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墨書 Inktalez
Finally, the day had arrived. All the new recruits gathered in the grand hall for the ceremony, where they would officially don their Conscription Soldier rank and begin their two years of military service.
Due to our performance at the Reunion party, Old Tang and I received strong support from the Company Commander and the Instructor. Additionally, our final training results at the Recruit Training Camp ranked us first overall, giving us significant influence in the allocation of troops.
We decided not to take any outstanding soldiers from our Unit. Instead, Old Tang and I thoroughly assessed the Second Company’s Three Teams, identifying those with good qualities who were hardworking and resilient. We took the opportunity to have one-on-one conversations with them to understand their aspirations. Considering that not every soldier would go to the Basic Unit, some expressed a desire to work in Logistics, while others wanted to learn skills like driving or repair work. Therefore, we sought the soldiers' consent and agreed that those willing to follow us to the Basic Unit would be assigned to our company.
At this moment, Old Tang seemed ready to reveal everything. Perhaps it was because it was already set in stone; he admitted that he would be transferring to our company as an Instructor since our original Instructor had moved to the Armed Department. He also expressed his willingness to cooperate with me in taking Sharp Blade Company to the next level.
After hearing this, I could only smile. Many things were uncertain; who knew if I would truly become the Acting Company Commander? Even if I did take over, there was no guarantee I would be recognized as such. Regardless of how things turned out, it was clear that Old Tang's soldiers would remain.
I decided not to dwell on it too much. My priority was to gather all the selected soldiers into our company. At worst, I could still serve as Squad Leader; Sharp Blade Company needed fresh blood.
The grand hall could accommodate over a thousand people, but the Recruit Training Camp only occupied the first ten rows in the center. Other Units sat within their designated areas. As we stood up at the command, military songs played, leaders delivered speeches, and a representative of the new recruits expressed their determination. The Deputy Chief of Staff began presiding over the awarding ceremony.
The ranks had been distributed beforehand and were now uniformly worn as we began our oath-taking. The buddies were all incredibly excited, eyes fixed ahead; this marked their official status as qualified People's Liberation Army Soldiers. I even noticed some with tears glistening in their eyes.
Seeing this scene reminded me of my own enlistment experience. Although nearly two years had passed, those moments remained vivid in my memory. It was hard to believe that I had already become a New Recruit Platoon Leader.
The inspiring awarding ceremony quickly concluded amidst music, leading into troop allocation. A staff officer began reading from the Roster Roll Call, indicating each soldier's assigned Unit. Every soldier here would have their own position—whether in the Basic Unit, administration, Medical Unit, or service center—regardless of their preferences; they would spend their military years fulfilling these roles.
Once the Roster was read out loud, it was time for the Political Commissar to announce new appointments for cadre positions—a matter of great interest for many present. Personally, I didn’t mind; I simply sat quietly and listened.
As expected, I heard Old Bi appointed as Company Commander of the Special Operations Unit followed by Old Tang being named Instructor of our company. These guys were always so sensitive and aware of such matters. Just then, I heard the Political Commissar announce, “Appoint Squad Leader Wang Wei as Acting Company Commander!” Ah, so it really was true! Although there had been plenty of rumors beforehand, I still found it hard to believe that someone with no prior connections could rise to become a Unit Commander in less than two years. It truly was remarkable—at least I never imagined it for myself.
I heard the warriors behind me murmuring softly. I turned around and shot them a glare, and immediately, there was silence. As I turned my gaze back, I noticed Old Bi sitting in the adjacent area, winking at me. Oh no, he must be planning to mooch my cigarettes again!
Soon after, the Political Commissar announced the official disbandment of the Recruit Training Camp. Those with new assignment orders were to report to their new units, while those without orders were to return to their original units. Each unit was instructed to leave one officer at the Recruit Training Camp to receive new recruits while all others returned.
Military orders are as solid as a mountain; in the blink of an eye, only a few hundred recruits remained in the vast auditorium. The soldiers of the Recruit Training Camp could hardly contain their excitement, whispering among themselves about their future lives in their respective units.
The Company Commander and Instructor restrained the troops and addressed the new recruits with their expectations before officially announcing the disbandment of the Recruit Training Camp. At this point, the officers from each unit began leading their respective soldiers back to their units. Naturally, our company was the first to leave, but to my surprise, it was the Company Commander who stayed behind to receive the recruits. I quickly approached him, “Hey, Company Commander, why did you stay behind? You could have just told me, and I would have taken the recruits over!”
