Chapter 22: Envy? Want to Learn? I

"Moving Red Flag to~ Third Squad Leader and New Training First Platoon Leader Zhou Kaidong, receive the flag!"

In the corridor, Lu Yang has a paper wad stuffed in his nostrils, and there are a few brown spots on the collar and the front of his uniform.

He lifts the "Internal Affairs Hygiene" Moving Red Flag with both hands, marching in a square step, like an imperial envoy being pushed forward by crowds as he walks toward the squad.

Kong Long clutches his throat, like the Grand Administrator of the Imperial Household Department, and starts shouting before even returning to the barracks.

Then he gets a brain‑punch from Zhou Kaidong: "What the hell are you learning? Learning to be a eunuch, you'll die!"

Kong Long covers his head, and his teeth chatter: "Ouch, ouch, ouch, ouch!"

Play aside, chaos aside, Zhou Kaidong still cares a lot about this Moving Red Flag.

Even though Third Squad already has one, who would mind having more honor?

"We didn't lose, right?"

"How could we? We won!"

Although Lu Yang has a paper ball in his nostril and blood on his chin, he looks especially comical.

Yet he holds his head high, his expression unusually proud.

As if he had led the whole squad to accomplish an especially remarkable feat.

Zhou Kaidong smiles as he takes the Moving Red Flag from Lu Yang's hand and hangs it next to the earlier "Conduct Discipline" Moving Red Flag.

In that instant, both Moving Red Flags are now hanging in Third Squad.

The feeling is strange; people used to think that honor is something you can't see or touch.

But after they exhausted their old nasal strength and snatched the flag back from Fourth Class, they inexplicably felt refreshed, as if they'd just had a full‑body massage.

"Squad Leader, you don't know, Fourth Class Squad Leader is literally a rogue, blocking the doorway and not letting us in!"

"Clearly the Company Commander already gave the order, yet we still dragged you out, and they just wouldn't budge, so we had to force our way in!"

"The Assistant Squad Leader got a nosebleed from a single punch; those guys were downright abusive, so we damn well fought them…"

The victorious newcomers, one after another, boast exuberantly about how fierce the previous battle was and how brave they were.

Zhou Kaidong listens with a smile, knowing the flag‑retrieving process wouldn't be that smooth, because no one is willing to hand over the hard‑won honor.

Even though Fourth Class only managed to obtain it through a clever trick, that doesn't change the intrinsic value of honor.

From the creases on the Moving Red Flag and the missing yellow tassels, one can easily imagine how fierce the earlier struggle was.

Earlier, just hearing the floor vibrate below and the shouts from above, he wanted to go up to help several times, but was restrained each time.

Because this is the best opportunity to forge class cohesion and a sense of collective honor.

In the unit, healthy competition is encouraged, and baseless emotional conflicts are despised.

If a conflict arises over the contest for honor, the superiors will turn a blind eye.

Earlier, the Company Commander could have forced the Fourth Class Squad Leader to hand over the Moving Red Flag, give it to Zhou Kaidong, and then leave, thus avoiding conflict.

But he chose not to, and that is the Company Commander's way of leading troops.

Being a soldier requires blood‑spirit!

Even more, it needs the courage to charge head‑first for collective honor!

Perhaps, before experiencing this, the fresh recruits would treat the Moving Red Flag as something optional.

But after this incident, at least the Fourth and Third Squad recruits will deeply realize how much the word "honor" impacts soldiers and the collective.

"The battle" may be over, yet the Third Squad recruits still appear highly exhilarated, as if they have endless energy.

The vast majority of them have never fought before; although this is at most a minor scuffle, it can't be called a real conflict.

But the physical violence and Lu Yang's spurting nosebleed already enough to send everyone's adrenaline soaring, blood boiling.

In the earlier clash, Lu Yang was the most daring, his frame even thrust to the front, a true model of courage.

Next was Kong Long, a big‑bodied guy, the core force in storming the gate and seizing the flag, an unshakable cornerstone.

But the most outstanding, eye‑catching performer had to be Ding Tengfei.

If he hadn't rushed forward and kicked the two newcomers at the doorway, they couldn't have achieved the crucial breakthrough; they surged forward and successfully brought back the victory‑symbol flag.

"Huh, weird, where's Ding Tengfei?"

"We saw him earlier, why is he gone now?"

"The Assistant Squad Leader is missing too?"

Just as everyone was puzzled, Zhou Kaidong coughs, drawing their attention.

He announces that this week's lunch break will resume normally, and the morning will allow everyone an extra ten minutes of sleep.

"Yay!"

The Third Squad recruits are unusually excited.

The weather grows colder, making getting up especially hard.

Being able to linger in the blanket for an extra minute is happiness for them.

Moreover, this happiness was earned by their own hands; how could they not be glad?

Zhou Kaidong presses his hand down: "As long as the Moving Red Flag stays on our Third Squad for a day, during the new‑training period you'll keep enjoying this benefit."

"If you perform well, weekends can be relaxed appropriately, and we'll distribute electronic devices other than phones."

"If you miss home, use the Squad Leader's phone to call your family; I'll cover the phone bill."

