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墨書 Inktalez
After the Combat Drill concluded, we returned to our original Base, as the housing renovations were completed. Our Unit moved back into our Three-Story Building. We occupied the first floor, while the second floor was designated for the Three Rows, and the third floor served as a Recreation Room and meeting space. Just as we were beginning to enjoy the comforts of our new home, we received orders to fully prepare for the Half-Year Military Assessment.
There is a tradition within the military that each unit has its own special subunits. In our case, we have three Units that stand out for their strong military quality, skills, combat effectiveness, and cohesion. These Units receive priority in leadership attention and equipment supply. Whenever there is an urgent mission, these Units are the first to be activated, and many of their officers and key soldiers are often promoted and given more responsibilities.
The three Units are our First Company—Sharp Blade Company (many units consider the First Company to be formidable since it is listed first in the numbering), Second Battalion, Fourth Company—Iron Fourth Company, and Third Battalion, Seventh Company—Hard Bone Seventh Company.
Interesting names, right? From their names alone, it seems each Unit has its own characteristics. Our company is one that can quickly engage in combat and form effective fighting capabilities—swift, fierce, and precise; the Fourth Company takes a steady and methodical approach; while the Seventh Company is known for its tenacity.
Sometimes I mischievously wonder what would happen if a sharp blade were to cut through hard bones. Hehe.
I hope it doesn’t come to that.
Upon returning to Base in the Second Week, the unit issued a notice stating that after discussions by the Party Committee, this year’s military quality assessment would not only be conducted by Unit but would also include a new component: evaluating Sharp Blade Company (later referred to internally as “Wang Pai”). This evaluation would only take place among the top three ranked Units, along with the Special Operations Unit’s Special Operations Squad. A total of ten squads would compete in three events: Five Kilometer Collective Armed Cross-Country, Team Sea Crossing Island Obstacle Race, and Group Armed Swimming.
Once the notice was distributed to each Unit, excitement surged throughout the entire force. Each Unit began intense targeted training alongside their regular duties. The entire Camp buzzed with a tense and competitive atmosphere; even among several Company Commanders and Instructors, tensions began to rise.
Our Company Commander is my fellow townsman from Wuhan. He is quick-tempered and straightforward. He promptly gathered several Company Commanders and Instructors for meticulous planning. Besides emphasizing that we must secure first place for our Unit, he also urged all Units to strive for the honor of being recognized as “Sharp Blade Company,” ensuring that this title remains with our battalion.
Especially after the meeting, I sensed that our Company Commander had high expectations for us.
Sure enough, during Roll Call that evening, our Company Commander announced that we must earn the honor of being the top Unit. He instructed that aside from unified training conducted by the Unit, each squad must develop detailed supplementary training plans to ensure that the title of “Sharp Blade Company” stays with us!
After dispersing from Roll Call, we soldiers began washing up one by one. I sat on my bed in the Barracks contemplating matters while soldiers gradually finished washing up and entered to prepare for rest. At that moment, Garfield and several other squad leaders approached me.
“Squad Leader,” Garfield called softly, “what's the matter?” I was a bit surprised. “Well, I’m re-enlisting this year, and a few other squad leaders have joined me. Everyone wants you to lead them in reclaiming the title of Sharp Blade Company. It would help some of them with promotions, transfers to sergeant positions, or even further studies.”
I chuckled in disbelief and stood up to look at them, deliberately raising my voice. “Do you think I don’t want to? To be honest, I haven’t been in this unit for long, so I can’t fully understand everyone. Plus, I’m not trained in command; I really can’t guarantee anything for you all.”
Several squad leaders chimed in, “Squad Leader, our foundation is solid; don’t worry!” “Squad Leader, commanding is actually quite simple; everyone will follow your lead.” “Squad Leader, we won’t embarrass you!”
I smiled without responding and glanced at the soldiers in the Barracks. I noticed they were slowly gathering around. I continued slowly, “I see the determination from you core members, but I’m not sure if the soldiers care about this honor. If someone isn’t willing to compete for it and ends up dragging everyone down, wouldn’t that be a wasted effort?”
“Squad Leader, what do you mean by that? Which one of us is like that?” This was Xuanhua.
“Only lazy turtles hide!” He Baisha added.
“Squad Leader, we are already part of Sharp Blade Company A Row. If someone else takes this title from us, what does that make us?”
“Exactly! Where would our faces go?”
“Our Sharp Blade Company has a solid foundation; as long as these New Recruits don’t hold us back, Fourth Company and Seventh Company can only compete with us.” This was a Veteran.
