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

Chapter 264 Iron Fist Gang

At night, Feng Yuxiu sat by the window in the darkness, staring outside.

He tried to think of nothing, but his mind was constantly disturbed by a series of thoughts.

He didn't sleep a wink that night, but his energy was enough to sustain him through the exertion.

The rooster crows to announce the dawn.

Feng Yuxiu washed his face and came out.

Gan Xiaoning and Bai Tiejun were standing at the door.

Feng Yuxiu was somewhat taken aback. "What are you two doing here? Weren't you supposed to be training?"

Gan Xiaoning stood ramrod straight, not daring to utter a word, as if she were deaf.

Feng Yuxiu looked at Bai Tiejun with a puzzled expression.

Bai Tiejun grinned, revealing his big teeth. "The platoon leader sent us. He said he was afraid you might sneak off this morning, so he wanted to see you off personally."

Feng Yuxiu suddenly realized that he really did intend to sneak away.

He found the feeling of parting awkward and didn't really like it.

Besides, he's only on loan; he'll be back sooner or later.

There's no need for all this lingering reluctance.

"Alright, let's have a meal with the platoon leader and the others." Feng Yuxiu nodded.

The two men walked in step, one on the left and one on the right, their eyes fixed straight ahead, which made Feng Yuxiu pause for a moment.

"Can't you just walk properly? Who are you putting on this show for?"

"No way, the deputy battalion commander said that if the two of us are found to be in disarray or lack discipline again, we'll be sent to the mess hall to raise pigs for a month, living and eating in the pigsty."

"Hey, you know what, the deputy battalion commander really is capable of doing something like this. It's not about being brothers; it's about being terrified of the deputy battalion commander."

Feng Yuxiu shook his head and strode towards the cafeteria.

-

"Deputy Battalion Commander, isn't today an exercise?" Shi Jin asked, puzzled, when he saw Gao Cheng at the dinner table.

Gao Cheng, picking up some food, laughed and said, "It's alright, I'm just here to see Xu Sanduo off. In exercises like this, my reconnaissance battalion has no rivals."

"What are you two standing there for? Get out! We agreed on double the training, so let's double the training!"

Gan Xiaoning and Bai Tiejun were driven out, managing to grab a few steamed buns and slink away.

"Company Commander, actually these two are quite good." Feng Yuxiu still intended to say good things about the two.

Suddenly, Gao Cheng paused, his right hand holding the food stopped, and he looked at Shi Jin before bursting into laughter.

The soldiers, who were eating quietly, all looked up.

Gao Cheng glared at him, "What are you looking at? Hurry up and eat!"

"Xu Sanduo, I never thought that someone as cold and ruthless as you would one day plead for someone's life."

“I know what’s going on here. These two bastards have become complacent because they know me. It’s time to send them back to school for a fresh start.”

Shi Jin chimed in, "San Duo, once you go to another military region, you won't have as many comrades to help you. You'll have to start all over again. You need to tone down your temper..."

"What are you doing? Shi Jin, I don't like what you're saying. What do you mean by 'behave yourself'? A king of soldiers should act like a king of soldiers. Who will respect someone who's so timid and subservient? Don't listen to Shi Jin. Once you're there, just do what you're supposed to do. If anyone dares to mess with you, tell me, and I'll back you up."

"Remember, you will always be my proudest soldier."

After saying this, Shi Jin's face showed a hint of unease, but he still raised his head and smiled, "Yes, yes, the deputy battalion commander is right."

Feng Yuxiu just listened with a smile.

Gao Cheng took out a mobile phone from his pocket and handed it to Feng Yuxiu.

Feng Yuxiu stared blankly at what he considered to be an old antique in his hand.

"Here you go. We live in the information age, and the military is accelerating its digitalization. You can't always write letters. This has my phone number on it. It'll be much more convenient from now on; you can call me in seconds."

Feng Yuxiu gave a wry smile. In his eyes, things that had long been obsolete had become novelties in this era.

