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墨書 Inktalez
On the last afternoon of the preparation period, all the new recruits finally arrived on time. Now, our New Recruits Company was fully staffed with over a hundred recruits. With more than an hour left until dinner, I stood on the steps of the first floor and blew the Assembly Whistle. I felt it was necessary to make some introductions and mobilize everyone at the start.
With the sharp sound of the whistle, the new recruits poured out from their respective barracks under the guidance of their Squad Leaders, moving in a chaotic wave with noisy footsteps. It was like a bustling market! I smacked my lips and exchanged a glance with the Instructor, noticing he furrowed his brow as well; it seemed we shared the same sentiment.
The formation was still not properly established. Although the Squad Leaders and class leaders were patiently guiding the new recruits into line, it was clear that these first-time soldiers were bewildered and unsure of their positions. This was understandable, so I waited patiently for the backbone of the group to get them organized.
Finally, after nearly ten minutes, a semblance of a formation emerged from the more than a hundred recruits. Of course, there were still whispers, coughs, and laughter among them—it resembled a Tour Group! The road ahead would be long, I thought to myself. Standing on the steps, I cast a stern gaze toward the sources of noise. Under my watchful eyes, the chatter gradually subsided. I cleared my throat and officially began my speech.
"Welcome to New Recruits Company! I am your Company Commander, Wang Wei, and next to me is your Instructor Tang. My first message to you is this: today marks your last day as civilians. Therefore, I can temporarily overlook your ignorance. But remember, starting tonight at 1 AM, you will no longer enjoy your previous easy life. Over the next three months, I will help you transform from ordinary citizens into qualified soldiers! Let me be clear: I will do everything possible to assist you in this transformation! If you are timid, cannot endure hardship, plan to just coast along, or are spoiled mama's boys—get out of my Unit now! I can report to higher-ups about your situation for discharge; however, once it hits 1 AM, it will be too late for regrets!" My voice grew louder. The crowd fell silent; it seemed my words had some effect.
"Standing at the front are your Squad Leaders and class leaders; you will soon get to know them. They will guide you for three months. During this time, they will be your comrades, brothers, and leaders! They are also your guides in this military camp; they will tell you what to do and what not to do. Your task is simple: meet the three basic requirements of a soldier: obedience! Absolute obedience! Unconditional obedience!"
I emphasized this because I realized that educating and training new recruits is crucial for establishing military conduct, discipline, and combat effectiveness. Selecting good squad leaders is vital since they are the first mentors for new soldiers after enlistment. As squad leaders, they must lead by example and teach new soldiers how to adapt to military life, training pressures, personal honor, and status. Fortunately, all the squad leaders I selected had undergone training from our unit's teaching team; each possessed unique strengths. More importantly, these carefully chosen leaders had impeccable character. I believed their earnest words and actions would guide these new recruits well!
Looking at the more than a hundred faces before me filled me with emotion; transforming such a group within three months would not be easy. Many recruits entered New Recruits Company without a solid foundation and carried numerous bad habits into their Unit. Then they faced new adjustments in their Unit—problems compounded without resolution—leading to many becoming undisciplined soldiers. I felt this stemmed from a lack of foundational training in New Recruits Company; since I was in charge here, I could not tolerate such situations in my Unit.
Thinking about this, I continued, "Before coming to New Recruits Company, our leadership team consisted of Local University Students; we feared we might not manage our troops well. Now let me tell you: not all Local University Students are pushovers! You can ask your squad leaders about my reputation in the unit—how my soldiers performed under my command. For you lot here: if you're in my Unit—you’re all trash! No! Not even trash! Give me three months to turn this bunch of trash into qualified soldiers! Since I've taken over, I'll do it my way. You can hate me or curse me down there; however, you must complete my training plan on schedule! I'm not expecting you to be superhumans; this training plan is uniformly established across all military branches—it’s scientific, feasible, and practical. Since you’ve passed your physical exams to be here, it proves you're healthy with hands, feet, and brains intact—I can't imagine why some would succeed while others fail in training! And again: if you feel inferior or think you can't keep up or endure—raise your hand now! I'll report immediately for your return home! Are there any useless ones among you?!"
No one responded or raised their hands; however, seeing several people below showing signs of anger told me my words were having an effect.
This had been prearranged with the Instructor; in any Unit there must be someone playing good cop and bad cop. Since I was Company Commander, I had no choice but to take on the role of bad cop—I would establish an image of strictness and high standards for New Recruits while pushing them toward transformation; meanwhile, the Instructor would play good cop—appearing as a comforting figure during training breaks to encourage them and help ease their emotions—a balance between firmness and leniency.
