Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 128: Remembering the Bitterness of the Rice, I Don’t Want to Be the Breakthrough Point of the Company

The end of obstacle shooting.

Cheng Dong and Huo Linshan ran all the way here. At first, they both thought that in the second shooting competition, it would be a blessing for Xiucai to finish the obstacle safely without getting hurt and bringing shame to the company.

As for shooting, there was no expectation that he could complete it.

The requirements are not that high.

But who would have thought that this kid really gave them a big surprise.

He came jogging up to him.

At this time, Chen Mo was sitting on the ground, breathing heavily.

Cheng Dong quickly stepped forward and stretched out his hand to stop Chen Mo who was about to stand up and say hello. In his tone, there was a hint of praise: "Not bad, scholar, you are really good."

"Take a good rest. There are only two shooting subjects in total. You performed well just now."

"Thank you, Captain." Chen Mo grinned.

He was indeed exhausted.

After completing a set of these consecutive subjects and reaching the finish line, it would be quite impressive if you didn't just lie down on the ground without the energy and spirit of a competition.

After seeing the scholar's condition, he praised him a few words.

Cheng Dong put his hands on his hips and turned to look at the climbing building next to him. Another person from the company had reached the finish line.

Originally, he came here to ask about the details of the obstacle crossing just now. After all, Cheng Dong had been watching the competition just now.

Chen Mo's performance really surprised him.

It would be fine if it happened once or twice, but this kid always seems to bring surprises to people.

However, seeing that his legs were weak from exhaustion, there was no need to ask him what was going on at this time.

Cheng Dong pondered for a moment, then pointed at Chen Mo, who was still sitting on the ground, and said to the two veterans at the finish line, "You two, help the scholar sit aside and rest. There will be no martial arts competition this morning."

"Rest well, we have a tough battle to fight in the afternoon."

When they heard that the company commander came over and only praised him a few words without mentioning the achievements, the two veterans standing nearby felt relieved. Without saying a word, they pulled Chen Mo away.

The area at the finish line is not very big. As the contestants arrived one after another, people from each unit came to check the situation.

If you want to rest, it is definitely better to hide in a quiet place.

Watching the scholar being helped away.

Cheng Dong took out a cigarette box from his pocket and threw one to Huo Linshan next to him. He also lit one himself and smacked his lips and said, "This kid learns things quickly."

"This Type 85 submachine gun is damn good! This guy has never seen one before, but he can actually use it. His performance just now, combined with the total score of this shooting subject, I'm afraid he will be in the top five."

"About the same. With the basics of rapid-fire pistols, the overall score won't be bad."

Huo Linshan nodded in agreement with Cheng Dong's judgment.

In fact, since the new recruit joined the company, neither of them has paid much attention to Xiucai's work in the past half month.

They always focused on the training before the competition and left Chen Mo in the company as a free-range animal.

He didn't learn any clerical work, and there were no specific requirements for training.

Who knew that this kid is more enthusiastic than the veterans in training every day.

At any time, you can always see him on the training ground or in the martial arts arena.

Cheng Dong didn't expect that just by practicing freely, this kid would actually become famous.

He looked up at the scholar in the distance who was surrounded by a group of veterans. For a moment, he felt an inexplicable sense of accomplishment surging in his chest.

This is not to say that Captain Cheng is petty.

It was just a competition subject, but he was so happy just by getting a good score.

The main scholar is a private.

Look at the two reconnaissance companies of the anti-aircraft artillery brigade. Who dares to send a private up to try?
Apart from the troops of their old Seventh Division, no other unit could do anything even if they had the guts.

During the era of the seven major military regions, each unit had its own unique spirit, and fighting was particularly common at the grassroots level, especially in the more powerful companies.

This was also thanks to the fact that their opponent in the competition was the anti-aircraft artillery brigade. Their Seventh Division had no connection with the anti-aircraft artillery unit and was simply responding to the call of the military region.

If it was the "Tai'an Company" of the 82nd Motorized Infantry Brigade, the atmosphere of this competition would have increased at least three times.

This is not an exaggeration.

Because the old Seventh Division and the original Eighty-Second Division were both stationed in Pingcheng, the Third Infiltration Company and the Tai'an Company were natural rivals.