After the meal, Gao Cheng bought a bunch of toiletries and small gifts and delivered them to the car.

"Remember, call me if anything happens. You are not someone to be bullied."

Feng Yuxiu, a man with a heart of stone, softened in an instant.

"Company commander, I will."

"Goodbye, Squad Leader Shi Jin."

The car rumbled as it started up and headed towards the station.

Gao Cheng took out a cigarette, lit it, and gazed at the rolling sandstorm in the distance.

"Deputy Battalion Commander, the man is gone, he can't be seen anymore," Shi Jin reminded him.

"Oh, I know, I know. You go ahead and see how the exercise preparations are going. I'll be there later."

Soldiers look down on officers who attend military academies, considering them merely bookworms.

Men should be forged with blood, sweat, and iron.

Gao Cheng is an exception. He also attended military academy, but he didn't like instructors or similar positions.

He liked rough and tough soldiers, and Feng Yuxiu had the same temperament as him in his early days.

The fact that this soldier did not follow him remained a source of frustration for him.

After finishing his cigarette, Gao Cheng threw it on the ground, stomped it out, and turned to walk towards the gate of the military camp.

-

-

I boarded the train and headed south.

The temperature in coastal areas is warmer than in the central regions.

After a two-day, two-night train journey, Feng Yuxiu finally arrived at his final destination.

An officer who came to meet him looked Feng Yuxiu up and down.

"follow me."

Feng Yuxiu boarded the military vehicle with his backpack and drove to the suburban mountains.

When he saw the gate of the military camp and the Type 95 uniform, Feng Yuxiu was stunned.

This is a grassroots unit; it's not a special forces unit at all.

Wasn't he supposed to be seconded to the special forces by the Eastern Theater Command? How come he ended up in a grassroots unit?

The car entered the gate and drove all the way to a building.

"Please get out of the car."

After getting off the car, I arrived at the office door on the fifth floor.

"Come in."

A voice made Feng Yuxiu frown.

He pushed open the door and stood straight. Fan Tianlei smiled. "I told you, we would meet sooner or later."

Feng Yuxiu said in a deep voice, "Commander, this is not a special forces unit."

"Why does it have to be special forces? Just because you're a special forces soldier, does that mean you have to go to the special forces? I want you to use special forces training methods to pre-select special forces recruits for us."

“Our special forces team has just come up with a plan, which you can use as a reference.”

"Your performance in the anti-drug exercise was very much in line with our Eastern Theater Command's operational plan."

Feng Yuxiu fell silent.

He was going to the grassroots military units to pre-select potential recruits for Fan Tianlei to join the special forces.
Want to be an instructor in a grassroots military unit?
"Your current position is platoon leader of the third platoon, first company, Iron Fist Regiment of the Chinese People's Liberation Army."

"Yes! I obey orders!" Feng Yuxiu replied in a deep voice.

“Perfect timing! You’ve come at just the right time. Today is the first day of the Iron Fist Regiment’s new recruits’ enlistment. As a platoon leader in the recruit company, you should go and take a look.”

Feng Yuxiu frowned. "Commander, aren't you from the special forces?"

Fan Tianlei laughed and said, "I just happened to be passing by to see the leader of the Iron Fist Regiment and to hand over your file. I'm leaving now."

"I'll be waiting for you at the Wolf Fang Special Forces Brigade."

-

-

In the scorching wind, the convoy stopped at the gate of the Iron Fist Regiment, where sentries stood at attention with guns at their ready.

The convoy of new recruits filed in, drove onto the parade ground, and stopped in perfect unison.

"We've arrived. Everyone, get off the bus!"

Under the squad leader's reprimand, the truck's rear door was roughly opened.

The new recruits, dressed in camouflage uniforms, jumped down intermittently like constipated sheep droppings.

My body trembled as soon as I landed, swept up by the strong wind.

Not far away, a powerful iron fist sculpture stands on the playground, and the Iron Fist Regiment's flag flutters high.

