usatvline Chapter 0078: Because you are the best
Chapter 0078: Because you are the best
Zheng Yingqi wanted to become a real soldier—although he was excellent, even among the best in the 7th Company and the 702nd Regiment, he knew he was not a real soldier.
He was well aware of this, which is why he never disliked Cheng Cai, because he felt that he was actually very similar to Cheng Cai.
Therefore, he scoffed at Gao Cheng's words—even though he didn't know that these were the words Gao Cheng used to convince himself.
"Company Commander, do you know what? During my time in the division training camp, my biggest takeaway was that there is no fairness in this world!" Zheng Yingqi said excitedly. "There are a total of 38 instructors in the training camp. Apart from the three instructors leading the teams, there are 35 training instructors including myself."
But do you know what? After witnessing the military prowess of these outstanding instructors from the entire division, I was very disappointed. The vast majority of them are actually at the same level as the people in our 7th Company, maybe just slightly above our average.
But then, they will have an opportunity! After returning from the division training camp, they will naturally become sergeants and have an excellent resume—but what about the outstanding people in our 7th Company? So many people who are more outstanding than them are deprived of the opportunity because of the limited number of slots.
Cheng Yongjun has retired. Company Commander, would it be difficult to keep such an outstanding soldier in another company?
Shi Jin has retired too—I just don't accept it, why did he retire? Why did he have to retire?
Gao Cheng stood there, stunned.
Zheng Yingqi didn't know that his words were like a knife stabbing Gao Cheng in the heart. Many people in the 7th Company would be treasured and kept in other companies, but in the 7th Company, they would end up being the ones who retired.
The higher-ups gave the 7th Company more quotas than other companies, but no matter how many more, it couldn't compete with the 7th Company having so many outstanding people!
Zheng Yingqi didn't notice Gao Cheng's dazed expression and continued, "I know that we are soldiers and we need to obey. After we put on this uniform, we are no longer civilians, but the guardians of the people. So we need to make sacrifices—we can even disregard sacrifices, so why should we care about these things?"
The superiors might say, "Someone always has to make sacrifices, someone always has to be abandoned—and then, are you going to abandon an excellent squad leader, an excellent soldier?"
Zheng Yingqi suddenly recalled the various "revenges" Xu Sanduo had thought of after learning that Shi Jin had retired from the army—the most vicious revenge against Gao Cheng was to make him lose the Steel Seventh Company that he was so proud of, and in the end? The Seventh Company was the one that was abandoned, and for a company commander who regarded the Steel Seventh Company as his everything, how cruel was that?
He suddenly lost the courage to question and blame. In terms of misery, Gao Cheng was actually more miserable—he himself lost a class monitor, while Gao Cheng lost almost everything.
"Company Commander... I'm sorry, I..." Zheng Yingqi shouted cheerfully, then began to apologize incoherently, "I didn't mean that... I... I know you had no choice... I know you were the one who couldn't bear to part with Shi Jin the most..."
(Scolding your wife feels good for a moment, but getting beaten hurts for half a day—an official rant.)
Zheng Yingqi recalled the scene of Gao Cheng leading Shi Jin through Tiananmen Square, and the painful look on the face of the Seventh Steel Company commander.
"Shi Jin didn't leave. He went to Class Seven and became the class monitor." Gao Cheng lost interest in continuing the conversation. After saying this softly, he turned and left.
Zheng Yingqi stared blankly at Gao Cheng's shadow. After a long while, he reached out, wanting to slap himself hard, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to do it. With a bitter face, he hurriedly followed and cautiously started to act silly, but Gao Cheng ignored him completely.
He thought the company commander was angry, but he didn't know that Gao Cheng was lost in confusion. Gao Cheng had just seen off so many of his most cherished soldiers, and now Zheng Yingqi had pointed out the "unfair" treatment of the 7th Company. He was confused.
On the way back, they encountered the jeep that had picked Xu Sanduo up halfway. Gao Cheng sat silently in the passenger seat, while Zheng Yingqi squeezed in cautiously in the back. He gave Shi Jin, who was concerned about him, an ugly smile, exactly the same as Xu Sanduo's ugly smile.
……
Xu Sanduo's "escape" was treated as if it had never happened.
But the 7th Company was different from before. For example, Shi Jin went to the 7th Squad to continue serving as the squad leader, while Wu Liuyi officially gave up his position as the acting squad leader of the 3rd Squad and went to the 5th Squad to serve as the squad leader. Zheng Yingqi took over the position of squad leader of the 3rd Squad. Xu Sanduo took over Wu Liuyi's position and became the deputy squad leader of the 3rd Squad.
