Chapter 211: A Simple Bowl of Topped Rice Uncovers a Man's Romance

Simple and straightforward, let's hold a morning meeting.

Weekend, in the Sixth Company headquarters office.

The squad and platoon leaders sat neatly in a circle.

Holding a neutral pen in hand, with a Work Log placed before them.

Ma Qing'an's gaze swept quickly over all the squad and platoon leaders, and he said in an even tone.

"First, as always, the usual training issues."

"At the last evening roll call we already emphasized refocusing, yet a few individual comrades remain lax and haven't gotten into the right mindset."

"A full week has passed since the exercise ended; the battle is over, the rest is over. Everyone should immediately adjust their state, to improve for the next phase of training and to prepare for next year's post‑year‑end regiment‑scale exercise."

"Including personal hygiene, standards must be strict; here I call out the Second Squad and the Eighth Squad—your blankets are piled like a dog‑chewed mess, and the foot odor in the barracks is eye‑burning!"

Swish swish swish, the pen tip glides over the paper, everyone extracts the key points and records them.

The Second Squad Leader and the Eighth Squad Leader, having been named, showed slightly awkward expressions.

A few perennial smelly‑foot soldiers in the class have no remedy; they must go back to the Cook Squad and soak the feet in some vinegar to see if it helps.

Ma Qing'an looked to his left at Lu Yang: "The second matter concerns personnel changes in the regiment; the former First Platoon Leader Kang Changyi has been dismissed by the Company Commander, and Lu Yang now serves as Acting Platoon Leader."

"Is everyone satisfied with his work performance over the past two days?"

"Satisfied, satisfied, quite satisfied!"

Everyone kept nodding, with no objections at all.

Even though Lu Yang has only been in the post for two days, his perfect fit to the new role leaves no room for criticism.

Especially regarding the adjustment of Kang Changyi's negative mindset and the correction of his bad habits, he is comparable to a living Bian Que.

A plain bowl of minced meat and shredded potato topped rice somehow revealed a man's romance; not only did it make Kang Da Niang weep, it finally made this stubborn duck admit his past mistakes and faults.

It should be noted that after the exercise, both the Company Commander and the Battalion Commander stepped in, yet they could not soften the kid; at most they offered criticism and admonition.

Kang Changyi also mainly harbors a grudging heart, but judging from his state these two days,

the seal is clearly loosening, moving toward a heart‑and‑mind acceptance.

This is something none of them anticipated, something they never dared to imagine before.

After all, Kang Da Niang may be demanding, but she is a proper officer with connections in the Division; who could have thought Lu Yang would make her submit so completely?

"Lu Yang."

"Present."

Ma Qing'an's gaze fell on Lu Yang's face; he immediately straightened his back and sat upright.

Ma Qing'an smiled and said: "Everyone highly praises your work performance and responsible attitude. Going forward, we hope you continue to excel and fulfill the duties of Acting Platoon Leader well."

"I will, Company Commander."

"Also, since you are now the First Platoon Leader, staying on site will make management more convenient."

"Then let's assign you to the Third Squad."

A Platoon Leader has no private quarters.

Given the personnel change, adjusting the barracks is reasonable.

Upon hearing that Lu Yang would move to the Third Squad, Zhou Kaidong was very pleased; conveniently, his upper bunk still had a vacant spot.

Ma Qing'an nodded: "Fine, then go to the Third Squad. Zhou Kaidong is your Squad Leader in the New Recruit Company; you two can cooperate in work."

He Zhen Tao took over: "Additionally, Kang Changyi also happens to be in the Third Squad; with you watching over him, you can better supervise his reform and progress. Since we're on Kang Changyi's topic, I'll say a few words."

"Although everyone has had some grievances and clashes with him before, as long as he spends a day in the Sixth Company, he is our comrade-in-arms."

"Therefore, I hope everyone can show some tolerance and goodwill toward Kang Changyi, giving him a chance to adjust and improve."

