Soldiers Assault: Starting from the 7th Steel Company

Chapter 175: Seeing the Seventh Company's Induction Ceremony Again

Compared to the bright and tidy Steel Seventh Company in my memory, the housekeeping here was obviously quite poor.

Most importantly, the soldiers in the camp were quite casual, and this kind of mentality was different from the Steel Seventh Company he remembered, which greatly disappointed him.

He Hongtao probably noticed Chen Jiang's dissatisfaction and quickly winked at Jiang Fa, who then ordered the duty squad leader to blow the emergency assembly whistle so that everyone could come out and see Chen Jiang.

But the sounding of the emergency assembly whistle almost made Chen Jiang lose his temper.
Seeing the disheveled soldiers of the Seventh Company rushing out, Chen Jiang's face instantly darkened.

He stared intently at the disheveled soldiers with their clothes hanging loosely on their backs, his fists clenching unconsciously.

The Steel Seventh Company, once known for its strict discipline and tough style, has now become like this?
"Attention!" Chen Jiang suddenly shouted, his voice echoing like thunder throughout the camp.

The soldiers were startled by the sudden order and hurriedly stood up straight, but their formation still did not meet the requirements of an elite company.

Jiang's face turned deathly pale, and he kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead. He Hongtao quickly stepped forward and explained in a low voice, "Chen Jiang, everyone has been learning about information technology lately, so you might have lost some points in the daily basic training."

"Is this a bit of a letdown?" Chen Jiang sneered. In military training, he wouldn't give anyone any face. At this moment, his gaze swept over every young face like a knife. "This is zero points! To be honest, I used to live in this barracks. Back then, it was called the Steel Seventh Company! Why was it called the Steel Seventh Company? Because of its tough style, every single one of them was a tough nut to crack! Understand?"

Jiang Fahui stood aside, his face extremely grim.

He had intended to take this opportunity to showcase the "vitality" of his company, but his attempt backfired, and his flattery backfired spectacularly.

He Hongtao was also furious at their lack of ambition; these little brats were becoming more and more outrageous.

Chen Jiang took a deep breath, suppressing his anger.

He knew that getting angry wouldn't solve anything, and besides, today was his first day at the Third Battalion; starting with shouting and scolding was not a good sign.

"Everyone in the company must write a profound self-criticism! Put it on my desk by tonight!"

Upon arriving at the Seventh Company's company commander's office, Chen Jiang lost all control of his temper as soon as He Hongtao closed the door.

"Seventh Company Commander, how do you lead your troops?"

Jiang was very frustrated after being scolded by Chen Jiang, but the facts were there and he really couldn't argue with them.

"Seventh Company Commander, this is really outrageous. Although you've been preparing for a knowledge competition on information technology construction recently, it doesn't have to be this bad!" He Hongtao seemed to be criticizing Jiang Fahui, but he was actually giving him a way out. He had no choice. Being a political instructor is like being a political commissar; you have to be a jack-of-all-trades in the army and ease the tensions between different levels.

"Um, Battalion Commander, it's me."

Chen Jiang waved his hand, interrupting Jiang Fahui's explanation. He also knew that not all the students who graduated from these military academies were as capable and educated as Ma Xiaoshuai. Many of them were giants in theory but dwarfs in practice.

He sometimes wondered why the officers were being made younger. He thought it was right to make officers younger, but there was a prerequisite: they had to be good enough. Otherwise, it would be better to use slightly older officers, at least the company wouldn't be in such a mess.

"Seventh Company Commander, I have a particular trait: I don't like listening to verbal explanations, I only look at actions. I'm giving you a week to rectify things. If you do well, I'll let bygones be bygones. If you're still in this mess, you'll have to deal with it yourself!"

After saying that, Chen Jiang left without looking back, completely ignoring Jiang Fahui, who was stunned inside the house, and the soldiers who were eavesdropping outside the door.

He Hongtao jogged after him and finally caught up with Chen Jiang. He called out to him a few times. He was really frustrated as a battalion commander. He was clearly of a higher rank than Chen Jiang, but he still had to carefully serve his former soldier.

What is this thing called?
"Chen Jiang, this is my fault. The Third Battalion didn't have a battalion commander before. Recently, they've been holding a knowledge competition, so I've been doing everything myself. I haven't really done a good job with the military training."

“Instructor, you are my old leader. You led us in basic training,” Chen Jiang said, seeing that no one was around. He still called He Hongtao “Instructor” as they had in basic training, which showed that Chen Jiang was not ungrateful. “But Jiang’s performance is really not good. I think he still won’t be able to do it in a week. At that time, should we write a report together to apply for his transfer?”

