Chapter 336: Would They Be Dumbfounded?
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Another second-class merit?”
In the old company back home, Old Wang, holding the phone, was a bit bewildered.
How long has it been?
Just yesterday, he had returned from his hometown.
One second-class merit, and it became a big deal.
They even burned incense and updated the family genealogy.
But today, his wife called and told him that their son had earned another second-class merit.
Since when did second-class merits become so easy to come by?
Old Wang’s brain felt a bit overwhelmed.
He had lived for so long, and he hadn’t seen anyone celebrating and awarding second-class merits in their daily lives, had he?
Or was it the first time that his son had let him witness the grand spectacle of the Armed Forces bringing a plaque to their home?
But now…
“Wife, are you really sure about this? It’s not a joke, is it?”
Old Wang’s head was spinning, and he sought confirmation from his wife once again.
“It should be true. Your son said he participated in a martial arts competition at the division headquarters. He said he broke the record for the 400-meter obstacle race that earned him a third-class merit before. This time, he broke the military district’s record, so the general personally awarded him a second-class merit!”
“The general?”
Old Wang grasped another key piece of information.
“Yes, that’s right! The general.
Your son also mentioned that the general patted him on the shoulder and told him to work hard, and during the last award ceremony today, the general praised him again!”
“Good… good…”
The hand holding the phone trembled slightly.
This was exhilarating.
Even though he was a multimillionaire tycoon, and his wealth was still growing day by day, he often had interactions with government officials.
However, a general, he had truly never encountered one, nor had he ever seen one in person.
The term “general” had always been associated with martial prowess since ancient times.
In fact, there was hardly a man who hadn’t dreamt of commanding his own domain, leading troops into battle on the battlefield.
But such dreams were almost always just that—dreams.
“What… What else did our son say?”
At this moment, Old Wang’s excited words were a bit hard to articulate.
Several minutes later, when Old Wang hung up the phone.
Standing in his office, he paced back and forth.
He was pondering, what should he do this time?
It had only been a short while, and there had already been two grand celebrations back in his hometown. Did they need to do it again this time?
And what about the ancestral ceremony they conducted just yesterday? How would that fit into this?
Should he go back and conduct another ancestral ceremony when the time comes?
Could it be that even their ancestors in the heavens would be left bewildered?
But soon, he made up his mind.
Well, let everyone know that his son had truly become extraordinary. He, Wang Jianjun, had an outstanding son.
Moreover, why couldn’t they update the family genealogy again? The second-class merit would certainly be recorded in the county’s annals once more, giving them another opportunity to update the genealogy.
Wang Ye could sense the excitement of his parents back in his hometown, but for himself, he felt a profound sense of contentment.
In two lifetimes, he had never allowed his parents to bask in such glory.
Even though his parents were ordinary in his previous life, he had achieved some modest success.
But that modest success merely allowed him to buy a BBA-class car after turning thirty.
This kind of achievement might not mean much in the city, but in a small rural area, it made him slightly better than the average person.
It couldn’t compare to the grand celebrations that were happening now with the local armed forces bringing plaques and beating drums.
Two plaques!
If you counted the one he couldn’t talk about, it was three!
Honestly, at this moment, Wang Ye felt a surge of pride thinking about his medals, even though he had never worn them all at once.
But Wang Ye could already imagine the sensation it would cause when he did wear them all.
Hmm… when he went to the military academy later, he could wear them there.
Meng Wenbin had mentioned that new recruits at the military academy also had to undergo basic training and be trained by senior soldiers.
New recruits’ training!
He could imagine the shock on the faces of the veteran squad leaders who would have to train him when they saw him wearing ail those medals.
Train me?
Just ask them, with all these medals hanging on me, do you feel any pressure?
With a smile on his lips, Wang Ye strolled over to the mess hall.
Tonight, the Fourth Company would be celebrating with a feast.
Right now, except for Wang Ye, the hero of Wu Jianfeng’s story, who could call home to share the good news, everyone else, including the competition team members, was busy.
Cleaning, helping in the kitchen, you name it.
“Brother Wang!”
As soon as he arrived at the mess hall, Wang Ye saw a group of people outside dealing with a slaughtered pig.
Zhang Ping’an, who was currently cleaning the pig, saw Wang Ye and immediately stood up with excitement.
“Hey, don’t come over here, I’ll come over. You can continue working, and I’ll help you!”
Zhang Ping’an had been about to get up and approach Wang Ye, but he stopped when he heard this, but he quickly spoke, “No, Brother Wang, don’t bother.
You’re the hero of our Fourth Company, so get ready to enjoy a good meal tonight. Come on, Brother Wang, I’ll handle this, and you can tell me some stories from your competition!”
Zhang Ping’an was also very enthusiastic.
In fact, not only him but also the others in the kitchen and even those from the Fourth Company who were helping out, were all smiling and engaging in conversation.
Wang Ye responded to each one with a friendly demeanor, not displaying any airs after his recent achievement. He had earned merits before, and he didn’t let it go to his head. He was all smiles as he eventually joined in and lent a helping hand.
That night, the mess hall in the Fourth Company was particularly lively. At one point during the meal, even the regimental commander came over. Of course, he didn’t come to say anything specific but rather to join in the celebration and share a drink with everyone.
