A generation of soldiers begins with Feng Yuxiu traveling through time and space with Xu Sanduo

Chapter 222 Emergency Assembly and Deployment!

The summer wind, carrying waves of intense heat, rolls in as if to set the whole world ablaze.

Wu Liuyi sat comfortably on the lush grass, squinting slightly as he gazed at the distant scenery, which was somewhat blurred by the sunlight.

His face was beaming with a happy smile, as if this moment of peace and leisure was the best reward for his hard training every day.

However, when he turned around unintentionally and his gaze fell on the conspicuous scar on Feng Yuxiu's face, the smile on his face froze instantly, and then turned into a soft sigh.

He frowned slightly and said, "You've gone too far with this. Every time you come back, you have some new injuries on your face. If this continues, it'll be really hard for you to find a partner in our village."

Feng Yuxiu squinted slightly, the glaring sunlight making his eyes feel dry.

He gently rubbed his eyes, a faint smile playing on his lips, and said, "What's a little injury? Soldiers always risk their lives. Didn't you risk your life just as much?"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on Wu Liuyi's right wrist.

Wu Liuyi followed Feng Yuxiu's gaze and subconsciously clenched his right hand.

The injury on my wrist was from the last training assessment.

To escape his predicament, he forcibly freed his skin from the bindings, and the excruciating pain he felt is still vivid in his memory.

He lowered his head slightly, his tone tinged with emotion: "It's fate that we two old guys from the Seventh Steel Company are now in the same squad again. But, did you put in a good word for me with the captain to get me transferred here?"

Upon hearing this, Feng Yuxiu laughed heartily, his eyes sparkling brightly, and said, "This is all thanks to your own hard work, Comrade Wu Liuyi. The transfer team's decision can't be considered a backdoor deal."

The two looked at each other and smiled.

-

In the office, Qi Huan stood quietly, his gaze fixed on Yuan Lang, who was smoking.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting shadows on the two of them.

Qi Huan cleared his throat slightly and said, "Captain, since returning from this exercise, Xu Sanduo's personality has become noticeably more cheerful, not as dull as before, right?"

Yuan Lang's lips curled slightly as he exhaled a smoke ring and slowly said, "Yes, this kid has improved quite a bit. But do you know why that commander personally came to inquire about Xu Sanduo's situation during the assessment?"

Qi Huan was slightly taken aback, a look of doubt appearing on his face, and shook his head.

Yuan Lang stubbed out his cigarette, looked into the distance with a deep gaze, and said, "China is a society that values ​​personal connections and observing people's expressions. Xu Sanduo's performance in this exercise was indeed outstanding, enough to make him a probationary officer."

Qi Huan's face showed even greater surprise. He frowned slightly and said, "But didn't he only graduate from junior high school? And to become an officer, don't you have to go to military academy?"

Yuan Lang smiled, picked up Feng Yuxiu's file from the table, threw it in front of Qi Huan, and said, "These are not problems. First, promote him to a higher rank, then supplement his information. This is not unusual. Take a look."

Qi Huan stepped forward, carefully opened the file, and his gaze fell on the education section, where it clearly stated: High School.

He paused for a moment, thinking to himself: I've got the academic qualifications covered. I can make up for the military academy later when I have time.

He closed the file, sighed softly, and said, "Comparison is the thief of joy. Capable people can thrive anywhere."

Yuan Lang laughed heartily, patted Qi Huan on the shoulder, and said, "You're just a lieutenant, what are you worried about? He's at most a second lieutenant. I remember you're not the kind of person who particularly cares about making meritorious contributions."

Qi Huan smiled helplessly and said, "He's a formidable guy. There's a clear dividing line between officers and soldiers. If he doesn't make it, that's fine, but once he does, his future is limitless. However, I sincerely hope this kid can get promoted. I'd be happy to see him grow."

Yuan Lang nodded, picked up a bottle of mineral water, unscrewed the cap, and took a few big gulps. He said, "The appointment letter should be issued in about six months. The captain just mentioned it to me. There shouldn't be any major missions after this. This year's exercises and training should be almost over."

Qi Huan nodded slightly, a hint of anticipation on his face, and said, "I hope so. Everyone has been without a vacation for a long time. I haven't been home for three years."

Yuan Lang glared at him and said with a smile, "I'll give you a break when your family starts urging you to go back for blind dates."

