Chapter 30: The Calm before the Storm, what kind of medicine is sold in the squad leader’s gourd?
“Now, what do we do?” Several individuals gathered at the dormitory entrance, hesitating to enter.
After being reprimanded by the pickets, they hesitated to go to the activity room and returned to the dormitory. But now, they were afraid to enter the dormitory.
“Should we tell the squad leader?” Yu Jun looked worriedly at the others.
“It’s better to tell him. Otherwise, if he finds out during the report, it’ll be even worse,” He Xue suggested.
“Then who will speak up?” Someone asked.
This became a new dilemma. Punishment was inevitable. In a military setting, one person’s mistake meant punishment for the whole squad. Looking at each other, they turned their gaze to He Dong.
He Dong, feeling the weight of their stares, reluctantly lifted his head, looking distressed. Although he was ready for punishment, no one dared to approach the squad leader.
Observing their predicament, Chen Ming suggested, “Let’s not rush to talk when we go in. Organize our things, sweep the floor, and then, when we’re in good order, approach the squad leader together and explain.”
The group nodded in agreement.
Entering the dorm, the squad leader was still lying down. Seeing them return so quickly, he was surprised, thinking they were worried about missing breakfast. However, he didn’t anticipate their immediate effort to tidy up. Not only did they sweep the floor, but they also organized the surroundings.
The squad leader, experienced, recognized that something was amiss but remained silent, pretending to sleep, waiting for their next move. As expected, after tidying up, they exchanged glances, nodded, and, led by He Dong, they approached the squad leader’s window.
The squad leader, lying down, closed his eyes, aware of their presence but choosing to remain silent.
After a moment, he impatiently said, “Got something to say?”
He Dong, after a long silence, finally uttered, “Reporting to the squad leader, we got caught…”
He went on to explain the situation.
Unimpressed squad leader commented, “You guys have quite the talent. Get caught just making a phone call. What’s next, blowing up the camp when you go out for dinner?”
With that, the squad leader fell silent again. The group exchanged looks, unsure of how to respond.
After a while, the squad leader, irritated, asked, “You’re all gathered here. Don’t you have anything else to do?”
They scattered, returning to their seats and exchanging uncertain glances.
What did the squad leader mean? How would they be punished?
Is this the calm before the storm?
I’m scared…
They communicated with their eyes, growing more terrified. Before the squad leader even began his torment, they tortured themselves mentally. Watching the trembling recruits, the squad leader raised a faint smile and snorted.
It’s not the death penalty that terrifies the condemned. It’s the uncertainty.
These recruits lived in constant fear that their military lives might end tomorrow. As breakfast time approached, the squad leader led them to the cafeteria, and along the way, they all appeared dazed and anxious. Even during the singing of military songs, they seemed disoriented. After several attempts, the squad leader wasn’t satisfied, only finding joy when they shouted loudly.
During the meal, everyone looked distraught and refrained from speaking. He Dong, typically the most active, also kept a low profile. Returning to the dormitory, the squad leader asked Chen Ming to guide them back while he went elsewhere alone.
The group quickly discussed their worries in the dorm: “Squad deputy, how will the squad leader punish us?” “Is this silence the calm before the storm?” “Squad leader, please tell us quickly. I’m willing to do laps if needed.”
In the dorm, everyone was anxious. Chen Ming had no idea about the squad leader’s intentions. Soon, the squad leader returned with a stack of notebooks. Seeing him, everyone fell silent.
The squad leader handed the notebooks to Chen Ming, asking, “Do you realize your mistake?” Everyone nodded like eager chicks.
The squad leader pointed at the notebooks and said, “Considering your satisfactory performance this week and your courage to admit mistakes, I’ll go easy for the first time. Each of you needs to copy ten pages of regulations.”
Relieved, the group thanked the squad leader. The punishment seemed lighter than expected.
The squad leader warned, “Don’t thank me too soon. This is your first offense; I’m being lenient. But if it happens again, I won’t give you time to regret it.”
Everyone nodded, then started copying the regulations, relieved that it was a milder punishment than they feared.
The squad leader added, “While copying, make sure each page has at least five hundred words. Don’t think about writing big and completing it quickly.”
After hours of copying, they finally finished. Back to regular military training, the rest day came, and Chen Ming sneaked into the computer room again. Playing the game smoothly, he signed in, received the “Advanced Hacker Blue Field” skill, and completed the advanced hacker skills.
On another rest day, Chen Ming attempted to revisit the computer room but encountered Platoon Leader Gao Jie, who questioned his motives. Chen Ming had to leave with a random excuse.
He successfully played the game for half an hour and gained the ‘Military Boxing Mastery’ skill. Excelling in military boxing training, he earned praise.
In the past month, the recruits gradually adapted to barracks life. Although daily training remained exhausting, the squad leader’s scolding and physical punishments became more bearable. They learned to find joy in hardship, making the overall experience less painful.
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