Chapter 390: Go buy melon seeds for Platoon Leader Lu!

Yang Yong pointed at the flag on the ground, like a volcanic eruption.

"Did you see it? Did everyone see it?"

"The flag's been pulled out by someone!"

"Battalion Commander..."

"What's with the 'big' and 'team leader'? The place's been smashed!"

Yang Yong yanked off his cap and threw it down like trash: "From today, the Zhencha Daitui has no flag! Losing face, and you still dare to call yourselves Soldier King, and even dare to call yourselves top students?"

"Only our Zhencha Daitui has ever gone to smash others' places; no one dares to smash ours!"

Everyone had a drooping face, looking at the Battalion Commander with low spirits.

Yang Yong shouted angrily: "What are you all staring at me for, huh? You still have the nerve to look at me—what are you looking at me for?"

"You're usually so talkative, so wild, so arrogant—why are you all wilted now?"

"Bear soldiers, lame soldiers, useless soldiers; just one Motorized Infantry unit could wipe us out!"

"If armored troops came, or missile units, they'd press our heads into the mud and ride us, shitting and pissing on us!"

"With this, we still go to the battlefield, go on missions, go out for ghosts—each of us just waiting to die!"

"Report!"

Supported by others, Lan Li, with a bruised nose and swollen face, suddenly shouted loudly.

Yang Yong glared at him: "If you've got a fart, just let it out!"

Lan Li made up his mind: "Battalion Commander, one day I'll surpass him and regain the face we lost!"

"Hehe, hahaha!" Yang Yong was amused, looking at his puffy, swollen face like a big tabby cat.

"Surpass him? What do you have to surpass others—your pen, or that poisonous little mouth of yours?"

"Dare to fight and you will win; know shame and then be brave."

Lan Li pushed away those supporting him, straightened his body, and shouted these eight words from his throat.

Zhang, Deputy Company Commander, Niu, Squad Leader, and the others all followed behind, shouting at the top of their lungs.

"Dare to fight and you will win; know shame and then be brave."

"Dare to fight and you will win; know shame and then be brave."

"Good!"

Yang Yong pointed at Lan Li: "I'm watching, I'm watching to see how you actually dare to fight and win, how you know shame and then be brave! If you can't do it, I'll make each of you roll this saying up and toss it into the latrine!"

"You worthless lot, your usual training's been all for nothing—I see you're just floating, just lacking practice!"

"Everyone, fall back to the barracks, grab your gear, and forced march thirty kilometers!"

"Yes!"

Everyone summoned their strength, holding back a burst of anger as they rushed to the barracks.

Not far away, Zheng Chengfeng didn't leave; instead, he held onto the railing and quietly watched all of this.

Beside him, Xiong Yao felt moved: "The fish in the pond live too comfortably, too steadily—they need some external stimulus; Lu Yang is that fierce big catfish."

Zheng Chengfeng turned to look at him, couldn't help smiling: "Old classmate, long time no see, your acting's improved; if your division commander knew you were teaming up with me to set this up, he'd probably be so angry he'd end up in the hospital."

"You can't say it like that—I'm doing it for the division's good; after this stimulation, the Zhencha Daitui will be more motivated and will learn what it means there's always someone better."

"That's true, you go ahead, I'm heading back to the guesthouse."

"Wait a moment."

Xiong Yao stopped him and asked: "What about that matter—how did you say it?"

Zheng Chengfeng played dumb: "What matter?"

"You said last time that your side might set up a new unit; if I went to the Navy, could I be promoted to Senior Colonel in the next five years?"

"Hahaha, I thought you were indifferent to fame and fortune, not caring about these things."

"Bullshit, who doesn't want to advance? Staying in the division this lifetime offers no chance—I have to find a way out for myself. Besides, my useless nephew also went over there; I need to keep an eye on him to stop him from causing trouble."

"Wait a bit longer, I need to go back and ask for instructions; there should be no problem, our side is short on personnel."

"Then that's good."

Xiong Yao felt a little relieved.

His personality is different from Wang Zhongxi's group.

In his forties, it's the age to make his mark; rather than staying in one place where you can see the end at a glance, he'd rather go see different scenery.

Although the Division Reconnaissance Battalion was crushed by Lu Yang single-handedly, one cannot deny that this unit's standing in the division remains unshakable.

But instead of just holding onto this place and living off past glories, Xiong Yao would rather put his mind to it, training a unit stronger and fiercer than the Zhencha Daitui.

"To strengthen the nation and the army, we need constant proactive effort, generation after generation putting in work—he's willing to burn himself out like a candle to ash, tears drying."

But his old classmate Zheng Chengfeng saw through his thoughts in an instant: "You just want to move up."

"Bullshit!"

"Stop pretending—you just want to be promoted to Senior Colonel, then become a general!"

"Who doesn't want that? You don't want it, or I don't?"

Xiong Yao spoke righteously: "A Chief of Staff who doesn't want to be a general isn't a good Chief of Staff! If a person has no dreams, what's the difference from a salted fish?"

