Chapter 19: "Sir, I Want to Raise Pigs!"

Training continued over the next few days.

Everyone followed Lin Hui's advice and put in genuine effort.

Even so, their performance was still a far cry from the intensity they'd shown at their peak.

It wasn't that they didn't want to recapture that feeling — they simply couldn't get it back.

Back then, Wang Yong had been like a mad dog, chasing after Lin Hui and dragging the whole squad forward with him.

Now that Wang Yong had turned into a simp, the squad had naturally lost that drive and ferocity, and their results were nowhere near what they used to be.

Xu Da stood at the edge of the track / parade ground, so furious he was practically hopping in place.

Damn it!

Why couldn't they get back to how they were before?

Compared to just a few days ago, the drop-off was staggering!

If he weren't afraid of inflaming tensions and ruining the fragile peace they'd worked so hard to build, he would've grabbed his duty belt and chased every last one of them around the field, whipping them into shape!

"Hold it together, hold it together!" Xu Da squeezed his eyes shut. "They gave their word — they won't fall apart at the assessment. Trust them. Whatever you do, don't push them into open defiance right now!"

The three months of the Recruit Company were almost up.

After morning drills, Xu Da gathered everyone together. "The recruit assessment is right around the corner. This is your chance to show what three months of training has built in you — make it count!"

"This is the moment of truth. Show me what you're made of, and don't you dare drop the ball!"

Lin Hui grinned. "Relax, Squad Leader. We all know what's at stake."

"We'll give it everything we've got, Squad Leader!"

The others nodded and chimed in with smiles.

In truth, they'd already mapped out their plans half a month ago.

Aside from a small handful who were gunning for the Blade Company and aiming for an elite unit, most of the others had decided to just go with the flow.

They'd only been in the army three months. Their sense of duty hadn't fully taken root yet, and wanting to coast a little was only human.

Xu Da, of course, had no idea any of this was going on.

He still thought they were a pack of young wolves straining at the leash, ready to howl and charge the moment he let them loose.

He nodded with satisfaction: These guys might goof off day to day, but when it counts, they know how to step up. As long as they perform well at the assessment and don't drop the ball, a Third-Class Merit Citation is practically guaranteed.

His gaze settled on Lin Hui. With how outstanding this kid was across the board, he was sure to end up in Sixth Company.

"Just you wait — once you're there, I'll make you pay for holding me hostage like that!"

"Fall in!"

A sharp whistle blast rang out from across the field.

Immediately, everyone on the track / parade ground began forming up.

Xu Da didn't waste a second. "Move it! Get to the main formation! Double time!"

First Squad snapped into line and moved swiftly toward the company assembly point.

Wang Yong turned to Lin Hui. "Bro, after the assessment, which company are you going to? Let's stick together, yeah?"

"Why do you want to follow me?" Lin Hui looked puzzled. "Am I that irresistible?"

Wang Yong grinned sheepishly. "You know a lot of stuff. Sticking with you, you never come out on the losing end."

Chen Erhu nodded vigorously. "Yeah, yeah, yeah — follow Big Bro and eat three square meals a day. I'm with you too. Nobody messes with you when you're around."

Lin Hui laughed out loud. "Assignments are based on assessment scores — it's not like you can just pick where you go. Besides, I don't have the pull to get us all posted together."

He just wanted to get assigned somewhere low-key and coast through his days.

If he let these two deadweights tag along, wouldn't that just make things harder for himself?

Chen Erhu's jaw dropped in disappointment. "Big Bro, if I get sent to a different company, when am I ever gonna see you again? I've gotten used to sleeping in the bunk above yours."

"Without you around, I won't be able to sleep right."

Wang Yong looked a little crestfallen too. "Bro, you know so much. If we get split up, I'm bound to keep getting chewed out. Is there any way you can swing it so we end up together?"

Lin Hui rolled his eyes. "What do you think I am, a regimental commander? Like I can just decide who goes where?"

He looked at the two of them moping and felt an unexpected warmth in his chest. "Alright, alright, cheer up. Maybe fate's on our side and we'll end up in the same unit after all."

"And even if we don't, we're still brothers who shouldered a rifle together."

"We can always visit each other when we get the chance — we're all in the 602nd Division anyway."

Those words made both of them feel a good deal better.

Three months together had quietly turned Lin Hui into a true Big Bro in their eyes.

Lin Hui himself hadn't quite noticed, but he'd been looking out for his two little brothers all along.

Up on the viewing platform, Division Commander Lü Qingsong surveyed the parade ground.

Squads, platoons, and companies were forming up into blocks and converging swiftly on the center of the field.

