Chapter 131: Emotional Damage
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Wu Jianfeng’s words made many people blush.
This was because he was addressing a real problem that could indeed occur.
Many individuals were currently ill-prepared for the situation at hand. Some of them weren’t even wearing pants or shoes.
If they were to be sent to a disaster relief site in such a state, people there would undoubtedly provide them with the necessary clothing, like pants and shoes.
“Hmph, I won’t even waste my time talking to you all. It’s been forty days since you joined the army, and yet you still act like it’s your first day?!”
“Go, run three kilometers,” Wu Jianfeng commanded succinctly.
He didn’t need to say much. The message was clear.
“All of you!”
The stern platoon leader on duty ran to the front of the group and shouted.
Amidst the clanging sounds, the recruits turned around and began running.
The class monitors followed behind everyone, picking things up along the way.
It was like the recruits were playing a game where items dropped, just like in a video game.
The class monitors would occasionally pick up a basin, a shoe, a kettle, or even a toothbrush without loudly calling out who dropped what. Meanwhile, the platoon leader in front continued pushing everyone forward. “Quick, quick! Do you not know how to run three kilometers? Let me tell you, if you can’t finish within 14 minutes, you’ll be rewarded with another five kilometers later.”
“Damn it, Brother Wang, help me. My blanket is about to fall off!”
In the team, when Qin Li heard the platoon leader’s warning, he cursed under his breath and immediately turned to Wang Ye for help, his expression filled with anxiety.
Thankfully, Wang Ye had already anticipated potential issues and had grabbed two small yellow basins and a pair of slippers while running.
As Class Five ran together, Wang Ye did his best to assist them.
Hearing Qin Li’s plea, Wang Ye looked behind him and saw the problem – Qin Li’s backpack had fallen apart, and part of his blanket was about to drag on the ground.
Quickly, Wang Ye combined the two basins, placing the shoes inside. He then reached out and pulled Qin Li’s blanket to keep it from falling.
“Keep hugging it properly! What are you doing? Your backpack was too loose!” Wang Ye advised.
Qin Li sighed, “I thought it was secure, but it fell apart after running for a while!”
There was no time to fix the backpack now. So, Qin Li loosened the straps, hugged the entire blanket, and carried the shoes in his arms.
Meanwhile, Wang Ye held his little yellow basin, which he had managed to keep safe.
“Brother Wang, help me out, please!” Qin Li pleaded, his situation still dire.
But it wasn’t just Qin Li in need of help; shouts for assistance came from other recruits too.
For a moment, Wang Ye became a firefighter of sorts, rushing to aid those in need.
After running three kilometers and assisting his fellow classmates, Wang Ye felt surprisingly invigorated. Even the prospect of five more kilometers didn’t seem so daunting anymore.
“I can’t bear to watch!” Wu Jianfeng exclaimed after observing the recruits’ performance.
Despite having completed the three-kilometer run and regrouping, Wu Jianfeng still appeared disappointed.
He turned on his flashlight, scanning everyone, and then turned it off, his frustration evident.
“I really can’t believe you are my soldiers. You bring shame to my military career,” Wu Jianfeng expressed his disappointment.
“I am the commander of the renowned Iron Bones Hero Regiment, the elite Iron Blood Company. My soldiers are respected wherever they go within the regiment. But looking at all of you now… it’s disheartening.”
“In the future, when you leave this company, if anyone asks you about your recruit company, don’t mention me or that you were a part of it. Just say you trained at the division headquarters recruit training base.”
“If they inquire about the new company commander, say that he passed away. Tell them he fell ill and died after leading you all for a brief period.”
“Please, don’t associate me with you. 1 can’t afford to lose face!”
This time, Wu Jianfeng didn’t resort to scolding or shouting. His words, however, had a profound impact on everyone.
Being reprimanded directly might not have affected them much, but this disheartening disappointment from their commander hit them on a different level, causing immense emotional damage.
The impact of Wu Jianfeng’s words was palpable; no one dared to meet his gaze.