He Hongtao was stunned. He never expected that Chen Jiang would be so intolerant of injustice and would immediately decide to execute Ma Su with tears in his eyes.

"Chen Jiang, do you know why I'm so lenient with him?"

He Hongtao had no other choice but to reveal the truth.

"Why?" Chen Jiang had a bad feeling; this kid probably had some kind of "background".

Sure enough, He Hongtao glanced around and then lowered his voice, "This kid's uncle is Chief Sun. We shouldn't go too far!"

Damn! That's true!
Chen Jiang cursed inwardly. No wonder this guy was so incompetent; how could he possibly lead the Seventh Company?
Although Deputy Commander Sun suffered a major setback in this exercise because of himself, only heaven knows how things will be arranged. At his level, unless it's a major mistake of principle, he generally won't be completely demoted.

Is it necessary for me to create such a powerful enemy for myself?

"Moreover, Jiang Fahui's grades in military academy are quite good. He needs someone to mentor him. Objectively speaking, the Seventh Company Commander is not a bad person. If you can mentor him, he will be a great help in the future."

It must be said that He Hongtao's analysis made a lot of sense. If Jiang Fahui was really brought up by Chen Jiang, his relationship with Deputy Chief Sun would be greatly improved, which would be beneficial to him.

"Hmph, let's see if he's a hopeless case and can be put to good use!" Chen Jiang still spoke toughly, but he already had his own ideas in mind.

Although he was a relative, if he was truly an incompetent fool, then I would not be lenient with him. How can you lead the Third Battalion if there is a bad apple in it?
In order to maintain unity, he also visited the barracks of the Eighth and Ninth Companies. As a result, the Eighth Company had a very tough style. When Chen Jiang went there, they were still conducting training, and the scene was very lively.

Meanwhile, Ma Xiaoshuai's Ninth Company was holding its new recruit induction ceremony.
Upon seeing Chen Jiang and He Hongtao arrive, Ma Xiaoshuai immediately jogged over to Chen Jiang and saluted them.
"Reporting to the political instructor and deputy battalion commander, the Ninth Company is holding a new recruit induction ceremony. Please give instructions!"

He Hongtao had a higher rank, but he simply took a step back and gestured to Ma Xiaoshuai to ask Chen Jiang for instructions. This act of a captain asking a captain for instructions made the officers and soldiers of the Ninth Company look at him with some surprise.

Chen Jiang didn't mince words; he simply ordered loudly, "Continue!"

"Yes!" Ma Xiaoshuai shouted loudly.

"Just recently, our company bid farewell to several veterans. Today, we welcome a new batch of recruits. This is a breath of fresh air for our Ninth Company. On behalf of the Ninth Company, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our new comrades!" The entire company applauded enthusiastically.

Ma Xiaoshuai is no longer the college student officer he once was. Now, he exudes a strong sense of authority with every gesture. He pressed his right hand down, and the applause immediately subsided.

"Today we are holding an induction ceremony for these new comrades. Actually, this ceremony was passed down from the Steel Seventh Company of the 702nd Regiment! Perhaps the new comrades don't understand why our Ninth Company is inheriting the tradition of the Steel Seventh Company. Here, I can tell you again and again that although I also came from the Steel Seventh Company, including Deputy Battalion Commander Chen who is here today, what we are inheriting is a spirit. It doesn't just belong to the Steel Seventh Company; it belongs to our entire People's Army! That is the spirit of being indestructible and unbreakable! Remember my words: never give up, never abandon! I hope that the new comrades can understand the spirit within this ancient ceremony and grow the indestructible spirit of the Ninth Company! For the veterans, this ceremony has been performed many times. I hope that the veterans can still feel the pride of being part of this glorious collective."

"All new recruits, step out!"

A group of young but determined recruits stepped out from the ranks and marched to the front of the formation with standard military steps.

"The new recruits' induction ceremony begins!"

Two veterans appeared in everyone's sight carrying two bright red battle flags.

The flags were unfurled, one side displaying the Ninth Company's flag, and the other side bearing the words "Never give up, never abandon."

"From today onwards, you are officially members of the Ninth Company! Stand at attention! How many people are in the Ninth Company?"

A familiar exchange brought tears to Chen Jiang's eyes.

He Hongtao said from the side, "Ma Xiaoshuai has inherited the tradition of the Steel Seventh Company. In fact, several companies in the whole regiment have used the Steel Seventh Company's induction ceremony. This is a kind of inheritance, and also a kind of fruition of the Seventh Company."

