Chapter 202: Chengcai Accepts A Secret Mission!
Yuan Lang had just driven away from Steel Seventh Company when the exhaust hadn’t even dissipated yet, and another jeep came rushing over from the other side.
“Screeech~~~”
A piercing friction sound.
The tires ground two rows of black skid marks on the ground, and before the car had even fully stopped, with the door only half open, Gao Cheng jumped out in a hurry.
His eyes were full of visible anxiety as he strode into the building.
“Hey? Where is he?”
Gao Cheng had rushed like lightning and sparks all the way, charging from the first floor to the second floor into Chen Jun’s room, pushing open the door and scanning everywhere with his eyes.
“Who?”
Chen Jun saw Gao Cheng’s expression like his house had been robbed and almost couldn’t hold back his laughter.
“That damn Old A, I got a notification from the clerk that a lieutenant colonel came to the company looking for the deputy company commander, and I figured it must be that guy with his unquenchable greed.”
Gao Cheng struck a vigilant pose, afraid that Chen Jun had been persuaded to leave.
“Oh, you mean Lieutenant Colonel Yuan Lang from A Brigade, he did come here, chatted with me for a bit, and has already been gone for a while,” Chen Jun said.
“What did you chat about?”
Gao Cheng frowned and asked worriedly: “He must have talked to you about going to their A Brigade, right? You absolutely cannot be fooled by his tricks.
What’s so good about staying in special operations forces? Every day it’s either desperately training or doing desperately hard work.
Just stay with me with peace of mind, that whatever, we’ll get the combined arms battalion up and running, and then work hard to build a combined arms regiment or something later.
Isn’t that way more interesting than doing deadly Old A stuff? You absolutely cannot agree to go.”
Gao Cheng advised several times in one sentence, showing he was really afraid Chen Jun would go to A Brigade and had tied himself and Chen Jun tightly together.
“Don’t worry, company commander.”
Chen Jun patted his chest in guarantee, then smiled: “Not only will I not go to A Brigade, I’m even thinking about how to get some people from A Brigade to our combined arms battalion.”
“Wh-what? What did you say?”
Gao Cheng actually understood Chen Jun’s words, but the information density was too great, too far beyond the syllabus, and his CPU couldn’t process it.
“Combined arms tactics require special operations forces. The combined arms battalion can make do with the reconnaissance company, but above combined arms regiment level, scouts will start to fall short, needing organized special operations battalions to meet combat demands.
But cultivating special operations forces from zero is way too difficult and costly, even with group army support, it might not even be feasible, so…”
Chen Jun grinned showing white teeth, chuckling: “I want to get some people from A Brigade to use. Aren’t they the most awesome special operations forces in our military region?
If I can get a batch from him, wouldn’t that give us ready-made special operations forces?”
Hearing that Chen Jun was really up to something big, and a huge deal at that, Gao Cheng wasn’t scared by Chen Jun’s boldness; instead, he got so excited his face started turning red.
When it came to boldness, Gao Cheng had never bowed to anyone, but this time he truly submitted to Chen Jun.
He hurriedly asked impatiently: “Come on, come on, tell me quickly how you handled that damn Old A. They’re not that easy to deal with.”
“It went like this…”
Chen Jun roughly recounted his earlier conversation with Yuan Lang to Gao Cheng.
Gao Cheng felt downright exhilarated hearing how Chen Jun had firmly pinned down Yuan Lang, leaving the other with no temper at all and even countering with a reversal.
It was simply refreshing!
He only regretted coming back late and missing the live show.
But refreshing as it was, he was also baffled.
Of the three demands Chen Jun made to Yuan Lang, Gao Cheng only understood the third, because Chen Jun had already explained that the quota from Old A was for forming a special operations battalion in the future.
But the first and second demands left Gao Cheng completely in the fog.
He couldn’t see any connection.
“I say, Old Chen, I heard special operations forces training camps are pretty long, even the shortest are three or four months, and damn Old A is about the same. You going there to work for free, is that really necessary?” Gao Cheng asked puzzled.
“Do I look like someone who likes working for free? Don’t forget what I said earlier,” Chen Jun said slyly.
Seeing the mischievous smile on Chen Jun’s face and recalling the earlier words, Gao Cheng wasn’t low in intelligence quotient and instantly reacted.
“Oh, I get it. You want to use this opportunity to poach people from A Brigade.”
Gao Cheng imagined Chen Jun going to A Brigade and poaching their people back, and thinking of Yuan Lang’s reaction then, he couldn’t help feeling sorry for Yuan Lang for three seconds.
Thinking it was free labor, but actually it was to steal their home base.
Truly one of a kind!
Gao Cheng genuinely had to admire Chen Jun; even the grand A Brigade was played around in circles by him. If it were him, he couldn’t pull it off.