“What do you mean by that? Let’s simulate it and see who can’t keep up!” The atmosphere began to heat up.
Seeing that I had achieved the effect I wanted, I checked the time; there were three minutes until lights out. By now, the soldiers had gathered closely around. I cleared my throat and signaled for everyone to quiet down, preparing to stoke the fire further.
“You’re all still awake and excited? Good! Then let me say a few words. You all know about the higher-ups’ notice; there’s less than a month left until the assessment begins. Are you all excited about the honor of being Sharp Blade Company? As part of Sharp Blade Company A Row, if we let someone take this title away from us, how can we continue to hold our heads high in A Row? We might as well disband! This time, we have to fight with everything we’ve got; no matter what, we must reclaim this title!”
"Everyone knows that I haven't been the Squad Leader for long, and we have quite a few second-year soldiers among us. However, every Unit has its second-year soldiers and unique circumstances. Why can't we give it our all? In the end, I want to say that my last name is Wang, and I hope that in the future, my squad will be the Sharp Blade Company, the Ace! Even more so, it will be Wang Pai!"
"Ace! Wang Pai! Wang Pai! Ace!" In an instant, the atmosphere became electrifying. The soldiers in the Barracks began to roar. I could no longer tell if they were calling my name or chanting some kind of belief, but a sense of collective Honor surged within me, filling my chest with passion!
"What are you shouting about? Turn off the lights and go to sleep!" The Instructor shouted from outside the window.
...
Lying on my bed, I began to ponder the strengths and weaknesses of our squad in these upcoming competitions. The first event was the Armed Cross-Country. This event is practiced by almost every Army Basic Unit; it doesn't require much technical skill. It's simply a matter of some Units having a better average foundation than others. Our Unit was relatively fortunate; our Company Commander had been promoted due to his exceptional individual military qualities. During Armed Cross-Country, he could even smoke while running and still be the top officer in the Entire Unit! Truly impressive! According to Veterans, during last year's Armed Cross-Country, he helped carry three soldiers' rifles while leading our Unit. His obsession with this event was nearly fanatical. Every day at four-thirty in the afternoon, he would blow the whistle for the entire company to run Five Kilometers fully armed. Those who failed would have to clean up after dinner that night. On weekends, about four soldiers would be allowed to go out proportionally; anyone wanting to take leave would have to run Five Kilometers first. If you were among those four or more, forget about going out. I remember when I first reported for duty; as soon as I dropped off my luggage, I was taken out for a run. At first, it was really uncomfortable and painful, but eventually, I got used to it and didn't mind anymore. Thanks to our Company Commander, our squad performed quite well in this event. As for our collective time, we hadn't measured it yet, but based on past experience, we usually finished just before passing—around zero minutes or so—not exceeding one minute. I thought that if we had someone particularly skilled leading us at the front to control the pace and another soldier with great stamina at the back to support those lagging behind, we should be able to improve our overall speed without any issues.
The second event was a 400-meter swim to land on an island. This event also had to be completed collectively; if done individually, it would definitely cause delays. We had to line up and move forward together, making order crucial—slow or weak individuals couldn't be at the front; otherwise, it would inevitably affect everyone's speed. Fast individuals couldn't all be at the front either; otherwise, there would be a disconnect when one group finished while others were still struggling. It seemed this event involved strategic placement of soldiers and required careful planning of team tactics; we needed to assess our strengths before arranging ourselves properly. Generally speaking, new recruits tend to perform better because this event is part of their Recruit Training Camp curriculum; they are more familiar with it. Veterans don't fare as well since once new recruits join a Unit, they typically don't participate in this training anymore due to time constraints—normal operational training plus physical training leaves little room for a 400-meter swim which also carries certain risks—so Units generally don't organize such activities.
The third event was Armed Swimming. This involved swimming across rivers or lakes while carrying weapons as individuals or in groups or squads. The preferred strokes were breaststroke or sidestroke, allowing heads to remain above water for balance and observation while minimizing noise during movement. Before swimming, uniforms had to be adjusted: military caps worn properly, pockets turned inside out, pant legs rolled up, shoes removed and tied around the waist so that clothing wouldn't hold water and equipment remained secure. The assessment rules required our entire squad to cross the river we usually trained in within a specified time frame; this primarily tested our teamwork capabilities.
At this point, I suddenly froze and gasped in shock as cold sweat broke out all over me—I had completely forgotten one major issue: I can't swim!
(To be continued; stay tuned for more exciting developments tomorrow!)
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