Choose

  After the Boy Scouts returned to the camp, it was not unexpected that there were more than a dozen fewer, including even an old student from Jia-Shen Department. Just when the old students of Jia-Shen Department thought Zheng Kezang would cut back several classes as before, Zheng Kezang made an unexpected adjustment - this time, Zheng Kezang singled out all those over 15 years old from the Jia and Yi periods to form two teams, A and B, while the rest retained their original organization.

  "Camp officer, what's going on here." Yang Yi, who was demoted from class leader to ordinary soldier, looked at the lively scene of granting official titles across the martial arts arena and couldn't help but whisper to his cousin Yang Lan beside him. "Liu Wencai, this kid must have stumbled upon some great luck, he actually got promoted directly to team leader, if we hadn't left, there's no way it would be his turn."

  "Cut the nonsense, stand up straight, they're almost done over there. If the drill officer and instructors see you sneaking around like that, you'll definitely get a few whacks with the military stick." Yang Lan, however, seemed unwilling to pay attention to her cousin, standing stiffly with her face turned away, as if Zheng Kezang was right in front of them at this very moment. "Quick, they're coming!"

  Yang Wei immediately put on a serious face, and after waiting for a while, Zheng Kezang came before them: "Among you are those who have come from the Jia-Shen department, as well as those who came last year from the Yi-Mao department. In total there are eighty-seven of you. Why would you be taken out of the main group? I suppose some of you have already guessed. Indeed, you are all the oldest in the entire camp, and starting today, you will formally be listed on the rolls to learn the tactics of battle formation and the art of killing on the battlefield."

  The queue was slightly stirred, but under the strict military discipline, these boys who had suffered more or less were still standing honestly in the team: "I don't care if you were originally a class leader, a vanguard officer or an ordinary soldier. Now they are all the same and have to start from scratch. If done well, can be promoted to vanguard officer, squad leader or even platoon leader, but if not done well, will be dismissed and go back to play with Bill and other younger children together

  ??”

  Zheng Kezang's words were somewhat hurtful, so the young men present all scrunched up their faces and made a determined effort. Seeing this scene, Zheng Kezang smiled slightly in satisfaction: "Since you all have some energy, then from now on, you are truly soldiers. Don't blame your instructors for not holding back later."

  ??”

  After dinner, the exhausted young soldiers were busy unfolding their bedding and other equipment in their newly moved barracks. Just as everyone was busy, Li Shun quietly asked his friend beside him: "Ma Ying, the camp officer let us choose our duties, are you going to choose a long gunner or a firearms hand?"

  Zheng Kezang's original design was to have two long gunners and two knife shielders in each group, with the remaining member holding a firearm or bow and arrow for remote weapons. However, this formation, which was recognized by Sun Youlao, was criticized by He Qian as being completely useless. He Qian believed that not only would the number of long-range suppressive weapons be insufficient in each unit, but also the close combat capability would be a problem. It is necessary to know that long guns can only exert their effect when fighting in groups, and once dispersed, three chi (a unit of measurement) long guns are not as good as five chi short guns.

  Zheng Kezang humbly accepted and immediately entrusted He Qian to adjust the deployment. According to the new organizational chart, each team's weapons were unified, and in the future, the battalion level would be composed of two teams of long gunners, one team of firelockers or two teams of knife shield soldiers, and one team of archers. As for the organization above the regimental level, it will be discussed later.

  According to this organization, Zheng Kezang could only form two teams for the time being. Given that the knife shield required higher personal martial arts skills, while the long gun and firearms were more inclined towards discipline, Zheng Kezang finally decided to first form a full-strength long gun team and an under-strength firearms team. It was precisely this reason that the young men faced their first choice in their military career.

  "I'd actually like to be a halberdier, but unfortunately I didn't get to choose this time." Ma Ying was from a fishing family at sea and had been accustomed to close combat since childhood, so the long gun and fire lance were not his favorites. "Isn't tomorrow morning the deadline? So I'm still thinking about it, don't just talk about me, what are you going to choose?"

  "It goes without saying, after all, it's the long spearman. Li Shun glanced around and whispered, "I heard that the fire lance can't be fired for a few rounds before it explodes. Rather than being injured by one's own weapon, it's better to charge at the forefront with real knives and guns. Who knows, maybe you'll even get rewarded with the title of 'Camp Officer' for breaking through the enemy lines."

  "Look at you, what a mess, who's in charge here? This long spear soldier doesn't matter." An Long on the side heard this and chuckled. "Didn't the instructors say that long spear soldiers are most concerned with formation, they won't be used to attack cities or pursue enemies, not even allowed to cut off heads, leave it to the firearms team to take care of it when they're free."

  "Decapitated head?" Mentioning the freshly beheaded and blood-soaked human head, the face of the walking youth turned very pale, and many people even said so. "What, when the firearms team comes to cut off heads in the future, I won't choose it, I won't choose it, seeing that frightening thing, I'm afraid I won't be able to eat for three days."