But while thrilled inside, he was also curious about what method Chen Jun used to steal the home base.
“Old Chen, this lurking home-stealing move is truly brilliant, very much in the style of our reconnaissance company. But how do you get damn Old A to willingly give up A Brigade and come to our combined arms battalion?” Gao Cheng asked.
“Old A definitely can’t be persuaded; my target isn’t them either.”
Chen Jun shook his head and explained: “Special forces soldiers have all undergone willpower training; getting them to leave voluntarily is impossible.
Not to mention, even if they were willing, A Brigade wouldn’t let them go—the high cost of training one special forces soldier is right there; how could they leave casually.”
“Not damn Old A? Could it be…”
Gao Cheng and Chen Jun really had some tacit understanding; his eyes darted and he actually thought of it, stunned: “You want to lure away the team members sent from various troops to participate in A Brigade’s training camp?”
“Right on, haha.”
Chen Jun laughed heartily: “The cadets who come to A Brigade for training camp are definitely top experts from each company; in our words, they’re all soldier king level.
These cadets have no emotional ties to A Brigade, and most will inevitably be eliminated midway.
My target is precisely these midway eliminated competitors who can’t continue the training camp—find a way to persuade them to switch to our combined arms battalion.
Then, you handle the reception here, and we’ll do a remote cooperation.
Strive to shear no fewer than thirty fat sheep from A Brigade with this operation, first set up a special operations platoon in our Steel Seventh Company.
Then, using this special operations platoon as foundation, I’ll organize systematic training, you handle supplies allocation, and slowly expand it.
Starting from special operations platoon, step by step to special operations company, then upgrade to special operations battalion—no problem.”
“Special operations platoon? Special operations battalion?”
Thinking that Steel Seventh Company could have its own special operations team, and he could lead a special operations force, Gao Cheng instantly got so excited his scalp tingled.
And the more he thought, the more exciting and stimulating it got, even adrenaline surged.
In excitement beyond control, he slapped Chen Jun’s arm and praised profusely: “Worthy of you, Old Chen. This time I’m truly convinced by you, completely convinced.
From today on, don’t call me company commander anymore; we’re brothers on the same boat.
This time, let’s do a strong alliance. You just rest assured; as long as you bring the fat sheep over, I absolutely won’t let a single one escape, haha.”
Gao Cheng didn’t probe further into exactly what rhetoric Chen Jun would use to persuade.
He believed Chen Jun could do it.
He just needed to believe.
“Haha, good, then get the troops used to it; from now on I’ll call you Old Gao.”
With Chen Jun’s change in address, it signified that from this moment, his relationship with Gao Cheng officially became friends, as close as family.
Then he teasingly joked: “Right, Old Gao, this poaching from A Brigade is a secret right now; you absolutely cannot tell anyone. A Brigade hasn’t agreed yet; I still need to keep tugging with them.”
Seeing Gao Cheng’s face flushed with excitement, Chen Jun worried he’d get too hyped and brag outside, so he gave him a tight spell right at the peak of excitement.
“Don’t worry, this is a big deal, top priority; must keep it sealed.”
Gao Cheng patted his chest in guarantee and added: “A Brigade definitely won’t let a talent like you go; it won’t be long before they come again.
When they come next time, call me; I’ll cooperate with you to put on a double act for him, how about it?”
Seeing Gao Cheng’s eager stance, Chen Jun didn’t want to dampen his enthusiasm; having someone to play the straight man would indeed boost their side’s morale.
So he readily agreed: “Alright, it’s settled then. We’ll perform this play well together when the time comes.”
The next meeting with Yuan Lang would inevitably be the final showdown between both sides; how many chips they could secure depended on each’s ability.
Having one more person on his side to back him up would at least strengthen their morale.
“Haha, I absolutely won’t hold you back,” Gao Cheng patted his chest in guarantee.
Just as the two were chatting enthusiastically, Yuan Lang had already driven back to regiment headquarters, met up with Tie Lu who had just finished talking, and drove off to the airport.
They needed to hurry back to A Brigade for a meeting to discuss this matter.
Regiment Commander Wang realized this could be big or small; to ensure the combined arms battalion could stably take root, he ultimately decided to call core personnel for a meeting.
So.
The conversation between the just-confirmed Chen Jun and Gao Cheng was interrupted by the clerk who ran in.
He loudly reported to the two that the regimental duty room had just called, asking Gao Cheng and Chen Jun to go to regiment headquarters, as the regiment commander had something for them.
Chen Jun guessed it was definitely about A Brigade’s recruitment but didn’t tell Gao Cheng.
Pretending not to know, they went to regiment headquarters together.
Regiment Commander Wang told them about his chat with Tie Lu, namely needing Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment to cooperate in open recruitment, and one week later gather all personnel on the list to the regiment training ground for basic testing.
