Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 183 Rectifying Discipline: The Sharp-Tongued Advisor's Home Ground
Back in his dorm with the documents in his arms, Chen Mo didn't bother sorting them anymore, since he knew he couldn't possibly read them all in a short time.

I stuffed all the accordion cases into the closet. Pei Shuaijun wasn't in the dormitory; I wondered where this head housekeeper had gone off to do something else.

Place the files properly.

Chen Mo went to the cabinet where he kept his clothes, opened his bag, and took out the timer that Lao Pao had given him, as well as the training whistle that he had been issued when he was a clerk in the company.

Hang it around your neck.

This action might be unfamiliar to those who haven't served in the military. There's a saying within the field army: "New recruits fear bugles, and veterans fear sentries."

Of course, the "veterans" mentioned here refer to those scumbags outside.

They're not like those reconnaissance company guys, those beasts who howl all day long.

The sound of the whistle signals the start of a grueling day of regular training.

Bring your equipment properly.

Chen Mo went downstairs to the training ground.

At this time, the forty-odd people led by Liang Hongjie were still doing morning exercises, and their formation remained basically unchanged.

More than forty people formed a formation that stretched over a hundred meters long.

To be honest, I've never seen such a sluggish drill formation before, even in basic training.

"Scholar, they're all doing morning exercises."

When Liang Hongjie saw Chen Mo coming over, he imitated Cheng Dong's manner when supervising the soldiers' training, raising his hand to straighten his military cap and putting his hands on his hips.

Chen Mo was speechless for a moment.

We don't object to you studying, but while you're studying, why don't you learn some of Company Commander Cheng's fiery temper?

This is what you call morning exercises?
The elderly men and women in the walking groups in the park have more energy and spirit than they do.

"Platoon leader, this morning's drill is no good, it's just a waste of time." Chen Mo shook his head and continued, "Classes start this afternoon, so we must correct this bad habit this morning."

"How do we break it?"

Liang Hongjie was taken aback when he heard this. He didn't actually have high expectations for his soldiers. As long as they could obey and go to drills, they were already better than before.

"Platoon leader, don't say anything later. No matter how many people you deal with, just make a show of it."

"I'll handle it."

After saying that, Chen Mo didn't waste any time. He put the training whistle in his mouth and blew it with all his might.

"Beep-beep!!"

Although the base covers a large area, the soldiers are still very sensitive to the sound of whistles.

The whistle sounded.

In the distance, reconnaissance platoon, armed police, and engineering corps soldiers rushed out of the building, looking up in this direction.

Chen Mo didn't say anything.

Liang Hongjie, however, was busy jumping around, waving to the crowd in the distance to indicate that it had nothing to do with them.

The people in the distance have quieted down.

However, the forty-odd people who were actually related to the whistle hesitated and looked around before someone finally walked towards Chen Mo's direction.

Seeing this situation.

Chen Mo didn't urge him. He pressed the timer in his hand as soon as he blew the whistle.

If you're going to clean up, then you should clean up thoroughly.

Don't rush this moment.

Within a minute, more than twenty students from the Army Academy ran over to assemble, while there were very few veterans from the military.

Within three minutes, most of the people had arrived, except for a few veterans who were too far from the assembly point, who were still slowly making their way over.

One assembly, when the timer was stopped, took a total of 3 minutes, 27.66 seconds.

The team of 47 people, including 25 trainees and 22 veterans, assembled. Lazy Sheep stood at attention, looking quite spirited.

Actually, the cadets are not bad overall, but they don't seem to have the same level of execution as the reconnaissance company. Their poor sensory skills are only highlighted by the veteran soldiers.

Looking at the assembled team, Chen Mo had a good idea of ​​what was going on.

The military values ​​both ability and qualifications. Even though these people were present at last night's meeting and knew they were serving as staff officers, the red rank insignia on their shoulders didn't carry enough weight.

They were not even worth the veterans' attention.

But it's okay.

With three months to go, the opportunity to prove himself and his abilities was right in front of him, and he could not afford to make any mistakes.

Today, any of these pampered and fierce soldiers who dare to jump will be sunk on the spot.

"Tell me about it."

Chen Mo walked to the front of the line, his calm gaze sweeping over everyone.

"Everyone attended yesterday's meeting, so I won't go into too much detail. Director Luo just asked me to formulate the follow-up work and study arrangements for our colleagues."