There are competitions every year.

Every time they go on the court, the players from the two companies don’t think about anything else but how to crush their opponents.

There's no need to even compete; just seeing the armbands worn by both companies and their fighting spirit of not even taking a single step back is enough to get you excited.

If the shooting subject just now was put on the competition field with Tai'an Company, Cheng Dong would jump high with excitement and happily run to the other company commander to show off.

Here, it's considered low-key.

After finishing his cigarette, Cheng Dong raised his foot to crush the cigarette butt on the ground, and nodded towards the distant convoy: "Lunch is served, and both units must recall the hardships they have endured."

"I'll go see how the preparations are going."

"Row."

Huo Linshan didn't say anything more. He raised his hand to straighten his military uniform and walked towards where Chen Mo was.

At this moment.

A group of veterans who were not selected to compete were enthusiastically surrounding Chen Mo, asking him about his experience in the shooting competition. For this kind of 100-meter obstacle shooting, individual results would only be announced after everyone had finished.

After all, ninety people took turns to play.

Even with the reaction ability of a veteran, who can send one person on board every ten seconds, he still needs to pause in the middle to add fuel to the fire barrier.

For safety reasons, the competition must be suspended while refueling. If you calculate it all, it will take at least half an hour for the whole competition to end.

The group of old soldiers were bored out of their minds. They just saw the scholar climbing over the obstacles with great enthusiasm, but they had no idea about the specific situation of his shooting.

They all gathered around to ask questions.

On Chen Mo's side, facing the doubts of a group of old hands, he told the truth at first that all ten bullets hit the target and none of them missed the target.

But what can be done? These old hands simply don’t believe it.

Just think he is bragging.

They gathered in front of him and patiently explained to him the difficulty of shooting the Type 65 submachine gun.

That guy, the scene was quite lively.

When everyone was discussing enthusiastically, they saw Huo Linshan coming over. A group of veterans hurriedly stood up, and Chen Mo also stood up from the ground.

“Hello, instructor!!”

"Well, I want to talk to the scholar about something." Huo Linshan smiled and waved his hand, indicating that everyone should not be polite.

The instructor has said so, what else can the veteran say?

They might as well gather in groups of three or five, move to a slightly farther place, and continue watching the ongoing game.

Finally, he was no longer surrounded by people and Chen Mo breathed a sigh of relief.

She reached out and scratched her head, not waiting for him to say anything.

Huo Linshan was the first to point to the ground and said, "Sit down."

"Yes."

The two sat side by side on the curb, and Lao Huo did not speak immediately.

Instead, they took out cigarettes, one for each of them, and enjoyed a moment of peace.

To carry out work at the grassroots level, especially political work, one must first have keen observation and be thick-skinned enough, which are necessary conditions for doing ideological work.

If the reconnaissance company wants to always maintain the honor of being a "hero unit", it cannot rely solely on the efforts of the soldiers.

These cadres must also do their own jobs well.

As the instructor of the reconnaissance company, Huo Linshan is also a very responsible political cadre. He knows all the big and small things in the company.

This includes who has performed well, who has performed poorly, who is introverted, and who always sits alone since the new recruits joined the company. He knows all of this like the back of his hand.

Chen Mo has been actively training since he joined the company.

He performed very well on the court again today.

Dare to fight and willing to fight.

For this kind of talent, Huo Linshan must understand his inner thoughts clearly to avoid negative emotions among new comrades.

For example, does Chen Mo want to continue doing the clerical work? Because after returning from this competition, the company will be very busy for a while.

It's not training, but the spring dress-up is about to begin.

At this time of year, there are many tasks assigned by government agencies and a lot of corresponding work at the grassroots level.

I am very busy filling in notebooks, registering reports, and checking documents.

Such an active new comrade also has certain talents. We must not let his enthusiasm be dampened by work arrangements.

The cigarette in his hand burned out. Huo Linshan threw away the cigarette butt and turned to look at Chen Mo.

Seeing that the boy had been sitting upright in front of him, he finally said, "Scholar, your performance in the obstacle shooting just now was very good."

"You haven't had any experience with similar training before, right?"

"No."

When Chen Mo heard this, he shook his head firmly. What a joke! You can't just admit such a thing.

