Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

"Hey, Lao Zhang, time for dinner. We have braised eel today, or it'll be gone."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Anbang immediately put down his pen. "Braised eel, Ma Xiaoyao, why didn't you say so earlier? Come on, let's go eat."

It's not easy to eat this dish; I think the last time I had it was at the end of May.

"That's right, Lao Zhang, you remember it quite well. The last time we ate it was on May 28th. I heard from Lao Fan from the cookhouse that the supply of fresh eels is unstable."

It's quite troublesome to clean them. You have to scrub and wash them repeatedly to remove the slime. Slaughtering and processing them also takes time. After processing, you have to marinate them and let them sit to remove the fishy smell. This adds an extra step of waiting and takes up the cooking time.

And most importantly, this stuff is tender and not easy to cook. It's easy to fall apart over high heat and look unappetizing. You need to control the heat and simmer it in stages.

When removing the fishy smell, you also need a lot of ginger slices, garlic cloves, dried chili peppers, dark soy sauce, and cooking wine. The amount of oil and seasonings consumed is more than for ordinary meat dishes, which can easily lead to overspending.

Reducing the sauce is more troublesome. You need to simmer it over low heat until the sauce is thick and flavorful, and you need to stir it constantly to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pot, which takes up a lot of time.

In inland areas, eating a meal once every one or two months is a privilege reserved for government agencies. Frontline workers shouldn't even dream of it; they're lucky if they get to eat four or five times a year.

Back when I was in the company, we could only eat eels when the company's vegetable garden was being irrigated, the ponds were being dredged, or when we caught eels while training in the field.

"Wow, Ma Xiaoyao, you're even more accurate than I remember," Zhang Anbang exclaimed as he locked the office door. "From what you've said, you're quite the expert on food. I never knew that before."

Ma Zhen chuckled, "Of course! I love eating this. Besides basketball and ping-pong, my only hobby is cooking. Look at my fingers, they're like rolling pins, unlike you who can play the guitar."

Also, Zhang Xiaoqi, let me emphasize one more thing: don't call me Ma Xiaoyao anymore. Now please call me Staff Officer Ma.

Zhang Anbang readily agreed, "Okay, Xiao Yao, I got it, Xiao Yao."

"You," Ma Zhen laughed in anger, "Zhang Xiaoqi, I want to talk to you alone..."

Seeing Zhang Anbang's ambiguous smile, Ma Zhen abruptly stopped himself from saying the last word, almost forgetting that he was the number one fighter in the entire army group.

If this were said out loud, it wouldn't be a one-on-one fight anymore; it would just be offering yourself up as a target.

Ma Zhen's face broke into a smile again. "Okay, Deputy Section Chief, do as you please. I just wanted to ask you a question alone."

You tell me, the Seventh Steel Company is such an upright and honorable place, everyone there is a tough guy. As someone who came from the Seventh Steel Company, how did you learn to have such a sharp tongue?

……

The two walked towards the cafeteria laughing and joking all the way; they were old acquaintances, which is why they went together.

Otherwise, they usually travel in groups, with staff officers, clerks, and assistants from the same department or on the same floor and with similar seniority generally traveling together.

Middle-level managers such as section chiefs and deputy section chiefs usually travel in pairs, while higher-level managers also travel with their peers or deputies.

It's similar to junior and senior high school students going to the cafeteria for lunch after school in the morning, except it's not as lively, since there are rules to keep things in order.

……

At 3 p.m., Zhang Anbang had just finished writing the entire plan when the phone rang.

"Hey, Anbang, this is Gao Cheng. Have you finished writing your proposal yet?"

Zhang Anbang put down his pen and replied directly, "Just finished writing. What's up, Company Commander? Are you going to write it for me?"

Gao Cheng's voice instantly rose, "Get out, get out, get out! This is an order from the army group headquarters. If you want to cheat, don't drag me down with you if you're going to die."

Besides, when it comes to digitization, information technology, and especially writing proposals, you're actually better at that than I am. Tomorrow's the last day, shall we submit it today? Let's do it together."

Zhang Anbang nodded. "Sure, we can't wait until the last day to go see the division commander. We need to get some suggestions from the leaders. I'll wait for you. Meet at the entrance of the main building in an hour."

……

One hour and eight minutes later, Zhang Anbang and Gao Cheng appeared in the division commander's office. The reason they were eight minutes late was that the two of them had been hiding in a corner smoking a cigarette.

Chen Shi looked at the two proposals on his desk and smiled, saying, "You two kids are really patient. I gave you a deadline of 5 p.m. tomorrow, and you're only submitting your proposals now."

The entire T Division knows you two are close, and you two even made a point of coming together.

Zhang Anbang stood ramrod straight. "Reporting to the commander, this plan is still quite difficult and needs to be refined repeatedly, which has delayed us for a while, but fortunately it's not too late."

Gao Cheng's reply was completely different: "Reporting to the commander, I am still learning about digitization and information technology. I am still lacking in practical application. Also, I was busy the past few days and didn't have time to write."

"Haha," Chen Shi laughed, "You two, Old Wang was right. One is slippery, the other is as hard as steel, but both are quite solid and a bit arrogant."

"Thank you for your praise, Commander," Zhang Anbang and Gao Cheng replied in unison.

"Well, consider it a compliment then," Chen Shi said with a friendly smile, looking at the two of them with serious expressions. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, you two sit down and have some water. I'll take a look at the plan."

"Yes."

After greeting the two, Division Commander Chen Shi opened the plan and began to read it. He didn't pay attention to the names and went straight to the title page.

……

III. Annual Phased Training Plan

(I) Basic Integration Training Phase (January-February)

Break down barriers to single-service training and regularly conduct cross-training and rotational study programs.

Tank crews were organized to conduct specialized training in forward target identification and intelligence uploading; armored infantry were instructed to standardize vehicle-mounted radio communication and information transmission procedures; and artillery personnel were instructed to enhance their ability to interpret armored reconnaissance equipment and verify target coordinates.

Focusing on the pain points left over from the early digitalization pilot projects, we will unify the communication passwords, intelligence records, map marking specifications, and target numbering standards across the entire battalion, establish a standardized information exchange system, and solidify the foundation for multi-service collaborative training.

Simultaneously address the shortcomings in forward awareness of heavy equipment units by adding specialized subjects such as covert reconnaissance and long-range close-in observation to enhance forward situational awareness capabilities.

(II) Collaborative Phase of Mixed Units (March-April)

Using multi-service mixed assault platoons as the core training unit, the training will carry out full-process continuous tactical training, focusing on practical subjects such as real-time intelligence transmission during maneuvers, accompanying fire support while moving, and simultaneous obstacle breaching and assault in obstacle zones.

Optimize the internal fire application, approval, and response processes within the battalion. In pre-set tactical scenarios, delegate immediate fire call authority to platoon-level forward positions, significantly reducing the fire response cycle and opening up the tactical coordination link at the end level.

……