"Since everyone is doing morning exercises, let's get straight to the point and start with a brief self-introduction."

"My name is Chen Mo, but many comrades like to call me Xiucai (a scholar)."

"From now on, I will assist Director Luo in making adjustments to everyone's learning and living arrangements. You are all elites from your respective departments, and being assigned here means you can represent your original units and carry forward your respective spirits."

As soon as Chen Mo finished speaking, there was a slight commotion in the queue.

Because none of the people present were fools. The students from the academy were alright, after all, they were the teachers' prized students. Apart from their physical abilities being a bit lacking, they themselves dared to admit that they were elite.

But the veteran sergeants in the army were not so comfortable with it.

They knew better than anyone whether they were elite or not, and it was obvious that Chen Mo's words were insulting.

Moreover, while many people may not recognize Chen Mo, many veterans from various units of the 63rd Army know Xiucai.

Isn't he the guy who got promoted from private to officer?
Damn it, he's just a private.

This made the veterans in the ranks even more unhappy. A private serving as a staff officer, giving orders and pointing fingers—anyone would feel uncomfortable in that situation.

Chen Mo ignored everyone's reactions, knowing that he had successfully provoked them.

So he continued to provoke, "Alright, we won't delay your morning exercises any longer."

"Everyone, get ready for the 10km cross-country race. We'll catch the last three. Submit your results to the training department for registration. Whoever gets registered, pack up your things and go back to where you came from."

"Now, we can set off."

These veterans are just lazy; they're not stupid.

Judging from the predicament the training department faced yesterday, if there were any disturbance here and the training department was notified, the military region would definitely send someone over to take them away.

During the period of troop reduction, the inevitable result of taking it away would be being discharged and having to take off the uniform and go home.

Chen Mo didn't say it explicitly, but that was no different from saying it explicitly.

An elimination system will only incite public outrage.

For many ordinary companies, 10 kilometers is a considerable distance for cross-country running.

What's more, it was during breakfast time, and they had just run around for a while during morning exercises.

"report!"

A veteran standing in the queue suddenly spoke up.

"Speak!" Chen Mo gestured.

The veteran who had spoken looked around and saw that no one in the crowd had moved, which gave him even more confidence.

"Comrade Staff Officer, I think it's unfair to develop off-road capabilities now."

Ah!
fair?!!

Chen Mo chuckled and said, "You guys really know how to make excuses."

He's not afraid of anyone causing trouble; what he needs now is for someone to refute him.

Otherwise, this play really wouldn't be able to continue.

"How is it unfair? Tell me." Chen Mo smiled and said.

Finding the staff officer before him to be more approachable than he had imagined, the veteran narrowed his eyes and adopted an even more arrogant posture.

"Can't you see it yourself without me telling you?"

"We've already done our morning exercises and run the required distances. We had a meeting until midnight last night, and I didn't drink a drop of water this morning. I ran for more than half an hour."

"I feel that as an advisor, your decision was too arbitrary and unfair to us, without considering the actual situation. I don't accept it!"

The veteran's response was loud, and the words "I refuse to accept this" echoed throughout the training area.

Some veterans in the queue also began to chime in.

"I also think it's unfair. We've already run for so long during morning exercises, why do we have to do cross-country running too?"

"It's that same old intimidation tactic again, how boring."

"We're here to learn, not to run. This is pointless."

The sound came out intermittently, and although the noise was not loud, Chen Mo could hear it clearly.

Liang Hongjie realized that the situation was getting out of control, and fine beads of sweat began to appear on his forehead.

He knew that the scholar was stubborn and would not easily give in, but these veterans were no pushovers either.

This is getting complicated.

He turned to look into the distance, trying to find the officers of the reconnaissance company to come and help, but he overlooked the fact that the reconnaissance company would never come.

When officials establish their authority, what's the point of having others interfere?

Even if Cheng Dong were to pass by, he would pretend not to see it.

Chen Mo simply smiled at the chatter in the queue and took a few more steps forward.

The group of veterans had been making a fuss for a while, and although they seemed to have good reasons, they were actually after the phrase "you as a staff officer" from earlier.

The other party's dissatisfaction stems only from their dissatisfaction with the person giving orders.

There aren't that many so-called excuses.

Chen Mo's gaze swept across the crowd, and as he approached, the murmurs gradually subsided.

