Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 164 Could it be that this kid is also talented in both literature and martial arts? (Two chapters combined)

The people in the squadron are easy to distinguish from those in the cadet platoon; you can tell by their ranks.

The veterans who arrived one after another on Chen Mo's side, despite their mostly old appearances, all wore red-plated cadet ranks.

The class leaders led the team to negotiate with the personnel on duty.

Students will enter the venue in batches, divided by class.

Although this was just a training camp, the purpose was to let the trainees in their teams experience the 1,000-meter obstacle course at the Army Academy. It wasn't a formal assessment, and there was no question of whether the results would have any impact.

Gathering so many people essentially involves the honor of the entire army and multiple reconnaissance companies.

When you're out in the field, carrying the honor of your unit, who would truly be willing to admit that they are inferior to others?

This is the area around dormitory 402.

As soon as their squad leader led them into the field, Xie Yong and Ding Zeliang, two fierce soldiers from the Night Tiger Company, pulled the brims of their military caps down to the back of their heads.

Old Ding tightened his belt again, glared at Chen Mo with a fierce look on his face, and said, "Scholar, just watch the scene today, there's no need to rush up."

"Watch how Lao Xie and I teach them a lesson."

"Alright, keep it up, veteran."

Chen Mo encouraged with a smile.

There are very few people at the scene who can be as calm as him.

Shimen Army Academy is the only academy in the entire army with a reconnaissance command major. Although the number of reconnaissance students in the cadet detachments is not large on a regular basis.

The two detachments together numbered only a little over seventy people, but they were a force to be reckoned with, as they were a collection of heroic companies from all seven military regions.

Look around.

The Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company of Jincheng Military Region, the Southwest Cheetah Reconnaissance Brigade of Rongcheng Military Region, the Second Reconnaissance Brigade under Yangcheng Military Region, and the Fifteenth Reconnaissance Brigade under Fengtian Military Region.

The 2nd Reconnaissance Company of the 127th Division, and the 3rd Reconnaissance Company of the 128th Division.

Compared to these companies, Chen Mo's 3rd Reconnaissance Company of the 7th Division and the 4th Instrument Reconnaissance Company of the 63rd Army Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade are insignificant here.

More and more people are gathering around the perimeter.

There were students from the Army Academy and some officers who gathered here just to see the grand occasion of the reconnaissance department this year.

Fang Huai and the captain of the 30th Squadron were standing in the distance, discussing the details of the upcoming training.

After all, the venue belongs to the Army Academy.

Many reconnaissance soldiers in grassroots units have never been exposed to this kind of subject before. The purpose of this training is simply to let the people in the company guide the trainees.

Get familiar with it.

That's what it says.

However, every May, which coincides with the mid-year assessment and the entry of new officers into the school, is the time when the one-on-one training is most intense.

When veterans lead veterans, it's no wonder they fight.

The 1,000-meter obstacle course! Chen Mo turned his head and looked around. Everyone around him was actively warming up. He also wiggled his limbs, trying his best to get himself moving.

This kind of training doesn't rank anyone first or second, but at least it's done in front of so many people from the Army Academy.

To represent the Seventh Division, I can't let my unit down.

If Cheng Dong knew that he had made a fool of himself here, the hot-tempered company commander would probably run all the way from the east bank of the river to beat him up.

"How about it, scholar? Are you confident in taking on this kind of challenge?" Wang Bo watched Chen Mo stretch his limbs. He scratched his head, his face showing a mix of the arrogance of a veteran and the trepidation of about to go on stage.

Fatty Wang is more of a technical worker than a purely basic reconnaissance soldier; otherwise, he wouldn't have gotten so fat.

His sense of superiority was only enough to show off in front of a private like Chen Mo.

"No problem, it's a piece of cake," Chen Mo replied with a smile.

Wang Bo rolled his eyes and retorted, "Keep bragging, just don't let your legs go weak later."

Chen Mo had only been in the army for a short time. In the memory of many veterans in his class, his promotion to officer was just due to good luck in thwarting a spy operation.

