Chapter 418: The Box of Milk That Won’t Pass
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Platoon Leader!”
In the Platoon Leader’s office, Han Yi stood up as Wang Ye approached from the side.
“Is it ready?” Wang Ye asked as he looked at him.
“Report, yes!”
Wang Ye walked over and reached for the report Han Yi had written, quickly scanning it.
After just a few seconds…
“No, this won’t do. Rewrite it!”
Wang Ye looked at him and then, in his surprised expression, crumpled the paper and tossed it into the nearby trash bin.
Wang Ye spoke with a faint tone, “Throughout your report, you talked about what your Class Leader did or said, but you didn’t explain why you went against your Class Leader. Moreover, you failed to reflect on your own actions. You haven’t even realized your own mistakes.”
Han Yi opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, Wang Ye looked at him again with a serious expression and asked, “Tell me, what is a soldier’s duty?”
Han Yi hesitated for a moment, but then immediately stood at attention and replied loudly, “Report, obey orders!”
Wang Ye maintained a stern expression and said, “As long as you understand.”
After a pause, Wang Ye continued, “Think carefully about where you went wrong. 1 told you to apologize to your Class Leader, not just to say ‘I’m sorry,’ you understand?”
“Yes!” Han Yi replied in a subdued voice once again.
Wang Ye’s words indeed left him feeling overwhelmed, but there was no choice but to accept it now.
“Bring a pen and paper and come with me!” Wang Ye spoke again.
With that, Wang Ye walked towards the door.
This situation was actually within Wang Ye’s expectations.
A new recruit who had just joined the military couldn’t possibly possess the level of understanding he claimed to have. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have dared to challenge his Class Leader.
So, when Wang Ye had first brought him down, he didn’t impose any immediate punishment.
But now, half an hour had passed, and this guy should have calmed down by now.
It was necessary to do what had to be done.
Currently, after issuing another command, Wang Ye led him out of the room and then upstairs.
Of course, it wasn’t to return to the squad.
They went directly to the door of the confinement room upstairs.
After opening the door to the confinement room, Wang Ye looked at him and said, “Get in, reflect on your actions, and tomorrow I’ll come to review what you’ve written.”
Han Yi glanced at Wang Ye and then stood at attention.
“Yes, sir!”
As he walked upstairs towards this place, he knew exactly what he had to do.
Although he felt quite helpless inside, he accepted the outcome.
Because Wang Ye had just awakened him to a crucial point.
As a soldier, he had gone against his duty, and confinement was the appropriate consequence.
Wang Ye didn’t say much more to him. After he entered the confinement room and the door was locked, Wang Ye turned and left.
This was the military, and everything had its rules.
Han Yi’s actions had already crossed the military’s bottom line. If he hadn’t been a new recruit, he wouldn’t have been let off so easily today.
Currently, Wang Ye could accommodate his vulnerability as a new recruit by transferring him to another class, but it was impossible for him to go without any punishment.
Otherwise, where would the dignity of a soldier’s duty be?
Furthermore, if he didn’t administer any punishment, what would happen if others saw it and decided to challenge their Class Leaders?
This was something that needed to be nipped in the bud.
He could move one person to another squad, but he couldn’t do that for the entire company.
“Today’s incident serves as a warning to us…”
In the company office, Wang Ye returned after going downstairs.
At this point, all the Class Leaders in the entire company had been called in.
A meeting was being held to address the recent incident.
Of course, the idea of swapping assignments between squads, as suggested by Jiang Huai earlier, was out of the question.
Now, after reviewing the Class Seven Leader’s report and having the Class Seven Leader publicly reflect on it, Han Yi began to discuss the solution that had been worked out with the instructor and Wang Ye earlier.
Essentially, it was a warning to all the Class Leaders, reminding them to focus on their own duties. In simpler terms, they were instructed not to bring up Wang Ye’s name every time they opened their mouths.
It was reasonable to compare with the new recruit from the Class Five. If they couldn’t measure up to them, why bring up Wang Ye? The Class Five was from the same batch as them, and if they didn’t mention Wang Ye, it would be enough to motivate them.
“Respected leaders, comrades, today I stand before you with deep remorse…”
On the evening of the twenty-first, Han Yi stood at the front of the formation, holding the report that had been reviewed by Wang Ye earlier in the day and modified twice in the afternoon. The entire company had begun its review.
At the same time, in front of the entire company, he offered an apology to the Class Seven Leader.
Naturally, the Class Seven Leader couldn’t avoid this. He was the one who had caused this incident, and Han Yi was also in his squad. He had to publicly reflect once more, as decided during the meeting held yesterday by the company commander and others.
Now, with one side apologizing and the other side reflecting, the matter came to an end. The only consequence was that the Seventh Squad was now short one soldier, and the Class Five had gained an extra member.
“All, this is going to be embarrassing!”
On the afternoon of the twenty-eighth, next to the 400-meter obstacle course used by the First Regiment, over twenty veteran soldiers were standing there with looks of helplessness.
It was an old tradition in the Iron Bones Hero Regiment to show the new recruits the difference between them and the veterans after the new recruit training ended. This was done by running this 400-meter obstacle course.
Currently, the reconnaissance soldiers from the Criminal Investigation Company had been brought over.
They had received the daunting task they didn’t want to do today.
There was no choice; Wang Ye, the eccentric guy, was in the new recruit company. Who wanted to perform a 400-meter obstacle course in front of him? It was like dancing with a big knife in front of Guan Gong, the God of War!
What made it even more challenging was that this time it was in the form of educational training.
“Ah, let’s hope Wang Ye won’t participate later and spare us some face!” someone said with a wry smile.
