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墨書 Inktalez
When the training camp ended, we learned that Team Leader Ding was also part of the Special Operations Brigade and was merely a squad leader. He had arrived at the training team earlier than Old Li, and not many knew about his transfer. Old Li often used him as a benchmark to test the abilities of various Cadets. According to him, he was just of average level in the Special Operations Brigade, not particularly outstanding. We preferred to believe that was just his modesty; after all, anyone who came out with Old Li couldn't possibly be mediocre.
As for the final results, there were no major surprises: Lin Hao came in first, Sun Hu second, Wu Di third, Liu fourth, Zhong fifth, and Old Bi placed eighth. I surprisingly managed to secure thirteenth place, considering there were still eight or nine people behind me. This time back home, I had something to show for it.
Old Li took the top six with him, but that wasn't the end; they would have to go through further eliminations once they got there, and those deemed unsuitable could be sent back at any time.
Old Bi lay in the Medical Unit for three days but was mostly fine. Afterward, he listened to me and became quite excited when he learned I had defeated Lin Hao—more so than when Xiao Yu visited him. I didn't ask him if he regretted not being able to join the Special Operations Brigade because I knew our personalities were slightly different. However, we were essentially the same kind of people; neither of us wanted to chase after that excitement. We understood that ordinary people belong in ordinary positions.
In the end, Old Bi still didn't ask Xiao Yu for her phone number. As he put it, what has passed will eventually pass. Xiao Yu was merely a ripple in his life; better to pack away those first love feelings into a box deep in his heart. I agreed with this sentiment—not because I admired his philosophical outlook but because I respected his understanding of the situation—Xiao Yu had openly exchanged contact information with Lin Hao before leaving!
On our way back to the unit, we managed to negotiate some extra leave time. When we changed trains in Nanning, we took the opportunity to explore the city and enjoy ourselves. As Old Bi said, it was hard-earned time off after being cooped up for a month; going back without some fresh air would be suffocating.
With lingering feelings of enjoyment, we boarded the train home. After arriving back at our unit, we first reported to the cadre department and cleared our official leave before heading to the Commander’s office together. The Commander had already received reports and was waiting with the door open. Old Bi remained nonchalant while I felt anxious.
However, my anxiety dissipated when I saw the Commander smiling broadly. He told us we had performed well; many of his colleagues and several leaders within the military were aware of our training camp results and had been calling him about it. We had given our Work Uniform unit a good showing.
After some praise, the Commander finally got down to business: by year-end, each of us would receive a Third-Class Merit award. I wasn't sure about Old Bi's feelings on this matter, but I was somewhat excited—what would a military honor look like? Later on, I didn’t catch much of what else the Commander said; lost in my dreams of glory alongside Old Bi, we left headquarters to report back to our respective units.
By this time, it was nearly noon when we returned to our Unit only to find everyone had gone out for training—the Instructor and Deputy Company Commander were both absent. For some reason, only the Company Commander was at Company Headquarters. I briefly reported on our training camp experience to him. He nodded along as he listened. "I received word from group headquarters that you were coming back this morning, so I returned early from the training ground to wait for you. I knew you’d do well; you’re making quite a name for yourself already!" After sharing some sentiments with the Company Commander, I noticed his mood didn’t seem particularly high. Tentatively, I asked him, “Company Commander, did anything happen in our Unit while I was away?”
The Company Commander pulled out a cigarette and lit it slowly while leaning back against his chair. “Ah! Now that you’re back, things are easier for me!” Seeing my confusion, he continued: “The Deputy Company Commander went off with new recruits; the Instructor is on leave—didn’t he mention he’s going to exchange posts with someone from Armed Department?”
I thought for a moment and replied, “I think he did mention something about it but didn’t specify when.”
“Should be within these few weeks,” said the Company Commander suddenly. “I’m planning to report my transfer by year-end.”
“Why?” Although I had heard about this from the Instructor before, I couldn’t help but ask.
“I’m a local guy; I became an officer after serving as a soldier and studying further. My progress has been slow compared to you young folks. If I stay in the army longer, my opportunities will dwindle as time goes on. Now that I'm over forty, it's better to transition into civilian life soon—get married and settle down before it’s too late for me.” The Company Commander seemed somewhat melancholic at this moment.
Perhaps because I'm more sensitive by nature, I felt a pang of sadness too after a moment of silence. The Company Commander continued: “Wang, both the Instructor and I have always valued you highly; perhaps we’ve been too demanding or impatient with you—but it’s all out of goodwill. I've already submitted my transfer request; barring any surprises when new recruits arrive at our Unit next month, I'll have to leave this team behind. You know many people here already; I hope you can take over my position and continue leading this company well.”
