Chapter 41: Starting To Pick A Favorite Candidate!
Five minutes later.
Chen Jun brought Shi Jin, Wu Liu Yi, and Jin Dashan to the small conference room where squad leaders, platoon leaders, and company cadres usually held weekly meetings.
“You’re all here, sit down, one bottle of water each.”
Gao Cheng gestured for Chen Jun and the others to sit at the conference table, then took mineral water from a box under the table and tossed one bottle to each along the tabletop.
“Thanks, Company Commander.”
Chen Jun and the four of them deftly caught the water and casually picked seats to sit down.
“New recruit training is already nearing its end. Today, I called you over for one thing: to discuss the new recruit selections for our Seventh Company. I’ve picked a few that seem decent. You all take a look, give your opinions, speak freely.”
Gao Cheng was as straightforward as his personality, no beating around the bush in the meeting, straight to the point, sliding the folder across the tabletop to Chen Jun.
Shi Jin, Jin Dashan, and Wu Liu Yi were all veteran non-commissioned officers. From the first day of leading new recruits, they had been keeping an eye out for good seedlings for their own company.
They all had a good idea in their hearts which new recruits in the company were more suitable.
Hearing that they were formally finalizing the list, they all perked up.
Chen Jun opened the folder and looked through it, finding six new recruit names written on it. The one ranked first at the top was no surprise.
It was none other than Cheng Cai, who had performed the most outstandingly, shooting at the target better and better.
Chen Jun recognized the five new recruits right below by their names.
Because they all had eye-catching performances!
However, among the remaining five new recruits, there was no Bai Tie Jun, nor Xu Sanduo, proving this list was not the final selection.
Seeing Cheng Cai on it was enough for Chen Jun; he didn’t care much about the other personnel.
Because selecting any of them was about the same to him.
After looking, he slid the document over and placed it in front of Shi Jin sitting beside him.
Shi Jin started with eyes full of anticipation, but after seeing the list, his expression fell, adding a touch of helplessness. He listlessly passed the document to Jin Dashan.
Even though there were two new recruits from Fifth Squad on the list, it didn’t cheer Shi Jin up.
Jin Dashan saw two new recruits on the list from the Fourth Squad he led, proving that his ability to lead soldiers had been recognized by Gao Cheng.
Beaming with a bit of smug satisfaction, he handed the document to the last one, Wu Liu Yi.
After Shi Jin listlessly finished looking, Jin Dashan finished with a face full of grins. When it was Wu Liu Yi’s turn, he frowned after looking.
The list had two from Fourth Squad and two from Fifth Squad, but only one from his Sixth Squad.
This left Wu Liu Yi unsatisfied.
Wu Liu Yi’s personality was unyielding, refusing to bend, with stronger self-esteem than most.
To use Gao Cheng’s original words from the plot, his self-esteem was just too strong; he had to win at everything, or he was bound to fail.
Wu Liu Yi believed the squad he led was no worse, so there shouldn’t be just one new recruit selected from it, hence his frown.
Gao Cheng noticed Wu Liu Yi’s dissatisfaction and simply started from him, lightly tapping the table as he said, “Wu Liu Yi, what do you think?”
“Company Commander, I think…”
To avoid offending the Company Commander, Wu Liu Yi weighed his tone before saying, “First, about this Cheng Cai. His performance in the new recruit company is indeed the best; his ability is unquestionable.
But I just feel like this guy is fake. It’s not that I have a grudge against him; I really just get that feeling.
Every time I look at him, it’s like he knows I’m watching, and he’ll deliberately show off, that slick and sly kind—you know what I mean.
He does perform well in all aspects, but I always feel… he’s performing well not to improve his own ability, but to show off to us.”
Wu Liu Yi’s observation ability was indeed quite strong; his analysis of Cheng Cai hit the nail on the head, piercing right to the bone.
Chen Jun smiled but said nothing.
Because Cheng Cai at this stage did love to show off, to the point of being selfish and self-centered, never missing any opportunity to perform.
And the reason he worked so hard to show off was to stay in the army, not wanting to return to the mountain gullies.
After all, unlike Xu Sanduo’s protagonist halo where he could encounter benefactors helping him wherever he went, Cheng Cai could only rely on himself to succeed.
Everything Cheng Cai did in the original plot was just like most ordinary people in reality.
It was the coexistence of ambition and sense of crisis that made Cheng Cai, even now encountering his one benefactor Chen Jun, not dare to slack off or relax at all, still proceeding with extreme caution every step.
Afraid of offending any squad leader or platoon leader, trying his best to please and not offend anyone.
At the same time, to stand out from the crowd of new recruits and earn higher regard from the cadres and squad leaders, Cheng Cai had to show another face to his fellow new recruits.
Treating all new recruits as enemies, as opponents, striving with all his might to surpass them.
No emotional bonds with them—emotions would dull the blade.
This excessive modesty, two-facedness toward people, combined with extreme competitiveness.
Naturally made him seem hypocritical!
Wu Liu Yi was a straight-arrow who refused to bend; he treated everyone the same, so naturally he disliked Cheng Cai’s saying one thing to one person and another to ghosts.
While Gao Cheng, from the Company Commander’s perspective, had a view similar to Chen Jun’s.
Seeing Wu Liu Yi didn’t like Cheng Cai much, he smiled and said, “That kid is indeed very polite to everyone, always with a smile whenever you see him.
But in training, it’s the complete opposite—he’s fiercely competitive in everything, always wanting to win. That’s just like you, Wu Liu Yi. No wonder you’re from the same place.”
Gao Cheng deliberately singled out Wu Liu Yi, with a hint of the pot calling the kettle black.
Making Wu Liu Yi awkwardly scratch his head and chuckle.
Gao Cheng took a drag on his cigarette and changed the subject: “But, to get back to the point, Wu Liu Yi, what do you think our Seventh Company fears most?”
“Fears soldiers who don’t strive, only wanting to coast by.” Wu Liu Yi answered promptly.
“Right.”
Gao Cheng slapped the table and said, “What our Seventh Company wants is fierce competitors. We must have an unconvinced spirit. Soldiers who just muddle through day by day, content to live off past glories—Steel Seventh Company is no place for them.
So, this soldier Cheng Cai fits our Seventh Company’s needs perfectly. I have no worries about him.
He’s currently Squad Deputy Leader in Fifth Squad in the new recruit company. I’m just afraid that once he gets to Seventh Company, he’ll compete with you, the Third Squad Deputy Leader, and your pressure will be huge, haha.”
Gao Cheng’s joking remark at the end made everyone at the table laugh.
To show he wasn’t backing down, Wu Liu Yi boldly declared on the spot, “Then it’s settled. We definitely have to take him. I don’t want anyone saying I’m afraid of a new recruit.”
“Hahaha.”
Everyone laughed again.
“But I want to make a suggestion.”
Wu Liu Yi had picked on Cheng Cai’s flaws just to pave the way, and once paved, he went straight to the core: “I think our squad’s Bai Tie Jun is pretty good, more suitable than that new recruit from Eighth Squad.
Heh heh, Company Commander, how about swapping this one? Pick all six new recruits from our Second Platoon. Soldiers we trained ourselves would be more handy to use, right?”
