Chapter 173: Finally, It’s Time for the Live Shot Shooting!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
After Wang Ye departed, the seasoned veteran promptly descended from the tree. However, he didn’t cast a glance at Wang Ye, nor did he venture upstream. Instead, he pursued The old man, who had recently departed.
“Hey, Uncle Zhang, hold on. What brand of cigarettes did you bring? Give me two packs,” he softly called out upon spotting him.
Upon seeing him, he began speaking in a hushed tone.
Today, he had brought along a packet of cigarettes. He had planned on buying some cigarettes from the military vehicle later in the day, but he had crossed paths with them now. Furthermore, the old man had mentioned that he had cigarettes, so he promptly descended.
“Young rascal, lurking in the tree and peeping, did you not spot me earlier?”
The old man spun around on the spot, a grin forming as he observed him drawing near.
“Yes, yes. Who might you be, Sir? Who in our team is unfamiliar with your illustrious exploits from the past? You were an exceptional Scout in the past.
How could someone as junior as me have perceived your presence?”
Fu Rong, who was also a fellow officer from the same era, chuckled.
His words held truth. The old man was indeed a remarkable elite soldier of the army in the past, the kind who had experienced the heat of battle.
However, he had retired and married a local woman, opting to remain in the local vicinity.
“Hmph, you little rascals. Fine, i’ll sell you the cigarettes, but it’s 21 packs out here in the wild.”
As the elderly man spoke, he withdrew two packs of cigarettes.
They were the type that sold for ten yuan per pack outside.
“All! Uncle Zhang, didn’t you usually sell them to us for thirteen?”
“Nonsense, how can bulk purchases equate to buying in this godforsaken place?”
“Do you want them? If not, I’ll head up and inquire whether the other youngsters are interested!” The old man retorted with irritation.
“Yes, yes, but just give me one pack.
By the way, Sir, do you have any beverages? A bottle of your Split!”
“Sorry, no. Do you think it’s convenient for me to carry around? i already gave it to that kid earlier.
However, there are still vehicles available. If you’re interested, come along with me.”
Reaching this location by vehicle wasn’t simple. Even a three-wheeled motorcycle couldn’t maneuver through.
However, there was indeed a road outside.
Grandpa’s tricycle was stationed outside.
Naturally, there were still individuals watching over it. Otherwise, if a three-wheeler were left there, despite the sparse population in this area, what if someone happened upon it?
Since no one was keeping watch, he rode away with the merchandise.
“Forget it, I still need to keep watch on this side!”
The mission was of paramount importance, hence he couldn’t recklessly roam around, despite his main task being to observe the proceedings.
Yet, they still had to maintain vigilance to prevent new recruits from causing disturbances when they came to fetch water.
“Alright, I’ll provide you with cigarettes. Where’s the payment?”
Simultaneously, while The old man was engaged in trading, Wang Ye had already transported a basin of water and the weighty bag back to the open space within the valley.
At this juncture, Wang Ye captured the attention of numerous onlookers.
Many of the recruits, who had yet to craft a cigarette successfully and had halted for a break, were brimming with curiosity as they scrutinized the bag in Wang Ye’s grasp.
The bag was a crimson gift bag with the inscription “Daily Delivery to the Supermarket.”
However, the primary focus of everyone wasn’t on the bag, nor were they pondering its contents.
How could Wang Ye have ventured out to fetch water only to return with a bag clearly filled with heavy items?
Indeed, even Wu Jianfeng was momentarily taken aback.
He turned his gaze toward the instructor and then proceeded toward Wang Ye.
“Where did you get this?”
Wu Jianfeng arrived at Wang Ye’s side and observed the bag in Wang Ye’s hand, his tone devoid of anger.
“Hehe, I encountered an old man who gave it to me!”
“Bullshit, how much did he charge you?” Wu Jianfeng inquired directly.
Wang Ye raised a finger, opting to remain silent.