He smiled. "Fast, sharp, and decisive. Not bad — they're starting to look like real soldiers."

Regiment Commander Zhou Zhongyi was beaming inside, though he kept his expression modestly composed. "This batch of recruits picks things up quickly and doesn't shy away from hard work. They've made real progress over these three months."

Lü Qingsong pointed toward one formation. "That's First Company, isn't it?"

"That's right, sir."

"Fastest to assemble, and their posture is the sharpest — every one of them standing like they've got a mop handle jammed down their backs. Tell me they were veterans and I'd believe it."

Zhou Zhongyi was over the moon inside.

Zhang Jiantao had really come through for him.

He'd have to give that young officer a proper commendation later — outstanding leadership!

What Zhou Zhongyi didn't know, however, was that Lü Qingsong had actually come specifically because of Lin Hui in First Company.

Over the past while, he had quietly been sending people to gather news about how Lin Hui was doing in the unit.

If Lin Hui was performing well, he wanted to be the first to report back to Lin Hui's father.

An opportunity this rare to curry favor with a former superior — he absolutely could not let it slip by.

Once all the recruits had assembled, the company commanders stepped forward one by one and called out their reports.

"First Company — strength one hundred and twenty-five, all present! Awaiting orders!"

"Second Company — strength one hundred and eighteen, all present! Awaiting orders!"

"Third Company…"

"At ease!"

Zhou Zhongyi gave the order.

Each company commander immediately turned to face their unit. "At ease!"

Swish, swish…

The recruits all shifted to the at-ease position in unison.

Zhou Zhongyi turned to Lü Qingsong, waiting for further instructions.

Lü Qingsong smiled slightly and stepped to the front of the platform. "Attention!"

Every soldier snapped their feet together with a crisp, unified crack.

Lü Qingsong nodded approvingly. "No need to be nervous. I'm your Division Commander of the 602nd Division — my name is Lü Qingsong. Lü with the double-mouth character, Qingsong as in the evergreen pine."

"Very soon, you will leave your days as recruits behind and officially become members of the 602nd Division."

"The 602nd is a veteran unit with a proud and storied history. Over the years, we have fought in countless battles, and many of our predecessors gave their lives in those fights. It was their blood that wrote the most brilliant chapters of our division's story."

"Our spirit has been passed down from generation to generation, forged in the smoke and fire of war."

He spoke with gravity. "Now, that banner and that spirit are about to be placed in your hands. Do you have what it takes to carry the flag of the 602nd Division?"

"Yes, sir!"

The recruits roared as one.

The sound was like a thunderclap that could shatter stone.

Three months of training had given them the makings of real soldiers.

They understood now what military honor and a sense of mission truly meant.

So in that moment, every single person shouted with everything they had — even Lin Hui found himself swept up in the atmosphere, his heart shaken to its core.

Lü Qingsong smiled and nodded. "After the assessment, you'll be assigned to your companies. Tell me — what kind of unit do you want to go to?"

He pointed to a soldier near the front. "You — speak up."

The soldier bellowed, "I want to go to the S Regiment's Fifth Armored Company! I've loved tanks since I was a kid — my dream when I joined the army was to drive one!"

"Good answer. I think you've got what it takes… What about you?"

Lü Qingsong pointed to another soldier.

That soldier answered with barely contained excitement. "I want to go to the Tiger Regiment! I've heard that Sixth Company of the Tiger Regiment is the sharpest blade in the whole regiment — the paradise for every elite soldier. That's where I want to be!"

"Excellent — now that's ambition!" Lü Qingsong laughed heartily.

"I should warn you, though — the Sixth Blade Company is the 602nd Division's finest reconnaissance unit. If you want a spot there, you'll need to prove you've got the goods."

His gaze swept toward First Squad's position, and he found Lin Hui among the crowd. "That soldier there — what kind of unit do you want?"

Lü Qingsong was hoping Lin Hui would say Sixth Company out loud himself.

That way, transferring him there would be entirely above board — a proper answer to give the old commander.

"Sir, I want to raise pigs!"

Lin Hui's voice rang out loud and clear.

The moment those words landed, the entire field went dead silent.

The smile on Lü Qingsong's face froze instantly, as though he'd just swallowed a fly.

"You… what did you just say you wanted to do?"

He asked again, not quite sure he'd heard right.

Lin Hui shouted back, "Sir, I want to go to the logistics unit to raise pigs!"

"Sir, we want to raise pigs too!"

Wang Yong nudged Chen Erhu, and the two of them hollered along together.

Xu Da felt a sweetness rise in his throat — he nearly choked on a mouthful of blood right then and there…