Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 152 Wu Zhe is leaving

All good things must come to an end, and we had a really good time drinking.

Chen Jiang lay on his back on the hard bed in the dormitory, his mind still echoing with the laughter and merriment of the previous night.

The restaurant was filled with the strong smell of alcohol. As the comrades toasted each other, bottles of strong liquor were emptied one after another.

Although Chen Jiang's alcohol tolerance was considered decent in Team A, he couldn't withstand the relentless "battle of attrition" waged by Yuan Lang and several company commanders.

Chen Jiang remembers shouting "Go, go, go!" with great enthusiasm, which drew cheers from the audience.

But the memories that followed became fragmented—it seemed like he drank several rounds with Cheng Cai, sang military songs with Xu Sanduo, and was finally helped to the restroom by Wu Zhe.
Later, I completely blacked out, only vaguely remembering being carried back to my dormitory by several people.

Chen Jiang smiled wryly and touched his temples, where a dull ache still lingered.

He struggled to get up and fumbled to turn on the bedside lamp. The glaring light made him squint, and he then noticed that someone had left a pot of cold boiled water on the bedside table.

Without thinking twice, he grabbed the water bottle and poured it into his mouth. The cool liquid slid down his burning esophagus, bringing a refreshing shiver.

"Glug glug." After gulping down a large pot of cold water, Chen Jiang finally felt a little better.

He wiped the water from the corner of his mouth and looked around the two-person dormitory of Team A.

The alarm clock by the bed—3:27 a.m., the dormitory was so quiet you could hear your own heartbeat.

The bed opposite was neatly made, with not a single wrinkle on the sheet, clearly indicating that it had been vacant for several days.

Cheng Haibo went out to study again.

"This guy is a real study fanatic," Chen Jiang muttered to himself.

Chen Jiang knew perfectly well that in an elite unit like the A Brigade, one couldn't stand firm without studying relentlessly. Cheng Haibo, a rural soldier with no connections, could only rely on outstanding qualities and continuous learning to go further on the path to becoming an officer.

Once the daze passed, Chen Jiang's thoughts gradually became clear.

He leaned against the headboard and began to recall the recent changes that the people at the dinner table had mentioned the previous night.

Alcohol made my memory a little blurry, but a few key pieces of information were still clearly imprinted in my mind.

Wu Liuyi has decided to pursue the technical sergeant route.

This means that Wu Liuyi will most likely remain a top soldier here, rising from a third-level sergeant major to a first-level sergeant major. Will he become a legend in Team A?
As for Xu Sanduo, he will most likely be among the candidates for officer promotion in the military this year.

Chen Jiang recalled Xu Sanduo's reserved demeanor at the dinner table. This former "turtle son" had now grown into one of the most reliable soldiers in Team A. The question now was whether Sanduo could pass the academic exam.

As for Cheng Cai, his progress during Chen Jiang's absence from the team was nothing short of miraculous.

This once arrogant sniper has matured after experiencing setbacks and has now grown into the third sniper in Team A, second only to Chen Jiang and Yuan Lang.

Since Yuan Lang was still serving as the company commander, Cheng Cai became the company's top sniper during Chen Jiang's absence. Given this trend, his promotion to officer was practically a certainty.

"These guys are really something!" Chen Jiang chuckled, then suddenly felt a wave of drowsiness wash over him.

The effects of the alcohol hadn't completely worn off when he yawned and fell into a deep sleep again.

Perhaps due to the effects of alcohol, Chen Jiang slept straight through until the sun was high in the sky.

This would have been absolutely impossible in the past.

Chen Jiang sat bolt upright, frantically starting to dress. Only then did he notice a note slipped under the door, bearing Yuan Lang's flamboyant handwriting: "Special permission to catch up on sleep, no need to participate in morning exercises. Go straight to the cafeteria for breakfast when you wake up, then come to my office. —Yuan"

So when Chen Jiang felt like he had done something wrong and tiptoed out with his toiletries, he found that the door to the dormitory across the hall was open.

The brigade made an exception for Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe. Chen Jiang then remembered that Yuan Lang had indeed said this when the party ended last night: "You two just came back from hunter school and drank so much, you don't need to do morning exercises tomorrow." At the time, he thought it was a joke, but he didn't expect it to be arranged for real.

Wu Zhe, with his messy hair and prominent dark circles under his eyes, was also holding a toothbrush cup, his movements almost identical to Chen Jiang's. The two looked at each other, then burst into laughter simultaneously.

