Chapter 21
Wu Jianfeng appeared calm, but his demeanor made the recruits want to use their shoes to measure his face.
“Sir, I’m not a good-for-nothing,” one recruit spoke up.
“Report, I’m not either!” another added.
Reality proved that there were some who were not convinced. This was normal, considering they were all young people, hot-blooded and impulsive. They had been called good-for-nothings and young masters, humiliated like this.
Those who had some strength and foundation and thought they could hold on, all took the initiative to lie down and do the push-ups.
Wang Ye was speechless. These youngsters had never tasted the cruel reality that was society.
The situation was unbearable. One hundred push-ups were tough for Wang Ye. Even if he was an adult soul, a wily old man who had been whipped by society, it didn’t mean he had no guts and temper. But, no, his hands were still sore. The body’s foundation was too weak before, and he definitely wouldn’t be able to finish another hundred.
Fortunately, Wang Ye wasn’t the only one who didn’t move. Only eight or nine recruits chose to lie down.
However, Wu Jianfeng wouldn’t let them off easily. Seeing that no one else was lying down, he looked like he deserved a beating.
“Just these few?” Wu Jianfeng’s tone and expression were full of sarcasm as he looked at the remaining recruits who were still standing.
“It’s really getting worse with each generation! If it was in the past, I would have to prove myself even if I had to die to avoid being mocked like this. But look at you now?” Wu Jianfeng shook his head and waved his hand as if he was bored. “Alright, alright. In any case, I won’t take you guys down in the future. Right now, you’d rather be called young masters and trash by me. Just put your hands on your heads and crouch down. Don’t let me see you standing in uniform again. I can’t stand seeing such spineless people wearing it!”
“Sir, I’m not a young master!” one recruit spoke up.
“Fuck it, I’ll do it even if I die!” another added.
“I’m not trash!” a third recruit declared.
This time, Wu Jianfeng’s words really stung everyone, and no one could take it anymore, including Wang Ye, who immediately hit the concrete again.
Although he knew that this was a provocation, a show of strength, and a deliberate attempt to provoke them, these words were really unpleasant to hear. Put your hands on your head and crouch down? If he could endure such humiliation, why would he still be a soldier here?
Of course, not everyone had the courage and determination to endure such situations. Some people really felt that they couldn’t do it. In addition, not everyone had enough guts. Some were even forced to become soldiers by their families.
For example, if Wang Ye hadn’t been reborn, he would definitely have been forced into this life. Now, as the soldiers hit the ground one by one, there were still a few who remained standing.
“Are you still a man? Get down!” Wu Jianfeng yelled at the remaining standing recruits.
“Zhang Han, are you deaf?” one of the new recruit squad leaders snapped back.
“He had already said it to this extent, how can you still be on your feet?” Another squad leader added.
At this moment, one recruit spoke up with a pained expression, “Class monitor, I… My hands are out of strength!”
He really couldn’t take it anymore. Actually, the hundred push-ups just now were all sneaky and some had gotten up before they were done. In any case, no one really counted them one by one. They all counted by themselves, and the squad leaders generally supervised them.
“Is it broken? Are you going to die?” Wu Jianfeng sneered. “I’ll only tell you one thing now. If you’re still a man, get down. Otherwise, get lost right now. I don’t want a coward like you,” he spat at the recruit’s face.
In an instant, the recruit’s face flushed red. He looked around at the recruits who were doing push-ups but were obviously eavesdropping. He couldn’t take it anymore.
“I…!” He was still standing there, not knowing what to do. After being stunned for a few seconds, he didn’t choose to lie down. Instead, he ran away.
“Bastard, if you run now, you’ll be a deserter. Stop right there, do you hear me?” The veteran squad leader shouted in the direction he ran in. But on the other side, the recruit seemed to not have heard him and ran very fast.
“Fuck, that bastard.” Wu Jianfeng’s expression turned ugly. “What are you waiting for? Two people, come with me and chase after them.”
At that moment, a door opened on the first floor of the dormitory, and the instructor immediately ran out. Although he was lying down and listening to music at first, he had come to the window later and kept an eye on the situation outside.
Seeing the situation, the instructor knew he couldn’t just continue hiding and watching the show. He shouted and ran after them. He couldn’t let them run away like that. Although this was the camp, they couldn’t just run anywhere. There were people on duty at the camp gate, so it was impossible for them to just walk out. However, it was definitely impossible for them to just run around blindly like this!
“Do you want to be deserters too? Get moving! Damn! What a bunch of cowardly soldiers!” Wu Jianfeng suddenly shouted at the recruits lying on the ground again, his leather belt slapping the air. After shouting, Wu Jianfeng turned around and left.
Of course, Wu Jianfeng didn’t chase after the recruit. Instead, he turned around and returned to the dormitory at the back. If something really happened to the soldier who escaped, he would be held responsible as the captain. However, the instructor had already brought two veterans to chase after him, so he didn’t have to worry.
Now, Wu Jianfeng had to maintain his dignity. It was impossible for him to ruin his image of a tough and stern leader just because of one soldier.
…
Outside the dormitory building, all the recruits were already lying on the ground and continuing to do push-ups.
The ex-soldiers ‘curses continued to rise and fall.
However, this time, even though Wu Jianfeng was scolding them, if someone really couldn’t do it anymore, he would let them rest for 20 to 30 seconds before scolding them again and making them get back up to continue.
Wang Ye managed to finish the hundred push-ups without getting scolded midway. Although his hands were very tired, every time he couldn’t do it, he held on and rested for more than ten seconds before doing a few in one go and continuing to rest. He had barely finished the hundred. Moreover, because the rest time wasn’t long, Wang Ye realized that these 100 push-ups added another two experience points, which was a little comforting.
A few minutes later, the guys who were running the 3,000-meter race were still running, while the people in front of the dormitory building finally finished the hundred push-ups with some rest.
Of the three sergeants and platoon leaders, the remaining two did not continue to torment everyone. They immediately announced their dismissal. The moment they were dismissed, Wang Ye looked at his watch.
It was only 4:50 AM, which meant that it had only been 20 minutes since the whistle had sounded to gather them. It wasn’t a long time, but each and every one of them was tormented quite badly. At the very least, everyone’s sleepiness was gone.
“This is only the first day. It won’t be like this forever, right?” one recruit muttered as they went upstairs.
“I feel like I won’t have a good life in the future!” another recruit exclaimed.
“How silly. I told my mother yesterday that the veteran squad leader took good care of me!” one recruit said, his voice trembling as if he was about to cry.
His voice resonated with the crowd, and soon others chimed in.
“Who isn’t? I regret it now. Fuck, a bunch of old liars!”
“You guys are so slow when you go upstairs. What are you doing? Do you want to come down and do another hundred?” a loud roar came from downstairs, and all the recruits quickened their pace in the corridor.
….
