Chapter 37: Gao Cheng Drops A “bombshell”
The Second Platoon’s shooting results were so good overall, which was undoubtedly due to Chen Jun’s influence, using a method to improve the overall results.
“Good guy.”
Gao Cheng looked at Chen Jun and secretly marveled: “Let him lead the whole company’s cross-country five kilometers, and in just half a month, the overall results all improved.
Now let him lead a new recruit platoon, and the whole platoon’s results far surpass the other two platoons. How did he do it??”
Gao Cheng himself had been a platoon leader, and he knew that our army’s grassroots backbone squad leader system seriously weakened the platoon leader’s role during wartime readiness.
During normal training, the company commander specifies the plan, and the backbone squad leaders below are responsible for leading the soldiers.
The squad leaders directly interface with the company commander.
The platoon leader in the middle is basically dispensable; without a platoon leader, normal training isn’t affected, and their actual role in leading soldiers is almost just the two words “platoon leader.”
Yet Chen Jun, in this situation, could influence the whole platoon beyond the backbone squad leaders.
It was truly baffling.
Precisely because there was no way to understand it, Gao Cheng became increasingly curious about Chen Jun, eagerly wanting to dig into him and uncover more unexpected surprises.
…
All nine squads completed shooting at the target, and the company was soon brought back to the barracks area.
The results of the first live-fire target practice were very ideal, especially the Second Platoon far exceeding expectations. Cheng Cai’s first shooting result of 48 rings was the best in nearly ten years.
Gao Cheng was in a very good mood.
He specially assembled the whole company in drill formation and singled out Cheng Cai for roll-call praise.
He also hinted to the new recruits that Steel Seventh Company needed excellent new recruits like Cheng Cai; only excellent new recruits were qualified to enter Seventh Company.
Being singled out for whole-company roll-call praise, with one foot already in Steel Seventh Company, Cheng Cai was immensely proud and smug.
His chin was raised at forty-five degrees to the sky.
Seeing Cheng Cai praised alone by the company commander, the other new recruits were envious to the point of sourness, all stimulated to secretly gear up, determined to surpass Cheng Cai.
Gao Cheng’s purpose was precisely to stimulate the new recruits. Seeing the good effect, he was in high spirits and once again boasted boldly, dropping a bombshell—
Whoever could achieve full excellence in all seventeen subjects during the graduation assessment would have him apply to the regiment for a commendation.
If they could also score fifty rings, it would be upgraded to individual third-class merit, laying a solid foundation for later becoming a volunteer soldier.
“Third-class merit?”
The new recruits might not have heard of other things, but this third-class merit was familiar; it was the legendary honor that heroes on television could obtain.
Hearing that they too had a chance to win third-class merit, they instantly became like they had been injected with chicken blood, their little faces flushed red with excitement.
Their craving for training reached an unprecedentedly intense and excited peak.
Seeing that enthusiasm had been thoroughly ignited, Gao Cheng was very satisfied with his “art of commanding soldiers” and, riding the atmosphere, rolled out a third reward—
Notification to the cookhouse to add dishes!
Two extra big meat dishes at lunch!
To ensure the extra training meal was served on time, each of the nine squads would send one soldier on duty to help in the kitchen, while the rest all rested in the barracks area.
It was equivalent to half a day off.
If it were any other time, hearing they could rest for two hours would make the new recruits ecstatic, immediately running back to pull out cards and start playing.
With daily training scheduled so full, nothing was happier than rest.
But today was different.
The new recruits were all stimulated to the point of hot blood surging; who had the mind to play cards and rest.
Their minds were full of third-class merit.
After dismissal, no one rested; they all proactively asked the squad leader to take them for training, wildly swinging at various stamina and apparatus exercises.
“Our company commander still has methods; he knows how to motivate people.”
Wu Liu Yi grinned at Shi Jin, very happily leading the new recruits to start training.
“Third-class merit—for the vast majority of warriors, in a lifetime of service, this is probably the closest they’ll get to it, and if they miss this opportunity, once they go down to the company, getting third-class merit will be at least ten times harder.”
Chen Jun had won third-class merit in his previous life, and it was in the new recruit company— he was the only one in the whole company then, so he had strong feelings about this scene.
For new recruits to get third-class merit, they just needed to compete with him and surpass him to get it.
But once in the company, it was different; surpassing him was just the starting point. To get a third-class merit, they’d have to compete at minimum with over a thousand in the whole regiment.
The difficulty levels were completely different!
Now Chen Jun’s status had changed from new recruit to platoon leader; he had no chance to get this new recruit exclusive third-class merit anymore and could only shine in the mid-year grand competition.
But he had the chance to cultivate a “representative” to take this third-class merit for him, which would also complete a kind of inheritance.
Thinking of this…
Chen Jun’s gaze swept over the new recruits but found only one suitable candidate.
Among the familiar people he knew, Xu Sanduo went without saying—this guy, once he got it, might have a chance, but right now he was a total baggage.
If he could just pass every subject in the graduation, that would be burning incense; there was no way he could get third-class merit.
Bai Tie Jun in Sixth Squad was just so-so; even if he trained hard in the new recruit company, at best he’d get excellence in a few subjects.
There were a few other familiar faces, comrades from Seventh Company in his previous life, but none of them had the talent.
The only one closest was Cheng Cai!!
“Next year’s mid-year assessment, Seventh Company needs a sharpshooter, and for him to transfer to non-commissioned officer, he needs third-class merit too— so give him a push and give it a try.”
Chen Jun wasn’t sure if Cheng Cai could do it, but anyway, he needed Cheng Cai to owe him a favor, and helping him out wasn’t a loss.
If Cheng Cai didn’t get the third-class merit, then with all Chen Jun had done for him in the new recruit company, the owed favor was enough. If by luck he did get it, Cheng Cai would never slip away from him in this lifetime.
No matter the result, it was a win for Chen Jun, so naturally he had to give him a nudge.
After the new recruits’ first live-fire shooting, subsequent weeks would still have shooting training, but not as the main subject—instead mixed with other subjects.
Including but not limited to throwing grenades, tactics, hygiene, protection, stamina, readiness, and more.
Each subject had corresponding standard lines; the new recruits needed to train seriously as taught by the squad leader, striving to improve their training results.
So that in the final inspection assessment, they could produce a sufficiently impressive answer sheet.
If they didn’t want to be assigned to feed pigs, they had to train hard.
As the various subjects unfolded one after another, the new recruits’ training schedule was packed full, and in the various new subjects, new recruits kept emerging as standouts.
Almost every subject had a couple of experts whose results far outstripped the other new recruits.
Perfectly showcasing humanity’s “diversity”!
As more and more excellent new recruits emerged, the new recruits’ daily training became extremely fulfilling, and time quietly passed by rapidly.
