Chapter 241: Wang Ye, Too Awesome
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“This Old Wei really spared no effort in poaching a new recruit.
With only two coins in his pocket, he was eager to display a grand spectacle!”
Inside the Regiment Headquarters, the regiment commander and the committee member stood by the window of his office.
Observing the direction of the small town and the distant speck disappearing from his sight in the sky, he remained calm. In fact, he chuckled merrily as if it had no bearing on him.
“Are you certain you don’t want to go? Don’t have regrets later,” the director remarked. In truth, he had contemplated calling a taxi a moment ago.
But the regiment commander intervened, halting his intentions.
The regiment commander grinned and replied, “Why bother? By the time we arrive, it will be too late!”
He then gazed towards the town and added with a smile, “I have faith in Wang Ye, so it matters little if I’m not present.”
“What if you’re mistaken? After all, they arrived in a military helicopter.”
“He’s just a young lad. Who can resist the allure of such a thing? Even if 1 hadn’t been there, I could predict that Old Wei would undoubtedly use it to entice Wang Ye.”
“So what?” The regiment commander’s smile remained, and he turned to the director. “He doesn’t even desire a third-class merit. I doubt he’d leave our regiment just to toy with that silly helicopter!”
“Hehe, you have a point,” the director concurred.
However, after the laughter subsided, he inquired once more, “But what if Wang Ye genuinely wishes to leave? After all, the reconnaissance battalion under the division is indeed distinct from ordinary troops!”
“In that case, I’ll let him go.”
“Your name is Wang Ye?”
“Yes, sir, my name is Wang Ye!”
Outside the town, approximately 20 meters separated him from the helicopter and a similar distance from Wu Jianfeng and the others.
Having been summoned by Wu Jianfeng, Wang Ye approached the chief of staff, who had ventured off to the side.
The chief of staff wore a smile as he regarded Wang Ye and asked, “Do you aspire to be a true soldier?”
Wang Ye paused briefly, then stood ramrod straight and replied, “Yes, sir!”
“How about joining my unit?” the chief of staff inquired further.
Wang Ye responded without hesitation, “Sir, 1 believe I am already a true soldier in the 4th Company!”
Following this statement, Wang Ye mechanically chanted, “The Iron Blood Fourth Company is an outstanding company, upholding a long-standing tradition of glory. I am the 3,988th warrior of the Iron Blood Fourth Company!”
The chief of staff was visibly taken aback by Wang Ye’s response.
That wasn’t what he intended to convey; he merely meant to highlight the distinction between ordinary troops and scouts.
Nonetheless, he smiled and stated, “1 apologize for my earlier words.”
“Sir, your apology is accepted!” Wang Ye responded, displaying no hint of politeness.
Indeed, given the context of his previous remarks, being polite was unnecessary.
The reason was that when the chief of staff’s words aligned with Wang Ye’s words, it amounted to the chief of staff affirming that the 4th Company was indeed composed of genuine soldiers.
This was no longer a personal matter.
It transcended military ranks and positions. It came down to Wang Ye’s stance on politeness.
Of course, this also resulted from Wang Ye deliberately twisting the chief of staff’s words.
However, Wang Ye paid it no mind.
He had never intended to leave with the Chief of Staff.
Indeed, that helicopter was quite tempting. It would be dishonest to say that Wang Ye felt no allure.
Yet, his temptation lasted but a moment.
Much like a man in a committed relationship who might momentarily appreciate the beauty of other women on the street and steal a few glances.
However, extended contemplation did not imply action.
The flutter of his heart stemmed from an appreciation of beauty, to put it bluntly, the desires of men.
Similarly, Wang Ye, in his current state, wondered what it would be like to serve under a division.
When a soldier enlisted, it was only natural to aspire to become a better soldier.
But he could withstand the temptation.
Because he was now a soldier of the 4th Company, he could be involuntarily transferred, but leaving of his own accord was not an option.
These were two distinct matters.
Loyalty stood as a fundamental tenet of a soldier.
Although everyone professed loyalty to the country and its people.
In truth, this principle extended further.
Loyalty to one’s own unit.
Wang Ye was merely a recruit, a private.
In these circumstances, it was the company to which he, as a soldier, owed his allegiance.
The chief of staff fixed his gaze on Wang Ye at this moment. His smile froze when Wang Ye accepted the apology, but it gradually returned.
“Wang Ye, you are indeed a fine soldier!”