Qi Huan quickly waved his hand and said, "Then let's forget it. I prefer life in the army."

Yuan Lang smiled and shook his head, saying, "You little rascal..."

-

The training, the high-intensity training, was like an invisible giant net, tightly enveloping the members of Team A.

The reason why Old A was able to defeat the Red Army in one exercise after another was precisely because they had undergone such hellish training.

As the Red Army commander said, this army has an indomitable will and there is no difficulty that they cannot overcome.

Finally, on a sunny day, Team A had a special picnic.

Whole cattle and sheep are placed on a blazing barbecue grill, sizzling and releasing an enticing aroma.

A truckload of beer bottles was neatly stacked on the training field, their surfaces gleaming in the sunlight.

Qi Huan picked up a bottle of beer, tilted his head back, and gulped it down.

A blush rose to his face, and a hint of excitement shone in his eyes.

At this moment, Wu Zhe walked over and said with a smile, "Not bad. I thought you soldiers only knew how to train and didn't know how to enjoy life."

Qi Huan wiped the beer foam from the corner of his mouth and laughed, "That's your preconceived prejudice. I'm not one of those intellectuals who only know how to study by rote."

Wu Zhe pushed up his glasses and said with a smile, "But aren't you talking about me now? I'm not the kind of intellectual in the traditional sense."

Qi Huan laughed heartily and said, "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore. Come on, let's drink!"

The two men raised their bottles, clinked them together, and then drank them down in one gulp.

-

Wu Liuyi sat to the side, leisurely drinking and eating barbecue, a satisfied smile on his face, and said, "The food in the Old A unit is indeed much better than that of other units. This meal was really satisfying."

Feng Yuxiu glanced at him, a slight smile playing on his lips, and said, "You're not here to gain weight, why are you eating so much?"

Wu Liuyi was slightly taken aback, then grinned and said, "I didn't expect you to be able to joke. I never knew that before."

Feng Yuxiu sighed softly, a complex expression in his eyes, and slowly said, "I think I'm cured. Before, I was always indifferent to many things and didn't care much about my comrades. After these experiences, I feel much better." Wu Liuyi frowned slightly, a look of doubt on his face, and said, "How come I didn't know you were sick? What kind of illness is this indifference you're talking about?"

Feng Yuxiu shook his head slightly and said, "That's a psychological issue. In the past, I wasn't interested in many things, and I didn't care much about the lives of my comrades. But now, I understand that we are a collective, and we should care for and help each other."

Upon hearing this, Wu Liu nodded slightly, somewhat surprised by Feng Yuxiu's change.

At this moment, Yuan Lang, with a cigarette dangling from his lips and a bottle of liquor in his right hand, strode over.

He sat down among the crowd, his gaze slowly sweeping over each person, and said, "You consume nearly ten thousand bullets a month, but how many of you have actually fired a gun at a person? The first time you get serious, your mind is often blank; it's already quite an achievement if you can even process what one plus one equals."

Wu Zhe frowned, unconvinced, and said, "Captain, Xu Sanduo has killed people before, with his bare hands."

Yuan Lang glared at him and said, "What are you comparing yourself to him for? I'm talking about most of you. One plus one equals what? It seems simple, but in a life-or-death situation, it's not so easy to answer."

Wu Zhe pouted slightly and said softly, "One plus one is a very complicated proposition."

His competitive spirit is immediately aroused when it comes to knowledge-based issues.

Upon seeing this, Qi Huan's expression changed slightly, and he quickly said, "Stop joking, everyone listen carefully to what the captain has to say."

Yuan Lang was silent for a moment, his eyes becoming even more profound, and said, “Killing someone is completely different from firing a gun during our training. Killing someone with your bare hands is also a completely different feeling from hitting an enemy with a bullet. You can imagine that when you gently twitch your right index finger, a life with decades of memories, experiences, and thoughts disappears in an instant. And all of this happens in just one second.”

After listening, Wu Zhe nodded slightly and fell into deep thought.

Yuan Lang looked at him and said, "Wu Zhe, you are a thoughtful person. You should think about this matter carefully."

Yuan Lang then turned his gaze to Wu Liuyi and said, "Liuyi, although you have a very strong mentality, have you thought about the scene of killing someone? With one stab, blood gushes out. When people kill their own kind, they will feel physiological nausea. This is a human instinct."