Upon hearing this, someone dryly whispered, “It shouldn’t be the case; today’s about educating the new recruits, not us!”
“Heh, you never know; what if Wang Ye wants to show off a bit?”
Someone commented like that, and the expressions on everyone’s faces became even more bitter.
This was truly vexing.
Educating new recruits was usually an easy and enjoyable task, almost like a special privilege. In previous years, the veterans would fight over such assignments, but this year, they really didn’t want to do it!
However, they had no choice. This year, the new recruit company’s commander was their deputy company commander.
“They’re here!” Suddenly, someone on the camp road called out.
Immediately, the reconnaissance soldiers turned their heads to look.
Indeed, they had arrived. The entire company of new recruits, led by Jiang Huai, appeared within their view in the camp.
“Wow, look over there, tanks…”
“So cool, I wish 1 could drive one!”
“I don’t ask for much; just let me touch it now, and I’ll be satisfied!”
After the new recruit platoon entered their camp area, there was some excitement among them.
Although their marching formation remained orderly, there were constant murmurs within the marching ranks.
Wang Ye walked at the front of the formation, his hearing sharp enough to catch some of the comments.
A slight curve formed at the corner of his mouth.
He didn’t turn around to reprimand them.
Because this scene was very familiar to him; they had been the same way last year.
“Another year has passed!”
On the rooftop of the regimental headquarters, the regimental commander was currently holding a pair of binoculars.
His gaze was fixed on the new recruit platoon.
Beside him, the chief of staff was also present.
Hearing the regimental commander’s words, the chief of staff couldn’t help but purse his lips.
He harbored deep resentment.
A year had passed, and when it came to Wang Ye, he usually didn’t think much about it.
But now, standing here and watching this year’s new recruits arrive, memories of last year’s batch, including Wang Ye, doing the 400-meter obstacle course were replaying in his mind.
It was at that time when the crate of milk came into play.
“You didn’t confiscate the milk this year, did you?”
The regimental commander, who was looking at the new recruits through binoculars, suddenly heard the faint voice from beside him.
Immediately, the regimental commander’s expression froze.
He lowered the binoculars and looked at the chief of staff somewhat awkwardly.
“Don’t be petty. Where could I have confiscated milk this year? Besides, isn’t Jiang Huai your soldier?”
The chief of staff pouted again, “That’s true, but you never know; the platoon leader manages three companies underneath!”
Yes, this year the company commander was from the reconnaissance company, but he was only there to mediate the competition among the lower-ranking units for that position.
According to what everyone said, the best soldiers were often selected from the companies where they were trained. Of course, the chief of staff had the first-tier selection rights.
However, wasn’t it the same as last year?
The chief of staff had the first-tier priority for selecting soldiers last year as well, but in the end, he lost out to a crate of milk.
The regimental commander was quite helpless; this matter couldn’t be avoided.
“Alright, you’re really annoying. I’m not a child, so why would I care about milk? Relax, 1 didn’t confiscate it this year!”
“Hmm? Did someone actually bring some?” The chief of staff seized on the key point in the conversation.
The regimental commander was speechless.
He picked up the binoculars again, watching the new recruits while saying, “No!”
But there actually were some.
This year, there were indeed some promising recruits. The key was that now everyone in the entire regiment knew about the story of Wu Jianfeng’s crate of milk being swapped for Wang Ye.
So, fearing that the chief of staff would get there first, the commanders of the three companies below had all gone to the regimental commander’s house carrying crates of milk. Of course, this time, none of the company commanders even made it inside the regimental commander’s house, and they were almost chased away with a broom.
These troublesome guys, being swindled once wasn’t enough; they came again this year, and not just one of them. Did they think their regimental commander couldn’t afford to buy milk on his own?
“One minute, thirty-one point eighty-eight seconds!”
“One minute, thirty-five point thirty-seven seconds!”
“One minute…”
Next to the 400-meter obstacle course training area, as the times of the reconnaissance soldiers completing the course were announced one by one, the new recruits outside widened their eyes in astonishment.
Each class of eight soldiers completed the course in less than one minute and forty seconds.
It was even more impressive than watching the Fourth Company’s performance last year.
So fast!”
“They’re a bit insane! Are these the veteran soldiers? Even with so many obstacles in the 400 meters, they’re still this fast!”
“But their speed obviously slowed down when they were returning. Is it really that difficult?”
“What do you guys think, how fast can Platoon Leader Wang run this course?”
The new recruits whispered and discussed among themselves, and some couldn’t help but glance at Wang Ye, who was standing nearby.
Naturally, many of the veteran soldiers heard these comments.
Some veteran soldiers smiled knowingly, but many Class Leaders couldn’t help but shoot glances at Wang Ye.
The new recruits didn’t know about Wang Ye’s performance.
Because information about Wang Ye’s 400-meter obstacle course time had been classified from the beginning, all to ensure that the new recruits wouldn’t underestimate the veteran soldiers during today’s training.
However, the new recruits were unaware, but how could the veteran soldiers not know?
Even though they were not from the same platoon or company, it had been over a year now, and they had all heard various versions of the story.
Wang Ye continued to smile, not saying a word.
He had certainly noticed the glances from the veteran Class Leaders. In fact, he had observed that almost every moment someone from the reconnaissance soldiers was watching him since he arrived.
However, Wang Ye didn’t react in any way.
In fact, he was not going to participate today.
Today was about helping the new recruits understand the gap between themselves and the veteran soldiers, not about showing the new recruits the gap between him and the veterans. It certainly wasn’t about making the new recruits feel hopeless..