Chapter 427: Regiment Commander’s Hands Are itching
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
In front of the team, Jiang Huai actually saw Wang Ye’s actions.
But he could only pretend not to see.
Internally, he felt a bit helpless.
This time, the special forces squad might be in big trouble.
And he, as soon as the new recruits’ training ends, he will have to endure it together.
“Sigh!” He looked up at the sky ahead and let out a sigh.
What a mess this has become!
Clearly, he’s the one in charge of the new recruits, so theoretically, he should be happy about something like this happening. However, he couldn’t find any happiness in it now.
If he wasn’t the deputy platoon leader of the special forces squad, it would be so much better. Right now, he might even be grinning from ear to ear.
Of course, on second thought, even if he weren’t the deputy platoon leader of the special forces squad, in this situation this year, he wouldn’t have the chance to be the platoon leader of the new recruits.
It’s quite frustrating, but he could only silently prepare himself.
As for matters concerning the special forces squad, they could only be discussed when he returns. Right now, the main focus is on leading the new recruits well.
Meanwhile,
On the other side, after running out of the battalion headquarters, the Second Company Commander headed straight for the camp gate.
He didn’t carry anything with him, especially no milk.
They all knew by now that the Regiment commander was allergic to milk.
Well, it’s not a physical allergy preventing him from drinking milk; it’s the fact that seeing milk would make him see red and start hurling insults, or even get violent.
In this situation, he definitely didn’t dare to bring milk to the doorstep.
That would turn a good situation into a bad one.
So he just waited at the gate with a pack of cigarettes in his pocket, thinking about what to say.
On the other hand, the Regiment commander, holding a thermos cup, also came out from his home as part of his daily routine.
He was still unaware of the latest mishap with the special forces unit.
Currently, he listened to the birds singing and insects chirping within the camp’s walls, and walked towards the camp gate along the perimeter wall.
“Hmm?”
From a distance, the Regiment commander spotted the Second Regiment Commander waiting outside the gate.
What’s going on?
Seeing Lin Hai, the regiment commander’s steps paused slightly.
Of course, he paused, and at this moment, Lin Hal’s face lit up, and he approached with a smiling face.
“Regiment Commander!”
Lin Hai approached with a cheerful salute.
“What’s up? Are you this free early in the morning?”
“Hehe, no, I was specifically waiting for you, Regiment Commander!” Lin Hai grinned.
As he spoke, he took out a cigarette from his pocket and extended it towards the Regiment commander.
“Here, Regiment Commander, have a smoke!”
The Regiment commander looked at him with a smile as he offered the cigarette.
Inexplicably, the Regiment commander recalled a scene from last year when someone came to his door with a smile, carrying milk.
He spoke in a slightly irritable tone, “Smoking in the early morning? I want to breathe fresh air for my health, so no thanks!”
The Regiment commander refused directly.
After saying this, he began thinking about recent work arrangements within the regiment, especially concerning the Second Company. However, after a moment’s reflection, he couldn’t recall anything significant in the Second Company that would warrant their company commander running to the gate to intercept him.
Suddenly, a very familiar scene came to the Regiment commander’s mind.
Last year,
It was this time last year when Lin Hai had come to the gate to intercept him. However, that time, he had been waiting for the Chief of Staff, that scoundrel who came to indirectly take credit and snatch people.
At this moment, a surprising thought emerged in his mind, even surprising himself.
Could it be that this year, just like last year, there’s another Wang Ye among the new recruits?
Is fate favoring his regiment?
Last year, they had Wang Ye, and now, they might have Wang Ye 2.0.
“Hehe, Regiment Commander, a cigarette in the morning is better than living like an immortal!” The Second Company Commander was still trying to offer the cigarette and even went as far as placing it directly in the Regiment commander’s hand.
The Regiment commander pushed his hand away again, speaking with annoyance, “My throat isn’t feeling well. If you have something to say, spit it out!”
Inside, he was starting to suspect, and he definitely didn’t dare to smoke the offered cigarette now.
“Hehe, Regiment Commander, it’s nothing major. I just need a person.” Lin Hai felt a bit awkward after being refused the cigarette, but he had to say what needed to be said.