“If I could earn a second-class merit one day, 1 think my parents would be overjoyed for real!”
After dinner, now that the kitchen duties were done for the night and soldiers from other units were helping with cleaning and dishwashing, Zhang Ping’an had some free time to sit outside on the field with Wang Ye, looking at the moon.
“Hehe, then you should work hard; the kitchen has its chances too!”
“Haha, come on, cut the crap, there’s no chance for me. Well, 1 don’t want to dwell on it,” Zhang Ping’an laughed and changed the topic, “Brother Wang, our platoon leader told us that our regiment might be going on a mission these next few days. You’re still with the instructional squad. What will you do when you return? Did the company commander say anything?”
“Let it be, there will be arrangements when we graduate. No need to worry about it now,” Wang Ye casually replied without mentioning his potential assignment to the reconnaissance unit.
In reality, he was also a bit uncertain at the moment. If they were on training duty, wouldn’t the Recognaissance Platoon also have to go?
“That’s true. It’s best not to think too much. If we can stay behind, that would be great. They say those who stay behind can gain a few pounds while those on training duty can lose a few!”
Wang Ye turned to look at him, somewhat speechless. However, he didn’t try to dissuade Zhang Ping’an.
Everyone has their own aspirations, and not everyone shares the same goals as oneself. Moreover, Zhang Ping’an, who works in the kitchen, already has qualifications, making it relatively easy for him to make it through Phase Three. After Phase Three, regardless of the way he chooses to leave the military, he will definitely be able to live a stable life. In this situation, opting for comfort over turmoil is not a wrong decision for him.
The next day, Wang Ye went directly back to the instructional squad. Whether the Iron Bones Heroes Regiment would go for training or maritime training next didn’t concern him at the moment. He needed to graduate from the instructional squad first before thinking about other matters.
“Congratulations, Wang Ye!”
As soon as he got off the car at the instructional squad, District Commander Ji Qinglin saw him and rushed over with a smiling face. He completely dropped the seriousness he used to maintain.
Partly because he didn’t know how to maintain that seriousness anymore.
After all, Wang Ye had broken the military district record and almost turned the competition into a personal fashion show. The newspaper from the division headquarters had even published it this morning.
The headline read:
“The only soldier in the entire competition to receive all eleven awards on stage.”
“The only soldier in the entire competition to break the military district record and set another division record, earning the second-class merit.”
Various “the only one” phrases filled the large article, accompanied by a prominent photo of Wang Ye.
When Ji Qinglin saw the newspaper, he almost wished he could add another line:
“The only student to enter the instructional squad as a private.”
Well… it would be even better if he could add: “The district commander of the instructional squad is Ji Qinglin.”
Of course, unless he had a life-and-death relationship with the journalists from the PR Department, they wouldn’t have added those lines.
But that didn’t diminish his happiness at seeing Wang Ye now.
What is a good soldier?
This is what a good soldier looks like.
He had already completed Phase Three, and as an infantryman, barring any unexpected circumstances, Phase Three was pretty much the end of the road for him.
Before retiring, he could still mentor a soldier like this.
He was proud and genuinely happy from the bottom of his heart.
When he retired, he could also tell others that he had once trained the most outstanding soldier who broke the military district record.
“Captain!”
Wang Ye greeted Ji Qinglin with a smile as he approached.
“Haha, good, good, come… let’s go to the office and chat!”
Ji Qinglin led Wang Ye away, but they had only taken a few steps when he turned back to Wang Changdong and Du Yitong and said, “You two hurry back. We have a theoretical class this morning, and you guys don’t perform well in theory classes usually. When you get back, make sure to quickly borrow someone else’s notes and catch up, you hear me?”
“Yes!”
Both of them replied with a hint of bitterness in their mouths.
Such a contrast in destinies!
They came to the instructional squad together, went back to participate in the competition together, and now they had returned together.
And they had witnessed how Wang Ye was treated.
When they saw Wang Ye getting off the car, the District Commander had run over with a big smile, greeted him enthusiastically, and led him away, smiling throughout.
But now, Ji Qinglin had completely ignored them and was sporting a sour expression.
Did he have a two-faced personality or something?
One second ago, he was all smiles, and now he had completely hidden all those joyful expressions.
Was he such a dog?
Of course, they only dared to think such thoughts internally.
They had a lot to grumble about, but they didn’t dare to utter a word. They obediently shouldered their backpacks, prepared to go to the dormitory to drop off their things before heading to class.
However, just as they took a few steps forward, they were called back.
“Wait a moment, you guys help carry Wang Ye’s backpack to the dorm!” Ji Qinglin didn’t pay heed to their frustration and took Wang Ye’s backpack off his shoulders and tossed it to them.
Then, he led Wang Ye towards the platoon leader who was standing outside the office on the first floor.
The platoon leader showed some restraint. When he heard the commotion, he had come out with a smile and stood at the office door, not rushing over immediately.
However, this restraint disappeared once Wang Changdong and Du Yitong reached the platoon leader, and Wang Ye approached.
“Platoon Leader!”
As Wang Ye approached, he saluted with a smile.
“Haha! Well done!” The platoon leader gave Wang Ye a friendly punch on the chest and, without hesitation, put his arm around Wang Ye and walked into the office.
“Come on in, let’s talk about your performance in the competition!”