Chapter 214: The Seventh Company Commander has withdrawn, in the literal, physical sense

Three 59-style tanks' tracks squeaked on the yellow earth, leaving deep and shallow track marks.

Several 63-style armored personnel carriers belched black smoke from their rears, trailing close behind.

The engines' huge noise disturbed the birds in the nearby woods, making them flap their wings and fly away.

By the roadside, Seventh Company Commander Gao Feng stood under a tree, shouting at the armored vehicles passing ahead, his voice hoarse.

"Keep up, keep up!"

"What's wrong with vehicle 012, won't it give fuel?"

"Vehicle 026, you're going so fast, sticking so close you'll die—if the vehicle ahead brakes suddenly, won't you crash into it?"

"Vehicle 043, stop, stop, all of you stop!"

Gao Feng's voice rang out loud as he rushed to the front of the armored personnel carrier marked 043 and slammed his hand on the hull, right where the vehicle commander's observation port is.

"Squad Leader Nine, what are your eyes for? You didn't see that huge rock on the ground and just drove right over it!"

"If that had been an anti-tank mine, you and your vehicle would both have been blown to pieces!"

"Sorry, Company Commander, I'll pay attention next time."

Squad Leader Nine climbed out from the machine-gun hatch on the roof, looking very apologetic.

He had felt the wheels jolt earlier, but he hadn't seen that large stone by the roadside.

Gao Feng snorted two puffs of hot air from his nose, wanting to flare up but too lazy to scold, waving his hand irritably.

"That's enough morning training—what the hell are we practicing? No progress at all!"

"All vehicles and personnel, rest in place for fifteen minutes, then head back!"

"If we can't figure out the tanks, we'll go back and do weighted runs—we'll also develop iron feet!"

As soon as the order to rest in place was given, the tanks all shut off their engines.

The rear door of the 043 armored personnel carrier flung open, and a soldier bolted out like a thunderclap.

He stumbled over to the weeds by the roadside and burst into violent retching.

"Ugh, ugh..."

Seeing this guy forcibly fertilizing the roadside weeds, Gao Feng's anger, which had just subsided, surged up again.

"How many times is this now? Get on the vehicle and you get dizzy, get off and you vomit!"

"I'll give you three more days; if you still can't adapt, get lost back to guard your training ground!"

Not far away, Ding Tengfei had his hands on his knees, bent over, his body shaking uncontrollably.

His nose ran and tears streamed, he had vomited up everything he'd eaten that morning and was about to bring up bile.

Still, he forced down the nausea and replied, "Yes, Company Commander..."

Ding Tengfei never expected that, after finally earning merit in the exercises and being transferred to the combat squad, he would end up this motion‑sick.

His motion sickness is congenital, especially on long‑distance buses with a gasoline smell—he feels nauseous the moment he gets on.

Those troop trucks with a canvas cover are a bit better, since three sides let the wind through and the smell isn't as thick; you can grit your teeth and tolerate them.

But these armored personnel carriers offer no comfort at all—just a sealed cabin reeking of oil and diesel, and Ding Tengfei really can't endure them.

He's been in the combat squad for a week, and whenever there's an outdoor vehicle‑training subject, he inevitably throws up.

Whether he drinks vinegar beforehand, holds a sour plum in his mouth, or chews hawthorn strips, nothing helps.

That morning, worried about motion sickness, he strictly controlled his diet, thinking he could last till the end—but the vehicle commander had earlier run over a large stone, the jolt threw him off completely.

"Calm down, calm down."

Guo Yongwen crawled out of a tank ahead.

He took off his special tank cap, pulled out a cigarette, handed one to Gao Feng, and lit it for him.

Gao Feng took a drag, his anger easing a bit: "Look at his cowardly act—an armored soldier who gets sick in vehicles, what the hell is he doing as an armored soldier?"

"I said from the start not to transfer him up here, yet you and the instructor insist on opposing me."

"Now we've got a drag on us here, holding back the whole squad and even the entire company's training pace!"

"Company Commander, it's not that bad, really not—I even threw up when I first got on the vehicle."

Guo Yongwen lit a cigarette for himself and, standing aside, urged:

"Motion sickness isn't a problem; there's definitely a way to adjust. Give him a little more time and he'll surely improve."

"Time? The army lacks nothing more than time—no one can stop and wait for him!"

Gao Feng said sternly: "Survival of the fittest—if you can adapt, stay; if you can't, get lost!"

Guo Yongwen was instantly silenced, feeling as if someone had inexplicably slapped him.

Gao Feng realized his words were too harsh, having hurt friendly troops, and his tone softened considerably.

"It's too hot, I spoke too sharply—but I wasn't talking about you, just him."

"We're from the same place, even fellow villagers—how can the gap be so huge?"

"Company Commander, you know about Lu Yang being promoted to platoon leader, right?"

Guo Yongwen asked cautiously, and Gao Feng's eyes widened.

"What? He became a platoon leader?"

"When did that happen? How come I didn't know?"

"He didn't—he only got the 'four‑have' outstanding soldier award, so how did he become a platoon leader?"

Guo Yongwen raised his hand and slapped his own mouth.

"Damn, I shouldn't have spoken nonsense—this is like bringing up the pot that won't boil."

Gao Feng's explosive temper is partly due to the heat, partly because he can't stand Ding Tengfei.