Then came the new recruits joining the company. The third platoon was delighted to have several new recruits, including Ma Xiaoshuai, who became the 5000th soldier of the Steel Seventh Company. However, there was no induction ceremony for Wu Liuyi. Although it was still solemn and dignified, it always felt like something was missing.
This time, the induction ceremony was missing one person who was "eavesdropping"—the company commander, who liked to listen in on others' conversations, did not appear at the dormitory window as promised.
What is Gao Cheng doing?
He... stared in despair at a "confidential" file.
Title: Changes in the Seventh Steel Company
Wang Qingrui's words echoed in his ears:
"Get ready, the official documents... will probably be issued in a little over a month. At that time, the regimental headquarters will have an evaluation team to evaluate all the soldiers in the 7th Company and make a decision."
"Why us?" Gao Cheng suddenly recalled the scene of Zheng Yingqi questioning him not long ago.
"Because...because you are the best."
Because you are the best...
Upon hearing this, Gao Cheng chuckled to himself, and for the first time, he left without paying his respects to his uncle.
Gao Cheng knew that this matter, like the steel torrent of 702 rushing towards the enemy, was unstoppable...
That day, Gao Cheng felt as if his spine had been broken, even though it was the most solemn day for the 7th Company, because it was the day the new recruits joined the company.
Gao Cheng, back at his company, was as cold as a block of ice. These were classified documents; he could only look at them, not speak of them—he was burning with anger, as intense as the sun, yet unable to melt the ice encasing him.
Just as Gao Cheng was burning with anger, Cheng Cai also received news that filled him with despair.
Li Meng, the squad leader of the fifth squad, went to the regimental headquarters, while the third company commander assigned him, a sergeant, to the fifth squad as squad leader. To add to that, the previous third company commander was transferred. The third company commander who sent Gao Chengzhong to want some good soldiers eventually went to another unit. This third company commander is newly appointed.
……
Before rumors started flying around, Zheng Yingqi confirmed one thing—the 7th Company was about to be reorganized.
He guessed it from Gao Cheng's expression.
"Has this day finally come?"
Zheng Yingqi thought he was just a spectator, but after confirming the news from Gao Cheng's expression, he suddenly realized that he had become part of the painting without even realizing it, and was no longer just a spectator.
"Private Zheng Yingqi, you must remember, you are the 4,937th member of the Steel Seventh Company!"
Zheng Yingqi suddenly remembered that he had stopped being a spectator after Wu Liuyi shouted those words at him, and had become part of the painting. Ironically, he still thought he was just an observer.
The trend is irreversible; who can go against it?
Zheng Yingqi sighed silently. He didn't even have the strength to stop a chariot with his bare hands. What could he do in the face of such an overwhelming trend?
From that day on, the soldiers of the third squad suddenly realized that their squad leader seemed to have become a different person, becoming almost abnormally strict with everyone.
Especially Bai Tiejun, the eternal master of the Heartless Pit.
"Zheng Ban, I'm a piece of useless mud that can't be plastered on a wall—they're the good iron, can you spare me for a while?"
Bai Tiejun had a long face. These past few days, Zheng Yingqi had gone mad, squeezing him under immense pressure. As the lowest-ranking member of the third squad, Bai Tiejun couldn't take it anymore and practically begged on his knees.
Are you in Class 3?
"Are you from the Steel Seventh Company?"
"Answer me, yes or no?" Zheng Yingqi asked through gritted teeth. Bai Tiejun replied with a mournful face, "I'm from the third squad of the seventh steel company."
"Then... let's get moving!"
Then, Bai Tiejun got up again and continued training.
Zheng Yingqi seemed to hear Bai Tiejun cursing his entire family of women and ancestors in his heart, but he seemed not to feel it at all—he didn't remember other people's endings very clearly, but he remembered Bai Tiejun very clearly. In the original plot, Bai Tiejun's ending was: his term of service was about to expire, and he was discharged early.
"Don't they even have enough time to train a single soldier for the Seventh Steel Company for a few months?"
Zheng Yingqi had grumbled about it back then, but now, as Bai Tiejun's squad leader, how could he bear to let a soldier who had been tempered in the Steel Seventh Company accept the fate of "his term of service is about to expire, and he will be discharged early"?
Even if it's just to be in another unit, even if it's the Steel Seventh Company, to stay and finish his last term of service, that would be fine too!
(The remaining chapter will be released tonight. Also, please vote for me—including next week's votes, since there are no more recommendations next week. I'm shamelessly begging for votes to at least get a chance to shine!)