Chapter 36: The Instructor Can’t Hold Back Anymore!
If Xu Sanduo is excluded, the overall level of the Fifth Squad is even higher than the Fourth Squad. The total time for shooting at the target would definitely be within fifty seconds.
Unfortunately, Xu Sanduo was looking around when shooting started, causing everyone else to finish while he was still dawdling.
It was dragged to one minute and eight seconds.
Seeing that the time was so long and unable to see the actual situation of shooting at the target, Fifth Squad Leader Shi Jin’s psychological pressure suddenly increased, and he anxiously stood up.
“Squad Leader, you don’t need to be nervous. Your squad’s results definitely won’t be bad. Don’t worry, the results will be out soon.” Wu Liu Yi deliberately comforted him.
“Mm.”
Shi Jin nodded, not in the mood to talk.
When Cheng Cai led the team back, the target inspectors got out of the pit and began to check the targets one by one, reporting the shooting situation via walkie-talkie.
“Target number one, 3 shots; target number two, 2 shots… Target number four, five shots on target 4… 48 rings.”
The target inspector was shocked and stammered.
“48 rings??”
The whole audience gasped.
The new recruits were like they had seen a ghost, unable to believe that a new recruit could shoot so well. They were all practicing the same way, so why could he hit forty-eight rings when I could only get zero?
The veteran squad leaders were also dumbfounded, never expecting such an impressive new recruit.
Even Company Commander Gao Cheng, who was by the side, was shocked. He raised his voice and excitedly asked loudly, “Target number four, who shot target number four?”
“Report, Company Commander, it seems to be that Cheng Cai, the one who smiles at everyone.” the communicator replied.
“Cheng Cai? I know who you’re talking about, the one with the accent, who is polite to everyone and constantly offers cigarettes to others. He is indeed quite good, with excellent results in all subjects. We can bring him to our Seventh Company then.”
Gao Cheng had a deep impression of Cheng Cai and had reserved him in advance.
To avoid He Hongtao getting there first!
He Hongtao was indeed still shaken, thinking about bringing Cheng Cai to the Red Third Company. However, Gao Cheng had already taken the lead, so he could only strive earnestly, “To be able to hit 48 rings in the first shooting practice, if it’s not luck, then he is indeed a good seedling for a sniper.
Our Red Third Company lacks nothing else, except for a good sniper. I think he is quite suitable. Company Commander Gao, why don’t you let him join our Third Company?”
“Who doesn’t need snipers? Our Seventh Company’s three sniper teams are all short of people.”
Gao Cheng gave He Hongtao face by not directly refusing, but the meaning in his words was very clear.
He even cleverly changed the subject to avoid He Hongtao’s persistence: “It’s still the soldiers trained by the Seventh Company’s most outstanding squad leaders who are so efficient.”
Gao Cheng’s subsequent remark was loaded with meaning.
It implied that this soldier was trained by me, his squad leader, hand in hand. How could your Third Company have the nerve to snatch him from me?
He Hongtao was a political instructor and couldn’t force the issue. He could only temporarily put the idea in his heart and decided to call back and discuss it with the Third Company Commander after the shooting practice ended.
A new recruit company produced such a good seedling, so they definitely had to find a way to contend for him.
As for Chen Jun and Shi Jin, who were the guides, their hearts were even happier than Gao Cheng’s at this moment. With these 48 rings as a foundation, they could set higher goals later.
They could completely try to aim for full rings.
Full rings would earn a third-class merit.
The honor of a new recruit was not just his own; the backbone cadres and leaders who trained them could also enjoy it. In the eyes of their superiors, it was even more significant than the new recruit himself.
After all…
A strong new recruit only benefited himself, but the ability to train soldiers well was true strength.
With Cheng Cai’s sudden emergence as the “ceiling,” no one paid attention to the subsequent results of other new recruits; they were all immersed in the impact it brought.
As a result, when Wu Liu Yi’s Sixth Squad came on stage later, everyone was still discussing Cheng Cai’s results.
The cheerful new recruits couldn’t hold back and started to curry favor with Cheng Cai, who had returned to the formation. All sorts of flattery flowed endlessly.
Cheng Cai truly enjoyed this feeling of being admired. He even put on airs as the Deputy Squad Leader and said earnestly, “I was able to achieve such good results all thanks to my squad leader and platoon leader. Their meticulous guidance made me who I am.
Of course, my own talent is also excellent, and I trained very diligently.
So, if you all want to be like me and achieve excellent results like 48 rings, you must listen to your squad leader and platoon leader, and train hard, just like I did.
I believe that as long as you put in enough effort, you will surely be as outstanding as me.”
Cheng Cai’s “reportage” was truly excellent. It sounded like he was humbly giving credit to the squad leader and platoon leader, but in reality, he was praising himself throughout his speech.
Judging by his eloquent speech, if he were to enter politics, he would definitely be able to get by.
“Alright, maintain silence and pay attention to the drill order.”
Wu Liu Yi disliked Cheng Cai’s pretense and sternly interrupted Cheng Cai’s interaction with the new recruits.
Shi Jin also felt that Cheng Cai was a bit too deliberate, but Cheng Cai wasn’t just all talk; he genuinely had the skills. His competitiveness wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Therefore, he didn’t say anything.
The Sixth Squad’s final results were similar to the Fourth Squad’s, with about half of the people reaching the passing line, and one person achieving excellence.
After all three squads of the Second Platoon finished shooting, each squad had excellent new recruits, with a passing rate exceeding fifty percent.
The overall strength was a whole level higher than the First Platoon.
When the three squads of the Third Platoon went up to shoot later, the results dropped sharply again. Only one or two individuals reached the passing mark, while other new recruits hovered below two shots, similar to the situation in the First Platoon.
Seeing this situation, Gao Cheng seemed to understand and turned his gaze to Chen Jun.
The new recruits in the First, Second, and Third Platoons were all from the same batch, randomly assigned. Except for a few outstanding new recruits and a few who lagged behind, most were pretty much the same.
The Second Platoon had the outstanding new recruit Cheng Cai, and also the lagging new recruit Xu Sanduo.
One good and one bad essentially canceled each other out.
So, with the new recruits’ quality being the same, the backbone cadres and platoon leaders participating in the new recruit company were all the most outstanding individuals from each company.
Shi Jin and Wu Liu Yi were outstanding squad leaders, and other backbone cadres were also outstanding squad leaders.
This meant that…
The basic conditions for each squad were the same; they all started from the same starting line, with no special circumstances or preferential treatment.
Yet, the shooting results of the three platoons showed that only the Second Platoon was particularly outstanding.
The kind that stands out from the fault line.
Gao Cheng was very sure that the results of the First Platoon and Third Platoon were the normal results that new recruits should have; previous new recruit companies were at this level.
The reason why this cohort, led by Gao Cheng, had three classes of new recruits with outstanding results.
And it would have such a big influence on a platoon-by-platoon basis.
That definitely wouldn’t be the squad leader as the biggest influence; a squad leader can only influence a squad, only a platoon leader can influence a platoon.
All signs pointed to the platoon leader, all pointed to Chen Jun, who was wearing a cadet’s tag.
