Chapter 3: Folding Blankets Together

Below the dormitory building.

The new recruits stood in a crooked, barely-formed line.

Wang Hai held up the roster. "We're dividing into squads now. Step forward when I call your name!"

"Wang Yong — First Squad!"

"Ma Xiaoshan — First Squad!"

"Luo Chaochao — Fifth Squad!"

"Li Tieniu — Fourth Squad!"

"..."

"Lin Hui — First Squad!"

"Here!"

Lin Hui immediately jogged over to join the First Squad formation.

Chen Erhu greeted him with a grin. "Hey, Big Bro, we meet again — we must really be fated!"

"Please. More like cursed."

Lin Hui turned to find Wang Yong glaring at him with a sour expression, nose stuck up in the air.

Lin Hui rolled his eyes. How did he end up in the same squad as these two weirdos?

As a general rule, wherever the weirdos gathered, life was never easy.

He'd have to be more careful from here on out.

Soon, everyone had been assigned to their respective squads.

Wang Hai closed the roster. "Squad leaders, take your men back to the barracks. Today's the first day, so get some rest — no training. Official training begins tomorrow."

"Yes, sir! Everyone, follow me!"

The squad leaders immediately led their recruits toward the dormitory building.

"Xu Da!"

"Sir!"

The dark-faced squad leader had just started to lead his squad back when the Company Commander called him over.

"The rest of you, head back to the barracks!"

He turned and shouted to First Squad, then jogged over to Zhang Jiantao.

Lin Hui frowned slightly, his mind turning. The Company Commander had already taken a dislike to him the moment he arrived, and now he was pulling the squad leader aside — surely he wasn't planning to make trouble for him already?

He'd grown up in the Military Compound long enough to know exactly how veterans dealt with new recruits.

In the eyes of these veterans, he was probably already marked as a troublemaker.

The thought made Lin Hui's stomach sink with regret. "If I'd known, I never would've climbed that stupid tank. What was I thinking? That just made everything worse."

Whatever. What comes, comes. He'd deal with it.

Even if Jesus himself showed up, he wasn't going to stop Lin Hui from laying low for two years. He'd just have to keep a lower profile going forward.

Xu Da stepped in front of Zhang Jiantao and saluted. "Company Commander, what are your orders?"

Zhang Jiantao smiled slightly. "You're due to muster out this year. I specifically had you transferred to the Recruit Company to train the new men. Put in a good showing, earn a Commendation, and Officer Promotion will be within reach."

Xu Da's eyes lit up instantly with excitement.

Officer Promotion!

He dreamed about it every single night.

He'd served for eight years and was set to be discharged at year's end.

In those eight years, he'd earned two Third-Class Merit Citations, three Outstanding Soldier awards, and more Commendations than he could count.

Even so, Xu Da's education was limited — only a middle school diploma.

Without an exceptional performance this year, he'd be walking out the gate by winter.

He was a soldier from the countryside, not like the city boys who could be arranged into civilian jobs.

If he was discharged and sent home, he'd have to start from scratch.

But everything Xu Da knew, every skill he had, he'd learned in the army. What would he do if he went back?

He didn't want to leave the place he'd loved for eight years, and he didn't want to return to those mountains where there was no future to speak of.

If he could stay, he was willing to give everything.

Xu Da said with fervor, "Don't worry, Company Commander. I'll give it everything I've got and make First Squad number one!"

Zhang Jiantao smiled and clapped him on the shoulder. "I specifically picked a few weak ones for your squad because I know you're capable. Get results out of these men, and I'll have grounds to put in a good word upstairs."

He lowered his voice. "That kid Lin Hui — keep a close eye on him. He's not cut out to be a soldier. If he can't hack it, kick him out whenever you need to. Don't let him drag you down. Understood?"

Xu Da nodded. "Company Commander, you know what kind of man I am. I don't tolerate sand in my eyes, and I have zero tolerance for bad apples."

Zhang Jiantao gave a satisfied nod.

"All right, get going."

"Yes, sir!"

Xu Da saluted, turned, and headed into the dormitory building.

Zhang Jiantao's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Lin Hui... let's see how long you last, kid..."

