Chapter 394

Lu Yang did not decline, he returned a salute, and walked to the front of the formation.

Looking at these young soldiers, though not old in age, yet they were "well-seasoned".

Because of confidentiality regulations, he did not know where these soldiers had been transferred from, nor was he clear what unit they were.

But from their overall condition, it is highly likely they came from a harsh frontier region; there soldiers' lives are arduous, often patrolling and standing guard in extreme climates, so they appear more weathered than peers of the same age.

Perhaps due to altitude sickness, or perhaps because they had just arrived and were unfamiliar with the surroundings, or maybe for other reasons.

In short, Lu Yang did not see the vigor expected of soldiers on them; instead there was numbness, emptiness, and a dazed stare.

It was as if their bodies were already here, but their souls were still on the road, still in the barracks of their old unit.

"My name is Lu Yang, I am the platoon leader of the First Platoon, Sixth Company, Motorized Infantry, Second Battalion, Special Third Regiment."

"Before you arrived, I had made a very strict training plan for myself every day."

"It's not that I am particularly disciplined; it's because the whole company had only me left, I dared not idle, for fear that idling would leave me surrounded by loneliness."

"I am about to leave; last night I tossed and turned, unable to sleep all night. Because of the new identity, new environment, meaning new challenges, it inevitably makes one a bit anxious......"

Lu Yang's plain words made the dazed gazes of those below gain a little more luster.

Everyone also refocused their gaze, landing on this lieutenant platoon leader who looked a full cycle younger than them, as if they had found some common ground.

Due to the rotation, they were transferred from a remote harsh region to the Eastern Theater; although they knew life here would surely be better than before, they still felt somewhat unaccustomed.

Previously, in their place water resources were quite scarce; taking a bath once every two months was normal.

But after arriving here, the faucet gushed forth, and tap water seemed as free as could be.

The company commander laughed and scolded them as "cheap meat," saying they had endured too much hardship and didn't know how to enjoy good days.

However, this kind of "water and soil incompatibility" would at most take a week to gradually ease; soldiers' adaptability exceeds imagination.

Lu Yang: "Originally I thought the unit reorganization meant losing my home; later I realized that where comrades are is home. I have waited for you here many days, and during these days I have done quite a few meaningful things."

"Now that you have come, I can leave; my comrade brothers are waiting for me, I must go home!"

After speaking, Lu Yang gave a salute, picked up his pack, and strode toward the jeep by the road.

"Salute!"

"Veteran, take care!"

The company commander led all the soldiers in a salute, seeing Lu Yang off.

After Lu Yang got into the vehicle, Zheng Chengfeng drove the car very slowly.

So he could take one last look at the camp, as it would be nearly impossible to return afterward.

"Can we stop for a moment?"

"Yeah."

Just after driving out of the barracks gate, Zheng Chengfeng stopped the car.

Lu Yang pushed the door open and got out, looking at the sign of the Sixth Company, his mind filled with the scene from when he first joined the company.

The company commander and others had welcomed him at the door with drums and gongs, and even rewarded him with a motorcycle.

He walked up and vigorously wiped the large characters "Motorized Infantry Sixth Company" on the sign with his sleeve.

After today, this sign will be torn down; this place will no longer be the Sixth Company's camp; he will also carry his fond memories and head toward the blue sea.

Lu Yang stepped back a few steps, eyes brimming with tears, he brought his feet together facing the sign and raised his right hand firmly: "Goodbye, eternal Sixth Company, eternal Iron Foot!"

Zheng Chengfeng, looking in the rearview mirror, saw Lu Yang's upright figure like a pine and cypress; moved inside, he decided to make a decision that goes against his ancestors!

The next afternoon, inside a certain sea training base of the South Sea Fleet, they were organizing the first-stage assessment.

The first stage of sea training is relatively basic; besides basic physical fitness, it is swimming.

When transferring from army to navy, the vast majority of soldiers will be assigned to the Marine Corps.

Because it involves amphibious warfare, swimming is a fundamental skill that must be mastered.

After the assessment ended, the instructor gathered the personnel of the former Special Third Regiment, now the Sea Training Third Battalion, together and began announcing the final results of the daytime assessment.

"Let me say, the first-stage training is about to conclude; today is just an assessment, and in two days there will be a formal evaluation."

"The evaluation results will be recorded into regular grades, which will determine, after the three-month sea training ends, what unit and position you will be assigned to."

"Now announcing the assessment results; the best performance is still the Sixth Company, then the Seventh Company, the Third Company......"

"Here, I want to specially commend a soldier of the Sixth Company, Chen Panpan!"

"Present!"

Chen Panpan shouted at the top of her voice, her head almost lifted to the heavens.

The instructor, smiling and nodding at Chen Panpan standing in the ranks, said: "Although Chen Panpan is not the fastest swimmer, she has made the greatest and most obvious progress. Moreover, during this period she has mastered the most swimming techniques and has the longest underwater breath-holding time."