"Shh—" Wu Zhe quickly made a shushing gesture and pointed to the dormitory doors on both sides of the corridor. Fortunately, everyone around them had already gone out to train, otherwise, the military discipline would have been enough to give the two of them a hard time.

"Captain Chen, you're still asleep?" Although Wu Zhe and Chen Jiang were very close, it was more respectful to address him by his title since they were in the brigade's corridor.

He asked in a low voice, rubbing his temples as he did so, clearly still suffering from a hangover.

"Ha, aren't you the same?" Chen Jiang retorted irritably, then shook his head. "I drank myself into oblivion yesterday, and my head still hurts."

"Bullshit, who would believe that!" Wu Zhe curled his lip. "I bet you drank a lot last night. I can only drink half a jin of liquor, and that was strong liquor yesterday. I passed out in no time."

Wu Zhe's alcohol tolerance was much lower, so he got even more drunk.

Wu Zhe seemed to notice Chen Jiang's gaze and said with a wry smile, "Don't even mention it, my roommate was really unlucky. He had to carry my vomit in a bucket and take care of me, which made me feel really embarrassed." He sighed, "But he said it's common in the army. If you don't vomit after drinking, it means you haven't had enough, and maybe you're just pretending to be drunk!"

Chen Jiang genuinely dislikes drinking. However, in the unique environment of the military, alcohol is not only a form of entertainment but also a way of socializing and a bond of affection.

"Actually, whether you can drink or not, it's more harmful to your health if you can drink more," Chen Jiang mumbled while brushing his teeth. "All that alcohol you drink has to be broken down by your liver. Sigh, I'd rather only have a two-ounce alcohol tolerance and pass out after just one sip! That would be much better."

After washing up and tidying themselves up, the two went to the restaurant for a meal.

The mess hall of Battalion A is different from that of ordinary companies. Even after mealtimes, the cooking team will keep someone on duty to ensure that hot food is available at any time.

After all, special forces training schedules are irregular, with frequent nighttime training or emergency missions, so such special treatment is necessary.

The restaurant was empty. The quartermaster on duty greeted the two of them with a smile as they entered, "Awake? Captain Yuan specifically asked us to save breakfast for you." The two ate some of the leftover meat buns and porridge, and then had a few eggs, which made their stomachs feel much better.

Yuan Lang's office is located on the far east side of the second floor of the administration building, with its window facing the training ground.

As Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe reached the door, they heard the sound of keyboard typing coming from inside.

Chen Jiang knocked gently on the door, and Yuan Lang's distinctive, smiling voice came from inside: "Come in."

Pushing open the door, they saw Yuan Lang frowning at the computer screen. Upon seeing the two enter, he immediately put on his signature roguish grin: "Yo, how were you two heroes getting some rest?"

"Report to the captain, we..." Chen Jiang was about to explain when Yuan Lang waved his hand, interrupting him.

"Relax, I'm not going to talk about discipline today." Yuan Lang gestured for the two to sit down, then got up to pour some water.

At the hunter school, we had to sleep with one eye open and one eye closed, always ready to face the instructors' "surprise attacks".

In contrast, being able to sleep soundly until you naturally wake up in the dormitory of Team A is like a paradise.

Yuan Lang placed the water glasses in front of the two of them, then pulled two notebooks out of the drawer. "Do you remember these?"

Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.

This was a task Yuan Lang had specifically assigned them before they went abroad—to meticulously record their training content and insights at the hunter school. The two of them suffered a lot for this, enduring grueling training during the day and having to force themselves to stay awake and write in their diaries at night. Several times, they fell asleep while writing, only to wake up to find their notebooks filled with messy scribbles.

“I have carefully read your diaries,” Yuan Lang’s expression turned serious. “The records are very vivid. The beginning entries, although simple and the handwriting is messy, are very impactful.”

He turned to one of the pages and pointed to the crooked handwriting. “Look here: ‘Twelve people were eliminated today. They almost suffocated during the water dungeon training, but they persevered.’ I can even imagine the kind of training you received from these simple words.”

A look of longing appeared on Yuan Lang's face: "I like this kind of excitement. Although it's tough and tiring, you can really learn something."

Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe remained silent.

It's easier said than done; how many people can persevere to the end?
"To be honest, it's really not easy to stick with a school like this until graduation!"

He suddenly stood up and gave the two men a perfect military salute. This unexpected action caught Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe off guard, and they quickly stood up to return the salute.