“Yes, thank you for your praise, Chief!” Wang Ye did not feign modesty.
“Hehe, very well, I understand your intentions.
However, 1 believe you understand mine as well!”
The chief of staff locked eyes with Wang Ye.
“Yes, Chief!” Wang Ye replied resolutely.
He didn’t elaborate, but that single “yes” demonstrated that Wang Ye was no fool.
“Good!” Nodding, the Chief of Staff suddenly turned his head with a grin and gestured toward the helicopter. “Would you like to hop on and take a ride? How about 1 give you a little tour in the sky?”
Wang Ye also looked at the helicopter and grinned. “Yes, but there will be opportunities in the future!”
In his thoughts, Wang Ye silently criticized the chief of staff for harboring ulterior motives.
The helicopter’s propellers were whirring as it sat parked to the side.
Because of this, Wu Jianfeng and the others couldn’t quite make out their conversation.
Suppose Wang Ye were to follow the chief of staff onto the helicopter at this moment. If he explained later, Wu Jianfeng and the others might have believed him. However, there were still many eyes on the Fourth Company.
What would the onlookers think?
What might they say behind their backs?
If they said too much behind Wang Ye’s back, and Wang Ye caught wind of it, would he hold a grudge?
Would he want to leave if he bore a grudge?
It was an unseen dilemma.
If Wang Ye weren’t as mature as he appeared, if he were truly just an eighteen or nineteen-year-old young man, he might not be able to resist the temptation…
After all, he had turned down the Chief of Staff’s offer to board the helicopter. He’d never experienced it before; it was just for fun, right?
“Hehe, very well then. I’ll wait for you to come to the division headquarters on your own.”
The chief of staff didn’t press him further. He merely echoed what Wang Ye seemed to be saying.
However, before departing, he added, “Actually, if you aspire to be an exceptional soldier and a trailblazer, it would be a shame not to join the reconnaissance unit!”
With those words, the chief of staff walked towards the helicopter without waiting for Wang Ye’s response.
“The Chief of Staff tried to recruit you?”
The helicopter took off, carrying the two scouts away with the chief of staff. In that moment, Wu Jianfeng and Kang Hua pulled Wang Ye aside and asked in hushed tones.
Wang Ye gazed at them and nodded with a smile. “Yes!”
“What are your thoughts?” Wu Jianfeng inquired, his expression anxious.
It made sense. They had put in so much effort, even confronting the chief of staff to keep Wang Ye. In the end, they had succeeded, but it had only been a matter of days!
Of course, the most crucial point was that the Fourth Company genuinely needed Wang Ye at this moment. If it hadn’t been for Deng Hal’s incident, Wu Jianfeng wouldn’t have been this anxious. If Wang Ye had directly joined the division, he would have laughed it off.
After all, Wang Ye was already a soldier of the 4th Company. Regardless of where he went, he was a soldier of the 4th Company.
However, the four companies presently had a real need for Wang Ye, even if it seemed somewhat self-interested.
But people weren’t machines. Who didn’t have their own self-interest?
Wang Ye looked at them and smiled. “I am the 3,988th soldier of the Iron Blood Fourth Company!”
These words brought smiles to the faces of Wu Jianfeng and the other man.
“Flaha! Alright, you youngster, my judgment of you was spot on!”
Wu Jianfeng patted Wang Ye’s shoulder and burst into laughter.
Beside them, Kang Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
He was more anxious about Wang Ye leaving than Wu Jianfeng was.
If Wang Ye had really been recruited away from the Fourth Company, it would be utterly disheartening for him.
What’s more, if Wang Ye truly left, it would essentially be a death sentence for him in terms of career advancement. His role primarily involved strategic thinking.
Wang Ye had only recently joined the fray. Previously, he had served as an instructor.
Now, with Wang Ye absconding just as he was starting to make headway, the higher-ups might perceive it as him failing in his role as an instructor.
Under such circumstances, how could he hope to progress to the next level?
Contrastingly, if Wang Ye stayed, it signified that he had fulfilled his duties admirably. This could certainly mitigate the fallout from Deng Hai’s incident.
Truth be told, if it weren’t for the fact that he hadn’t returned yet and that many Fourth Company soldiers were still watching him closely, he would have granted Wang Ye some time off, taken him to town for a meal, bought a couple of bottles of wine, and enjoyed a clandestine drink with him…
Wang Ye was truly remarkable.