Chapter 90: Blowing the Biggest Bull, Taking the Harshest Beat (Extended)

He also wants to hear how these kids rate him behind his back.

Especially the newcomer Lu Yang—if that kid dares to speak ill of him in secret.

Heh, heh......

Lu Yang didn't know the walkie‑talkie was left on: "He's okay, just a bit hot‑tempered."

Lu Yang's remark drew the agreement of all the trainees outside.

Guo Yongwen, the training unit commander, scolds people every day as if he were taking gunpowder, his insults firing like a machine gun.

Guo Yongwen, however, remains expressionless, unruffled.

He does it to boost results quickly; uncut jade makes no tool, a person who isn't scolded won't improve.

Previously the training units lasted a month and a half, but this time the schedule is tight and the mission heavy; the higher‑ups gave only a month, so he must press the gas.

"That's not just a bit hot‑tempered; he's clearly a manic patient, his mouth day after day like it's been poisoned, comparable to the vicious old lady at the village entrance!"

"......"

Guo Yongwen's eye twitched, while the others suppressed laughter.

"I heard his girlfriend is breaking up with him because his provisional position can't be made permanent."

"Yesterday, it was about you for the same reason, and then you had a fight with the Seventh Company Commander, right?"

Lu Yang suddenly realized: "But I heard our Company Commander say his military competence is strong; why can't he be regularized?"

Wan Baoshan sneered: "What else? He lacks education—didn't finish high school and joined the army. No matter how capable, it's useless; he still suffers from being uneducated."

"Rumor has it he was a loafer before, only luck got him into the army; otherwise he'd still be stuck with a secure iron rice bowl…"

Guo Yongwen clenched the walkie‑talkie, his eyelids flickering as if he were about to devour someone.

The veterans, seeing the situation sour, hurried to tell him not to argue with that kid Wan Baoshan.

That guy can't spit ivory from a dog's mouth; his mouth has never been shut.

But as soon as the words fell, the topic shifted to.

"What do you think of Deputy Commander Cheng Jun, how is he?"

"Pretty good, looks upright and sunny."

Deputy Commander adjusted his glasses, and his chest instantly puffed out.

Speaking in official tone, he began earnestly to speak on that side.

"Captain Guo, actually sometimes the words of rank‑and‑file soldiers must be heard."

"Your temper really needs adjusting; you're always restless—how can you lead the team well?"

"The higher‑ups also have considerations; it's not that you're incapable that they won't regularize you, it's more that your mindset hasn't been corrected."

"I believe, as long as you're positive and keep striving upward, the superiors will notice your effort; your girlfriend will eventually understand and sympathize with you."

Guo Yongwen's eye twitched sharply, his face flushed bright red!

"It turns out the one being publicly punished isn't you; why are you pretending to be a good person here?"

But at that moment, Wan Baoshan's tone suddenly shifted, contradicting Lu Yang's view.

"That's all an illusion; don't be fooled by Cheng Jun's glasses and respectable façade—he's actually extremely introverted, chatting with female net friends on his phone every day."

"Two days ago, a girl from the communications class came; his eyes stared at her from start to finish, almost as if to pull out his eyeballs."

"When she left, he bought fruit and milk and rushed up to court her, but she took the items back, turned and told him she already had a boyfriend, and said don't be so polite in the future, the boyfriend would get angry."

"Hahaha, that's a huge loss!"

Lu Yang slapped his thigh, laughing heartily.

Sure enough, he's a know‑it‑all; at Wan Baoshan you can hear any gossip.

On the other end of the walkie‑talkie, the veterans each strained to hold back laughter, almost hurting themselves.

Even Guo Yongwen's expression was a bit strained; he had heard the story, but Cheng Jun's version was that he voluntarily turned the girl down, saying after getting to know her he realized she wasn't his type.

He hadn't expected that, rushing to court her, only to be kicked squarely in the face.

Cheng Jun's anger flared; he snatched a rifle from a soldier and stormed toward the far end of the firing range.

Guo Yongwen, frightened, quickly grabbed him: "Don't act rashly, don't act rashly. Didn't you just say we must listen to the rank‑and‑file? Pursuing love is natural; my partner argued with me and broke up—what did I say?"

The other soldiers gathered to advise: "Yeah, Deputy, don't act rashly; you know exactly what Wan Baoshan is like!"

"Children speak without restraint, children speak without restraint; don't try to match him, his dog's mouth can't spit ivory!"

"Just pretend we heard nothing, know nothing; let the adults forget the minor offenses!"

"The road to love is always bumpy; though you failed, at least you spent extra on milk!"

Cheng Jun's eyes bulged like copper bells, feeling as if he'd grown a donkey head!

He should have ruthlessly taken back the milk and snacks, saying "Let your boyfriend buy it for you!"

At that moment, Lu Yang's curious voice came through the walkie‑talkie: "So, are the trainees all top Soldier Kings from their respective units?"

Wan Baoshan scoffed: "They're just petty Soldier Kings, a bunch of mediocrities who got lucky to join this training. Compared to my heroic Third Company elite, unparalleled Wan Baoshan, they don't even deserve to lift my shoes!"

"Don't think I'm just a pitmaster here; I'm hiding my skill, playing the pig to eat the tiger. You've heard of the feel‑good story slap‑back trope, right?"

"Right now I'm concealing my strength, watching them hoard the full bottle while I only take half."

"This is the growth‑type flow; no matter the chaos outside, once I crawl to become a general and break out, I'll sweep everything with thunderous force!"

Lu Yang stroked his chin; he's actually read many novels of this type—the thrill is that one clearly has ability yet still scrapes by.

Even after crawling to sainthood they're still afraid that once out they'll be slapped by stronger ones, so they keep hiding to cultivate.

However, in a place like the army, strength cannot be hidden forever, nor can one keep scraping by.

Because every few days there are competitions, assessments, evaluations, drills, exams; without real skill, it's truly hard to go far.

"Alas, this scene makes me want to compose a poem!"

"Thousands of miles of ice sealed, ten thousand miles of snow drifting, gazing at the range inside and out, the sharp‑blade pride is merely superficial!"

"A generation of Soldier King Guo Yongwen, hot-tempered, with no hope of promotion, his career and love have flown away!"

"Deputy Team Cheng Jun seems like a warm guy, but actually is dull and lecherous, his money's gone, he's even been freeloaded, old buddy feels both stabbed and amused!"

"Wanbao Mountain was like a rehearsal for a stage play, sticking out its buttocks, sucking in its belly."

"Left hand and right hand gesturing back and forth, eyebrows flying and color dancing, he passionately recited his self-composed poem."

"Suddenly the weather changed, layers of shadows above his head completely blocked the sunlight overhead."

"Those were sharp, fierce, angry gazes wanting to stab people, almost turning the mischievous Wanbao Mountain below into a hedgehog."

"Lu Yang then noticed the walkie-talkie seemed to have been on all along, meaning their previous conversation had been heard by them?"

"He swallowed, his heart thumping thump-thump, and only when he realized those gazes weren't on him did he finally breathe a sigh of relief."

"Although the secondary trigger of the system 'Break and Then Establish' effect let his strength greatly improve again, he absolutely could not withstand the fists of so many veteran soldiers."

"Thus Lu Yang stood up with the most innocent expression, holding his book as he left this narrow place of right and wrong."

"And before leaving, he left Wanbao Mountain with a sentence: 'When a person dies, the bird faces heaven; if not dead, ten thousand years; seek your own fortune, brothers!'"