Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

Fruit leather is better. Although it is a popular snack, it is also a great value for money. You can buy a loose one for just a few cents to satisfy your craving.

White Rabbit milk candy is different. It's a rare item in rural areas, a hard currency in the snack world, a synonym for celebration and high-end, an essential for festivals, a great gift, and a childhood luxury for children.

They're only 210-plus months old, how could they not crave this?

Some new recruits couldn't resist tearing open the milk candy and putting it in their mouths. "Wow, it's so sweet! What's that word again? It's rich in milk flavor and has a soft texture. It's so delicious!"

"Huh? What did you say? You're wrong, what you said is wrong, but I don't see what's wrong with it."

"That's definitely not right. You two were probably just sleeping when you were in school. That's what they call a soft and tender texture. 'Soft and tender' is a term used to describe a young girl's body."

……

The building, which was perfectly fine, suddenly started to lean slightly, but fortunately someone straightened it back to its original position.

"Do you think this deputy company commander is good or bad? He used to be all smiles and always trying to find ways to mess with us. I heard from the squad leaders that the recruit training in the previous two years was not this bad."

"Yeah, why are they suddenly buying me delicious food again?"

"He had a change of heart. I bet the deputy company commander had a change of heart. He wouldn't poison our candy."

"Hurry up and pack up. If you don't finish by the time you're done, I'll poison your breakfast." Wu Liuyi's loud voice rang out, and the entire dormitory fell silent. The new recruits were quite quick and began to tidy up their belongings.

……

On the training field, seeing the new recruits' faces beaming with happy smiles, Zhang Anbang was also very happy. The little thing he had applied for long ago was finally going to come in handy, and he was a little impatient.

"Seeing how happy and enthusiastic you all are, let's practice prone shooting for a while today. Shi Jin, spread out the ranks, and Liu Yi, go to the equipment room and bring over the little treasure I prepared."

"Yes."

"Yes."

The two responded loudly. Wu Liuyi ran directly to the equipment room, while Shi Jin began to organize the team.

"Attention, everyone!"

"Follow the right wing—dress to the right!"

……

"Keep 1 meter apart – spread out forward!"

"Spread out to the sides, maintaining a 1-meter distance!"

……

"Spacing correct—Lie down—Archive!"

"Lie down with your rifle for five minutes. Not too difficult, right? Everyone, lie still. Anyone who moves will be punished with one hundred push-ups. Squad leaders, please check."

After so much training, five minutes of prone shooting is no longer difficult for the new recruits. They lie motionless on the ground and carry out the order.

Thump— Thump—Thump.

As the sound of running footsteps approached, Wu Liuyi came over carrying an ammunition box, which contained the empty shell casings that Zhang Anbang had previously applied for and processed.

"Take a five-minute break. Squad leaders, come and collect your items."

……

"Hold your gun!"

As the order was given, the recruits lay down on the ground again, and the squad leaders, one by one, transformed into farmers, planting spent cartridge cases onto the barrels of the recruits' rifles.

"If anyone loses a spent cartridge in ten minutes, they should report it themselves, and the timer will restart."

At first, the recruits didn't think much of it, but in less than two minutes, the constant reports made them realize how difficult this thing was, and the deputy company commander was indeed incompetent.

What misunderstanding? There's no misunderstanding at all. The deputy company commander is definitely not a good person, really.

……

However, after a period of adjustment, the new recruits performed much better. At least they took more than five minutes to call out "report," and Cheng Cai even managed to last seven minutes on his first try.

As for Xu Sanduo, he was fine before the bullet casings were placed in his hands, but after they were, his hands started to shake.

Zhang Anbang walked up to Xu Sanduo, stretched out his finger and gently poked the butt of the gun. Hmm, not bad, it's holding firmly, but the barrel keeps wobbling slightly, and the cartridge cases on it are also wobbling.

Zhang Anbang then reached out and flicked the gun barrel.

"Ding-dong"

The spent bullet casing fell directly to the ground. "Sanduo, why are your hands shaking? Were the casings too heavy?"

"Report, report, Deputy Company Commander, no, no, I'm just scared, scared that the spent cartridge cases will fall." Zhang Anbang's sudden question made Xu Sanduo nervous again.

"What are you afraid of? Relax. We haven't even gone to the battlefield yet. We're all on the same side. Don't panic. Take it slow. Let me tell you, the more you fear something, the more likely it is to happen to you."

I've noticed you've improved in all aspects lately. Don't be afraid, be brave, just do it!

Zhang Anbang stood up and walked around the soldiers, saying, "It's actually very simple to prevent the spent cartridges from falling out. You guys can't rely on brute force to grip the gun."

"You need to make the gun feel like one with yourself. You need to control the gun by maintaining a stable posture, breathing evenly, and relaxing your muscles. That way, the spent cartridges won't fall out."

The recruits perked up immediately. Was the deputy company commander going to share some secrets? They all pricked up their ears, waiting to see if there were any quick tips.

