Chapter 202: Slap in the Face with a Big Move: Discussing Merit and Reward

Yang Yong firmly kept Lu Yang in mind.

Just consider it as a temporary stay in the Special Third Regiment Sixth Company.

He believed the soldiers he selected absolutely couldn't escape, a confidence that came solely from his own strength.

The best soldiers in the division would eventually enter the division's reconnaissance battalion; this is beyond doubt.

Because they have the most advanced weapons and equipment, the most complete training facilities, and the most comprehensive training grounds there.

These are things the Special Third Regiment Sixth Company can never satisfy, and they are one of the reasons why so many outstanding soldiers are eager to join, even if they have to go to great lengths.

"Right, didn't we say three people performed outstandingly? Lu Yang counts as one; let's see the other two."

"Don't rush, I'm looking through them right now."

Xiong Yao flipped through several pages, almost all of which were about Lu Yang's brave performance in battle.

If it weren't for knowing Wang Zhongxi's honest and sincere character, and knowing Lu Yang's conduct and ability.

He even suspected that this kid might be a relative of the regiment commander, otherwise why would he praise him so highly?

In the later sections, Xiong Yao finally found the second soldier who performed outstandingly.

He was also a private, named Ding Tengfei.

"When the headquarters came under grenade attack, he resolutely threw himself forward, sacrificing himself to protect everyone......"

"Selfless, brave, fearless—this young man has the blood of a soldier!"

Yang Yong gave a thumbs up, and his words were full of praise without reservation.

Xiong Yao: "This soldier, when he first enlisted, seemed to be a troublemaker, constantly making mistakes."

Yang Yong: "We judge the matter, not the person; the past is the past, the present is the present."

The report briefly mentioned Ding Tengfei's minor mistakes during his time in the New Recruit Company.

Including leaking secrets by taking photos, having a lax training attitude, stealing fried noodles from the cafeteria, and after being transferred down the line, being assigned to a marginalized unit.

But he not only did not become discouraged or give up; he actively sought change, even voluntarily requesting to join frontline combat.

In the end, during the exercise, he sacrificed himself to protect the lives of others inside the headquarters.

Just for the spirit of self-sacrifice in the face of danger, he deserves praise and affirmation.

"I think we should give him an award."

"I think so too."

"This soldier deserves more attention; he should turn out to be a fine prospect. Moreover, he seems to be from the same hometown as Lu Yang—both are from Guangling."

"No wonder—people from that generation in Jiangnan have always been talented and the land auspicious."

Xiong Yao continued flipping through, wanting to see Kang Changyi's personal performance.

But as he was about to finish flipping, he didn't see any mention of his good-for-nothing nephew.

This made Xiong Yao doubtful: was it the Director of Training Section who lied, or did Wang Zhongxi accidentally omit it when writing the report?

"Oh, I found it, right here!"

Yang Yong pointed to the small section on the back of the last page.

Xiong Yao immediately looked over, and the corners of his eyes began to twitch.

Even Yang Yong's expression became extremely strange, as if he had seen something dirty.

"Reckless and eager for merit, repeatedly uncorrected, in order to seize credit he led his troops charging into the encirclement, causing the needless sacrifice of sixteen soldiers in one platoon."

"While defending the position, he had no vigilance whatsoever, allowing enemy scouts to sneak in and wreak havoc, resulting in the loss of one instructor and several rank-and-file soldiers."

"Stubbornly clinging to his own views, refusing advice, he insisted on holding the position despite weak forces and lack of heavy weapons. Afterward, he quarreled with Lu Yang, was beaten up, and forcibly seized command."

"Upon this, the whole company clapped in delight; the whole battalion shouted approval......"

"What does 'slap in the face with a big move' mean?"

"This is what 'slap in the face with a big move' means!"

Wang Zhongxi's report not only adhered to seeking truth from facts, but also presented the important events that occurred on the exercise field exactly as they happened!

Good is good, bad is bad, and even any embellishment or vague content does not exist.

At this very moment, Xiong Yao's face looked worse than after eating a pound of feces.

Especially that last sentence: "The whole company clapped in delight; the whole battalion shouted......"

It almost pierced his lungs, pressing his face into the ground and rubbing it hard!

Yang Yong silently returned to his seat, awkwardly picking up the water cup on the table and taking a small sip.

In the process, he also sneakily glanced at the chief of staff, his embarrassed toes almost wearing holes in his shoes.

It reminded him not only of A Du's song: "I should be under the car, not inside the car...."

Actually, upon further thought, what the Director of Training Section said wasn't bad; this platoon leader Kang's performance in the exercise was indeed "outstanding!"

Even, in a certain sense, his performance outshone that of Lu Yang and Ding Tengfei by countless times—except that it was entirely negative, with nothing positive.

After a long while, Xiong Yao closed the report and let out a deep sigh: "All those years at military academy, and he's learned nothing but dog's stomach! I thought he could achieve something, but it's all just a pile of dog shit!"