But the veterans in the queue did not make any other statement, staring directly into Chen Mo's eyes.

"Everyone, squat down!!"

Chen Mo suddenly shouted sharply.

Some of the trainees were quite obedient and squatted down as ordered, while the rest were somewhat stunned.

Squatting is considered a form of punishment in queues, because squatting in stillness often carries a punitive nature.

The intense, tingling sensation is something only those who have experienced it can truly understand.

Faced with the command, everyone had no choice but to squat down, and appropriate protests were acceptable.

If one openly defies the instructions of the staff appointed at the conference, then the nature of the matter changes.

Chen Mo walked up to the veteran who had spoken earlier, looked down at him, and said, "You're not convinced? Are you a soldier in the field army or a kid in the 'Red Education Class'?"

He's swearing! The scholar has sworn an insult!

Liang Hongjie clenched his fists and stood behind Chen Mo to support him. This situation made Liang Pai quite nervous.

The privates' training of the officers was truly a rebellion against the Heavenly Gang.

The veteran who was reprimanded lost face, especially in front of so many people; he felt his dignity had been trampled on.

"Report!!" the veteran roared angrily.

"Keep it to yourself," Chen Mo said, glancing at the veteran.

Today, he's determined to completely strip away the fig leaf covering these veterans. The training base is something he fought hard for, and no one can interfere.

"You think you're worthy to talk to me about fairness?"

"Don't you know why you came here?"

Chen Mo's tone was deep, and his voice boomed like thunder in spring.

"Everyone, ask yourselves honestly, why did your company send you here? Did they really think they could rely on you to help their company win honors?"

"Look at what their reconnaissance company is doing, and look at you. You dare to talk about fairness?" "Eight years of resistance against Japan, more than thirty large-scale battles, one division was wiped out on the battlefield, another division charged forward. It was the largest and most frequent bayonet fighting in the history of hot war. More than one hundred high-ranking generals died in battle, three million soldiers perished, and one hundred thousand young men were killed in action. Every inch of our land was soaked in blood. We, a weak agricultural country, a semi-feudal and semi-colonial country, were fighting to the death against industrialized powers. Tell me, where is the fairness?"

“You all attended last night’s meeting. What was the purpose of the information technology experiment? Do you dare to say you don’t know?”

"The leaders of the Academy racked their brains to come up with a way to conduct an experiment that the Americans could have done ten years ago, and you're talking to me about fairness with a simple excuse like 'not getting enough rest'?"

The veteran who was scolded was completely stunned.

He had never experienced the eloquence of a scholar before, so he naturally didn't know that this young cadet soldier in front of him could actually say such a thing.

Isn't this just putting him in a very difficult position?

Chen Mo's curses were quite loud.

Some armed police, engineers, and even academy instructors and reconnaissance company personnel were attracted to the scene.

I watched from a distance as the newly appointed staff officer trained the man.

But Chen Mo had no intention of letting these people off so easily. He stared intently at the group of veterans who had already lowered their heads and dared not meet his gaze.

His imposing manner remained undiminished, and he launched into a tirade of curses.

"Talk about fairness? Who the hell has ever talked to the volunteer soldiers about fairness?"

"In two and a half years, the acting commander of the 67th Army, the deputy commander of the 39th Army, the deputy commander of the 50th Army, and the chief of staff of the 23rd Army went to the battlefield and never came down."

"Tell me, is it fair to them?"

"Today, our motherland needs us, it needs us to bravely take the first step. We're all living comfortably now, aren't we? But where is our awareness?"

"And you said you didn't get enough rest yesterday because of the meeting? I was reading documents until midnight yesterday and wrote half a notebook of my thoughts. Didn't I get up early this morning to practice more?"

"While I was running for over an hour, you were all sound asleep in your air-conditioned rooms. Where was the fairness you talked about?"

"When war breaks out, will the enemy still have to ask you if you've had enough rest?"

A group of veterans experienced the scholar's sharp tongue for the first time, and they were all filled with shame and indignation, wanting to say something but holding back.

I wanted to refute it, but I couldn't find any compelling words.

Everyone looked dejected, as if they wished there was a crack in the ground they could disappear into.

But since Chen Mo was determined to give them a hard time, it wouldn't end so easily.

"On the way to the base, Captain Pei Shuaijun happily showed me a stack of documents, saying that they were elite troops transferred from various units of the 63rd Army, who arrived at the base shortly after us."

