Chapter 11: Knife Skills
The management of the cookhouse is relatively relaxed compared to regular companies. They need to prepare meals for the entire company, so the training missions for the soldiers in the cookhouse are random.
Usually, when they have free time, they can join other platoons for training. Of course, others won’t refuse them, since the cookhouse controls the stomachs of the whole company.
Besides, not many people in the cookhouse can participate in training. Most are veterans, and currently, only one person can, which is Chang Ning.
“Chang Ning, we’re making hot and sour shredded potatoes this afternoon. Hurry and go to the warehouse to peel the potatoes.”
Old Ma the squad leader got up to wash up and saw Chang Ning sweaty, holding a yellow washbasin. Clearly, this guy got up earlier than everyone else, went out to exercise physical fitness, and just came back.
“Got it, squad leader.”
A revolutionary soldier is like a brick, ready to go wherever needed.
Since he was assigned to the cookhouse, he had to do his job well. Chang Ning’s attitude toward the cookhouse was different from others. Others were unwilling when they heard they were going to the cookhouse, because it would damage their reputation.
If you went home to visit family and friends asked how things were in the unit, and you said you were in the cookhouse, they would often look down on you, thinking you were just a cook.
These people misunderstood the cookhouse. Actually, the cookhouse is quite demanding, especially in a sharp knife unit like the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company. Not only do the meals have to be good, but they also have to participate in training, and their results can’t be at the bottom.
The cookhouse has one advantage: time is randomly allocated, and you can get access to various firearms.
According to Old Ma the squad leader, if you’re willing, you can even play with 40 fire.
Chang Ning has a golden finger. Participating in training gives him experience, and reading related professional books gives even more. Last time, he maxed out his rifle shooting experience bar, and the golden finger directly integrated all the skills and experience of using the 95-style assault rifle for him, including muscle memory in one step. Now, Chang Ning’s 95-style hits wherever pointed within effective range, and has an 80% hit rate outside the range—terrifying!
In summary, a unit like the cookhouse, where time is self-allocated, is the most suitable for Chang Ning.
Chang Ning used the key to open the warehouse door. The supplies inside were neatly arranged. As expected of the military unit—even the flour bags were stacked with sharp edges, and fruits and vegetables were categorized with uniform sizes.
This place is simply paradise for someone with OCD!
After moving the potatoes out of the warehouse, Chang Ning started peeling them in the courtyard, but the results were far from satisfactory.
Through Chang Ning’s hands, the potatoes often shrank in size exponentially. In his later years, he never used a kitchen knife for peeling; he always used a peeler.
“You have a new experience bar generated.”
The golden finger’s prompt sounded in Chang Ning’s mind.
Ever since he maxed out rifle shooting experience, he could only train physical fitness every day. The new experience bar finally appeared after his constant anticipation.
His mind sank into his sea of consciousness, and Chang Ning saw the new experience bar.
Knife skills: 0/100
Looking at the knife skills experience bar, Chang Ning fell into deep thought. He wondered if this knife skill could be used not just for cooking—could it be used for bayonet fighting? Would it give a bonus in 1v1 fights with the enemy? He needed to figure these out.
A good student figures out problems when encountered. Chang Ning began calling out to the experience bar in his mind.
“Can this knife skill only be applied to cooking?”
“…”
Alright, the golden finger was very aloof and ignored Chang Ning.
‘I’m so dumb. Why ask when I know this thing has low intelligence? Whatever, no need to dwell on it. Whether it works or not, just max it out and see.’
Gradually, a thin layer of potato peels piled up at Chang Ning’s feet, and the pile on the ground kept thickening.
Time passed slowly, and Chang Ning’s potato peeling technique became more and more proficient. The flesh left on the peels decreased, even better than using a peeler.
After finishing peeling, Chang Ning’s knife skills experience smoothly reached 10 points.
“So, this potato peeling was equivalent to completing one training session.”
Chang Ning unconsciously rubbed his chin. Summarizing experience was one of his few good habits, and also the reason he graduated ahead of schedule at such a young age.
Good memory was only one aspect; cases like harming a child prodigy were not uncommon.
Maxing out knife skills experience was a long way off. There were no related books in the company, and besides, Old Ma the squad leader wouldn’t have him peeling every day.
Where does a good cook soldier start? Old Ma the squad leader had experience; he would have newcomers start with miscellaneous items.
Chang Ning’s daily work in the cookhouse was cleaning, washing pots and dishes, and helping prepare vegetables. With the golden finger’s help, Chang Ning’s progress was incomparable to ordinary newcomers.
Once, Old Ma the squad leader saw Chang Ning peel potatoes so thinly with almost no flesh left, and was astonished. Didn’t others know Chang Ning’s level? As his squad leader, he paid no little attention to Chang Ning.
There was a reason an old comrade specifically instructed him on this, but more importantly, Chang Ning’s attitude was extremely proper. He did whatever was asked without a single complaint, and he did the work beautifully.
“Chang Ning, your task today is to shred these potatoes into strips. I’ll demonstrate first.”
Seeing Chang Ning’s talent, Old Ma the squad leader had a new idea in mind, but it didn’t affect his shredding potatoes.
He split a potato in half, pressed it down with his left hand, and swiftly cut with the knife in his right. In just over ten seconds, a potato the size of two fists became shredded potatoes.
Compared to peeling, shredding was much simpler. With the bonus of 10 experience points, apart from the irregular cuts at the start, Chang Ning later surpassed the teacher, shredding fast and finely.
Old Ma saw all this. There was no extra expression on his face, but huge waves surged in his heart.
How many years had it been? Old Ma had never met such a genius who could learn after one practice.
‘Such an excellent talent in the cookhouse.’
But thinking of his old comrade’s smiling face, Old Ma dismissed the thought.
It was a bit of a waste to keep Chang Ning in the cookhouse, and Old Ma knew exactly why his old comrade placed him here. He was happy to teach such an excellent new recruit—who doesn’t like smart students?
Old Ma’s mindset changed, and Chang Ning’s good days were over. During the day, he had to join other squads for training when possible and chop vegetables in the cookhouse. At night, under Old Ma the squad leader’s arrangements, he would do some strange things.
For example, threading a needle while reciting housekeeping rules, or sorting a bowl of mixed black and green beans placed in front of Chang Ning.
He could roughly guess Old Ma the squad leader’s intentions with these trainings, so Chang Ning didn’t resist.
Life in the cookhouse wasn’t easy for Chang Ning, mainly because he felt particularly mentally exhausted every time he completed a task assigned by Old Ma the squad leader.
Such days continued for fifteen or sixteen days, and his knife skills experience finally maxed out.
The familiar swelling sensation appeared in his head again. Last time it turned him into a 95-style master. This time, he didn’t know what it would be—Chang Ning was full of anticipation inside.
