"Mom, don't worry. Our class monitor is a good person. He even helped us fetch water and wash our feet," Wang Ye reassured his mother over the phone.
"I'm not lying to you... The leader of the army was also very good, really... No one bullied me," he continued, trying to quell his mother's concerns.
"My dear, the army is not bad. Our boss is very kind and takes good care of us," he added.
"Don't worry. The man you like will become a general in the future. He will ride a horse and lead an army to pick you up at your house," he promised, with a hint of playfulness in his tone.
In the small dormitory, the recruits were all scrambling to find a spot to make a phone call. Some rushed to the balcony window while others clung onto the iron frame of their beds, smiling and exchanging sweet nothings with their loved ones.
Wang Ye also made a call, and fortunately, it went through. Although it was already almost eleven o'clock, it was the first day he had joined the army, and few parents could sleep soundly at such a time. Most were anxious and worried
Once the phone rang, his parents picked up almost immediately, worried and anxious about their son's well-being. His mother talked for a while before his father took the phone.
"It's still the same as what I said yesterday. Once you're in the army, concentrate on completing the two years and quit your internet addiction. Don't even think about running back, understand? "
His mother spoke for a while before Wang Jianjun took the phone.
Unlike his mother, who inquired about his well-being, his father was as strict and worried as ever. "Don't worry, I'll be fine," Wang Ye replied, mindful of the other people in the dormitory, and didn't say too much to his father. One reason was that there were other people in the dormitory.
It was also meaningless to say more. The original Wang Ye in this life had disappointed them too much in the past. Though Wang Ye had changed for the better over the past month, it wasn't enough to change their long-held perceptions of him.
After a while, his mother took the phone back and continued to chat. Checking the time, Wang Ye decided to end the call.
"Are you going to call others?" Ye Sanshi asked curiously as Wang Ye put his phone back in his pocket.
In the dormitory, who didn't have a cell phone? They called again and again after hanging up. As for the cell phone that the instructor gave them, the class monitor gave it to the remaining few who didn't have a cell phone.
Three minutes per person. After the fight, they had to give it to the others.
In the dormitory, everyone had a cell phone, and they kept calling again and again after ending their conversations. The class monitor handed out the instructor's phone to those few who didn't have their own.
Each person had three minutes on the phone, and after that, they had to pass it to the next person. Only Wang Ye ended his call quickly. "It's already late. I just wanted to let my parents know that I'm safe," he explained.
Ye Sanshi didn't say anything more, and there were still two people waiting in the queue without their phones. After a few more minutes, he shouted for everyone to end their calls.
The main reason was that he had been given enough time.
For those who didn't have cell phones, three minutes each wasn't considered long. However, for those who had cell phones, each of them had been on the phone for more than ten minutes. Perhaps, for Deng Hai, who was on the phone with his girlfriend, ten minutes was nothing. They wished they could talk on the phone until tomorrow, but they did spend a long time on their phones
"Alright, it's getting late. Let's check our items and deposit our bags," Ye Sanshi said, getting straight to the point. The recruits had arrived too late that day, and it was already past 11 p.m. This was considered serious overtime in the army, as they usually turned off the lights and went to bed at 10:30.
"You're not allowed to smoke during the recruit period. Hand over your cigarettes and lighters!" Ye Sanshi ordered, and the recruits groaned in response.
"And you can't keep your cell phones either. The army has strict rules. I'll give them back to you on your rest days, but only if you take your training seriously. If not, don't expect to get your phone back!"
The inspection focused mainly on checking everyone's bodies, as their bags would have to be taken away later. They were only allowed to leave a few personal items, like clothing, in the cabinets. Anything else had to be taken out and put into their own bags under Ye Sanshi's watchful gaze.
Suddenly, Ye Sanshi noticed something in Zhang Ping'an's cabinet and was shocked. "Where did you get the whistle?!" he exclaimed.
It was made of stainless steel, and Wang Ye and the others were equally surprised. "My cousin gave it to me. He told me to bring it to the army, so if I miss home, I can blow it in the direction of home at night," Zhang Ping'an explained.
"..."
The entire dormitory fell silent.
Everyone looked at Zhang Ping 'an with their mouths agape.
But this silence only lasted for a moment.
"Fuck, brother, you're awesome. You... You actually believe that!" Deng Hai exclaimed.
He was simply shocked by Zhang Ping 'an. What kind of IQ and brain did he have to believe such nonsense? Wouldn't it cause a panic if he went out at night and blew the whistle when he missed home? He would probably be beaten to death!
"Brother, does your cousin have a grudge against you?" someone said casually.
However, Zhang Ping'an gave a silly smile and explained, "I don't know how to blow it. I'm not that foolish. I just like how it looks, so I'm keeping it as a memento."
Hearing this, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. It was good to know that he still had some common sense. If he had really gone out in the middle of the night to blow the whistle, it would have caused a lot of trouble.
"Think about it, my ass!" At this moment, Ye Sanshi snatched the whistle from his hand.
"Do you think this thing is a toy? Private personnel in the army are not allowed to carry such items. I'm confiscating it!"
Everything else was thrown into the bag and all the food items were distributed to everyone as extra food.
However, Ye Sanshi confiscated the whistle.
He was shocked by the recruit's words. A bunch of new recruits might not understand, but how could he not?
If he had really gone out in the middle of the night to blow the whistle, he could've even scared the commanders out of their beds.
What a joke.
"I, I just wanted to keep it as a memento…I won't blow it!" Zhang Ping 'an looked at the whistle that was snatched away and wanted to explain, but Ye Sanshi did not give him the chance.
"What were you thinking? This is not something you should've brought!"
After confiscating the whistle, Ye Sanshi put it into his pocket and said, "Alright, we're almost finished packing. Hurry up and finish eating. Once you're done, take your bags and follow me outside to store them."
There were many people at the bag warehouse, not just Wang Ye's squad but all the recruits in the company had to come to store their bags. Thankfully, they had called for help at the last minute, so storing the bags didn't take too long.
At 11:30 pm, all the members of Class 5 returned to the dormitory, and Ye Sanshi told everyone to go to bed. "Get ready to sleep. Don't talk anymore. The lights will be out soon!"
There was no training on their first day at the recruit company, and there were even rumors online that the recruits would show off their strength. But it didn't happen at all. Instead, the recruits experienced warmth and care from everyone they encountered.