"So, this is the elite force Captain Pei was talking about?"

"Is this what the so-called elite of the 63rd Army looks like?"

"Your ranks aren't low, you're at least second-class sergeants. Do you even know what a monument is?"

"How about I teach you?"

"Back then on the Korean battlefield, three companies of several hundred men froze to death as a whole. No one retreated, not even a single step."

"Is it fair?"

"Do you even know what it means to race against American cars on foot? The 113th Division, the world record holder for forced march, had soldiers vomiting blood and dying. Is that fair?"

"The 38th parallel, the line drawn, our dignity, the blood of hundreds of thousands of people, who talks to the martyrs about fairness?"

"In the Indochina Peninsula, soldiers huddled in foxholes, keeping company with rats, pythons, and minefields. They could hear a fart from the other side. Nine out of ten veterans were tormented by post-war trauma. Is that fair?"

The questions posed were far more severe than the punishment of running.

Not to mention the squatting queue, even the onlookers felt like they had been scolded.

“In training, there is no fairness; in the field army, there is no belief in reasons. We are here not to fail, but only to see the final result.”

"You're asking me for fairness just because you think my rank is too low, right? If it were the commanders from the Operations Department or the General Staff Department who came today, would you dare to say a single word against it in front of them?"

The fig leaf was brutally torn off, and Chen Mo had completely crushed the dignity of these veterans.

However, language alone is not enough.

After Chen Mo finished speaking, he casually shoved the timer and training whistle on his body into Liang Hongjie's hands behind him.

Now, he is going to completely shatter the last vestiges of pride these veterans have.

"Don't play dumb. I ran for more than an hour this morning. I'm sure some of you saw that, right?"

"Didn't you say it's unfair?"

"Come on, I'll run a 10-kilometer cross-country race with you. If I lose, I'll automatically step down and relinquish my position as advisor. I won't be giving orders here anymore."

"If you lose, then from now on, you'll stay here, whether you're a dragon or a tiger, you'll lie low and behave yourself. When our experiment succeeds, you'll go back to where you came from."

"I'm not asking all of you to come, but whoever has the guts to do it, the last three can pack their bags and get out of here."

"Those who didn't have the guts to come, remember to pack your grandson properly next time."

After Chen Mo finished speaking, he walked to the starting point of the track and began to stretch his limbs.

He was originally a military officer, and he was even more adept at intimidating his troops than Cheng Dong.

Having fewer experiences doesn't necessarily mean having fewer knowledge.
It's just that I didn't have the chance to use it before.

"Compared to you, damn it!" The veteran who first reported stood up, his face full of righteous indignation.

He was so embarrassed that he almost wanted to disappear into the ground, and he had to get his revenge.

The remaining veterans were also bullied, their faces turning red and then pale. Damn it, if they didn't play, they'd have to act like cowards. There's no curse more vicious than that.

They would rather lose face-to-face than allow themselves to be too scared to take the field.

"I come."

"And I!"

The veterans all stood up, including Gao Sufeng, who was furious.

Damn it, I got beaten up for no reason first thing this morning, at least no one saw it, and now I'm being bullied by a private.

After that, I couldn't make a living anymore.

Soon, the crowd gathered on the track again, and the cadets also arrived, making a total of 48 people including Chen Mo, with no one missing.

Seeing that things had come to this, Liang Hongjie looked at the whistle in his hand and shouted, "I'll keep time."

"3, 2, 1."

"Beep!!"

A piercing whistle rang out, and Chen Mo, who was warming up, suddenly turned cold in his eyes, his whole body moving like a cheetah descending the mountain.

It suddenly darted out.

Using all four limbs, they began to sprint along the not-so-regular track.

This is a game that cannot be lost.

It was also a competition that Chen Mo used to vent his frustrations.

Indeed, the thoughts that had been suppressed in his heart were finally being put into action today, and he was more excited than ever before.

A thrilling and exhilarating match was the result he had been hoping for for a long time.

Seeing Chen Mo's unsportsmanlike charge, the group of veterans looked at each other in bewilderment.

Keep going, this is a 10-kilometer race. Starting at this speed, you'd never reach the finish line even if you exhausted yourself.

If you don't follow, you'll be left behind from the start, which is a bit of a loss.
He hesitated for a moment.

A group of veterans still chose to follow, gritting their teeth and sprinting forward.

