Chapter 91: Writing a Letter, Old Trickster Ye Sanshi!
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
Usually, everyone ate their meals hastily, not wasting any time. However, he made an exception for them, giving them a generous 20 minutes to finish their food. But the truth was, he himself couldn’t afford such luxury, especially during dinner time.
After a strenuous afternoon of training, coupled with the recent physical exercise that had just concluded at five o’clock, they were all famished, resembling starved ghosts. Upon arriving at the cafeteria, they immediately dove into their meals, devouring them ravenously. After all, he was at that age where he had a hearty appetite.
However, today was different. Many people barely touched their bowls and chopsticks. Surprisingly, the class monitors didn’t rush them either.
“When my father joined the army, he emphasized that we mustn’t bring shame upon him. I didn’t fully understand it before, but now I do. I may not be the sharpest or fastest, but I can cook for everyone. On the battlefield, you have to eat to fight. If a real battle arises, I will gladly become the cook for all of you!” Zhang Ping’an suddenly smiled at Ye Sanshi.
Ye Sanshi, with his bowl in hand, chuckled. He quickly swallowed the food in his mouth and replied, “Alright, if there ever comes a real war, you can cook, and we’ll gladly eat. But for now, there’s no war, and your mission is to train. So, enjoy the prepared meals for now. Eat!”
“Yes, sir!” Zhang Ping’an promptly stood up and saluted.
Then, with a silly grin on his face, he sat down, picked up his bowl, and started devouring the food.
On the sidelines, Gu Yingnan watched him cat, his throat parched as he swallowed her saliva.
“If it means sacrificing my life, so be it. When our motherland truly needs me, I won’t be afraid!” Liang Fan suddenly spoke up, lifting his bowl.
Qin Li stood beside him. “If you guys aren’t afraid, then neither am l!” he declared through clenched teeth, holding his bowl firmly.
“Regardless, when I signed up for this, I was prepared to be a soldier. If the day comes when our motherland truly calls upon me, I won’t hesitate to go!” added Wan Baojiang solemnly, raising his bowl high.
They made their stance known before they even started eating. The company commander and squad leaders had not explicitly mentioned this rule, but once Wang Ye took the lead, the rest of Class Five followed suit. Surprisingly, this sparked a chain reaction, with other classes also joining in.
In the cafeteria, the declarations of the new recruits echoed throughout.
During the phase of youthful enthusiasm, it was remarkably easy to shift one’s mindset. Upon realizing the reality and being influenced by the external environment, even those who had never considered such things before were now filled with fervor.
Of course, there might still be individuals who merely paid lip service while secretly resenting these zealous hooligans. However, that was of little importance.
As long as half or even just one-third of the people experienced a change of heart, Wu Jianfeng would consider it a success because even a third of them would be sufficient to completely transform the atmosphere within the entire recruit company.
Once the atmosphere shifted, all other challenges would become surmountable.
“Take a moment to review and memorize the regulations honestly. I’ll conduct a surprise inspection after the meeting. If you pass, you’ll have a break tomorrow morning. However, she’ll have to work overtime in the classroom later.”
After the evening news concluded, Ye Sanshi returned to his dormitory and retrieved a pen and paper.
Today’s incident wasn’t limited to the recruits alone. In fact, it was the veterans who required reorganization, particularly those within the recruit company.
Veterans in the military often held a grave misconception, especially those who had recently been promoted to first-class soldiers. After playing the role of a “daughter-in-law” for several years and being a “grandchild” for one year, they were now expected to take on the role of a “grandfather.”
After spending a year as recruits, their frustrations would only intensify once they became veterans. Unfortunately, these types of veterans often caused the most trouble. They would make things difficult for others and even deliberately bully the recruits.
Although there was only one first-class soldier within the recruit company, and they were carefully selected, it didn’t mean that the old habits were entirely abandoned. The old sergeant himself was a first-class soldier as well.
Thus, the main challenge lay in how to encourage the veterans to exercise restraint and bring about change.
Realistically speaking, Wang Ye knew that deeply ingrained perspectives wouldn’t transform overnight. However, he believed that this incident would at least compel the veterans with such issues to restrain themselves for a period of time.
That night, Wang Ye had no trouble with the rules and regulations. In fact, Class Five had shown significant improvement compared to the previous week.
During the previous assessment, only Wang Ye and Deng Hai had passed. However, this time, six of them managed to pass.
As for the remaining four individuals who didn’t pass, Ye Sanshi scolded them with a stern expression and promptly sent them to the classroom to copy the regulations. They were required to copy the 100 rules and regulations ten times each. If they failed to complete the task, they would be deprived of sleep for the night.
During the short break before lights out, Deng Hai approached Ye Sanshi and asked, “Class monitor, tomorrow is the weekend. Can we have our phones?”
Ye Sanshi glanced at him, contemplating for a moment before responding, “Are you planning to call your girlfriend or your family?”
Deng Hai fell silent. After a few seconds, he finally replied, “I’ll call my girlfriend first, then my family.”
Ye Sanshi gazed at him, then shifted his gaze to the others in the room. After a brief pause, he said, “The recruit company operates under strict management and cell phone usage is strictly regulated.”
Deng Hai clenched his fists in frustration. However, Ye Sanshi quickly followed up with another suggestion, “How about this? Forget about getting your phones back. Instead, I can provide you with paper and help you write letters. Tomorrow morning, if the six of you want to contact your family or anyone else, you can write letters, and I’ll help you send them out for free. Consider it a reward for your excellent performance this week!”
“Really!” Gu Yingnan exclaimed, his eyes widening as he stood up.
The others were equally surprised. They had assumed that without their phones, they wouldn’t be able to communicate with the outside world. The idea of writing letters had never crossed their minds. And the fact that Ye Sanshi offered to send the letters for free added to their astonishment.
How could they not be thrilled?
Only Wang Ye, deep down, couldn’t help but look down on Ye Sanshi. Ye Sanshi made it sound as if he were generously offering to send their letters for free, but in reality, letter writing in the army was already free. It was like when Ye Sanshi tricked them at the Moving Red Flag with the free Coke.
Of course, Wang Ye didn’t expose him. In this era of widespread cellphone usage, letters had faded into obscurity. Additionally, the younger generation wasn’t accustomed to searching for information online, which allowed Ye Sanshi to succeed in his deception.
If Wang Ye had bothered to research it, he would have known that letter writing in the army was already free.
As Wang Ye sat on the small bench, engrossed in writing his letter, someone couldn’t resist asking Ye Sanshi if they could start writing now. Ye Sanshi didn’t object, so the six individuals in the dormitory all began to write.
However, before Wang Ye could start, the door suddenly swung open, and Wu Jianfeng appeared in the doorway.
“Wang Ye, step outside for a moment!”
Seated on the small bench, Wang Ye held a pen in his hand, diligently writing his letter on the bed.
Once the news about letter writing spread, someone couldn’t resist asking Ye Sanshi if they could start writing immediately. Ye Sanshi didn’t object, so all six individuals in the dormitory eagerly began composing their letters.
However, just as Wang Ye was about to start writing, the door swung open, revealing Wu Jianfeng standing in the doorway.
Wang Ye promptly set down his pen and stood up, his mind filled with confusion. Could it be that his medal for meritorious service was already being awarded? Wasn’t it too soon for that to happen?