PFC Chapter 0028: On the second day, someone made sure everyone remembered him!
Chapter 0028: On the second day, someone made sure everyone remembered him!
The Steel Seventh Company truly lived up to its name; the day after the new recruits joined the company, they prepared a "feast."
Gao Cheng stood in front of the assembled company: "New recruits, wear your uniforms unarmed; the rest of you, fully armed. We will conduct a five-kilometer test in a moment."
A 5km cross-country run?
The new recruits were apprehensive, while the veterans grinned maliciously—in basic training, the only exercise was a lightly equipped three-kilometer run, a "feast" that would surely give the new recruits a hard time.
Cheng Yongjun sneered at Zheng Yingqi: "New recruits, I hope you can keep up with us even without full gear!"
In the Steel Seventh Company, the full-armed five-kilometer run is a basic requirement. After all, the Steel Seventh Company is essentially a reconnaissance company, and there are many different ways to run the five-kilometer cross-country race. Some of these variations are so challenging that even veterans find them daunting. Today's five-kilometer run is clearly not an extra challenge. For the veterans, it's just a warm-up. But for the new recruits, it's not a matter of warming up or not; it's like being squeezed dry.
Even though veterans are fully armed, new recruits are only dressed in their uniforms with their hands.
That's why Cheng Yongjun mocked Zheng Yingqi beforehand, and then waited with a mocking look on his face for the new recruits to suffer – he even hoped that Zheng Yingqi would be ungrateful and ask to learn from the veterans and get fully armed.
Zheng Yingqi smiled arrogantly, ignoring Cheng Yongjun's sarcasm.
As the second-best runner-up in the entire division's five-kilometer cross-country race and the undisputed number one in the entire company, Wu Liuyi gestured for Cheng Yongjun to be quiet, then turned to Zheng Yingqi and Bai Tiejun and said:
"The passing standard for the 5km cross-country run is under 23 minutes, but we're the 7th Company! The passing standard is 20 minutes! You two aren't fully equipped today, so you must keep up with the whole platoon's pace. Even if you get diarrhea halfway through, you have to grit your teeth and keep running!"
Bai Tiejun opened his mouth in worry, wanting to say that if he had diarrhea, he really wouldn't be able to run anymore, but after seeing Wu Liuyi's serious face, he swallowed his words.
Unexpectedly, Zheng Yingqi asked Wu Liuyi, "Squad Leader Wu, can I try on full armor?"
Upon hearing the question, the veterans of the third squad, who were arming themselves, seemed to freeze in their tracks. Bai Tiejun, who was about to share Zheng Yingqi's sorrow and misery, opened his mouth wide, unsure of what to say.
Wu Liuyi was stumped by Zheng Yingqi's question. After a long pause, he said, "Zheng Yingqi, are you kidding me? Do you know how much more difficult it is to run fully armed versus lightly armed? You haven't even run five kilometers lightly armed, yet you dare to dream of running fully armed?"
The veterans looked at the serious-looking Zheng Yingqi, their eyes revealing a mocking glint of scorn for the young man's arrogance—back when they first ran five kilometers fully armed, how many of them passed? Even the few who did pass the test vomited!
Not a single one of them passed the standard set by the Seventh Steel Company—you think you can run the whole Wushu race like a fresh recruit?
Cheng Yongjun sneered, "Zheng Yingqi, you're not thinking that if you get diarrhea after being fully equipped, no one can say anything about it? You're mistaken. In our Steel Seventh Company, that's not how it works. We only care about results! Carrying dozens of kilograms of extra weight makes it harder for others to drag you along. Are you trying to kill them with your weight?"
Zheng Yingqi was starting to feel disgusted with this guy who was always making sarcastic remarks. He glared at him coldly, but Cheng Yongjun wasn't angry at all. Instead, he laughed even harder. "You little brat who doesn't know his place, you'll soon learn what the anger of an old soldier is like."
Feeling the power surging within his body, Zheng Yingqi pleaded with Wu Liuyi again, "Squad Leader Wu, let me try on the full armor. I think I can do it."
He dared to say that because he wanted to test how much the so-called 2-point increase in all attributes actually meant—he always felt like he suddenly had immense strength, but he wasn't sure what the changes were, so he wanted to try it out with full gear.
"Let him hit a brick wall and turn back"—Wu Liuyi thought for a moment and decided to agree to Zheng Yingqi's request. No matter how much he talked, it was better to hit a brick wall himself.
