion, accompanying him in eating, drinking, and chatting—a proper "three accompanies."

Everything was arranged very well for Old Xu, and he was very happy.

It was also because of this that Xu Sanduo finally got his wish, signing up as a non-commissioned officer alongside Wang Yan; his shoulder boards changed from the original two chevrons to a single small chevron paired with an insignia of two crossed rifles.

At that moment, Xu Sanduo was overjoyed, saluting Wang Yan and calling him Squad Leader.

Wang Yan also gave him face, smiling as he returned the salute and calling Xu Sanduo Squad Leader.

Xu Sanduo said that he too was now an old soldier...

A few days later, Cheng Cai came to the Seventh Company. Knowing he was under pressure and that Wang Yan did not care for him, Wang Yan did not force his presence; instead, Xu Sanduo treated Cheng Cai to a meal at the service club.

After returning, Xu Sanduo said that Cheng Cai complained about the poor environment of Company Five, claiming that such a good soldier going to Company Five was wasted. Xu Sanduo said Cheng Cai had lost his spirit.

Wang Yan showed no reaction.

To speak the truth, it was actually Company Five that saved Cheng Cai; that place allowed him to settle his mind, thereby leading to his transformation.

But clearly, the current Cheng Cai considered himself extraordinary, looking down on everything with a thousand and ten thousand disdains.

Wang Yan responded with a few perfunctory words, and the matter passed.

Xu Sanduo now understood a bit about human relations; knowing Wang Yan did not care for Cheng Cai, unless he truly ran out of things to say, he generally did not mention Jiangkou Jiangkou Ticheng. Of course, the same applied in front of Cheng Cai; he would not voluntarily bring up Wang Yan.

However, every time he spoke with Cheng Cai or exchanged letters, Cheng Cai would always talk about how Wang Yan was this or that.

This once made him think that Cheng Cai had become like his former self, no longer holding grudges and treating everything as a joke...

And so, day after day passed.

Wang Yan and Xu Sanduo guarded the Seventh Company together; they performed morning drills on schedule every day, created their own training plan, and practiced physical fitness, tactics, shooting, and more. They also used this period to take the military driver's license exam within the regiment.

In the evenings, the two would read books. Wang Yan once again gave Xu Sanduo a reading list of over a thousand books for him to study on his own. Every night at seven o'clock, they would watch the News Broadcast right on time.

Commentary became a retained feature of the Seventh Company. Every day, Xu Sanduo would give the presentation, Wang Yan would provide critiques, and take the opportunity to explain the causes behind various issues in the news and the reasons for various official platitudes.

This was also a form of training, capable of broadening one's horizons and enhancing wisdom.

By June, Wang Yan went to take the exam for promotion to officer rank. It consisted of two parts: one was a cultural exam focusing on science subjects, and the other was a military skills exam covering daily training routines. The cultural exam was as simple as eating and drinking for Wang Yan, presenting no difficulty at all. As for military skills, he was exempt from testing.

Why were Xu Sanduo's results in the grand competition ranked second and third in the Group Army?

Because the first place belonged to Wang Mou; furthermore, Wang Yan looked out for Wu Liuyi, allowing Wu Liuyi to earn another San Deng Gong. Only after that came Xu Sanduo and the other soldiers.

This was merely within the Group Army.

In the Military Region Grand Competition, Wang Yan still ranked first in every event he participated in. He had won consecutive titles for two sessions, and in last year's grand competition, he had slightly broken his own record from the year before.

Even more, because of Wang Yan, many in other military regions were unconvinced; thus, to promote exchange, a competition among the seven major military regions was organized. As expected, Wang Yan is now universally recognized as the number one individual soldier in the three services, invincible under heaven.

More than a month passed after the exams, and time arrived at August.

Wang Yan was finally about to leave.

Early that morning, Wang Yan, as usual, performed morning exercises and ate breakfast with Xu Sanduo.

However, upon returning, instead of folding quilts with Xu Sanduo, he changed into his summer uniform, packed his rucksack, and organized his personal belongings.

Xu Sanduo's quilt had long been pressed into shape; with just a simple tucking of the corners, it became a perfectly square "tofu block," standard beyond any standard.

After finishing his tasks, he stood silently to the side, watching Wang Yan pack.

After a long while, once Wang Yan had finished packing, he asked, "Wang Yan, will we be able to see each other again in the future?"

"Definitely yes; my personnel file is still with the regiment. Although I might be transferred after my promotion, it will certainly still be within our military region. Who knows when we'll meet? I'm going for a promotion, not dying. You just can't kick this habit."

