Chapter 5
In front of the mirror, Wang Ye was wearing his military camouflage uniform and a military cap, grinning as he bowed to himself. “I’m a soldier now!” he exclaimed.
“Son, come out and see if you’ve packed enough things!” outside, his mother shouted.
Although his father had told them not to buy anything, Wang Ye’s mother had gone out and bought a lot the day before. Now, they were helping him stuff things outside.
Wang Ye walked out and was a bit overwhelmed at the sight of everything. The bags were stuffed to the brim, and there were even two suitcases.
“Mom, we don’t need so much. Plus, if I really bring all of this with me, it’ll be very troublesome. You don’t want me to get in trouble the moment I arrive in the army, do you?”
“Who’s going to give you trouble? I’ve asked around and it’s okay to bring luggage. The things inside are all everyday necessities. I bought you a hundred pairs of socks because I heard that the new recruits are in a tough situation. How can two pairs of socks be enough? I also bought ten pairs of undergarments, and as for toiletries and whatnot, you can buy them in the army. However, you only have this one set of clothes now. You need to bring a few more sets. And Auntie Liu said that army training is very tough. If you need to climb or roll on the ground, it’s best to wear a set of protective gear. I’ve already prepared it for you!”
Wang Ye was helpless. What his mother said made sense, but he didn’t want to draw too much attention to himself.
“Mom, others won’t bring so much, so why should I? It’ll definitely draw too much attention. You asked Auntie Liu about this, and it was Auntie Liu’s retired son who said these things, right? But did he say that when you enter the army, they’ll arrest people to show off? Others aren’t eye-catching, but if I’m so noticeable, won’t they just grab me? Plus, this is just too much. One set of civilian clothes is enough. Everyone wears military uniforms in the army, so there aren’t many opportunities to wear civilian clothes. And if I really need more clothes, I have money to buy them. As for undergarments, five sets are enough, and I’ll bring twenty pairs of socks. These can all fit in my bag. As for other protective gear, I don’t need it. I’m not going to the army to act like a spoiled brat. If others can handle it, I can handle it too!”
“How can you handle it?” his mother retorted.
“This is fine. Listen to your son and stop fussing!” His mother had just finished speaking when Wang Jianjun walked in through the front door.
After hearing what his son had said, he looked at Wang Ye and said, “Remember to do what you say. You are my son, and even if you’re only in the army for two years, don’t embarrass me!”
“Dad, don’t worry! I won’t let you down.”
“Alright, then do as you said. Hurry up and pack your things. We’re heading to the military now.”
“Good!” Wang Ye said, and he picked up the luggage and started packing everything he needed into his bag. He decided not to take the other things since he couldn’t openly put them into his storage space. He had prepared himself well for becoming a soldier and had done a lot of research online to avoid being a novice.
Once he finished packing, Wang Ye got into his father’s Mercedes-Benz with his mother. Although he initially didn’t want her to come, she insisted on following him. In the car, his mother kept giving him advice and warnings, to which Wang Ye could only nod his head in agreement. He understood her worry and didn’t want to annoy her.
“Go and do your job well. Don’t embarrass me!” his father said when they arrived at the entrance of the armed forces department. He stayed in the car, while his mother wanted to get out, but Wang Jianjun stopped her.
Wang Ye got out of the car and tidied up his clothes before standing beside it and raising his hand to salute. His mother began to cry as she watched him, but Wang Ye didn’t go to comfort her. Instead, he turned around and walked towards the gate of the military.
…
“Wow, he drives a Mercedes-Benz! Whose young master is he?” one of the soldiers whispered.
“Ha, he’s probably just another spoiled rich kid who wants to have some fun outside. What kind of soldier will he make?” another soldier commented.
“Okay, let’s not judge people based on stereotypes. What’s wrong with a child from a wealthy family serving his country? In fact, it’s quite valuable to have rich, patriotic individuals joining the military. Such talents are rare!” a third soldier interjected.
At the entrance of the armed forces department, there were several soldiers who didn’t belong to the local department. They were officers who had come to receive the new soldiers. When one of the sergeants spoke, the others fell silent, understanding that these were his soldiers.
“Squad Leader Li!” Wang Ye walked over and stood at attention with a smile when he saw the officer. He had met him before when he had come to his house with the local armed forces personnel.
“Stand behind me for now and wait. After the other recruits arrive, I’ll bring you in,” Squad Leader Li instructed him.
The recruits from one county would not be going to the same place. In fact, there was not much chance of being in the same recruit company or even the same squad. Not all the officers were present to receive the soldiers, as they were only the first batch. There were also new recruits who were not gathering that day.
After a while, Squad Leader Li waited for two more recruits before deciding to move forward. He called for a sergeant to take over and led Wang Ye and the other two to the back of the armed forces department.
…
“This is your designated area. Go in and find a bed. Don’t wander around. I still need to pick someone up. I’ll come find you later,” Squad Leader Li instructed before quickly leaving to attend to his other duties.
Without wasting any time, he led Wang Ye and the other two recruits to a barracks with iron beds. There were already some people inside, but Wang Ye and the other two didn’t communicate much with them. Following Squad Leader Li’s instructions, they went inside to find a bed.
As Wang Ye was settling in, he suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Eh, Your Highness!” the voice exclaimed.
Wang Ye turned around and saw a young man in a military uniform, with a prisoner-like hairstyle, running over with a smile.
“Damn, it’s really you! What are you doing here?”
Wang Ye recognized the other young man as Yan Zhiming, a classmate from the neighboring class in high school who also liked to surf the internet.
“I’m here to join the army,” Wang Ye replied with a smile.
To meet someone familiar in a sea of strangers naturally brought a sense of closeness.
“Really? You’re joining the army!” Yan Zhiming’s eyes widened in surprise. He quickly realized the stupidity of his question, since if Wang Ye wasn’t joining the army, why would he be there?
“Hehe, what happened to you? I was scolded by my family, plus I didn’t do well on the college entrance examination, so I had to join the army. But what about you?” Yan Zhiming asked.
“I didn’t do well either,” Wang Ye interrupted. He didn’t want to dwell on the topic of the entrance exam.
“Uh… I heard that you were gaming hard in Arad the night before the exam. It’s no wonder you didn’t do well,” Yan Zhiming teased.
“Arad, do you play DNF too?” A voice from the side interrupted their conversation.