Chapter 294: Little Friends Line Up, Hands Held High

"Come, come, come, don't rush, it's all here, it's all here!"

The Third Squad dormitory was packed with people.

Even the hallway at the entrance was surrounded and choked shut.

Everyone stared eagerly at the huge parcel on Lu Yang's bed.

It looked just like a Western Christmas, with children waiting for Santa to hand out gifts.

Lu Yang clapped his hands and shouted loudly, "Come, little friends, line up, now we'll start handing out food!"

He pulled the zipper, slipped his hand into the oversized travel pack, and queued up a Doraemon gadget‑pulling soundtrack for himself.

"Dun—dun—dun—dun~ Delicious peach crisp!"

"This is the Guangling Great Kirin Pavilion peach crisp, a court recipe, royally selected. Little friends who want it, raise your hands high?"

"I want, I want, I want, I want!"

The starving warriors instantly got excited, raising their hands sky‑high.

Lu Yang tossed the peach crisp forward, and Liu Ziqiang leapt to snatch it.

He grabbed it like a rebound, tucked it into his arms, and turned to run.

But after only a few steps, someone yanked it out, and in the blink of an eye a group wiped it out, leaving not a crumb.

"What the heck!"

"Where's my peach crisp?"

"You damn dogs, I grabbed it, didn't even get a bite, and you all split it!"

Sun Chen chuckled mischievously, "That's what we call, quick hands get it, slow hands get nothing!"

Beside them, Chen Panpan pointed at his mouth, "Look, Squad Leader still has some crumbs on his lips!"

Liu Ziqiang licked his tongue, opened his mouth to bite, which scared Sun Chen into dashing out of the hallway and flipping down from the second floor.

If you're even a step slower, that first bite would be snatched by this damn thing!

"Hmph, you're fast enough!"

"There's more over there, more!"

"Next up, salt‑water goose!"

"The goose meat is tender and fragrant, with a unique flavor. It's not just a delicacy, it's a culture, reflecting the Guangling people's lifestyle and aesthetic taste…"

"I want, I want, I want, I want!"

Because it's meat, this round was even more intense than before.

The scene turned into a fish pond fed with bait; everyone became wildly restless, wishing their arms were two meters long.

Lu Yang chuckled and tossed the two vacuum‑sealed packs of salt‑water goose out at once.

Those who grabbed them immediately ran to an open area, tore open the packs and tore into them like hyenas on a kill.

It was fragrant, oil‑filled, even the bones were crushed as they sucked out the flavor.

"Next is the Gaoyou Lake Red‑Star salted duck egg; no need to explain further, those in the know understand!"

Lu Yang pulled a handful of vacuum‑sealed salted duck eggs from the bag and, like throwing grenades, precisely lobbed them into different people's hands.

He aimed to let everyone taste his hometown's flavor, the locally distinctive, oil‑rich salted duck egg.

"Squad Leader, this is yours~"

Lu Yang, while no one was looking, slipped three into Zhou Kaidong's pocket.

Zhou Kaidong glanced down, grinned broadly, and quickly stuffed them into his pocket.

Back when the new recruits enlisted, in the Men Guan Zi, Lu Yang brought this and shared it with many.

Later he tried it himself; the taste was truly good. Although the Cook Squad later procured some for breakfast, they never matched the flavor Lu Yang brought.

The oily salted duck egg was noticeably more delicate and smooth, its flavor close to that of crab roe.

"Alright, alright, that's it, that's it, that's all!"

In no time at all, the specialties were completely divided.

I thought I'd brought a lot, but after dividing, there wasn't much.

Lu Yang had fulfilled his duty as a 'commuter student', but those guys eat voraciously and aren't picky at all.

He thought that even if he pulled out a handful of raw ginger and garlic, they'd chew them on the spot.

But whether they eat it isn't the point; the point is to spark the atmosphere.

During his home‑visit, Lu Yang and Acting Platoon Leader Kang Changyi talked on the phone and learned that everyone's training had been hard and spirits exhausted.

