Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 155 Hidden Dragon and Crouching Tiger
When Chen Jiang met Shi Jin again at the address provided by Yuan Lang, it was in the rest room of a huge armored vehicle testing range.

Shi Jin's appearance is probably quite age-resistant; he looks almost the same as he did in basic training. When Chen Jiang saw him, his face still had that serious and stubborn dedication as he meticulously studied and explored the problems with the new equipment.

It wasn't until Chen Jiang walked up behind him that he suddenly realized someone was behind him. He turned around and saw a lieutenant. His first reaction was to salute, but Chen Jiang grabbed his arm.

"Squad leader, it's me, Chen Jiang!"

Now Shi Jin realized that this lieutenant officer was none other than Chen Jiang, the elite soldier he had trained back then.
Chen Jiang gave his old sergeant a crisp military salute, which drew the attention of all the other test drivers around him. Shi Jin, trembling with excitement, returned the salute while shouting to everyone, "The soldier I trained! Chen Jiang! The King of Soldiers!"

Everyone looked like they suddenly understood, which gave Shi Jin a great sense of satisfaction. Of course, he was also genuinely happy to see Chen Jiang again.

So he quickly greeted his captain, indicating that his soldiers had come to see him and that he would be away for a while.

His captain saw that Chen Jiang was a handsome and talented man, and that he was already a lieutenant at a young age. He knew that Chen Jiang's future was limitless, so why would he disagree?
He immediately granted Shi Jin a half-day leave.

Shi Jin led Chen Jiang to his office at the test site. It was a large, centralized office, but Shi Jin only had a small desk, which was tucked away in an inconspicuous corner.

"The conditions are a bit poor, hehe, this is mainly a testing ground for new equipment, so..."

Chen Jiang didn't care about any of that. He took a cup of strong tea from Shi Jin, took a sip, and then started asking about the old squad leader's situation.

Shi Jin was a little embarrassed, but he still told Chen Jiang the truth about his situation.

It turns out that after he was transferred here, he had to learn everything from scratch and suffered a lot. Fortunately, he was a key member of the 702nd Regiment and had a lot of experience in the maintenance of tanks. However, he still had some difficulty with the testing of these main battle tanks, especially some new technologies and equipment, which were all in foreign languages, which drove him crazy.

Fortunately, he was very persistent, and his captain took good care of him. His comrades were also willing to help him, so he grew and progressed very quickly. Now, a few years later, he has become a backbone member here.

"Hey, squad leader, you've finally become a fourth-term sergeant!" Chen Jiang only noticed then that Shi Jin's shoulder insignia now had two thick stripes.

The Type 87 sergeant shoulder insignia is different from that of officers. There is a five-pointed star between the two guns, and then there are folded bars on the edge. A thin bar indicates a first-term sergeant, a thick bar indicates a second-term sergeant, and so on.

"Ha, don't make fun of me. You're already a lieutenant, while I'm just barely managing to get by as a fourth-term sergeant," Shi Jin said with a wry smile.

"By the way, you later got into military academy, how did you become a lieutenant so quickly? Was it an exception?"

Chen Jiang knew, of course, that it wasn't easy for Shi Jin to become a fourth-term sergeant. Among sergeants, the transition from third to fourth term is a huge hurdle, and most people are discharged directly at this point.

"I later managed to do some good work and got promoted because of luck."

Under Shi Jin's repeated questioning, Chen Jiang finally told him the details of what happened later, which left Shi Jin stunned.

He had known for a long time that Chen Jiang was extraordinary, but he never expected the kid to be so awesome; it was beyond his imagination.

"You are indeed no ordinary person. In fact, with your talent, even if you stayed in the 702nd Regiment, you would probably rise to prominence very quickly." Shi Jin was truly envious of him. People are really different. His own education level was low, so promotion to officer was simply unrealistic. It was already quite difficult for him to go far on the path of a non-commissioned officer.

Upon hearing this, Chen Jiang quickly offered a few words of modesty and promptly changed the subject.

"Squad leader, why aren't you replying to our letters? So many of us have written you so many letters."

Upon hearing this, Shi Jin blushed and silently opened the cabinet. Inside, neatly stacked, were letters and postcards, which he had kept all along.

