Chapter 7
“Class monitor, do we have tanks? Can we have a go with them?”
“Have a go with them? If you work hard enough, you might be able to drive one next year!”
“Class monitor, is the recoil of the gun really strong? Is it stronger than the recoil in CS?”
“Haha, you can try it out yourself!”
At night, after washing up, everyone was still restless. The two veterans didn’t stop them; instead, they continued chatting with everyone even after the lights were turned off. It was the recruits’ first night away from home, and even though they hadn’t arrived at the army yet, the veterans had to help ease their homesickness and other anxieties they might have. The effect was significant. With the seasoned soldiers telling stories of military life, everyone went to bed still yearning for the military camp.
The next day, everyone was woken up at six in the morning. After washing up and getting dressed, they gathered outside on the field. The comrades from the armed forces gave everyone a big red flower, and after a brief speech from the local leader, everyone had breakfast on the field.
At eight o’clock in the morning, the door of the armed forces department opened, and hundreds of recruits lined up and walked out. They didn’t get into the car since there was a soldier delivery ceremony that day. From the entrance of the armed forces, they walked along the street to the county railway station, with gongs and drums paving the way. The new recruits walked with their heads held high, while their relatives shouted loudly by the roadside.
“Son, do well in the army!”
“Brother Xia, I’ll wait for you! I’ll wait for you!”There were also young girls who were waving their hands while sobbing.
“These must be the new recruits who joined the army this year. They’re all good kids!”
Wang Ye was among the new recruits and even saw a Mercedes-Benz parked on the opposite side of the road as soon as he left the armed forces. However, no one got out of the car.
It took nearly an hour for the new recruits to reach the train station, and the train had not arrived yet. If there were relatives who sent them off, the recruits could bid farewell briefly without leaving the sight of the leading officers.
Wang Ye didn’t see Wang Jianjun and his mother, and he didn’t know if they came or not. Regardless, he couldn’t go and look for them.
A few minutes later, the sound of the train rang out. Family members were persuaded to move away, and the recruits were called to line up again.
On the second floor of the train station waiting hall was the office area for internal staff. In an office, Wang Jianjun turned to his crying wife and said, “You spoil him too much. A child who can’t live without his mother can’t grow up. It’s good that he joined the army this time. It’ll break his internet addiction and force him to grow up a little. Only then will he be worthy of being my son and taking over my position in the future!”
Xu Xiaofeng didn’t say anything but kept looking at the train below and the door of the carriage that Wang Ye had walked into until the train started moving.
“I don’t need you to know me. I don’t long for you to know me. I’ve merged my youth into the rivers of my motherland…” On the train, the singing was loud and clear. From “Unity is Strength” to “Motherland Will Never Forget,” Wang Ye sang with mixed emotions.
Previously, when he sang “Unity is Strength,” he didn’t feel anything special. However, now, when he sang “Motherland Won’t Forget,” he felt an even stronger sense of recognition.
He looked at the unknown mountains and rivers outside the train, then at his military uniform and the people in the same clothes. Even though he had lived two lives, Wang Ye still sang with a sense of belonging. He was not the only one in this situation. In the past, when he listened to this song, he was only touched. Now, when he listened to it again, he felt an even stronger sense of belonging. It was as if this song was singing about himself and everyone else.
After the first round of singing, the veteran squad leader who had organized everyone wiped his eyes and went to the junction of the carriages to collect his emotions. Time passed, and the journey in the green car was not boring at first. The reception officers organized songs and small activities, and because everyone was from the same place and had the same accent, there was a lot of laughter and joy.
However, after the first transfer, there were fewer familiar faces and the atmosphere in the car gradually lost its initial relaxed and happy tone. Especially after the initial novelty and enthusiasm wore off, the song “Unity is Strength” could no longer be sung with a sense of vigor.
“Hey, Your Highness, how much longer do you think this will take?” Yan Zhiming, Wang Ye’s classmate, asked. Though they weren’t in the same class, they could be considered old friends in this batch of recruits and were sitting together now.
Looking at the sun setting outside the train, Yan Zhiming couldn’t help but fidget in his seat. They had been sitting for more than eight hours since they got onto the train without factoring in the time in between transferring trains.
Wang Ye, feeling tired, said, “I told you not to call me ‘Your Highness.’ You can call me Old Wang.” Wang Ye’s classmates had given him this nickname in school and he had it in his previous life, but he didn’t like it. After all, he was just a commoner, and he felt that the nickname was teasing his name.
“Go to sleep. Time will pass quickly if you do,” Wang Ye added before closing his eyes and leaning his head against the window curtain.
But Yan Zhiming continued to chatter, “Hey, with this noise, how can I sleep? Old Wang, we’ve been heading south. Do you think we’re going to the southern border to become soldiers?” Yan Zhiming grabbed Wang Ye by his shoulders and shook him.
Wang Ye opened his eyes again and replied, “We’ll know when we get there. Anyway, even if we’re not going to the southern border, we shouldn’t be far away.”
“I heard that the weather in the south is hot, and there are mosquitoes even in the middle of winter. Tsk, I’m so angry!” Yan Zhiming continued, but thankfully, a recruit sitting opposite him started talking, and Wang Ye was relieved.
The destination of the trip was unclear, and the officer who received the soldiers didn’t say much. They had deduced that they were going to the south by looking at the names of some cities along the way, but it didn’t matter much to Wang Ye. The most important thing was joining the army.
After another transfer, at around 8 pm, the train stopped, and Wang Ye and the other recruits were called out.