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墨書 Inktalez
The days at the New Recruits Company proceeded in an orderly manner, and I, as the Company Commander, was increasingly settling into my role. Affairs within the Unit were unfolding smoothly. What reassured me was that although the soldiers came from all corners of the country, there seemed to be no particularly difficult recruits to handle. Perhaps it was my good fortune, or maybe they were still getting accustomed to their new environment. In any case, "Monkey One" consistently reported that this year's new recruits were better than those in previous years.
During the weekly situation analysis meeting, Xuanhua was animated as he shared stories about our Sharp Blade Company and the experiences we had gone through together with the new recruits. The newcomers listened with great excitement, eager to join our unit.
I smiled and interrupted him, reminding him that it wasn't yet time to assign troops. If personal interests took precedence at this stage, it would make leading the team difficult. I reiterated to all the key personnel the principle I had established: "Manage soldiers with regulations, lead them with emotions, and train them by example!" This was a requirement I had set during the training preparation meeting at the New Recruits Company, based on my own experiences as a Squad Leader. It was precisely implemented in the New Recruits Company. I believed that as long as we relied on regulations to ensure fairness and justice, management would yield results; treating soldiers with genuine feelings would foster cohesion and unity; and by leading from the front in training, there would be no issues.
So far, this approach seemed effective. While listening to reports from the squad leaders was one aspect, I also checked some soldiers' diaries and reflections, which further confirmed the effectiveness of our Unit's management. One diary entry from a soldier from Shandong stood out to me:
"The military is cruel and devoid of humanity. Three months of intensive training can transform a person completely; devilish training leaves you hungry and sleepless. The worse your attitude, the more training you receive; emergency drills at night keep you on edge—it's a dehumanizing experience... These thoughts made me anxious on my way to the unit. However, upon arriving at the New Recruits Company, I found everything different from what I had imagined. I remember when I first got here; before even entering the Barracks, my squad leader helped me carry my bag and set up my bunk. It made me feel so welcomed... Now that formal training has been underway for a month, life is orderly, training is proceeding as planned, and it doesn't feel particularly harsh or hard to adapt to. Especially among comrades treating each other equally; our squad leader has never scolded us; sometimes we even joke around with him."
When I read this passage, I laughed for a long time. It seemed that soldiers still held many misconceptions about military life. However, it was understandable; many military leaders had been entrenched in traditional methods for so long that they failed to recognize how today's youth think more independently and actively. It's increasingly difficult to maintain authority through simple and harsh means. Just recently, Old Tang faced an awkward moment during Political Education Class when he created a presentation for the New Recruits Company and burned it onto DVDs for everyone to watch. To his surprise, a computer science major among the new recruits pointed out numerous flaws.
It's no wonder that higher-ups insisted on forming a core group of College Student Leaders for the New Recruits Company; many ideas needed updating as society evolved alongside military development! While I reflected on this, these guys had no idea how much effort I put in behind the scenes—especially since I had given Old Bi several packs of cigarettes. Why? Because according to regulations, personnel from the New Recruits Company were required to stay within the Recruit Training Camp boundaries. If they were caught outside by the Special Operations Unit, they would be reported back to the Recruit Training Camp. However, since the Service Center was outside this boundary, many soldiers wanted snacks or cigarettes but couldn't go anywhere except for there. I specifically asked Old Bi to overlook our veterans who occasionally ventured out for supplies and let them off easy; over time, soldiers in our Unit felt secure in their standing and gained a sense of superiority.
However, Old Bi wasn't an easy guy either—he instructed his subordinates to note down anyone from our unit they caught outside so he could later extort a pack of cigarettes from me. By now, I've already been extorted five packs of He Bai Sha!
Time passed quickly until one day I thought about several soldiers under my care—especially Nong. I'm someone who values relationships deeply; their parents entrusted their children to me, and now over a month had passed with New Year approaching—I wondered how they were doing and if they had adapted well to life here. One afternoon when I found myself with some free time, I decided to stroll over to check on two other Units.
At New Recruits Second Company under Company Commander Wu Yan, our relationship had eased since our last competition for Wang Pai ended in failure; we greeted each other politely now. After sitting down at his Company Headquarters and chatting for a while, I learned that three of his soldiers were doing well—they followed orders and kept up with training—so I felt relieved.
Now only Nong from Three Teams remained on my mind; his eye condition worried me most as I headed toward Three Teams' Company Headquarters.
As I approached Three Teams' building entrance, a new recruit came running down the stairs and saluted me before asking, "Leader, who are you looking for?"
"I’m looking for the Company Commander," I said casually.
"The Company Commander is training the squad in the back field. May I ask who you are, Leader?"
"Tell him it's New Recruit Company, Company Commander Wang looking for him."
"Leader, is there something you need?"
Hey, how can the soldiers from Three Teams be so oblivious? If it were my Unit, the soldiers would never ask such unnecessary questions. I curiously sized up this soldier; he was of average build and looked quite ordinary, the kind of person who wouldn’t stand out anywhere. I fixed my gaze on him and said, "If you're so curious, when your Company Commander comes over to talk to me, you can listen in."
Finally, the Buddy understood my words. His face flushed slightly as he obediently turned to find their Company Commander behind the building.
Before long, the Company Commander of Three Teams walked briskly toward me. He was a seasoned officer with considerable experience. I saluted him and shook his hand, saying, "Brother, sorry to disturb you."
The Third Company Commander smiled and shook my hand back. "No need to be polite. What brings our Ace Company Commander here?"
I quickly replied, "You flatter me; my experience is too shallow. I still have much to learn from you!" The Third Company Commander invited me into the Company Headquarters to sit down, but I declined. Seeing how busy he was, I got straight to the point.
"About that soldier—he's not bad; hardworking and obedient, though a bit quiet and introverted. Other than that, there's nothing special about him. However, it’s unfortunate that I sent a squad leader with him to the Medical Unit."
"Oh? What happened?"
"It’s nothing serious. I noticed his eyes seem sensitive to light, especially in strong sunlight; he can barely open them sometimes and even tears up. In a regular unit, this would be a big deal because you know infantry need to practice shooting—how can he aim like that? But since our unit is different, I still sent him to the nearby hospital for an examination. He should be getting a referral now."
I nodded regretfully. Before coming here, I was worried about this aspect—whether Nong could fully adapt—but hearing what the Third Company Commander said reassured me somewhat. I wondered how his referral would turn out and whether he might need surgery.
Also, I wasn't sure if Nong's Ghost Eye could still see certain things here; it seemed I needed to have a talk with him for peace of mind. With that decision made in my heart, I bid farewell to the Third Company Commander and returned to my Unit.
Just as I arrived in front of the Unit building, Sheng Xiong poked his head out of the window of Company Headquarters and said in a deep voice, "Company Commander, the battalion has notified you about a meeting regarding preparations for the Spring Festival New Recruit Reunion party."
Ah, it turns out that the Spring Festival of 2004 is almost here without me even realizing it!
(To be continued, more exciting content tomorrow!)
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