Yang Yong gave a wry smile to comfort him: "You can't say that; if he hadn't relinquished command, Lu Yang wouldn't have been able to hold off the enemy that long, and there wouldn't have been the subsequent mutual destruction."

Xiong Yao glared: "Was that him voluntarily giving it up? Wasn't he forced to hand it over after being beaten to the ground?"

"Well..." Yang Yong shifted his tone and snorted coldly: "But this Lu Yang is also incredibly bold, daring to surpass his superiors, actually beating the platoon leader on the battlefield and forcibly seizing command after tying him up!"

"If he dares to hit the platoon leader today, tomorrow he'll dare to beat the company commander, and the day after that he'll dare to ride on the regiment commander's head and defecate and urinate!"

"I believe this matter must be handled seriously, to serve as a warning to others!"

"Then what do you say should be done?"

"By rights, his contribution should at least merit an award. Now that he's made a mistake, we could issue a certificate of merit, give a trophy, and award a few hundred yuan as punishment?"

"......"

"You call that punishment?"

This is still a reward!

Xiong Yao looked displeased, but he didn't mean to blame Lu Yang.

Even though Kang Changyi is his nephew, he should still be punished for his mistake.

Furthermore, every punch aimed at this kid was justified.

If Xiong Yao had been there, he probably wished he could have shot him dead on the spot.

Xiong Yao said coldly: "Incompetent command, causing the deaths of so many innocent soldiers — such a person is utterly unfit to be a commander!"

Yang Yong exclaimed: "You're preparing to uphold righteousness by killing kin?"

I plan to relieve him of his post and have him start from the ranks as an ordinary soldier. As for Lu Yang, his performance was outstanding; he certainly deserves a reward.

Having said that, Xiong Yao picked up the phone on the desk, dialed the number, and soon Wang Zhongxi's voice came from the other end.

Hello, who is this?

It's me, Xiong Yao.

Hello, Chief of Staff!

Your regiment's exercise summary report — I've read it; it's well written, quite competent, and the content is extremely rich.

Xiong Yao narrowed his eyes, his tone very impolite.

On the other end, Wang Zhongxi also looked guilty, and together with the regiment's political commissar Tan Yuanzhou in the office, they dared not even breathe.

Because this report was written jointly by them, it was blunt and outspoken, with sharp wording, completely lacking any worldly polish.

So, when submitting it, they considered that it might anger superiors, but they didn't expect the reprimand to come so quickly.

Wang Zhongxi feigned calmness, saying: "Chief of Staff, don't praise me; my abilities are limited, and my writing isn't thorough. Also, don't be angry — I've always been straightforward, never deceitful in my work."

Xiong Yao snorted: "I called not to criticize you, but to praise you. The Special Third Regiment's exercise was a great success; I intend to set your regiment as a learning benchmark for other regiments in the division."

Exercises should be fought like this — racking one's brains and giving one's all — not just going through the motions like when fulfilling a task.

Yes, yes, yes, that's what the Chief of Staff said.

Wang Zhongxi nodded repeatedly at the phone, also giving Tan Yuanzhou an OK sign.

Seeing that the superior had not blamed them, Tan Yuanzhou's worried heart eased a little.

Xiong Yao said coldly: "Impose a serious punishment on Kang Changyi, the platoon leader of the First Platoon, Sixth Company, Second Battalion, for his major mistake in the exercise, and remove him from his platoon leader post."

Reward outstanding individuals or groups, especially Lu Yang and Ding Tengfei — these two soldiers have true military spirit.

You can discuss the specific reward details yourselves in a meeting; just let me know the outcome.

Yes, Chief of Staff, I'll convene a meeting shortly!

After hanging up, Wang Zhongxi couldn't help but burst out laughing.

See? I told you the higher-ups aren't unreasonable!

From now on, exercise reports must be written like this — we must seek truth from facts!

Go notify the battalion commanders and instructors who participated in the exercise to come to the regimental headquarters for a meeting so we can discuss the rewards.

Meanwhile, in the division chief of staff's office, after hanging up, Xiong Yao also felt somewhat helpless.

Before, he had asked Lu Yang to help educate his disappointing nephew.

But he didn't expect that Lu Yang, in the exercise, would directly teach Kang Changyi how to behave using the simplest, most brutal method.

Forget it — no punishment, no talent.

Maybe a few more beatings would actually have a good effect!

He set the exercise report aside and continued to discuss work matters with Yang Yong.

How's the investigation into the previous leak incident going?

We've got some leads — national security has identified a batch of foreign spies, but that lot is crafty and hasn't shown up lately; still, they'll surely reveal their tails eventually.

These people must be caught as soon as possible. The division is preparing something; at the latest next year there will be a major move — if leaked, the consequences would be unimaginable!

Understood!