Wu Liuyi gritted his teeth, remained silent, and a complex emotion flickered in his eyes.

Yuan Lang looked at Feng Yuxiu one last time and said, "You've killed people, you should know that feeling. This feeling isn't something you can overcome with your current calm mindset. As you take more and more lives, you'll become more and more indifferent to life. Sooner or later, out of anger, uncontrollable anger, you'll do something you'll regret for the rest of your life."

As he spoke, Yuan Lang slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a noticeable hypertrophic scar on his right arm.

Upon seeing this, Wu Zhe exclaimed in shock, "Was it fired from an M16?"

Yuan Lang and Qi Huan exchanged a glance and laughed.

Qi Huan shouted, "Bullshit! He was stabbed by a thug with a screwdriver during a joint military-police operation!"

Wu Zhe stepped forward, examined it carefully, and said, "Qi Huan, you're lying to me again. This is clearly a penetrating wound caused by an M16A2 SS109 round! Captain, have you really been on the battlefield?"

Yuan Lang smiled and said, "Soldiers, it's normal for them to brag a little. But this wound is indeed from my first time on the battlefield. That day, I encountered a very fierce thug, no, I should say a desperate criminal, who came to take my life."

His expression turned serious as he continued, “On the battlefield, I got separated from the main force and chased after that thug alone. I was fully armed when he suddenly jumped out of the bushes and attacked me. He was holding a screwdriver and stabbed me twice. The first one was stopped by my bulletproof vest, but the second one left this wound.”

Wu Liuyi frowned slightly and asked in confusion, "Why didn't you fire? Our training requires drawing your gun and firing in a second, which would be enough to kill him on the spot."

Yuan Lang took a deep breath and slowly said, "People's words and actions are often two different things. In that extremely tense situation, my mind went blank, and I only remembered to use my hand to block. Looking back now, I'm very glad I didn't shoot. Because given how panicked I was, I definitely would have killed him."

That man was only in his early twenties; he shouldn't have paid the ultimate price for a moment of impulsiveness. His life didn't deserve such a severe punishment. If I had shot him dead then and there, I would have lived with guilt for the rest of my life.

Everyone fell silent, listening quietly to Yuan Lang's story.

Yuan Lang slowly looked at Feng Yuxiu and said, "Aren't you right? Some things don't warrant death, and people have a chance to repent. Maybe he will become a good father and have a happy family in the future. Give those who don't deserve to die a chance, and their lives may be changed because of it."

Feng Yuxiu slowly raised his head, a hint of emotion flashing in his eyes. He nodded slightly and said, "Yes, that's right."

Yuan Lang finally smiled. He could see that the soldier in front of him was slowly returning to normal.

Give him a few more chances, and he will completely develop the mindset of becoming an excellent veteran.

So, on the third day after the picnic ended.

"Emergency gathering!!"

Qi Huan roared out that voice.

Feng Yuxiu raised his head and frowned as he looked at Qi Huan in the corridor.

"Don't just stand there, we have a mission," Qi Huan called out as he turned around.

Feng Yuxiu asked in confusion, "Didn't you say there were no more missions? It's only been a few days, and it's another exercise?"

Qi Huan's solemn expression was something Feng Yuxiu had never seen before.

"This is not a drill, it's a real mission. Assemble immediately!"

The mission was initiated from the squad's field telephone.

Yuan Lang personally led the team onto the plane.

Wu Zhe glanced outside casually, then turned back and laughed, "June 1st, relax, it's just another drill."

But after he said that, the entire plane fell silent.

Qi Huan stared intently at Wu Zhe, "Look at your own magazine."

Wu Zhe lowered his head and quickly pulled back the magazine, his pupils shrinking.

All live ammunition.

Recalling what Yuan Lang had said during the picnic, Wu Zhe's expression became slightly unnatural.

But he was more suspicious, because in his eyes Yuan Lang was a conman who was good at acting.

They often make the drills look real. Wasn't the so-called border drug bust just a drill and assessment?
He didn't believe it.

Only Feng Yuxiu's gaze gradually turned cold; he could sense that this was no joke.

The chilling killing intent emanating from Yuan Lang—what exactly is this mission?
(End of this chapter)