Chapter 151: The instructor isn't just getting promoted—he's actually going to sea!

My instructor, you said you'd leave, and just left!

You tell me, after you leave, how are we supposed to get by?

In the cafeteria, the soldiers of the Sixth Company, as if they'd had too much to drink, pulled Instructor Pan Yuan to express their longing and reluctance.

Everyone expresses their feelings differently; some hug me, some wail.

Others wail while speaking in a muddled mix of dialect, vaguely expressing their attachment and reluctance.

Putting it bluntly, it's a bit like a filial son crying at a funeral, giving Lu Yang goosebumps all over.

Although he knows this is a genuine outpouring of emotion and camaraderie.

But Lu Yang, experiencing a farewell for the first time, is somewhat unaccustomed to it.

He has actually only been in the military for five months at most, still less than half a year.

He's only been assigned to the Sixth Company for a little over a month, so he isn't particularly familiar with Instructor Pan Yuan.

This also makes Lu Yang feel like an outsider for the first time, as if he doesn't quite fit in at this farewell gathering.

Because Pan Yuan isn't leaving the military by transferring out; he's been promoted.

So, in his view, this is something worth being happy about and worth celebrating.

Fortunately, it's not just Lu Yang; a few others are also like him, 'carefree'.

These are basically the new recruits who just joined the Sixth Company, hardly interacting with the instructor day-to-day, so they're just stuffing themselves with food and drinks.

You know, at regular meals, everyone's fighting over the food.

Especially dishes like fried big shrimp and braised lamb; if your chopsticks are a bit slow, you only get the side dishes.

This time, the veteran soldiers went to find the instructor to toast with drinks, so these new recruits could finally let loose and eat to their heart's content.

"Assistant Squad Leader, eat shrimp, shrimp is delicious!"

Chen Panpan was eating, but didn't forget to put some vegetables into Lu Yang's bowl.

You can see his eyes are full of longing for food; he's a total glutton.

Although he ate an appetizing radish at the production base in the afternoon, Lu Yang actually isn't very hungry.

He wonders if acting this way is perhaps not quite right.

Should he perhaps bring a little emotion, go up and toast the instructor with a drink, then express his reluctance and best wishes?

Just as he hesitated, Squad Leader Zhou Kaidong of the Third Squad, Assistant Squad Leader Li Jiang of the Fifth Squad, and Cheng Jun came up together holding drinks.

All three had red rims around their eyes, they pulled the instructor aside and said a lot, bringing up many past events.

It's clear they're very reluctant; Lu Yang wonders if he would cry like that if Zhou Kaidong and Cheng Jun were discharged.

Perhaps, maybe, probably.

Cheng Jun is actually a bit better off, since he's already planned his future path, but if it were Zhou Kaidong...

Under the influence of the atmosphere, just imagining Zhou Kaidong taking off his uniform and leaving makes Lu Yang's heart feel somewhat hard to accept.

Seizing the moment, he proactively picked up his drink and went to the instructor, saying a few words, though mostly blessings.

Seeing Lu Yang's state, Pan Yuan still felt relieved inside.

Although Lu Yang has only been in the Sixth Company for a little over a month, and they haven't spent much time together, they aren't close.

But he was the first among the new recruits to step forward voluntarily; just that sense of propriety leaves nothing to fault.

"Thank you for your kind words; you should also keep working hard, keep pushing forward."

"Being an assistant squad leader isn't really the true starting point; once you get into military school and rise from non-commissioned officer to officer, that's when your military career truly begins."

Lu Yang nodded firmly, but he still had a question he didn't understand.

"Instructor, I heard you were supposed to leave in a couple of days; why did you suddenly leave early?"

"Right?"

This question also curious to Cheng Jun, Zhou Kaidong, Li Jiang, and them.

Orders in the unit are always carried out exactly as scheduled; when they say a time, it's that time.

To suddenly move up the schedule, and so hastily, leaves people somewhat baffled.

Speaking of this, Pan Yuan actually feels some distress: 'The plan has changed, and the change is significant.'

"The original plan was to transfer me to the Third Battalion of the Iron Fist Regiment as a deputy instructor."

"I didn't expect that, in order to expand the Navy's combat system, the Iron Fist Regiment suddenly received an order to be collectively reorganized into the Navy System."

"In other words, I've taken a big step this time, going straight from the Army to the Navy."

Including Lu Yang, everyone's eyes nearly popped out.

No one expected that the instructor wouldn't just be promoted this time, but would literally go to sea!

Going from the Army to the Navy, this leap is truly astonishing!

Ma Qing'an looked at his old comrade, feeling nostalgic and sentimental, and comforted him: 'Facing the sea, spring warm and flowers blooming, being in the Navy isn't bad at all.'

