Chapter 302: Freakish! Leveling Up Four Times In A Row!
The Chinese Team strongly won the Ireland Assault International Special Forces Competition championship, shining brightly at the award ceremony, making all countries have to concede.
However, this was just the beginning of the glory; returning home was the real big stage.
And it was high-energy from the return trip!
To praise the Chinese Team’s excellent performance, domestically they even spent a fortune to charter an airplane, letting Chen Jun and his group enjoy chartered flight return service.
When the airplane landed at the capital airport, the scene below was even more spectacular.
The military band dressed in neat service uniforms played resounding military songs echoing through the airport, welcoming the warriors who had won glory for the country, returning with honors.
From the top of the stairs descending from the airplane, a red carpet extended downward endlessly.
On both sides of the carpet below the stairs, there were two rows of neatly lined-up warriors, all wearing straight service uniforms, welcoming the warriors’ return with gun salutes.
Behind them were large crowds of people, all holding various banners welcoming the champions’ return.
There were also many reporters from the Military Report, holding cameras and microphones ready at the sidelines, just waiting for the protagonists to appear and rush up to film.
The setup for onlookers and venue personnel was very luxurious, and the reception team’s configuration was even more extravagant.
The number waiting for the reception was huge, looking like dozens of people at least, and the leader had an extremely high military rank, with a golden single star on his shoulders.
Leading the reception with general specifications showed the military’s emphasis on this competition.
“Whoa, this is so grand.”
Chen Jun, as the Chinese Team captain, walked at the front, and upon looking down from the open cabin door, he was shocked by this exaggerated scene.
Even after serving in the troops for three lifetimes, he had never enjoyed such a high-specification welcome.
The other contestants following closely behind were also stunned by this grand welcome ceremony, couldn’t help letting out various gasps of astonishment in low voices.
“My dad always said to work hard in the troops and bring honor to the family; have I done it?” Xu Sanduo muttered to himself with wide eyes.
“This is so exaggerated; at a glance, it’s all people—there must be hundreds down there.” Tuo Yonggang said in disbelief.
“Stay calm, stay calm.”
Wu Zhe kept repeating his catchphrase, trying hard to suppress his surging emotions; his heartbeat was way too fast, and he felt like he might faint if he didn’t hold it back.
“I, Cheng Cai, actually have this day too, haha.”
Thinking about scenes he had only seen on television before, now becoming one of the protagonists himself, Cheng Cai couldn’t stop laughing.
“Heh heh, when I get back to Old A, the captain will have to praise me big time.” Qi Huan said smugly.
…
The welcome scene was so spectacular that everyone couldn’t suppress their inner excitement, with various exclamations nonstop.
“Alright, get ready to go down, no more talking—don’t embarrass us at a time like this.”
Chen Jun was actually very excited too, but he knew the more important the occasion, the less he could drop the ball, so he had to suppress his excitement and remind everyone.
Cheng Cai and the others also knew that the following scenes would all be broadcast on television.
Not only could old comrades-in-arms in the troops see it, but even relatives and friends back home could see it, witnessing this highlight moment in his life.
They had to show their best spirit, energy, and mind, and perfectly play this role.
So the crowd quickly stopped whispering, instead straightening their clothes, checking if their hats were crooked, reining in their expressions to look more spirited.
“Ready, down.”
With Chen Jun’s quiet command, the ten-member competition team stepped down with neat paces.
Steps in unison, perfectly synchronized.
This was something the army had to follow no matter where.
And when Chen Jun and his group of ten came down the stairs with neat steps like a template, the reception team immediately burst into warm applause.
First to come up was a group of kids, looking like fourth or fifth graders in elementary school.
Each held a flower ring, putting a fresh flower wreath around the neck of everyone coming down from the airplane.
Offering flowers in tribute was an important part of the welcome, representing blessings and respect for the contestants.
After all ten contestants had disembarked and completed the flower-offering tribute, the reception team led by the general came over.
Chen Jun immediately organized the team, then reported to the approaching team: “Report, Comrade Commander, the Ireland Assault International Special Forces Competition competition team is all present, ten should arrive, ten actually arrived, awaiting instructions, competition team captain Chen Jun.”
