Chapter 36: Get Out! I Don't Have Soldiers Like You

So, that means there's no evidence?

But we can't rule out that he is a suspect!

I'm just asking you, is there evidence? Don't bring up anything else!

Liu Cheng felt uneasy under those murderous eyes.

If there were any evidence, he wouldn't say "suspect" at all, but would directly, with a fierce tone, question Zhou Kaidong: How did you become Squad Leader, how do you lead the troops?

In the unit, everything must have a justification; as long as you have justification, even confronting the Platoon Leader is no problem.

But if there's no justification, it's just unreasonable troublemaking, a deliberate provocation.

Zhou Kaidong turned his head, Lu Yang hurriedly explained the situation, but he raised his hand to stop him.

Zhou Kaidong walked up to Ding Tengfei, looking straight into his eyes: "Ding Tengfei, I ask you, did you steal anything from the Cafeteria?"

Ding Tengfei shook his head: "No, I didn't steal."

Again, do you have it, or not?

No.

Speak louder, say it for them to hear!

No!!

Ding Tengfei mustered his courage and shouted those two words loudly.

Zhou Kaidong nodded with satisfaction, then coldly looked at the three cooks: "My soldier says he didn't steal your things; I trust him! Now I'm taking him away; if you have the guts, step forward and block me?"

At that moment, something deep inside Ding Tengfei seemed to be violently stirred.

But at the same time, Lu Yang saw a very complicated expression on his face.

Suddenly, Lu Yang's keen senses detected a hint of something off.

Ding Tengfei's stance was a bit odd, as if he deliberately hunched his body.

As Lu Yang lowered his gaze, he instantly understood everything, and when he looked back at Ding Tengfei, he saw a plea in his eyes.

Indeed, Ding Tengfei had stolen something, and had hidden it well, almost deceiving Lu Yang.

Lu Yang sighed inwardly, especially upon hearing Zhou Kaidong solemnly declare "I trust him."

That complex, contradictory, tangled feeling slowly swirled in his heart.

Both in feeling and reason, he could not expose Ding Tengfei face‑to‑face.

After all, in front of outsiders, one must retain a shred of dignity.

As long as Ding Tengfei didn't steal anything particularly valuable, no one would really pursue it.

Because earlier, during breakfast, he had also secretly taken steamed buns and eggs from the Cafeteria to satisfy his hunger, and he wasn't the only one doing so.

As long as nothing is wasted, as long as it's eaten, and as long as it's not excessive, even those who brazenly bring a sack to load up, the Cafeteria turns a blind eye.

Thus Ding Tengfei's issue, for now, could be big or small; if he only stole a couple of apples or oranges, the Squad Leader might not even bother to scold him later, perhaps thinking he took too little.

But just then, the Assistant Squad Leader of the Cook Squad, frantic, ran over from afar, still clutching an empty kimchi jar.

"It's gone, it's gone, everything's gone!"

"Our phones, MP4s, even cigarettes and change are all gone!"

"It was clearly there before, and in the blink of an eye it was stolen!"

At those words, the cook who had been somewhat subdued, ready to let Zhou Kaidong leave with his men, instantly erupted in fury.

That kimchi jar contained all their valuables, now completely vanished.

Combined with Ding Tengfei's earlier strange escape, everyone immediately turned their gaze back to him.

Liu Cheng, even more keenly, noticed Ding Tengfei's odd stance and, seizing the moment, reached for his waist, indeed grabbing a sharply edged hard object.

"Ah, hidden in the belly, no wonder nothing was found!"

"He even used a sleight of hand, truly skillful!"

Those words instantly slapped Zhou Kaidong, making him show doubt and shock.

Ding Tengfei was forcibly searched by several cooks, yet he kept shaking his head, repeatedly insisting he didn't steal anything.

But the next second, a black plastic bag slipped from his waist and fell to the ground.

The bag was heavy, seeming to contain a lot of stuff.

Lu Yang's heart missed a beat, as if the air had solidified.

He watched, eyes wide, as Zhou Kaidong bent, picked up the bag from the ground, and walked up to Ding Tengfei.

"What is this?"

Zhou Kaidong's eyes held disappointment, his face suppressing anger.

His disappointment was that he was foolish enough to believe that Ding Tengfei, that worthless scoundrel, could change for the better?

All Squad Leaders had urged him to give up, to focus his energy on Lu Yang and Kong Long, yet he stubbornly wanted to bring this scum out as a decent person.

In front of outsiders, he chose to trust Ding Tengfei, to gamble his own military honor and integrity, only to be blatantly set up.

Zhou Kaidong felt nauseous, wanted to vomit; he even thought Ding Tengfei should be tossed straight into a trash can rather than let him continue to cause trouble in the unit!

"Squad Leader..."

"Don't call me Squad Leader!"

Ding Tengfei panicked, but Zhou Kaidong's words cut his heart.

"Tell me, what is this?!"

"Did you take this from the Cafeteria?"

"I'm f***ing asking you a question, did you steal it from the Cafeteria! Are you deaf?"

Zhou Kaidong's fury made the veteran cooks dare not act rashly.

But Liu Cheng, quite displeased, muttered complaints softly to the companion beside him.

"See? I told you this kid's hands and feet aren't clean; I've been watching him all afternoon!"

"What did the Company Commander say about him before? A dog can't stop eating shit; this time he got both the crime and the reward, right?"

Lu Yang glared at the Senior Private, wishing he could shut his mouth.

Ding Tengfei stood ashamed in the corner, stared at by mocking and scrutinizing gazes.

After a fierce inner struggle, he finally clenched his fists and chose to admit his mistake.

"The stuff was stolen by me; each person bears responsibility for their actions. Squad Leader, I..."

"Fuck you!"

"I have no soldier like you!"

Zhou Kaidong erupted in fury and slammed the black plastic bag in his hand at Ding Tengfei.

The plastic bag was flimsy; it burst the instant it struck Ding Tengfei's chest, scattering white powder everywhere, resembling shrapnel from an explosion.

Two crumpled boxes of near‑expiry milk fell to the ground, coating most of Ding Tengfei's body in white, as if struck head‑on by an explosion's shockwave.

He stayed rooted, not moving or dodging, yet two streams of scorching tears kept pouring from his eyes.

In an instant, his proud yet fragile and sensitive ego was battered into a thousand holes.

Ding Tengfei cried; it was the first time Lu Yang had seen him cry.

He cried plaintively, like a child.

Lu Yang recognized the reddish‑brown powder as familiar, dipped his finger into the speck on his arm and popped it into his mouth.

It was salty and fragrant, with a grainy hint of roasted sesame and peanuts.

Is this... fried noodles?