Chapter 269: Only kids make choices, I want it all!

"Ten kilometers, ah, I love you!"

"A day without running, I miss you to death!"

Red flags billow in the wind, fluttering and soaring.

Lu Yang hoists a flag marked with the Iron Foot Company emblem, and gallops ahead at the very front of the formation.

The others trail behind, running with great vigor, and their shouts echo thunderously.

Even from a distance, one can sense this unit's full momentum.

"Which company is this, and why haven't we seen it before?"

"It's the Special Third Regiment's Motorized Sixth Company; their company's nickname is Iron Foot, and you didn't know that?"

"How did the Special Third Regiment end up here, is this company famous?"

"It's more than just famous; didn't you see yesterday's news or the military bulletin? They're now an outstanding advanced model company, the kind praised by the entire Division!"

"Whoa, that's so awesome?"

"It's more than awesome, did you see the one carrying the flag up front?"

"Saw it, a Lieutenant Platoon Leader, what's up?"

"His surname is Lu, I forgot his given name, he's a same‑year Conscript with us."

"What, same‑year Conscript, are you pulling an international joke on me???"

The Senior Private glances at the two bars on his shoulder, rubs his eyes vigorously, and then looks again at the one stripe and two stars on Lu Yang's shoulder in the distance.

"Did I hear wrong, or is it my eyes playing tricks? How could someone enlisted for a year be an officer?"

"You're not seeing things, nor did you mishear; he indeed is a Conscript of the same year as us. A few days ago he earned a second‑class merit and was exceptionally promoted by the Division to an officer. Supposedly, he's the first grassroots soldier in our Division in recent years to be promoted exceptionally."

Listening to the surrounding discussion, the Sixth Company soldiers find it hard to suppress smiles.

From the moment they carried the flag away from the Sixth Company, wherever they ran, the chatter trailed them.

Lu Yang also relishes this feeling of being recognized, as if he were a star within the unit.

Even the others are so immersed in the praise from unfamiliar comrades that they can't pull themselves away, and their running is more vigorous than before.

They said ten kilometers, but actually ran about thirteen or fourteen kilometers, and not a single person felt tired.

Lu Yang shouted: "Tired or not?"

"Not tired!"

"Not tired, then let's run two more laps!"

"Alright!"

Lu Yang turned his head at the front, hoisting the big flag and leading everyone around a bend.

Earlier, they deliberately ran to the nearby 441 Regiment to show off.

Next, they must let the brother units in their Division properly witness the Sixth Company's grandeur.

The first stop is the Third Company, where Wan Baoshan, Kong Long and others are doing outdoor physical training outside; from afar they see this vigorous, high‑spirited unit running toward them.

Everyone carries a pack and a rifle, yet all are full of spirit, hopping as they run.

"Hey, what a coincidence?"

Lu Yang proactively greets the two.

Wan Baoshan is well‑informed and knew about Lu Yang's promotion early.

Kong Long had also heard, but when he truly saw Lu Yang's rank insignia on his shoulder, his eyes still flashed with brilliance.

"Whoa, Brother Yang you're too fierce, it's only been a year!"

"Don't be discouraged, you can too, go for it, you protein‑powder‑loving kid!"

Lu Yang becomes an encouraging mentor, cheering Kong Long.

He then smiles at Wan Baoshan, lifts his mouth, and leads the unit to speed away.

Watching the departing unit, the Third Company soldiers, who were once full of training enthusiasm, suddenly deflated like a punctured ball.

Wan Baoshan sighs: "We're all in the same Division, we were once a training unit, why is the gap so huge? Kong Long, don't you think?"

Kong Long looks blankly toward Lu Yang's direction: "When will I also be exceptionally promoted so I can become an officer?"

Wan Baoshan rolls his eyes: "First think about finishing your Conscript service, then worry about getting a Non‑commissioned Officer rank. Only if we stay can we expand the protein‑powder business, extending it to other regiments!"

"But that thing doesn't make much money."

"Connections, connections, do you get it? For us little Karami, the thing we need most to climb up is connections!"

"Oh, you're a little Karami, I'm not; I'm a big Karami."

"...... You're a big idiot!"

Leaving the Third Company, Lu Yang also made a loop around the camps of several other companies.

At each company, he always garners a gaze full of envy.

At this moment, on an open area near the Seventh Company camp, Guo Yongwen is leading his troops, operating an armored personnel carrier for training.

Seeing Lu Yang and the others run by, his eyes show admiration, envy, and a sigh.