"Revolutionary soldiers are like bricks; wherever needed, we move. The army must vigorously build maritime strength, enhance naval power—this is the future trend."

"Yes."

Pan Yuan lit a cigarette, gave a wry smile, and said: 'From now on, taking leave to go home will be much more convenient.'

Lu Yang wondered: 'Where is the instructor's hometown?'

Pan Yuan: 'Southern Fujian area, right by the sea, which also counts as going home.'

For the vast majority of people living inland, the blue sea is a thing of longing.

So, when they heard the instructor would be joining the Navy afterward, everyone still felt a bit envious.

Destroyers, cruisers, frigates... just thinking about those steel beasts of the sea feels mighty and imposing.

Mentioning the seaside always brings to mind endless seafood, coconuts, sunshine, sand, and sea breeze.

And all of this also gives people a feeling less like going to serve in the military and more like being on vacation.

After three rounds of wine and five dishes, Pan Yuan proactively picked up his drink and toasted everyone present.

He also wished the Sixth Company would keep improving and thriving; he wished the soldiers of the Sixth Company would have their hopes fulfilled and their military path smooth.

When the banquet ended, the fate, past, and all those memories between him and the Sixth Company were finally put to an end as he boarded that military jeep.

At the same time, carrying hopes for the future, he embarked on a brand‑new journey completely unlike the past.

……

Evening training proceeded as usual, but the Sixth Company's soldiers were noticeably low in morale.

Pan Yuan was a good instructor and also very easygoing.

He had given tremendous help to the growth of veteran soldiers like Zhou Kaidong, Li Jiang, and Cheng Jun.

He suddenly left; although it was a promotion, just thinking that they would never see him again…

Everyone's hearts remained hollow, and this state lasted a full two days.

……

"What are you saying? You went out the past two days and ran into Kong Long and his gang?"

On the clothes‑drying field, Lu Yang took the opportunity while hanging clothes to chat with Zhou Kaidong about what had happened the past two days.

Upon learning that Kong Long had become the deputy machine‑gunner of the Third Company and had slimmed down considerably, he couldn't stop smiling.

"He should be the one lugging the machine gun while running!"

"Such a big guy, not using him as a pack animal—what a waste!"

"If he were assigned to our company and placed under my command, I might be even harsher than his squad leader!"

Lu Yang also felt relieved that Kong Long hadn't been assigned to the Sixth Company; otherwise things would only have gotten worse.

Compared to running while carrying a motorcycle, the disassembled machine gun is surely much easier and lighter.

But Zhou Kaidong never expected that the kid surnamed Zhang in the Eighth Squad would actually become a military police officer.

Back then, he thought that kid had real talent and came from a military family.

But he never imagined the kid would go straight off the rails and become a hated white‑cap.

Zhou Kaidong needed to stay on his guard, especially when secretly ordering takeout later—he absolutely must not get caught.

And when Lu Yang brought up Ding Tengfei's recent situation, Zhou Kaidong's face visibly darkened.

"Ah... this soldier is basically useless."

"If I'd known it would turn out like this, we shouldn't have wasted so much effort and thought on the new‑recruit company back then."

"We might as well have let him be; looking back, it was truly stupid to hope that a puddle of mud could improve."

"Back then he made a mistake, and I kept shouldering the blame, getting chewed out by the high company commander; damn it, just thinking about it makes me want to slap myself twice."

The more Zhou Kaidong spoke, the more agitated he became—anger, frustration, but above all, the feeling of hating iron for not becoming steel.

He thought that with his intervention he could warm a heart and bring Ding Tengfei back from his wayward ways.

In the end it was all for nothing—like trying to fetch water with a bamboo basket; the mud remained the same mud, and even got worse.

Lu Yang didn't know what to say, because not everyone is cut out for military life or suited to stay in the unit.

Everyone looked down on Ding Tengfei, yet he was the most disappointing of all.

Ding Tengfei's current state wasn't caused by one person alone, but by a group collectively slacking off and lying flat, creating a false sense of ease.

Nor can we blame Guo Yongwen for saying the Seventh Company will always have only nine platoons, since they simply refuse to acknowledge or accept those ten‑platoon folks.

At that moment, a jeep drove in from outside into the Sixth Company, accompanied by an order for the whole company to assemble.

Lu Yang's ears flushed as he hurried over to assemble, learning from others that a new instructor had arrived.

The poor assistant instructor's last hope was utterly dashed—sure enough, the higher-ups were going to parachute in a new instructor.

And as the jeep door opened, seeing the person step out, Lu Yang stared wide‑eyed in disbelief…