Chen Jiang was completely immersed in the Ninth Company's induction ceremony, and even shouted out that unforgettable battle song along with everyone:
A thunderbolt, a sword, a group of fierce tigers and the seventh steel company;

A man of steel with an iron will, he defends the country and his homeland with iron blood.

The sound of killing scares the enemy's courage, and his reputation for victory in every battle is legendary.

The attack must be conquered, the defense must be strong, and we must step on the enemy's bones and sing triumphantly.

At the end of the ceremony, Ma Xiaoshuai insisted that the two leaders say a few words, and He Hongtao, as usual, gave this opportunity to Chen Jiang.
Chen Jiang wiped his moist eyes and said loudly,

"Comrades, I am deeply moved! It was during this induction ceremony that I also felt the glory of our company and the hardships and greatness of our army's journey! In the old Steel Seventh Company, your company commander, many comrades and I learned a lot, but the most fundamental thing is what is written on the flag in front of you—Never give up, never abandon!"

Chen Jiang's voice echoed across the training ground. He pointed to the bright red flag, his fingers trembling slightly: "These six words are not just slogans hanging on the wall! Back in the Steel Seventh Company, the old company commander Gao Cheng said that these are beliefs engraved in our bones!"

His gaze swept over every young face. "I hope that you will be proud of the Ninth Company today, and that the Ninth Company will be proud of you in the future!"

Chen Jiang's words were a great encouragement and spur to action, and they resonated deeply with the soldiers. Ma Xiaoshuai could feel that his men's fighting spirit had become even more fervent.

He's definitely a veteran squad leader; his skills are just different!

After the ceremony, Ma Xiaoshuai took Chen Jiang to his company headquarters, where Chen Jiang saw that the walls were covered with banners and other honors.

"You've got a knack for leading troops!" Chen Jiang was very satisfied with Ma Xiaoshuai.

"Squad leader, the soldiers you trained, are they cowards?" Ma Xiaoshuai was good at talking. Seeing that there were no outsiders in the company headquarters, he simply called Chen Jiang the squad leader. Chen Jiang had indeed served as Ma Xiaoshuai's deputy squad leader.

He Hongtao was truly impressed by the people of the Seventh Steel Company. Not only were they loyal and righteous, but they were also all very capable. "Company Commander Ma, Deputy Regiment Commander Gao always asks me how I've been doing every time we meet. If you didn't know better, you'd think you'd been gone for ages."

"Instructor, you know what, our old company commander treated every soldier he led like that. He really wanted us to make something of ourselves."

"Yes, yes, you two are doing very well!" He Hongtao laughed heartily.

"By the way, where is Instructor Hong Xingguo? Where did he go?" Chen Jiang asked casually, taking a sip of the tea that Ma Xiaoshuai had brewed for him.

"Hong Xingguo is really something. He was promoted to political instructor as soon as he came back from the last training, faster than me. He was recently transferred to the military region's political department. I reckon this kid will be promoted again next!" He Hongtao said with envy.

"Haha, instructor, you'll be here soon too!" Ma Xiaoshuai quickly tried to smooth things over.

"You're just talking nonsense!" He Hongtao shook his head with a smile.

Chen Jiang nodded, but he knew very well that He Hongtao was most likely a battalion commander who had been demobilized. He had reached the age limit for his post, and as a battalion commander, his chances of being promoted to deputy regimental commander were much smaller.

The fact that Hong Xingguo was able to get into a higher-level organization shows that he must have his own connections.

After chatting for a while, Regiment Commander Long Kaifeng sent someone to call him, saying that he would be given a welcome dinner that evening.

This surprised He Hongtao and Ma Xiaoshuai.

Generally speaking, when a deputy battalion commander arrives, the regimental commander will not personally arrange a welcome banquet. The fact that he did so shows that Long Kaifeng thinks highly of Chen Jiang.

Because the regimental officer only mentioned inviting Chen Jiang, He Hongtao definitely couldn't go, which made him feel a little disappointed. Ma Xiaoshuai noticed this and immediately ordered the cooks to prepare some good dishes, as he wanted to take the company's cadres to entertain him well.

This impressed Chen Jiang greatly; Ma Xiaoshuai had truly grown up!
The regimental headquarters wasn't exactly close to here, so he chose to travel there with the regimental staff. Unexpectedly, when they arrived at the regimental headquarters' private room, Long Kaifeng and the others were already seated.

This left Chen Jiang extremely embarrassed.

"Oh dear, I'm so sorry to have kept the leaders waiting!" Chen Jiang quickly apologized. Although he had rushed over as soon as he received the order without any delay, he was indeed late.

This definitely requires a gesture; there's only one way to admit a mistake at the dinner table: punish yourself with three drinks!

(End of this chapter)