“Company Commander,” I called out but didn’t know how else to respond. The Company Commander stood up and patted my shoulder gently. “The troops are like flowing water; have you heard that saying? You’ll get used to it.”
Before I could fully grasp what he meant by that statement, he walked toward the door while saying: “Since you're back now, you’ll need to take charge of duty from here on out—the Veteran is retiring soon; it's time for you to get busy and pay attention to everyone’s morale.”
Retirement?! My heart sank—I had completely forgotten about that detail! It was November 18th now; there were less than two weeks until retirement! What was going on with my squad? Who would stay and who would go? Suddenly feeling anxious, all I wanted was to see my comrades again.
I hurriedly followed the Company Commander out of the Unit, quickly making my way to my Barracks. Inside, everything was as clean, tidy, and bright as ever. I took a quick look around; it seemed like nothing had changed. Even my bed looked the same, except for the absence of sheets—the blanket was neatly folded on the white mattress.
As I was observing, I heard the sound of slogans in the distance—everyone was back from training! I quickly placed my luggage at the foot of my bed and dashed out of the Barracks, standing on the steps to get a better view.
Sure enough, a line of vehicles was unloading people on the road next to our camp. Our unit had already assembled, led by a Red Card as they made their way towards the Barracks. I glanced at my watch; in about ten minutes, we would blow the Assembly Whistle for lunch. There was still time to ask these kids about the situation in our Unit.
As I watched the formation getting closer, I decided to surprise everyone and stepped into the nearby washroom to wait for their return.
I heard the group stop in front of the building, and the leader began issuing commands. However, their voice seemed less spirited than usual—there was a hint of weakness in it. Just as I was about to step out, I heard the Squad Leader shout, "Lack of energy! March in place! Again—one—two—three—four!" This was the Second Squad Leader; since his promotion hadn’t come through yet, he was still under the Red Card Squad Leader.
I listened carefully; when the slogans rang out again, they were not as loud as before and even seemed to lose strength.
"Again! One—two—three—four!" The Second Squad Leader sounded a bit anxious now, his voice slightly off-key, which drew some laughter from within the Unit.
"Who’s laughing?!" It seemed that the Second Squad Leader was genuinely getting angry.
No one responded; only the sound of marching in place filled the air.
I could no longer hold back. I stepped out of the washroom and shouted, "Do you all have to wait until after lunch to shout so you don’t embarrass us in our company?!"
"Wang Pai!" "Squad Leader!" "It’s Squad Leader!" "The Squad Leader is back!" I looked at my buddies in front of me; they were whispering among themselves while their feet kept moving, but their steps were clearly disorganized.
Standing on the steps, I waved at the Second Squad Leader and called out to everyone, "One-two-one, one-two-one! Adjust your steps! One-two-one, good! Now let’s do it again and let Second Company hear us—one—two—three—four!"
"One—two—three—four!" This time it sounded great; there was a sense of momentum that even caught the attention of the Company Commander who came out from the cafeteria to look.
I smiled with satisfaction. I didn’t know why, but after this training session, I felt more confident leading my troops. It seemed that this training had brought me significant gains.
"Attention!"
"Dismissed! Assemble in front of Cafeteria at whistle!" I issued the command.
In an instant, my soldiers and several others rushed over and surrounded me, all talking at once. "Wang Pai, you’re back from competition? What was your result?" "Wang Pai, are you going to Special Operations Brigade?!" "Squad Leader, have you seen Special Forces?"
I didn’t know how to respond right away and could only shout back, "Everyone calm down! After lunch, those interested can come to my Barracks for a talk!"
It became even more chaotic. Some pulled me into a room to sit down, others poured me water, and some rushed off to make the bed. Damn! I even saw someone rummaging through my bag—what the hell, it was He Baisha!
What a mess.
After dinner, I sat at the table in the Barracks while many soldiers moved their stools to sit below, listening intently as I recounted my experiences from the training—starting with running, then venturing deep into the mountains, and finally competing in martial arts. They were captivated.
At the end, taking advantage of their lingering thoughts, I asked a question that had been on my mind but that I hadn’t dared to ask: “This year, who is leaving?”
No one answered. I noticed everyone looking down, a heavy silence fell over the room, making the atmosphere quite awkward.
I didn’t know what to say for a moment; after all, this was my first encounter with such a situation since joining the military. Last year when I reported in, all the veterans had already left.
Suddenly, the broadcast after lunch started playing: “The cold wind rustles the falling leaves; the army is a green flower.” Damn it, why did the atmosphere change so suddenly?
I forced a smile. “Garfield, you come up!”
(To be continued; more exciting content tomorrow!)
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