Chapter 170: The Brave Wins on a Narrow Road
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
It was the first day of the field trip, yet he had already imparted a lesson to everyone.
Several new recruits who initially anticipated a leisurely journey through the mountains and rivers quickly abandoned this notion in their minds.
Fear gripped them to their core.
Explosions and gunfire resounded around them.
And this was just the beginning.
Four more days and three nights lay ahead.
The road stretched long, shrouded in uncertainty.
Once breakfast concluded, they were granted half an hour to rest.
Of course, it wasn’t genuine rest time. It was an opportunity to reflect on the aftermath.
Each recruit retrieved a notebook and pen from their bags, sat down, wrote on their knees, and later handed their reflections to the class monitor, who would then pass them on to the instructor.
Of course, during this time, they could also change into fresh pants if desired.
“Li Yunlong once said that valor prevails on narrow paths. In the situation just now, I couldn’t retreat with the flag in my hand, nor did I dare to. 1 had no choice but to advance.
If confronted with the same scenario again, 1 would still press forward.
Though, if given another chance, I’d rather not bear the flag. I’d prefer to hold a gun, loaded with bullets. This way, even if my life were to end, I’d make sure to leave my mark!”
Half an hour of writing only consumed two minutes of Wang Ye’s time.
If everyone wrote a hundred words in the same manner, their class monitor would likely berate them in colorful language, leaving them drowning in frustration.
However, after Wang Ye finished writing, he beckoned Ye Sanshi over.
He glanced at it, then turned his gaze to Wang Ye, bursting into hearty laughter. “Impressive! You’ve got courage. Just as I expect from the soldiers I’ve trained!”
His voice boomed, intentionally catching the attention of the others.
Hmm, particularly the other squad leaders, as well as the company commander and instructor.
As anticipated, although the fellow squad leaders exhibited annoyance at Ye Sanshi’s antics, the company commander and instructor exhibited keen interest.
“May I see?”
The company commander extended his hand, and Ye Sanshi promptly passed Wang Ye’s notebook to him.
The content wasn’t extensive; a quick read would suffice.
However, Commander Wu Jianfeng took his time, spending at least ten seconds on it. He scanned Wang Ye, then scrutinized the text again.
Finally, he closed the notebook and turned to Wang Ye with a smile. “Unafraid of death?”
“1 am afraid, naturally. I’m not a machine; how could 1 be devoid of fear?”
“You’re afraid, yet you dared to charge?” Wu Jianfeng continued, grinning.
“Indeed! I dared!” Wang Ye nodded fervently. “I was going to die regardless. In that situation just now, retreating seemed futile and slower. It was better to push forward. Even if I didn’t secure the flag, if I managed to get close, 1 could eliminate opponents in close combat. If I was to die, it’s better than dying for nothing. My life’s principle is to not take beatings without a fight!”
These were Wang Ye’s words, spoken only moments ago.
H
Smack!”
The notebook collided with Wang Ye’s cap.
It was none other than Wu Jianfeng who used the notebook to lightly hit Wang Ye’s hat.
The action caught Wang Ye off guard, prompting him to gaze at Wu Jianfeng wordlessly.
“Haha! What a joke. Alright, you’ve passed the immediate assessment!”
Wu Jianfeng didn’t actually wait for Wang Ye’s response; he’d already predicted it.
The lie was that Wang Ye wouldn’t dare to counter now.
The truth was, if not for his status as the company commander, Wang Ye would have undoubtedly fought back.
Of course, he held a firm belief that even if Wang Ye retaliated, he could still beat him to a pulp.
As for Wang Ye…
In truth, he hadn’t considered this aspect at all.
His thoughts centered on accelerating his entry into the military academy.
Then, post-graduation, he’d return and strive to make substantial contributions, ascending as quickly as possible.
One day, when he stood at the same echelon or even above Wu Jianfeng, he would stand before him like today, using an item to collide with his hat—or better yet, he’d just wallop him right on the head—and inquire if he still dared to strike back.
Damn it, Wu Sixth Brother, you take things too far.
With a somber expression, Wang Ye tore out the page for Ye Sanshi, stowed the notebook, and resumed his seat by the flagpole.
Others were still in the midst of writing. If Wang Ye dared to conclude so briefly, they wouldn’t dare to do so.
Even if they weren’t required to craft 5,000 words like self-reflections, they’d need at least half an hour to complete a thousand words, for certain.
The half-hour elapsed quickly. The class leaders reviewed what the rest had written, detached the sheets, signed their names, and finally collected them in a bag, to be presented to the instructor.
“Away we go!”
The whistle sounded, signaling their regrouping as they embarked on their journey anew.
Admittedly, they had ventured quite remotely by now.
The clock had struck eight.
However, from the time they’d gathered till this point, not a single vehicle traversed the concrete road.
Nonetheless, the one silver lining was that they were traversing this very road.
Heading southwest was their trajectory.
However, not long after they set out, Wu Jianfeng stirred the pot once more.
He pivoted to face them and bellowed, “Orders have come down the chain; the frontlines are embattled. We must provide reinforcement at the earliest. Follow me, and let’s take a shortcut.”
His “shortcut” essentially implied ascending the mountainside adjacent to the road.
Wang Ye trailed behind him, a sense of resignation settling in.
Walking the road was comparatively effortless.
Yet, now they’d been commanded to navigate through the mountains.
Despite the presence of paths within the mountains, these were narrow tracks adorned with thorny shrubs. One slight miscalculation could result in shredded flags…
They sprinted forth relentlessly. The mountainous trail was uneven and taxing on their feet. Laden with backpacks and gear, exhaustion swiftly set in after covering two to three kilometers.
