Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 123 Gao Cheng's Composure and Magnanimity (More chapters this weekend)
"Why did the squad leader go to the test brigade?" Chen Jiang asked.

"That's how it is," He Hongtao explained patiently, "After Shi Jin's family had that incident, he became depressed and lost interest in training. At that time, his grades in all aspects dropped drastically. Then, when your Company Commander Gao found out about this, he came here specifically to give Shi Jin a good scolding! He told him that he must take good care of his future!"

"Old Qi paid out of his own pocket to cover the 20 yuan for him, which was a lifesaver. Then he helped him adjust his position. You know, Old Qi never asks for favors, but for Shi Jin's sake, he asked everyone he could for help, and finally settled on the position of test driver in the armored vehicle test team."

Upon hearing this, Xu Sanduo's expression finally softened.
Just be fine!

The third company commander said with envy, "Don't underestimate the position of test driver. Although he is not an officer, it is a proper technical position. Isn't Shi Jin a third-term sergeant? If he does well there, he can definitely be promoted to the fourth term, or even go further."

"Yes, we all believe that soldiers from the Steel Seventh Company can do well anywhere and will never bring shame to our regiment!" He Hongtao said confidently, but he didn't notice that Xu Sanduo was a little absent-minded.

Chen Jiang remarked with emotion, "Indeed, it's quite difficult for the old squad leader to be promoted to fourth-term sergeant if he stays in the mechanized infantry company. It's good that things are as they are now."

"Then why doesn't he reply to us? Does no one receive the letters we send?" Chen Jiang was still a little puzzled.

He Hongtao sighed deeply, "He's also a man who cares about his reputation. When Lao Qi asked for help for him, he felt it was a very shameful thing and still wanted to leave. But Lao Qi gave him a good scolding! That's what woke him up. If he stays, he still has a future. If he goes back, what can he do? Wouldn't that be letting everyone down?"

"I guess he might feel a little embarrassed because I had someone deliver your letters to him intact." He Hongtao is quite reliable when it comes to doing things like this.

His strength lies in understanding the thoughts and feelings of each soldier.

"What about Cheng Cai? How is he?" Xu Sanduo asked.

"Him? He's still in the Fifth Platoon of the Third Company, right? I haven't been there much lately, so I don't know the specifics, but I've heard that he seems to have changed."

"Changed? How has it changed?"

"I don't know, I've only heard it that way. By the way, why did he come back alone? I heard he and the three of you stayed in Team A." He Hongtao asked curiously.
"He wanted to come back himself, saying he couldn't bear to leave the 702nd Regiment." Xu Sanduo's lying skills were really clumsy. The third company commander and He Hongtao looked at Chen Jiang, who gently shook his head. The two of them didn't say anything more.

"By the way, how about Wu Liuyi? He's our regiment's armored tiger."

"You did a great job on June 1st, don't worry, we'll have him come back to see everyone next time," Chen Jiang replied with a smile.

"That's good. Ah, when you guys were here, the Seventh Steel Company was truly unparalleled. Other companies could only look up to them!" The Third Company Commander said with a look of reminiscence.

He Hongtao winked at him, signaling him not to bring up things he didn't want to talk about. "By the way, your Company Commander Gao has been promoted again. Wasn't he going to be a deputy battalion commander? He was just recently promoted to full battalion commander because of his outstanding performance in the exercise! Now he's the battalion commander of the division's armored reconnaissance battalion."

Chen Jiang and Xu Sanduo were not surprised by Gao Cheng's progress.
He was an outstanding junior officer, a military academy graduate, and had such a distinguished background; it would be strange if he wasn't promoted.

Seeing that the two men didn't seem surprised, He Hongtao could only continue introducing the others.

“Hong Xingguo, your old instructor, he’s also remarkable. He was originally the deputy instructor of the Third Battalion, but after attending the division’s training this time, he’ll most likely be promoted to battalion commander when he comes back.”

"And then there's our Regiment Commander Wang. He's currently the deputy chief of staff of the division, and he'll probably be promoted to chief of staff and become a senior colonel next."