He was commended for his meritorious service in recovering a large number of film negatives and was recommended to join the school.

Essentially, they were not on the same level as the soldiers in those veteran reconnaissance companies.

While 402 was busy warming up and bickering.

Fang Huai, who had finished negotiating in the distance, approached the group with a handful of yellow armbands in his hand.

"Come on, first squad, second squad, all assemble!"

As soon as the order was given, the veterans from each squad, who had been waiting for half a day, quickly straightened their uniforms and lined up.

More than seventy people were assembled in less than twenty seconds.

Fang Huai walked to the front of the line, tossed the armband in his hand to the squad leader beside him, and then said loudly, "Comrades, you have all seen what is happening today."

"I know you scouts are ambitious, like tigers on land and dragons in the water, that's exactly what I mean by you."

“Every year during the mid-year assessment, our reconnaissance department is the most prominent and popular department in the entire academy.”

"The college will notify your original units of your mid-year assessment results as appropriate, but today is not an assessment, but just a preview of the 1,000-meter obstacle course."

"Look at the reconnaissance soldiers of the past, how difficult the challenges were."

"Our cadets will wear yellow armbands, and the comrades from the squadrons will wear red armbands. Two people will go on the field at a time, and the next group will go on the field three minutes apart."

"One last thing: I know you're all working incredibly hard, but don't forget, tomorrow is the real test. Save some reserves for tomorrow, that's what really matters."

"The 1000-meter obstacle course is not included in the assessment. Today is just to broaden your horizons. Remember that?"

"Yes!!"

A chorus of angry shouts erupted from the ranks, but clearly no one was really listening.

Trainee teams, being temporary groups, are inherently difficult to manage, and Fang Huai didn't want to offer too many reminders.

He simply waved his hand and said, "Alright, dismissed. Now, leader badges. Look at the number corresponding to your armband. Number one is the first one to go on stage."

"be careful."

Fang Huai had just finished speaking.

The veterans who announced the disbandment immediately rushed forward and began to scramble for the armbands. Chen Mo usually seemed unassuming and kind to others.

But he had the pride of a soldier in his bones, and he couldn't allow himself to really back down.

While others were grabbing, he charged into the crowd like a little cannon, tearing and snatching the armband, which he unfolded to reveal the number "13" printed on it.

According to the rules that Captain Fang just explained, he would be in the 13th group to enter, with each group taking three minutes. It would take at least half an hour before it was his turn.

"Damn it, how come you're so lucky, scholar?" Sheng Donghao glanced at Chen Mo's armband, looking utterly dejected.

Because they all went up to grab it together, Sheng Donghao got "57".

That's nothing compared to what's to come.

What surprised Chen Mo even more was that in the entire 402 dormitory, only Xie Yong's number "8" was taller than his.

Ding Zeliang 31, Wang Bo 69, Lai Wei 17, Liu Mujun 52.

All groups were placed in relatively late positions.

This is nothing unusual. The armbands were all stacked together, and before the veterans could distribute them, everyone rushed to grab them, grabbing whoever they could. It wasn't a matter of who was fastest to be the first to go.

Competition between men can be quite strange at times.

Let alone being in a group at the back, even if someone suddenly jumps up on the road and touches a leaf on a tree, the next person has to jump even higher than the person in front to touch a leaf on a higher tree.

As the oldest member of the dormitory, Xie Yong was not targeted by anyone.

But Chen Mo didn't have so many scruples. A bunch of old hands from dormitory 402 came over and tried to exchange armbands with him.

It's just a pity.

Before anyone could even speak, the instructors at the entrance to the obstacle course a kilometer away blew the assembly whistle.

"Attention everyone, the first ten groups, please begin lining up. The first group, please prepare to enter."

The 1,000-meter obstacle course is a large circular track, about five meters wide, which can accommodate two people at the same time.