Yet Wang Ye’s pace hardly waned.
This left the comrades behind gnashing their teeth to the point of rupture, looking upon Wang Ye in hopeful desperation, anticipating him to ease his tempo.
Regrettably, there was nothing they could do. Their class monitor perpetually scolded them, “Pick up the pace and catch up with that flag! Do you plan to lag behind?
Others manage to maintain speed while upholding the flag, so what renders you so inept?
No stragglers allowed! Even if your legs break, you must keep pace!”
Ye Sanshi was equally stern in Class Five, spawning incessant grumbles from his peers.
“This… Brother Wang’s endurance is unbelievable!”
“Someone… Who will go forward and request him to slow down… Slow down!”
In Class Five, Qin Li and a few other students prone to stamina depletion found themselves sprinting with an intensity bordering on tongue-protruding exhaustion.
However, their efforts were met with Ye Sanshi’s sardonic sneer. “Only a handful among you attempt to jog his memory?
Can any of you actually catch up?
Just look at yourselves, like a bunch of saps gulping down counterfeit alcohol.
Buck up, show some grit! Quit your whining. Instead of wasting breath on chatter, expend it on motion!”
Little did they know that Wang Ye resented this dash just as much.
“Step up your pace, keep up. Isn’t the aspiration to become class monitor in your interest?
Mark my words, if I abandon anyone today, your tenure as class monitor will be nipped in the bud.”
Beside Wang Ye, Wu Jianfeng, outpacing him slightly, swung around and whispered this softly.
Ah… This was the reason.
Sixth Brother Wu Jianfeng was employing this tactic to coerce Wang Ye. Allegedly, veterans from the fourth company were surveilling their progress.
His aspiration was to swiftly ascend to the post of class monitor in the future. A lackluster performance on this day would sabotage his prospects and foster skepticism among peers.
Thus, he endeavored to keep up.
It wasn’t lost on Wang Ye that his counterpart sported a small firearm on his hip and lacked a backpack.
In other words, he was dashing up the mountain with no more than his own flesh.
Now, he commanded Wang Ye to bear a flag while heavily equipped, tailing him with haste.
It was nothing short of inhumane.
However, Wang Ye grit his teeth and went with it.
He nursed a grudge, to be certain.
Conceding that his stamina level was an abysmal 1.8%, Wang Ye was resolute: he wouldn’t allow Wu Jianfeng to wear him down.
Moreover, if he wasn’t concerned for his own sake, he couldn’t ignore the rest.
Even if he couldn’t exhaust this shameless character, he would inevitably have to cease once others lagged behind.
“Reminder: you might have wet your pants!”
Wu Jianfeng abruptly slowed his pace, sidling up beside Wang Ye. He leaned in to whisper in a tone more amusing than sincere.
Puzzled by the words, Wang Ye was caught off guard as Wu Jianfeng swiped the flag from his grasp.
“Whooosh…”
The flag transitioned hands, punctuated by the faint hum of an aircraft cleaving the atmosphere above the surrounding woods.
“Boom! Boom! Boom!”
In the aftermath, detonations followed in swift succession.
“FUCK!”
“FUUUCK!”
Explosions left one recruit after another flabbergasted.
“Quick, airstrike! Take cover!”
Wu Jianfeng, clutching the flag he’d commandeered, directed this order to those trailing behind him.
Heedful of his directive, class monitors sprang into action.
“Hurry, what are you waiting for? Oblivious to the concept of concealment?”
Ye Sanshi booted Qin Li toward the roadside and proceeded to shove the rest.
Wang Ye, caught by surprise, hesitated for a fleeting instant before Wu Jianfeng’s shout spurred him into motion. He tugged at Wang Ye, propelling both to the roadside’s shelter.
“Hiss…”
Pressed beneath him, Wang Ye refrained from crying out.
His urge to retaliate, to jab Sixth Brother with an elbow, surged.
Rascal, this slope was slight, flanked by the roadside. But the paramount issue was the thorns peppering the grass.
Although their density was meager, Wang Ye wore the uniform of a soldier scarce coverage. These thorns left no room for ignorance.
In this instance, Wang Ye clenched his teeth, conceding defeat.
However, it didn’t take long for his displeasure to morph into disbelief.
“All!”
He couldn’t suppress a cry of anguish.
Why? Wu Jianfeng had supported Wang Ye’s backpack with his hands as he stood up.
This exerted pressure on Wang Ye, pressing him harder into the thorns. A sharp sting lanced through him with renewed vigor.
“Why the outburst? A thorn’s nothing. Rise and pat it down, you’ll be fine.”
Not to worry, military police will be ready and waiting. Should you truly suffer an injury, they’ll tend to you.”
Wu Jianfeng’s apology seemed half-hearted, leaving Wang Ye to wonder whether the provocation was deliberate.
He was tempted to vent his frustration.
But then, his lips curled into a wry smile.
“Alt!”
A fresh yelp of agony escaped him.
This resulted from Wu Jianfeng using his hands to prop up his backpack. The backpack, in turn, pressed against Wang Ye, heightening the prickling discomfort.
“What’s with the scream? It’s just a thorn. Stand up, give it a good thump, and it’ll subside.”
“Rest assured, the military police will be on standby. If you sustain a genuine injury, they’ll cater to you!”
Having said this, Wu Jianfeng promptly rose to his feet.
Disregarding Wang Ye entirely, he unfurled the flag he held.
Then, he fetched his whistle and placed it between his lips…
“Shh, shh! Gather!”