A little fun and laughter can relieve training stress and better prepare for the upcoming tasks.

After a short rest, the warriors were taken by the various Platoon Leaders back to the training field, while Lu Yang packed his own gear.

He made his bed, folded the tofu blanket, changed clothes and neatly stored the seldom‑worn regular uniform into his travel pack.

Personal items remain the same, needing centralized storage; it's a military rule that everyone must obey.

"Report, Company Commander, I'm here to cancel my leave!"

Lu Yang carried his things to the Company Commander's office and saluted.

Then he placed the green poplar spring tea and locust‑flower honey he'd brought on the table.

The tea, he and the Instructor each got a can; the honey was for Ma Qing'an's sister, more suitable for the female comrades.

Ma Qing'an looked at Lu Yang's thoroughness and felt pleased; yet for some reason, seeing his solemn demeanor made her inexplicably want to laugh.

He set the items aside, pointed at Lu Yang, "You kid really go wherever, causing trouble all the way, never giving anyone peace of mind."

"Giving you leave was meant for proper recovery, yet you add new injuries and cause more hassle than the old unit."

"You've got me not knowing whether I should cancel your leave or let you rest another two days."

"You say being a Platoon Leader is busier than me as a Company Commander, even busier than a Battalion Commander?"

Lu Yang awkwardly scratches his head: "I also didn't know I'd run into so many things, and strictly speaking, those were Ding Tengfei's problems, not mine. I was forced into the situation, but fortunately everything was resolved satisfactorily."

Ma Qing'an says in surprise: "The money that Ding Tengfei's father was swindled out of, hasn't it been recovered yet?"

"It's said there are already clues; while on the car, his parents sent a message..."

"As long as it can be recovered, that's good, and thanks to you going back with him; if he were alone, these matters would have been hard to resolve."

Regarding this, Lu Yang did not deny it.

Even though Ding Tengfei has made progress, his age and experience remain as they are.

Lu Yang, having lived two lifetimes, is quite a seasoned veteran; having seen much, he naturally knows more, understanding how to use leverage to maximize the impact of events.

A soldier's greatest backing is the troops; cases with troop involvement differ completely from those without.

Illegal fundraising and Ponzi schemes follow normal financial crime procedures; merely investigating and gathering evidence is a lengthy process.

Moreover, the suspects have fled abroad, making handling even more troublesome.

Even if local authorities are willing to intervene, they must submit multiple approvals, causing considerable delays.

But with troop involvement it's different; soldiers act swiftly, and once the crime and suspect list are confirmed, they proceed directly to arrests.

The saying that counter‑terrorism only needs a list has never been a joke; with troop involvement, all tedious procedures are omitted, and local networks collapse instantly.

Lu Yang did not reveal how big a mess he made outside, mainly fearing that Ma Qing'an would be unable to eat or sleep peacefully.

But he expressed Ding Tengfei's determination to take the entrance exam for the military academy and support his family.

Ma Qing'an sighed: "People only grow after enduring hardship and suffering."

"In the past, Ding Tengfei's family was affluent, never worrying about money, which fostered his spoiled and overbearing habits."

"Now, after experiencing great ups and downs, he realizes that money isn't necessarily better the more you have; spiritual wealth and a strong heart are more important."

"He now has a goal and motivation, so his future steps will be more solid and steady; perhaps someday he will truly surpass Guo Yongwen and become the pillar of the Seventh Company."

Lu Yang asked the Company Commander for his opinion, to see if we could give those study materials from our company to Ding Tengfei.

Those are the hard‑won solid content they painstakingly compiled, and the knowledge points are greatly helpful to soldiers preparing for the exam.

But the items belong to the battalion, and he can never act without requesting and reporting; he cannot decide privately.

Ma Qing'an smiled faintly: "We're brother units; we all improve together, and the troops' development will keep getting better. Later, have Kang Changyi print a copy for you and send it directly."

"By the way, here's this as well; later you can bring it along and deliver it."

"What?"

Ma Qing'an opened the drawer, took out two honor certificates from inside, and handed them over...