“That’s quite a price. You’re quite generous. Truth be told, the spring water you’re consuming is right here. Although it appears somewhat turbid now, it can be drunk after filtering and boiling. Two bottles of beverages…”
“Hehe, I brought them for you and the instructor!”
Wang Ye didn’t wait for him to finish speaking and diplomatically intervened.
In the process, he intended to bend down and place the small yellow basin and bag on the ground to retrieve the items for him.
While he also desired to partake, Wu Jianfeng had noticed. If he were to enjoy them alone, he might not even be permitted to drink the mineral water. Should he insist on drinking the water from the small yellow basin, it would be an awkward scenario.
“Alright, i’ll get them myself. Just one bottle will suffice. I’ll share it with the instructor. Also, give us two water bottles. You can’t possibly consume all of this.”
Wu Jianfeng’s demeanor was distinctly unceremonious.
He didn’t delve into any other details.
Primarily because he could infer the circumstances Wang Ye had encountered, and he even knew the individual who had sold it to him.
En… An entity he couldn’t afford to offend.
Although the old man was merely the old man, he was an exceedingly crucial old man in the context of drills and training.
“Understood!”
Wang Ye waited for him to take the water and a bottle of Split before he proceeded, a smile gracing his face, to convey the tray and bag to Class 5.
In reality, Ye Sanshi had already arrived.
Yet, upon witnessing Wang Ye conversing with the company commander, he held back from approaching.
At this very instant, the moment Wang Ye moved, he drew near.
She directly lent Wang Ye a hand in carrying the bag.
“You really wasted a lot of money!” Ye Sanshi murmured.
“This elderly gentleman mentioned that they might urinate and defecate up there, so…” Wang Ye discreetly exposed the old man, though he refrained from disclosing his own concerns.
“Nonsense, they wouldn’t be so reckless. The captain and 1 still have to drink this water later. If they wouldn’t dare to pull such a stunt unless they think their skin is sufficiently thick to weather a few layers being peeled off!”
Ye Sanshi scoffed and subsequently directed his attention toward the small yellow basin in Wang Ye’s possession.
It’s fine that you bought it. Did you settle the payment?” he inquired again.
“No, he suggested I give it to the service center when we return!”
“Alright, make sure you remember to do that when we return. Everyone can drink this water now. If we’re unable to finish it, we’ll refill the kettle. Given that the bottles are now empty, let everyone in our class construct a small water purification device to expedite the water purification process later.”
As they conversed, the duo made their way back to Class 5.
By this juncture, the other recruits in the fifth squad had already lifted their gazes, observing the scene.
“Damn, there are soft dirnks too!”
“Brother Wang, where in this wilderness did you manage to acquire so much water?”
11
It was in the wild. I picked it up on my way.”
“Alright, come on, each of us should take a bottle. As for the surplus…”
Wang Ye looked at Ye Sanshi, “Class monitor, what should we do? I still want to offer some to the other class monitors, but the amount falls short!”
“To hell with that. If it’s inadequate, there’s no need to distribute any.
You made the purchase, so Class 5 can partake on its own. Should we be unable to consume it all, we can refill the kettle!” Ye Sanshi’s voice was far from hushed. It was evident he was addressing the other class monitors.
In truth, the other class monitors harbored no objections.
Naturally, what room was there for dissent? They could only lament their own squad’s recruits’ failure to seize the opportunity to ignite the fire first and subsequently encountering the tough instructor.
“What are you staring at? Get moving!” A squad leader turned his head, wearing a stern expression, and berated the recruits in his squad.
The kettle was almost empty. If he aspired to drink some water at this moment, he’d be compelled to wait…
It was all the fault of his class!
Of course, there was a valid reason for their unawareness of the old man’s presence in this scenario.
After all, the old man had never made an appearance in this context before.
The reason for his sudden prominence this year was a mystery.
In due course, every member of Class Five quenched their thirst with water, even pouring the residual amount into the kettle.
