Chapter Seventeen: The Soldier's Discharge

  Murong Liuyue always managed to find a way to peel off the easiest problems that made Xu Sanduo scratch his head, layer by layer, and instill them into Xu Sanduo's consciousness. However, the method he used seemed to be similar in essence to Xu Sanduo's "stupid" logic from an outsider's perspective. It wasn't until then that Xu Sanduo realized that the two words "foolish" and "stupid", which he had always thought meant the same thing, actually implied completely different meanings.

  In the 7th Company, 3rd Battalion, it wasn't just Xu Sanduo who was left behind, but his obvious lagging was plain to see. However, unexpectedly, the first person to be abandoned by Commander Lian wasn't Xu Sanduo, but rather Zhang Jian, who had been performing relatively well.

  Ma Liancheng's decision was guided by the instructor Luo Cheng, who was the first to know. He pulled Ma Liancheng aside and said, "This time is different from before, you must think carefully." Normally, Luo Cheng rarely asked about Ma Liancheng's decisions because he knew Ma Liancheng's character and didn't bother to worry. But this time it concerned a soldier's future, so he had to worry.

  Ma Liancheng didn't stop walking and said, "I've thought it over."

  Luò Chéng was very anxious, he wished he could hold onto Mǎ Liánchéng and not let him go, but he couldn't beat him, so he could only reluctantly let go and say: "This time is different!"

  Ma Liancheng said: "I know he's different because he's different so he must leave!" After finishing speaking, Ma Liancheng got on the car and went to the team department.

  In the conference room, the team leader did not speak, and the team staff officer hastily opened his mouth and said: "Lian Cheng really has no room for negotiation?"

  Ma Liancheng rarely had such a serious expression, as if he had steel skin on his face, making people feel tough. He said directly: "No."

  "Must go?"

  "We have no choice but to go."

  The staff officer paced back and forth anxiously for a while before saying: "This matter must be carefully considered."

  "It's been clear for a long time."

  The team advisor had nothing to say and could only throw the problem to the team leader. The team leader finally stood up, walked over, patted Ma Liancheng's shoulder, and said magnanimously: "Let's do it as you said." Ma Liancheng thanked him and was about to leave when the team leader's voice came again: "Liancheng, this horse of yours is not only old but also like ginger. If it were someone else, this matter couldn't be settled in such a way. However, take care of your emotions, try not to affect others, and don't affect yourself."

  The team advisor looked at this comrade-in-arms for many years, obviously still not recognizing him. The team leader smiled and waved his hand to indicate that he didn't need to worry, saying: "After so many days, you can trust Lian Cheng. Don't worry about this report, I'll write it myself."

  The chief of staff, who was not in a good mood, gave his old comrade a glance and said, "Let me write it instead. We'll put both our names on it." In his heart, he also knew that this matter had already been settled, and it had been settled when Ma Liancheng said no.

  Zhang Jian was informed that he had to leave the troops and appeared very calm. He only glanced at Ma Liancheng, didn't look at anyone else, and didn't say a word before preparing to leave.

  He really is a personal item now. Ma Liancheng actually appreciates this soldier, but he has to leave for a reason. Ma Liancheng finally spoke up: "Don't you want to know why you have to leave?"

  "I'm not interested in the reason." Zhang Jian turned around, a cold smile appearing at the corner of his mouth. "Everyone has to be responsible for their own actions. What I'm interested in is how much you'll pay for it." After finishing speaking, he resolutely turned and left, without even taking the car arranged by the troops for him.

  Xu Sanduo never thought that under such an ordinary face, there was actually a hideous skin. Just watching his comrade leave, Xu Sanduo couldn't help but call out Zhang Jian's name with a loud shout. However, Zhang Jian didn't even turn his head or look at him.

  Luocheng wanted to comfort the soldier, but ultimately couldn't put his hand on his shoulder and could only say: "Zhang Jian left here and can still live a good life, don't forget that you've served in the army."

  If the soldier left quietly without any emotions or dissatisfaction, Ma Liancheng would have felt guilty. But now he wouldn't, and he could confirm that his decision was not wrong. So in the next moment, he turned around and left decisively.

  Seven companies, three classes walked away with one person, but that person seemed to have never existed. The third class was still training and living as usual. When they should laugh, they would still laugh, when they should sleep, they would still sleep, only they had never seen them sad. But there was one person who knew someone had left, he knew Zhang Jian was abandoned by the company commander.

  Xu Sanduo suddenly remembered that it was probably the first time he called Zhang Jian, but Zhang Jian didn't respond. Before that, they hadn't exchanged a single word. As people suddenly left, many memories from before became clear. Xu Sanduo suddenly recalled Zhang Jian's appearance very clearly and felt a bit sad, but more anxious. It seemed that some logic had become very clear, and the boss began to abandon his soldiers, and Xu Sanduo was the worst of them all, so it could be said that one day he would also be abandoned.

  In rural superstition, old people always say that if a person's luck is low, they will have continuous bad luck. Xu Sanduo is undoubtedly the best example. Disaster does not come alone, under the anxiety of his emotions, he caught a cold. Others occasionally have difficulty breathing, but he has to walk with snot hanging from his nose. When practicing salutes, he also had to free up one hand to prevent his snot from falling off.

