Chapter 22: Red Company 3 Wants To Poach?
While Shi Jin and Wu Liu Yi were chatting, Chen Jun had already cooperated with Political Instructor He Hongtao to bring the new recruits down from the train and complete the roster check.
Confirming that the number of new recruits was correct, they used the roster to call names one by one to confirm no one was taken by mistake.
Then the new recruits, led by Chen Jun, arrived outside the station and orderly boarded the canvas truck parked outside, beginning their journey to the 702 Regiment’s new recruit camp.
The East Wind canvas truck compartment was very rudimentary, without even a single chair, so the new recruits could only sit on the iron plates.
But thinking that they were now heading to the new recruit company and would soon formally step into the army’s camp to become honorable soldiers, the new recruits were all unusually excited.
So excited that sitting on the bumpy iron plates all the way, they didn’t feel their buttocks hurting at all.
The truck drove on the dirt road with loess dust filling the sky, and visible dust filled the compartment, but even covering their noses, they didn’t find it uncomfortable.
In this mood of anticipation, they entered the new recruit camp after two hours.
There were many things to do upon entering the new recruit camp, various tedious matters that would take at least two days to complete, and two weeks before formal subject training could begin.
And the first thing upon entering the camp was dividing into squads!
Handing the new recruits to each squad leader, dividing them into three platoons and nine squads.
Before the new recruits were divided into squads, Company Commander Gao Cheng, representing the 702 Regiment as the new recruit company commander, gave the recruits their first lesson upon enlistment.
The brisk and efficient Gao Cheng didn’t speak verbose words, mainly focusing on matters new recruits should pay attention to upon entering the camp.
Among them, one sentence was the most incisive, striking the soul of all the new recruits.
“Listen up, all of you. Whether you’re a mule or a horse, come out and trot for me. Three months later, mules, get out! Horses, follow me up!”
This simple sentence rang an alarm bell for some new recruits and gave chicken blood to others.
Cheng Cai was one who got the chicken blood.
In his phase of extremely strong competitiveness, Cheng Cai had no thought of leaving since coming to the troops, so at this moment, he secretly swore in his heart.
He, Cheng Cai, would not only be a horse, but the strongest heavenly horse.
Another portion of new recruits didn’t understand the troops’ regulations and thought that failing the three-month new recruit training would mean being expelled, scaring them until their faces all changed.
Completely unaware that Gao Cheng’s real meaning was that he would only take the horses, and the mules would be assigned to other companies.
Of course.
There was also a very rare third category.
He was the company’s only “thinker,” completely failing to grasp what this meant, his mind full of curiosity about the difference between mules and horses.
At this moment, he was only thinking that after dismissal in a bit, he must take the dictionary to look it up properly.
In such a serious occasion, thinking about completely unrelated things—only the magical Xu Sanduo could do something like that.
After Company Commander Gao Cheng finished speaking, the steps before dividing the troops began—
Appointing platoon leaders and squad leaders!
Gao Cheng had made special arrangements in this regard: the platoon leaders and backbone squad leaders of First Platoon and Third Platoon were all from other companies, and they had been randomly shuffled.
Only Second Platoon’s platoon leader and squad leaders were all from Seventh Company.
Second Platoon Leader would be served by Chen Jun, Fourth Squad Leader by Jin Dashan, Fifth Squad Leader by Shi Jin, Sixth Squad Leader by Wu Liu Yi, just enough to form a platoon.
The work of dividing the troops was handed to Chen Jun.
The freshly appointed hot Second Platoon Leader thus formally began his path as platoon leader.
Dividing the troops wasn’t Chen Jun picking whoever he wanted; which squad each new recruit was assigned to was already arranged in advance on the roster.
Chen Jun just needed to introduce each squad leader, then have the squad leaders line up in a row on the side.
Then, following the roster, call out each new recruit’s name one by one, announce their squad, and the new recruit would take their things and stand in front of the squad leader.
The process wasn’t complicated, even simple, just time-consuming due to the numbers.
Chen Jun had already tightened the rhythm very compactly, yet it still took nearly five minutes to assign all 90 new recruits to specific squads.
“Each squad’s squad leader, take your people down, first check for prohibited items, then according to the designated areas, assign beds, cabinets to each new recruit, and store all training-unneeded items in the storage room…”
Chen Jun, following the troops’ rules and regulations, instructed on the matters to note.
“Old Seven, this Second Platoon Leader is from your company, right? I was wondering why you assigned a cadet soldier as platoon leader, but unexpectedly he really has some skills. The work arrangements are very orderly, and his thinking is very clear.”
Seeing Chen Jun’s demeanor during the division, He Hongtao didn’t think he looked like a newly assigned cadet at all—more seasoned than many veteran platoon leaders in the troops. He couldn’t help but exclaim in praise.
“Not bad, passable, didn’t lose face.”
With his own soldier being praised right in front of him, Gao Cheng was blooming with joy inside but pretended to be indifferent on the surface, performing arrogance to perfection.
“Keep pretending. For platoon leaders like this, however many you have, our Third Company wants them all. As long as you’re willing to let them go, I’ll immediately report to the regiment to request them.”
As the 702 Regiment’s most senior political instructor, He Hongtao still had an eye for people.
As the saying goes.
An expert makes a move, and you know right away.
With Chen Jun standing up front, he completely held the entire aura—that wasn’t something a cadet could do.
If a cadet could do that, he was absolutely extraordinary.
Chen Jun obviously was!
“Want Chen Jun?? Heh heh, two words, no way.” Gao Cheng stopped pretending and laid his cards on the table.
If it had been a month and a half ago, Gao Cheng might really have agreed to He Hongtao’s request, even eager to send off the baggage quickly.
But a scholar who has been away for three days must be looked at with new eyes—Chen Jun was no longer the same.
How excellent Chen Jun was, how great his potential, Gao Cheng knew better than anyone.
The talent-loving Gao Cheng, how could he let him go.
“Look at your demeanor.”
He Hongtao pointed his finger and laughed: “In our 702 Regiment, who doesn’t know that snatching people from your hands, Old Seven, is harder than ascending to heaven, haha.”
…
While Gao Cheng and He Hongtao were chatting, Chen Jun had already said everything he needed to.
“Dismiss.”
With Chen Jun’s final command, each squad’s squad leaders quickly moved.
“First Squad, all present, follow me here.”
“Second Squad’s, all come over, all come over.”
…
The squad leaders experienced in leading troops knew the new recruits hadn’t learned drill yet and wouldn’t understand standard drill commands.
So they all used simple and easy-to-understand instructions to lead the new recruits to various places on the parade ground.
Carrying out the necessary work before joining squads—
Checking the new recruits’ personal items!
New recruits are a very magical thing. When they leave home with their parents’ and elders’ expectations to come to the troops, they do many unimaginable things.
Bringing various knives, communication tools, game consoles, lighters, kerosene, and other prohibited items was one thing.
There were even new recruit parents with wild ideas, to help their child stay in the troops, transfer to volunteer army or attend military academy, using local means to specially bring a large pile of cash to build connections in the troops.
Such things weren’t isolated cases.
