Chapter 222: Regiment Commander’s Anger, News Spreading
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Pass on my order, all the troops outside are to return to camp!”
The commander of the Ironbones Hero Regiment wore a stern expression as he relayed this message through the communicator.
Afterward, he reached for the phone on the table and initiated a series of calls.
His task was to liaise with local authorities and cancel joint operations in various locations.
Furthermore, he had to notify division headquarters of the situation.
Each call was made diligently.
The regiment commander’s face remained etched with anger throughout.
In truth, he had worn this expression for several days now. There hadn’t been a single smile or a visit home during this time.
He had maintained his post at the regimental headquarters, eagerly anticipating good news.
Now, the long-awaited good news had arrived.
However, he still couldn’t muster a smile.
This time, his pride had taken a severe blow.
No matter how much Wang Ye had delighted him previously, Deng Hai had brought him nothing but anger and humiliation this time.
Not only did the headquarters know about it, but the entire region was also well aware of the situation.
He could already envision the upcoming meetings at division headquarters. When encountering leaders from other regiments, he expected them to wear knowing smiles and inquire.
“Hey, Old Hong, I heard there was a recent desertion incident in your regiment. Can you provide some insight?”
The embarrassment had become an undeniable reality.
Fortunately, the deserter had been apprehended. But it had happened in his own hometown.
Even now, as he spoke over the phone, the regiment commander’s fists remained tightly clenched.
What had his subordinates been thinking?
He had allowed a rookie to escape all the way back.
His fury was palpable, despite his anticipation of this very outcome.
“After all, they hadn’t caught anyone for two or three days.
But now that such a thing had really happened, it still made him very angry.
“Captain, have you caught him?”
At this moment, the door was pushed open.
The committee member and the chief of staff rushed in.
The commander glanced at them but continued his conversation. “Yes, Wu
Jianfeng called. He was caught at his girlfriend’s school.”
He then turned to the chief of staff and added, “Wang Ye caught him!”
He was withholding some information.
Wu Jianfeng had mentioned that Deng Hai had drawn his saber, but he hadn’t provided all the details. He did mention that Wang Ye wasn’t injured, though.
Wu Jianfeng did bring up that there was a scuffle and that Deng Hai was forced to submit.
However, he chose not to bring this up now.
The chief of staff had always been scheming. Even though Wang Ye had been assigned to the fourth company, the commander was concerned that the chief of staff might have ulterior motives if he revealed too much.
He wasn’t in the mood for a dispute on this matter, so he allowed the chief of staff to digest the information at his own pace.
The chief of staff remained silent. In fact, he had already considered the possibility when he learned that Wang Ye had been brought along for the mission.
“Then how do you plan to handle this?” The director inquired once more.
He picked up a cigarette from the table, lit it, and then regarded the two of them. “The specifics are still unclear.
We’ll have to wait until he’s brought back and we have a complete understanding of the situation.”
The regiment commander concealed his true thoughts.
He had already made a decision.
This incident needed to be treated seriously.
Military morale and discipline were not matters to be taken lightly.
The army had zero tolerance for deserters, especially not in the Ironbones Hero Regiment.
The very essence of the Ironbones Hero Regiment was a commitment to fight to the death.
The presence of deserters was a profound insult to the squad.
And to make matters worse, he had the audacity to draw a knife and engage in combat.
To combat!
To be honest, when Wu Jianfeng had first informed him of this, the regiment commander wished he could have been there in person. He had a strong desire to put an end to Deng Hai’s actions.
This disgraceful incident had originated within the ranks of the Ironbones Hero Regiment.
As a deserter, he had brandished a weapon against his comrades.
While some deserters in the army could be captured and reintegrated into service, Deng Hai was not worthy of such consideration.
Designating him as anything less than a rogue would be overly generous.
“This matter must be handled seriously, Regiment Commander. 1 recommend sending him to a military court,” the chief of staff suggested with a grave expression.
In fact, the chief of staff had not rested for the past few days.
He had been on active duty and had personally overseen the search and arrest operations within the regiment.
Now, Deng Hai had managed to flee all the way home. This was a severe blow to his pride.
Let’s set that aside for now. We’ll discuss it after we bring him back for interrogation,” the regiment commander responded wearily.
Afterward, he looked at the chief of staff and added, “Don’t worry, I’m not naive. The division is already aware of this matter, and there’s no room for negotiation.”
“Alright, hurry up and get here. 1’11 be waiting!”
Wu Jianfeng spoke into his phone as he walked through the medical school, with Wang Ye trailing closely behind Deng Hai.
Ahead, there were still bystanders.
Under the guidance of the dean, a few teachers were dispersing students who attempted to approach or follow them to witness the commotion.
“Get back to your classes. Why are you following?”
“If you don’t have a class, don’t follow me. There’s nothing to see here!”
The director of the academic affairs office tried to assert his authority, glaring and shouting at the students.
However, it seemed to have little effect.
This wasn’t a junior high school. It was a technical school, filled with students who had often ignored their teachers in middle and high school, and some even took pride in defying authority. They were not easily deterred now.
