Chapter 25: You

Man, why is Third Squad acting like they've been given chicken blood, running so fast?

Don't let your eyes wander, stand ready!

In the other squads, some new recruits have no idea why.

But the Squad Leaders know what's happening.

They quickly warn the new recruits not to look around; the Tuan Bu leadership is watching nearby.

Now all the new recruits in each squad are unsettled, clearly they didn't expect a sudden inspection.

You should know, the previous surprise health inspection by the Company Commander was already enough to make everyone drink a pot.

Now the Regiment leadership is inspecting, and if you get caught on a tiny slip, wouldn't you be punished to death?

Now the Whole Company atmosphere becomes tense, everyone holding their hearts and hanging their nerves, fearing any mistake.

Dead leg, run fast!

On the track, Lu Yang runs with newborn vigor.

The others in Third Squad also run with all their strength.

I thought once on the track it would be fine, but didn't expect that the senior officer came prepared, even bringing a Stopwatch to time!

This covert surprise inspection feels far more oppressive than those that give advance notice.

It's like an intern teacher in class suddenly noticing a group of school leaders standing outside the window.

Not only is the teacher under pressure, the students are equally stressed; even the mischievous kids in the back row dare not act up.

Run, take bigger strides!

Those behind, speed up, don't drop the chain!

Zhou Kaidong on the side keeps urging, and the new recruits in the squad accelerate further.

The Regiment leadership's inspection isn't a joke; if the run is poor, not only Third Squad gets criticized, the Whole Company suffers too.

To set a good example, the only thing Zhou Kaidong can do is constantly urge the new recruits to run faster, trying to achieve a good result.

But just then, a new recruit, overly nervous and rushing too hard, actually choked halfway.

He puts his hand on his waist, his face showing pain, and his speed slows.

Seeing this, Zhou Kaidong's scalp went numb.

Sure enough, fear brings what it fears!

Dropping the chain now is just giving the Company Commander and Instructor a chance to rub it in!

He hurried across the field, running that way: "Someone, give me a hand!"

The nearest to that soldier is Ding Tengfei; after the Squad Leader's reminder, he quickly took notice.

He recalled that when he choked before, no one helped, and he ended up last in the whole platoon, becoming the class's laughingstock.

Now the tables have turned, and he can't help feeling a bit schadenfreude.

Ding Tengfei pretended not to hear, started accelerating to shake off the lagging dead weight behind, intending to win a good result on his own merit and make a splash before the Regiment leadership.

Lu Yang only knows how to draw, that's why he's close to the Instructor?

What you can do, I Ding Tengfei can do too!

If I could get a number on the Regiment leadership's board, that would be splendid; even the Company could stride across!

Thinking that, Ding Tengfei's blood boiled, determined to surpass Kong Long and the others, and take first place in the whole class!

Seeing this, Zhou Kaidong was so angry he wanted to curse his mother, but Lu Yang voluntarily slowed down and came to the choking recruit's side to help.

"How's it?"

"Running, I choked, my ribs here hurt a lot......"

"Can you still run?"

"Only, I can only walk, it's too painful."

Lu Yang didn't hesitate, immediately slung his arm over his own shoulder, supporting him to keep moving forward.

As a result, the two fell to the very back of the line.

They were even about to be overtaken by Kong Long by a whole lap.

"Can we make it?"

Kong Long came up from behind and asked concernedly.

Lu Yang, straining, waved his hand: "It's fine, you keep running."

Even so, his condition was still a bit strained.

This choking recruit's build is the second largest in the squad, after Kong Long.

Given Lu Yang's slender frame, forcing to carry such a bulky body forward was indeed beyond his strength.

And that's one reason why Ding Tengfei chose to ignore him, because most people truly couldn't lift him.

After a bout of inner conflict, Kong Long looked back at the approaching Ding Tengfei, gritted his teeth and stamped his foot, finally choosing to come over and lend a hand.

With Kong Long's help, Lu Yang's strained state immediately eased a lot; though his speed still couldn't rise, it was much faster than before.

Ding Tengfei glanced at the three ahead, hesitated briefly, but ultimately chose to ignore them.

He not only overtook them, but also successfully washed away the shame, becoming the class's first in the 3km run.

People kept arriving at the finish one after another, but the overall results were below usual, rather disappointing.

Zhou Kaidong sighed inwardly, but was helpless; he wouldn't criticize that choking recruit in front of the Tuan Bu leadership, would he?

Moreover, the sudden surprise inspection's psychological pressure, not to mention the rookie recruits, even a veteran like him can't help being a bit nervous.

"How's it, feeling better?"

Zhou Kaidong walked up to the choking recruit, asking with concern.

The soldier's face full of guilt: "Squad Leader, I, I embarrassed the squad."

Zhou Kaidong said lightly, "It's fine, just a routine physical; a slip in performance isn't a big deal, next time push harder."

"Mm."

Zhou Kaidong turned his head and coldly glanced at the overconfident Ding Tengfei.

That instantly doused his earlier joy as if cold water had been poured over him.

Zhou Kaidong disbanded the unit, announced a break, and then went to Da cesuo.

Ding Tengfei was baffled, "What's the deal? I got first place, brought honor to the squad, why does he look at me like that?"

"Is the Squad Leader's brain full of bubbles? Can't be bad, can't be good?"