Zhou Kaidong, Liu Ziqiang, Sun Chen, LiMin, and even Kang Changyi involuntarily cast envious glances.

Who would have thought that Chen Panpan, the tail-end of the Sixth Company, dubbed the "standard unit of measurement," upon arriving at the navy would take to water like a fish and soar?

These days, he has been praised countless times; even Ma Qing'an said, this kid should never have joined the army, he should have gone straight to the navy.

Talent is innate; some people have never been exposed to it, yet they have a natural affinity for water, which cannot be learned later.

Besides Chen Panpan, the instructor also consecutively praised several soldiers who made rapid progress, including Zhou Kaidong and Kang Changyi.

Thanks to their previous water rescue and land vehicle experience, they naturally have no fear of going into the water.

On the contrary, as soon as they enter the water, they inexplicably feel a sense of being about to achieve merit and perform.

The instructor put away his smile, put on a stern face, and said: "After praising the fast improvers, now let's talk about the slow ones, as slow as a turtle crawling! Guo Yongwen, after all these days you still can't learn to switch breaths, you're a pigbrain!"

"You came from the same regiment, you were even an acting platoon leader, counted as an elite soldier—do you have any shame?"

"In the entire Sea Training Third Battalion, those who still can't switch breaths can be counted on one hand. After all, you are also a veteran; I didn't say earlier that I was giving you face, but today you have really let me down!"

"If this continues, I think for the final evaluation you might as well not participate, so as not to embarrass me or your old unit!"

Guo Yongwen stood in the ranks, being scolded and drenched in dog-blood, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

After the formation dispersed, Zhou Kaidong found him and asked what was going on.

Why after so many days is there no progress at all, just staying stuck in place?

"Old Guo, what's going on with you, this isn't like you?"

"You used to learn everything quickly, so why haven't you learned how to breathe yet?"

"Company Commander Guo, breathing is simple; you just need to master the method. The key is not to get nervous after getting into the water......."

Facing his comrades' concern, Guo Yongwen flushed, under great pressure.

Reluctantly, he finally recounted the incident of falling into a fish pond as a child and nearly drowning.

Because of that, he has always feared swimming, staying tense during training, worrying something will happen; the more he tenses, the more rigid he becomes, and the less he can learn.

He Zhen Tao and Ma Qing'an were also at a loss; a mental ailment requires a mental remedy; such matters cannot be solved in a few words.

"If Lu Yang were here, that would be great; he would definitely have a solution."

Zhou Kaidong's remark actually gave everyone a wake‑up call.

"By the way, Lu Yang and the others, shouldn't they be arriving soon?"

"On the birthday, they said they'd set off the next day; it's already the third day, they should have arrived by now, right?"

"I think we still need to find Brother Yang; his mind is sharp, he has many ideas, and he'll surely find a way!"

Just as they were speaking, the railing at the entrance of the naval training ground rose slowly, and a large bus drove in gradually from outside.

Seeing the bus, everyone became excited, because the bus they rode in when they were sent here was just like this.

The vehicle stopped beneath a row of coconut trees; the doors opened with a "sizzle", and several soldiers in standard Army uniforms lowered their packs and stepped off.

"Old Gao!"

"Company Commander!"

"Ding Tengfei!"

Watching Gao Feng, Ding Tengfei, and the familiar faces from the Regiment gradually alight from the bus, everyone was immensely delighted.

Ma Qing'an proactively gave Gao Feng a hug: "You finally made it; how was the journey, was everything smooth?"

Gao Feng laughed brightly: "Smooth, smooth, except the train took a detour and went around a big loop."

He Zhen Tao helped Ding Tengfei take the luggage, but peeked toward the bus to look around.

"Huh, strange, why don't we see Lu Yang?"

"Lu Yang?"

Gao Feng paused: "Didn't he already arrive early?"

He Zhen Tao looked bewildered: "No, didn't he come with you?"

Gao Feng shook his head: "We left yesterday afternoon; he left yesterday morning, and the Navy chief himself came to pick him up; I thought he'd be here first, so why isn't he here?"

"When we left, we deliberately passed Sixth Company, took down its signboard; he couldn't be staying in the Division, could he?"

"Then where did he go?"

"I don't know?"

"Damn, he vanished mysteriously?"

Now everyone was stunned.

Guo Yongwen also wore a face of disappointment after his hopes were shattered.

Liu Ziqiang rushed onto the beach, knelt and slid his hands to the sky, his soul pleading: "No, no, no, Brother Yang, where did you go? Come back quickly!"

Sun Chen also pounded his chest and stamped his foot, his expression mournful as he sang with familial feeling: "Come back quickly, I can't bear it alone, come back quickly, life is brilliant because of you, come back quickly!"