The recruits become even more excited; they didn't expect that two tiny Moving Red Flags could be like a cheat code, bringing so many benefits.

No wonder the unit fights over this so fiercely; no wonder the Fourth Class Squad Leader and his squad's recruits would rather act like rogues than let go!

"Since everyone's this happy, I'll say something even happier!"

"Alright, alright, alright!"

"Randomly test recitation of the Regulations and the Military Confidentiality Code; those who can't recite lose their lunch break!"

"?????"

The new recruits were instantly doused with a bucket of ice water, and their smiles froze on their faces.

Damn, this unit's routine is way too deep!

They just announced a reward, and now they're canceling it—doesn't that mean they got nothing after all?

Zhou Kaidong gives them no chance to react and immediately starts roll call: "Kong Long, Article Two of the Regulations, recite!"

Kong Long trembles as if he stepped on an electric fence, his whole body shaking like a sieve, his mind blank: "Uh, uh, the second day is …"

Zhou Kaidong erupts: "How many damn days have you been reciting that? You still can't remember, got any brain? Crawl over there and copy it twenty times!"

Immediately after, he reaches out a claw toward the next trembling recruit.

In the water room, the tap is gushing loudly.

Ding Tengfei is hunched over the edge of the basin, rinsing his mouth over and over.

Each time he spits, the water is pink, with specks of blood in his saliva.

In the earlier clash, he charged the hardest and dried the fiercest, naturally drawing the greatest firepower.

Not only are his elbows and shoulders burning with pain, his tongue is bitten, and even a tooth is slightly loose.

"Thanks for that, just now."

Ding Tengfei turns his head, sees Lu Yang standing behind him, says nothing, and continues rinsing his mouth by himself.

Instead, Lu Yang walks over and asks with concern: "Are you okay? Want to go to the infirmary for a check?"

Ding Tengfei wipes his mouth, turns the faucet: "No need, not necessary."

Lu Yang pulls a cigarette from his pocket, only to find the pack has warped, and the few cigarettes inside are twisted into pretzels.

Nevertheless, he carefully selects one that's still readable and hands it over: "Want one?"

Ding Tengfei looks surprised: "You actually have cigarettes, and a damn whole pack?"

Lu Yang shrugs: "Is that so rare?"

"Where did you hide them?"

"In the cabinet."

"Impossible!"

Ding Tengfei doesn't believe it at all: "Company Commander and the others just did a surprise inspection; if you stashed them in the cabinet, how could they not have been caught?"

Seeing him not reach for it, Lu Yang simply puts it between his lips, lifts his hand to shield the wind, and lights it with a lighter.

He takes a long drag, draining the entire worth of the puff, then exhales the smoke.

The motion is as practiced as an old smoker, leaving Ding Tengfei, the energetic youngster, stunned repeatedly.

Lu Yang, holding the cigarette calmly, looks at Ding Tengfei: "Man, it's really hard to imagine things beyond our perception."

"This pack was given by the Squad Leader; I kept it in the cabinet, but during the surprise inspection I had nothing to do with it."

"Earlier the Instructor called me out alone just to return the cigarette and lighter, and told me not to do it again."

Seeing Ding Tengfei's ghost‑shocked expression, Lu Yang smiles: "Isn't it unbelievable?"

Yes!

Ding Tengfei's understanding has been shattered.

In his view, this is something fundamentally impossible.

Because originally he was disciplined by the Squad Leader for secretly smoking.

Later, when he made a mistake, no one protected him; instead he was locked in a confinement room for a full two days.

But why did the landmine he stepped on never explode when it hit Lu Yang?

Yet he still dares to brazenly carry the cigarette pack and smoke in the water room?

Lu Yang: "Actually, I also find it unbelievable, but that's the fact. The landmine you stepped on, when it reached me, turned into a dud."

Ding Tengfei: "Did you give them a favor? Or know some big figure in the unit?"

Lu Yang shakes his head: "I'm from an ordinary family, could that be possible?"

Ding Tengfei thinks Lu Yang is lying; his own experiences tell him so.

He must have done something behind the scenes, otherwise such a thing couldn't happen.

How long have we known each other? If there's no benefit, who would be willing to help you?

But the next second, his worldview is refreshed again as the Second Squad Leader happens to bring in two kettles of hot water.

Ding Tengfei originally thought Lu Yang's blatant smoking would immediately get him scolded.

Yet he didn't expect the Second Squad Leader's first reaction upon seeing Lu Yang smoke to be.

"The cigarette is twisted like this, and you're still smoking?"

"Come on, Second Squad Leader, I've got good cigarettes here, take mine."

"Lu Yang, you kid are really something—without the Squad Leader you still dare go to the th Class to stir trouble, even kicked the th Class Squad Leader. That's daring, I like it, hahaha!"

Watching the Second Squad Leader walk away laughing with the kettles, and the extra wisp of smoke in Lu Yang's hand, Ding Tengfei feels his entire worldview is about to shatter.

What is this? What the hell is this?

All the crimes I committed before were just for nothing?

How these damn dogs still play double standards, still look down on people?

"Envious? Want to learn?"

Lu Yang wiggles his fingers: "I'll teach you, guarantee your three months of basic training go smoothly and safely."