Chapter 45: Cheng Cai Passes Out From Anger
“Very suitable? Where is that??” Squad Leader Shi asked.
When Squad Leader Shi asked where it was, it proved that the balance in his heart had already tilted, and his initial decision had been changed.
The biggest problem was finally solved, and Company Commander Gao felt delighted.
He pretended to be mysterious and said, “Squad Leader Shi, just don’t worry about where it is. Anyway, I won’t harm him.
Just give your stance. As long as you agree, I’ll arrange for him to go there. If he really becomes an excellent warrior later, I, Gao Cheng, will welcome him to Seventh Company with open arms.”
Company Commander Gao deliberately played a word game, focusing on becoming an excellent warrior.
If not excellent, he wouldn’t want him.
But Squad Leader Shi didn’t notice the words in front and only heard Company Commander Gao make a promise to him face-to-face, that he would welcome Xu Sanduo with open arms at that time.
Thinking that forcibly taking Xu Sanduo away now would make the company commander very unhappy, and it might harm Xu Sanduo.
But if it was after a year or so of transition, the company commander would welcome Xu Sanduo to join Seventh Company, and there would be no need for conflict between himself and the company commander.
The remaining time was also enough for him to cultivate Xu Sanduo and make him a qualified warrior.
Squad Leader Shi’s thoughts ultimately changed, and he sat down without speaking again.
Not speaking meant acquiescence.
Company Commander Gao, afraid that Squad Leader Shi would go back on his word, immediately announced publicly, “Alright, the internal list is settled like this. Two days later is the graduation assessment. Everyone, put in some effort and must achieve real results.
That’s it, meeting adjourned.”
The words “meeting adjourned” had just been said when Company Commander Gao neatly took the document and turned to leave, disappearing from the meeting room door in the blink of an eye.
Not giving Squad Leader Shi any chance to regret.
This speed made Platoon Leader Chen secretly applaud in admiration, while also sighing at Company Commander Gao’s painstaking efforts. To keep Squad Leader Shi, he really put in a lot of effort.
……
Company Commander Gao organized his own people for an internal meeting and, before the graduation assessment even took place, preemptively decided on the new recruits to be assigned to Seventh Company.
The new recruits didn’t know their destinations, and as the division of troops approached, they became increasingly nervous.
Everyone wanted to join a good company and didn’t want to be assigned to feed pigs.
Even more didn’t want to be discharged!
So in the last two days before this graduation assessment, the new recruits seized the final time to improve themselves even a little bit as much as possible.
Cheng Cai, with the greatest ambition, was the most uneasy at this final checkpoint.
To relieve the pressure in his heart and also to help Xu Sanduo as much as possible, Cheng Cai took advantage of the noon break to secretly call Xu Sanduo out.
Along the way, he looked around cautiously like a thief and finally hid in the corner behind the big warehouse.
This was the first time in the three months since entering the new recruit camp that Cheng Cai had called Xu Sanduo out alone. Before, Xu Sanduo’s rest time had all been arranged for extra training, with no chance to chat privately away from others.
Now that troops were about to be divided and assigned to companies, if he didn’t say it now, there would be no chance, so Cheng Cai was so anxious.
Hiding in the corner, he looked around and found it very safe. Cheng Cai first took out a pack of Chun Cheng, preparing to light one to satisfy his craving.
Xu Sanduo had never sneaked out to chat before and looked around nervously.
“No need to look. No one comes here, it’s very safe. I’ve scouted it in advance. Come, have one.” Cheng Cai took out a Chun Cheng and handed it to Xu Sanduo.
“I, I don’t smoke.” Xu Sanduo shook his head.
“You’ve got to learn. Everyone smokes. If you don’t, doesn’t that mean you’re not fitting in? The squad leader and platoon leader won’t like it, and your days will be tough.” Cheng Cai persuaded.
“Our platoon leader doesn’t smoke either, and I think he’s pretty good to me.” Xu Sanduo said with a silly smile.
“The platoon leader doesn’t, but the company commander does. Don’t you know the company commander has a bad impression of you? If you learn to smoke and give him more cigarettes, your relationship will be good.”
Cheng Cai earnestly advised Xu Sanduo, who was the only person Cheng Cai truly cared about.
“No, I won’t learn. The platoon leader told me that smoking is a bad habit.” Xu Sanduo really listened to Platoon Leader Chen and took every word as a warning etched in his heart.
Since Xu Sanduo had brought up Platoon Leader Chen, Cheng Cai really couldn’t continue persuading.
Platoon Leader Chen had always given special attention during training, and Cheng Cai had seen it all and remembered it in his heart. Platoon Leader Chen’s kindness toward him had turned into respect in his heart.
Changing the topic, he said, “Hey, Three Dummy, do you want to be a horse or a mule?”
“I’m so dumb, I learn everything slowly, and training relies on everyone’s help. I definitely can’t be a horse, only a dirt mule.” Xu Sanduo was quite self-aware.
“I’m not willing to be a dirt mule. Since I’ve come out of the mountain valley, I can’t go back. I want to be the horse our company commander wants, and a heavenly horse at that, making a splash in the army for a lifetime.”
After finishing with eyes full of brilliant yearning, Cheng Cai couldn’t help adding, “Three Dummy, this is my dream. I haven’t told anyone else, only you.”
“Cheng Cai, you definitely can. You’re a heavenly horse, you’ll definitely make a splash in the troops for a lifetime, unlike me, an unwanted mule.” Xu Sanduo said in a low voice.
“Hey~”
Seeing Xu Sanduo’s face full of dejection, Cheng Cai suddenly felt the cigarette unsatisfying, stubbed it out, put his arm around Xu Sanduo’s shoulder, and said, “Dummy, your innate conditions are too poor, so you’ve got to work really hard.
There are only two days left until the graduation assessment. You’ve got to give it your all then, get a good score, get assigned to a good company, so it’s not a wasted trip. Right?”
“I, I think I can’t. I’ve always been dragging everyone down. I won’t think about a good company anymore. As long as, as long as I’m not assigned to feed pigs, that’s fine.” Xu Sanduo was very unconfident.
“Three Dummy, are you trying to piss me off? Don’t you know to think of a method?”
Cheng Cai was angered by Xu Sanduo’s words and slapped the back of Xu Sanduo’s head in frustration at his pig brain.
“Think of a method? How?” Xu Sanduo asked pitifully.
“You really are a pig brain.”
Cheng Cai said through gritted teeth, “Platoon Leader Chen, our platoon leader, how good he is to you. To improve your training results, he even had the whole platoon help you.
He’s your benefactor. As long as you can hold onto his leg tightly, let alone other good companies, even the best Steel Seventh Company you can go to.”
“Hug the thigh? How do I hug it? If I keep hugging his thigh, how will the platoon leader walk?” Xu Sanduo said very seriously.
“You…”
Cheng Cai nearly passed out from anger, forcibly restrained his hand from hitting the head again, and patiently explained, “The hug the thigh I mean isn’t that. I mean go to him for help.
Platoon Leader Chen is very capable. Even the company commander treats him politely. Helping you is definitely a piece of cake, just one sentence.
The competition in the troops is so intense, survival is so hard. You’ve got to make good use of your connections, or if you really get assigned to feed pigs, it’ll be too late. Got it?”
“Don’t get it.”
Xu Sanduo shook his head, shaking it very seriously.
“…”
Cheng Cai felt like his brain was oxygen-deprived, his crown darkening, about to pass out from anger.
