Chapter 1198: First Experience

After finishing the alcohol, everyone got to know each other. In particular, Wang Yan also got to know the squad members under his command, had some exchanges with them, and gained a simple understanding of them.

Of course, there was no one who was unconvinced, not even Wu Zhe, who held the rank of Major, had any extra grumbling. This was the military, and even more so, the special warfare team within the military, where the strong were respected. Outside, he was a Major, but here, he was just a soldier who had to obey orders and listen to commands.

Wu Zhe understood this point quite well.

Moreover, he had indeed heard rumors about Wang Yan's heaven-defying toughness before. Although he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, none of the old squad members, who were all arrogant, had gone to find trouble with Wang Yan.

Yuan Lang, who looked unreliable but was actually the most arrogant, didn't have any airs in front of Wang Yan either.

All these things went to show Wang Yan's strength, and everyone was convinced. Even those who were secretly unconvinced didn't show it; they were just waiting for future training to see how Wang Yan would perform...

Once the lively gathering dispersed, the soldiers went to their own leisure and entertainment, enjoying the hard-won half-day holiday.

Wang Yan, together with Wu Liu-yi and Xu Sanduo, sat in the shade, smoking and chatting.

"There are no outsiders here now. Squad Deputy, I feel like you don't seem to be doing too well here." Wang Yan exhaled a puff of smoke and looked at Wu Liu-yi, whose face was a bit red from drinking.

"It's passable." Wu Liu-yi took a puff of smoke, let out a long breath, shook his head, and said, "It's not quite the same as what I thought before I came."

"How is it different?"

"The biggest difference is that before, in our regiment, or even in our division, I was one of the best. But after coming here, I've become the bottom of the barrel."

"That's not true. Squad Deputy is quite good and really pushes himself. There are over a hundred people in our squadron, and he can rank in the top sixty." Xu Sanduo corrected him.

"That's enough, how pathetic that is." Wu Liu-yi waved his hand irritably.

"It just means you have higher requirements for yourself. As the saying goes, it's better to be the head of a chicken than the tail of a phoenix; everyone understands." Wang Yan patted Wu Liu-yi's shoulder with a smile. "You don't need to be discouraged either. What's the big deal? Just practice slowly. Who is born that awesome? Look at Xu Sanduo; isn't he the most obvious example? When he first became a soldier, he wasn't good at anything, and hasn't he walked step by step to where he is now?"

"Can that be the same? How old are you, and how old am I?"

"Aren't you just twenty-eight? Are there no people in our team who aren't thirty? That Wu Zhe, he's about the same age as you. I don't need to look to know that his physical fitness definitely isn't up to par."

"He's a university student, or some kind of graduate student. He relies on professional skills; physical fitness just needs to be enough. Besides, he's two stars and one pip; can we compare? No, wait, you're also a commissioned officer now. Anyway, we can't compare."

"What a load of crap! Don't destroy your own morale. Your thinking is problematic. Look, everyone gathered here is the most outstanding soldier in our military region. The fact that you could pass through layers of selection and assessment to stand here already explains a lot. Don't say you aren't the last one; even if you were the last one, what does it matter?"

Wang Yan smiled. "On this point, you have to learn from Comrade Bai Tiejun. Look at his spirit. Although he's a chatterbox and has too many complaints, he doesn't slack off during training; he just accepted the fact that he was last. There is always a first, and there is always a last."

"We are soldiers now, but what about being an officer? What, if you can't become a big leader, you're going to quit? What about working for money? There are always people who earn more than you. If someone earns in a day what you earn in a year, are you not going to live?"

"Besides, you got married last year; shouldn't you consider your future life? You're in your third term now. If you work here, you can definitely make it to the fourth term. When the time comes to retire from the special warfare team, maybe you can sign for a fifth term. When the time comes for you to transfer to civilian work, what kind of treatment will that be?"

"Even if it's the fourth term, you have the experience of the special warfare team; when you return to the local area, you have a high probability of being able to work as a SWAT officer. If it's the fifth term, think about it carefully. What you are doing now is not for the present, but for the rest of your life."

"Stop thinking about all that messy stuff; what's the use? Just obey orders, listen to commands, and work hard, and that's it."

"With you rambling on like this, what else can I say?" Wu Liu-yi said irritably.

"That's right." Wang Yan laughed. "In the future, under my command, how could I not look after you? I will definitely get you to the fourth term and strive for the fifth. After you transfer to civilian work, I'll think of a way to help you fight for a good position. When you return to the local area, you'll be enjoying life. It's just a pity that I still haven't seen your wife."

"Sanduo said you've seen her. Besides, didn't I mail you photos later?"

"Is that the same as eating at the same table? Right, Sanduo?"

"I saw her." Xu Sanduo smiled foolishly. "After you left, her partner came, and she asked me to eat with them."

"And he was the one who paid." Wu Liu-yi took over the conversation.