There are so many obstacles that it's impossible to count them all; in any case, only reconnaissance soldiers would dare to attempt this level of difficulty.

Because without them, let alone completing the entire journey, 99% of the entire army couldn't even last two-thirds of it.

This is not just idle talk.

The difficulty of the 1000-meter obstacle course is several times higher than that of the 400-meter obstacle course. After running the 400-meter course, many people feel like they have to spit out blood to relieve the pain, let alone the 1000-meter course.

There's a reason why this venue isn't used often and is only opened for mid-year or year-end assessments.

The first group was about to take the stage.

The crowd on the perimeter began to push and shove, trying to move forward. They were willing to endure the scorching sun to stay and watch.

The veterans who had just wanted to exchange armbands with the scholar no longer cared about exchanging them and started moving around in unison.

Nearly two thousand people had gathered in the northwest corner of the military training ground, making it quite lively.

Before Chen Mo could reach the spot, Fang Huai, who had been standing to the side, reached out and grabbed him.

"Hello, Captain."

Upon realizing who was blocking his way, Chen Mo quickly stood at attention.

"Alright, kid, stop being so formal." Fang Huai glanced at Chen Mo's armband and continued, "You should be well-prepared. There aren't many people in the whole school who can finish the 1000-meter obstacle course."

"Although you haven't been in the army for long, you have the advantage of being young and recovering your strength quickly. Just go as far as you can."

"This kilometer obstacle course is the measuring stick for your reconnaissance department. Don't even think about reaching the finish line; it's basically impossible. Go."

"Yes, Captain."

Chen Mo straightened his chest.

Then, he turned around and continued to rush towards the venue with the crowd.

Ding Zeliang's suggestion that he find a way to avoid this training session in the morning wasn't without reason.

Because what Captain Fang just said is correct; many people simply cannot finish the 1000-meter obstacle course.

It's just that some people fall in the first half and some fall in the second half.

Old Ding was afraid that Xiucai would fail at the starting line and embarrass 402 again.

"boom!"

The starting gun fired, and the first two players took to the field.

Chen Mo ran to the front of the field and saw two veteran reconnaissance soldiers on his left and right, their backs slightly hunched, sprinting with all their might.

Two figures, like tigers descending a mountain, unleashed powerful attacks, attracting the attention of thousands of onlookers.

The first obstacle is somewhat similar to parallel bars, with a total length of six meters. Two scouts must rely on the strength of their arms to propel their bodies forward, without their feet touching the ground.

This obstacle wasn't difficult, and the two of them passed it in the blink of an eye.

The second obstacle is a four-meter wooden wall.

The wall is five meters wide, with two ropes as thick as a baby's arm hanging down on each side. That's why they say reconnaissance soldiers are awesome.

Whether they were trainees wearing yellow badges or veterans wearing red badges, their movements were exceptionally swift, as if they were leaping through the air, jumping off the high wall in the blink of an eye.

The kilometer obstacle course has obstacles one after another.

Below the high wall are two rows of ant holes, three in each row, each two meters deep, and they are filled with water.

The so-called ant hole is actually a circular trench with a diameter of eighty centimeters. When Chen Mo came to the military training ground, he saw someone spraying water into the ant hole.

At the time, many people in the academy were saying that this would increase the difficulty of training, but that was not the case at all.

The 1,000-meter obstacle course at the Army Academy was built too early; it's already two or three decades old.

Back in the 1970s and 80s, most of the veteran reconnaissance soldiers could pass this subject smoothly.

However, in the early 1990s, with the increasing prevalence of mechanization, the physical fitness of veterans had declined significantly, and by the late 1990s, they were no longer comparable to veterans from more than a decade ago.

The 1,000-meter obstacle course at the Army Academy has been repaired several times, which has reduced its difficulty considerably. The addition of water to the ant hole is actually to increase buoyancy and reduce the difficulty of climbing.

Otherwise, after jumping through three ant holes in a row, some of the veterans will fall at this stage.

