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墨書 Inktalez
When we returned to the unit, it was already Thursday evening. The warriors of the Culinary Team had prepared the meals and were waiting for everyone.
After the entire company disembarked, the Company Commander mentioned that he would report on the drill situation to the regiment tomorrow. He instructed that everyone should rest tomorrow, and in the afternoon, there would be a summary meeting for all camp leaders. Wow, the Company Commander was being unusually generous; this meant we would have three breaks.
It was clear that the Company Commander was quite pleased. Although the part of our unit stationed at Point A had been under constant mock attacks, they hadn't actually engaged in real combat, which caused him some concern. However, he was optimistic; after all, our battalion and regiment would still receive commendations in the end, which brought honor to the unit, so he wore a broad smile.
Once the entire company had disembarked, I gathered everyone together and said a few simple words: "You've all worked hard! This time during the military exercise, we showcased the might of Sharp Blade Company. Forget everything else; enjoy three days off and three extra meals! Dismissed! Let's eat!"
There was a brief silence before a cheer erupted from below, as if this was more joyous than achieving victory itself.
Looking at the excited soldiers below, I felt a swell of pride. These were my troops, my unit, and a sense of pride surged within me.
"Hey! You’re not planning to feed our unit into oblivion with those extra meals, are you?!" Old Tang tugged at my sleeve quietly.
"Rarely do we get to celebrate like this; we put on quite a show this time. Let’s treat our buddies well."
Old Tang didn’t press further and joined me in watching our soldiers. "Old Wang, these buddies of yours are incredible! They created a miracle."
"Yes, Old Tang. Did you notice? Only when every soldier truly wants to fight and fight well, unafraid of sacrifice or hardship, can we win battles."
"Alright, let’s eat!" Old Tang said with a smile as he pulled me along.
"I’ve had a few cans and some rations; I’ve almost forgotten what rice tastes like." I hurriedly followed Old Tang toward the mess hall.
After dinner, Old Tang made an exception and didn’t give everyone a political lecture. He allowed everyone to change out of their camouflage uniforms. After washing their clothes and tidying up their personal affairs, I instructed the duty squad leader to inform everyone that they could have free time. I arranged for Jinghe to take some DVDs I had bought to the Learning Room to show movies for everyone's entertainment.
As usual, Old Tang conducted a “review” first. He took a look at the DVDs and exclaimed, "Oh, a Hollywood blockbuster! First Blood? Wow, are American soldiers really that amazing?"
"I don't know how strong they are, but I do know that when they encounter us, they will definitely lose!"
"Oh, so confident?!"
"Because we are a whole!" I smiled. "Lambo might be able to defeat any one of us in a one-on-one fight, but the Sharp Blade Company can take down a whole series of Lambos. We're fighting as a collective, not as individual heroes."
"Maybe!" Old Tang handed the clip to Jinghe. "Go ahead and play it!"
After chatting with Old Tang for a while, I felt exhausted from the sudden relaxation after being tense for so long. Before nine o'clock, I started yawning. At that moment, Sheng Xiong came over and placed a bag of phones on the table. "Company Commander, Instructor, all the submitted phones have been returned."
At this point, my eyelids were so heavy I could barely keep them open. "Old Tang, you can distribute them again. Sheng Xiong, take my phone and charge it for me; I need to go back to sleep. Old Tang, if we go out tomorrow according to the schedule, you’ll have to keep an eye on things. I probably won't be able to eat breakfast, so don’t wake me up!"
I dragged my heavy eyelids back to my room and collapsed onto the bed, quickly falling into a deep sleep.
The night passed without incident.
When I woke up again, I felt completely revitalized and full of energy. I rolled over and sat up, only to realize that Sheng Xiong had placed my phone on the bedside table.
Rubbing my eyes, I picked up the phone and turned it on; the time immediately caught my attention: a quarter past ten!
Wow, I slept until this hour!
It was quiet outside; many of the Squad Soldiers must have taken leave and gone out.
Just as I was about to get out of bed, my phone began to beep continuously. Opening it up revealed numerous messages—some from home, some from Old Bi, some from classmates—most notably from Jing: over 0 messages.
Oh, right, I forgot to give it to her when I left.
I quickly opened her text messages, and they were all asking, "Where have you been?" "Call me back when your phone is on." Messages like that.
After thinking for a moment, I decided to send her a message telling her that I had just returned from a mission and would call her later.
I got dressed and went out for a stroll. Sure enough, I found that there weren't many people left at the Unit. Those kids who could leave had gone, and those who couldn't were probably off somewhere bragging to their hometown friends. Now that we had returned from the Drill, I wondered how long they would be boasting about it.
While wandering around, I ran into the Company Commander, who looked quite pleased. When he saw me, he smiled broadly.
"Wang!"
"Yes?" I instinctively felt that a leader smiling at me was usually not a good sign.
"You've brought us some face!"
"Huh?"
