Chapter 80: Pah! Dead Scumbag, Just Married and Already Changing Heart

The sun was setting, the temperature kept dropping, and this thing felt like a cold iron weight, making everyone's arms ache.

Zhou Kaidong paced at the front, patrolling back and forth, and also nudged everyone's downward‑tilted muzzles upward.

"Everyone hold on a little longer, three minutes left, and when it's over we'll let you rest!"

"Squad Leader......" Ding Tengfei's arm trembled badly: "I, can't hold on much longer."

"Squad Leader, my hand is freezing solid!"

"Squad Leader, my arm is about to break, can I put it down and rest?"

"Man, you can say you can't? Just married and already this damn weak, are you even a man?"

"Newlyweds, you should be smoothing out your feelings! It's not even the seven‑year itch yet, and you're already being picky, a bunch of scumbags, pfft!"

Zhou Kaidong muttered curses as he walked behind the group, giving each a light kick as punishment, except Lu Yang.

Because Lu Yang's gun handling was steady from start to finish, he stood like a statue, motionless.

Everyone's married; Lu Yang's wife was a solid match, and their days passed peacefully.

Zhou Kaidong exhaled a puff of hot breath, rubbed his hands, lifted his wrist to check his watch: "Push harder, five minutes left until it's over."

The new recruits were on the verge of tears: "Squad Leader, didn't you just say there were three minutes left?"

Zhou Kaidong glared at him: "When did my watch ever be accurate? Keep at it for another ten minutes; perseverance is victory!"

"Let's break up, I don't love you anymore."

"Your temperament is too cold, and you warm up slowly; I think we're incompatible."

"Don't beg me, begging won't help. You cry, you try crying again, see if I slap you?"

Ding Tengfei, looking like he was going crazy, slapped the air with his 81‑caliber assault rifle.

At the same time, a ferocious roar accompanied him, crazily asking if "she" had been touched by anyone else?

"Had she ever been with someone else?"

"You piece of trash!"

"Get out!"

Lu Yang watched his performance with such involvement that he couldn't bring himself to interrupt.

Honestly, it really had a bit of the vibe from An Jia in "Don't Talk to Strangers".

Meanwhile, over at Kong Long's side, the marriage situation also ran into trouble.

"Assistant Squad Leader, I can't take it anymore, I want a divorce!"

"You don't even have a partner, divorce who?"

"With her!"

"Gun?"

"Yes!"

"She torments me, she gives me silent abuse, she leaves me exhausted, my legs weak and my hands feeble!"

Facing Kong Long's accusations, the others in the unit also complained, either wanting divorce or separation.

The first two days, when they just got their guns, it was as festive as a wedding.

They thought that marrying a beautiful lady would bring sweet days ahead, but instead they were met with only pain.

The orders required the gun to never leave their side, anytime, anywhere.

Sleeping, holding it.

Running, carrying it on the back.

Equipment, hanging it.

Tactics, holding it.

Even when taking a dump, they have to carry it.

The icy barrel, when pressed to the butt, made goosebumps peel off.

After each weapons‑handling drill, the arms were nearly broken, the hands frozen red and purple, and they still had to wipe and maintain it.

This damn thing is not marrying a wife; it's like inviting an ancestor back to worship!

Lu Yang comforted, "It's only been a few days, and you're already talking about divorce; how will the days go on? Hang in there, it'll be fine after the next company."

Ding Tengfei, excited, "Next company, does that mean we won't have to do gun‑holding training?"

Lu Yang shook his head, "That's not it, it'll just give you a new wife."

When the New Recruit Company ends, the original weapons will be collected and stored.

But after the next company, the unit will be issued new firearms.

In military terms, that's taking a second wife.

Hearing that, everyone became as despondent as possible; the excitement they felt when first receiving the gun vanished.

It's like a single youth watching a relative's cute child, having endless fun teasing them.

When it's your turn, you have to feed milk every day, handle poop and pee, tutor homework, and your head spins.

Zhou Kaidong walked in from outside, saw everyone not at their stations maintaining weapons, and asked what they were gathering to chat about.