Next, there's a 30-meter-long iron stake net, a giant ladder shaped like a human, high and low wooden beams, and a series of obstacle courses. In other words, there's a low crossbeam in front of you that you have to crawl through, and then immediately get up and climb over a 1.5-meter-high low wall.

One beam and one low wall constitute one group, and there are three groups in total.

It's fortunate that he was a reconnaissance soldier. If an ordinary person were to get to this point, just bending down and getting up repeatedly would probably cause them to faint and collapse.

In fact, the two veterans in the first group had already slowed down at this stage.

The next activity is a rope net, made of thick hemp rope woven into a shape similar to a low stake net. However, this one doesn't require crawling; you just need to jump over the ropes one by one.

Chen Mo stood at a distance, watching as the veteran wearing the red armband, perhaps due to excessive physical exertion during his jump, snagged his toe on the rope and fell straight onto the net. Gasping for breath, he couldn't get up and had to leave the field midway.

The veteran in the same group as him, Huang Biao, only managed to complete one more task, going up the log bridge, but lost his balance and fell off.

In the first group, neither of them completed half the course before being eliminated.

Facing this circumstances.

Chen Mo opened his mouth, and it took him a long time to recover.

He realized that the 1000-meter obstacle course is very difficult; otherwise, it wouldn't be so famous.

I never expected it to be this difficult.

The promise of one-on-one mentoring turned out to be that the person leading the way didn't stay as far ahead as the person learning.

The second group hadn't even had their turn to play yet, while the first group had already finished.

A murmur of disappointment rippled through the surrounding crowd, who seemed quite disillusioned with the outcome.

As the saying goes, experts see the details, while laymen just watch the spectacle. Among the crowd gathered in the distance, some were students who had never witnessed such a difficult exam.

Everyone was talking about it, feeling that the reconnaissance soldiers weren't up to par.

The reconnaissance cadets who could watch up close clicked their tongues, their initial enthusiasm for scrambling for the armbands gone.

After all, they are all veterans promoted from various units. Even if some of them have better physical fitness, how much better can they be?

It can't be that much more powerful.

"This looks really tough. How did people in the past manage to make it to the finish line?"

A veteran standing next to Chen Mo shook his head and sighed.

"Bang!" The starting gun fired again.

The second group is on stage.

This group was slightly smarter than the first group, and didn't sprint as hard at the beginning, but they still collapsed due to exhaustion, about two or three hundred meters from the finish line.

Next.

Group 3, Group 4, Group 5.
The more well-known reconnaissance companies all had veterans taking turns to compete, but without exception, none of them reached the finish line.

By observing these veterans' obstacle course, Chen Mo discovered that a considerable number of them were actually capable of going further.

They were all like the veteran in the first group who wore a red tag and tripped on the rope with his toes.

Ultimately, it was due to exhaustion and lack of coordination in the limbs that led to various mistakes, and after falling, there was no strength to get up.

Including Xie Yong, a veteran from the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company in the eighth group, he also fell less than 300 meters from the finish line.

It's such a pity.

Because of the 1000-meter obstacle course, the first half is the most difficult, while the second half gets easier and easier. As long as you are careful, there shouldn't be any problems.

at last.

The first twelve groups have all finished.

It's the thirteenth group's turn.

In the waiting area, the group of veteran scouts had lost the "I'm the best" attitude they had at the beginning.

They became more and more cautious.

"Scholar, keep it up! If you can't do it, I'll have to protect the honor of 402." Ding Zeliang clenched his fist to encourage Chen Mo.

"Go on, scholar, I'll encourage you spiritually," Wang Bo, that bastard, chimed in with his banter.

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo simply nodded emphatically.

At the entrance, under the watchful eyes of the police officers, Chen Mo bent over, adjusted his breathing, and prepared to challenge the kilometer obstacle course.

To be honest, he had absolutely no confidence in whether he could reach the finish line.

After all, the only thing I can boast about compared to others is my youth.

Youth is your greatest asset.