The Second Squad Leader spoke up: "Instructor, rest assured, as long as he doesn't cause trouble, stir up incidents, or pick fights, we will treat him equally and fairly."

The First Squad Leader also nodded: "We are all soldiers; we don't want daily conflicts with him. Harmony and unity is what we hope to see."

Zhou Kaidong also expressed: "For the past quarrels with him, I will find the right time to apologize to him in person and give him some care in daily life."

He Zhen Tao was very pleased: "Comrades understand and tolerate each other. They are all men; once the talk is open, any grudges can be resolved."

He turned his head to Lu Yang: "However, Lu Yang, as Acting Platoon Leader, you still need to put in extra effort, supervise more, give more guidance; strive to show us his progress and change in a short time."

"We don't demand him to become outstanding, but at least make him a qualified soldier, a soldier whose words and deeds match."

Lu Yang swish swish recorded in his notebook while nodding: "Understood, Instructor, I will pay special attention."

After discussing Kang Changyi, the conversation shifted back to Company Commander Ma Qing'an.

"Next, we will talk about next year's retention. Although there are still about half a year until year‑end, this work can already be started early."

"After the squad and platoon leaders return, they should find opportunities to ask the soldiers in their squads: who wishes to stay and become a sergeant, who wishes to discharge and return home; all must be tallied clearly."

"For those who want to leave, clarify the reasons—family factors, personal desire, or compulsion? After tallying, compile a written report and submit it; if any tricky issues arise, promptly consult the Instructor for communication and reporting."

"As for those who wish to stay and are at the cusp of the next sergeant level, list any advantages, rankings, medals, and prepare the retention application early; we will try our best to secure retention slots."

"The difficulty from Phase 1 to Phase 2 is small; for Phase 2 to Phase 3, the Instructor and I can speak up in the Regiment; as for Phase 3 to Phase 4..."

Everyone's gaze fell on Zhou Kaidong, and even Lu Yang directed his look toward him.

In the troops, Phase 3 to Phase 4 is a hurdle, with a very low success rate.

The more elite the unit, the greater the competition, and the scarcer the Phase 4 sergeant retention slots.

The Sixth Squad Leader Cheng Jun has been able to remain in Phase 4 not only because his work is diligent, but also because he holds the Division's five‑kilometre barefoot run record, which no one has broken.

Compared with him, Zhou Kaidong lags far behind in work ability and achievements.

Opportunities for grassroots units to earn merit are truly few, making the difficulty great.

Moreover, in the previous camp‑level large‑scale opposition exercise, he also had no particularly outstanding performance.

This leads to him having no advantage when competing with other Phase 3 sergeants in the Regiment for retention slots.

Of course, if Cheng Jun's achievements were given to Zhou Kaidong, his retention next year would be a sure thing.

Whether in the Regiment or the Division, they will dote on him to the extreme; moreover, he doesn't even need to file a report, the Phase‑four Non‑commissioned Officer shoulder boards will be delivered to his hands early.

Ma Qing'an said seriously, "Zhou Kaidong, you need to tighten up over the next half‑year. Whether training, assessments, commendations, or competitions, any performance must be showcased well; leave no opportunity unseized."

"Understood."

"Lu Yang, you also lend a hand, share some of his tasks, so Zhou Kaidong can focus solely on training."

"Yes."

"Zhou Kaidong, the advice from me and the Instructor is that you should try to break Cheng Jun's Division 5‑kilometer record; as long as you can beat his previous time, you're basically set."

Zhou Kaidong nodded guiltily, but they had little confidence inside.

Everyone has their own physical limit, and Cheng Jun's Division record has stood for many years, not easily broken.

Nevertheless, it is indeed a shortcut, and in the coming months they will go all‑out to sprint for that result.

After delivering all the items that needed to be reported, the morning meeting concluded.

The Company Commander announced dismissal; the others left in order with their Work Logs, while Lu Yang was left behind alone......