Chapter 8: Five Kilometer Long Run Test

  After several days of training, we new recruits in the second row were all familiar with each other. Among them, Zhang Yu and Hu Xingwei were the closest to me, as well as Zheng Hao.

  Hu Xingwei sometimes looks like he's missing a screw, loves to be serious, and sometimes he's like a wild cow that can't be pulled back once it's let out. We gave Hu Xingwei a nickname, "Hu San Dao" (Three-Knife Hu), because the other day when we were helping the cooking team chop firewood, with just three knives, he could cut down a tree trunk as thick as a bowl.

  Zheng Hao is a university student, before joining the army he was a sophomore at a certain computer academy. He is also the oldest new recruit in our second row, only 19 years old and soon to be 20. He has participated in military training, so these few days of military posture training seem quite easy for him.

  In the afternoon, after the end of lunch break, under the leadership of the deputy class leader, we received combat equipment, including bullet bags and even clips.

  Just as we thought there was a gun lead, the deputy class leader told us that it wasn't so soon, today is the organization of the five-kilometer long run test.

  "Ah, no way, Deputy Class Monitor, we haven't even run yet, how can it be a surprise inspection?"

  I immediately complained to the deputy class leader after hearing it.

  The deputy platoon leader patted my shoulder and smiled, "Xiao Bin, don't be afraid. This is just a preliminary assessment. For the new recruits' regiment, you will have many more evaluations in the next three months. These assessments are very important for determining which regiment you will be assigned to at the end of the three months."

  "Haha, I love intense training the most. It's so exhilarating!"

  I and Zheng Hao quietly gave him the middle finger, ah, you liked it, you were originally a savage, can't be pulled back. This assessment was really hard on me, Zhang Yu, Zheng Hao, and even a large part of the new recruits.

  We hadn't even run 3,000 meters before joining the army, let alone 5,000 meters.

  After the whistle blew, we hastily put on our equipment and ran to the door of the dormitory building for assembly. The class leader had told us before that a long and short whistle was an assembly, and an urgent whistle was an emergency assembly. During an emergency assembly, no matter what we were doing, we had to rush over immediately. At that time, I said to the class leader, "I know this, I've seen it on TV before."

  When we arrived at the assembly point and Commander Chang told us the route of the run, we started to panic.

  "Comrades new recruits, today's five-kilometer route will start from the barracks, go around the mountain road and return."

  When Lian Zhang finished introducing this time's exploration, we were all stunned. We thought it would be a track or something, but unexpectedly it was a mountain road, and running on a mountain road is really tough.

  The class leader saw that we were standing in the team with some fear, and he immediately came over to comfort us and do ideological work.

  "Run well, our company, five kilometers is a must-pass, our infantry relies on a pair of legs."

  When the monitor finished saying these words, he also whispered a sentence with the deputy monitor. Although the voice was not loud, we heard it very clearly.

  "Lin Ban, is your backpack strap ready?"

  Deputy squad leader Lin Zixiang glanced at us and replied: "Zhao Ban, don't worry, our squad's 7 new recruits guarantee one per person."

  At this time, both I and Zheng Hao couldn't help but look at the deputy class monitor's body.

  I was shocked at that time, and Zheng Hao was also stunned. The deputy class leader had a bag on his back, which was bulging, presumably with the backpack straps inside.

  Zheng Hao saw me and said with some concern, "Xiao Bin, I'm afraid Lin Ban's rope is not just for show. What if he ties us up when we can't run anymore and makes fools of us?"

  Actually at that time my idea was the same as Zheng Hao's.

  At that time, Hu Xinkuai was the most excited, grinning from ear to ear, damn it, this guy just loves intense training subjects so much.

  We were all gathered near the sentry post in the camp, with the company commander holding a whistle. At this time, the squad leader and deputy squad leader rolled up their pants legs.

  The class leader and vice-class leader also had to run with us.

  "Closed..."

  The long whistle sounded...

  "Charge..."

  Everyone shouted loudly and started the longest run of my life.

  Not even 500 meters into the run, Zhang Yu, Zheng Hao and I were already left far behind by the other new recruits. The weight of our equipment made it difficult for us to keep up, and we never did catch sight of Hu San Dao, that fierce bull of a man.

  "My grass, how can Hu San Dao be so fierce." I asked with a tilt of my head towards the comrade beside me.

  Zheng Hao ran towards me and replied: "Xiao Bin, that kid was a professional long-distance runner in sports school before he joined the army, it's normal."

  "I'm going, three knives are actually so awesome, no wonder they're so excited."

  We had run over 1,000 meters when we were no longer able to keep going. At this point, we all started walking a few steps and then running a few steps, with sweat dripping from our bodies nonstop.

  Just then, we saw several class monitors and vice-class monitors, including Hu San Dao.

  Hu Xingwei and the class monitors were running back and forth together, each holding a backpack strap in their hands.

  We were all startled and began to panic, I saw the situation and immediately shouted to my comrades beside me: "Run quickly, if caught, we will be tied up. Run quickly, run quickly."

  I was the first to pull my leg and ran back, Zhang Yu and Zheng Hao, as well as several new recruits from other classes, also followed me and desperately ran back, only a few new recruits were still standing stupidly in place.

  When we ran, we heard the voice of Class Leader and Hu Xingwei Hu Dasan knife, who betrayed his fellow soldier in the same year.

  "What the heck, you new recruits, where are you running off to? Get back here!"

  The monitor's voice was the first to sound, followed by Hu Xingwei's voice: "Xiao Bin, don't run away, the monitor is here to help you."

  We can't hear anything anymore. We're running back and forth frantically, only the barracks are safe, there's a company commander in the barracks, but even the squad leader wants to tie us up, not even a door is available.

  Just then, our class monitor Zhao Zhi Jie and Zhang Yu's class monitor Xia Xiao Liu rushed towards us quickly. That speed was really fast, in just a few strides they blocked our way.

  "Damn it, Xiao Bin, what the hell are you running away with them for."

  Class monitor Zhao Zhi-jie stood in front of me and scolded loudly.

  After we stopped, panting heavily, I squatted on the ground and replied: "Squad leader, don't tie us up with five flowers, we've never run 5000 meters before."

  "Who the hell said they'd tie you up?" The class monitor was amused by us, revealing his white teeth and scolding me with a smile.

  The monitor said it wasn't to bind us a few when we were all stunned, at this time Hu Xingwei also ran over to explain to us: "Xiao comrades, you misunderstood the monitor, the monitor knew you couldn't run, prepared backpack straps, planning to tie them around your waist, and take you running."

  "My god, you're killing me! Why didn't you say so earlier? If you had said something earlier, we wouldn't have run away." I stood up and glared at Hu Xingwei, actually also trying to shift the blame from myself, otherwise my other comrades would definitely blame me for coming up with a stupid idea.

  "You... okay, okay, my fault, my fault."

  Hu Xingwei saw me desperately winking at him and immediately changed his tune to admit his mistake. Hmm, not bad, this comrade Hu is quite righteous.