Chapter 17: Shi Jin

"Squad Leader of the Third Squad" was what Shi Jin was called in the Steel Seventh Company. Shi Jin walked over very formally, but before he could get close, Gao Cheng had already affectionately thrown an arm around him.

"See that? The Red Third Company is looking for a back door. They want soldiers, and of course, they want the best. Who else can afford to smoke this? You say, what are we working so hard for? Isn't it just to get the best squad leaders who know the ropes, so we can beat them until they're looking for their teeth all over the floor?"

The recruit company instructor, He Hongtao, had been transferred from the Third Company. He came out of the room and looked at them with some confusion.

The recruit training period ended very quickly.

Wu Liuyi was in the room, furrowing his brows as he checked the roster. When Shi Jin and Gao Cheng entered and saw Wu Liuyi in a bind, Gao Cheng asked, "Deputy Squad Leader Wu, what is it you can't figure out?"

Wu Liuyi frowned: "Cheng Cai. He's the most outstanding one in the recruit company, but I always feel like this person is fake."

Shi Jin was stunned for a moment, but he didn't refute it: "Where do you see that from?"

Gao Cheng didn't speak; he just watched with amusement, waiting for Wu Liuyi to argue with someone. But Wu Liuyi argued with everyone except Shi Jin.

Wu Liuyi said: "Let's put it this way: when I look at him, I know he definitely knows I'm looking at him. He performs very well, but it seems like everything is done for people to see. You understand?"

Shi Jin shook his head, but he couldn't put his finger on it either.

Wu Liuyi cast an inquiring gaze toward Gao Cheng.

Gao Cheng seemed to have thought a lot about Cheng Cai already: "Cheng Cai? He complicates the simple. He thinks no one knows what he's thinking, but the three people in this room probably all know what he wants and what he's after. He's a 'moon-gazing monkey'—climbing a branch, staring at the moon, and plotting: 'I want to go up, I'll climb as high as I can.' But he doesn't understand that he has to touch the ground first before he can become Aman. I'm waiting for the day he lands."

Wu Liuyi sorted through the name list: "So, do we want him or not? The regiment is urging us; we have to report the assigned quota today."

Gao Cheng laughed: "That kid is polite to everyone, but he's very competitive. He fights for everything. What is our Seventh Company most afraid of?"

"Most afraid of you not fighting," Wu Liuyi picked up where Gao Cheng left off.

Gao Cheng nodded: "Exactly. I'm just afraid that when he gets to the Seventh Company, he'll start fighting with you, Deputy Squad Leader Wu."

Wu Liuyi grinned, "I'm waiting for him!"

Shi Jin looked at the two of them, lost in thought: "Company Commander, have you both already started making internal decisions?"

Gao Cheng took Wu Liuyi's notebook and looked at it: "I like to plan ahead. Good soldiers have to be snatched up. Wait for others to assign them? You won't even get to drink the northwest wind."

He was very satisfied with the planning between him and Wu Liuyi, and he handed the notebook back to Shi Jin: "Squad Leader of the Third Squad, take a look. Is there anything you want to add?"

Shi Jin looked at the roster, his interest somewhat dampened.

Wu Liuyi puffed on a cigarette and smacked his lips: "Company Commander, you have a sharp eye for soldiers. Talk about me."

Gao Cheng loved it when people asked about his judgment: "You'd rather break than bend; I like that. Everyone is in a different world when they first come to the army, having nothing, so everyone's self-esteem becomes very strong. But you are too strong. You always demand that everything be a success, and if you're not careful, that's what you'd call failure."

Wu Liuyi laughed, "Company Commander, if you come to the army to be a soldier and don't fight, don't scramble, and don't aim to be number one, then what kind of soldier are you? Might as well go home and raise pigs."

Gao Cheng laughed and patted him: "Think about it slowly! This was a parting gift from my father. I don't understand it and I can't do it, so I'm giving it to you!"

This sentence made Wu Liuyi and Shi Jin freeze in unison, and both of them instantly lowered their heads.

Of course, Gao Cheng's attention wasn't there, so he didn't notice this small movement.

Wu Liuyi looked at Shi Jin: "What about the Squad Leader of the Third Squad? Talk about him too."

Gao Cheng sighed and said to Wu Liuyi: "I'm afraid of him."

Wu Liuyi was stunned.

