Chapter 7: New Recruit Regiment

  Several hours later, the military vehicle arrived at another city, SS City in FJ Province. This is where my military career began.

  The military vehicle drove through the bustling city, with many curious citizens watching our convoy of new recruits.

  Leaving the city, the military vehicle started to drive into the mountains, and after entering the mountains, the vehicle began to bounce, waking up sleeping comrades. I was still curiously looking at the scenery on the road.

  As I entered the mountain forest, I noticed a sign standing at the entrance. On it were written several large characters: Military Forbidden Zone, with an English annotation.

  As we drove up a slope, there was suddenly the sound of firecrackers, which turned out to be the salute fired by the military camp to welcome us.

  "Get off the bus."

  After the vehicle stopped, an officer opened the hatch at the back of the military truck and ordered us out.

  We got off the train with our military bags on our backs, and after getting off the train, we all looked around at the unfamiliar barracks. The dormitory building in front of us had a red banner hanging from it.

  "Welcome new comrades!"

  After we got off the bus, everyone was standing lazily, some even squatting on the ground. But I, at this moment, was looking at the neatly lined up soldiers in front of me. The first impression these soldiers gave me was that they were majestic, too majestic. They all stood with their heads held high and chests out, standing straight as a pen.

  At this moment, an officer holding a blue file folder walked in front of us new recruits. This officer was the commander of our new recruit company for three months and also my company commander after the end of the recruit company.

  "Everyone stand up straight, now let's start roll call. Comrades whose names are called out, respond."

  Lian Chang finished speaking and began roll call, after calling Zhang Yu's name he called mine, I responded very loudly with a "Present".

  After roll call, the more than 120 new recruits were divided into three platoons, namely first, second and third platoon. Zhang Yu and I were assigned to the second platoon, I was assigned to class six, while Zhang Yu was assigned to class eight.

  It wasn't until our class monitor told us that we knew why we were divided into three rows.

  Because the three platoons of the new recruits' company represent three companies, the squad leaders and platoon leaders of the three platoons are all elite selected from their original units. They are responsible for training us new recruits. After demobilization, a large part of the new recruits in each platoon will smoothly enter the combat company, and some people will be assigned to the logistics company.

  The first platoon was originally our regiment's Red First Company, the third platoon was an artillery company, and the second platoon that Zhang Yu and I were in was our regiment's New First Company.

  It's all because of the two infantry companies, and the new recruits in Company Three have been trained by me, Zhang Yu, to the point of numbness over the past three months. Why? Because every time the two companies train and assess each other, neither wants to lose to the other.

  My new recruit platoon leader is called Zhao Zhijie, the strongest military quality platoon leader in our company, and also my platoon leader after I was assigned to a different regiment. He is an elder brother that I will never forget for my whole life.

  Zhang Yu's new recruit platoon leader is Xia Xiao Liu, Xia Xiao Liu is the only mortar platoon leader in the company and is also excellent in the company.

  My monitor is very strict with our class's new students.

  It was also from that day on, after I entered the troops, that I never slept in again. Every day at 6 o'clock, we had to get up and start lining up for military posture training, standing still for half an hour. Every day there were different subjects scheduled for our training.

  On the first morning, we new recruits who had arrived at the recruit regiment changed into military uniforms without epaulets and were soon gathered on the drill ground.

  "Take a short rest, then stand at attention."

  The squad leader of the new recruits shouted loudly at us, but we were all new recruits who had just entered the army and didn't understand any of this at that time.

  The duty officer also knew our situation and after shouting he ran towards the new recruit company commander in the distance.

  "Ah."

  "Duh..."

  When the duty officer was running, his military leather shoes made a loud clattering sound.

  I quietly counted the number of steps while running during the long shift.

  Seven steps, ran seven steps, the last blow of the duty officer falling to the ground was extremely advantageous, and the sound was extremely loud.

  After saluting the new company commander with a standard military salute, the duty platoon leader loudly asked for instructions: "Comrade Company Commander, the new recruits have assembled, please give orders."

  "Begin military posture formation half-hour training."

  Lian Chang returned a military salute and then came his voice, neither too loud nor too soft.

  Goodness, when I heard that we had to stand for half an hour, I was shocked. Although the sun in the morning wasn't very strong, it was still very unbearable. Moreover, our class leader also gave us additional training, which is called "adding small stoves" or "adding material training".

  Under the adjustment of the class leader and deputy monitor, we all have a standard military posture.

  The deputy squad leader of the new recruit company is also selected by the company to assist the squad leader in taking care of us new recruits.

  We stood still and motionless.

  At this time, Zhang Yu in the eighth row in front of me scratched his nose unconsciously with his hand because it was itching.

  His class monitor, Xia Xiao Liu, found out and walked towards him with a smile. Zhang Yu was still confused until his class monitor stood in front of him, smiling slyly and said "Zhang Yu, this time let's just forget it, but next time you're caught being stingy, you'll get 50 push-ups as punishment."

  At this time, the class leader in front of me took a look ahead and adjusted my posture before walking to the front of our row.

  Our monitor Zhao ZhiJie thought for a moment, then shouted loudly to us: "New comrades, 'standing at attention' is the first lesson for soldiers. As soon as you enter the barracks, you must learn how to stand at attention. Standing at attention can be said to be the mother of all military movements, it can temper everyone's willpower and endurance."

  "The class leader paused for a moment and continued: 'Feet sixty degrees apart, feet straight, thumbs on the second joint of the index finger, hands naturally hanging down and close together.'"

  The class monitor was demonstrating while talking to us.

  "Stick tightly, if someone pulls your hand with force, even if you are dragged down, your hand cannot loosen! Pull in the abdomen, straighten the chest, lift the head, and gaze forward. Two shoulders stretch back like a column, two legs straight and tight as pillars, double feet tiger-like, firmly grasping the ground, double feet powerless, lower body unstable."

  The monitor finished introducing these and returned to our class 6, starting to correct our incorrect military posture.

  At this time, the class leader suddenly said to us: "If someone stares at a point and tears flow naturally, it means that this person's military posture training is very serious today."

  I remembered the class monitor's words and started staring at a point in front of me, after a few minutes my eyes were extremely tired and sour, and tears began to well up in my eyes. At that time, my vision was very blurry, until the tears flowed from the corners of my eyes. When the tears flowed down, I felt a great sense of accomplishment.

  The class monitor was extremely sharp and immediately discovered me. He walked in front of me, looked at the tears flowing slowly from my eyes.

  "Alright, very good, a new comrade has already succeeded." The class leader shouted loudly to the comrades who were still standing at attention, hinting that someone had already done it.

  At that time, after hearing what the class monitor said, I felt extremely proud in my heart because I was the first one.

  But soon there was a second one, a third one...