"Well, that might be just talent."

Huo Linshan sighed. He didn't find it strange. After all, the army had so many new recruits every year, and he had seen or heard of all kinds of powerful types.

After a long pause, he continued, "Tell me about your plans for the future."

"Since I joined the company, or rather since I joined the recruit company, I have always been paying attention to you."

"You've always been very hardworking. Are you doing this because you want to join the combat squad? Or is there some other reason?"

"After this competition, our company will also need to adjust the training and work for new comrades."

"If you really don't want to do clerical work, you can ask for it."

heard asking.

Chen Mo also roughly understood the instructor's purpose.

Since joining the company, all the work in the company has given way to this competition, and the new recruits don't care much about it.

He had been jumping around in the company for so long, but the instructor just watched him and never talked to him privately.

This time, I guess based on his performance just now, I wanted to ask him if he likes the clerical job.

This may be a privilege unique to soldiers with good performance.

If it were someone else, this kind of thing would be just a matter of what the superiors say and what the subordinates do. There would be no room for bargaining at all.

Look at the instructor's serious expression.

Chen Mo thought about it for a moment before he said, "Instructor, I'm not dissatisfied with my work."

"Even before I joined the army, I understood one thing: in armies around the world, the elite are always a minority."

"Most conventional troops have their own purpose. On the battlefield, the only requirement for such units is to fill a gap in a certain front and tell the enemy that we have people here."

"They are not responsible for high-intensity combat missions, do not need to respond quickly, and do not need to overcome difficulties."

"But we are not."

"Now that I have come to the reconnaissance company and become a glorious scout, I hope that I can extend and supplement the company's combat effectiveness, rather than being the point of being breached."

"Not a soldier who can only be sent to fill the line."

"Is this your answer?" Huo Linshan was stunned.

He originally thought that if he had a heart-to-heart talk with Xiucai and asked him if he wanted to leave the combat squad, the boy would be very happy.

It's mainly consistent with his usual performance.

It was just right that during this competition, the combat squad also witnessed Xiucai's abilities. No matter where he went, it would be a good choice and he would be welcomed.

Unexpectedly, this kid came up and talked a lot of nonsense, but it could be summed up in just one sentence.

Since I have participated in the competition, I cannot be regarded as the weakest soldier in the field, the weakest breakthrough point of the entire reconnaissance company.

"Yes, instructor."

Chen Mo stood up and responded in a firm voice.

This time.

Instead, Huo Linshan felt embarrassed to mention the job transfer again.

He turned his head to look at the 100-meter obstacle shooting in the distance, which was already over.

Lao Huo also stood up and patted the dust off his pants: "Let's go, I know what you mean."

"Haha, look at the results of this shooting. Your Captain Cheng just said you can be in the top five."

Talking about grades.

Chen Moko lost his previous composure. He immediately followed the instructor with a happy face and came to the end of the obstacle shooting again.

At this time, at the finish line, Cheng Dong was surrounded by a group of veterans, holding tightly in his hand the score sheet he had received from the competition observer.

That guy's mouth is almost stretched to his ears.

As long as the company commander is happy, everyone in the company can breathe a sigh of relief.

See Chen Mo coming over.

Cheng Dong casually pushed through the crowd, took two steps at a time, and walked up to Chen Mo. He punched him in the chest and said happily: "Good boy, do you know the results of this comprehensive shooting?"

When the company commander asked him, he covered the report card in his hand with his chest, but the group of veterans behind him pouted and didn't even look at him.

You can tell just by looking at it that my grades are not bad, and I must have "accidentally" surpassed these old hands.

"It must be the first." Chen Mo smiled.

Cheng Dong, who had been covering his report card, was stunned when he heard this. He then turned around and started cursing: "Fuck, which son of a bitch is ruining my plan again?"

After scolding.

Captain Cheng put on a smile again and patted Chen Mo on the shoulder: "Fuck you, okay, you're a soldier brought up by me, Old Cheng."

"We took first place in both events this morning, and both trophies are ours."

"When the competition is over, your name will be called and you will go on stage to receive the trophy."

"And a trophy?"

Chen Mo really didn't know this. Before setting off, even after staying in the company for so long, he had never heard the veteran mention it.

