Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

Xu Sanduo smiled, then suddenly realized what he was saying and cautiously asked, "Squad leader, what do you mean by that? Are you leaving?"

Shi Jin nodded. "San Duo, the squad leader, your secondment is up. You'll have to leave soon. That's normal. The army stays but the soldiers come and go. It's normal for troops to come and go."

You must remember what the class monitor said, and continue to maintain that attitude and do a good job.

Xu Sanduo's tears were almost in his eyes. "Squad leader, I... I remember. Can I come see you off?"

Shi Jin laughed, "San Duo, you still have training later, so you won't have time. Besides, I'm at the regimental headquarters. You can come find me whenever you have time during your rest period."

There's something else I wanted to tell you in advance. I heard that Squad Leader Ma, also known as Old Ma, is retiring soon. If you have time, please go and see him off.

As a veteran squad leader, Shi Jin understood Lao Ma's feelings very well. Xu Sanduo was the last recruit Lao Ma had trained, and Lao Ma would definitely want him to see him off when he retired.

Xu Sanduo was a little confused. His squad leader was going back to the regimental headquarters, and Squad Leader Lao Ma was retiring. This sudden turn of events made Xu Sanduo unable to hold back his tears, which fell directly down his face.

"Oh, you're such a big kid and you're still shedding tears. Don't let the company commander see you, or he'll definitely laugh at you." Zhang Anbang's teasing voice came from behind.

Xu Sanduo quickly wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "Deputy, deputy platoon leader, I, I didn't cry. I, I just got sand in my eyes."

"Okay, okay, okay, I believe you, alright?" Zhang Anbang said in a very serious tone, but the expression on his face made Xu Sanduo blush.

Even someone as dull as him could see that the deputy company commander's face was written all over his face: "I don't believe it."

"Deputy, deputy company commander, I..." Xu Sanduo tried his best to explain.

"Alright, alright, I got it. Hey, Sanduo, hurry up and say goodbye to your master and squad leader. You have to go to training soon, so get on with it." Zhang Anbang didn't want to tease this boring blockhead anymore.

"Yes, Deputy Company Commander." Xu Sanduo replied with a very serious salute, and he was becoming more and more like a soldier.

Compared to before, his style has changed drastically. Every word and action carries the air of a tough soldier, but he is a bit too serious. He only smiles in front of Shi Jin.

These changes often left Zhang Anbang feeling somewhat incredulous. Fortunately, as long as he didn't say anything that sounded like an order, Xu Sanduo would still smile and say a few words to him.

Xu Sanduo adjusted his standing position with small steps. Zhang Anbang was now standing forward, while Shi Jin was standing one step to Zhang Anbang's left.

As Xu Sanduo adjusted himself to a position two meters in front of Zhang Anbang, he stood tall with his head held high, chest out, hands pressed against his trouser seams, heels together, and eyes looking straight at Zhang Anbang.

As Xu Sanduo was making these movements, Zhang Anbang and Shi Jin, seeing Xu Sanduo's actions, subconsciously and quickly straightened their clothes and adjusted their posture.

The three men adjusted their postures almost simultaneously. Xu Sanduo snapped to attention and gave a crisp salute. "Reporting to the deputy company commander and squad leader, this is Private Xu Sanduo from the Third Squad of the Seventh Steel Company. Requesting a report on training results. Please give instructions!"

Zhang Anbang returned the greeting, saying, "Approved. Begin."

"Yes."

Zhang Anbang turned to look at Shi Jin, who was smiling broadly at Xu Sanduo.

They knew that this child wanted to give the class monitor a special farewell gift. He wanted to tell the class monitor, "I didn't hold you back, I didn't let you down, I did it."

Even though he had already achieved third place in the group army's skills competition, and even though he had broken the division's record for abdominal bar wrapping, he stubbornly wanted to demonstrate it to his squad leader.

Xu Sanduo stood still first and shouted to himself, "At ease—Attention!" His back was ramrod straight, and his movements were perfectly standard.

Individual drills were the first lesson Shi Jin taught him. Shi Jin and Wu Liuyi spent half a month working on his habit of turning in the wrong direction, and now he can turn neatly and cleanly without any awkwardness.

They changed from marching in step to parade step, their strides perfectly synchronized. The swinging of their arms made a soft rustling sound as they brushed against the seams of their trousers, and when they stood still, their heels struck together with a crisp sound, and they remained perfectly still.

After completing these basic formation exercises, Xu Sanduo went straight to the horizontal bar and did standard abdominal crunches, without deliberately pursuing a certain number, sixty in total.

Then, he did 25 pull-ups and 100 push-ups in one minute. After finishing the push-ups, Xu Sanduo didn't get up. Instead, he used his hands and feet to flip over and lay on the ground.

Then his gaze turned to Shi Jin, who stepped forward with a smile and pinned down Xu Sanduo's ankle.

Sit-ups, still 160 per minute.

The two worked together seamlessly. The moment Shi Jin dodged to the side, Xu Sanduo sprang to his feet in a somersault.

Without even breaking a sweat, he charged straight into the tactical zone, leaped forward, lay prone, and then shifted to a low crawl position, supporting himself on his elbows and pushing off with his knees.

They pressed their entire bodies extremely low, as if there were low barbed wire fences above them, and moved forward quickly.

