Chapter 26

The assessment concluded and wrapped up completely at three o'clock in the afternoon.

Each company and squad boarded the vehicles they had arrived in and returned in an orderly fashion.

The summarized assessment data would be issued to every company and squad in one month.

The veterans experienced assessments every few days and didn't take them to heart.

As for the rumored reforms, no one took them to heart either.

If reforms were to happen, they would start from the group army; it would be a long time before they reached their remote company.

"Li Meng, how did the three assessments go?" Lao Ma asked with an unpleasant expression.

"Hey, just like that, completely screwed up."

"What about Lao Wei?"

Lao Wei hung his head, "Not optimistic, I don't think it's optimistic."

Lao Ma was furious, pointing at Lao Wei and scolding him, "I told you not to slack off, I told you not to slack off. This is the military, not your home. You failed all the physical tests, what about shooting?"

Once these words were said, even Lao Ma fell silent.

Although the passing line for the assessment was slightly lower for them in these remote areas.

It was still a standard line, not to mention that they were people who couldn't even touch a gun all year round.

"Squad Leader, my 500-meter obstacle course was okay, it's just the 5-kilometer forced march that was a bit off, but I barely managed. As for shooting, heh heh... no chance." Xue Lin was short, but he ran very fast.

Lao Ma sighed, covering his forehead, "Total annihilation, total annihilation."

He had also screwed up; his shooting was just passable, barely meeting the standard.

The other two physical tests nearly made his lungs explode, and he was also at the bottom.

Afterward, Lao Ma felt something was wrong; in the carriage, besides them, there were two pairs of eyes watching them like tigers.

Feng Yuxiu stared at Ma Jun, who had an unconvinced look on his face.

"I misjudged you; you are material for a Soldier King."

Ma Jun took a deep breath, "But I won't admit defeat. If there is another assessment, we will meet again."

The corners of Feng Yuxiu's mouth curled up, "One step behind, every step behind. Squad Leader, you might not have a chance to catch up to me."

Ma Jun fell silent; the military is a place that obeys the strong.

That Wu Liuyi of the Steel Seventh Company is just a deputy squad leader, why is he able to gain the favor of Gao Cheng among so many squad leaders and veterans?

It's because of his desperate training and excellent military quality.

"Squad Leader, did Xu Sanduo's results pass?" Lao Ma placed his last hope on Feng Yuxiu.

For the assessment items, their Fifth Squad had been completely broken up.

Therefore, they hadn't seen Feng Yuxiu's performance in the assessment.

Ma Jun didn't speak; instead, he closed his eyes.

Lao Ma, having been rebuffed, sat up straight in frustration.

The vehicle kicked up dust and, with a roaring tremor, entered that stretch of wilderness.

From the crowds of the military to the deathly silent wilderness, these veterans of the Fifth Squad felt inexplicably sad and dazed.

——

——

"You animals, damn you animals!"

"Yellow weasels in human skin, why did I believe him? That's the stinginess of a dog that can't change its habit of eating excrement; I just felt something was wrong!"

After sobering up, the Third Company Commander held the Third Company's assessment list with trembling hands.

On one hand, he was shocked; on the other, he was annoyed.

What shocked him was that a Soldier King had actually emerged from that place, the Grassland Fifth Squad.

A Soldier King of this level was an existence that could earn a silk banner for the Red Third Company.

What annoyed him was that after drinking yesterday, he had been deceived by that damn Lao Qi, and the personnel transfer procedures for the soldier were probably already submitted.

That Shi Jin was specifically keeping an eye on him.

"Company Commander, think of a way. It was hard to produce a Soldier King, and he even broke two records in the entire military assessment."

Thinking of this, he couldn't brag about it anymore.

The Third Company Commander closed his eyes, leaning painfully against his chair.

"What way could there be? Huh? What way? He, Gao Cheng, relies on being the son of the Army Commander and has always held his head above all the company commanders in the regiment. The Regimental Commander hates this kind of forced poaching the most."