He also said that warriors passing the basic test would then undergo a round of open selection assessment, with the specific method temporarily unknown.
For better future docking so the poached fat sheep could smoothly join the fold, Chen Jun told Regiment Commander Wang everything in detail: Yuan Lang coming to Steel Seventh Company trying to persuade him to join A Brigade, how he countered the general, and his idea to poach from A Brigade.
When Regiment Commander Wang first heard Tie Lu acting without martial virtue—knowing he couldn’t let Chen Jun go yet still secretly poaching behind his back.
He was furious then.
Face red and neck thick; if Tie Lu were there, he’d definitely fight him.
But hearing Chen Jun reject face-to-face without leaving any leeway, and even using the chance to counter-steal A Brigade’s home base.
Regiment Commander Wang, originally very angry, had an expression like clear skies after a storm.
Utterly refreshed!
For this precious gem Chen Jun, he naturally cherished him even more.
At the same time, he started anticipating that his regiment would soon have legendary special operations forces, no need to envy others’ good times.
That was special operations forces.
Not only would warriors yearn for them, regiment leaders coveted them too.
After Regiment Commander Wang, Gao Cheng, and Chen Jun synced information, they centered on Chen Jun’s plan to discuss deployment for the next steps.
For A Brigade recruiting from Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment, Regiment Commander Wang originally planned a pretend to obey but disobey.
Hide all the excellent good seedlings of Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment, the more prominent ones like Cheng Cai, Wu Liu Yi, Ba Te Er, Xu Sanduo, etc.
Xu Sanduo had indeed been quite sloppy before, but in the months since the exercise, with his unkillable pervert physique, plus cracks appearing in the shell around him, his talent had slowly emerged.
Plus exaggerated photographic memory, huge improvements in military foundation theory and physical fitness.
Still a big gap from Cheng Cai and Wu Liu Yi, but much stronger than others.
Plus the good impression from road-building.
In Regiment Commander Wang’s heart, Xu Sanduo was a good soldier.
In the basic test one week later, Regiment Commander Wang planned to assign all these excellent good seedlings he valued to be barracks area inspectors.
This way, it fulfilled his promise to have them appear on the field, but as staff, they wouldn’t participate in basic testing.
Even if Tie Lu didn’t get test data afterward and came to nag Regiment Commander Wang.
Regiment Commander Wang could retort back.
Just shamelessly stall for time; you couldn’t do anything to him.
However, Regiment Commander Wang had underestimated Old A, accurately speaking, underestimated the demon-like Yuan Lang; seemingly useful methods were actually worthless.
Chen Jun knew this approach was useless; it would inevitably be spotted by Yuan Lang’s eyes.
Since it couldn’t escape, then don’t escape.
Directly hit him with an open scheme!
Chen Jun suggested doing exactly as Tie Lu said: whoever is on his list, call them over, fully cooperate, follow his instructions throughout.
“Doing it this way, won’t all our regiment’s excellent seedlings be selected by A Brigade?” Regiment Commander Wang worried.
“Don’t worry, regiment commander, I guarantee you not one will get away, and if my plan succeeds, I can bring you back dozens of good seedlings—this deal, we absolutely make a huge profit.”
Chen Jun had foresight into the future and knew each competitor’s traits; as long as he grasped their traits, none could slip from his hands.
“Alright, alright then, do as you say.”
If it were anyone else, Regiment Commander Wang absolutely wouldn’t agree, but Chen Jun was the sole exception; no matter how worried, Regiment Commander Wang chose to believe.
This was Chen Jun’s current status!
With the overall direction set, next they centered on Chen Jun to refine the remaining details together.
Finally nailing down the complete plan, the matter was settled.
Just waiting for one week later.
When Chen Jun’s great show pulls open the curtain.
And after Chen Jun and Gao Cheng returned to Steel Seventh Company, after dinner Chen Jun specifically called out Cheng Cai, and in a very formal tone, solemnly assigned him a secret mission, one only he knew.
And privately promised that as long as Cheng Cai completed it well, afterward he would do his utmost to help him get promoted to officer and become an officer.
Cheng Cai’s admiration for Chen Jun had long become blind; he saw him as a god-like existence.
The “god” personally assigning a heavy responsibility.
And offering such great temptation, to transform from a soldier to an officer, a gorgeous shift in status.
Let his old Cheng family shine with ancestors because of him.
Cheng Cai was so excited.
Short of cutting his finger to write a blood oath to show Chen Jun his resolve.
Originally, upon first hearing special forces selection and having a chance to become a special forces soldier, the budding yearning flame hadn’t even ignited before extinguishing.
His mind filled with only one thing—
How to complete the mission Chen Jun assigned!
Compared to becoming a special forces soldier, becoming the legendary soldier king, getting promoted to officer and becoming an officer, the temptation was greater for anyone.
Cheng Cai was no exception!