Side crawl, 400-meter obstacle course, double-axle wave log, rollers, spiral ladder.

……

Finally, there is the first set of military boxing, a basic skill that all new recruits in basic training must learn.

Xu Sanduo shouted the commands, his punches and palm strikes were powerful, his kicks and stomps were solid, and his bow stance and horse stance were as steady as a rock. Every move was performed according to the standard taught by Shi Jin, without the slightest deviation.

In a total of twenty minutes, Xu Sanduo demonstrated all the items that were easy to show, and then jogged over to Zhang Anbang and Shi Jin.

It was another set of standard movements: "Deputy Company Commander, Squad Leader, Private Xu Sanduo of the Third Squad, Seventh Steel Company, has completed his training demonstration. Please give instructions!"

Zhang Anbang smiled and said, "The ceremony is over. Take a break." He then turned and went to the side, leaving the space to Shi Jin and Xu Sanduo.

Xu Sanduo's eyes were red, but this time he didn't shed tears. He just stared at Shi Jin, his voice loud and clear, "Squad leader, I've mastered everything you taught me."

Shi Jin's eyes were also a little red. He nodded, patted Xu Sanduo on the shoulder, and said, "Your movements are standard. Keep it up."

He paused for a moment, then added, "Sanduo, you're great. You're a qualified soldier, a very good soldier in the Steel Seventh Company."

Xu Sanduo couldn't hold back anymore, and tears streamed down his face. "Yes, squad leader, I will, I understand."

"Alright, Sanduo, I'm leaving now. See you again sometime. Remember what I told you, Lao Ma, don't forget to see him off when you leave."

The sunlight stretched their shadows long. This was Xu Sanduo's most sincere farewell ceremony to his squad leader. "I've mastered everything you taught me. I haven't let you down."

……

In the jeep, this time Zhang Anbang didn't let Shi Jin drive. The military mother's eyes were red at this moment, and she felt embarrassed, so she covered her face with her hat.

"Squad Leader Shi, how was it? Any thoughts?" Even Zhang Anbang was surprised by what Xu Sanduo had done today.

Imagine if a top soldier you personally trained did this to you, you'd probably shed a few tears just like Shi Jin.

As Shi Jin listened to Zhang Anbang's calm and gentle voice, he felt a deep sense of emotion. It seemed like the same voice he had only heard at the beginning of the recruit training camp, when the deputy company commander was comforting the new recruits.

Especially if Shi Jin heard correctly, there was a hint of envy in his words.

Everyone says the deputy company commander is a smiling tiger, a sesame-filled dumpling, an old fox, a smiling judge, and a cunning old man...

There's also the nickname "Living Treasure" that only the company commander, political instructor, and Wu Liuyi know. Shi Jin doesn't know that in later generations, this "Living Treasure" has another name: "Fool."

Thinking of this, Shi Jin took off the hat covering his face; these were tears of emotion, nothing shameful.

Yes, he hadn't cried for many, many years since he joined the army. Xu Sanduo's sudden outburst was like having his fingers stuck into his tear ducts.

Shi Jin's voice trembled slightly, "Deputy Company Commander, this soldier has been worth leading, he's made something of himself, and I feel at ease now."

Shi Jin is currently assigned to the regimental training team. Xu Sanduo can be said to be the last soldier he personally trained from the new recruits. The probability of him leading soldiers like this again is basically zero.

He was very pleased with how the soldier had become. He had finally fulfilled the promise he had made to himself; he had transformed that timid, subservient son into a respectable soldier.

Although the deputy company commander helped a lot, the soldier was eventually trained.

Zhang Anbang, one hand gripping the steering wheel, patted Shi Jin on the shoulder with the other. "Shi Jin, who would have thought the soldier you trained would pull this stunt? He even made you, his old sergeant, lose your composure and wet yourself?"

Shi Jin chuckled. "The last soldier... I couldn't resist, I really couldn't resist."

As a veteran squad leader at the grassroots level, anyone would feel deeply moved when their last soldier succeeds, not because of any achievement, but because the soldier they led has lived a fulfilling life.

Just like Lao Ma, he also regarded Xu Sanduo as the last soldier he led. He retired early because Xu Sanduo's actions awakened the pride of veterans.

When he left, his greatest wish was for Xu Sanduo to see him off.

For a platoon leader, the last soldier he personally trained is destined to be extraordinary.

This difference has nothing to do with the soldier's talent or potential.

The last soldier of each squad leader is a unique individual.

To encounter a squad leader like Shi Jin, who has leading troops ingrained in his very being, someone so extraordinary who would go to great lengths to support someone, even risking his military career, all to witness the process of transforming a bad soldier into a qualified one.

A squad leader, especially a veteran squad leader, can personally train 30 to 50 soldiers during his military career, and he will remember each and every one of them.

But in the squad leader's heart, the first soldier and the last soldier are the most special. The first soldier was a fresh-faced newcomer, and his first lift was a flustered and clumsy attempt.

The latter is a final entrustment imbued with obsession, a final fulfillment with all one's might. From learning how to be a squad leader, fearing not to teach well or lead astray, to using all one's experience in leading troops, fearing to leave regrets or not to lift them up properly.

It represents the growth of both the squad leader and the last soldier, achieving a perfect outcome for both.