The Company Commander smiled. “I’m here to help you out. I’ll accompany you as we get everything packed up and head back to your unit. Along the way, we can do a handover. I've already reported to the team that once the new recruits arrive at your unit, I’ll be leaving.”
Although I had known about the Company Commander’s transfer for some time, it still felt sudden and left me feeling a bit sad. “Company Commander, can’t you stay a little longer? Let’s have lunch together first; I’d like to learn from your experience.”
The Company Commander patted my shoulder. “No, I can’t. First of all, I haven’t been home for Spring Festival; things are a mess there. My sister-in-law is about to give birth, and I’m worried about her. Honestly, I should have left earlier; after all, I need to make sure everything is good for you at home. Secondly, there’s only one Company Commander in your unit now—it’s you! What would it look like if I went back with you? It’s time for you to establish your own authority. Thirdly, you've done very well in the New Recruits Company; both I and the previous Company Commander think highly of you. The only thing you're lacking is training experience, which is due to your specialization. I've already talked with you about this—study the training syllabus more thoroughly and practice diligently; if you put in some effort, you'll be a competent Company Commander!”
Is he really leaving? My nose felt a bit sour. “Company Commander!”
“Don’t call me that anymore; just call me Brother. After all, even after my transfer here, there’s no need for formalities. If you miss me, just come find me; it’ll be easier that way.” He patted my shoulder again.
His words made me feel a little better; at worst, we could meet up occasionally like I do with Ah Huang and the others.
So it was that I took the recruits assigned to our company back to the Recruit Training Camp to pack our bags properly and hand over equipment before seeing the Company Commander out of the department gate. Only then did we head towards our company. Along the way, besides handing over some keys and documents, Old Company Commander reminded me of various management and training points regarding our unit since Training Commencement was approaching soon. He particularly emphasized that I should pay close attention to military training as it is fundamental for a Technical Company team. I silently committed everything he said to memory; he was my first leader in this unit and also my first teacher who taught me many important lessons about life and work. I will never forget him!
Upon returning to my unit, I saw that veterans were lined up in two rows downstairs. What was going on? I was taken aback when I heard the duty Squad Leader shout out “Prepare! One! Two!” The entire line of veterans shouted together, “Brothers! Welcome!”
More than twenty new recruits behind me were clearly unfamiliar with this scene, and they stood there in a daze. I saw Old Tang step out from the crowd and ask, "Old Tang, are you organizing a welcome ceremony?" Old Tang smiled and replied, "This isn't me at all; it's all the soldiers' idea. It's meant to give the New Comrades a sense of home."
These kids made me chuckle lightly. I turned to the new recruits and said, "You all are home now!"
I noticed that the eyes of this group of new recruits were filled with emotion. They clearly never expected the Unit to welcome them like this. I believe that when they become Veterans in the future, they will also be just as enthusiastic and tolerant towards the next batch of new recruits.
A total of twenty-seven new recruits—this was the largest number assigned to any Unit. I planned to distribute them evenly, with eight in each squad. As for Squad Name, Sheng Xiong will be my Communicator. With eight soldiers assigned to each squad, it would perfectly fit into each team, making it more dispersed yet still accompanied, which is more suitable for adapting to the situation.
I wouldn't handle the specific assignments; let my Squad Leaders and team leaders fight over them. Now that I am the Acting Company Commander, I won't show favoritism towards A Row. If they want good soldiers, they'll have to rely on their own abilities. Regardless of how they go about it, as the saying goes, Eight Immortals Cross the Sea—each shows their own skills.
I carried my backpack into the Company Commander's room. To my surprise, the Company Commander had already cleared out the room completely and even cleaned it thoroughly. I placed my backpack on the bed and felt a twinge of loss in my heart. I wasn't sure if I was lamenting the relentless flow of time in the military or reflecting on my own two years of experiences as Company Commander.
After being lost in thought for a moment, just as I sat down on the bed, Report rushed in and exclaimed, "Company Commander! The Political Affairs Director is on the phone for you. He wants you to report to him immediately; there's an urgent mission!"
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow!)
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