Chapter Seventy: The Problem with Leather Shoes

  The training was very hard and dull, but the parade team members were encouraged by the long face and the parade team's encouragement, and they worked hard to train. The parade team also carried out competitions for the flag bearer and the square flag bearer to motivate everyone to train harder. Elimination was also gradually unfolding, almost every weekend, a few comrades were eliminated, and in the end, seven people from the 14th team were eliminated, leaving only twelve people including Qu Mingjun.

  Qu Mingjun asked the seventh row of the front row, Captain Fang Shao, about this. This time, the superior requires 27 people in each horizontal row and 14 people in each vertical column. A square team needs exactly 378 people, plus two leaders, a total of 380 people are needed for the parade.

  After the opening in late February, the personnel of the square team finally stabilized at 390 people. In addition to the 380 formal team members, there were also 10 substitute team members, and 15 platoon leaders who could be substituted into the square team at any time, so that the entire parade team was basically formed.

  After the start of school, Qu Mingjun and others returned to their respective student teams, only returning to the command of the parade team during training sessions. Fortunately, Yan Weidong took good care of the twelve people in the parade team, just enough to form a class, so he pulled them out separately and arranged them into one class, while the others reorganized classes and appointed class leaders.

  Qu Mingjun and his drill team in the 14th squad are special, allowed by Captain Yan Weidong to not participate in various collective activities of the squad, not participate in various duties of the squad. The drill team can go out without going through the student squad, just ask Class Leader Feng Shaoyun for leave, and there is no limit on the number of people going out.

  One Sunday in early March, the rarely off-duty afternoon guard squad also had a holiday, letting everyone rest. After lunch, back in the dormitory, Cui Ze sat on a small stool, staring at his leather shoes with a worried look.

  "What's wrong? Why that expression?" Qu Mingjun put the water cup on the table, turned his head and saw Choi Ze, asking puzzledly.

  "Take a look at these leather shoes, can they still be worn?" Cui Ze's face was full of disgust.

  Qu Mingjun took a glance and saw that Cui Ze's three-piece leather shoes had a big hole in the front, with the heel worn thin by half. The most exaggerated thing was that there were already several patches on it.

  "Hehe." Qu Mingjun smiled and said, "They're all the same, no one's leather shoes are any better than anyone else's."

  After finishing speaking, Qu Mingjun took out his leather shoes and swung them around. Compared to Cui Ze's, they were a big mouthful worse.

  Chui Ze counted on his fingers, "We've been in the army for three years. Because of training, we were issued two pairs of leather shoes. The first pair was almost worn out before our military parade training, but this second pair is great, it's been less than a month and they're already serving the people."

  "It's all the same." Qu Mingjun glanced at his watch. "How about we go out together and buy some leather shoes?"

  "It's done." Cui Ze looked at the leather shoes in his hand, shook his head and said, "Let's tell Old Feng and go together."

  "By the way, brothers, who else wants to buy leather shoes? Tell me and Qu Mingjun, we'll bring them back for you." Cui Ze looked around the room and shouted out loud.

  I.

  "My, mine."

  "And me."

  ……

  "What the...?!" Cui Ze's eyes widened, "Twelve people?! How am I supposed to carry them back with Qu Mingjun later?! Twelve pairs of shoes!!"

  "Alright." Feng Shaojun smiled and handed over the money, "Ask the boss to get a plastic rope to tie it up and that's it."

  Choi Jae found a piece of paper and muttered to himself as he collected money from each person in the class for their shoe size.

  "I'm telling you, Old Feng," said Qu Mingjun with a bitter expression, shaking his head. "This won't do. The big military parade is in October, and now it's only March. One pair of leather shoes per month, how many are we going to have to buy?"

  "Yes." Feng Shaojun thought for a moment, "I estimate that the next training will be even more bitter and tiring. This issue needs to be reflected to the inspection team, it can't go on like this, three days new, three days old, patching up again for three days."

  Choi Ze took the paper with the shoe number written on it and the money, received the exit pass from Feng Shaojun, and followed Qu Mingjun out. When they reached the door, he suddenly turned his head and shouted, "Next次你们去啊，老子也想睡觉啊，奶奶的."

  "Hehehe......" The ten people in the house smiled slyly and crawled onto their beds, enjoying a rare half-day rest. Catching up on sleep was serious business, and everyone would set off together to visit Lord Zhou after they were well-rested.

  The troops took the problem reported by Feng Shaoyun very seriously and immediately checked everyone. The result was shocking, with at least two pairs of shoes worn out, and many people's third pair of shoes had their soles starting to thin out. It didn't matter that everyone had nailed their shoes, it was useless.