Wang Yan walked over, patted his shoulder, and said, "As for you, just work hard a bit longer, hold on for another month, and by then you will definitely get a transfer. You are the Soldier King; can the Soldier King remain idle? So just hone your skills well; soon there will be a stage for you to display them."

"Alright, we've stayed together so long we're almost out of words; don't be so dawdling. Once I've settled in at my new location, I'll write to you, tell you what the military academy is like. You also work hard, strive for promotion, and then the state will assign you a wife, and your father will be at ease."

Having said this, he shouldered his rucksack, lifted his luggage, rubbed Xu Sanduo's head once more, and strolled out of the dormitory and down the stairs.

Xu Sanduo followed closely behind, saying nothing, just following.

When Wang Yan spoke to him, he did not respond.

Thus they reached the outside, where Wang Yan rubbed Xu Sanduo's head one last time.

"Goodbye."

Having said this, Wang Yan boarded the jeep waiting for him and departed.

This time, it was Xu Sanduo standing alone on the open ground, watching the vehicle grow distant and disappear.

He stood there in silence, gazing at that road...

From then on, Xu Sanduo guarded the Seventh Company all by himself.

Wu Liuyi would occasionally come to check on him, and occasionally, when the regiment had some activities, he would be temporarily assigned to assist.

During ordinary times, he would perform morning exercises alone, carry out daily training according to the plan Wang Yan had previously formulated, and during the pre-meal singing session, he would still loudly sing military songs by himself.

He strictly organized his living quarters and cleaned the sanitary environment in accordance with the Internal Affairs Regulations.

He would read books on his own and take study notes. Every day at seven o'clock, he would turn on the television right on time to watch the News Broadcast and provide his own commentary...

He drifted on the periphery; he had lost his collective, yet he alone guarded something he himself did not quite know.

That was a tenacious spiritual will, capable of enduring loneliness and holding fast to one's original heart.

But in reality, he was not lonely; many people wrote letters to him.

Old Ma was the most diligent letter-writer; even though Old Ma had become very busy, his correspondence with his comrades had never ceased. Every month, besides buying cigarettes, Old Ma's largest expense was postage. In his letters, he wrote about his work and spoke of some aspects of life, allowing Xu Sanduo to see much.

Shi Jin would also send a letter from time to time; emerging from the text was still that strenuous, gentle encouragement. He always gave Xu Sanduo a boost of morale, telling him that he could do it, that he was not a "turtle son."

Wang Yan was fixed at two letters per month; just as he had said, he introduced to Xu Sanduo the situation at the National Defense University in Beijing, introduced his classmates and leaders, and spoke of his own performance and so on. Consistent as ever, he encouraged Xu Sanduo: serve one day as a soldier, stand guard for one day.

In addition, there were the soldiers from the original Third Squad, such as Gan Xiaoning and Bai Tiejun, among others.

After being demobilized, Bai Tiejun also wrote letters frequently. But little by little, the time between his replies lengthened. His life was very real; one could feel his exhaustion and confusion in his words, yet what remained unchanged was his sharp, mocking tongue.

For a while after Wang Yan left, reading letters and replying to them was the time Xu Sanduo felt happiest.

His replies were very dry; he would mention recent training sessions and list the training subjects in detail, or talk about what books he had read and his thoughts on them, and so on. But within the words lay sincerity and purity, enough to make anyone feel happy just by reading them.

During this process, he also participated in another grand competition. This time, he finally secured first place in numerous subjects across the Group Army, performed admirably in the Military Region competition, and even took first place in some subjects, earning an Er Deng Gong. He had become even stronger.

Of course, he did not think so himself; he only believed he came in first because Wang Yan wasn't there.

Undoubtedly, he was a good soldier, a fine warrior...

Thus, more than a month passed, and October arrived.

On an ordinary afternoon, after finishing lunch, Xu Sanduo returned to his dormitory to prepare for his midday rest.

Just as he opened the door, someone patted his shoulder; instinctively, he spun around to execute a capture hold, but failed to succeed.

He quickly created some distance, saw the visitor's face clearly, paused for a moment, then immediately stood at attention and saluted: "Greetings, Commander!"

Seeing Xu Sanduo's demeanor, Yuan Lang nodded with satisfaction: "Not bad; you've maintained the necessary vigilance."

Xu Sanduo said nothing, mainly because he didn't know what to say, and simply stared at Yuan Lang.

"Come inside; why are you staring at me?"

"Yes, sir!"

Xu Sanduo responded, invited Yuan Lang into the dormitory, and poured him a cup of hot water.

Yuan Lang wandered around the dormitory for a bit, as if a leader conducting an inspection, before finally sitting down on a chair.

He said: "You've maintained things quite well; this housekeeping is simply up to the most standard of standards."

"Nothing to do," Xu Sanduo stated honestly.

