Chapter 450: Eat, eat, eat — that's all they know

The noodles are here~

Wait, wait, still need a handful of scallions~

A large bowl of super deluxe mixed seafood noodles, made with hearty and abundant ingredients, was placed before Lu Yang.

Prawns, squid, small yellow fish, dried eel, scallops, fish cakes; the milky broth dotted with green scallions, paired with smooth and chewy hand-pulled noodles — just one look tells you how delicious this noodle is.

He Zhen Tao sat across from him, laughing: "Dumplings when boarding, noodles when disembarking — this old tradition mustn't be lost; eat while hot, try Squad Leader Hong's cooking."

Lu Yang took the chopsticks and spoon offered, and couldn't wait to take a sip of the soup.

The moment it entered his mouth, his pupils widened as if shaken by an earthquake.

He then took a bite of the hand-pulled noodles, and indeed they were smooth, chewy, and very springy.

Cook Squad's Squad Leader Hong, apron tied, stared intently at him: "How is it, the taste okay?"

Lu Yang vigorously gave him a thumbs-up: "Wonderful~~~~~ ah! I've never eaten noodles this delicious, so delicious!"

Squad Leader Hong smiled like a flower: "If you like it, that's great. There's some leftover braised pork from lunch in the fridge; I'll go heat it up. I'll also stir-fry a vegetable dish, balancing meat and veg for full nutrition."

No need for all that trouble, this is enough.

Not troublesome, not troublesome.

Squad Leader Hong chuckled as he squeezed through the crowd and went to the kitchen to get busy.

Lu Yang gulped down the noodles, making Chen Panpan drool with hunger.

You gonna eat?

No thanks, I ate at lunch; you eat, you eat.

Chen Panpan was hungry, but with so many people watching, he felt embarrassed.

Lu Yang didn't think much of it, directly took a small bowl and gave him a portion to eat together.

Chen Panpan was delighted, but just as he picked up a shrimp from the bowl, someone slapped his shoulder from behind.

Liu Ziqiang was quick-eyed and quick-handed, leaning in from the other side and snatching the shrimp off his chopsticks.

Huh? Where's my shrimp?

Seeing Chen Panpan scratching his head in confusion, everyone tried not to laugh.

Just as he reached for another fish cake, his shoulder was slapped again.

When he turned his head again, the food on his chopsticks vanished once more.

This time, even Lu Yang almost couldn't hold back, spraying noodles from his mouth; Liu Ziqiang and Sun Chen, as usual, loved to mess with Chen Panpan for no reason.

Chen Panpan could only lower his head, hugging the bowl to his chest, afraid someone else would snatch it.

A bit of play and laughter instantly dispelled the unfamiliarity that had built up over two months apart.

Even the most familiar people, after not seeing each other for a long time, will develop some 'distance'.

Not even lovers in the heat of passion or married couples are exempt.

Zhou Kaidong placed the peeled garlic before him and said, "Lu Yang, where have you been these past two months? We've been looking forward to you, watching the stars and the moon, but we couldn't wait for you to come."

Lu Yang stuck with his usual excuse: the personnel here were full, his paperwork couldn't come through, so they sent him to Sea Training Battalion Six.

Aren't there only five Sea Training Battalions total?

The Sixth Battalion isn't here; it's in the neighboring city. It doesn't have as many people as this place, and its camp is run-down.

Lu Yang spoke with such conviction that nobody doubted him.

Units transferring from the Army to the Navy don't all arrive at once; they come in batches.

Occasionally, a unit's personnel end up overstaffed, and having to send some elsewhere is nothing strange.

So why didn't you send a message all this time?

The instructors there are strict; they confiscated all phones, so I couldn't use one—I wanted to contact you, but couldn't.

Kang Changyi pressed: "If you don't even get phones on weekends, does that mean your training is especially strict and demanding?"

Lu Yang naturally knew what this guy was thinking; he was afraid that, during these two and a half months of disappearing, he'd be chased away by him.

So he lied, claiming the training there was as lax as a menial task—completely undemanding; aside from banning phones and leaving the camp, nothing else was regulated.

He also said that his level there was probably just average, especially swimming—he still hadn't figured it out and occasionally choked on water.

Upon hearing this, Kang Changyi's brows lit up with joy; he immediately felt reassured.

So you're just a little side dish over there, huh?

He slowly straightened up, and along with Lu Yang's gaze, his look turned into a lofty, downward look.

But when Lu Yang shifted his eyes from the bowl and lifted his head, he immediately put on a fawning smile and lowered his posture.

Lu Yang found his timid yet playful demeanor both laughable and exasperating: "Don't just ask me—ask about you too. How've you been? Any changes in eating habits? Is the training tiring?"

Coincidentally, Squad Leader Hong came over with a hot plate of braised pork: "When it comes to food, I'm the authority! Since arriving here, I've changed the menu, seeking out local veterans who specialize in Min and Cantonese cuisine to learn from."

Our Cook Squad spends each day learning to make local dishes in various ways—steamed glutinous rice chicken, black bean steamed spare ribs, clearing and nourishing broth, five-finger hairy peach stewed chicken...

Now these guys' palates have been spoiled; those former dishes aren't as popular anymore.

Look, this braised pork is cooked so well that there's even some left—I'm truly impressed.

Hahaha! Laughter erupted all around as everyone vied to speak.

Who let Squad Leader Hong, with nothing to do, constantly research new dishes—and make them so delicious—this can't be blamed on us.

