Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
What puzzled everyone was that Pudding had settled down in our Unit after that, no longer sleeping in the training grounds, but instead making a nest in the corner of the third floor of our Unit. Interestingly, Pudding was very intelligent and observant. Within a week, not only had its injuries healed, but it also quickly grasped the routine of our Unit: every morning when the wake-up call sounded, it would caw loudly as if urging everyone to get up; whenever we gathered, it would silently fly up to the railing and watch us from above; even more remarkably, every time during the evening Roll Call, after the last name was called, it would caw once, as if it were also a member of the Unit.
Whenever we went out for training, it would perch on my Speedboat. Many warriors in the Unit, including a few of the more friendly Company Commanders, joked that the Spearhead Company Commander had adopted a crow as a pet. I chuckled and didn’t bother to explain. Only once, when Sheng Xiong curiously asked why I took in Pudding, I replied, “Life is like a rushing river; without encountering islands and reefs, it’s hard to stir up beautiful waves. This crow is no different; it travels alone and bravely challenges authority. This spirit is something many people in today’s society lack.” Faced with Sheng Xiong ’s puzzled expression, I could only leave him with a straightforward remark: “Meeting is fate; take good care of it!”
From then on, Pudding became an unofficial member of our Unit. Fatty Jinghe would often sneakily feed Pudding its favorite pudding while driving the Speedboat. Pudding would eat it eagerly but wouldn’t let Fatty touch it. In fact, not just Fatty; even I didn’t dare to touch Pudding much. It had quite a temper and was very proud. After that one time when I bandaged its wounds, it never let me touch it again, as if to convey to everyone: I am not a pet! When it felt playful, it would soar around in circles accompanied by music, as if declaring that this was its territory.
Time passed amidst monotonous training. Pudding’s arrival brought some liveliness to our dull lives, and gradually everyone accepted its presence. However, no one noticed that June had slipped by quickly and Flood Season was approaching.
“According to forecasts and analyses from the National Climate Center and other departments, this year’s weather at our Base deviates from the norm. The frequency of extreme weather events may be higher than usual. It is expected that this year’s average rainfall during Flood Season will be between 1100-1400 millimeters, which is considered normal but abundant. From June to July, the Xiangjiang Changsha observation station is expected to experience floods exceeding warning levels. The Liuyang River, Laodao River, Weishui River, and Jinjiang River may experience varying degrees of local torrential rain Mountain Floods. This year we must ensure that no levee over a thousand acres collapses during guaranteed water level floods; during historical maximum water level floods, we must ensure that ten thousand acres of levees are safe; during floods within design standards at maximum levels, we must ensure that no reservoir or dam collapses in hilly areas to protect lives; and in case of Mountain Flood geological disasters, we must minimize casualties and prevent mass injuries.”
The Stage Commander was giving a briefing on Flood Season conditions; this was an annual mobilization where all Units had to be ready for action at any moment. Flood Control rescue operations had always been a major task for our unit; sometimes only one battalion would be deployed while other times all would be called into action. Old Bi sat next to me and whispered, “Brother, you need to prepare for deployment. Do well; you might earn another Third-Class Merit.”
I smiled lightly and replied softly, “I’d rather not have any accolades; I just hope this year goes smoothly.”
Old Bi returned a knowing smile; I knew he didn’t believe me. However, I truly preferred not to receive any recognition rather than face any unfortunate situations. Mobilizing troops comes with many risks; if things go wrong there could be casualties—something I never wanted to see. Honestly, I’d rather be seen as unambitious than risk soldiers’ lives for glory; let’s just say I’m someone who prefers to do nothing.
But despite my thoughts, preparations still needed to be made. Especially after the mobilization meeting when the Commander pulled me aside and asked how the morale of the troops was doing. My heart sank; this meant he was preparing to assign me a task!
“Leader, currently the troops are doing well; it's just that training has been somewhat monotonous.”
“Hmm!” The Commander nodded thoughtfully. “Next steps involve assigning some large-scale assistance for local flood prevention tasks to your company. Prepare your team so everyone is mentally ready for deployment at any time.”
“Yes!” I stood at attention in response. Old Bi had indeed gotten me!
After returning to the Unit, I didn’t emphasize much about it since initial preparations were already standard—everyone's gear was packed according to regulations and ready for immediate deployment without needing further preparation. However, motivating them mentally was still necessary.
During evening Roll Call, I asked Old Tang to announce this matter to everyone. Old Tang then proceeded with a motivational speech filled with enthusiasm. I noticed everyone remained calm—likely because they were mentally prepared since last year we hadn’t been deployed for Flood Control operations—and this year’s new veterans seemed quite curious.