The 89-meter-tall, robust Chen Jun raised his hand in salute, his voice like a bell; his entire demeanor was simply the model of a Chinese soldier.
The group of Military Report reporters who had been waiting for a long time immediately picked up cameras and photographic cameras, snapping away at Chen Jun madly.
It was foreseeable.
Chen Jun would appear on various military newspapers, television stations, and other media across the entire army in a very short time, becoming a model figure for the whole army.
And this image of him saluting with head held high would become a classic in military media.
The old leader leading the reception team smiled from start to finish, satisfied with Chen Jun’s performance and even more satisfied with the competition team’s performance.
Under the media’s barrage of cameras, the old leader made a brief speech on behalf of the military.
First welcoming the competition team’s triumphant return, then highly praising the team’s outstanding results, affirming the members’ excellent performance, and emphasizing the honors the team had won for the army and the country.
Participating in an international military competition for the first time and winning the championship with absolute strength.
This result was unbeatable!
The old leader leading the reception and giving praise was far from enough to commend the honors won by the competition team; it was at most just an appetizer.
When Chen Jun and his group were escorted back to the war zone by the reception team, that would be the highlight of Chen Jun and the others’ lives.
Upon arriving at the Capital Military Region and getting off the vehicle, it was the welcome banquet, held to the highest specification standards, with the war zone chief of staff personally in charge of hosting.
Seeing the big leader with three golden stars on his shoulders actually sitting at the table eating with them.
Not to mention those like Cheng Cai and Xu Sanduo who had never seen much of the world and were experiencing this level for the first time, sitting on stools like they were on pins and needles, even their hands holding chopsticks were shaking from extreme nervousness and excitement.
Even Chen Jun, who had seen all kinds of big scenes, felt constrained when the leader sat right beside him, proactively and enthusiastically toasting and saying all sorts of praising words.
Ordinary people might not understand this scene, thinking it’s just drinking—nothing big.
But if you were a company employee and the group chairman suddenly sat beside you to toast, or an ordinary public institution staffer invited by a high official to sit at his table.
Just imagine that scene of sitting together, and you’ll feel it deeply.
After a welcome banquet that wasn’t very lively or unrestrained, and where they couldn’t even eat their fill, the afternoon brought the commendation conference right after.
Holding the commendation in the war zone headquarters was an extremely precious honor in itself.
“Could it be second-class merits for us?”
Cheng Cai, Wu Liu Yi, Wu Zhe, and other championship team members stood on the podium with complex moods, both excited and very uneasy.
And earning a second-class merit once was already the limit they could imagine.
Because there had been no precedent before; the Chinese military representative team had never won a championship abroad, so what award could be given was impossible to guess.
However.
First-class merit requires lying down to receive it—this was a consensus known to everyone in the army.
So no one dared to think of first-class merit, that unattainable existence; even getting a second-class merit would be enough to make everyone grin ear to ear.
But in this situation where they didn’t even dare think about it, the final award stunned everyone.
“…Representing the Chinese Team to compete abroad, performed excellently and won the championship…won glory for the country, showed the world our army’s style…by unanimous decision of the war zone general political department, specially awarding the championship team individual first-class merits…”
“I, I… damn, f-first-class merit???”
Cheng Cai and the others thought they misheard at first, their eyes bulging like cow eyes, expressions more exaggerated than seeing a ghost.
The officers and soldiers attending the award ceremony below the stage were equally shocked to learn it was first-class merits.
But after just a few seconds of surprise, they came back to their senses and gave warm applause, acknowledging the championship team’s glory for the country.
The whole audience erupted in thunderous applause!
And among the ten contestants on stage, except for Chen Jun who had known about the first-class merit in advance and, though excited, could steady his emotions.
The others stood dazed even hearing the thunderous applause, unable to believe it was real.
Until the old leader with golden three stars on his shoulders personally walked to the contestants, picked up the shiny golden award, and pinned it to their chests.
Only then did the dazed Cheng Cai and others react, excitedly flushing red, lips trembling as they stood at attention and saluted.
First-class merit!