The flags of the "Hero Company," "Fourth Company of Sharpshooters," and "Sixth Company of Flying Tigers" fluttered in the strong wind beside them.

"Be on high alert and prepare for war!"

More than a hundred new recruits stood in neat rows, carrying their packs.

Feng Yuxiu happened to come downstairs.

Gong Jian patted the platoon leader, Lao Hei.

The two turned their heads at the same time.

"Is that him? The platoon leader of the third platoon?" Gong Jian asked curiously.

Old Hei paused for a moment, "I heard he's a very formidable person, from the Central Theater Command."

"It's alright, having such a formidable person is a good thing for our group. I just don't know if he'll be easy to get along with."

Old Hei nodded. "Then I'll go and injure these little brats first. You go and make contact with them."

Old Hei walked up to the new recruits and roared, "Everyone, squat down!"

The new recruits looked at each other, momentarily stunned and unable to react.

Wang Yanbing was the first to react, and sneered, "Squat down? We're not prisoners, why should we squat down?"

He Chenguang blinked. Coming from a military family, he quickly realized what was happening and squatted down.

Li Erniu tugged at Wang Yanbing's trouser leg, looked up, and said, "Squat down. A wise man doesn't fight a losing battle."

-

Gong Jian walked up to Feng Yuxiu and asked, "You're the platoon leader of the third platoon of the first company, right?"

Feng Yuxiu looked at the capable-looking officer in front of him and asked, "Who are you?"

"The political instructor of the recruit company."

Feng Yuxiu glanced at the epaulets.

Captain.

"Hello, Chief."

"Let's go, these will all be your new recruits from now on. Go and take a look at this group of soldiers, some of them are quite troublesome."

-

Old Hei watched coldly, turned around, saluted, and joined the ranks of the squad leaders to align himself.

The squad leaders all had stern, indifferent faces, and stood at attention with impeccable military bearing.

Gong Jian walked up to the line that could hardly be called a formation, looked at them, and said with a smile, "Welcome, new recruits! My name is Gong Jian, and I am your instructor in the new recruit company."

Seeing everyone looking at him, Gong Jian still smiled, "Do you know why I made you squat down?"

The new recruits were somewhat frightened by the man's laughter and his harsh tone.

In their eyes, he's just a smiling tiger.

"Because I don't want to see you standing like this!" Gong Jian's expression changed abruptly. "You're wearing military uniforms but you don't look like soldiers! I can't bear to see you wearing military uniforms in front of me but not standing like soldiers! So you all have to squat!"

"The place you've come to today is called the Iron Fist Regiment! Why is it called the Iron Fist Regiment? Because this regiment is an iron fist forged in war! Once you're here at the Iron Fist Regiment, don't give me that peacetime nonsense! What is peacetime? It's all rubbish! See that slogan?"

The new recruits turned their heads and looked at the huge bright red characters on the wall: "Raise vigilance and prepare for war."

"For soldiers, there is only fighting and preparing to fight! So you have nothing else here—just preparing to fight!"

"Stand on high alert, prepare for battle!" the squad leaders roared, startling the new recruits.

"Remember this: the honor of the Iron Fist Regiment is forged with the blood of martyrs!" Gong Jian roared.

The new recruits were too afraid to speak.

The class leaders clapped, and the applause was thunderous.

The new recruits squatted on the ground and clapped, the applause coming in sparse bursts.

Gong Jian still smiled: "Looks like you're still a bit shy. Don't worry, you'll get used to it soon. Old Hei!"

"Here! Instructor!" Old Hei snapped to attention with a perfect "snap."

"I'll leave the rest to you."

"Mission accomplished, instructor!"

Feng Yuxiu suddenly spotted two familiar faces among the new recruits.

One of them is Wang Yanbing, who is the stall owner.

The other one is that kid named He Chenguang.

He Chenguang also noticed Feng Yuxiu. He paused for a moment, then a hint of disdain flashed in his eyes.

Feng Yuxiu suddenly grinned, staring at He Chenguang with amusement in his eyes.

(End of this chapter)