Inside the barracks, five army cots were lined up.

Lin Hui had a lower bunk — not bad.

"Big Bro, I'm sleeping above you!"

Chen Erhu beamed at Lin Hui, flashing a mouthful of bright white teeth.

Lin Hui hadn't expected to end up sharing a bunk with this goofy kid. "Don't call me Big Bro. Just call me Lin Hui — in here, we're all comrades."

Chen Erhu nodded. "Got it, Big Bro — I mean... got it, comrade!"

But what surprised Lin Hui most was Wang Yong — the guy had ended up in the bed right next to him.

Wang Yong let out a cold snort. "Bad enough we're in the same squad, but now we're this close too? What rotten luck!"

Lin Hui replied flatly, "If you think it's bad luck, don't sleep next to me."

He'd been fed up with this guy for a while now.

The whole way here, Wang Yong had done nothing but pick fights with him.

The less attention Lin Hui paid, the more worked up Wang Yong got.

Wang Yong grabbed the iron bed frame. "I've got no respect for you city boys — delicate little things, the lot of you. What are you even good for?"

Lin Hui smiled. "If you're so capable, why don't you become a leader and get me sent home? Think you can manage that?"

Wang Yong was so furious he could barely speak.

Chen Erhu, seeing the two of them at each other's throats, quickly stepped in. "Come on, you two — the Company Commander just said we're all family now, comrades. Being assigned together is fate. Before I left home, my mom told me..."

"Who are you calling Big Bro?"

A sharp bark cut through the room, and everyone snapped to attention instantly.

Xu Da strode in from outside, glaring at Chen Erhu. "This is the army. There are only comrades here — no 'Big Bros.' Understood?"

Chen Erhu, his face splattered with spittle, hollered back, "I got it!"

"The answer is 'yes' or 'no'!" Xu Da said coldly. "Answer again — yes or no?"

"I heard ya!"

Chen Erhu's whole body went rigid with nerves.

Xu Da was so irritated his teeth ached, barely holding back a string of curses.

Lin Hui sensed trouble brewing and, worried the squad leader might pull the whole-squad-punished-for-one-man's-mistake routine, quickly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Squad Leader, this guy's a bit slow. I'll straighten him out for you later."

"I'll make sure he kicks that bad habit."

Xu Da gave a cold grunt, then addressed the whole room. "Let me introduce myself. My name is Xu Da, and I'll be your squad leader for the next three months. Dinner's still a while off, so rather than sit around doing nothing, I'm going to teach you how to handle Barracks Upkeep."

The recruits immediately started murmuring among themselves.

"Barracks Upkeep — what's that?"

"It means folding your blanket."

"What? We have to learn how to fold a blanket? Back home I never folded mine — my mom always did it."

Lin Hui said nothing.

Because he knew perfectly well just how important Barracks Upkeep was.

Every military in the world had its own standard. The Americans shined their boots, the British ironed their shirts, and the Yan Nation army folded their blankets.

A proper Barracks Upkeep standard was a reflection of a soldier's bearing and discipline.

The blanket had to be perfectly square, with crisp, sharp edges.

Not a single wrinkle was permitted on the bedsheet.

Even the toiletries — the placement and orientation of the toothpaste and toothbrush — were subject to strict requirements.

Lin Hui might have been a Pampered Young Master, but whenever he came home, his father would hold him to an almost obsessively strict Barracks Upkeep standard.

Any flaw at all, and he'd get a beating.

So when it came to Barracks Upkeep, his skill was on par with any veteran's.

"Let me explain the army's Barracks Upkeep standard. The blanket must have sharp corners and be perfectly square — so smooth that a mosquito would slip off it and a fly would do the splits trying to land on it..."

After his explanation, Xu Da prepared to demonstrate. "Now watch carefully while I show you."

He walked to the bed and picked up a blanket.

He shook it fully open, then began folding.

Align the edges, press the seams, smooth the surface, fold in half!

A flicker of genuine admiration crossed Lin Hui's eyes. Not bad for a veteran — fast and practiced, every step perfectly executed.