Zhang Anbang continued, "The first step is to press the butt firmly against the hollow of the right shoulder, not just against the surface of the shoulder, but embedded in it."

Once you've secured it, use your shoulder strength to clamp the butt of the rifle, ensuring there's no gap between it and your body. This way, the rifle becomes an extension of your body, rather than a cumbersome tool to be carried by hand.

Some new recruits, while listening, subconsciously adjusted the way they were shouldering the ball, resulting in a cacophony of clanging sounds on the training field, accompanied by reports.

"Secondly, support the bottom of the handguard with your left palm facing upwards, and place your elbow on the ground to form a stable triangular support."

The key to controlling this force is to just support the weight of the gun. Don't grip it too tightly. The tighter you grip, the more your arm muscles will ache, and if they ache, they'll shake. If you shake, the spent cartridges will definitely fall out.

……

"Finally, don't be afraid of the cartridge case falling and try to hold your breath. How many minutes can you hold your breath? Can you hold it for ten minutes? I'm telling you, it's unlikely. The AIDA-certified world record for men's static breath-holding is only eight minutes."

If you guys can hold your breath for ten minutes, I'll send you straight to the Bayi team to become freediving athletes and compete for the world championship.

So don't hold your breath. If you can't hold it, your body will definitely start shaking, and the spent cartridge case will fall out. If it falls out, your squad leader will definitely come and yell at you.

The new recruits almost cried. Just now, the squad leader only yelled at them a couple of times. Now that you've said this, the squad leader definitely won't just reprimand them; he'll have to yell at them a couple of times.

As expected, Mom was right. A guy who's always smiling is either a really good person or a really bad one. This smiling tiger is definitely not a good person.

The new recruits' office on the first floor of the dormitory building.

"Seventh Brother, I've noticed you've been taking your work a bit easy lately," He Hongtao said while wiping his glasses.

"Huh? Yes, really?" Gao Cheng put down his water glass. He had been a bit relaxed lately, and he no longer drank bottled water directly. Instead, he made himself a cup of tea.

After thinking about it carefully, Gao Cheng realized that there might be such a thing.

"Anything else? If there is, don't make it too obvious. You're just focusing on the big picture now, leaving too many things to Xiao Qi. You're really enjoying your leisure time." He Hongtao's words were tinged with envy.

No matter what you do, who in a leadership position wouldn't want a good-natured, capable, and reliable deputy? With such a partner, work would be a wonderful experience.

"Hey, let's see what this kid's up to today. He applied for a batch of shell casings to let the new recruits practice their marksmanship. Is this the start today?" Gao Cheng said as he walked to the window and looked outside.

"Let me see. Bullet casings, marksmanship, I know about this too. Xiao Qi is using it on the new recruits." He Hongtao put on his glasses and came to the window.

After watching for only a short while, He Hongtao figured out something about it: "Xiao Qi's method is not simple. Although it is not as physically uncomfortable as hanging bricks, the psychological pressure is really not small."

"Haha, Lao He, you really are an excellent political cadre. Lao San is really lucky to have you as his partner." Gao Cheng's joking words were filled with sincere appreciation.

"Haha, it's not easy to get a compliment from you, Lao Gao. It's really worth coming to this recruit training camp." He Hongtao laughed heartily upon hearing this.

Gao Cheng rolled his eyes and continued, "Hanging bricks and placing bullet casings seem to be worlds apart in weight, but one trains endurance and the other trains control."

He Hongtao thought for a moment, then nodded. "That's right."

"The bullet casings are placed on the barrel and are required not to fall off. The trick is to relax. However, the recruits' psychological resilience is not good. The more they are afraid of them falling off, the more likely they are to fall off. This is very torturous."

Hanging bricks for a long time can cause muscle tremors, arm aches, and in severe cases, muscle spasms. This is not only physically uncomfortable but also a test of willpower. It is a physiological pain that cannot be avoided or endured; one can only tough it out.

"Which do you think is more difficult for new recruits?" Gao Cheng asked rhetorically, analyzing the situation step by step.

He Hongtao analyzed, "Yes, for new recruits, neither is easy. They are afraid of falling and they can't handle it. For veterans, neither of these problems is a big deal."

Unfortunately, being a new recruit, he lacked mental fortitude and physical fitness. However, after nearly two months of training, his physical fitness has improved, but his mental fortitude remains weak. It seems that unloading spent shell casings is more grueling for new recruits.

"Yes, that's what I think too."

"Looks like you've really found a treasure, Seventh Brother. With Little Seven working with you, the gap between our Third Company and your Seventh Company will widen even further."

Gao Cheng waved his hand, "Hey, that's normal, that's normal. Although your Third Company is pretty good, the gap is still obvious compared to the Seventh Company."

"You..." He Hongtao shook his hand, about to argue with Gao Cheng, but then thought better of it. There was no point in arguing with this guy, so he simply went back to his desk to drink tea.

After all, from all perspectives, the Red Third Company was indeed no match for the Steel Seventh Company. They might not admit it, but they knew it in their hearts.