"Nonsense, without a trophy, why would we run hundreds of kilometers here?"

Cheng Dong rolled his eyes, put his hands on his hips and said, "There are no more subjects for the morning. I don't know what I will draw in the afternoon."

"But I have good news for you. At noon, due to our limited cooking capacity, we will still follow the old custom and eat the "Misfortune Rice."

"It's time to gather for dinner. The entrance is ready. Let's go."

Bitter Remembrance Rice?
Hearing the so-called good news from the company commander, Chen Mo was stunned. He turned his head and looked around at the artillery range.

This place is really not suitable for cooking, not even for picnics. Passing vehicles will kick up a cloud of dust. Even if you stir-fry, I'm afraid half the pot will be filled with vegetables and half with dirt.

In addition, there are only a few red brick houses nearby, most of which are equipment rooms with locked doors, so cooking is indeed a problem.

But what really puzzled Chen Mo was that this guy only ate four steamed buns and a bag of pickled mustard greens this morning, and usually only ate radishes and cabbages.

What kind of bitter rice is worse than what you eat every day? Eating dirt?
Chen Mo was a little confused.

The veterans gathered nearby all looked natural, and the ranks began to disband.

"Squad leader, what is Yikufan?"

Chen Mo found an old soldier who looked familiar and pleasing to the eye and went over to ask him.

"Eat dirt." The old soldier responded unhappily, rubbed his stomach, and then refused to speak again.

This made Chen Mo even more confused.

When passing by the rest area where the new recruits gathered, he did not forget to greet Yang Dali and Li Zhiang.

These two guys said they came here to compete, but in reality, it was almost like they were on vacation.

They don't carry number plates, don't participate in the lottery, and don't even have to pull out weeds. Their most important task is to help the veterans look after their equipment.

When he heard that he could eat, the guy, who had been lying on the ground weakly just now, immediately became energetic.

"Deputy squad leader, I heard about your performance this time. It was awesome!" Yang Dali complimented as a routine matter.

It’s not that he wasn’t surprised, it’s just that he was too lazy to be surprised.

Because in his eyes, no matter how old a soldier or how ruthless a person is, he only counts if he defeats the deputy squad leader.

In the eyes of these new recruits, Chen Mo is already omnipotent.

As he was still thinking about the bitter meal, Chen Mo didn't talk much and followed the veteran to the entrance of the artillery range.

Although there were not many subjects for the competition in the morning.

Chen Mo didn't play much, and he had nothing to do with the first full-equipment round, but in the 100-meter obstacle shooting, one set was enough to use up the four steamed buns he had in the morning.

Not to mention setting off early in the morning and spending several hours in the car.

At this time, Chen Mo couldn't wait to eat a few meat buns to relieve his fatigue. If all else fails, a few steamed buns from the morning will do.

The imagination is beautiful, but the reality is always extremely cruel.

When they rushed to the entrance of the artillery range, there was no cooking stove at all.

There was only a troop transport carriage with large bamboo baskets on it, and a pile of yellow porcelain bowls next to the baskets.

When Chen Mo lined up and came forward, he reached out to take the porcelain bowl and just glanced down.

I couldn't help laughing when I saw the so-called bitter memory rice in the bowl.

Just now he was wondering, what kind of food could be more bitter than eating radishes and cabbages every day? Does that mean he has to eat dirt?

Unexpectedly, this "earth" really came.

It was really the same color as the soil on the ground, yellow, and filled a large porcelain bowl.

If we must distinguish between the two, we can only say that the things in the bowl are more broken, finer, and more uniform than those on the ground.

"What is this? Can I eat it?"

Yang Dali, who was standing at the back of the line, reached out and pinched a handful of "soil" and stuffed it into his mouth, then looked up and asked the veteran who was in charge of serving the rice.

The cook was from the anti-aircraft artillery, so it was difficult for him to scold him. He just glanced at him and said nothing.

But the veterans in my own company were not so polite.

He raised his hand and slapped Dali on the back of the head, cursing, "Why can't you eat it? What's so good about this food that you can't eat it?"

"I think you've just eaten too much good food and become picky. This is fried noodles."

"When we went to the battlefield to fight, we couldn't even eat this kind of food in fixed amounts."

"You know nothing."

(End of this chapter)