Yuan Lang lowered his hand, his expression becoming solemn: "Our country's special forces training has always been a process of exploration and refinement, so these two diaries you brought back are of great reference and learning value." He picked up the notebook, "I'm going to make copies today, and hand the originals over to the military region. You don't have any objections, do you?"

"no!"

"no!"

Both of them made statements at the same time.

They knew exactly what these things were for. It was a great honor to contribute to the development of the nation's military.

After saying this, Yuan Lang asked them to sit down, his expression returning to its usual relaxed state: "Logically speaking, you have made great contributions this time, and you are bound to receive commendations." He looked at Chen Jiang, "but considering that you have only recently been promoted and have already received a first-class merit, it is not appropriate to award you with such frequent honors. So this time we will change the type of reward."

Yuan Lang's words gave the two of them a jolt. Although rewards weren't the only thing soldiers pursued, something was better than nothing, right?

“Chen Jiang,” Yuan Lang turned his gaze to him, “the higher-ups have decided to send you to the military region to attend a hunter school training experience sharing session. This is an excellent opportunity to show off, so you’d better seize it!”

Wu Zhe was incredibly envious after hearing this. These sharing sessions, frankly speaking, were designed to mold him into a role model, which was far more important than any ordinary meritorious service. Being able to gain recognition in front of the military region leaders would greatly benefit his future career.

“Because special operations training is classified, it’s impossible to share it completely publicly,” Yuan Lang added. “It’s only open to high-ranking officers in the military region and soldiers engaged in special operations.” Although this reduces its influence considerably, leaving an impression on the higher-ups is extremely important.

"When are we going?" Chen Jiang asked, suppressing his excitement.

"Haha, excited, aren't you?" Yuan Lang laughed. "A car will pick you up tomorrow. You'll need to stay there for a few days, so just follow orders!"

"Captain, what about me?" Wu Zhe asked, puzzled. Why didn't he have to go?
Yuan Lang's expression suddenly became complicated. He was silent for a few seconds, then looked at Wu Zhe very seriously: "You, the higher-ups have decided to promote you to lieutenant colonel, deputy regimental commander, and you will be assigned to the East China Sea Naval Region!"

"What?" Chen Jiang and Wu Zhe were both stunned.

Wu Zhe stood up abruptly: "Why are you kicking me out?" His voice trembled with agitation.

"What are you yelling about? Have you no sense of organization or discipline?" Yuan Lang put on a stern face, but there was no real anger in his eyes. "You need to understand, you're being promoted, not exiled!"

He glanced at Chen Jiang beside him, then said meaningfully, "Wu Zhe, you are an extremely outstanding young officer with a solid theoretical foundation and successful overseas training experience. Therefore, it is impossible for someone like you to stay in the A Brigade for long."

Yuan Lang walked to the window, his back to the two men: "This time, there just happens to be such an opportunity. The East Sea Naval Region needs to establish a brand-new special forces unit, similar to the US Navy SEALs, and needs someone like you to join them. Do you understand?"

Chen Jiang listened to Yuan Lang's words and wholeheartedly agreed. The military is currently in dire need of highly educated young officers like him, and Wu Zhe is already a major. Continuing to keep him here would also create a "glass ceiling," which, from a long-term perspective, is indeed not conducive to his growth.

It would be better to release him as soon as possible and let him take charge on his own.

“You’ll probably start as a deputy this time,” Yuan Lang turned around, “but with your abilities, you’re definitely a key candidate for development. The only thing I need to remind you is that you must maintain a good relationship with the commanding officer of the unit. Other units are not like our A Battalion; you still need to be aware of the rules!”

Yuan Lang's words suddenly reminded Wu Zhe of how he almost got into a fight with them before joining the Old A team, thinking that Yuan Lang was a villain. He never expected that they were all putting on an act.

"Captain, don't worry," Wu Zhe straightened his back and said firmly, "Now that I'm going, I won't let Team A down!" After so much training, he was no longer the same person he used to be.

Back then, everyone said that graduates of military academies were "softies"—their theoretical knowledge was solid, but their military skills were lacking. He was probably considered an "outlier."

“Yes, I believe that!” Yuan Lang walked up to Wu Zhe and patted him on the shoulder. “Each of you was carefully selected from elsewhere by me. You can stand on your own and become the backbone of the backbone in any place!”

His tone was full of reluctance, but soldiers are duty-bound to obey orders, an ironclad rule that no one can change.

(End of this chapter)