"The military district's commendation notice has come down! Our unit has received recognition in the Roll Call! It has been unanimously decided at all levels to award your company the collective Third-Class Merit! As for you personally, the regiment has awarded you a Third-Class Merit as well!"
"Are you serious?!" Good news came too quickly; I stood there in disbelief.
"Would I lie to you? Hey, Wang, you're really lucky; even I'm benefiting from your good fortune," the Company Commander chuckled.
"Hehe, it's not just my luck; it's because the whole company is united!"
"Hey, when you go back, make sure to share the good news with everyone. It'll make them happy. Remember, there's a summary meeting in the afternoon."
"Got it!"
I hurried back to Company Headquarters and called several officers into Old Tang's room. After I recounted what had happened, everyone was in disbelief.
After a unanimous discussion, we decided to announce the news during Roll Call that evening. At the same time, everyone insisted that I treat them to a meal. I didn't put on any airs and took Old Tang and a few officers to the camp's restaurant for a feast.
The afternoon meeting was much duller; the summary session felt more like a study session. We were learning from the speeches of the headquarters Leader, the directives of the Military District Commander, and the instructions from Regimental Leadership...
I was drowsy, my head bobbing up and down. Several times I dozed off only to be jolted awake by Instructor's disapproving glare. Keng Huaming was furious.
Fortunately, the Company Commander didn't say much, and I wasn't too concerned either; I just muddled through until it ended.
As soon as I stepped out of the Battalion, I ran into a familiar face—Old Bi!
"My Brother! I heard you did something amazing!" Old Bi pulled me aside. "You really made a splash! I heard you guys took down N Military District?!"
"Not quite! The truth is N Military District was about to take us down!"
"Don't hide it from me! My uncle told me; the military district has already issued a report. You led your company and turned the tide. The regiment wants to commend you!"
"It was just luck; one of my soldiers was particularly sharp! The outcome of war often hinges on chance," I couldn't help but reflect.
"Stop playing coy! I don't care; you owe me a treat! Don't forget that when you left, I had to clean up your mess during the competition," Old Bi said with a pout.
"Yeah!" I slapped my forehead. "I almost forgot! What happened in the end?"
"In the end, the champion was naturally Shen Han! But he wasn't happy at all; he kept thinking about wanting to have another match with you. It's clear that he cares a lot about your last duel."
"I see!" I scratched my head. Actually, Honest, I had a realization during this trip: martial arts is just a way to strengthen the body, enhance potential, and elevate one's state of mind. In modern warfare, a single missile can wipe out hundreds of thousands of people. As a killing technique, martial arts has lost its place in contemporary military forces. It was this thought that gave me a deeper understanding of what Soaring Dragon had said.
"Hey, take me to the bar tonight!" Old Bi winked.
"What about your girlfriend?"
"She's still studying!"
"I'm not going; it’s boring. Just the two of us guys? People will start questioning my sexual orientation."
"What the hell! Just bring Jing along."
"Isn't that inappropriate? It's late at night; who will take her home?"
"We can go together? Uh, how about you take her?" Old Bi suggested awkwardly.
I thought for a moment; it sounded good. I hadn't contacted Jing in a long time. Reaching out to her right after coming back would show respect and politeness. "Alright! Let's go out tonight."
I wasn't particularly fond of the bar atmosphere. The difference between having a girlfriend and not having one is evident here: when you're single and have free time, you feel extremely bored and don't know what to do. It's much better now with computers to play games and chat online. Ten years ago, when I was in the army, boredom could drive you crazy. Looking back now, perhaps it was the fear of inner loneliness and solitude that made me seek out a noisy place to hide my isolation.
I called Jing, and she readily agreed to meet at ten o'clock at the bar street entrance. I also prepared a case for Old Tang as per usual. While briefing Old Tang, I couldn't help but think how petty some people are; they crave power when they don't have it, but once they do, they bear heavy responsibilities and worries. Everyone has their own troubles! Thinking about Company Commander and Commander, they probably have even more worries than I do.
I shook my head and smiled wryly, realizing I was overthinking things; those matters were still far off.
As usual, we had dinner, enjoyed some free time, and then gathered for roll call. After lights out, I left the main gate with Old Bi and headed straight for Hexi Bar Street.
Jing was already waiting at the street corner, and when she saw us get out of the car, she rushed over excitedly. I was startled, fearing she might leap into my arms.
However, I soon realized I was overthinking again. Jing came up and grabbed my arm. "Brother Wang, where have you been? We haven't heard from you in ages!"
"Hehe, I was on a mission."
"What mission?" She looked at me with curiosity.
"It's a secret!" I pretended to be mysterious.
"Alright, alright, let's go into the bar!" Old Bi was already impatient. "Hey, there's a themed event at one of the bars inside this week—cosplay! If you want to see it, hurry up; there might not be any spots left if we go late!"
With that, Old Bi led the way inside.
(To be continued; tomorrow will be even more exciting!)
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