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墨書 Inktalez
Years later, I still remember that scene: on one side was Sheng Xiong running laps alone in silence, while on the other side, the entire company was reorganizing and lining up. The life of the New Recruits Company had finally begun!
Much later, when Sheng Xiong started training new recruits, he specifically asked me how I knew he could finish running. I smiled and replied that our training ground was no longer than 50 meters long and 0 meters wide; a single lap was just over 100 meters, so 100 laps would equal 10 kilometers. For someone as strong as him, there was no time limit, so he would definitely finish.
Sheng Xiong persistently questioned me, "What if he turns out to be all show and no substance? What if he has problems running?" I smiled mysteriously and didn’t answer him. How could I tell him that Fourth Squad Leader wouldn’t be watching closely? Besides, there was also the Instructor; if he couldn’t keep going, the Instructor would step in to help him save face.
He was just being too practical; he completed all 100 laps!
After dinner, it was time to organize Internal Affairs. The squad leaders were busy teaching the new recruits how to pack their personal belongings into the issued backpacks for storage in each squad's dormitory. These personal items included cigarettes, snacks, and even mobile phones brought by some well-off soldiers, which were not allowed to be taken out during their time in the New Recruits Company. The keys to the dormitories would be handed over to me.
What the new recruits had were the uniforms issued by the unit, training clothes, toiletries, bedding, and oh yes, underwear and socks.
As I walked through the various rooms and watched the new recruits busily organizing Internal Affairs and making their beds, I couldn't help but reflect that I would be tied to these kids for three months. This period would serve as a chance for me to relive my own basic training experience!
I thought this because I understood the monotony and tedium of recruit training. Aside from the camp and training areas, recruits were not allowed to go anywhere else; they moved about as if they were in prison within a confined living space. During this time, unit officers were similarly restricted but could slightly expand their range to other units; however, they were absolutely forbidden from leaving the base.
Many who have not served in the military might find it hard to understand or imagine life in the New Recruits Company. Here’s a little tidbit: in May 2004, a military camp folk singer released a new work titled "New Recruits Company," which detailed daily life there. Of course, these recruits had never heard it before, but that didn’t stop them from living a similar collective life.
"The horn hasn’t sounded yet, but we must get up immediately for morning exercises. We march out of the Barracks in step—one two three four with loud shouts."
"At eight o'clock we practice formation movements under the sun with Military Posture sharp and crisp; stand at ease then attention while aligning right and saluting."
"Marching in strict formation with rigorous training and demands; stay alert to defend our Motherland. Rigorous training with strict requirements; stay alert to defend our Motherland."
After lunch, I wrote a letter home, wondering why my friends hadn't replied yet. In the afternoon, we had tactical training, practicing getting up, lying down, crawling forward, and aiming for shooting. After dinner, we played basketball, gathered at seven to watch the News Broadcast, then learned to sing marching songs. By nine o'clock, lights out meant I couldn't dare fall asleep; there might be an emergency assembly tonight!
The New Recruits Company was filled with both intensity and tension. Although it could be somewhat monotonous, we all managed to endure it. The New Recruits Company operated like this from morning till night; despite the hardships and exhaustion, we grew stronger with each training session.
This song about the New Recruits Company would resonate with many new soldiers. Its core message was clear: "There is never a moment of leisure in the evening!" Many new recruits had just arrived from various places, and the drastic change in lifestyle was hard for many to accept. The new recruits left a deep impression on me: they were intelligent and thoughtful but generally lacked independent living skills. Some of them didn't even know how to do laundry—truly "big kids."
To be honest, it wasn't just them; I nearly couldn't handle it either. As a Squad Leader, I had a set wake-up time in the morning and didn't have to worry much about night checks or leading morning runs. But now as the Company Commander, I had to check on everyone at night and during the early hours—twice each night. Even though I had arranged with the Instructor for everyone to take turns checking, my sleep was still greatly affected. Moreover, according to regulations, the Commander had to lead morning exercises, so I had to get up at five-thirty every morning from my warm bed, get dressed neatly, wash up, put on my hat and belt, and then blow the Assembly Whistle in front of the building.
At the beginning of Recruit Training Camp, I wanted to instill a deep sense of discipline in everyone: a routine that was repetitive and endless, contrasting sharply with the recruits' home lives. The life and atmosphere I deliberately created in the New Recruits Company aimed to teach them resilience, patience, and critical thinking. More importantly, it was about cultivating their tenacity to overcome difficulties and strive for victory.