I concluded with just two sentences: “In turbulent seas lies true heroism! Everyone should look forward to writing a brilliant chapter in your military journey!”
I paused, waiting for applause, but there was none! It seemed everyone had matured!
"Flood Control is a measure with Chinese characteristics and a long history that has proven effective in flood prevention and disaster reduction. It maximizes the flood control capacity of existing projects and minimizes flood damage. This is a necessary choice that must be adhered to for a considerable period, aligning with China's national conditions and the aspirations of the people." Regardless of whether it was engaging or not, preparations still needed to be made, including classroom education on flood control knowledge. Therefore, after receiving the second task, I changed the half-hour following the news broadcast into a Flood Control knowledge session.
These kids could run five kilometers without complaint, but when it came to sitting here learning, they all started dozing off. Except for Jinghe, who was somewhat serious, almost everyone else was nodding off.
I was at my wit's end and had to keep shortening the lecture time. Fortunately, there wasn't much to cover, and I was almost done when suddenly a heavy rainstorm hit the city.
It was deep in the night, with dark clouds gathering, thunder rumbling one after another, and lightning flashing in the sky. The wind howled fiercely, branches cracking under its force. In an instant, torrential rain poured down like an arrow. The rain came down furiously, thunder grew louder, and the wind roared while lightning flashed everywhere.
My heart tightened suddenly; I spent a sleepless night. But I knew that in such weather, the soldiers would sleep soundly because they didn't have to worry about morning drills.
It was only in the early morning that I finally fell into a light sleep. I didn't know how long I had been asleep when Sheng Xiong suddenly shook me awake. "Company Commander! Company Commander!"
I squinted at him. "What is it?"
"The regiment's phone—urgent mission!"
Here we go again! I quickly rolled over and sat up, throwing on my physical training uniform and rushing to the phone.
"Hello, this is Wang Wei!"
"This is Duty Officer Li, the Chief of Staff. We received a request from local authorities: a reservoir's water level has surged dangerously and is threatening the lives and property of residents in the central area. The leader has decided to dispatch your unit along with Vehicle One for emergency rescue and relocation of civilians. Prepare immediately and organize boarding on-site! Once you arrive locally, government officials will provide instructions; you must assist them as best as you can!"
I felt a jolt of adrenaline. "Understood!" I hung up and turned to Sheng Xiong. "Find the duty Squad Leader and blow the emergency assembly whistle!"
Sheng Xiong took off to carry out his orders while I walked over to Old Tang's door and knocked. Since no one was left behind according to the call, it meant the entire company had to go. I needed to discuss our contingency plan with Old Tang.
In less than ten minutes, the entire company was lined up outside wearing raincoats and carrying backpacks. Old Tang and I had also changed our clothes, with Sheng Xiong holding our backpacks at the front of the line.
"Emergency mission! Rescue operation! Everyone stay alert; we’ve trained for this moment!"
I had no time to add anything more. The convoy of Vehicle One was already lined up in front of the Unit, the honking horns reminding us that it was time to board.
I blew the whistle sharply and shouted, "All units, board the vehicles!" The soldiers moved silently in formation, rushing towards each truck in their respective squads.
At that moment, the intercom was handed to each Squad Leader. According to the plan, I would be in the lead vehicle while Old Tang would be in the last. Each truck's cargo area held a squad along with equipment, and every third truck had a Squad Leader in the driver's seat. Within three minutes, the entire unit reported that they were on board.
The Squad Leader riding with me was Vehicle One's Squad Leader. After confirming that everyone had boarded, I asked him, "Brother, do you know where we're headed? Is it far?"
He looked out at the weather, frowning as he replied, "Not very far, but the roads are difficult. Given this weather, we probably won't be moving quickly. However, the higher-ups require us to get you there by six o'clock; we might have to take some risks."
With that, he gently patted the driver and said, "Let's go! Drive steadily!"
Thus, the convoy slowly left Camp and began to accelerate on the deserted road. Driving in such early morning conditions, I realized that storms had never seemed this terrifying before. Lightning flashed and thunder roared as torrential rain poured down like a river bursting its banks. I genuinely worried about the civilians outside; their flat roofs might not withstand such a deluge. The fierce wind whipped the rain like countless whips against the car windows, and water inevitably seeped through the cracks, streaming down inside. In the darkness, lightning flickered intermittently, illuminating the sky like a giant python leaping through the clouds. Occasionally, a thunderclap would explode violently in the air not far from our window...
What an extraordinary beginning! Watching the flashes of lightning and hearing the thunder outside, I silently pondered.
(To be continued; tomorrow will be even more exciting!)
Comment 0 Comment Count