Chapter 12 Section 3

Dagongtuan Station is a field army station among the mountains. A banner reading "Welcome New Comrades" hangs above the gate of the camp.The sentry stood guard with a 81-1 automatic rifle with a bayonet on it.Armed pickets holding small red and green flags stood on the side of the road, guiding the convoy of trucks into the camp, where a row of brand new infantry fighting vehicles was parked. In the truck compartment, the recruits were curiously peeping from the tarpaulin, chirping like sparrows: "Look! The sentry has a gun!" "Oh my god! The tank—" The recruits were very excited, only Xiao Zhuang was still sleeping on his backpack.

Bang! The truck stopped, but Xiaozhuang still didn't wake up. Bang! The back panel of the truck was opened, and Lao Pao, wearing a uniform and wearing an armed belt, sternly ordered from below: "Get out of the car!" The recruits jumped out of the car with a clatter.Xiao Zhuang was woken up by Xiwa, and he followed Xiwa down with sleepy eyes.On the playground, the combat company is conducting routine training.The recruits who jumped out of the car looked at this strange place curiously.There were groups of people talking about the veterans who were training, and the whole playground was bustling like a market.

The recruit company commander raised his arms: "Comrades recruits, please be quiet. We will roll roll now—" His voice was drowned out by the voices of the recruits. The old Pao standing next to the recruit company commander had a livid face and roared angrily: "Don't talk!" The recruits fell silent. The recruit company commander coughed twice: "We will start the roll call now, and the comrades whose names are called will answer, and then go over there to report to the squad leader, do you understand?" "Understood—" The recruits gave mixed answers.

The new company commander frowned, and the old Pao yelled, "Do you understand?" The recruits reacted: "Understood!" The voice was still uneven, but it was much better. The recruit company commander opened the roster and began to call names: "Squad leader!" Old Pao snapped to attention: "Here!" "Come on according to the old rules, you choose the sharp knife class first." "yes!" Lao Pao ran to the front of the queue, his stern eyes gliding over the immature faces of the recruits one by one.The recruits were stared at by him in silence.

Xiao Zhuang was a little hairy, and muttered in a low voice: "What do you mean? Let's start to choose the sharp knife class?" "What is the sharp knife class?" Xiwa was also puzzled. Old Pao sternly said: "You two are whispering, come out!" Xiwa stood out carrying her things. Xiaozhuang was still in a daze. Lao Pao looked at Xiao Zhuang: "That soldier! What about you—Xiao Zhuang!" "You come out!" Xiao Zhuang went out with his things and stood with Xi Wa. Lao Pao went to pick other recruits.After a while, 9 recruits stood in front of him.He squinted and looked at them: "Do you know why I singled you out?"

The recruits were afraid to speak. Old Pao roared: "Because you are a bunch of trash—" The recruits were taken aback by the training. "Do you know how to call you in the army?!" The recruits still dare not speak. "Bear soldiers! Poor soldiers! Rotten soldiers! In a word, they are the most ineffective soldiers! You don't even deserve to be called soldiers, because you are nothing but rubbish! You are a piece of shit! You come to the army to be at the bottom!" The recruits were not too convinced.Xiao Zhuang raised his casual eyes and stared at Old Pao fiercely.

Xiwa couldn't help it anymore: "Report..." Lao Pao shot his eyes all at once. Xiwa was startled and a little scared, but she still mustered up her courage and said, "Squad leader, the training hasn't started yet... How do you know that we are Xiong Bing?" Old Pao was expressionless: "Yes, you still know how to call for reports? Have you ever been in the army?" Xiwa swallowed hard: "My grandfather is from the Eight Route Army, and my father was a soldier. Before leaving, they taught me..." The old gun eye stared: "But did I approve you to speak? Did I approve it?"

"no no……" "You heard me clearly - because of the soldier - what's your name?" Xiwa dared not speak. "I asked what is your name?" "I, my name is Chen Xiwa." "Because of that soldier—Xiwa, all of you will be punished!" Xiwa grinned, not knowing what to do. "Take your things and run with me!" Old Pao turned around and clasped his fists: "Run—go!" He led the team in front, and the recruits hurriedly picked up their things or carried them on their shoulders and followed him From behind, he ran around the playground lap after lap.

On the hillside, a group of scouts were training.The tall captain was observing the recruits below with a telescope. This was Miao Lian, the veteran company commander of the reconnaissance company. In the camera, the recruits followed Lao Pao to run on the playground, and some of them fell down.A smile appeared on Miao Lian's mouth, and he turned the binoculars - behind the old Pao, a recruit with a rucksack was closely following, running unhurriedly. Miao Lian froze for a moment. The recruits keep running.Round and round.Their things kept falling on the playground, and some people fell down from time to time, and some even vomited from running.

Lao Pao was still leading the run, although his footsteps were steady, but there were beads of sweat on his forehead, and his breathing was short of breath.Xiao Zhuang followed closely behind, breathing evenly. The squad leaders who were leading the recruits on the playground all looked this way. The cadres who were chatting on the playground also stopped and looked this way. The recruits all straightened their necks and talked a lot. The scouts resting on the hillside also stood up one after another and looked down the hill. Miao Lian held the binoculars and stared intently—Old Pao's rhythm became a little chaotic, but Xiao Zhuang still took his time.

"It's a full six kilometers..." Chen Pai next to him sighed. Round and round. Most of the recruits collapsed from exhaustion.Xiwa also fell down. He tried to get up but couldn't.He raised his head, Xiao Zhuang was still running in his blurred vision: "Xiao Zhuang, good job..." Lao Pao's breathing gradually became difficult, and his steps became a little messy. Xiao Zhuang's breathing was still even, and he began to speed up slowly. Xiaozhuang and Lao Pao went hand in hand, and the recruits cheered. The rest of the officers and soldiers stared wide-eyed.They, including Lao Pao, never imagined that Xiaozhuang was a long-distance runner in the sports school in middle school, and also participated in the selection of the junior group of the Ironman Triathlon. Xiaozhuang accelerated and passed Lao Pao. The recruits threw their hats in the air and cheered. Lao Pao tried desperately to catch up, but staggered and nearly fell down. Xiaozhuang is still accelerating. The officers and soldiers fell silent and looked at each other.Seeing that the situation was not good, the recruit company commander hurriedly blew his whistle: "Stop—" Xiao Zhuang stopped slowly, his face was covered with beads of sweat, but he was breathing evenly.The old cannon also stopped.When Xiao Zhuang turned his head, Lao Pao was short of breath and looked at him with a pale face. On the hillside, Miao Lian put down the binoculars and frowned: "Give me the information about that soldier!"