Instructor Tang was also busy talking one-on-one with the new recruits to gauge their understanding.
Times are changing, and the situation of new recruits is becoming increasingly complex. Firstly, the composition of recruits is diverse with varied motivations for enlistment. This winter's recruits included more individual vendors and professionals compared to previous years. This complexity led to a variety of enlistment motivations. Most new recruits had good intentions; they loved the military and yearned for military life with a strong desire to contribute to national defense and achieve something significant. However, some were looking for broader horizons or considering military academies or technical training.
Secondly, many came from relatively well-off families and were unprepared for hardship. Many new recruits—especially those from open coastal areas—came from affluent backgrounds with favorable living conditions. The pocket money they brought ranged from hundreds to thousands of yuan. Due to their lack of experience with tough living conditions, some recruits—particularly only children—felt "too stressed" and "not free," often displaying fear of hardship or fatigue.
Lastly, while they dared to dream big, their self-control was lacking. Several squad leaders led by Xuanhua reported that this winter's recruits were quite active in their thoughts—especially those from wealthy coastal regions who were well-exposed and unconfined by traditional thinking. They were bold in expressing opinions without hesitation; they valued equality and fairness but sometimes lacked depth in their arguments. A few recruits showed weak adherence to rules and poor self-discipline.
There were many issues at hand, but I won't go into detail about how I addressed each one here; if anyone is interested, I could probably write an entire book on it! I can only summarize that these past few months have been transformative—a painful process that is a shared experience among new recruits worldwide. Regarding this painful experience, John Steinbeck described it aptly in East of Eden: "I tell you this so you won't be surprised. They will make you live together with others in a pile—eating, drinking, relieving yourselves, sleeping all together. When they let you wear your clothes again, you will no longer be able to distinguish yourself from others. You want to hang a sign on your chest saying 'I am me; not someone else,' but you can't."
Time flies quickly; half a month has passed in the blink of an eye. One evening after training, during our half-hour of free time, I started wandering around various barracks. On the walls of our unit were numerous cautionary phrases designed by our instructor specifically for new recruits: "Lead by law; avoid being simple-minded or brutal; lead with empathy; avoid indifference; lead by example; avoid improper conduct; persuade with reason; avoid punishment or scolding; lead by example; avoid fearing hardship or difficulty; treat everyone equally; avoid favoritism," among many others.
Some new recruits were resting while others chatted or wrote letters. As I strolled through Barracks A Row, I suddenly spotted Sheng Xiong hunched over at a window writing in his diary. Due to his height, he struggled awkwardly over his desk as he wrote. I approached him and gently tapped his shoulder; he stood up nervously as I asked him if he was writing a diary and if I could take a look at it. He nodded awkwardly as I picked it up and flipped through it casually. Surprisingly enough, this rough-looking guy had written quite delicately—for instance: "The long journey on two trains brought me from being an ordinary young man into an environment that transforms ordinary young men into soldiers." Another passage read: "As a high school student from the northwestern borderlands arriving at New Recruits Company, my first lesson began with three words: Report! To! Here! Each time I must learn to shout these three words loudly at the right moment along with my fellow recruits!"
"Where are you from, Sheng Xiong?" I moved a chair and sat down, asking, "Report, Leader! I'm from the Northwest!" Sheng Xiong quickly stood at attention.
I looked up at him. His beard was neatly trimmed, and with his buzz cut and round face, I suddenly remembered why I always noticed him—not just because he was the tallest, but because he somewhat resembled Wolverine from the movie!
"How tall are you?" I asked.
"Report, I'm 1.9 meters!"
"How's it going? Are you adjusting here?"
"Report! I can adapt!"
"Good, keep it up." Honestly, I wasn't very interested in this kind of back-and-forth questioning. I stood up to pat him on the shoulder but awkwardly realized I couldn't reach it; I could only pat his arm.
As I left the room, I silently smiled. This was the start I wanted. For the Sheng Xiong s, this was their new classroom in life. Through paths like "report," "present," and "yes," they would slowly find the true meaning of collective living. Until one day, when they completely disappeared into the neat ranks, their squad leader would smile and say, "Well done." Only then could I tell them that they had completed their initial transformation.
Overall, I was quite satisfied. Despite various issues, my recruits were growing through this transformation. Compared to when they first arrived, they were spirited and maintained a strict military posture; "report," "present," and "yes" had already become their catchphrases.
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