Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

Looking at Gao Cheng's posture, Zhang Anbang cleared his throat and said, "Well, Deputy Battalion Commander Gao, you're still sticking to your post in this freezing weather, managing both training and security for the entire battalion. You've worked hard."

With less than twenty days until the Lunar New Year, how are the winter preparations going? Are measures in place to protect soldiers on duty at night from frostbite, prevent forest fires, and control personnel movement?

However, I must also give you a wake-up call. You can't relax just because the Lunar New Year is approaching. Combat readiness cannot be relaxed. The standards for patrols by the division's reconnaissance battalion, the fixed sentries at the camp gate, and the guarding of the armory cannot be lowered in the slightest..."

As Zhang Anbang spoke, he stepped forward and patted Gao Cheng on the shoulder, looking every bit like a division commander visiting a grassroots unit before the Spring Festival.

"You," Gao Cheng stammered, looking at Zhang Anbang's posture, "you, you brat, you're getting cocky now that I'm telling you you're fat. Get the hell out of here."

Although his old stuttering habit flared up again, he was incredibly quick and agile. He slapped away Zhang Anbang's hand that was patting his shoulder and simultaneously kicked at Zhang Anbang's buttocks.

Zhang Anbang dodged Gao Cheng's big foot with a twist of his body. "Company Commander, you can't blame me for this. You started this, so I had to play along. Otherwise, it would seem like I'm not giving you, my older brother, any face."

Gao Cheng grabbed Zhang Anbang's neck and said, "Haha, you still have such a big mouth. You never suffer any loss. I heard you only reported to the training department three days ago. You came here fast enough."

"By the way, it's only about two kilometers from the division headquarters to my reconnaissance battalion. You actually came by car? Where are your old Golden Deer 28-inch motorcycles? Don't you usually ride those?"

This isn't Gao Cheng making things up. The division headquarters has very strict control over the use of official vehicles. For short trips within two kilometers and routine visits to grassroots units, they explicitly require that vehicles not be dispatched if a bicycle can be used.

Moreover, filling out applications and waiting for scheduling does take a lot of time. Almost every cadre in the government departments has a government-issued 28-inch bicycle, such as Forever, Flying Pigeon, or Golden Deer.

When officers from the headquarters went down to the various battalions to deliver plans, check records, and conduct short-distance site surveys, they relied entirely on heavy-duty trucks. The sight of trucks parked in rows downstairs from the office building was a landmark.

The two walked into Gao Cheng's office, laughing and joking. Zhang Anbang put the thick plan on the desk and said with a smile, "Company Commander, this is because Section Chief Wang is worried about us. He saw that the weather was bad and specially called a car for us."

"But after I'm done with my work here, Company Commander, you'd better send a car to take me back, otherwise I'm not leaving."

Looking at Zhang Anbang's shameless behavior, Gao Cheng shook his head and said, "You brat, fine, I'll take you back. I'll have Xiao Ning take you back later, okay?"

"Hehe, I knew the company commander still cares about me," Zhang Anbang said casually, taking out a pack of cigarettes from Gao Cheng's drawer and lighting one himself.

Gao Cheng frowned. "Hey kid, I won't say anything if you take my cigarette, but at least offer me one."

As Gao Cheng spoke, he took a cigarette, lit it, and pointed to the plan on the table. "Anbang, you're here a bit early. Didn't you say there were still two days left?"

"Hehe," Zhang Anbang leaned back in his chair, found a comfortable position, and said sincerely, "Company Commander, what are you saying? As soon as I saw that I was in charge of the Division Reconnaissance Battalion, I missed you, so I came over as soon as possible."

Although Zhang Anbang's face was full of sincerity and his words were very pleasant, Gao Cheng's lips almost curled up in a smile. "Guess whether I believe a single word you said."

Zhang Anbang waved his hand. "Company commander, that's not important. Don't worry about those details. Oh, by the way, what's up with that first-term sergeant at your gate? I've only been to your division's reconnaissance battalion a few times, and I've run into him on duty three times already."

Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng snorted coldly, "That kid deserves it. He has a lot of new recruits under his command who haven't fully learned the rules yet, and he didn't keep a close eye on them. He's been caught by the military police several times."

You tell me about these guys. As a reconnaissance soldier, they couldn't outrun the guy in the white hat and leather shoes. If he, as the squad leader, isn't punished, who will? And you were on the day shift. I've already given him extra shifts several times at night.

"I wouldn't have told anyone if you hadn't asked. It's so embarrassing, so incredibly embarrassing."

"Haha," Zhang Anbang laughed upon hearing this. That's more like it. No wonder the first-term sergeants, who are considered the backbone of the force, were sent to guard the gate so many times.

This guy never even ran away from the disciplinary inspector wearing leather shoes; it would be strange if the squad leader didn't get punished. As for his subordinates...

If Gao Cheng were the company commander, things would be alright. If his soldiers were discovered by the military police, as long as they weren't caught on the spot, they could just run around to another company, shake off the military police, and then quietly return to their own company.

But now he's the deputy battalion commander, so the division's reconnaissance battalion, which is a separate garrison, should be reported to him no matter how you look at it.

Of course, this was only true in those days when you could run away from the police. In a few years, that wouldn't be possible anymore because of the introduction of name tags and body cameras.

"Hey, by the way, Company Commander, I heard you're not being honest. You're hiding something from me, and it's quite serious."

Gao Cheng's dark face flushed slightly. "No, no, what could I possibly be hiding from you? I've been busy at the camp headquarters every day, nothing serious."

Zhang Anbang looked at Gao Cheng with amusement and teased, "Company Commander, I haven't even said what it is yet, why are you so nervous?"

"Nervous," Gao Cheng slammed his hand on the table. "What's there to be nervous about? I'm not nervous at all."

"Aren't you nervous at all? You're even stammering. I talked to Uncle Wang on the phone a couple of days ago. I heard that the son of a certain army commander's deputy battalion commander found a girlfriend, and the army commander was so happy that he drank several extra glasses that day."

Hearing this, Gao Cheng's dark face turned red again. He grabbed the training plan from the desk and hurriedly said, "Hey, when did you become so gossipy?"

"Well, you're a deputy section chief in the operations department, a major at the battalion level. You're not here to gossip, you're here to get down to business. Let's talk about the winter field training."

Seeing Gao Cheng's somewhat embarrassed expression, Zhang Anbang chuckled a few times. He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by. Before, he was the one who was forced to ask, but now times had changed and the two sides were in the opposite position.

"Company commander, I came here more than a day early. What do you think I came here for? Let's not talk about the field training today, we can talk about it tomorrow morning."

Let's have a proper discussion about the relationship status of that certain deputy battalion commander.

"This, you."

Seeing Zhang Anbang's probing gaze, Gao Chen knew he couldn't escape this situation any longer. He stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray and said, "Speak, what do you want to ask me?"