“A new recruit?” The Regiment commander resisted the urge to smack someone and asked.
“Yes!” Lin Hai nodded hurriedly and continued with an undiminished smile, “Regiment Commander, this recruit was originally trained in my Second Company, so I’d like to secure him for our company.”
“Get lost! The division of recruits hasn’t even started, and you want to secure someone? Have you forgotten that I’ve already told you all that this year’s division of recruits will be handled as a unified arrangement at the end?” The Regiment commander glared.
At this moment, the hand holding the thermos cup was tightly clenched and then relaxed by the Regiment commander.
He was holding back, and there were sentries nearby, so he had to consider his demeanor as a Regiment commander.
But right now, as he looked at the Second Company Commander, he felt an itch in his hand.
Damn it, didn’t he remember how much trouble he had caused last year when he secured Wang Ye ahead of time? How long had he been annoyed by it?
The incident with that crate of milk might end up being a legend in his regiment for years to come.
After such a bitter lesson, was the Second Company Commander daring to bring this up again?
He really deserved a good smack!
Well… it was quite apparent that the Battalion Commander was aware of it, and now, seeing the Regiment commander’s expression, especially his continuously clenching and unclenching hand, the Battalion Commander felt a bit hesitant.
But sometimes, you have to be bold. With determination, he continued, “No,
Regiment Commander, this new recruit isn’t particularly outstanding…”
Even if he got a few beatings from the Regiment commander, if he could secure a good soldier, he was willing to endure it.
Kids who cared about their reputation, worried about this and that, often went hungry!
“Get lost, don’t talk any more nonsense. Go stand guard at the gate all day today.”
The Regiment commander pointed towards the sentry post at the gate, “You like coming to this gate so much, don’t you? If you dare to say another word, I’ll have you stand there!”
At this moment, the soldiers from the guard platoon at the gate were staring attentively in this direction.
One of them really wanted to shout, “Second Company Commander, don’t chicken out, open fire, I mean… open your mouth!”
Having someone take over guard duty was such a blessing.
Unfortunately, the Battalion Commander kept quiet.
If enduring a few blows meant he could exchange for a new soldier, he would accept it. But now, looking at the Regiment commander’s demeanor, he knew that if he dared to speak up again, he might actually be sent to stand guard at the gate.
The problem was, even if he stood guard, he couldn’t get the previous guard back. He wasn’t willing to do this brainless job.
“Enough, don’t argue in front of us!”
The Regiment commander scolded the Second Company Commander and then walked away.
What was the deal with this new recruit?
Why did the Second Company Commander want him?
He had no intention of asking these questions from the Second Company Commander right now.
When he got back to Regiment headquarters, he would naturally find out.
As for the Second Company Commander…
The Regiment commander looked back at him.
“Why are you following me?”
“I’m going to Regiment headquarters to report my work to the Regiment Commander!” Lin Hai grumbled.
“Alright, come along then!” The Regiment commander didn’t fall for his trap.
He wasn’t going to ask what was going on right now. When they got to Regiment headquarters, he would see what had transpired during this night.
“Wang Ye, let’s have a chat!”
Over at the new recruits’ training camp, during a brief break, Jiang Huai came over to Wang Ye and said this.
Wang Ye looked at him with a bit of confusion but still nodded with a smile, “Sure!”
They walked to the side.
Once Jiang Huai came to a stop, he turned to Wang Ye and immediately began, “Wang Ye, do you think our regiment’s special forces unit has issues with its training?”
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Wang Ye had thought he wanted to have a casual conversation, but he didn’t expect Jiang Huai to come out with such a heavy topic.
Was this something they should be discussing?
“Hehe, Company Commander, the cigarettes today seem a bit fake, try one!”
Wang Ye had just taken out a cigarette, and now he smiled and offered one to Jiang Huai.
Jiang Huai took the cigarette with a puzzled expression, looked at Wang Ye, and then began to speak thoughtfully, “Are you suggesting that our regiment’s special forces unit is currently not living up to its reputation, and its combat capability is somewhat lacking?”
