Chapter 13: Enthusiastic Veterans Of Third Squad
“Ba Te Er? How strong is he?”
That name sounded foreign, and he didn’t recall anyone named Ba Te Er from Soldiers Sortie. Chen Jun became curious.
“I won’t talk about anything else, but when it comes to cross-country with load, I’ve never seen anyone fiercer than him.”
Gao Cheng frowned deeply and said in admiration, “This Ba Te Er is from Inner Mongolia. He practiced wrestling from a young age and has a very strong physique. I heard he also trained in long-distance running in school.
Since the year he enlisted, there were still people in our regiment who could compete with him in the full-gear 5-kilometer run.
But this full-gear 8-kilometer cross-country with load has always been firmly held by Ba Te Er; no one has been able to take it from him for four years.”
“A man from Inner Mongolia? And he trained in long-distance running, no wonder he’s so fierce in cross-country with load,” Chen Jun understood instantly.
Wrestling is famous in Inner Mongolia. Those wrestlers who grew up eating meat and drinking milk have very sufficient protein intake; they are all as strong as bulls.
Plus, he specifically trained in long-distance running and knows how to apply various long-distance running techniques.
Talent, physique, and skill…
The perfect chosen one for cross-country with load!
“His overall conditions are just too good; he truly has no equal in the full-gear 8-kilometer. It’s too difficult, too difficult to take this point from him,” Hong Xingguo shook his head and sighed.
“If it weren’t for the Sixth Company being responsible for leading the new recruit company back then, and that old guy Six being too cunning, he would have gotten the recruits into the Sixth Company a day early during the troop distribution. I would have definitely brought Ba Te Er to the Seventh Company.”
Gao Cheng said it with a clenched jaw, showing how much he disagreed with the matter.
Everyone wants good soldiers.
If you snatch one, you’re happy; if someone else snatches one, you’re pissed.
“This year, it’s our Seventh Company leading the new recruit company. Old Seven, you need to keep a sharp eye then, and don’t miss any good soldier prospects,” Hong Xingguo said with anticipation.
“That’s for sure. Anyone who dares to compete with me, I’ll fight them to the death,” Gao Cheng looked determined to win.
Seeing that Gao Cheng and Hong Xingguo had strayed from the topic, Chen Jun actively brought it back, saying, “Company Commander, Political Instructor, I don’t know how strong this Ba Te Er is.
I only know that I fear no one, and I will definitely take this point in the full-gear 8-kilometer.”
“Good~ What courage.”
Gao Cheng appreciated soldiers with guts, and Chen Jun’s words greatly improved his impression of him.
He immediately decided, “Chen Jun, just for these words, I will give you whatever you want. Even if the company doesn’t have it, I, Gao Cheng, will get it for you.”
“Company Commander, actually, it doesn’t need to be too much. Just ensuring I have enough high-protein foods like beef, eggs, and milk every day is sufficient.”
Chen Jun worried about inconveniencing Gao Cheng, as seeking personal privilege in the military was a very bad thing.
He then added, “If it’s inconvenient, I can owe it first. Once I pass probation, you can deduct it from my salary.”
“There’s nothing inconvenient about it. It’s settled then.”
Gao Cheng was generous and authoritative, waving his hand and deciding, “Starting tomorrow, you tell me how much you need, and I’ll have the quartermaster prepare it for you daily.
However, eating at the canteen won’t be suitable. You’ll need to cook it yourself in this place. I’ll prepare cookware for you. Is that okay?”
“No problem, thank you, Company Commander.”
Chen Jun knew the reason behind the higher-ups’ decision, and the matter was settled.
The 702nd Regiment is a unit under the 84th Group Army. The entire group army is stationed near the capital, belonging to very standard garrison troops.
Therefore, the entire regiment is clustered in one base, with distances between them possibly only a few tens of meters.
Thus, eating here is unlike border defense troops where each company has its own canteen. The 702nd Regiment has several nearby companies eating together in one canteen.
Every time they line up at the entrance of the large canteen to sing and have a singing competition to see which company sings the loudest.
It’s also a feature of the group army!
It was indeed not suitable for Chen Jun to eat in the canteen with different dishes when several companies were eating together in the large canteen; it would create a very bad impression.
It was also considering this aspect that Gao Cheng thought of having Chen Jun cook for himself in the Seventh Company.
The reason Chen Jun needs high-protein food is mainly to quickly gain muscle in a short period and get rid of his current stick-like physique.
Muscle-gain foods are low in oil and salt, and can basically be cooked by boiling, without requiring complex cookware.
A rice cooker would be enough!
…
By the time Chen Jun came out of the company commander’s office, all those who participated in the assessment had been brought back to the company. Those who passed were back in the dormitories to rest, while those who failed went to the parade ground to do physical training.
The veterans in the Third Squad were all quite capable, finishing within 20 minutes.
When Chen Jun walked into the squad from outside, the veterans in the squad all turned their heads in unison, their gazes falling on Chen Jun.
Before the company-wide 5-kilometer assessment today, everyone had been on somewhat bad terms with Chen Jun.
Adding to that, Chen Jun got first place today, and the veterans who lost the bet needed to fulfill their agreement and buy Chen Jun a Hongta Mountain cigarette worth over a hundred yuan.
The atmosphere became even more awkward!
Gan Xiao Ning and the other veterans were trembling with fear, afraid Chen Jun would ask them for a pack of Hongta Mountain, as they couldn’t afford that much money.
Their monthly subsidy was only twenty-something yuan. After deducting expenses for toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, etc., the money for daily life was very little.
They had to smoke sparingly and buy the cheapest Chun Cheng.
Chen Jun deliberately didn’t greet them first, intentionally letting his eyes dart around them, as if he was about to ask them for cigarettes at any moment.
He just wanted to pressure these veterans and let them know who the boss was.
Only by completely subduing these veterans in the Third Squad could Chen Jun then use them and the Third Squad as a springboard to successfully spread his influence to the entire company.
Wu Liu Yi sensed the strange atmosphere in the dormitory and chose to step in as a peacemaker.
“Here, Squad Leader, have a smoke.”
Wu Liu Yi took out his Honghe cigarettes, took one out, and handed it to Chen Jun.
Faced with Wu Liu Yi’s offer of a cigarette and addressing him as Squad Leader, this signal of friendship, Chen Jun didn’t pretend and accepted Wu Liu Yi’s gesture of goodwill.
However, he didn’t light and smoke it. Instead, he took out his own cigarettes.
While handing out cigarettes, he said, “I quit smoking a week ago when the special training started, so I can’t smoke this pack of Hongta Mountain anymore.”
Brothers, consider it doing me a favor, each of you help me finish two.
As for the Hongta Mountain cigarettes we agreed on before, I don’t smoke anymore anyway, so it’s no use to me. You don’t need to buy them, let’s just consider this matter settled.”
Hearing Chen Jun say they didn’t need to buy cigarettes anymore, Gan Xiao Ning and the other veteran soldiers, who had been trembling with fear for half the day, suddenly had their faces light up with smiles.
This was more than a hundred silver dollars saved, which was nearly half a year’s subsidy for the veteran soldiers.
That’s a lot of money!
To express their enthusiastic gratitude for Chen Jun’s generosity and to ensure Chen Jun didn’t go back on his word, Gan Xiao Ning and a group of veteran soldiers all gathered around Chen Jun with great enthusiasm, showering him with compliments.
The Squad Leader called out particularly smoothly, with a continuous stream of flattery.