Moreover, they had the idea that the law did not punish the masses, so it was not a problem for them to follow them from 20 to 30 meters away.
Even if these teachers went to chase them away, they would run away with smiles on their faces. When the teachers returned or chased away people from other directions, they would run back.
Wang Ye ignored these people.
He brought Deng Hai to the teaching building.
He was preparing to bring him to find Jiang Ting.
As expected, she was gone.
He asked the other students, but no one knew.
In the end, she went to the office building to retrieve the surveillance cameras at the school gate.
It was only then that she realized that she had run out of the school gate not long ago, probably when Wang Ye grabbed Deng Hai and walked over from the field.
Obviously, she did not want to see Deng Hai.
“No, no, why…Why?”
Deng Hai, who had been silent all this while, shouted with red eyes after he saw the figure running out in a panic on the surveillance camera.
At this moment, tears even flowed out of his eyes.
Wang Ye looked at him but didn’t say anything.
He didn’t know what to say to him.
Was he simp, a lovestruck fool, or an idiot?
However, before Wang Ye could utter a word, someone next to him interjected, “Alright, it’s clear she doesn’t want to see you, so we can’t force it. This matter ends here!”
“No, Captain, please, I need to see her. Find her, I must see her!” Deng Hai’s determination remained unshaken.
Of course, he had already become a deserter for her sake. Given this outcome, he couldn’t easily accept defeat.
But the Captain was resolute.
“You need to act like a man!” Wu Jianfeng scolded sternly.
He couldn’t help but feel embarrassed. Was his life so incomplete without a woman?
Looking at Deng Hai now, he couldn’t help but think, “You’re my soldier, and I’m tempted to end you right here. What a disgrace!”
Having said that, Wu Jianfeng didn’t spare another glance and walked out of the room.
“Wang Ye, take him with you!”
“Yes, sir!” Wang Ye responded and approached Deng Hai.
Deng Hai, however, remained rooted in place, fixated on the surveillance footage.
Let’s go!” Wang Ye insisted. He reached out, grabbed Deng Hai’s arm, and firmly guided him away.
Meanwhile, outside, in the QQ group chat and among the QQfriends of the Medical University students, a multitude of photos and even videos were circulating.
“Wow, that guy is so handsome. He kind of looks like Daniel Wu!
“What’s happening? He even pulled out a saber! Did your school just witness a murder?”
“The guy with the knife got subdued. Who is this guy?”
“I think I know him. He’s Wang Ye from our high school. He used to be a gaming addict, but he doesn’t look like his old self.”
In fact, the moment Deng Hai brandished his knife, some students had already whipped out their phones, capturing photos and recording the unfolding altercation.
Naturally, these students wanted to share such sensational news with their friends and former classmates as quickly as possible.
The internet knows no boundaries.
Despite the brief timeframe, photos and videos of the incident swiftly began circulating on the web.
Various comments and reactions flooded in, and even some of Wang Ye’s former classmates came across them.
After all, this incident took place in a neighboring city. Not only did students from other schools see it, but this school also had students who had attended Wang Ye’s previous school.
However, they were uncertain if it was indeed Wang Ye involved in the incident. They were unaware of his enlistment in the army and had no context for the situation.
Fortunately, the spread of these images was swiftly curtailed. School staff initiated efforts to locate the students who had taken the photos, and even the police became involved.
Such incidents shouldn’t be haphazardly disseminated. At that moment, the authorities had no time to deal with it. Now that Wang Ye and Wu Jianfeng had taken Deng Hai away, local authorities stepped in to handle the remaining details.
However, despite warnings and prohibitions against sharing the images and videos, many individuals had already become aware of the situation within that short span.
While the images might not have proliferated widely on the internet, those who had seen the news were bound to continue discussing it.
For unknown reasons, as time passed and the buzz diminished, the news would gradually become distorted and eventually fade into obscurity.
In any case, these developments held little relevance to the present Wang Ye.
He and Wu Jianfeng escorted Deng Hai to the train station, with local authorities overseeing the process.
After some time, Kang Hua and the third-year class monitor from Deng Hai’s hometown arrived.
Wang Ye and Wu Jianfeng hadn’t informed Deng Hai’s family of his capture.
When the third-class monitor and Kang Hua saw Deng Hai, their faces turned livid.
Had there not been a crowd of onlookers at the train station platform, the two of them might have given Deng Hai a sound thrashing.
“Do you even have a brain? Do you realize what you’ve done?” The third squad leader approached Deng Hai, gritting his teeth as he spoke through clenched jaws.
Deng Hai hung his head in silence.
At this moment, he appeared utterly lifeless.
He had been in this state ever since boarding the bus from school.
Wang Ye heard a cracking sound, which emanated from the third-class monitor’s joints as he clenched his fists too tightly.
Fortunately, the discipline instilled in a soldier allowed the third squad leader to control his emotions.
Ten minutes later, the train pulled into the station.
Wu Jianfeng expressed gratitude to the assistants from various departments and then escorted Wang Ye and the others to press Deng Hai onto the train.