Chapter 184: Who Says a Private Can

"Is it enough to eat? If not, come again."

"This time my hand won't shake at all; if it does, pretend I never said anything."

Squad Leader Hong slipped two more vegetables into his lunchbox, rubbing his apron and asking with a cheerful smile.

The few cooks beside him were also forcing smiles, trying hard not to laugh.

Kang Changyi's lungs were about to explode with anger; he knew these guys were deliberately trashing him because of the daytime drill incident.

But he felt it was a case of a scholar meeting a soldier—reason couldn't be explained; what could these cooks understand about tactics? He was even too lazy to waste words explaining.

So he simply served himself some fried rice, crouched to the side to eat, and refused to engage with them.

Just then, Lu Yang arrived with the not‑quite‑full Chen Panpan to add more rice.

Seeing Hong arrive, Squad Leader Hong instantly switched to a sincere smile as if performing a magic trick.

"Lu, Assistant Squad Leader, there's still lion's head in the pot, saved especially for you—how about two more?"

"You put in a lot of effort today; the Company Commander said anyone can go hungry, but you must eat until you're full!"

Lu Yang didn't hold back, because he had earned it with his own strength.

But he never had the habit of eating alone; instead he shared one with the still‑hungry Chen Panpan.

The remaining three were handed to the Second Platoon Leader, Cheng Jun, and Zhou Kaidong respectively; it was all about sincere reciprocity—who treats him well, he treats them well.

Squad Leader Hong thought to himself that Lu Yang was truly sensible, unlike some people who spent four years at the military academy, reading books into their nostrils.

"Here, I'll add some more for you; this radish‑with‑pork mixed rice is delicious!"

"Enough, enough, there's way too much meat, you can't even see the radish!"

"Hey, it's fine, some people love radish. Right, First Platoon Leader?"

Kang Changyi, who had been crouching angrily on the side, was suddenly tapped by Squad Leader Hong, and the rice in his mouth suddenly lost its flavor!

He glared at Hong, grabbed two radish pieces from his lunchbox, and tossed them into his mouth in a sour mood.

The spicy, tingling taste twisted his eyebrows into knots.

"Damn, this is ginger!"

"Hey, ginger's a good thing—eat radish in winter, ginger in summer!"

Zhou Kaidong walked up from the side with a grin, seized the chance to say something, successfully shooing the glass‑hearted Kang Da Niang away.

Lu Yang saw the First Platoon Leader, who had no popular support and kept hopping around the minefield, and truly didn't know what to say.

At that moment, he increasingly understood why others told him not to rush into the academy entrance exams, but to accumulate more unit experience and learn more military skills.

If one only has theoretical knowledge without practical foundation, one certainly can't stand firm in the troops.

Fortunately, Kang Da Niang isn't just thin‑skinned; most of the time his skin is actually quite thick.

If it were anyone else, they'd have filed a report and requested a transfer long ago; they couldn't stay that long.

Of course, it might also be that the Division Chief of Staff did it on purpose, forcing him to endure hardships here and taste the myriad flavors of the ranks.

After the meal, Lu Yang and Cheng Jun together followed the Company Commander and others to the battalion headquarters tent for a meeting.

Since it was field training, everything was kept simple; the so‑called battalion headquarters wasn't a grand office building, just an ordinary tent.

Like the rest tents where the rank‑and‑file rested, the interior wasn't equipped with folding beds but with a conference table assembled from several folding desks.

There were hardly any stools on site, so everyone voluntarily chose to stand and listen.

Exercises are a way for peaceful nations to simulate war.

Therefore, everything must lean toward realism as much as possible, naturally not being too comfortable.

Battalion Commander Xiao Yuan had a square‑jawed face, looking upright; his speech and actions embodied the standard military demeanor, exuding a brisk, decisive vigor.

"We won this battle, and we won it beautifully; the division chief is very satisfied with us."

"This is the result of coordinated effort by commanders at all levels; we should give ourselves a round of applause."

"Clap clap clap!"

Applause erupted quickly, then ended just as fast.

The exercise wasn't completely over; another tough battle awaited tomorrow.

Clapping for oneself is just a formality, a little boost of morale.

The Battalion Commander fixed his gaze on Lu Yang: "Additionally, we must commend one person—without his precise shooting, without his single shot that took out the enemy leader, this battle wouldn't have ended so early."

