Chapter 23: Mouthful of Rhymes—Are You Trying to Study?

"Are you trying to teach me how to do things?"

"I guess so; you helped me before, now I'm helping you, so it's repaying a favor."

"Heh, then go ahead and say it."

Ding Tengfei wore a cold smile; he didn't think Lu Yang could offer him any help.

Even though this guy hangs out with the veterans, so what?

Those fellows are capricious, turning hostile faster than turning a page; they might have bad luck someday.

Lu Yang: "Do you remember the Squad Leader once said you're just wearing a uniform, while I look more like a soldier?"

Ding Tengfei was indifferent: "So what?"

Lu Yang: "But before, when you pulled me out of the crowd and rushed into a fight without hesitation, I thought you looked more like a soldier than I did."

Ding Tengfei's eyes flickered, his mood a bit complex: "What exactly are you trying to say?"

Lu Yang said plainly: "Do you want to be treated specially by the veteran Squad Leaders, like I am?"

"Obvious!"

"Then listen to me; at least I can guarantee you won't step on any more landmines."

"What reason do I have to trust you?"

"Just because of this New Recruit Company, apart from me, an old hometown buddy, you can't find a second person willing to deal with you. You can't learn properly, you think badly but not thoroughly, being stuck in the middle must be uncomfortable, right?"

Ding Tengfei suddenly felt a pang in his heart.

【7】 Even though this guy gets beaten up every now and then and isolated—how could that feel good?

Getting scolded every now and then, how could the feeling of being isolated ever feel good?

Day after day he was almost suffocating with frustration; he didn't even have anyone to talk to or complain to, and he couldn't go online on his phone!

Lu Yang, with a cigarette between his lips and a blood‑stained paper wad in his nostril, looked as worldly as could be: "Kid, that outside nonsense doesn't work. The most important things in the army are obedience and strength. Do you have strength?"

"How come I don't?"

"Singing, dancing, rap, basketball— which can you do? You can't draw, you can't do chores, you can't do anything?"

Ding Tengfei thrust up a finger forcefully, mimicking Bruce Lee, and shook it: "I can fight!"

Lu Yang laughed: "Can you beat the Squad Leader, can you beat those veteran soldiers who are like wolves and tigers?"

Ding Tengfei: "......"

Lu Yang: "Your so‑called fighting is just a mob bullying a weaker person—intimidation, threat. Win and you end up at the police station; lose and you end up in the hospital."

"Drinking is all brotherhood, testimonies are all brother names. Being a thug feels cool, bullying honest folks is fun—don't you think that's childish?"

Ding Tengfei's eyelids twitched, his mouth spouting a rhyme: "You're trying to take an exam!"

But for these words, he couldn't help but fall into thought.

Because there was indeed some truth to it.

Lu Yang, knowing that blunt truth hurts the most, sharply pierced his sore spot.

"In the troops there are martial contests and fighting tournaments; win and you become a hero and earn honor."

"Do you want to, after the next deployment, go to a production base shoveling pig manure every day, waste two years and scram, or return home with a chest of medals?"

"Then shock your parents and relatives; make those teachers, classmates, friends who once looked down on you drop their jaws and look at you with new respect?"

"Have you read the online novel series 'Soldier King Returns'? A generation Soldier King returns to the city, finds his white moonlight sold to a brothel, and in fury summons thousands of troops… Does that kind of plot not excite you?"

"Hey hey hey, is it really that exaggerated?"

Ding Tengfei felt this guy getting more and more absurd, even pulling out the whole 'Soldier King Returns' thing!

But Lu Yang said seriously: "The future holds infinite possibilities; two years as a Conscript is neither long nor short."

"As a fellow hometown guy, I've said everything I need; being a bear or a hero is entirely up to you."

"Will you write a legendary chapter of 'Soldier King Returns', or will you spend every day being tormented by Squad Leaders and Company Commanders, and after the next deployment become a pig‑raising soldier writing 'Post‑natal Care Notes for Sows'? The choice is yours."

Having said that, Lu Yang stubbed out his cigarette and turned away.

He left Ding Tengfei standing dumbfounded, the tick‑tock of water dripping from the faucet rattling his mind, leaving him flustered and at a loss.

Lu Yang had just entered the door when Zhou Kaidong's nose caught the smell of smoke.

He knew that Lu Yang had smoked, which meant he had already talked with Ding Tengfei.

Sure enough, after a while, Ding Tengfei shouted a report and returned to the barracks.

But surprisingly, the kid had no smell of smoke on him; it seemed he was scared off and dared not smoke any more......

At this moment, Lu Yang gave Zhou Kaidong a discreet glance, indicating that his part was roughly done and now it was Zhou's turn.

Zhou Kaidong understood and immediately selected two people, ordering them to recite the entire 'Military Personnel Confidentiality Code'.

Predictably, those two recited haltingly, either missing characters or omitting sections, which made Zhou Kaidong very dissatisfied.

"Ding Tengfei, recite the entire 'Military Personnel Confidentiality Code'!"

"Yes! Secrets that shouldn't be spoken aren't spoken, secrets that shouldn't be known aren't asked, secrets that shouldn't be seen aren't seen......"

"Stop, what's Article Seven? Recite!"

"No private recording, copying, photographing, excerpting, or collecting secrets!"

"Very good!"

Zhou Kaidong gave Ding Tengfei appropriate praise, telling others to learn from him.

This was also, since he enlisted, after being beaten so many times, his first time receiving praise.

Honestly, the feeling was quite strange, even a little enjoyable.

Especially seeing Kong Long and the others all being forced to copy as punishment made his mood even better.

