Chapter 146: Excited Ostrich
If it weren’t for not having enough Merit Points, Chang Ning would have bought several more bottles. Life-saving things are never too many.
Looking at “One Breath” lying in the System Space, Chang Ning closed his eyes reassuringly and soon let out a slight snore.
The next day, at dawn facing the sunlight, Chang Ning and the B Group members listened to Gao Zhong Dui’s speech.
“Commendation Order!”
Hearing this term, everyone looked pleased, then immediately put on a serious listening expression.
Recently they had just completed one mission; it must be the commendation from the hostage rescue mission that had come through.
“Lone Wolf Special Assault Team B Group, for outstanding performance in the hostage rescue mission, is now awarded one Collective Third-class Merit to Lone Wolf B Group as encouragement!
Southeast Military Region Command, May 10, 2006.”
After Gao Zhong Dui finished reading the Commendation Order, everyone could no longer hold back; they happily clapped and cheered for themselves. This was their first collective honor.
Chang Ning also clapped along. He had contributed to this Third-class Merit too. Moreover, he was now an external member of Lone Wolf B Group, so the honor included a share for him.
Now, all the leaders qualified to know intelligence about the Lone Wolf Special Assault Team knew that this six-person tactical squad of Lone Wolf B Group actually had seven people.
For B Group’s undisciplined behavior, Gao Zhong Dui did not make a big deal out of it.
This kind of thing was usually only something the Military Police would do; actually, private management wasn’t that strict.
As long as no principled errors were made, he would pretend not to see.
“Alright, settle down, be careful not to let the Military Police see.”
The mention of Military Police scared everyone into immediately quieting down and re-forming the queue properly. No one wanted to copy a thick book’s disciplinary regulations.
“Morning training is over. Now everyone can go relax. Geng Jihui, remember to put your Mission Report on my desk later.”
“Yes.”
Geng Jihui responded loudly from the queue.
“By the way, Deng Zhenhua, stay behind.
Everyone else, dismissed!”
Everyone looked at Ostrich with eyes full of pity, thinking he must have done something bad again that Gao Zhong Dui found out about.
Even the Medic said it out loud: “Hehe, Ostrich, did you mess up again?”
“How would I know? We just got back yesterday; I didn’t have time to mess up.”
Ostrich also started to wonder; he carefully sorted through his behavior in the last twenty-four hours.
He found that besides secretly calling Xia Lan right after the mission ended upon returning to the Barracks, and going with Chang Ning to the cafeteria kitchen late at night to steal Steamed Buns, he hadn’t done anything out of line.
For such minor things, Gao Zhong Dui wouldn’t single him out. Besides, there was also Chang Ning’s share; why should he bear it alone!
Ostrich nervously gave Gao Zhong Dui an ugly smile; anyone could tell he felt guilty.
Gao Zhong Dui smiled: “Relax, I’m not going to eat you.”
Seeing Gao Zhong Dui smile at him, Ostrich felt even more uneasy. Now everyone knew that facing a smiling Gao Zhong Dui was worse than facing him with a stern face.
It was well known that Gao Zhong Dui smiling didn’t necessarily mean he was in a good mood.
Seeing Ostrich get more nervous from his smile, Gao Zhong Dui felt speechless inside, wondering if his smile was that ugly and scary.
Otherwise, why would Ostrich show such a frightened expression.
“Go to the Sniper Company now and report to Assassin; say I sent you.”
“Yes.”
Ostrich originally planned to ask Gao Zhong Dui what exactly was going on, but after observing Gao Zhong Dui’s micro-expressions, Ostrich wisely chose to shut up.
Based on his understanding of Gao Zhong Dui, it was best not to say too much at this time.
“Do you think Ostrich got caught by Gao Zhong Dui for something he did secretly yesterday, so Gao Zhong Dui punished him by making him run?”
Qiang Zi looked at Ostrich’s receding figure and analyzed seriously.
“Something Ostrich did yesterday? You mean the call to Xia Lan?”
Xiao Zhuang asked.
Poor Ostrich had gone secretly hiding from everyone just to call Xia Lan, thinking he had done it flawlessly, little knowing that the comrade on duty at the time had spread the news about Ostrich throughout Wolf Fang.
“What else?”
Qiang Zi asked back; he had racked his brains and could only think of that one thing.
“Impossible. Gao Zhong Dui isn’t that idle; he wouldn’t trouble Ostrich over such a small matter.”
Chang Ning said confidently. He thought if Gao Zhong Dui wanted to make trouble, he might as well use the matter of him and Ostrich stealing Steamed Buns from the cafeteria at midnight; at least that would be convincing.
For Ostrich’s nonsense with Xia Lan, Gao Zhong Dui wouldn’t bother. Although Wolf Fang was a confidential unit externally, it didn’t restrict members’ personal freedom.
Therefore, Chang Ning confidently denied Qiang Zi’s guess.
That said, if it really was punishment for stealing Steamed Buns, why was he himself unscathed? That didn’t make sense.
Chang Ning couldn’t guess what exactly it was.
“Come on, what are you three whispering about?”
Geng Jihui saw the three with heads together not knowing what they were doing and came over to say.
“Group A invited us for a Basketball game; we’re short two people.”
“You guys go; I’ll cheer you on.”
Unless it was Training or a mission, Chang Ning hated most getting himself all sweaty, with clothes sticking uncomfortably to his body.
“No way, you have to play this time.”
How could Geng Jihui let this guy who always found excuses to slack off go? Moreover, after they finished, Chang Ning would boast about his own basketball skills, how others messed up and what he would have done if he were playing.
For this kind of all-talk king, Geng Jihui had long wanted to deal with him. Now with the opportunity, how could he let Chang Ning slip away.
With that, Geng Jihui winked at Xiao Zhuang and Qiang Zi. The two naturally went along willingly; they had often been pitted by Chang Ning in the past.
“Hey, no need for that, right.”
Seeing himself already being held up, Chang Ning couldn’t struggle free easily.
With his current Combat strength plus his own considerable power, breaking free from Xiao Zhuang and Qiang Zi would be effortless. The reason he didn’t resist was that everyone was just playing around seriously and it would hurt feelings, and struggling would easily injure the two.
Therefore, Xiao Zhuang and Qiang Zi faced no resistance and together carried Chang Ning away.
After Ostrich met Assassin and explained his purpose, he got an exciting piece of news from Assassin.
“Assassin, is what you said true?”
Ostrich could hardly believe his ears. Just the day before yesterday, he was worrying about leaving the Military Unit due to his term expiring, and now the opportunity was right in front of him today.
This was the whole army Sniper competition; if he could place, he could smoothly stay in the troops.
After getting Assassin’s affirmative reply, Ostrich could no longer hold back: “Thank you, Assassin. I’m really very grateful; this opportunity is truly too important to me.”
Looking at the incoherent Ostrich, Assassin told him the truth: “If you want to thank someone, thank your Gao Zhong Dui.”