"Some people, when they have nothing to do, choose to lie in bed and enjoy comfort, whereas you have done the exact opposite, choosing hardship and exhaustion."

Xu Sanduo chuckled innocently: "Wang Yan said that as long as one is a soldier for a day, one stands guard for a day; I am standing guard for the Seventh Company."

Yuan Lang laughed: "I've heard about this matter; before, you two trained all day long, eating and singing marching songs, with the two of you singing louder than an entire company of others."

"Actually, it wasn't that loud; they were just praising us," Xu Sanduo asked, "Commander, why have you come?"

Yuan Lang did not answer, but instead asked out of the blue: "Xu Sanduo, are you willing to leave this place?"

"My former squad leader said there would come such a day. Wang Yan also said that one must eventually leave."

"What about you? You say it yourself!"

"There will come such a day; one must eventually leave..."

Xu Sanduo felt very sad, because he hadn't left yet and was still guarding, guarding something he didn't understand. Thinking about having to leave made him feel equally sad.

Yuan Lang was so annoyed by Xu Sanduo that he laughed, but he didn't mind, saying with a smile: "In a few days, someone will notify you to go for a medical examination; I will be the one conducting the examination."

"Medical examination?" Xu Sanduo reacted for a moment, then asked, "Is Old A going to conduct selections here?"

"Smart; you're not as simple as you look," Yuan Lang nodded with a smile. "I can't tell you more than this; if you pass the selection, do you want to go to Old A?"

Xu Sanduo shook his head: "I don't know."

"You must know. You are a good soldier; the 702nd Regiment is not suitable for you. You should come join us instead; that is where your stage lies. Of course, the premise for all of this is that you can pass the selection."

Seeing Xu Sanduo's hesitant appearance, Yuan Lang, just as in the original drama, chatted playfully with Xu Sanduo for a while to do some ideological work on him. This is an essential skill for military officers; they all possess it.

Although he claimed not to force recruitment, the implication in his words, both explicit and implicit, was always that you must come.

After talking for quite a while, Yuan Lang clapped his hands: "Anyway, you decide for yourself."

If he truly intended to let Xu Sanduo decide for himself, he wouldn't have said so much.

Although Xu Sanduo never had the highlight moment of capturing Yuan Lang alive, Xu Sanduo's own military skills and combat qualities were top-tier; such a soldier was undoubtedly excellent, a good soldier wherever he went, and the favorite of direct commanding officers.

Yuan Lang naturally did not want to miss out on a good soldier like Xu Sanduo. If he failed the selection, so be it, but he didn't believe Xu Sanduo would fail...

Xu Sanduo nodded, then turned to ask: "What about Wang Yan? He is so formidable."

"Do you remember what I said during last year's exercise?"

Xu Sanduo pondered for a moment, then smiled: "You said you would definitely get him; at the time, Wang Yan even kicked you."

He recalled the scene from back then; indeed, it was very funny.

Yuan Lang didn't mind at all, feeling not the slightest bit embarrassed, and laughed heartily: "Wang Yan can't escape; in the end, he will still fall into my bowl."

"But he has gone to military academy; by then, he will be a Wei Guan Guan, and I heard he could become a platoon leader."

"Then you don't need to worry about that," Yuan Lang said with a stern face. "You must keep this secret for me; you cannot tell Wang Yan about today's events. I want to give him a surprise when the time comes."

"I'm afraid Wang Yan will beat you up when the time comes; he really dares to hit you."

"He wouldn't beat me to death, would he? Anyway, just don't tell him, that's all."

Yuan Lang smiled and said, "Now that you know Wang Yan is also going, are you happy?"

Xu Sanduo nodded with an innocent smile.

"Alright, that's all I'll say; perform well. If you don't pass the selection and can't come to Old A, saying anything is useless. I'm leaving; no need to see me off."

Yuan Lang patted Xu Sanduo on the shoulder, stood up, and left the dormitory of the Third Squad.

He hummed a tune, strolling leisurely, looking very happy...

The next day, Wu Liu Yi found Xu Sanduo, wanting to tell him about the Old A selection, only to discover that Xu Sanduo already knew, had even met with Yuan Lang, and had also revealed Xu Sanduo's news that Wang Yan might ultimately still go to Old A.

He frowned: "Is this reliable? Don't let them trick you into going to Old A by using Wang Yan as bait for you, right?"

Xu Sanduo honestly shook his head: "I don't know."

"Then will you participate?"

"I will participate."

Wu Liu Yi smiled: "Good, then I'll go take a look too; we brothers will put in some effort and strive for both of us to enter Old A."

Xu Sanduo chuckled innocently; he felt he had something to look forward to again, and he was very happy...