The veteran who partnered with Chen Mo was a sergeant who looked to be in his late twenties.

The other person turned his head and saw Chen Mo's slightly immature face. He was clearly stunned for a moment before speaking, "You've been watching for so long, you've seen all the movements, haven't you?"

"Okay, I've seen the class monitor clearly. Don't worry, I'm fine."

It's important to know that within the squadron, veterans who have been promoted to officers and veterans stationed at the academy have never gotten along.

Chen Mo was one of those who were promoted to officer, and he immediately called out "squad leader," which surprised the veterans in his group.

The veteran stared at Chen Mo for a second, then grinned and said, "Alright, you're a decent kid. Be careful not to get hurt. If you can't keep going, just stop. This place wasn't originally built for us."

"My name is Zhao Lei. Come find me in room 205 and we can chat sometime."

"Okay, hello Squad Leader Zhao."

No sooner had Chen Mo finished speaking than the starting gun fired again with a "bang".

There wasn't time to say hello again.

Chen Mo rushed forward quickly, taking the lead and rushing ahead of Zhao Lei. When he arrived at the area that resembled parallel bars, he used his momentum to leap forward.

Having saved nearly two meters of distance, he gripped the iron bars on both sides, exerted force with his waist, and surged forward.

While watching from behind, Chen Mo thought it would be easy, but when it was his turn, he realized that this thing that looked like parallel bars was not actually parallel bars.

Not to mention its length, it also has bends and uneven terrain, which is very taxing on the arms.

Fortunately, it was the first item, and Chen Mo was full of energy, so he didn't feel anything was wrong.

When we arrived at the four-meter-high wall.

Chen Mo grabbed the rope with both hands, stretched it taut, used his arms to push off the wall with his feet, and when he reached the top of the wall, he slid down the other side of the high wall with both hands.

At first, Zhao Lei thought Chen Mo was too young to be that fast, but now that he sees that Chen Mo is quite coordinated in all aspects, he has stopped paying attention to him.

Behind the coordination, Chen Mo truly understood why none of the previous twelve groups had made it to the finish line.

He only cleared two obstacles before his arms started to ache, which gives you an idea of ​​how difficult the rest would be.

No time to think about it.

Beyond the high wall lies the ant hole. Looking at the opening, which is only eighty centimeters in diameter, murky muddy water still sloshes inside, with withered grass and green leaves floating on top.

Chen Mo didn't know why the ant hole obstacle was set up so far forward, but he still had to jump.

He jumped.

With a "plop," Chen Mo grabbed the edge of the hole with both hands to avoid being submerged in water. He quickly climbed out, but before he could get up, he slid into another hole.

Repeating this process, when Chen Mo came up from the third ant hole, his clothes, which were already soaked with sweat, were now completely drenched.

The 30-meter iron stake net has arrived.

It's possible that Chen Mo and Zhao Lei's movements were in sync, or perhaps the veteran realized that he couldn't surpass this person who was clearly younger than him even after clearing three obstacles.

I'm getting a little anxious and stressed.

As the two crawled, they moved side by side, mud splashing beneath them, their limbs moving almost in unison.

Next, Chen Mo climbed the giant "human"-shaped ladder without using his hands, relying entirely on his body's balance to leap to the top. When descending, he slid down the ladder with his back against the surface.

Anyway, the "human" shaped giant ladders are all built with steel pipes, and the inclined surface is not steep, so the action is not very dangerous.

But the problem is.

Chen Mo's actions disrupted the previously evenly matched situation between the two, and Zhao Yong gritted his teeth and jumped down from the ladder.

When they were going through the series of tunnels and overcoming obstacles, the two of them were clearly putting on a fierce and competitive show. Even now, Chen Mo was panting heavily, and his chest was starting to feel tight.

The high temperature dried the soaked clothes a little, making them stick to the body and even more uncomfortable.

But he dared not relax for a moment; he had to fight.

Why are the people in front of you so weak that they dare not relax even for a moment?
Because this obstacle course challenge requires skill, once you lose your momentum, it's impossible to regain it.