  Lin Jianbing knew that the company commander had abandoned a soldier before the new recruit training period was over, which was very abnormal. He didn't dare to ask about it. Before, he thought Zhang Jian was just lazy, but until the day Zhang Jian left, he realized that there were many things about Zhang Jian that he didn't understand, such as his ability to show a ferocious expression. Lin Jianbing also worried that one day, someone from his squad would suddenly be abandoned by the company commander, like Xu Sanduo. If he had a choice, he would rather leave himself than have his soldiers abandoned. But as a soldier, he didn't have a choice. Just like when his squad leader was about to leave, he couldn't keep him from going either.

  Xu Sanduo's foolishness is something the entire new recruit battalion knows about. However, everyone in the battalion also knows that the seventh company's third squad has a very stupid donkey who is so stupid it wants to fly but can't. In the past, Lin Jianbing felt sorry for Xu Sanduo and wanted to teach him well. But now he feels like he has changed, and when he looks at Xu Sanduo, he easily gets angry. In the past, he couldn't understand why someone who was so good to him would sometimes get angry as if the sky was falling. Now he understands - it's because of hatred for not being able to be forged into steel.

  "Xu Sanduo, what are you doing!"

  A sudden roar echoed through the training ground, and Xu Sanduo, who was busy wiping his nose, froze. He felt that this world had suddenly left him alone, and the people who usually cared about him and smiled at him had all become strangers. He knew he had disgraced the third class again, or even the entire seventh company. He was afraid, and didn't dare to wipe it again, so the snot dripped down, cooling his skin.

  Silence is the main melody of this world.

  Lin Jianbing walked into the team and wiped away Xu Sanduo's snot, choking hard: "Xu Sanduo, what are you crying about? There's nothing to cry about. I said no crying, don't cry!" Lin Jianbing steeled himself and returned to the front of the team, shouting training slogans with all his might.

  Xu Sanduo didn't dare cry anymore. He didn't dare do anything he wanted to do. He felt like he had fallen into a terrible world where he was the only one left.

  Ma Liancheng came to the training ground and saw Lin Jianbing's red nose, thinking that his soldier had returned to his old ways. He suspected that he was the only one who could make his soldier cry. At first glance, he looked at Xu Sanduo and saw that Xu Sanduo had a long, red nose with snot hanging from it, even redder than Lin Jianbing's.

  Ma Liancheng asked Lin Jianbing: "Not bad, when did you learn to bully people?"

  Lin Jianbing scratched his head with embarrassment and smiled: "Report to the company commander, nothing."

  Ma Liancheng's eyes widened in surprise and he said, "Really? You can actually get rid of someone's snot that long?"

  Lin Jianbing suddenly firmed up his tone and said, "Yes! Report to Company Commander Xu Sanduo that he is a good soldier." Meaning that even if Xu Sanduo was ill, he insisted on training and even with a runny nose, he guaranteed that training came first.

  Ma Liancheng hummed and nodded repeatedly, then looked at Xu Sanduo and said: "Xu Sanduo, your class leader says you're a good soldier. Do you say you're the best donkey?"

  Xu Sanduo hastily saluted and said: "Report to the company commander, I'm not!"

  "Is it? Is it a donkey or is it a good donkey?"

  "Report to the company commander, I'm not a good donkey!"

  "Isn't it? Then your class leader is lying? How can a soldier's hidden situation be reported?"

  Xu Sanduo hastily said: "It's not that the class leader is not good. The class leader, he is helping me wipe my nose and telling me not to wipe it. I know the class leader is good for me. Hmm, the class leader is a very good person."

  Lin Jianbing originally only had muscle soreness from standing for too long, but after hearing this, his heart also ached. He wanted to help Xu Sanduo say some good words, but Xu Sanduo instead exposed his "conspiracy" without being grateful. So he was heartbroken, and even more heartbroken that Xu Sanduo always remembered his kindness.

  "Reporting to Platoon Leader is my mistake! I am willing to accept punishment!"

  Ma Liancheng looked at Xu Sanduo, then at Lin Jianbing, and said with a puzzled expression: "This is strange. The squad leader says his soldiers are not good, but the soldier says he himself is not good. A soldier says his squad leader is very good, but the squad leader says he himself is wrong." Ma Liancheng looked at everyone and paused for a moment before saying: "You all say, what kind of strange thing is this?"

  Yu Bo couldn't help but laugh out loud when he saw Ma Liancheng looking at him. He quickly suppressed his laughter and shouted, "Report to Commander Lian, they're being modest."

  Ma Lian Cheng let out a long "oh" and suddenly realized, saying: "Is that so. Hey, not bad! Yu Bo was not this clever before, now he's become smart with his round head and slippery brain. It seems that running is really useful, Yu Bo, why don't you go run two more laps?"

  Yu Bo's eyes turned black and he felt like vomiting, but couldn't pass out on the ground. He hadn't eaten breakfast yet and had already urinated out all the water from last night, so his stomach was empty with nothing to squeeze out. Before Yu Bo lost consciousness, he could still hear Lian Chang Ma Lian Cheng say: "Not bad reaction, decisive and neat, very agile. I'm telling you, if it were the old Yu Bo, he definitely wouldn't be able to do this. You know, the more you run, the brighter your mind becomes, and the more agile your body becomes..."