Kong Long shrugged, "Mountain cannon!"

Lu Yang seemed somewhat helpless; he had overestimated Ding Tengfei's comprehension.

Originally, as long as he offered a hand, he could quickly close the gap with the whole class and reverse his poor image.

The opportunity was in front of him, yet he chose to ignore it and smugly ran toward the finish line.

Since day one of enlistment, the Squad Leader has emphasized two words: unity.

When one is honored, all are honored; when one is harmed, all are harmed, underscoring the importance of the collective.

Ding Tengfei's earlier actions clearly ran counter to Longguo soldiers' spirit of never abandoning nor giving up.

People may not learn from teaching, but a single incident can teach them.

As a fellow hometowner, Lu Yang can be said to have done his utmost; how much he can grasp depends on himself.

On the other side, Deputy Political Commissioner Tan Yuanzhou put away the Stopwatch and looked at Gao Feng meaningfully.

"Little Gao, do you guys do physical training regularly, run three kilometers in the morning?"

Gao Feng's face burned with pain, as if he'd been slapped hard.

He is the chief officer in charge of military affairs; any training mishap is his responsibility.

"Chief, I will definitely strengthen physical training from now on, three kilometers each morning, noon, and night!"

"Physical training alone isn't enough…"

Tan Yuanzhou's next words made He Zhen Tao wish he could slip through a crack.

"Ideological education is also a focus; can the TV here receive the news broadcast?"

"It can…"

"It depends, watch attentively."

"Yes…"

He Zhen Tao's expression looked like he'd eaten crap.

He hadn't expected a surprise inspection to expose so many issues.

It wasn't just Gao Feng's mistake; it also reflected the Instructor's incompetence.

Tan Yuanzhou's gaze returned to the training field: "Do you know why, even though the Division has a large new‑training base, our Regiment still stubbornly keeps a New Recruit Company to train on its own?"

"Isn't it to try our best to cultivate good seedlings and strengthen our Regiment's strength?"

"One of you is a brave and clever reconnaissance Company Commander, the other a veteran camp political officer; it's a strong partnership, yet the results are merely passable."

"Leading troops is a heavy and long‑term task; carelessness is unacceptable…"

The two felt ashamed and could only bow their heads to receive criticism.

Tan Yuanzhou said gravely, "I could choose not to report today's situation to the Regiment, but I don't want to see this again next time."

They hurriedly promised that there would be no next time.

Tan Yuanzhou asked, "Which squad was that leaky kid from before?"

Gao Feng answered sheepishly, "He's also from Third Squad."

Tan Yuanzhou paused, "The one who came first?"

"Mm…"

"This soldier's heart isn't clean. If he's transferred to the next company…"

"Yes!"

"Also…"

Tan Yuanzhou teased, "That rookie named Lu Yang isn't bad; we can keep a close eye on him, though his physical fitness needs improvement."

"Yes!!"

Gao Feng responded very loudly.

The Deputy Political Commissioner's words sent a signal.

This soldier may not necessarily go into a civilian post; his training is decent but still needs improvement.

Consequently, Gao Feng had no reservations and could even have Zhou Kaidong give him extra training alone.

Watching Tan Yuanzhou drive away, the Company Commander and the Instructor finally breathed a sigh of relief.

But then Gao Feng angrily shouted, "What a rat's droppings, ruining the whole pot of porridge!"

He Zhen Tao retorted, "You can't say that; I've been watching Ding Tengfei these past two days, he's much better than before, and his training is no longer sloppy."

"Turning from bad to good always takes time; we need patience…"

"I have zero patience!"

Gao Feng, hand on hip and pointing at the training field, "Self‑centered, only caring about oneself, no sense of the collective! Like useless mud that can't be fixed!"

"Look at his swagger after coming first, shaking his head; if the Deputy Political Commissioner weren't here, I'd really want to slap him two times!"

He Zhen Tao wanted to argue, but ultimately couldn't get a word out.

Because their functional duties differ, they view the problem from different angles.

Ding Tengfei, as a soldier, has a fundamentally serious issue; he comes from a home that couldn't discipline him, which is why he was sent to the unit.

Wanting to correct it isn't something that can be done in a short time; it must be slowly worked on, requiring patience.

But that's not the main issue; the point is that Gao Feng seems to have developed some disagreement with him regarding Lu Yang.

This made He Zhen Tao instinctively wary—could this guy be trying to steal people from him?

But Gao Feng flatly denied it, insisting he was overthinking and that he had no such intention.

"It's the Deputy Political Commissioner who thinks Lu Yang's performance is lacking and his fitness needs improvement, so I'm preparing to focus on him—where did you get that idea?"

"Really? You truly haven't had any thoughts about this soldier at all?"

"I'm really convinced!"

Gao Feng also put on an act: "I say, Old He, don't you scholars all have nothing better to do, liking to indulge in wild thoughts whether you have something to do or not?"

"If you have that mind, worry more about Ding Tengfei—see how to teach this kid to behave!"

"Otherwise, when the regiment sends more people next time and finds nothing changed, we'll see how you explain yourself."

He Zhen Tao also felt overwhelmed, really getting a headache.

It would be great if every new recruit were as self-conscious as Lu Yang.

Then this New Recruit Company would really be a handful to lead...