Chapter 413: Wang Ye’s Method of Leading Troops
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“My name is Wang Ye, the platoon leader of the Iron Bones Flero Regiment’s new recruits, and I also serve as the Class leader for our Class Five!”
Inside the dormitory, all ten new recruits placed their luggage at their feet and lined up facing each other in two rows.
Wang Ye stood in the center at one end, looking at everyone on both sides with a serious expression, beginning his self-introduction.
“Class… Class leader, may I ask…” one of the new recruits couldn’t contain his curiosity that had been building up all the way here. He raised his hand eagerly to ask about Wang Ye’s medals.
However, before he could even ask his question, Wang Ye gave him a stern look.
Just his gaze was enough to make the words stuck in his throat.
Wang Ye looked at him with a cold face and said, “This is the military camp; you must report before speaking.”
After a brief pause, the stern-faced Wang Ye continued, “This is the first time, but I hope it’s the last time!”
Speaking to this point, Wang Ye scanned the others and asked, “Have you all understood?”
“Clear!”
“Yes!
Two different voices responded.
Wang Ye didn’t dwell on this and continued to address them, “Being under my command, I’m not afraid to tell you that this is your fortune, but at the same time, it’s also your misfortune!”
Wang Ye’s words clearly made the group of new recruits nervous.
However, Wang Ye didn’t explain too much to them at this moment.
He continued, “You now have ten minutes. If you need to use the restroom, turn right and go out; if you don’t want to go, you can call your family to let them know you’re safe!”
After saying this, Wang Ye asked again, “Do all of you have phones? If not, report to me!”
Upon hearing this, none of the new recruits spoke, but their eyes immediately turned towards each other.
It was already 2021, and mobile phones were ubiquitous by now. At the very least, even the cheapest knock-off phones were affordable, so everyone was expected to have one.
Seeing no one speak up, Wang Ye continued, “Alright, if you all have phones, then you’re dismissed. Remember, make your calls inside the dormitory, not outside!”
After saying this, Wang Ye walked over to his own locker.
One by one, he took off the military medals from his uniform and carefully placed them in small boxes.
The full effect of flaunting his medals hadn’t been fully realized yet, but he had shown them to the recruits now, so he didn’t need to wear them constantly.
“Hey, Mom-
Yes, I’ve arrived…
It’s pretty good here; we’ve just been assigned to our classes…”
“Amin, I’ve arrived at the base…”
Inside the dormitory, two recruits chose to go to the restroom, but everyone else had taken out their phones to make calls.
After neatly arranging his military medals, Wang Ye remained silent. He casually took a book from his locker and sat down at his designated bed to start reading.
Well… Wang Ye was actually just putting on a show.
In reality, he was attentively listening to their phone conversations.
The first call home by new recruits after entering the military could reveal a lot of things. It was a natural response when people were placed in a new and unfamiliar environment. Moreover, since they had just arrived at the military camp and were not familiar with the routines, their thoughts were still quite straightforward, and they wouldn’t have many defenses up.
In such a situation, more information would be exposed during phone calls. For example, their personalities could be discerned by listening to their conversations. Another important point was identifying who had girlfriends.
Some new recruits might not be entirely honest, and they might hide things later on. However, by intentionally giving them a ten-minute window, Wang Ye allowed them enough time to call their families and, if they had girlfriends, to contact them as well.
Not only did he pay attention to phone calls, but he also observed anyone sending text messages. Girlfriends were undoubtedly one of the biggest potential troublemakers during the new recruits’ training period.
Just look at Deng Hai, and you’d understand how much trouble a girlfriend could cause.
And this was not an isolated case at all, as Wang Ye, who had been a soldier for a year, knew very well.
Every year in the entire army, there were incidents of recruits quitting or even deserting due to issues related to girlfriends.
“Alright, time’s up!”
Wang Ye was strict about the ten-minute time limit.
As soon as the time was up, he called for them to stop.
Immediately, each recruit swiftly ended their phone calls.
Once they had returned to their previous positions and stood at attention, Wang Ye didn’t waste any time. He instructed them to open their luggage for inspection.
Unlike Wang Ye’s own experience last year when they arrived during mealtime, this time, they hadn’t had their meal yet, so there were certain tasks that needed to be completed first.
“During your time as new recruits, smoking is strictly prohibited. I know that some of you may already have some knowledge of the military from your time outside, and you might even have cigarettes hidden on you right now.”
After inspecting their bags, Wang Ye looked around at them and addressed another important rule for the recruits.
“Smoking is strictly forbidden, and let me remind you not to try any tricks or hold any illusions of getting away with it. I’ll be straightforward with you year after year, all the clever ideas you can think of have already been tried and tested. So, be honest, if you want to smoke, you’re men; you can tell me directly!”
Wang Ye looked at them and delivered a statement that left them surprised.