The match quickly attracted a larger crowd.

Some veterans from the reconnaissance company would simply bring their bowls from the mess hall, add some pickled vegetables to their porridge, and squat by the roadside with steamed buns in their hands to watch.

Yao Jinghua, the former squad leader of the reconnaissance company's eighth squad, was a veteran who had trained with Chen Mo in a car chase and capture operation. He chuckled as he ate a steamed bun, "That damn scholar, he really knows how to torture people."

"Even without carrying any weights, running ten kilometers would make these lazybones throw up."

"Letting these people suffer a bit is fine. How come I never realized the scholar had such a sharp tongue before?"

Wang Jianyong sat on the curb, drinking porridge and staring into the distance.

There were quite a few people from the reconnaissance company around, but none of them were worried about Chen Mo.

the reason is simple.

Xiucai's squad leader was a veteran, a tough guy in the entire Seventh Division back in the day. Xiucai, whom he trained, was a guy who could dominate the entire reconnaissance company in terms of physical strength alone.

If you put them at the training base, these old soldiers who only know how to slack off all day are no match for them.

In fact, they are no match for each other.

Chen Mo had read the files of these veterans. Many of them had just coasted along in their previous jobs. These people were used to a comfortable life, and if you were to talk about courage, they would probably still have some left.

But verbal provocation won't bring back their long-abandoned physical abilities.

In every unit, there are always a few people with complex relationships who can stay in the unit for a long time. However, long service time does not necessarily mean that they are more capable.

One lap, two laps, three laps, four laps
Chen Mo's figure seemed like a perpetual motion machine, running around the training ground of the base incessantly. His speed kept decreasing, but he did not show the slightest sign of fatigue.

The training ground here hasn't been specially renovated, and being located near the foot of Mount Tai, the terrain is uneven, making it suitable for cross-country running.

A lap is about one kilometer, or 500 meters.

Chen Mo sprinted for two kilometers, leaving the others on the track far behind.

Several veterans were exhausted from being scolded, especially the one who had been stared at and berated by Chen Mo for a long time. His gums were almost crushed, but he still couldn't catch up with the figure in the distance.

"This...this is a private?" The veteran gasped for breath, his eyes wide.

Unfortunately, his complaints had no effect whatsoever.

Chen Mo strode forward, as if everything around him had nothing to do with him anymore.

In the past, when he ran, he just wanted to prove himself, to get a good ranking, and to create opportunities for himself to climb up step by step.

But today.

He no longer needed to prove himself to anyone; he only needed to win the race, finish first, and utterly shatter the last vestiges of dignity and arrogance of these old hands.

Eighth lap, ninth lap, tenth lap.
Chen Mo seemed to be in exceptionally good form today, completing the 5km run on foot in 16 minutes and 24 seconds.

This result wasn't as good as during the recruit competition because I had run for too long in the morning and was physically exhausted.

But in today's context, it's already quite impressive.

He left the second-place player nearly three laps behind.

Lap 14, Lap 15, Lap 19
At this time, many people in the base had already eaten breakfast, but they still stood blankly in the distance, watching the staggering figures running on the training field.

Some were shocked, some were puzzled, and some were confused.

They didn't understand why Chen Mo was pushing himself so hard when the twenty laps were over.

He was more than four laps ahead of the second-place finisher.

The final time was 38 minutes and 46 seconds, completing the 11km run on foot.

Meanwhile, on the track, some veterans were already squatting by the roadside vomiting violently, clearly unable to make it to the finish line.

Even those who are still persisting are far from achieving their goals.

Luo Yaowu stood a little distance away, watching Chen Mo being helped up at the finish line.

After a long while, he finally grinned.

Turning to Pei Shuaijun behind him, he said, "Go and urge Vice Dean Zhang to transfer the data from the review to this location as soon as possible."

"I have a feeling that we might really see some results within three months."

"Also, call those colleges under Commander Lu and transfer the students and instructors here as soon as possible. We can't wait until they graduate."

"Make a call to the training department and tell them that a few people will be sent back to them later. Please do your best to cooperate with Chen Mo's follow-up work."

"Yes, Director!!"

"Ah."

After giving his instructions, Luo Yaowu looked again at Chen Mo, who had broken free from his support and was walking slowly on the track.

He nodded slightly.

Soldiers with such tenacity and such clear goals might actually bring about a turning point in the experiment.

(End of this chapter)