Upon arriving at the rope net area, the first batch of veterans with red badges suffered losses here. Chen Mo endured the soreness and numbness in his legs and crossed the rope net with swift yet cautious movements.

His partner, Zhao Lei, is equally impressive.

After crossing the rope net, a U-shaped bend appeared ahead, and the two sprinted at the same speed again.

Crossing a log bridge, flipping over a crossbeam, climbing a three-meter-high board, scaling a six-meter-high wall, and jumping into a deep trench.

Unbeknownst to him, Chen Mo's consciousness became increasingly blurred, a consequence of extreme physical exhaustion.

While climbing the rope ladder again, Zhao Lei finally couldn't hold on, his strength gave out, and he fell to the sand.

But Chen Mo persisted.

He had forgotten what he was doing; almost instinctively, his body pulled him by the rope, swung him to the opposite platform, jumped down, and then climbed the ladder.

The finish line is getting closer and closer, with only 150 meters left.

More than four minutes had passed on the scene, and the fourteenth group had already taken the stage.

For no apparent reason, Chen Mo suddenly recalled the dream he had during his lunch break: commanding an armored torrent through the land—it felt so exhilarating.

Unfortunately, the fat guy interrupted my beautiful dream, and I didn't even think to light a cigarette and enjoy it in my dream.

That's a huge loss.

Chen Mo moved his lips, and unconsciously climbed the iron pole with his hands. Just as he was about to lie on the rope and cross the thirty-meter rope, he...

Because his mind was already in a state of chaos, as soon as his body touched the rope, he suddenly staggered and almost fell directly from the height onto the sand.

Chen Mo was also awakened by the sudden commotion.

Fortunately, his instincts kicked in quickly enough, and he managed to grab the rope before falling.

He was dangling in mid-air.

far away.

Ding Zeliang's heart clenched, and he instinctively shouted, "Scholar, keep it up!"

Perhaps it was because the previous incident was too thrilling, or perhaps it was because the nickname "scholar" was eye-catching enough.

Ding Zeliang's voice quickly drew responses from those around him.

"Keep it up, scholar!"

"Xiucai, come on!!"

The cheers grew louder and louder.

More and more people joined in the shouting. Chen Mo, who was hanging from the rope, heard the noise and tried to shake his head.

At this point, he could hardly hear any loud noises from the outside world.

Hanging here with his right hand gripping the rope, Chen Mo used his arm strength to slowly lift his body up, while his left hand tried to reach the rope.

"Scholar, keep going! You're closest to the finish line now, keep it up!"

Xie Yong was also shouting along with the crowd.

Even Wang Bo, who is usually sarcastic and lazy, joined in the chanting.

Because Chen Mo's current position is indeed the closest to the finish line among the thirteen groups of twenty-six people.

Finally, after several attempts, Chen Mo reached the rope with his left hand and began to move little by little.

The cheers from afar grew louder and louder as Zhang Jinnan, the vice president of the Army Academy, passed by the entrance of the military sports training ground with several school leaders.

You could hear deafening shouts coming from inside.

He frowned, walked into the training field, and happened to see a figure hanging in the distance, struggling to climb.

Let's look again at how far that figure is from the finish line.

Zhang Jinnan himself was also taken aback.

It should be noted that the 1000-meter obstacle course at the Army Academy was built in the 1970s and 80s and has undergone several repairs since then, so it is no longer used entirely for training.

Every year, people from the reconnaissance department take on the challenge, and the college's attitude is neither to encourage nor oppose it, since it's not a bad thing anyway.

Besides, very few people can actually complete the entire course.

Could it be that this kid can actually make it to the finish line?

That would be a talent excelling in both literature and martial arts.

Zhang Jinnan had already recognized the hanging figure as Chen Mo. He stood with his hands on his hips, looking quite interested at the entrance of the military training field.

He looked towards the northwest corner and muttered to himself.

(End of this chapter)