Every member of Class Five consumed their bottle of Split in one go.
En… It was then that Wang Ye noticed that “Sprite” was labeled as “Split.”
Yet, this wasn’t a significant issue as long as the taste remained unchanged.
“Alright, come and take a look.”
At this point, another individual from Class Five had succeeded in igniting a fire.
Yan Zhiming.
However, his fire was only lit after Wang Ye’s return.
Moreover, he wasn’t embarking on a water-fetching endeavor at the moment.
Ye Sanshi beckoned, and they congregated around.
Ye Sanshi employed a knife to slit the bottom of a mineral water bottle.
Subsequently, he cast his gaze upon the charred remains resulting from Wang Ye’s fire.
This outcome was achieved by prying the charred portion off with a stick and subsequently dousing it with water.
“Now, let’s start by adding the charcoal. A layer of charcoal followed by a layer of sand. For safety’s sake, we’ll sink the charcoal once more and then incorporate the slightly larger pebbles.”
“Wang Ye, where’s your cup?”
“Here it is!” Wang Ye promptly presented his cup.
“Very well, Wang Ye, take this water bottle. I’ll pour in the water!”
The water purification contraption was astonishingly uncomplicated. It consisted solely of a mineral water bottle, charcoal, and sand.
Ye Sanshi initiated the process of transferring water from the small yellow basin.
Gradually, the water in the small yellow basin ceased to be murky.
Even as it was decanted, it maintained its clarity.
However, once the water was poured into the water purification device, the liquid that flowed into the cup from below was considerably turbid…
A shade of yellow tinged with black.
This resulted from the amalgamation of charcoal and sediment from the sand and stones.
While all eyes were trained on Ye Sanshi, he remained unperturbed.
“The first cycle yields this outcome. After undergoing two rounds of filtration, it will be fine.
Furthermore, only consume this water in urgent circumstances.
Your cups are all crafted from stainless steel. You can directly place them over the fire to boil water.”
Swiftly, a cup of turbid water was produced.
Wang Ye proceeded to filter it once again.
Just as the old man had indicated, he could eventually bypass this stage, but as this was a training exercise, he was obligated to follow the prescribed steps.
Upon Ye Sanshi’s completion of instruction, he dismissed the spectators, instead chastising them and urging them to hasten their fire-building efforts.
On that afternoon, the recruits spent over two hours in the valley.
Some even managed to sneak in a brief nap.
For instance, Wang Ye had kindled his fire early in the morning, familiarized himself with the rudimentary water purification device, and filtered the water.
Following that, he could access his military rations from his backpack and partake in a meal.
Once he had eaten, he was naturally permitted to rest.
However, there were others who struggled to ignite a fire. A few individuals rubbed their hands so vigorously that their skin became chafed and blisters surfaced.
In such cases, their sole recourse was to rotate the wooden stick and base, persistently attempting to generate sparks.
Thankfully, the final ember was successfully ignited around 1:30 pm.
From there, all that remained was to see the process through and dine.
By 2 o’clock, the recruits had reassembled.
“Class monitor, did you really tell us the truth?”
As they resumed their journey, a small buzz of excitement rippled through the group.
This buzz was due to the class monitor’s announcement that the area ahead was, in fact, the shooting range. Upon reaching the shooting range that day, they would commence their first live ammunition shooting practice.
To be honest, even Wang Ye was brimming with anticipation at this point.
At last!
Wang Ye had eagerly anticipated the shooting practice.
Wang Ye could have long since obtained the third-tier skill for the 400-meter obstacle.
However, he had deliberately postponed it over and over again for the sake of participating in the shooting exercises.
And now, that moment had finally arrived.
In this instance, Wang Ye’s gaze shifted toward Wu Jianfeng.
He pondered whether he should remind Wu Jianfeng of what he had said to him last time.. It would be quite problematic if he happened to forget…