In no time at all, a lumpy, shapeless blanket was transformed in Xu Da's hands like a magic trick into a perfect Tofu-block Fold.

Just as he'd described — perfectly square, with crisp, sharp edges.

Xu Da asked, "Did everyone follow that?"

The recruits stared back blankly, shaking their heads like rattles.

Xu Da's brow furrowed slightly. "Then I'll demonstrate once more. Watch carefully this time — memorize every detail and every movement."

He said gravely, "A proper Barracks Upkeep standard is a reflection of a soldier's bearing. And Barracks Upkeep scores will be factored into your assessments. I don't want anyone failing at something this basic."

When Xu Da's gaze swept over Lin Hui, it lingered for just a moment.

Lin Hui paid it no mind. He might slip up in other areas, but Barracks Upkeep would never be one of them.

If he couldn't even fold a blanket properly, all those beatings over the years would have been for nothing.

Xu Da quickly completed his second demonstration.

"All right, practice on your own. Ask me if you have questions."

The recruits dove in with confidence.

But before long, every one of them was squirming and scratching their heads like they had fleas.

Chen Erhu looked over at Wang Yong. "Hey, did you catch what the squad leader did after the first fold? I already forgot."

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask?"

Wang Yong was just as lost, no matter what he tried.

He sneaked a glance at Lin Hui beside him and noticed he looked just as clueless. That was a relief.

Good — at least that guy doesn't know either!

Otherwise the embarrassment would've been unbearable!

What he didn't know was that Lin Hui was faking the whole thing.

If Lin Hui had actually tried, he could've produced a perfect Tofu-block Fold in about ten seconds.

But to avoid standing out, he deliberately slowed himself down and stayed at the same level as everyone else.

He even made a few intentional mistakes to blend in.

Xu Da watched Lin Hui and inwardly sneered. Just as he thought — completely hopeless.

"Not bad, Xu Da. Every other squad is resting, and you've already started on Barracks Upkeep?"

Xu Da turned around — Political Instructor Wang Hai was standing in the doorway.

He jogged over and saluted. "Political Instructor. Nothing else to do, so I figured I'd get everyone familiar with the basics early."

Wang Hai looked around and smiled. "That's what I'd expect from you. Looks like next month's Rotating Honor Flag is as good as First Squad's."

"That said, everyone just ran five kilometers. Make sure they get proper rest too — don't wear them out chasing rankings."

"Understood."

Wang Hai glanced over at Lin Hui for a moment, then said earnestly, "Xu Da, this squad won't be easy to manage. You might need to put in some extra effort."

Xu Da lowered his voice. "The Company Commander already briefed me. I'll keep a close eye on that kid."

"That's not what I meant."

Wang Hai smiled and waved it off. "Old Zhang is a firecracker — you've been under him long enough to know that better than I do. He acts before he thinks."

"You're different. You've got patience. Show a little more tolerance with these new recruits, and take the time to teach them properly."

Xu Da nodded on the surface, but didn't really take it to heart.

If Lin Hui dared to slip up and drag the whole squad's scores down, he'd have none of it.

"All right, carry on. I'm just making my rounds."

After Wang Hai left, Xu Da turned back into the barracks.

But he froze the moment he stepped through the door.

Because Lin Hui's blanket was already folded.

It looked a bit like a loaf of bread, but the basic shape was there.

The kid had even wandered over to the other bunks and started helping the others fold theirs.

"That's not right — you need to do it like this."

"Hey, you over there, your technique's wrong."

"Erhu, how do you not know how to fold a blanket?"

Xu Da's eye twitched.

This kid managed to fold his blanket that well on his first try?

Luck. It had to be luck.

Seeing Xu Da approach, Lin Hui smiled pleasantly. "Squad Leader, not bad for my first try, right?"

Without a word, Xu Da yanked the blanket off the bed and threw it on the floor. "What are you so smug about? That thing looks like a fresh loaf of bread — and you have the nerve to teach others? Do it again!"

Lin Hui stared at the blanket on the floor and rolled his eyes.

Great. Looks like he was being targeted after all.

He'd hoped to quietly coast through two years in the army, but it was looking like that wasn't going to be so easy...