But this also aroused others' discontent; everyone knew Ding Tengfei had previously been punished to copy the 'Military Personnel Confidentiality Code' hundreds of times.

If he still can't recite it, they could just smash a block of tofu on his head.

Zhou Kaidong naturally knew what everyone was thinking, so he deliberately said:

"Read a book a hundred times, its meaning will reveal itself!"

"If you can't recite it, it's because you haven't put in the effort!"

Compared with Ding Tengfei's little swagger, the others seemed even more suppressed.

Back in school, the thing I hated most was the phrase "recite the whole text," and I never expected to be unable to escape it after joining the troops.

"Al…!"

While the Squad Leader was away for a bathroom break, Kong Long, lying on the bedside, sighed: "I joined the army because I was scared of studying and of school, so why now in the troops am I faced with critiques and recitations, and even have to take an exam after a political education class?"

Kong Long's words instantly drew many voices of agreement; everyone complained that had they known they would have to study culture while serving, they wouldn't have become soldiers!

Perhaps because he could relate, Ding Tengfei felt a bit melancholy as well.

He not only feared studying, but also dreaded hardship, and being forced by his family to enlist made him instinctively resistant to this place.

Even though he had been enlisted for over a dozen days, he still couldn't find any trace of belonging; instead, he felt increasingly alien.

Although life on the outside seemed glamorous, Lu Yang's earlier two sentences truly broke his defenses.

"Win the police station, lose and end up in the hospital!"

"Drinking is all brotherhood, testimonies are all brother's names!"

These two lines succinctly summed up the conduct of a member of society.

Things even more chaotic, more outrageous, more worldview‑shattering are commonplace in this group.

Humans are social animals; if Ding Tengfei were still mixing with civilians outside, he would certainly sneer at Lu Yang's words.

But when he jumps from one environment to a completely unfamiliar one, and repeatedly hits walls, bloodied and bruised, he begins to reflect.

At this point, Lu Yang interjected: "I'll say something you don't like to hear—actually, we're all a batch of people who have been eliminated."

Kong Long didn't understand: "What does that mean?"

"What do you think the purpose of the college entrance exam is?"

"To get into university?"

"No, it's selection and elimination."

Lu Yang's viewpoint quickly drew everyone's attention.

Even Zhou Kaidong, who had just returned from the bathroom to the doorway, couldn't help but pause.

He didn't push the door open, which would have interrupted the private discussion; he also wanted to hear what Lu Yang meant by "elimination and selection."

At that moment, Instructor He Zhen Tao came up the stairs; originally he intended to check on Fourth Class and soothe the new recruits' morale, but unexpectedly ran into Zhou Kaidong leaning against the wall.

He whispered as he approached, patting Zhou Kaidong's back: "What are you doing, skulking?"

Zhou Kaidong turned and made a shushing gesture, indicating he was listening himself.

Thus, two more big geckos were perched against the wall outside the door.

"Even if you're right, learning can't represent a person's entirety."

"My dad didn't even finish middle school, yet he still runs a business like a Land Rover owner?"

Facing Ding Tengfei's rebuttal, Lu Yang didn't deny it; instead, he presented facts and reasoned.

"How many cases like your dad are there? That's survivor bias, an extremely rare exception."

"Take the troops as an example: our Company Commander, Instructor, Battalion Commander, teaching staff—all are top graduates from military academies, some even with graduate degrees."

"From this we can see that military service also requires education and professional knowledge. Of course, those who only want to coast for two years and then leave are another matter…"

The crowd debated, indirectly realizing that even after joining the troops, learning remains important.

It's the same principle as lacking a diploma and being unable to find a good job outside.

In the troops, failing exams or lacking cultural qualifications makes it hard to stay.

As for applying to a military academy, one must invest massive effort in review, almost equivalent to taking the college entrance exam again.

Kong Long, clutching his ears and scratching his face, exclaimed: "Whoa, that's that hard? Then I have no chance at the academy; I only scored a little over two hundred on the college entrance exam. I wasted a summer and have already forgotten everything."

Lu Yang: "Then earn merit. Two third‑class merits or one second‑class merit can secure a direct promotion to officer candidate."

"A military academy graduate becomes an officer; with troops under their command, like our Company Commander, they can deal with anyone they wish."

"When the time comes, all first‑phase sergeants and second‑phase sergeants will have to line up and salute."

Outside the door, Zhou Kaidong and He Zhen Tao forced back laughter, which made the newly arrived Gao Feng's face turn green with anger.

He had just arrived, hadn't figured out the situation, and got scolded by Lu Yang.

"You little brat, do you even speak for the Company Commander?"

"When did I ever become so overbearing, deciding to deal with anyone I want?"

At this moment, the new recruits in Third Squad all wore smiles; it was a beautiful vision.

Even Kong Long and Ding Tengfei let their imaginations run wild, dreaming of someday becoming officers.

Although they are just a bunch of raw recruits; although the dream is far off; but what if, what if it actually comes true?

If a person has no ideals, how is that any different from a salted fish?

. Ahem!

Zhou Kaidong coughed twice as a warning, then pushed the door and entered the barracks.

Everyone fell silent immediately, each attending to their own tasks, but clearly more disciplined than before they left.

He looked at Lu Yang, who was lying on the bedside pretending to sleep, and Zhou Kaidong felt a surge of sentiment, reminiscing how, when he first joined the army, the Squad Leader who led him had used those words to fool himself.

In a flash, ten years passed, and he still hasn't achieved that goal.

When he deceives others, his face doesn't blush and his heart doesn't race; this kid Lu Yang has the potential to be cultivated toward a Squad Leader.