This was a first-class merit!
From this moment on, Cheng Cai and the others were truly first-class meritorious officials, and their company would become a first-class meritorious company.
Even their battalion, regiment, division, and other units would benefit and shine because of them.
And each would benefit for life; if non-commissioned officers, they could easily get promoted to officer, and after that, at least reach division level.
If already cadres, as long as no major principled errors.
The future was surely army level or above!
Especially for ones like Chen Jun and Wu Zhe, though not sealing marquises or becoming premiers like in ancient times, crossing that heavenly threshold to become generals would be almost effortless.
For those valuing traditional family concepts, with this honor, it would surely be the family’s glory, worthy of a separate page in the genealogy.
With so many benefits from first-class merit, how could their emotions stay steady.
As the main championship team members, Chen Jun and his eight others each received first-class merit honors, and even the reserve team had plentiful gains.
Ran Feng and Chen Xiaopan just went along for the trip, and as reserves, had no chance to compete.
They too each received an individual second-class merit at this commendation conference, truly beyond their expectations.
Though second-class merit was far inferior to first-class, they were already very satisfied with this merit.
They were still only second-class non-commissioned officers; with this second-class merit in hand, they had the “ticket” to get promoted to officer.
Though special forces non-commissioned officers were the same as officers when just team members.
But to become higher commanders, like captain or higher levels, they had to become officers.
This concerned whether they’d be warriors their whole lives, with the ceiling being just an instructor at best.
Both the competition team and reserve team members earned merits and awards, which already made the contestants very happy, but their surprises weren’t over.
After the awards, there were other commendations, making Chen Jun and the others feel like they were dreaming.
First was the greatest meritorious captain Chen Jun.
For merits in preparing and forming the combined arms battalion, the researched combined arms tactics having great value, and this time going abroad for the country to win the championship, awarded first-class merit by the war zone, with personal performance outstanding, making huge contributions to the army and country.
The war zone directly gave Chen Jun special treatment, promoting his military rank by two full jumps.
From captain straight to lieutenant colonel!
And formally appointed as Steel Seventh Battalion deputy battalion commander, simultaneously granted a regiment-level position.
Promoting from first lieutenant to lieutenant colonel was a big level; first lieutenant starts as the lowest platoon leader, while lieutenant colonel can serve as regiment commander.
There were platoon leader, deputy company commander, company commander, deputy battalion commander, battalion commander, deputy regiment commander, regiment commander—seven levels in total.
Ordinary officers couldn’t achieve it even in twenty years; even meritorious excellent officers with no errors needed over fifteen years at least.
And Chen Jun, full count, had used less than two years; this speed couldn’t be described as riding a rocket.
It was simply somersault cloud!
Leaping 108,000 li in one bound!
Just this description might not be clear, but comparing sideways with Gao Cheng would make Chen Jun’s perversion obvious at a glance.
Gao Cheng was still just a major at regiment level, temporarily acting as Steel Seventh Battalion battalion commander at deputy regiment level.
Now Chen Jun not only had one higher military rank than Gao Cheng, but even the same position; if calculated outside Steel Seventh Battalion, Chen Jun was solidly Gao Cheng’s superior, and Gao Cheng would have to salute and report to Chen Jun.
Note that Gao Cheng was a second-generation with background, enlisting years earlier than Chen Jun, yet his military rank was lower.
Chen Jun’s promotion speed was pervy.
Obvious at a glance!
And for Chen Jun himself, suddenly jumping several levels at once, he was indeed very surprised inside, and also very happy.
Previously, his military rank was too low, making the positioning awkward when forming combined arms units.
Played a core role but couldn’t become the core.
Now suddenly several-level jump, basically catching up to the combined arms unit’s expansion speed.
When later forming the combined arms regiment, Chen Jun could surely steadily take deputy regiment commander, or even snatch regiment commander wasn’t impossible.
Holding a dominant position in combined arms units would make it more convenient for Chen Jun to carry out work.
This was what Chen Jun cared about most, and was happiest about.
Chen Jun’s military rank and position double celebration, life ascending to a whole new level; others like Cheng Cai and so on also had plentiful gains.