Gao Cheng said solemnly: "I'm afraid I won't be able to do right by him! He sees a lot, thinks a lot, and does a lot, but he doesn't say anything. Now that the military is downsizing every year, I'm just afraid I won't be able to do right by him. No matter what, I have to keep Squad Leader Shi Jin."

Shi Jin put down the roster, "Xu Sanduo to the Red Third Company?"

Gao Cheng felt it was a bit of bad luck and waved his hand, "I don't hold any hope for this 'soldier king.' I don't rule out that his physical fitness is truly impressive, but he's no good in other aspects. How can there be a soldier like that?"

Wu Liuyi also nodded, "Squad Leader, this kind of person is too rigid. He will turn into a sharp knife and stab you to death. Listen to me, don't take him. Even if he's like Sun Wukong, doing a somersault cloud for a hundred thousand miles, we still don't want him."

Shi Jin fell into a state of frantic inner conflict.

This wasn't the thought in his heart.

From the first time he met Feng Yuxiu until now, he hadn't discovered that this was a person who lied.

Except for the matter of the firearms.

But he really could run.

A person who could run like that had actually used a middle school education to run out of those winding mountains.

This was very much like him.

Back then, he had also used unyielding perseverance to run out of those mountains.

If it hadn't been for his squad leader giving him a chance back then.

He wouldn't have changed his fate and stayed in the army.

Therefore, he wanted to give Feng Yuxiu a chance.

Just like the chance his squad leader gave him back then.

But by the time he came back to his senses.

Wu Liuyi had already taken the roster to the regimental headquarters.

"Company Commander, think about it again. You also know he can really run. The shooting must have been an accident!"

Gao Cheng lay sideways on his chair with his legs crossed, puffing on a cigarette and picking at his fingernails.

"Squad Leader of the Third Squad, go back. Do what you're supposed to do."

Shi Jin sighed, turned around, and walked out.

The recruits were all waiting outside the field.

Shi Jin went to the shooting range. After the recruit training ended, every recruit would be given a souvenir.

That was their shooting assessment target paper.

This was a symbol of their honor after entering the army.

Inside the target room, Shi Jin flipped through the target papers one by one.

The target paper with Feng Yuxiu's name was completely blank; there wasn't a single bullet hole.

"Is this really possible? Even an eight or nine-year-old child shooting randomly would hit something, right?"

Shi Jin remembered Feng Yuxiu hitting the gourd on the wall at home with a slightly modified, homemade long-barreled gun.

"This is absolutely impossible. Something must have gone wrong somewhere!"

So, he put down the target paper and rushed to the shooting range.

Apart from this group of recruits, no one else had continued shooting at the range.

Therefore, the traces of the last shooting could still be seen.

Shi Jin looked carefully and found the position where Feng Yuxiu had stood.

Following his gaze, he walked step by step toward the direction of the target paper.

He stood where the target paper had been, squatted down, and looked for a long time.

Then he slowly raised his head, climbed over the wall, and went up the mountain.

With the target paper as the center, he began to check the surroundings carefully.

Finally, his gaze landed on that broken wooden stake.

At this moment, Shi Jin was like a sculpture that had remained unchanged for ten thousand years.

"Smoke."

"Everyone smoke."

As the deputy squad leader, Cheng Cai distributed cigarettes one by one with a beaming smile.

Feng Yuxiu closed his eyes to rest, his chest rising and falling slightly.

During the recruit training period, he was tempering the furnace fire in his heart every moment.

His endurance was now terrifyingly powerful.

"Sanduo, I hope we can be assigned to the same company. When the time comes, I'll look after you well."

Cheng Cai smiled as he looked at Feng Yuxiu, who had his eyes closed.

He had finally held his head high for once.

His father was right after all.

Arriving in the army was the true beginning of his life.

Wasn't this a good start?

"Xu Sanduo, come with me!"

Shi Jin's appearance interrupted Cheng Cai's smugness.

Feng Yuxiu opened his eyes in confusion.

When he stood up and walked to Shi Jin, Feng Yuxiu frowned.

He discovered that Shi Jin's chest was heaving violently, his face was pale, and his hands were trembling.

Those eyes looked at him as if looking at a monster.

"You come with me to the company office, right now!"

"Platoon Leader, is something the matter?" Feng Yuxiu asked, still coldly.

Shi Jin let out a long breath, "Something is the matter, a big matter! A big matter that will decide your fate, let's go!" ===== CHAPTER 18 =====