Chapter 54: Smiling Xu Sanduo
All good things must come to an end.
After the graduation assessment full of surprises and excitement passed, the evening company-wide feast was also enjoyed very happily, and this new recruit camp had also reached the end.
The new recruit camp, lively for three months, was about to return to calm once again.
Early the next morning.
The new recruits finished the last breakfast of the new recruit company, and then welcomed the important stage that all new recruits had waited for three months and had long craved—
Rank conferment!
The rank conferment time for each new recruit company is different, even the rank conferment time for each batch of new recruit companies is different, and it will be adjusted according to respective situations.
And this year’s 702 regiment new recruits’ rank conferment time was set on the last day before dividing soldiers to join the company.
All new recruits were assembled under the red flag, and under the witness of the company chief officer and all backbones, they uniformly raised their right hands and swore to join the People’s Liberation Army toward the national flag.
The oath was merely a brief process, yet it contained extraordinary meaning within.
Only the moment of putting on the private military rank represents that the new recruit has passed three months of training and is qualified to become a real soldier.
It’s equivalent to a qualification certificate!
It represents that the sacred mission as a soldier, the arduous responsibility of defending the motherland and the people, has been formally bound to you.
The new recruits naturally didn’t have so much realization at this moment; they had only just reached the most basic qualified standard, and there was still a long way to go to become an excellent soldier.
The new recruits with military ranks on their shoulders only knew that having the military rank felt great, and even their walking became more spirited.
Each one was extremely excited!
But before the new recruits could rejoice for a few minutes and appreciate their appearance with military ranks, they had no time to rejoice anymore, nor the mood to do so.
Because the time for dividing soldiers had arrived.
The company duty officer issued the order to organize respective supplies, assemble after ten minutes upon hearing the whistle, and formally divide soldiers to join the company, pulling the new recruits’ emotions into another world.
The new recruits were all expecting where their future “home” would be; who still had the mood to care about the military rank.
Carrying anxious moods of trepidation and excitement, the new recruits each returned to the dormitory to organize personal items and pack them, then went to the storage room to retrieve their travel bags as well.
“Dudu dudu dudu…”
As the urgent whistle sounded, the company duty officer issued the instruction: “Whole company assemble.”
The new recruits who had prepared for dividing soldiers to join the company carried reluctance for the new recruit camp they had lived in for three months, as well as anticipation for which company they would be assigned to.
They all carried their luggage, shouldered their backpacks, and followed Squad Leader Cheng in a run out.
At this moment, the originally empty large parade ground of the new recruit camp had several different vehicles parked at the edge of the field: three trucks, one bus, and one van.
This made the new recruits unable to help but be curious why there were three different types of vehicles.
And preparing three different vehicles for dividing soldiers to join the company, not to mention what advantages this method of dividing soldiers had—it could only be considered a unique characteristic of T Division.
Unlike the conventional method of announcing on the spot which new recruit goes to which company, then the receiving personnel sent by the company take away their own company’s people and figure out a way to bring them back.
Some companies send vehicles, some companies do field exercises, each with their own ways.
But the dividing soldiers here was another kind; the new recruits didn’t know which company they were assigned to, only which vehicle they were to board.
Specifically which new recruit goes to which company was handled by the dividing soldiers cadre on the vehicle.
They had the specific list roster in hand, responsible for sending these new recruits on their vehicle to the designated companies according to the roster.
It wasn’t the grassroots companies below coming to pick them up, but the new recruit company delivering the soldiers to the companies.
This was the biggest difference!
After all new recruits had lined up on the parade ground, Gao Cheng briefly said some parting words, then took the roster and began calling names to divide soldiers.
“Hao Yifei, vehicle number two.”
“Jia Honglin, vehicle number one.”
“Wang Dan, vehicle number three.”
…
The new recruits didn’t hear which company, only which vehicle to board, and immediately became uneasy, even more curious about which company each vehicle was going to.
Driven by strong curiosity, even in the drill they couldn’t help but whisper to each other.
“Squad deputy, what do these three types of vehicles mean?” a new recruit next to Cheng Cai asked softly.
“Do I need to explain?”
Cheng Cai actually didn’t know himself either, but his competitive nature wouldn’t let him admit ignorance, so he made up nonsense based on imagination: “Definitely the good ones go on the luxury bus, the bad ones on the truck, the mediocre ones on the white minibus.
I definitely go on the luxury bus, you, I reckon you’re on the truck, but it’s okay, after joining the company work hard, and you can still be a good soldier.”
It sounded like Cheng Cai’s analysis was quite right: good soldiers get good conditions, bad soldiers get poor conditions.
Normal logic was like that.
As a result, before Cheng Cai’s words had even finished, the new recruit who asked was called, and was assigned to vehicle number five, the luxury bus, enjoying the treatment of a good soldier.
Cheng Cai was instantly slapped in the face, both envious and awkward.
But soon Xu Sanduo was also called, similarly assigned to vehicle number five.
This made Cheng Cai even more convinced of his judgment.
Because Xu Sanduo had Chen Jun backing him; Chen Jun was the platoon leader sent by Steel Seventh Company, and Steel Seventh Company was the best company in the whole regiment.
Doesn’t that just confirm Cheng Cai’s judgment that only good soldiers qualify for the luxury bus.
Xu Sanduo could go to the best company; Cheng Cai believed he could definitely go to Steel Seventh Company too, and thinking he could go to Steel Seventh Company with Xu Sanduo, as fellow villagers they could look out for each other.
He immediately became even more eager.
Eager to hear Gao Cheng call his name and assign him to the luxury bus.
Xu Sanduo had heard Cheng Cai’s words just now; he believed what Cheng Cai said was definitely true, because he knew Cheng Cai was much smarter than him.
He immediately grinned foolishly, revealing a mouthful of big white teeth, carrying his things and trotting happily to vehicle number five.
Passing by Cheng Cai, he still couldn’t suppress his joy, grinning and winking at Cheng Cai.
“Dummy, you go to the vehicle first, I’ll come in a bit.” Cheng Cai said softly with confidence.
“I’ll wait for you, hehe.”
Xu Sanduo nodded heavily, like a happy little swallow, carrying his travel bag and puffing up onto the bus.
Completely unaware that the best bus was loaded with the most useless new recruits from the new recruit company.
Because they were to be assigned to remote local areas, with relatively long distances and bad roads, trucks would jostle them to vomit, so the bus was needed, as sitting would be much more comfortable.
This could also be considered the last benefit for the new recruits!
The worse the transportation treatment for joining the company, the better the company the new recruits were assigned to.
For example, Steel Seventh Company was inside the base, less than two kilometers in straight-line distance, no vehicle at all, could only walk there on foot.
Therefore, Cheng Cai’s idea was doomed to fall through; he kept waiting but his name was never called.
Until only six new recruits remained on the entire parade ground, Gao Cheng closed the roster, stopped calling names, and still hadn’t called Cheng Cai.