  The leader of the parade team immediately reported the problem to the college leaders, and the college leaders made a decision on the spot. They issued a new pair of leather shoes to each member of the parade team and arranged for a shoe repair master to nail a thick layer of rubber soles on the bottom of the shoes. The logistics department was also ordered to fully guarantee the equipment and materials needed by the parade team according to the actual situation.

  Qu Mingjun and others have now ended their military training in standing at attention, and began to shift into hand movements with guns. This year's grand military parade, they will report to the whole nation and the entire army on the August 1st style automatic rifle drill ceremony formulated by the Stone Gate Army Academy.

  "Qu Mingjun?" Captain Fan called out Qu Mingjun, who was in the middle of training, and led him to walk towards the parade leadership.

  "Officer, what's going on?" Qu Mingjun asked in a low voice.

  "Good thing." Fan Shaoxia smiled with a twinkle in his eye.

  "Comrade Qu Mingjun." The speaker was the captain of the guard of honor, a senior colonel. "Based on our observations over the past two months, we think that you are more suitable for the role of leading the team, whether in terms of image or drill movements. This time, we are seeking your opinion: are you willing to take on this responsibility?"

  Team leader? Isn't that saying that I will be one of the two team leaders in front of a large square team of 378 people? Qu Mingjun's eyes widened suddenly.

  "Don't be so surprised." The team leader smiled, "It was Instructor Fan who recommended you to our leadership team. Of course, it's not like it's set in stone now, but you need to receive training for leading the team. You should know that as a team leader, you'll be equipped with a handgun, of course, just a holster. As a team leader, you're essentially the commander of the phalanx formation, requiring high-quality movements and clear-headedness, loud voice, and timely commands. Do you think you can do it?"

  Fan Shaoxiao secretly poked Qu Mingjun, who immediately came to his senses. Standing at attention, he said loudly: "Report to the leader, I have confidence in being a good team leader for Fangdui, please be assured."

  "Good, very good." The captain of the parade team was satisfied with Qu Mingjun's attitude. "Next, you will receive our parade team's leader training. You must be mentally prepared and able to endure hardship."

  "Don't worry, sir!" Qu Mingjun was very excited. If he became the leader, whether it was Qiaoqiao or his own family's elders, anyone who knew him from watching TV would see him first, what a great honor that would be!

  In the following days, Qu Mingjun and Fan Shaojie, along with two other instructors, began to train separately on the actions and commands of leading a team. Among these four people, only Qu Mingjun was a student, while the others were old instructors at the academy. Qu Mingjun couldn't help but feel some uncertainty about whether he could ultimately obtain the position of leader.

  Look at the instructor's movements, elegant and natural, whether it's a salute or an order, neat and powerful. I haven't practiced standing at attention, my movements can't compare to the other three instructors.

  Fortunately, Instructor Fan has been paying attention to Qu Mingjun's movements and training, providing guidance and evaluation from time to time. Qu Mingjun quickly became familiar with the actions, but he still lacked a bit of maturity, lacking the kind of commanding presence that a leader should have. Fortunately, there is still time, so let him get familiar slowly. The first thing Qu Mingjun needs to do now is to keep his pace always at 75 centimeters, which is the standard step length for marching in step and regular steps, not more or less.

  To know, as the leader of the parade team, one's pace must be precise like a machine. Only when the leader is accurate can the team behind not be chaotic and follow the leader's pace and maintain the interval distance to perfectly complete the parade.

  Qu Mingjun always pays attention to his footsteps, no matter what he is doing, even when going to the toilet. He only considers it a habit when this 75cm stride becomes second nature, and he won't make mistakes because of it.

  Our army's column training has three paces: quick step, regular step and double time. The three paces symbolize three personalities: the quick step is gentle, it reports to the people the kindness of the dawn, bringing a sense of peace and happiness; the regular step shapes a strong image, it brings to the motherland a majestic and heroic spirit; while the intense double time is used to pursue and annihilate the enemy, symbolizing our army's brave and fearless style.

  In the rigorous training, all members of the parade team are undergoing a spiritual baptism, they need to feel the importance of image from it, feel the seriousness of duty, more importantly, they need to feel the hardship behind honor.

  On March 24, the entire parade team of 380 people gathered, and the rest of the members had been eliminated. They received orders from their superiors that the foot formation teams for the National Day military parade would begin to enter the Shahu Parade Village in the capital on March 25, where they would make a final sprint for the last seven months.