Xu Sanduo waved his hand generously. "Wang Yan said that fussing over these things is meaningless. Last time my dad came to our regiment, we ate at the service agency every meal, with good cigarettes and good alcohol; it was all paid for by Wang Yan."

"Look at you, digging up that old history again." Wang Yan shook his head and smiled. "You too, work hard. He's a lost cause, but you still have room for advancement. It's relatively easy to get promoted here. You put in some effort, and when the time comes, everything I said to your dad will come true. At the very least, you have to make it to the fifth term."

"Yes! Captain! Guarantee to complete the mission."

"Not bad, you even know how to joke now."

The three of them laughed.

Wang Yan asked, "Sanduo wrote to me at the time saying that Cheng Cai, Gan Xiaoning, and several other old brothers from our Seventh Company all participated in the selection, right? Later, you three got in. How come I don't see him?"

Xu Sanduo shook his head. "We were all deceived by Yuan Lang. During the selection..."

Through Xu Sanduo's rambling, Wang Yan also understood what had happened. This time, except for the fact that Wu Liu-yi didn't sprain his ankle and instead passed the assessment, and there wasn't the incident where Cheng Cai abandoned Wu Liu-yi and Xu Sanduo, the overall development was about the same as the original drama.

Gan Xiaoning and the others were eliminated one after another, and Xu Sanduo, Wu Liu-yi, and Cheng Cai joined Old A. After training for a period of time, Yuan Lang still carried out the test he had designed. It tested the soldiers' psychological endurance, whether they had the determination to not fear death, and their tenacious and unyielding spirit and will.

Cheng Cai was afraid; he wasn't qualified, so he was eliminated, leaving only Xu Sanduo and Wu Liu-yi to stay behind and become official members of the special warfare team.

Xu Sanduo and Wu Liu-yi both had no problems in this regard. Both were stubborn mules; once their tempers flared, they wouldn't care about anything. This was their common point.

And this point, when placed on the battlefield, was eight words.

March forward courageously! Do not fear death!

Just like that, the three of them chatted for an afternoon, finally talking through the nearly one year they hadn't seen each other.

For example, Shi Jin was transferred by Gao Cheng to work under him, and there were also Gan Xiaoning and Ma Xiaoshuai. For example, Wu Liu-yi's wife was about to give birth, and the situation of other soldiers in the Seventh Company, etc...

They went to eat dinner again. At dinner, Wang Yan went to find the squad members under his command, and everyone drank another round, gaining a relatively deeper understanding of each other.

After all, their future life, training, and thinking would all be managed by Wang Yan, this squad leader, so of course, he had to understand them more. Drinking some alcohol, with their heads hot, they said everything.

The next day, it was only past three o'clock when the emergency assembly whistle blew.

By the time over a hundred people had assembled, Yuan Lang was also fully armed. He rubbed his head in pain. "Not bad, good! It seems a brief relaxation didn't make you lose your vigilance. I am very satisfied. Everyone, ten-kilometer armed cross-country. After running, you can still take a nap when you get back. Right turn! Run! March!"

Following his command, the team started running. Led by the people in front, they left the base and ran toward the nearby mountainous area. Wang Yan ran along with the team easily; mainly, he didn't know the way, otherwise, he would have let these people see what he was capable of.

"How is it? Are you used to it?" Yuan Lang ran to Wang Yan's side.

"It's alright." Wang Yan smiled and looked at Yuan Lang, who was clearly not in a good state. "You must be a bit sick. Then just get a good sleep; why do you have to make a fuss in the middle of the night?"

"You don't know anything. This is challenging myself. The more uncomfortable I am, the more I want to fight against it, using my will to defeat it. Comfort is left for the dead. Comrade Second Lieutenant, you still have a lot to learn."

Yuan Lang had an inscrutable look, but his breathing was heavy; he was clearly holding on by force.

This was a serious case of leading by example, and he was a Lieutenant Colonel at that. What else could Wang Yan say?

"You're awesome."

"Oh my, I have to fire some cannons. I don't believe it when others say I'm awesome, but I truly believe it when you say I'm awesome."

"You should talk less; you're going to explode in a while."

"Even if I have to crawl, I have to finish these ten kilometers."

Wang Yan turned his head to look at Wu Liu-yi beside him. "Squad Deputy, you have to learn from our Squadron Leader's spirit."

"Our Seventh Company emphasizes not abandoning and not giving up; the Squadron Leader also likes these six words." Wu Liu-yi responded with a smile.

Wang Yan smiled and didn't speak again, just running like that.

Yuan Lang didn't run away either, just panting and wheezing beside him.

After a few minutes of silence, Yuan Lang said, "You should say a couple of words."

"I'm afraid you'll die on the road; this can't be evaluated as a sacrifice."

"Rest assured, I never do things I'm not sure about; I guarantee I won't die." Yuan Lang said with difficulty. "You know all our training subjects, right?"