“Alright, it seems like my words have fallen on deaf ears. You’ve become callous to my scolding,” Wu Jianfeng continued, clearly frustrated.
“All class leaders, check your personal attire and inventory your backpacks. Those with loose backpacks or missing items, stand aside and practice for an hour.”
As he paused, he added, “Maybe you can’t remember my words, so we’ll use muscle memory and physical pain to help you remember!”
These words sent shivers down many spines, and their faces turned pale.
An hour of physical punishment? This wasn’t a joke; it was grueling cement!
“Go over and lie down!” Wu Jianfeng pointed towards the ground.
“You, shameless! Go and lie down as well!” he said to another recruit.
“And where is your basin?!” he demanded from someone else.
That night, the experience left nearly 70% of the recruits in Class 5 with an unforgettable memory.
Wang Ye wondered if the other class leaders had secretly conducted such punishment sessions for their recruits before. For Class 5, this was a completely new and challenging experience.
Six people in the class had to endure the punishment, but Wang Ye silently cheered them on in his heart as he went back to the dormitory.
Once back in the dorm, Wang Ye encouraged the four who performed well, reminding them to continue putting in effort. He also hinted that this might not be the last time such punishment would be handed out, so they needed to be mentally prepared.
Liang Fan, one of the four who avoided punishment, couldn’t contain his excitement and exclaimed, “Ah! Are we going through it again?”
In response, Ye Sanshi rolled his eyes at him and retorted, “Are you out of your mind? Look at what you guys did. Do you think passing this stage would be that easy?”
Liang Fan then suggested, “Can we just sleep without covering ourselves? I can put all my things on the bed instead.”
Song Yuejin, with a more timid tone, whispered, “Is that a possibility?”
Ye Sanshi was quick to respond, criticizing the idea, “What are you thinking? You have to arrange everything properly, just as you’re trained to do. You must take off your backpack, clothes, and place your belongings in the correct position. The emergency assembly is part of the training. Is there any point in training if you don’t do it properly? Are you ready to be a soldier for two years or longer and sleep with your clothes on and covered with a blanket every night?”
Embarrassed, Song Yuejin remained silent. Too embarrassed to speak.
The others also had unpleasant expressions on their faces.
“Again?” Wang Ye exclaimed in frustration, cursing in his heart, “Can’t I sleep now?”
He didn’t bother to check the time as the watch was in the cabinet. Wang Ye estimated it couldn’t be much past one or two in the morning.
“Hurry up and try to get some sleep! The person downstairs won’t come up, so he definitely won’t blow the whistle anymore,” Wang Ye reassured the others, attempting to calm them down.
Though this assurance could only provide temporary relief, it was still better than lying there, wide awake and afraid to close their eyes.
In truth, even if they were lying down, it was nearly impossible for them to fall asleep immediately.
The emergency assembly was thrilling, and the subsequent three-kilometer run had drained them. On top of that, there was the constant worry that they might fail the next test and end up like the miserable comrades downstairs, who had to endure an hour of holding their fists.
Sleep wouldn’t come easy under these circumstances, and soon enough, the fatigue overpowered them, and they succumbed to slumber.
Yesterday’s training had already been incredibly intense, and they hadn’t managed to get much sleep.
The emergency whistle had been blown precisely at 12 o’clock, meaning they had barely slept for a little over an hour.
The lights had gone out at 10:30 pm, and despite their exhaustion, they were unable to sleep right away. The tension and stress from the day lingered, making it difficult to relax.
Given these circumstances, it was no surprise that the four recruits in the dormitory quickly drifted back to sleep within a few minutes after lying down.
However, their rest was abruptly disturbed by someone shouting, “Fuck, emergency assembly!”
In a dazed state, Wang Ye felt like he had just fallen asleep, and his mind was still filled with random thoughts. The sudden announcement of an emergency gathering shocked him awake, instantly dispelling his sleepiness.
He opened his eyes, sat up, and started to put on his clothes to get ready.
But then, he heard someone else exclaim, “What the hell are you shouting for? Where did this emergency gathering come from?”