  "Coward!" An Long sneered, curling his lip. "Didn't you hear what the squad leader said? From now on, we're real soldiers, and who knows when we'll be sent to the battlefield to fight the Tartars. If at that time you can't even bear to cut off a dead man's head, then you might as well go play with those little brats in the mud right now."

  "But, but I'm still a bit scared." The young man's voice was trembling. "I'll choose the long gunner instead."

  "Long spear?" An Long sneered with a smile. "Tell everyone, it's actually more intimidating to be a long spear soldier! Think about it, when the enemy cavalry charges towards you with thousands of horses and soldiers, what do you do? Want to escape? The people around you are packed tightly, and those in the front row can only raise their hands. Want to fight the enemy? The knives on the other side are shining brightly, reflecting your goosebumps, and the sound of horseshoes pounding on your heart is deafening. At this time, it's scary if you can't even lift your hand! But if you don't lift your gun with your hand, isn't that just waiting for death?"

  Li Shun couldn't help but shudder, as if he was really in the midst of a bloody battlefield with thousands of soldiers and horses. The enemy, whose face he couldn't see, had already charged over: "An Long, don't say such scary things, it's freaking me out."

  "An Long, what you said is roughly a lie," You Bingzhen's son Hu Mei was the only general in this house. He usually listened to his father talk about stories of advancing and retreating three times in the enemy army, so he had some doubts about An Long's words. "How come it's different from what my dad said?"

  "Your dad was cheating you." An Long said with a grin. "Otherwise, why would Mr. say that only a few people have returned from the expedition since ancient times?"

  "You're talking nonsense, how could my dad cheat me?" Hearing An Long being disrespectful to his father, Hu Mei got a bit angry. He threw down the things in his hand and rushed to An Long's front, pointing at An Long's nose with one hand while exposing him to the young man beside him. "You haven't really been on the battlefield either, who knows if you're the one cheating?"

  "Who says I've never been on a battlefield?" An Long glared back at the other person, his face filled with discontent. "When I was six years old, the Tartars invaded our village, my father carried me and we fled in panic. The gleaming knives, and arrows as swift as shooting stars." As An Long spoke, it seemed as though the terrifying scene from that year reappeared before his eyes. "One slash of a knife, and my uncle's head fell off, blood spurting high into the air; one arrow came flying over, striking my aunt in the leg, and she was dragged away crying by the Tartars."

  ??”

  The bloodiness and horror of war were narrated by An Long, and a group of young men who had never truly seen blood before were stunned.

  "Our home is gone, so my dad and I followed Wang to Taiwan," An Long looked at the people beside him, clenching his fists. "Ba Shang sent someone to say that the camp officer would select us as personal soldiers, I thought it was an opportunity, so I told my dad, but he didn't want me to come at first, however, I insisted on coming, and in the end, he agreed." An Long wiped away his tears. "I will definitely follow the camp officer to fight back to the mainland, and avenge my uncle and aunt by killing those Tartars!"

  "An Long, it's my fault, I shouldn't have blamed you." Hu Mei also couldn't help but lower her head and apologize.

  "Ke Anlong, it's been so long since then, how did you know who killed your uncle and robbed your aunt? How are you going to avenge them?"

  "I've had enough, can't find the enemy's home, but all Tartars should be killed! All Han traitors who surrender to the Tartars should also be killed!" An Long was furious and waved his hand. "Killing one might kill the wrong person, killing a thousand might kill the wrong person, but killing them all will absolutely not be wrong!"

  "Right! Kill all the Tartars and traitors! Avenge Andron's family!" The emotions of the young men in the same dormitory were stirred up by Andron, one by one they clenched their fists and rubbed their palms, as if there were countless Tartars and traitors in front of them that they could slaughter one by one.

  "Thank you, thank you brothers for your righteousness!" An Long made a fist and circled around his roommates with a heroic air, but at this time the sky had already darkened, and the excited young faces also showed uncontrollable fatigue. Seeing this scene, An Long said knowingly, "Everyone go to bed early, we still have morning exercises tomorrow."

  Most of the boys fell asleep as soon as they heard this, but some were too excited to sleep: "An Long, are you asleep?"

  "Not yet? You don't go to bed early, tomorrow if you can't get up, you'll have to eat the military stick." An Long said with a yawn, scaring his opponent. "You haven't seen the instructors holding the military sticks, this time it's not like the rattan rods of before, just that size, hitting your body will really make your skin burst open and flesh torn, I'm afraid you'll be in pain for three or two days and can't get out of bed."

  "An Long Ge, but I still can't sleep." The voice was faint. "An Long Ge, will you choose a long gun or a fire spear?"

  "Me?" An Long's voice also seemed a bit dazed. "I wanted to choose the Red Yi cannon's gunner, but there isn't one now. However, I heard from Instructor that only after choosing a fire spearman can I be selected to learn how to shoot cannons later on."

  ??”

  The words had not been finished, An Long's snoring sound came up, hearing An Long's loud sleep, the breathing on this side also became heavy: "Hong Yi Da Pao, Huo Qiang Shou, I, I also want..."

  ??”