Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

In the evening, in the grove, the figure started running again with a wooden stick.

……

After practicing countless times, he was finally able to complete the entire set of movements smoothly: grabbing the handrail, pushing off with his left foot, straddling with his right leg, twisting his waist to shift his center of gravity, and sitting down—all in one smooth motion, without bumping his head or staggering.

He sat on the wooden stump that had been used as a seat for an infantry fighting vehicle, holding a wooden stick in his right hand, which resembled a pole used in the People's Liberation Army (PLA) military exercise. He stared blankly at his hands. He had done it. He had really done it.

Clap clap came from the side. "Sanduo, not bad, this time it went very smoothly. Go to the garage tomorrow at noon and actually get on the car to try it out. We need to catch up quickly, because we'll be having human-vehicle coordination training again soon."

"Yes, squad leader, I did it just now. I didn't bump my head or trip." Xu Sanduo grinned at Shi Jin, who was clapping, looking exactly like a kid who had always gotten single-digit scores on tests who had just passed.

……

A week has passed in the blink of an eye. It's almost lunchtime at the Seventh Steel Company's canteen.

"sit."

"Dinner's ready!"

"Oh my god, braised pork! It smells amazing! After one bite, even the dirt I ate this morning seems delicious!"

"Shut up, Bai Tiejun. Even eating can't shut you up. Have you forgotten the rules?" Wu Liuyi's eyes swept over him like knives.

"Hehe." Bai Tiejun grinned and continued to shovel rice into his bowl.

The 25-inch CRT TV hanging on the main wall of the cafeteria was playing CCTV-1's "News 30 Minutes." The host's clear and resonant voice was just loud enough to drown out the soft clatter of the cutlery.

The news currently playing was domestic news, with occasional snippets of military information. Xu Sanduo shoveled food into his mouth while glancing at the television.

He's gotten to know Bai Tiejun in his class fairly well now and they can chat for a bit, but after seeing Bai Tiejun get scolded by Wu Liuyi just now, he doesn't dare to say anything anymore.

He glanced at Shi Jin, who was eating with the company commander and the others, grinned, and continued eating. Since coming to the Seventh Steel Company, his appetite had increased considerably, and he could eat at least a third more than when he was in the Fifth Platoon.

At 12:30, the soldiers returned to their dormitories, where they had 20 minutes to tidy up and wash themselves.

Bai Tiejun chuckled and approached Xu Sanduo. "Sanduo, you've been here for a week now. What do you think of our Seventh Company? It's much better than the Fifth Platoon you used to be in, right?"

Xu Sanduo scratched his head. "Old Bai, the Seventh Company is great, and the Fifth Platoon is great too. I think they're both quite meaningful. It's just that the TV in our company's canteen is really good."

Bai Tiejun was a little stunned. Why was Xu Sanduo's answer seemingly irrelevant? I didn't ask about television. But he still subconsciously continued, "What? Back in your time in Class Five, you didn't watch TV?"

While tidying his shoelaces, Xu Sanduo said, "I've seen it. Class 5 has its own TV and watches it every day. It's just that our TV can't display images; we can only hear the sound."

Xue Lin said that what we were watching was like classic films being refined over time, and the sand was getting whiter every day.

Gan Xiaoning happened to be returning to her dormitory from outside when she overheard their conversation and chimed in, "The Great Waves Wash Away the Sand? It is indeed a classic film, quite good."

"It means the sand is getting whiter every day. What does that mean? I don't remember that part of the story."

As Gan Xiaoning asked the questions, he began to recall that they had watched the film several times in the company's activity room. He remembered that it was produced by the Pearl River Film Studio and was a classic revolutionary historical film.

The instructor also mentioned that this film was adapted from Zhu Daonan's memoir, "In the Torrent of the Great Revolution," and was the first film in New China to fully present the course of the Great Revolution.

The film, through the diverging fates of four young intellectuals, reflects the choices of faith amidst the revolutionary tide. It broke box office records when it was released and is considered a classic red film.

Bai Tiejun chuckled, "Ah Gan, are you crazy! 'Ren San Duo' was talking about something that wasn't shown on TV, just static. That's what you call 'the real deal,' not some movie at all!"

Before Gan Xiaoning could speak, Xu Sanduo grinned and nodded, "Right, right, Lao Bai, Li Meng also said that our TV is broadcasting Huaxia Broadcasting Radio, which is not acceptable. She said it's an infringement, and radio should be broadcast on the airwaves."

"Hahaha, this is really interesting! Your comrades in the fifth squad are all really capable people!" Bai Tiejun laughed from the side.

Before he could finish laughing, he saw Gan Xiaoning clenching her fists and rushing towards him. "Ah Gan, no, no, Master! What are you trying to do? I'm your proper disciple! What you're doing is wrong!"

"You're still the deputy squad leader, how can you act like that? Yes, you absolutely cannot hit or verbally abuse soldiers!"

Gan Xiaoning wasn't going to let him get away with it. She cracked her knuckles and asked, "Who are you calling a 'tiger'?"