"Wait here, I'll go prepare a set for you." After Wu Liuyi finished speaking, he told Shi Jin about Zheng Yingqi's request, and Shi Jin agreed with Wu Liuyi's idea.
After Wu Liuyi brought back the complete set of equipment, Bai Tiejun's desire to show off was immediately dashed when he saw the complicated gear. Gan Xiaoning, seeing Bai Tiejun's pale face, deliberately encouraged him, "Bai Tiejun, why don't you apply for a set too?"
Bai Tiejun shook his head: "Forget it, I won't be foolish."
The implication was that Zheng Yingqi was being foolish. Zheng Yingqi, who was being dressed with Wu Liuyi's help, glared at Bai Tiejun with annoyance.
"Run like a man, don't get diarrhea halfway through!" Cheng Yongjun, fully dressed, stood in front of Zheng Yingqi, stretching his body and saying with a grin. Even though Zheng Yingqi ignored him, he still laughed heartily.
The Seventh Company, now fully armed, assembled and awaited orders from Company Commander Gao Cheng. The veterans didn't notice the situation in the Third Platoon, but the new recruits who arrived with Zheng Yingqi noticed the fully armed Zheng Yingqi and began whispering amongst themselves:
"Holy crap, why is Zheng Yingqi fully armed?"
"Am I seeing things? This kid's defying the heavens! I told you recruits only need to be unarmed and in uniform, why is he fully armed?"
"That's strange, Bai Tiejun isn't fully armed either."
The new recruits' murmurs caught the attention of the veterans, who quickly found out what had happened. Now, the veterans also turned their curious gazes to Zheng Yingqi, but most of them just thought the kid was arrogant and didn't consider the possibility that Zheng Yingqi was being punished. Wu Liuyi and Shi Jin had good reputations and had no precedent of beating or punishing new recruits.
Well, as for cursing—even the company commander curses when he gets angry!
The situation within the ranks naturally caught Gao Cheng's attention. With his sharp eyes, Gao Cheng immediately spotted Zheng Yingqi fully armed and became displeased, pointing at him: "Zheng Yingqi, what do you mean? New recruits expecting to run five kilometers fully armed right after joining the company? Wu Liuyi, what's going on?!"
Wu Liuyi explained, "Reporting to the company commander, it was Zheng Yingqi's own request; he wants to try being fully armed."
"Okay, okay, okay," Gao Cheng said three times. Since he was being stubborn, he would teach him a lesson with facts. Then, Gao Cheng gave an order, and the entire company began the first five-kilometer test since the new recruits arrived.
From the moment they started running, the unloaded recruits confidently took the lead in their respective squads, completely unaware that the veterans behind them were looking at them like they were idiots.
Zheng Yingqi was the same; the soldiers of the third squad ran at a leisurely pace, and he and Bai Tiejun easily ran ahead.
Seeing this, Wu Liuyi caught up with the two and ran backwards to tell them:
"Maintain a steady pace; don't rush to run fast at the beginning! Distribute your energy wisely!"
"Maintain a constant speed, it must be a constant speed!"
Bai Tiejun immediately slowed down and ran with the rest of the class, a typical example of someone who listens to advice and takes it easy. But Zheng Yingqi, feeling the surge of energy within him, shouted to Wu Liuyi, "Squad Leader Wu, I can do it!"
Wu Liuyi really wanted to punch this fellow villager to the ground, and glared at him hatefully: "Fine, you figure it out yourself."
For the first two kilometers, the recruits, who had undergone physical training in the recruit company, ran it with ease. However, in the middle of the run, without any weights, they found themselves slowing down involuntarily, while the veterans continued to run at a steady pace.
This is the situation that conforms to common sense—but there is an exception in the team, Zheng Yingqi actually maintained the initial speed and ran ahead of the whole class.
"This kid...this kid's just showing off...I wonder how long he'll keep it up." Cheng Yongjun commented on Zheng Yingqi ahead, panting, speaking with great confidence. The veterans nodded in deep agreement, agreeing with Cheng Yongjun's judgment. Gan Xiaoning chuckled and said:
"What if...what if they...they have...they're...able...too much...of ease..."
The veterans all laughed. Bai Tiejun, who was at the back of the line, also wanted to laugh, but his burning chest prevented him from making a sound.
"Keep your mouths shut!" Wu Liuyi snapped, his voice booming. "They've only gone a little over halfway!"
The veterans fell silent instantly, holding their breath as they continued running at a steady pace.