As I neared the end of my speech, I scanned the crowd again and noticed something off—it finally struck me: there was a tall recruit standing awkwardly in the middle of the formation! Who’s squad is he from? How did he end up there?! Upon closer inspection—I realized it was that recruit who had argued with his Squad Leader earlier that afternoon! And looking again—I nearly lost my temper; he had stubble all over his face! Great—a typical case!
I pointed at that recruit and asked sharply, "You—what's your name?"
"I’m Sheng Xiong," he replied nervously.
“ Sheng Xiong, nice name, but remember this: first, report before answering; second, your beard hasn’t been shaved clean since yesterday! To make it memorable for you, go run 100 laps around the training field in front of Unit!”
Wow! Ah! A chorus of gasps erupted from below.
I ignored everyone and shouted at Sheng Xiong, who was slowly moving out of the line, “ Sheng Xiong, stop!”
He froze for a moment, looking up at me in confusion. I added, “Let me give you another lesson. Remember, when you receive an order, you must respond with ‘yes!’” He muttered a low ‘yes,’ but it seemed he was a bit unconvinced. Well then, let’s polish your sharpness a bit.
I glanced at his squad; it was Zhang Sheng’s Fourth Squad. Interesting, Zhang Sheng and Sheng Xiong together—fine, I’ll tie you two together.
I continued, “Fourth Squad Leader!”
Zhang Sheng immediately stepped back from the end of the line and ran out to stand at attention. I nodded in satisfaction. “Fourth Squad Leader, this is your new recruit. You watch him from the side of the field and count the laps. He’s not allowed to stop until he completes 100 laps! If he doesn’t finish before mealtime, don’t let him eat!”
“Yes!”
Suddenly, Sheng Xiong spoke up. “Report: I’m not satisfied!” Everyone looked at him in shock, and I smiled back at him, asking kindly, “What are you dissatisfied with?”
“Report: I shaved my beard; it just grows back too fast. I didn’t mean to leave it unshaved,” Sheng Xiong said with a hint of grievance in his tone.
“Very good! You’ve given an explanation.” I paused deliberately and then raised my voice suddenly. “But that explanation is worthless! Telling you to shave your beard clean is both an order and a result! I don’t care if you shave three times or seven times!”
I continued to shout loudly, “How can you even think about being a soldier? With such a mechanical attitude, how can I expect you to fight on the battlefield in the future? Tell everyone! What good is being this tall?”
Sheng Xiong was clearly intimidated by my imposing presence, stammering and unsure of what to do. Not waiting for him to defend himself again, I said, “You’re dissatisfied, huh? Alright, I’ll give you a chance. If you can prove your strength, I’ll let you have your way. In front of you is the Fourth Squad Leader; if you can stand in front of him for one minute without falling down, then you can maintain your so-called pride! Do you want to give it a try?”
Sheng Xiong looked at Zhang Sheng, who stood before him at just over one meter sixty, noticeably shorter than him. I could see the eagerness in his eyes.
I turned away from Sheng Xiong and descended the steps, coldly stating to Zhang Sheng, "If you can't handle him in one minute, you'll run laps on the field."
I raised my arm, glanced at my watch, and shouted, "Start!"
Zhang Sheng did not move. Instead, he casually beckoned to the towering Sheng Xiong with a finger, filled with disdain and arrogance. Sheng Xiong was clearly enraged; he could not believe he couldn't handle someone of Zhang Sheng's height, especially when all he needed to do was stay upright for one minute.
He charged at Zhang Sheng, extending his hands forward to grab the collar of Zhang Sheng's shirt. Just as he was about to reach him, Zhang Sheng suddenly sidestepped to the left and executed a low leg sweep, causing Sheng Xiong to stumble. Taking advantage of Sheng Xiong's loss of balance as he fell forward, Zhang Sheng lightly pushed him on the back with his left hand. Sheng Xiong finally lost control of his massive body and stumbled three or four steps before crashing down in front of everyone.
The new recruits erupted into cheers. I glanced at my watch and shouted, "Twenty-seven seconds!"
I looked at Sheng Xiong, who was blushing and getting up from the ground, and said to him, "You in Fourth Squad are not the best in my Unit."
I signaled for Zhang Sheng to help Sheng Xiong up. After he stood up, Sheng Xiong silently walked toward the back of the line on the field. Watching the two of them leave, I turned back and gave everyone a bright smile. "Welcome to Devil New Recruits Company! Next, each squad leader will organize their teams by height."
(To be continued; more excitement tomorrow!)
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