"Everyone, give comrade Lu Yang another round of applause, make it louder!"

This time the applause was noticeably stronger than before.

It wasn't because the Battalion Commander said so that everyone got so enthusiastic.

Because when it came down to individuals, Lu Yang's merits and contributions were indeed the most outstanding.

The commanders of the Fifth and Sixth Companies both envied that Ma Qing'an's company had a sharpshooter like Lu Yang.

Kang Changyi's slap was soft and fluffy, yet his heart still held a sour, tingling feeling.

In his mind, his contributions and merits on the training ground were no less than Lu Yang's.

Even on the decision‑making level, he felt he was on par or even superior; of course, that's just his unilateral opinion, and he hasn't found a second person to agree yet.

But he didn't expect the Battalion Commander's gaze to immediately fall on him, which thrilled Kang Changyi, making him think he would enjoy the same treatment the next second.

The Battalion Commander, with a fierce tone, scolded: "Next, I will name‑call criticize Sixth Company First Platoon Leader Kang Changyi!"

"During the exercise you were greedy for merit, recklessly rash, making decisions on your own without reporting or communicating!"

"Resulting in over a dozen soldiers who should have survived the exercise being caught in the enemy ambush!"

"These unnecessary sacrifices treat the lives of rank‑and‑file soldiers like child's play!"

"If tomorrow's clash with the Third Battalion sees similar incidents, you, Platoon Leader, might as well quit and be replaced by someone capable!"

Kang Changyi was struck like by lightning, his expression visibly panicked, even his speech stammered.

"Battalion Commander, I—no, Battalion Commander, please hear my explanation!"

"I wasn't being greedy or reckless; I just wanted to secure victory for the group as quickly as possible."

"At the time the situation was urgent; if I hadn't taken the lead in striking the enemy Headquarters, they might have let their Battalion Commander escape."

"Even though it did cause some casualties, the sacrifice of over a dozen of our First Platoon's men ultimately accelerated the march toward victory. It can be called merit, not excess!"

As a top graduate of the National University of Science and Technology, Kang Changyi was still extremely articulate.

This is also a common flaw among many newly graduated military academy officers, who believe that mastering theoretical knowledge alone enables them to command troops to victory.

But they fail to realize that on an actual battlefield, practical experience aligns far better with reality than theoretical knowledge.

Faced with Kang Changyi's sophistry, the Battalion Commander merely chuckled without rebuttal, pointed at the Sixth Company Instructor He Zhen Tao and asked.

"He Zhen Tao, I recall you also graduated from the National University of Science and Technology; you two are essentially alumni."

"As a senior and alumnus, please answer his question: do you think his actions constitute merit or excess?"

He Zhen Tao responded with a nod, but handed the opportunity to Lu Yang: "Battalion Commander, I think Lu Yang can answer this question."

Battalion Commander Xiao Yuan turned his gaze toward Lu Yang, saying with interest, "Lu Yang, if it were you facing the same situation, what would you do? Do you think the First Platoon Leader's explanation has any basis?"

Lu Yang was grateful that the Instructor could give him a chance to perform in such a setting, and his answer would certainly not disappoint the Instructor.

"If it were me, I would select the one or two best scouts in the team, use the left‑side thickets to bypass, quickly recon the enemy's deployment, and mark the suspected ambush positions."

"After obtaining the coordinates, report them to superiors, coordinate with the mortar Platoon for close support, and first conduct multiple rounds of artillery fire on the suspected ambush coordinates."

"Finally, split the team sequentially into squads of three, five, eight, and twelve; advance in a staggered formation, launching attacks at thirty‑meter intervals."

"If there are traps behind, aside from the three leading forward, the remaining forces can quickly retreat once they sense danger, preserving their lives."

"Moreover, during the final two assault groups, support troops on the left and right will link up, using grenades and light machine guns to suppress the enemy ambush, and a pincer attack to encircle and annihilate everyone near the enemy position."

The tent was deathly silent; every company and platoon leader, including Ma Qing'an, stared at Lu Yang with shocked eyes.

Even Battalion Commander Xiao Yuan widened his eyes, looking at the fair‑faced figure standing in the rear row, his expression filled with intense bewilderment.

Kang Changyi's palms sweated slightly, and he swallowed hard, clearly not expecting a private to grasp these concepts.

"Lu Yang, where did this guy learn those professional terms! He's just a private—how can he still arrange troops and command battles?"