But the main reason is that Lu Yang was commended by the regiment and awarded the highest honor for conscripts.

And as Lu Yang's fellow villager, Ding Tengfei, even though he performed well in the exercises and saved several people,

But the exercise ended a week ago, and apart from receiving verbal commendation from the Regiment, there was nothing else.

Gao Feng finally lost his temper, sparred with himself, and let his anger spill onto the training.

Usually on weekends, the Seventh Company would relax for half a morning, but this time they were dragged out before dawn for field training, for that very reason.

But Guo Yongwen, careless, not only let the slip of his tongue, but also added salt to Gao Feng's wound.

"Why stay silent, playing dumb?"

"I asked you a question—how did he become a Platoon Leader?"

"Umm, I'll go check whether the tank has stalled…"

Guo Yongwen found an excuse, trying to slip away.

But Gao Feng grabbed his collar and yanked him back.

These past two days, he hadn't had much contact outside, so he didn't know Lu Yang's full situation.

If you don't ask or listen, you won't think; now that it's been brought up, he must figure out what's going on.

"How did he become a Platoon Leader? You must explain it clearly to me!"

Seeing he couldn't dodge it, Guo Yongwen could only recount the whole story he heard from others.

When Gao Feng learned that Lu Yang's reward was not only the Four‑Excellence Outstanding Soldier but also a promotion from private straight to a First‑Phase Non‑commissioned Officer, his expression turned very stiff.

Later, upon hearing that the former Platoon Leader Kang Changyi had been removed for a mistake and Lu Yang had taken over as Acting Platoon Leader of the First Platoon of the Sixth Company, the muscles in his cheek began to twitch.

Finally, learning that this week's Outstanding Company Moving Red Flag had already been pre‑reserved by the Sixth Company.

The Whole Company of the Sixth Company was not only awarded the Regiment Commendation, but its heroic deeds could also appear in the military newspaper.

Gao Feng's face finally couldn't hold, as if he had put on a mask of pain.

Even though there are no secrets within the unit, information still takes time to spread.

Thinking that, had they taken Lu Yang away back then, all those honors, commendations, and rewards would have belonged to the Seventh Company, and Gao Feng's heart went cold.

Rounded up, it felt like losing a hundred million—a truly heartbreaking loss.

Seeing the Company Commander in such distress, Guo Yongwen felt uneasy and wanted to say a few comforting words.

But his limited education left him only able to muster two characters after thinking for a while.

Condolences...

Forget it, better not say anything; a tongue‑tied person should keep quiet.

Those two words sounded too inauspicious, as if they were about to attend a grand banquet.

Gao Feng was utterly heart‑broken, didn't want to say another word, and crawled into a tank, refusing to come out.

"Company Commander, what's wrong?"

A Platoon Leader ran over to ask Guo Yongwen about the situation.

These past two days Gao Feng has truly been abnormal, getting angry often, like taking gunpowder.

The previous exercise ended in a draw, not a loss, and it's already been several days, so there's no need, right?

Guo Yongwen sighed, "The Company Commander has become autistic."

"Autistic?"

"Yeah, in the physical sense."

"Why?"

"Because he got married, and the groom isn't him."

"What the hell, the Company Commander got cheated on? Who the hell is so bold to love his sister‑in‑law, I'm driving a tank to bomb his mother!"

"Talking nonsense, even that turtle grandson wouldn't get it, let's prepare to go back."

…

The armored vehicles rumbled in formation back to the Seventh Company, drove into the large garage, preparing for routine maintenance cover.

Gao Feng sat inside the tank refusing to come out, as if throwing a tantrum.

The Instructor came over and said a couple of words, but it was of no use.

"What's up with him?"

"He's getting stuck on a point."

"Why?"

"I accidentally let slip that Lu Yang was promoted to Platoon Leader and that the Sixth Company received the Regiment Commendation."

"Why is your mouth as loose as a cotton‑crotch, so slack? I told you not to say anything, yet you know the Company Commander is thinking of that soldier, and you know the Company Commander sees Ding Tengfei and immediately thinks of Lu Yang!"

"I thought the Company Commander already knew, so… Instructor, what do we do now?"

"What can we do? We could still summon Lu Yang and have a chat with him!"

"Then I should call him?"

"......"

The Instructor was truly infuriated to death by Guo Yongwen's pig‑brain.

His finger, like a tiny electric drill, kept poking his head.

"You, you, how can your brain not know any flexibility at all?"

"With your level of enlightenment and attitude toward handling matters, you could be promoted from Non‑commissioned Officer to officer; the sun would have to rise in the west!"

"From now on, can you think before you speak? You fling out big truths, and that's like stabbing a knife into the Company Commander's lung tube!"

Guo Yongwen also hung his head, not expecting it to turn out like this.

Had he known it would be like this, he shouldn't have approved moving Ding Tengfei to the combat squad.

Out of sight, out of mind; he wouldn't be thinking of that outstanding, deadly Lu‑surname hometown comrade.

Suddenly, the duty officer ran over to report.

Instructor, Company Commander, Sixth Company Lu Yang is here to visit our commander, he's at the gate post, should we let him in?

The Instructor and Guo Yongwen were still discussing whether to let the person in.

Gao Feng, looking like a little mushroom, pried open the tank hatch cover and crawled out from inside: "Quick, go invite, quick, go invite!"