"I, I, I, Master, if you're so capable, then it must be me, Hu!" Bai Tiejun quickly admitted defeat, his main strength being his ability to bend and stretch.

Shi Jin watched this scene from outside the window and smiled with some relief. San Duo is not only able to persevere in training, but his relationship with his comrades in the class is also getting better and better.

You can even joke around today, that's great progress.

If Xu Sanduo knew what Shi Jin was thinking, he would definitely cry foul. He wasn't joking; he was talking about what actually happened in the Fifth Squad.

After he went to the TV station in Class 5, he never saw the TV again. All he heard every day was Li Meng, Xue Lin, and the others complaining about it.

Squad leader Lao Ma's antics on TV always culminate in one sentence: "It sounds so good."

Shi Jin walked into the dormitory and smiled at everyone. "San Duo, are you all ready? Come on, let's go for a walk to digest."

"Yes, squad leader." Xu Sanduo hurriedly stood up.

"Squad leader, Bai Tiejun has also asked to go for a walk to digest his food." Gan Xiaoning also stood up.

"Digestion" is a straightforward and tough term used by soldiers in grassroots units. Whether it's an armored company, an infantry company, or an artillery company, the more rigorous the training, the higher the probability of this term appearing.

"Squad leader, you misheard! I didn't say that at all, I really didn't say that!" Bai Tiejun shook his head like a rattle drum.

Before Shi Jin could speak, Wu Liuyi, who was usually stern and unsmiling in front of the soldiers, spoke up, "Really? I heard that."

"Squad leader, you..." Bai Tiejun looked at Wu Liuyi in disbelief. What was going on? How could the squad leader, this guy with thick eyebrows and big eyes, say such a thing?

Shi Jin smiled. Liu Yi is getting better and better at teaching the class now. "Okay, let's go together then. Come on, let's go digest our food."

Gan Xiaoning grabbed Bai Tiejun by the back of the neck and pushed him forward. Bai Tiejun rolled his small eyes and muttered under his breath, "Sooner or later I'll flatten all the mountains weighing on my head, you three!"

"No need to speak so quietly, I can hear you, I'm waiting."

……

Soon, the Seventh Company began its training in human-vehicle coordination.

More than a hundred soldiers boarded the troop transport trucks with a rumble and headed to the training ground.

Cheng Cai leaned against Xu Sanduo with a grin and asked, "How did you sleep?"

"It's alright," Xu Sanduo replied softly. There were still many soldiers in the vehicle taking a nap while traveling, and he was afraid of disturbing them.

"Here, take this." Cheng Cai took out a cigarette and handed it to him.

"You know I don't smoke," Xu Sanduo said with a smile.

Bai Tieju grinned and leaned closer, "He doesn't smoke, but I do."

As he spoke, he reached out and took the cigarette, putting it in his mouth. But before he could finish, his comrade took it away from him.

Bai Tiejun was dumbfounded. "I shamelessly asked for it, and now it's gone."

Fortunately, Cheng Cai took out a cigarette from his pocket again, ready to light one for himself, but Bai Tiejun immediately reached out and took one out of the cigarette pack himself.

As the old saying goes, "Thick-skinned people never get enough to eat, while thin-skinned people never get any."

Seeing Cheng Cai take out a lighter, Bai Tiejun acted again, first snatching it and lighting it for himself before returning it to Cheng Cai.

"Hey bro, got a cigarette?"

Cheng Cai glared at Bai Tiejun, then offered another cigarette to a comrade who wanted one. While smoking, he said to Xu Sanduo, "This Seventh Company is different from other companies. There are a lot of rules. I'll tell you about them one by one."

Cheng Cai exhaled a puff of smoke as he spoke, "Today, I'll teach you the first lesson: the training in the Seventh Company is tough. We eat two ounces of dirt every day. If we don't get enough in the morning, we have to make up for it in the afternoon."

The soldiers around them chuckled; this was their daily routine, and they could really appreciate the fun it brought.

Bai Tiejun frowned as he smoked, then raised his lit cigarette at Cheng Cai and said, "Cheng Cai, why are you sending all your fellow villagers to Kunming? This is outrageous!"

Cheng Cai said matter-of-factly, "Hey, what's wrong with Chuncheng? I don't smoke Chuncheng myself."

A comrade next to him added, "That's just how this kid is."

Bai Tiejun grinned and leaned against Cheng Cai, "You, take out that Tashan and Honghe wine from your pocket and share it with our brothers, okay?"

Bai Tiejun smiled and raised his hand to signal to the soldiers around him.

Unexpectedly, Cheng Cai immediately took the lit cigarette back from Bai Tiejun's hand, saying, "What's wrong, Chuncheng? This isn't good, don't smoke."

As he spoke, he handed the half cigarette he had brought back to his comrades, but no one took it.

Wu Liuyi, who was sitting inside, got annoyed and yelled, "What's all the noise about?" Then he pulled his helmet up to cover his eyes and closed them to rest.