No more research, no more research; having been here, keeping us cooks busy from dawn till dark, exhausted as can be, we'll revert to the old menu starting tomorrow.

Lu Yang felt a bit regretful: "Then I'm missing out too, huh?"

Squad Leader Hong chuckled and said to him: "Others get the usual fare, but you're different—you're the hero of our Iron Foot. I'll personally set up a special stove for you; even the Company Commander and Instructor don't get this treatment."

Back then, Lu Yang single-handedly broke through the Division Reconnaissance Battalion, and his heroic deed caused a huge sensation here.

We thought that after arriving here, we'd never get a chance to avenge the grudge from the exercises.

But we never expected Lu Yang to retrieve the face they'd lost and let them vent their anger fiercely.

Just for this, giving him special treatment continuously for a month is warranted—he's a bona fide hero.

Zhou Kaidong asked: "After that thing is over, there's no follow-up, right? They didn't come after you to settle the score, did they?"

Lu Yang shook his head: "How could that be? They've been transferred from the Eastern Theater to the Southern Theater, and they're Marine Corps—how could they run that far? But......"

He looked at Kang Changyi: "I heard your uncle also seems to have been transferred to the Marine Corps, but the exact position isn't clear yet."

"What?" Kang Changyi's eyes widened: "He's also been transferred to the Navy? I didn't know—he was doing fine over there, why come here to cause trouble?"

"'Maybe he came specially because he's afraid you'll cause trouble here?'"

"'Hahaha, very possible!'"

Facing everyone's teasing, Kang Changyi felt his head swell.

"'Come on, I'm already excellent and self-aware now?'"

He's no longer merely getting along with comrades as before; he's truly integrated now.

Kang Changyi instinctively felt Lu Yang was surely deceiving and intimidating him; the aim was to reestablish his prestige.

Lu Yang: "How's your training? Tomorrow's the evaluation—do you feel confident?"

Zhou Kaidong: "Not bad, should be no big problem."

Liu Ziqiang: "Yang bro, you might not know, but our Sixth Company now dominates the Third Battalion of Sea Training; in the water, our company swims the fastest, and our physical fitness has improved compared to before."

Lu Yang: "That impressive?"

Sun Chen: "Last month a typhoon hit, the wind was howling outside, yet we were still doing PT outdoors—you tell me, isn't that intense?"

Lu Yang suddenly recalled the miserable state of Xu Ce, Tu Hongwei, and others on the island.

"'Indeed pretty intense, the wind was pretty strong, right?'"

"'Not just strong wind—you couldn't even stand steady, the wind was pushing you along.'"

"'And also, we recently practiced rowing—that's tough, requires several people to coordinate.'"

"This item is indeed difficult." He Zhen Tao nodded: "Currently, Kang Changyi and Zhou Kaidong's group practices it best and glides the fastest."

Kang Changyi lifted his chin, somewhat arrogantly asking Lu Yang: "You lot, have you practiced this?"

Lu Yang shook his head: "No, I haven't even been exposed to it; hearing about it sounds pretty tough."

Kang Changyi slapped his thigh, extremely proud: "Not just difficult—most important is coordination; I'm responsible for pulling the rope, controlling direction, adjusting the team's movement rhythm, especially turning and heading."

"'If the chance comes later, I'll take you out in a kayak to feel it; this is what amphibious reconnaissance units use for infiltrating landings and covert insertion.'"

Lu Yang laughed: "Sure, then I'll later ask you for more advice."

Hearing that, Kang Changyi instantly perked up, feeling like a freed serf singing.

At first he wasn't sure, couldn't decide; now he can basically confirm that Lu Yang really hasn't learned anything during this period, and a gap has formed between them.

This feeling of being far ahead in a new field, leaving Lu Yang behind, made Kang Changyi gradually get conceited; his speech no longer cautious as before, but took on an instructive tone.

Lu Yang knows what kind of person he is, so he's purely just playing with a fool.

He looked at Chen Panpan: "I heard after you joined the Navy you've been like a fish in water, and often praised?"

Chen Panpan's proud face full of satisfaction: "I'm now the one in our company with the longest underwater breath-hold, and my swimming speed can rank in the top five of the battalion."

Lu Yang gasped in surprise: "Looks like you shouldn't have been assigned to the Army initially; you should have come straight to the Navy—who knows, you might already have been promoted exceptionally."

"'Hehe, not that impressive.'"

"'You can be a little pleased, but can't be complacent.'"

"'Forget it!'"

Kang Changyi rolled his eyes: "Chen Panpan now isn't the old standard unit anymore; your swimming might not even be as good as hers, yet you lecture her not to be complacent."

"'Panpan, listen to your Kang brother: proper pride fosters progress, arrogance causes decline; you used to lack confidence, people just need to be bolder and more carefree.'"

Chen Panpan nodded thoughtfully: "Yang bro, want me to bring you along for a practice later? I swim well now, can help you catch up."

Lu Yang didn't dampen his enthusiasm: "Sure, sure, sure—wait till I finish the soup in my bowl, then we'll go."

He also wanted to see just what level Chen Panpan is at now.

Just as he lifted the bowl to his lips, Kang Changyi snatched it away, leaving Lu Yang with a face full of question marks.

Kang Changyi exclaimed in frustration: "Eat, eat, eat—all you know is to eat! Tomorrow's the evaluation, yet you don't seize the time, lacking any sense of urgency?"

Lu Yang: "......"