Lu Yang briefly summarized everyone's complaints, causing Zhou Kaidong to burst out laughing.

"I understand, I understand, everyone needs such an adjustment period."

"When we first folded the blankets, weren't we also full of complaints? Now aren't we the same?"

"Living day to day is like that; once it becomes a habit, it's fine, especially when we get to real‑bullet shooting, that's the fun."

"Real‑bullet shooting?"

Zhou Kaidong's words reignited everyone's interest.

Their gloom stemmed mainly from having married a mute bride.

If they could hear a bang and fire two bursts, they'd still be very willing.

Zhou Kaidong said: "There will be live‑fire shooting, but not now; each person gets a fixed five rounds, which will be issued during the next company's assessment."

Kong Long didn't understand: "Only five rounds in total, not allowed to fire normally; how can we achieve good scores in the assessment?"

Zhou Kaidong, anticipating such a question, glanced at Lu Yang and had him explain.

Lu Yang explained that the New Recruit Company is only the basic stage, intended for familiarity, not mastery.

To truly practice shooting, one must wait until after joining the next company; gifted soldiers can become machine gunners or snipers.

By then, they can fire as many bullets as they want, at whatever targets they choose.

The current priority is to master Gun‑Pivot Aiming, because it is the foundation of shooting movements.

As for how many they can fire during the assessment, that depends on fate.

Just as the explanation finished, the door was pushed open, and several new recruits from the Eighth Squad entered, carrying stacks of freshly washed clothes.

Leading them was "Cup Brother" Zhang Jiaheng; barring any surprise, this nickname should accompany his entire future military career.

"Thanks for your hard work, comrades, thank you."

"Come on, we have milk here; take a few bottles back."

Lu Yang, as the Assistant Squad Leader, is still relatively shrewd; even though they lost a bet and are washing clothes for you, he can't just keep acting old‑fashioned and showing off.

So, each time they bring clothes over, Lu Yang asks the Squad Leader to go to the Cafeteria to buy some food and drink to treat the Eighth Squad brothers.

In this way, the relationship between the Third Squad and the Eighth Squad becomes ever closer and better, doesn't it?

Zhang Jiaheng didn't hold back, humming, "Later, when we do live‑fire shooting, let's compare scores and see who has the higher one?"

Lu Yang gladly accepted the challenge: "No problem!"

Watching the new recruits from different squads interact and compete, Zhou Kaidong, who is acting as Squad Leader, felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

The purpose of the New Recruit Company has never been merely to inject basic military skills into recruits' minds.

It is to teach them how to be people, how to act, and to establish correct worldviews and values.

Only then can they inspire more recruits to work hard, be diligent, and strive upward.

The future of the troops and the nation's security will be better assured.

"Make good use of time for maintenance; there's another fifteen minutes before roll call."

"Yes."

At that moment, a frantic shout suddenly came from outside.

"Something's wrong, an incident!"

"Someone's injured, get them to the hospital quickly, fast!"

All the recruits rushed into the corridor and looked outward.

In the dim light of a nearby streetlamp, a soldier with a shattered head and bleeding lay on a stretcher, being carried away.

Lu Yang frowned and asked, "What happened?"

Zhou Kaidong was equally clueless: "I don't know!"

A harsh whistle suddenly sounded, one long and five short, signaling an emergency assembly!

Amid tense unease, everyone quickly went downstairs to assemble for the drill.

Not far away, Company Commander Gao Feng held a gun, walking toward them with a solemn expression.

He Zhen Tao walked beside him, handing a small box of live ammunition to his hand.

Gao Feng silently moved to the front of the formation, his fingers still loading live rounds into the magazine.

"Clack, clack, clack" of the loading sound made the recruits' scalp tingle and their minds uneasy.

The copper casings, illuminated by the Shushe lou's lights, glimmered with a cold sheen; the small protruding tip on each proved they were not dummy rounds.

Lu Yang's heart skipped a beat: "What are they doing, why are they using live ammunition, are we going to war?"