After mixing around for so many years, he finally managed to become an Acting Platoon Leader, still holding a Non‑commissioned Officer rank, while Lu Yang is already a bona fide Lieutenant Platoon Leader.

Besides, he also saw Zhou Kaidong's fourth‑class Non‑commissioned Officer insignia on his shoulder.

After many twists, being able to stay in the unit smoothly is considered a successful landing.

"Ding Tengfei, look who's here?" Guo Yongwen stands at the machine‑gun port, patting the top of the infantry fighting vehicle.

"Your hometown's all flaunting themselves now, everyone got promoted to officers, and you're still a lieutenant!"

"Where are you, why are you still shy, hiding in the vehicle and not daring to come out, what's the big deal?"

"Hey, what's up with you, kid, why aren't you speaking? Don't scare me, why are you crying, what's wrong?"

On the way back, Lu Yang, following the Company Commander's orders, made a special trip to the New Recruit Company.

He carried the Sixth Company's flag back and forth outside the barracks several times, afraid the new recruits inside wouldn't see it.

As expected, upon immediately spotting Lu Yang and the others, Cheng Jun, this lackey, pointed outside in surprise and told everyone to look that way.

"Wow, what unit is that? Looks so imposing!"

"That's the Mechanized Infantry Sixth Company, the toughest company in our regiment; only the finest new recruits get assigned there!"

"Is that the guy who came here earlier on a red heavy motorcycle? That motorbike is so damn cool!"

"I just saw in the military newspaper this morning that it's the division's outstanding advanced model company; I never expected to see it with my own eyes so soon!"

Watching the new recruits openly and eagerly discussing the Sixth Company, Gao Feng, who had been busy for a long time, felt his eyes almost bursting with fire.

He turned and glared fiercely at the instructor: "Tell me, was it you who did this?"

He Zhen Tao flatly denied: "No."

"It must have been arranged by you!"

"It definitely has nothing to do with me; maybe Old Ma arranged it—yeah, it must have been your brother-in-law who arranged it!"

"Even if you gained fame and profit, it's bad enough—but you're still hung up on the New Recruit Company's trivial gains; you're going too far!"

"Hehe, this is striking while the iron's hot to boost fame; only kids make choices, adults naturally want it all!"

"You bastard, you still say it's nothing to do with you—don't run, stand still!"

"Report, Company Commander, we're back!"

Returning to the Sixth Company, Lu Yang put the company flag back in place, washed his face quickly, then went to find Ma Qing'an to report in.

Seeing Lu Yang rush in out of breath, Ma Qing'an quickly picked up the jasmine tea he had prepared earlier.

"Come on, have a couple of sips to wet your throat."

Lu Yang wasn't polite either, picking it up and gulping it down.

After finishing the whole cup of tea, he then comfortably wiped his mouth.

Ma Qing'an hurriedly asked: "How was it? How far did you run? Did you go to the New Recruit Company? What was the effect?"

Lu Yang said with a grin: "We had planned to run ten kilometers, but everyone's enthusiasm surged and we couldn't stop them, so we ended up running another ten kilometers. We first went to several companies of the 441 Regiment, then backtracked past the Third Company, Second Company, First Company... Seventh Company, and finally the New Recruit Company."

"The response wasn't just good—later Cheng Jun called me and said many new recruits ran to him to ask about our company."

"They said these were the best seedlings of this batch, originally wanting to be armored reconnaissance soldiers, but now they're all wavering."

"Especially when you rode that Ducati to the New Recruit Company that day—it was practically the best living advertisement!"

"Hahaha, hahahaha!"

Ma Qing'an's mouth was twisted from smiling; this was exactly the effect he wanted.

"This Ducati, although it cost him a lot of money, is absolutely worth every penny."

"That man doesn't like speed and passion, especially at that vigorous age; he has no resistance to things that let him show off."

Ma Qing'an placed both hands on Lu Yang's shoulders, his face full of excitement, and said: "It's set, it's set—this year's batch of new recruits is guaranteed to be top-notch; even when the neighboring Seventh Company was at its peak, it couldn't compare to our company now!"

"Plus, with your shining golden signboard, anyone who wants to do well in a grassroots unit must prioritize our company!"

"Lu Yang, you did a great job—you're practically the pride of our Sixth Company!"

Lu Yang scratched his head: "Company Commander, don't praise me—I've been praised so much these days my ears are growing calluses."

Ma Qing'an laughed heartily: "No praise, no praise—too much praise brings mental burden and pressure. Let's talk about something practical instead. I'm giving you a week off to go home and have a look."