The Third Company Commander rubbed his brow, his face full of defeat.

"Company Commander, personnel transfers cannot be completed now; the summary of the entire military assessment hasn't come out yet, so it's impossible to transfer him," the Political Director said in a low voice.

The Third Company Commander raised an eyebrow; it was a rule that personnel transfers were not allowed during every assessment.

"And then what? Is your father also an Army Commander? Can you intercept him?"

He Hongtao waved his hand, "Go find the Regimental Commander; as long as the Regimental Commander doesn't approve..."

The Third Company Commander's eyes lit up, and he slapped his hand down hard, "That's right! Gao Cheng relies on being the Army Commander's son and has always suppressed all the company commanders in the regiment. The Regimental Commander hates this kind of forced poaching the most."

"I'm going right now!"

——

——

Patter, patter!

A violent storm swept across the grassland.

Since the assessment ended, the people of the Fifth Squad continued to lie flat.

Their spirits were only intense when playing cards.

"Squad Leader, what are we eating today? Can we improve the food? I strained myself during the assessment," Lao Wei said, throwing down a pair of eights with a slip of paper stuck to his face.

"Yeah, Squad Leader, we've been back for three days. You don't come when we ask you to play cards, and you don't go study bridge either. What's wrong? Did you run into a nightmare?" Li Meng held the poker cards in his left hand and a book by Tolstoy in his right, reading with great interest.

"The Squad Leader might be contemplating life. Tomorrow we'll go catch a few rabbits to nourish the Squad Leader; look, his eyes are all red," Xue Lin shifted his butt and laughed to himself.

Lao Ma squatted in the corner, his eyes fixed on the water stains.

It seemed the assessment had drained all his strength and soul.

He had become a dazed, walking corpse.

Lao Ma slowly stood up and walked out under the stunned gazes of the three.

The torrential rain completely blew up the earthy color of the wilderness.

Taking a breath made one feel as if their throat was blocked by the dirt.

He walked into the heavy rain, his military uniform soaked through.

Until he saw Feng Yuxiu running wildly against the gale in the heavy rain.

This scene shocked him completely.

"Do you still intend to blame this place?"

This sentence was what the Political Director He Hongtao said to him last time he came.

Blame it?

Feng Yuxiu's wild running made his heart gradually open up.

"Ouch!"

Suddenly, his foot slipped, and half his leg sank into the mud.

Looking at the muddy road that sank deep whenever it rained, Lao Ma's heart suddenly became active.

"Who says you can't change the environment?"

So, in the evening, during the squad meeting.

Lao Ma dressed especially spiritedly.

"Xu Sanduo, I know you are different from us; you will leave this place sooner or later, but everyone is a comrade in the same squad after all."

"The term 'united as one' is what the Company Commander and Regimental Commander say, and it's also what the Squad Leader practices."

Feng Yuxiu frowned, "Squad Leader, do you intend for me to lead the few veterans in training?"

This was the only idea he could come up with.

As soon as these words were spoken, the expressions of Li Meng and the other two changed drastically.

"No, these three are already wasted; let them slack off if they want. I should be retiring soon, so I intend to leave something behind for this place, my beloved military."

After speaking, Lao Ma slowly straightened his waist, revealing a resolute expression, "I intend to build a road, from the squad entrance to the guard post."

Feng Yuxiu was stunned.

Li Meng and the other two also looked at each other in dismay.

"Squad Leader, does the company intend to give us vehicles and bricks?" Li Meng asked nervously.

Lao Ma shook his head, "We'll build it ourselves."

"Are you kidding???" Li Meng jumped up instantly, pointing outside, "Squad Leader, this is a wilderness, not a construction site. Where will you get the things to build it? What's wrong with you? Were you possessed by a ghost in your dream last night?"

"Xu Sanduo, are you willing to build the road with me? Just consider it as a small existence for the sake of retirement."

Lao Ma's eyes were filled with pleading.

Feng Yuxiu was silent for a moment and slowly nodded.

Building a road could also exercise the body; not a bad idea.