Zheng Chengfeng laughed: "That's right—young people have young people's goals, we have our dreams; the old, middle-aged, and young generations each have their own goals and missions—why should the nation worry about not being prosperous?"

In the evening, the reconnaissance soldiers who had just finished the thirty‑kilometer forced march were practically exhausted to the point of being like dogs.

Their whole bodies were soaked with sweat, clothes sticking to them, miserable to the point of wanting to die.

One by one, they didn't even have time to eat before diving into the bathroom to wash up.

Lan Li finished washing, hugged the little yellow basin, and limped back; just as he returned to the barracks, he suddenly froze.

He stepped back a few steps, glanced at the door sign, and checked whether he had taken the wrong class?

My own bed board was actually piled with all kinds of things: milk, biscuits, drinks, candy, plus Yunnan Baiyao spray, and two bottles of safflower oil.

Lan Li's heart seemed to be stirred by something, the wounds on his face and body no longer hurt as much, and a haze clouded his eyes: "So this is what they call the collective......"

Earlier, when he was beaten by Lu Yang into a daze, what was actually in his mind was: this is the flag of our Zhencha Daitui, representing our honor; I must protect this flag.

But for some reason, when he mumbled it out, it turned into a plea, which made him feel deeply ashamed.

Perhaps, in his subconscious he always had the resolve to uphold the collective honor, but saying it aloud gave it another meaning.

Therefore, Lan Li decided that from now on he would speak less and act more, learning by doing; listen more, watch more, study more, and not cause trouble for the Zhencha Daitui.

Lan Li, having made up his mind, nodded, and just as he turned around a red bucket fell from the sky.

After forcibly turning off the lights, he was tightly bound and carried down to the Aruba on the lower floor.

"What are you doing, let go of me, let go of me?"

Yang Yong lit a cigarette and watched from the side as these people were "felling a big tree" with the kid.

Even though Lu Yang's appearance caused the Zhencha Daitui to lose face.

But this setback also successfully awakened Lan Li's inherent stubbornness, as well as the collective sense of honor he had long sought but never attained.

A unit is a collective; when one is honored, all are honored, when one is harmed, all are harmed; a single failure cannot crush the spirit of the Zhencha Daitui.

Because true effort has never been smooth sailing; after experiencing setbacks and failures, one must still be able to stand up bravely.

Yang Yong, with a cigarette in his mouth, shouted: "What are you doing, what are you doing, let go of the person quickly!"

Then he gave a glance to Squad Leader Niu, signaling him to shift position, shouting "Eighty, eighty..." and happily joined in.

Under the silent night sky, a red lightning streaked from afar toward near.

It passed through the lonely guard post and gate of Sixth Company, returning to Sixth Company.

Suddenly moving from the bustling dining table back to the empty barracks, it really felt a bit unfamiliar.

Lu Yang parked his motorcycle in the garage, covered it with a dust sheet, and went alone to the Cafeteria; he entered the kitchen, opened the refrigerator, and took out a bottle of beer.

There was actually a training schedule for the evening, but because today was a day worth celebrating, he decided to slack off and take a holiday.

Lu Yang, alone, sat quietly on the steps at the Cafeteria entrance; on his face and arms were bruises and small scars left from the day's combat.

He silently sipped his beer, his mind filled with the bits and pieces of the journey so far—honor, applause, flowers, achievements, sweat, effort.

He stared blankly for a long time at the blackboard bulletin under the dim streetlight, bearing the theme "New Dreams, New Journey," and just sat there quietly until late night.

It wasn't until two white hats arrived that the silence was broken......

"Veteran, why are you still up so late, not going to sleep, and drinking here?"

Lu Yang was about to stand up to explain when the younger Military Police whispered a reminder.

"Their regiment was reorganized into the Navy, and Sixth Company became the Vanguard Force......"

"He is the Platoon Leader Lu who broke through the Zhencha Daitui and seized the flag......"

"Is it him?"

The Military Police saluted Lu Yang, took off his glove and grabbed Lu Yang's hand: "Comrade Lu Yang, your heroic deeds have already spread throughout the Division! In my whole life I have never seen a soldier as resolute, as blood‑spattered, as courageous as you!"

"Um......"

"The celebration banquet is just drinking beer, no dishes? How can that work!"

"Little Zhang, hurry to the kiosk and buy some sunflower seeds, some peanuts, chicken feet, etc., and put together a deluxe combo!"

"Squad Leader, the service club is already closed at this hour?"

"If it's closed, just call. This matter is taught by me, how could you have no sense at all!"

The Military Police pulled out a pack of cigarettes, took one out, shoved it into Lu Yang's mouth, lit it for him, his face full of admiration.

At this moment, Lu Yang truly felt a sense of reaching the highlight of his military career: the Military Police lighting a cigarette... isn't that far cooler than the Squad Leader or Company Commander lighting one?