"I know: use, maintenance, and care of firearms, individual heavy firepower... demolition... parachuting... assassination... emergency medical care..." Wang Yan didn't rush, reciting all the training subjects of the special warfare team from beginning to end.

The people around who heard him speak were already stunned, because he was unhurried, his breathing was stable, and there wasn't a single heavy pant. This showed that Wang Yan still had a lot of spare energy.

But the speed at which they were running wasn't slow, and they were fully armed, carrying sixty kilograms—this was enough to run a person to death. But Wang Yan seemed to be out for a stroll. Some people who didn't know Wang Yan well initially recognized his strength.

Yuan Lang didn't feel anything; he knew very well how awesome Wang Yan was, and he had an even better concept of it.

He turned and said, "Do you have any suggestions?"

"When I came here before and was sparring with the brothers in the building, I felt that our close-quarters combat was still relatively weak. There is a special term for this, called..."

"Close Quarters Battle, abbreviated as CQB." Yuan Lang took over the conversation. "We also have training in this area, but it's not a major subject. After all, there are too many things we have to learn; this is more useful in anti-terrorism special warfare. We are field all-terrain assault, mainly focusing on field training. So this is just to get some contact and learn some appropriately. We have special anti-terrorism teams; let the professionals do the professional work and concentrate our energy."

Wang Yan nodded. "Then do we have any training to practice courage?"

"You mean... killing?"

When Yuan Lang's words came out, the air went quiet, and everyone, one by one, pricked up their ears to listen.

"Yes, we are special warfare. I heard there are many things happening at the border; there must be this aspect, right?"

"Yes, if there is an opportunity, you can go and participate. In addition, we also have some videos from the battlefield, and we will organize viewings."

Wang Yan said, "It has to be disgusting; it won't work if it's not disgusting. There are quite a few places where wars are fought, and there are many videos filmed; we can open everyone's eyes. See what decapitation is like... Besides, just watching isn't enough. It's best to contact the local government; don't they have executions by shooting? We can organize a group to observe. If we can discuss it further and let us do the execution, that would be even better."

"This thing has to be practiced, otherwise, if we really go out to fight a war, it will affect combat effectiveness. Now, everyone looks like a dragon or a tiger, but when there are truly casualties, it certainly won't be easy to get through. Indeed, after a long time, one will naturally adapt. But our attributes are special; what we want is not to strike unless necessary, but once we strike, it will be heaven-collapsing and earth-shattering, a one-hit kill, and then quickly withdraw from the battlefield, fleeing thousands of miles away, and retreating unscathed."

"In this process, even the slightest influence will be magnified infinitely. If any one person in a combat squad drops the ball, it is a blow to the entire team. So if there are conditions, it is better to see it at close range first and feel it. It's best to have a high-speed camera, see how the bullet enters the head, how it comes out, how the head blossoms, and watch it carefully frame by frame."

After a pause, Wang Yan thought of a TV series he had seen before and said with a smile, "In my opinion, the breakfast that day should be tofu pudding. And fry some fresh, bright red chili oil and drizzle it over the tofu pudding."

Wu Liu-yi on the side looked disgusted. "You two are a match for each other."

Immediately, he accelerated and ran out. Xu Sanduo didn't say a word and followed silently. The soldiers who were pricking up their ears to listen also accelerated silently and opened up a distance, leaving only Wang Yan and Yuan Lang running at the back of the team.

"No, who did he say was a match for each other?" Yuan Lang seemed not to have heard it.

"I'm not as perverted as you."

"Enough, don't talk about who's who." Yuan Lang didn't lose the argument either. "I racked my brain, and I didn't think that we had to drink tofu pudding in the morning, and drizzle it with red chili oil. If you want to talk about being perverted, it has to be you. I knew it, this is your stage. Look, you've been here for less than a day, and you've already entered the state and revealed your true colors."

"Finished, there's no love left; you didn't talk to me like that yesterday."

Yuan Lang laughed, "Now that you're in my hands, can I still treat you like an ancestor?"

Wang Yan fell two steps behind and kicked Yuan Lang's backpack, making Yuan Lang stagger forward. "I'm helping you run faster."

"Assaulting a superior officer, I can punish you."

"Then before you punish me, I'll stuff you into a flower pot first."

The two of them joked and played around at the back of the team, and of course, it wasn't all just joking around. Yuan Lang knew Wang Yan was capable, so he continued to discuss training and tactical matters with Wang Yan.

Wang Yan was truly professional; he put forward quite a few constructive opinions, all of which he had experimented with and were effective.

Still the same saying, the special warfare team had a different combat philosophy, and this philosophy needed elite soldiers to execute it. Training was for executing tactics, and tactics were for carrying out the philosophy.

On this point, Wang Yan grasped it very accurately.

However, he only offered suggestions; after all, he wasn't the main officer of the special warfare team, and he didn't need to worry about these things. He said what he knew, and for the rest, it was still those seven words.

Obey orders and listen to commands! ===== CHAPTER 1199 =====