Although He Hongtao and the third company commander were talking non-stop, Chen Jiang felt that the army had completely changed in just a short time since he left.

It's great that everyone is making progress.

After dinner, He Hongtao and the third company commander took the two of them for a casual walk around the camp, looking at the places where they used to train, which evoked a unique feeling.

The venue was still the same, but the people playing and training there were completely unfamiliar to me.

The next morning, an off-road vehicle, still seemingly covered in gunpowder and mud, drove into the gate of the 702nd Regiment. Inside were two fully disguised people with thick camouflage paint on their faces.

The sentries at the gate let them through without even glancing at them.

Clearly, they are regulars here and hold a high status.

The car stopped in front of He Hongtao's dormitory.

The two got out of the car and happened to run into He Hongtao, who was coming out of there.

Is it inside?

These two were clearly very familiar with He Hongtao, to the point that they didn't need to salute him when no one else was around.

"Yes, it's inside!"

The two of them excitedly rushed inside.

Chen Jiang and Xu Sanduo were tidying up inside when the door was suddenly pushed open, and two figures rushed in at lightning speed.

Chen Jiang's perception was already very strong; he sensed their vehicle approaching.

Xu Sanduo, due to the brutal training in the A Brigade, developed a conditioned reflex-like reaction. His muscles tensed up quickly, he feinted to avoid the opponent's pounce, and then with a standard grappling move, he grabbed the opponent's wrist.

"Ouch, be gentle, be gentle!"

"Chen Jiang, San Duo, is this how you two treat your old comrade-in-arms?"

Hearing that the two people actually knew their names, Xu Sanduo was taken aback. He turned their faces over, looked at them, and shouted with a laugh, "Gan Xiaoning?"

The other person was undoubtedly Ma Xiaoshuai, but he was beaten even worse by Chen Jiang and was completely pinned to the ground. Chen Jiang actually knew it was him all along and was just teasing him, otherwise they wouldn't have been able to get close to him at all.

Ma Xiaoshuai is now a second lieutenant. He originally wanted to show off the skills he learned in the reconnaissance battalion to the two old A's, but he ended up exposing his backside instead.

At that moment, their joy and shame were almost simultaneous.

Joy comes from reuniting with comrades, shame stems from the fact that they were no match for each other.

"What brings you two here?" Xu Sanduo's blows were much heavier.

Gan Xiaoning clutched her wrist. "The company commander sent us to fetch you! Sanduo, couldn't you have been a little gentler? You don't really think there are still enemies in the 702nd Regiment, do you?"

Xu Sanduo looked embarrassed, but Chen Jiang came to his rescue.

"Our training is extremely rigorous, and everything is based on real combat! Everyone has gotten into the habit that if you react slowly or don't hit hard enough, you will be severely punished."

"Alright, alright, we're outmatched, nothing more to say. Let's go! The company commander's orders are to leave immediately upon receiving you! Hurry!" Ma Xiaoshuai urged. As they walked out, Gan Xiaoning didn't forget to tease He Hongtao.
"Deputy Political Instructor, our battalion commander said that you were rewarded handsomely for informing on someone. These are his exact words. It's not that I don't understand the concept of superiors and subordinates; I just relayed it verbatim."

He Hongtao was utterly embarrassed upon hearing this, "That seventh brother! What is he doing!"

He spoke to Chen Jiang and Xu Sanduo in a kind and gentle tone.
"I think there must be a reason why you two came back. Since you don't want to say, I won't ask. But I think you two absolutely must go to Gao Cheng. Only that person can subdue you and solve any problem for you!"

He waved his hand, and Ma Xiaoshuai and Gan Xiaoning immediately pulled Chen Jiang and the others into the car, then stepped on the gas and sped away.

"Goodbye, instructor!"

"Goodbye, instructor!"

It wasn't until they were quite a distance apart that they realized they had forgotten to say goodbye.

He Hongtao smiled and waved.
He muttered to himself, "Seventh Brother, you'd better deal with your own men!"