Seeing the expressions on their faces, Wang Ye paused briefly before continuing, “Of course, the condition for asking me for cigarettes is that you must satisfy me with your training. Only if I am satisfied with your performance will I allow you to smoke one!”
“Report!”
As soon as Wang Ye finished speaking, one of the recruits couldn’t hold back any longer.
“Speak!” Wang Ye looked at him.
“Class leader, what level of performance would satisfy you?” This recruit looked at Wang Ye with a cautious expression, asking a question that concerned all the soldiers in the squad who wanted to smoke.
A hint of amusement appeared on Wang Ye’s face, the first smile they had seen from him since he arrived.
“Good question!” Wang Ye began, surveying them again before stating, “What level of performance would satisfy me? I’ll give you a clear standard right now.”
Wang Ye raised one finger, “The first criterion: During your time as new recruits, there will be various tests, and for any exercise, as long as you can achieve the top rank in the entire company, you can come to me and ask for a cigarette!”
Upon hearing this, the recruit who had spoken up wore a bitter expression.
For him, this was almost impossible!
Top rank in the entire company?
Knowing the backgrounds of the other new recruits from his hometown’s Armed Forces Office, hearing this made him feel like it was an absurd idea. Many of them were sports prodigies, while he was just an ordinary high school graduate. Competing for the top spot seemed nearly impossible.
Wang Ye naturally noticed his expression, but he didn’t pay it any mind.
Still with a smile on his face, Wang Ye raised another finger, “The second method! Any training or learning program in the new recruits’ camp, you can come to me anytime for a challenge.”
Wang Ye looked at them and said word by word, “As long as you can beat me, you can come to me anytime for cigarettes!”
At this moment, Wang Ye saw someone’s eyes visibly light up.
“Report, Class leader, can it be any random exercise or skill?” Another recruit couldn’t resist reporting.
Wang Ye looked at them with a smile and replied, “Yes, anything you learn in the new recruits’ camp, whether it’s knowledge, skills, or physical fitness, as long as you can beat me, it’s fair game!”
Continuing to look at them, Wang Ye continued with a grin, “I’m putting it out here: as long as you can beat me, not only can you come to me for cigarettes anytime, but if you want to buy snacks from the canteen, you don’t need to pay. Just tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll get it for you!”
Wang Ye’s offer was highly tempting.
It was so tempting that recruits who had some confidence in themselves even narrowed their eyes in excitement.
They were newbies, not afraid of a challenge.
Indeed, they were well aware that Wang Ye was likely a tough leader.
With so many medals, he couldn’t be anything less.
However, not believing they could beat him in any competition was a different matter.
Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, and some of them were graduates of sports schools, sports prodigies, and one of them was even a college student.
They had confidence in themselves.
If other experienced soldiers had known what was going through their minds and seen their expressions at this moment, it would probably have amused them greatly.
This group of rookies had absolutely no idea what it meant to be in the military.
Trying to get cigarettes this way?
It would be easier to just quit smoking altogether.
However, in Class Five, there were no experienced soldiers to explain to them.
Li Bing and the others had escorted them to the dormitory and then left, so there was naturally no one to explain what “big daddy” meant.
“Alright, I know that even if someone has hidden cigarettes, they probably won’t willingly give them to me right now, and there might even be some hiding their phones. But it doesn’t matter; 1 won’t search you. As long as you can ensure I don’t find out, 1 don’t care. However, you better pray not to get caught by me. Once 1 catch you, be mentally prepared!”
Wang Ye continued to speak with a smile on his face.
While Wang Ye could smile, the new recruits in Class Five had serious expressions on their faces. Their expressions had swapped with Wang Ye’s from earlier.
In truth, Wang Ye wasn’t sure if any of them were trying to be clever, but as he had mentioned, whether they were hiding something or not wasn’t a major concern.
Next, Wang Ye took them to store their luggage properly.
Upon their return, Wang Ye convened their first squad meeting.
It was essentially for them to introduce themselves and get to know each other.
Overall, the quality of the new recruits in Class Five was actually quite good.
Aside from Duan Wei, the college student who had taken a break from his studies in his sophomore year to enlist, there were also two recruits with a background in sports and one who had practiced martial arts since childhood.
Out of the ten recruits, having four such promising talents was a pretty good resource for a new recruits’ class.
“What are you waiting for? Start eating! There will be plenty of noodles tonight, and if it’s not enough, add more later!”
At the canteen, precisely at six o’clock, Wang Ye brought the new recruits for their first meal. They didn’t have to sing any songs today; they simply entered the canteen.
Unlike other Class leaders who would help the recruits by serving them noodles, Wang Ye didn’t do that. He simply served himself a bowl of noodles and started talking to them.
By the way, it’s worth mentioning that the tool used to serve the noodles today was still the small yellow basin, and it belonged to Wang Ye.
His basin had never been used for waste disposal, even though it had been used to soak his feet last night.
But by now, Wang Ye had gotten used to it.
Besides, it was his own small yellow basin, so there was nothing to complain about..