Wang Ye stared at him in disbelief.
Honestly, he just wanted to change the topic and didn’t want to engage in this conversation.
He spoke a bit helplessly, “No, Company Commander, you’ve misunderstood. I didn’t intend to evaluate the special forces unit. In fact, I haven’t had much interaction with our regiment’s special forces soldiers. It’s been only brief and preliminary encounters. Without a deeper understanding, I can’t make any judgments about our regiment’s special forces unit.”
Being in the military requires honesty, and most soldiers are straightforward. However, being straightforward doesn’t mean you should speak without discretion about everything.
Regarding the training of the Criminal Investigation Company, it wasn’t within Wang Ye’s purview to comment, especially considering the person asking the question wasn’t qualified enough.
If the question had come from the Regiment commander or someone higher up, Wang Ye might have carefully considered it and provided some insights. Even if someone like Wu Jianfeng asked, Wang Ye would treat it as casual conversation and offer a few remarks.
But with Jiang Huai, despite their seemingly close relationship, he was still just the deputy platoon leader of the Criminal Investigation Company.
Well… just the deputy platoon leader.
In this situation, if he said too much to Jiang Huai, there was a high chance that Jiang Huai would turn around and report him when he got back. So, silence was golden.
“Alright!” Jiang Huai understood Wang Ye’s thoughts and didn’t press the matter further.
Soon, the brief rest for the entire platoon came to an end.
Under the whistle of the duty officer, the training continued.
“Knock, knock, knock-”
Regiment headquarters, the Regiment commander’s office. The Regiment commander was rhythmically tapping his fingers lightly on his desk.
In front of him, the Second Company Commander and the staff officer were standing. On the other side, the deputy Regiment commander was sitting in a chair.
When the Regiment commander had returned to Regiment headquarters earlier with the Second Company Commander trailing behind like a shadow, he had spotted the staff officer waiting downstairs. He had instructed the staff officer and the Second Company Commander to join him upstairs, and seeing the situation, the deputy Regiment commander had followed suit.
At this point, both the Regiment commander and the deputy Regiment commander were aware of what had happened the previous night.
Tapping the desk, suddenly, the Regiment commander turned to the deputy Regiment commander and asked, “Old Yang, tell me, where is the problem? I’m pleased that the new recruits are excellent, but we can’t solely blame their excellence for two consecutive years of failure in the veteran unit!”
The deputy Regiment commander looked at the Regiment commander, lowered his head in silence for a moment, and then raised it again, saying, “Lack of real combat!”
Pausing briefly, he glanced at the staff officer and the Second Company Commander before continuing, “Peace is a good thing, but we’ve had peace for too long. Our soldiers lack a sense of crisis when it comes to war, and they lack the cautious mindset needed in a real combat situation. Mindset affects combat capability, and there isn’t currently a good solution to this situation.”
“All, yes! Peace is hard-won, achieved through the sacrifice of our predecessors!” The Regiment commander couldn’t help but sigh.
“Regiment Commander, Deputy Regiment Commander, is there a peacekeeping mission in our military this year? I’m willing to lead my company on a peacekeeping mission!” At this point, the staff officer spoke with determination.
This issue had long been recognized by the staff officer. It was a common problem in the military, and it seemed to be a situation without a solution. While there was no war within the country, soldiers could only improve their combat capabilities through the baptism of actual combat.
So, he thought of this approach.
Just because there was no war within the country didn’t mean there weren’t conflicts and wars abroad.
Peacekeeping missions indeed provided a way to get exposure to warfare.
“No!” The Regiment commander looked at the staff officer and said, “It’s not our military’s turn for peacekeeping missions yet.”
With that statement, the staff officer felt helpless.
“Alright, let’s table this discussion for a few days. Today, we’ll all disperse. I need to think about this matter thoroughly!”
The Regiment commander issued the dismissal order, even using this topic as an excuse to prevent the Second Company Commander from continuing to talk.
The issue raised by the Second Company Commander couldn’t be resolved. Determining the recruits couldn’t be done prematurely. This year, it didn’t matter who said what; everything would be done according to standard procedures, and there would be no premature commitments..