"I'm so ashamed. I was thinking that I would reply to you after I made something of myself, but I never expected that it would be so difficult here." Shi Jin really felt embarrassed. He was a very sentimental and proud person, and he only realized how difficult it was to be a test driver after arriving here.

"But we've finally made it through," Shi Jin said, flashing his white teeth and smiling happily like a child.

Chen Jiang knew that his squad leader had a hard time, but he didn't expect it to be this difficult. After listening to Shi Jin's account, he realized that the experimental team was undertaking an extremely heavy task, but Shi Jin certainly couldn't say more about the specifics, as it involved work secrets.

"Squad leader, you should write them back. Sanduo keeps talking about you," Chen Jiang advised.

After thinking it over, Shi Jin decided to write them a letter and have Chen Jiang take it back. This made Chen Jiang very happy, as his trip had not been in vain.

After saying goodbye to Shi Jin, Chen Jiang originally planned to go back to his dormitory to rest, but Qi Huan came to find him and wanted Chen Jiang to go with him to a salon for young military officers.

It's basically just a group of young officers sitting together, chatting and getting to know each other. Having more connections in the military is definitely not a bad thing.

Unable to resist his persistent pleading, and thinking that he wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow and wouldn't have anything to do in the dormitory that night, Chen Jiang went out for a stroll with Qi Huan.

The military salon was held in an officers' canteen in the military region, and surprisingly, there were quite a few young officers, and even a few female officers, which is not common in the military.

Judging solely from his rank, Chen Jiang is probably near the bottom.

Most of these officers come here for meetings or business and stay overnight. There are not many nighttime entertainment options here; they either go to the gym or to the training ground. Therefore, this kind of military salon is more popular among young officers.

Qi Huan led Chen Jiang to a quiet corner to sit down, ordered a cup of black tea, and then listened quietly to the others' speeches.

Chen Jiang listened attentively for a while, but found that most of it was just empty talk with almost nothing of substance, which made him feel very bored. He wanted to tell Qi Huan that he was going to take his leave.

Unexpectedly, when he got up, he was recognized.
"Hey, isn't this Chen Jiang, who's giving a report on stage today?" A captain with sharp eyes recognized Chen Jiang, probably because he was also one of the audience members.

Chen Jiang nodded, not intending to say much, but the other party blocked his way. "Don't go. I really benefited from your report today, but I have a question. You went to Venezuela and advocated that everything should be close to actual combat. But if we really use actual combat and there are casualties, what will happen? Who will take responsibility for that?"

Chen Jiang glanced at the other person and could tell that there was a hint of hostility in his words. With other officers surrounding him, if he left like this, he didn't know what would happen to him later.

Qi Huan wanted to stand up for Chen Jiang, but the other party only said contemptuously, "What are you doing, Qi Huan? We all know you're a fighting expert. Are you going to fight instead of talking?"

This put Qi Huan in a difficult position. Arguing was not his forte, and this was a military region full of hidden talents. If it wasn't necessary, it was better to keep a low profile.

"What is your surname, Captain?" Chen Jiang didn't recognize the other person and didn't know why the other person was targeting him.

"No need for formalities, my name is Fu Cong, and I belong to the 84th Group Army's Helicopter Battalion." The other person spoke of his unit with a proud expression.

The most prestigious people in the military are undoubtedly the air force pilots, but in the army, the officers of the helicopter squadron are the next tier of military elites. Judging from Fu Cong's young age, he can work in such a place, which shows that he is quite capable.

Most importantly, Chen Jiang noticed that when this kid was talking, he would always glance back intentionally or unintentionally. Chen Jiang sensed that a table over there was full of female officers, who were also getting up and walking towards him.

The leading female officer, with her short hair, was strikingly beautiful. Tall and slender, her back was as straight as a pine tree, and her crisp military uniform accentuated her graceful figure. Her short hair fell neatly against her cheeks, and her eyes and brows exuded a commanding presence. Her almond-shaped eyes were incredibly bright, her nose was high and straight, and her cherry-red lips complemented her fair skin.

What surprised Chen Jiang the most was that she was actually a major, so Chen Jiang guessed that she must have graduated with a master's degree from a military academy, similar to Wu Zhe.

She walked to Fu Cong's side and stood still, the corners of her mouth slightly upturned, with a faint smile.

