Chapter 212: Division, Parting Party (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The next day arrived.
Following their early morning meal, Wang Ye and the other nine deputy recruits were summoned once again.
However, this time, he wasn’t leading the group to the dormitory to search for Deng Hai.
At the entrance of the recruit camp, they waited for the bus to transport family members. When the bus arrived and the family members disembarked, Wang Ye and his companions saluted. The bus then departed without stopping.
“I wonder when 1’11 have the chance to see my parents again.”
During the return journey, one of them repeatedly glanced back with every step taken.
Wang Ye also turned to look.
Reluctant?
A bit, as they were his parents, the closest people to him.
Nevertheless, Wang Ye managed to suppress his reluctance.
He returned to the dormitory.
The entire company began to bustle with activity.
They arranged for haircuts, showers, and thorough cleaning.
It wasn’t until lunchtime that all the recruits started packing their backpacks, following their respective squad leaders’ instructions.
They were departing…
Everyone had thought they would have one more day.
After all, they had all arrived here on the fourth night of the first day of the first month, and today was only the third.
However, reality offered them no time for preparations.
They were still occupied with tasks in the morning. Some even mentioned getting together in the afternoon and evening to chat and savor their remaining time together.
But little did they know that they would be called away after lunch.
“Class monitor, why didn’t you inform us earlier?”
“That’s right! Squad leader, we assumed we’d split up and head to our respective companies tomorrow!”
Inside the dormitory, as they packed their belongings, everyone bombarded Ye Sanshi with questions.
Ye Sanshi, too, was packing. Since everyone was eager to depart, he had to comply as well.
Hearing their inquiries, Ye Sanshi replied with a calm expression, “The initial plan was indeed for tomorrow. However, you all are aware of Deng Hai’s situation. Right now, the company commander isn’t in the mood to prolong things. He pushed forward our departure to noon today.”
“Alright, they say the good die young and the wicked live long. He fled and dragged us into this mess!” Wan Baojiang, who had clashed with Ye Sanshi during their time in the class, couldn’t help but grumble when he heard Ye Sanshi’s explanation.
“Didn’t all of you want to finish the new recruits’ company quickly? So why, now that we’re going to execute it as a combo, are you having second thoughts?” Ye Sanshi retorted, looking at Wan Baojiang and the others.
At that moment, Gu Yingnan smiled and remarked, “Class monitor, Brother Wan didn’t mean any harm. He just couldn’t bear to part with all of us, including you, so he wanted one more day with everyone.”
After a brief pause, he continued with a smile, “Class monitor, truth be told, we’re ready. We’re pooling together the remaining money we have to buy some food and drinks at the service center. Class Five is planning a small farewell party for tonight…”
Gu Yingnan’s words were true.. This plan had been discussed the previous night, and Wang Ye had agreed to it. However, circumstances had changed rapidly.
Clearly, Ye Sanshi’s expression eased a bit. He looked at the recruits and said with a smile, “Thank you all for not holding it against me.”
After a moment’s pause, he added, “But let’s forget about this farewell party. There’s no time for it now, and it wouldn’t be appropriate at this moment.”
“We’re all part of the same group. We’ll have opportunities to meet in the future. When that time comes, if you still consider me your recruit squad leader, just hand me a cigarette!”
Yan Zhiming smiled and stood up straight. “Of course, class monitor, no problem. I don’t smoke, but because of your words, I’ll definitely buy a pack of cigarettes and keep them with me for when we meet in the future. Of course, I’ll still consider you our class monitor!”
This guy was surprisingly tactful and had a way with words, which made Ye Sanshi laugh.
“Alright, that’s what I like to hear. However, until your training results are official, don’t claim that I’m your recruit squad leader. It’s a matter of principle, and I can’t afford to lose face!”
Laughter erupted in the dormitory, albeit kept at a low volume. Two individuals downstairs were still suppressing their annoyance.
“Class monitor, do you really not know where we’ll be assigned to?” Qin Li, after sharing the laughter, asked the same question he had asked Ye Sanshi earlier with a serious expression that had earned him a stern “I don’t know” from Ye Sanshi.
Ye Sanshi stopped smiling and replied, “1 already told you 1 don’t know. Assignments are determined by the regiment headquarters. Apart from Wang Ye, the fate of the rest of us in this class, including Zhang Ping’an, remains uncertain. However, it’s highly likely that Zhang Ping’an will be assigned to the Fourth Company.”
As for the rest of you…”
Ye Sanshi gazed at the group, then shifted his attention to Liang Fan and Wan Baojiang, remarking, “The two of you will definitely not end up in the Fourth Company.”
These words cast a shadow over the expressions of Liang Fan and Wan Baojiang.
Liang Fan let out a sigh and said, “If I had known earlier, 1 wouldn’t have performed so well!”
Everyone in Class 5 was well aware that Wu Jianfeng had prioritized Wang Ye over other highly skilled soldiers.
Wan Baojiang and Liang Fan had also displayed exceptional performances, making them standout soldiers. Without the Fourth Company’s priority selection, they would have been sought after by other units.
“Get out of here!” Ye Sanshi rolled his eyes at him and then shifted his gaze to the remaining recruits, particularly Qin Li, Song Yuejin, and Yan Zhiming.
“The three of you are very likely not staying with the Fourth Company.”
“Hehe, that’s fine. I didn’t want to. The top companies have exhausting training.” Qin Li chuckled.
This time, Ye Sanshi remained silent because the decisions had already been made.
Qin Li, Yan Zhiming, and the other two were at the lower end of the class rankings.
Of course, the one at the very bottom was a certain chef. Even if it weren’t for his chef background, he would have still been required to stay and undergo training.
However, due to his culinary skills, he could bypass the selection based on training performance. He was highly sought after and quickly picked up by another unit.
Ye Sanshi looked at Qin Li, knowing that the three of them must be feeling disappointed too.
Even though they wore smiles on the surface, their inner feelings were probably the same.
These were all young individuals going through this phase, and none of them wanted to fall behind, be overshadowed, or worse, be eliminated.
“Let’s not dwell on it. Let’s pack up quickly,” Ye Sanshi urged everyone.
A few minutes later, when everyone had packed their bags, Ye Sanshi didn’t immediately lead them to retrieve their belongings. Instead, he surprised everyone by doing something unexpected.
He turned to close the dormitory door and then pulled out a pack of cigarettes.
“Here, I’ve been bossing you around for three months, and you won’t be able to smoke for at least three months in the future. We’re about to leave, and you mentioned having a farewell party, but it won’t happen now. Each of you can have a cigarette. After smoking this one, consider it a farewell party!”
Ye Sanshi distributed a cigarette to each of them. Everyone was taken aback, but they accepted it.
It was reminiscent of their first night in the army.
The contrast was that on that first night, Ye Sanshi had fetched water for everyone to wash their feet. Now, he was handing out cigarettes and lighting them up.
“Uh, cough! cough!”
Coughing echoed in the dormitory. Not everyone knew how to smoke, and even those who did hadn’t smoked for at least two to three months. Taking that initial puff was challenging for them..