After the vehicle drove out of the gate, the constraints of military discipline were finally lifted, and Ma Xiaoshuai and the others sitting in the back instantly let loose and started playing around.

But they were no match for them even in a one-on-one situation, so how could they possibly beat the two of them in a one-on-two situation?

They were subdued in no time.

"I'm impressed. You two old A's are really different now. You're much fiercer than you were back in the Seventh Company," Ma Xiaoshuai said, panting heavily.

Gan Xiaoning, driving ahead, retorted without turning her head, "Otherwise, why would so many people want to join Old A? They must have some skills!"

The off-road vehicle, carrying four people, had already plunged into the depths of the vast grassland.

In reality, what they were creating wasn't a road at all, but rather a dirt road filled with deep ruts, the wheel tracks and treads intertwined.

Even with its excellent performance, the off-road vehicle became extremely bumpy, and Xu Sanduo, sitting in the back, stared blankly at the tire tracks.

Anyone who has served in the military knows that this means a troop assembly point.

After driving for a long time, we finally saw people on this vast grassland.
To be precise, it was a few sentries who, upon seeing Chen Jiang and his group, immediately jogged forward and saluted.
"Commendations, missile firing training is underway ahead. Please turn off the engine and get out of the vehicle!"

"Huh? It's starting already?" Ma Xiaoshuai asked.

"Yes, it has already begun!"

Ma Xiaoshuai said to Chen Jiang and the others, "It's better to be lucky than early. Guys, get out of the car, I'll show you something good!"

No sooner had he finished speaking than several huge plumes of smoke rose on the horizon, followed by three short-range missiles streaking across the sky with orange-red trails of flame, making a loud tearing sound as they flew into the distance.

A moment later, a faint rumble came from the horizon beyond sight, and the ground trembled.

Needless to say, it must have been the huge sound wave generated by the missile hitting the target.

"For precision ground-to-ground strikes, our battalion is responsible for ground guidance," Gan Xiaoning said with pride.

"Hehe, traditional howitzer groups have been relegated to the second line. In future wars, missiles will destroy key enemy targets first, followed by conventional artillery fire for coverage. This will make combat more efficient and precise."

Chen Jiang nodded slightly.

Indeed, the military is developing rapidly, and a military that does not keep pace with the times has no future.

Gan Xiaoning and the others led Chen Jiang and Xu Sanduo forward. Finally, they saw an officer squatting by the command vehicle, chewing on a steamed bun and a sausage, then gulping down a mouthful of water. That was considered the end of his meal.

"...Company Commander?"

Chen Jiang and Xu Sanduo shouted at the same time.

The man turned around, and it was none other than Gao Cheng, their old company commander from the Steel Seventh Company.

However, Gao Cheng had a very ugly scar on his face, which was quite incongruous for Gao Cheng, who always considered himself an elite talent.

"Oh, you've arrived?"

Gao Cheng, seeing the two of them staring at his face, smiled and said,

"Is it ugly? Don't you think it's pretty cool? If the command and guidance personnel get too close, a pebble might bite them. If you want to be accurate to the meter, you have to pay a price."

Ma Xiaoshuai added in a low voice, "Actually, it was shrapnel from a missile explosion. The company commander wouldn't listen to us and insisted on taking command from the front."

"Ma Xiaoshuai! Gan Xiaoning!"

"To!"

"To!"

"You two go do what you were doing!"

"Yes!"

"Yes!"

Under Gao Cheng's orders, Ma Xiaoshuai and Gan Xiaoning could only give Chen Jiang and the others a wink before scurrying away.

After they had gone some distance, Gao Cheng explained, "I was lucky to be alive. The missile exploded very close to me, and I only got this small gash. I'm already incredibly fortunate. Besides, you can't improve your combat effectiveness without shedding some blood."

He had finished eating, stood up, and clapped his hands.

"I was planning to get together with you guys after training, but Lao He called me several times, saying that you two must have something on your mind when you came back, and that he wanted me to take a look at you. What kind of nonsense is this? Does he think I'm a military doctor? Actually, I only took a veterinary course in college, haha."

(End of this chapter)