"Fu Cong, discussion is fine, but stopping people isn't very polite, is it?" Her voice was cold, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

Fu Cong's expression changed slightly, but he quickly regained his smile: "Chu Ning, I just wanted to ask Lieutenant Chen a few questions. After all, realistic combat training is a big deal, and everyone is very concerned about it."

Chen Jiang then noticed that Fu Cong was actually very obsequious and ingratiating in front of her. This made him, who had lived two lives, immediately guess that Fu Cong was probably Chu Ning's suitor, and that he was just being used as a show-off.

Chu Ning, however, seemed to disregard Fu Cong entirely. Her sharp eyes and powerful aura clearly indicated that she was no ordinary person.

“It’s fine to ask for advice, but you should be careful how you do it,” Chu Ning said calmly, then turned to Chen Jiang. “Chen Jiang, right? I’m Chu Ning from the military hospital. I’ve heard your report, and it was very insightful. However, Fu Cong’s question isn’t without merit. The risks of realistic combat training do require our careful consideration, and we need to reduce unnecessary casualties.”

Chen Jiang nodded and said seriously, "If our daily training is based on 'avoiding accidents,' then training and exercises will become a harmonious affair, or even filled with 'acting.' When a real war comes, something terrible will happen."

Chu Ning never expected that Chen Jiang would dare to disrespect her like this in public. This was something she had never experienced before. Her pretty face flushed red, and she argued to herself, "After so many years of training, the army's combat effectiveness has not been lacking. On the contrary, in every foreign war, we have demonstrated our national power and military might. How do you explain that?"

Fu Cong got excited when he heard his goddess's sharp words. He wanted to take this opportunity to deflate Chen Jiang's arrogance and leave a good impression on Chu Ning.

Qi Huan secretly groaned. These people were no pushovers, and Chen Jiang would probably be difficult to deal with. But he couldn't leave now, so he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue the conversation.

Chen Jiang smiled faintly and answered with great confidence, "Military technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and the military strength of military powers is growing by the sun. Our last war against foreign enemies was 30 years ago. What's the point of clinging to past achievements? Besides, even those wars that made our blood boil were fought by our martyrs who used their blood to make up for the gap in weaponry. How tragic was that? Now that our country is becoming stronger and stronger, why can't we, as soldiers of the new era, find ways to make the enemy make up for the gap with their blood?"

"Moreover, our peacetime training closely mirrors real combat, aiming to increase physical exertion and minimize blood loss during wartime. I believe that no matter how dangerous peacetime training may be, the casualty rate will be far lower than in actual war scenarios. For a military medic, isn't this a tremendous advantage?"

Chen Jiang's words were so powerful and resonant that Chu Ning was momentarily speechless.

Seeing this, Fu Cong's expression turned somewhat unpleasant. He was about to retort when Chu Ning stopped him in time.

"Your point of view is very interesting. I have something to do today, but I'll have to talk to you properly another time."

Chen Jiang readily agreed: "No problem, you're welcome to communicate anytime."

Chu Ning nodded, then glanced at Fu Cong: "Do you have any more questions?"

Fu Cong chuckled twice: "That's all. Since you've said that, what other questions could I possibly have?"

Chu Ning then said no more and turned to leave with the group of female officers.

The female officers behind her gave Chen Jiang a meaningful look, which puzzled him.

Fu Cong glanced at Chen Jiang sullenly and then left.

After they walked away, Qi Huan leaned closer and whispered, "Do you know who this Chu Ning is?"

Chen Jiang shook his head: "I don't know, but she seems like someone special. Fu Cong wouldn't dare utter a sound in front of her."

Qi Huan clicked his tongue: "Hehe, you've got good eyesight. To tell you the truth, Chu Ning is our military beauty, and also the niece of Army Group Commander Gao Jianjun. Most importantly, she doesn't have a boyfriend yet!"

Chen Jiang laughed upon hearing this, "No wonder Fu Cong is so eager to show off, but unfortunately he chose the wrong person to show off to."

That guy doesn't even consider the age of the eggplant; what a waste of his eyesight.

Qi Huan pursed his lips. "This Fu Cong is actually not simple either. His father seems to be the deputy commander of a regiment. Sigh, there are hidden talents everywhere here, so we still have to be careful."

Chen Jiang smiled and said, "Let's go. We're not competing for anything anyway, so we don't need to worry about this dragon or that tiger. We just need to do our own jobs."

(End of this chapter)