"Who folded this blanket, step forward!"
The majestic Abram Phillips' voice echoed, filling the entire dormitory with his roar.
At the same time, in a neatly aligned row stood the new recruits from the Second Platoon, who simultaneously turned their heads to look at Flossie Wright standing at the door.
"Reporting! I folded the blanket!"
Flossie Wright answered bravely, walking straight and confidently into the room. The instant before Abram Phillips' gaze fell on her, she quickly adopted the posture of standing at attention.
"Yours?" Abram Phillips examined her, his brow slightly furrowed. He smirked as if amused by his anger, affirming, "That's right, it could only be yours!"
Who else but Flossie Wright, who was constantly singled out for her lack of domestic skill, could turn a tofu block into crumbles?
Flossie Wright stood in her spot, silent.
The new recruits standing at attention were solemn, yet complaints were already welling up in their hearts.
Everyone knew about Flossie Wright's poor housekeeping skills. During routine inspections, someone would always help her tidy up. Why did they forget today of all days?
"Are you tired from running?!" A hint of concern flashed across Abram Phillips' face.
He knew the rules of the Second Platoon. The only male squad leader enforced strict rules and harsh punishments. Flossie Wright's late return was obviously due to her failure in marksmanship and had to be punished by squad leader Drake Easton with running.
Following his line of thought, Flossie responded earnestly, "Tired!"
Then, the next moment, the trace of a smile on Abram Phillips' face disappeared. He pointed to the messy blanket on the top bunk, "Take it down and refold it! Fail once, and do a hundred push-ups until it's done right!"
"...Yes!"
Flossie paused briefly and then responded promptly, but under her hat brim, her eyebrows twitched slightly.
Her perpetual involvement in "murder and arson, robbery and theft" trained her in the art of survival, and she could concoct hundreds of ways to kill a prisoner. However, she had never fumbled with a blanket before, let alone fold it into a block.
Clearly satisfied with Flossie's attitude, Abram Phillips briefly scanned the new recruits of the Second Platoon who stood rigidly and then directed his attention to the deputy squad leader, dramatically raising his voice, "Deputy Squad Leader!"
"Present!" The deputy squad leader immediately stood firmly under the increasing pressure, barely managing to weather the storm.
"Your housekeeping skills are the best. Show her how it's done!" Abram Phillips paused before speaking strictly, "If she fails, you'll do the push-ups with her!"
"Yes!"
The deputy squad leader, who had already anticipated trouble, responded definitively.
"No cheating." Abram Phillips added slowly. His sharp eyes landed on all the new recruits as he warned, "You will collectively monitor them!"
"Yes!"
The response from the new recruits was unanimous and resonant, their loud voices piercing the sky.
Who would ever complain about watching a spectacle? These punishments were commonplace in the forces. At times, they even spiced up their otherwise mundane lives, so they didn't feel guilty about it.
Especially since Flossie Wright wasn't popular. Many female soldiers disliked her very existence. Her behavior over the past few days hadn't changed their opinion. They weren't foolish enough to plead for mercy on behalf of someone they had no personal attachment to.
*
Since there were other squad housekeeping tasks to inspect, Abram Phillips didn't linger long. However, before leaving, he emphasized repeatedly that he would check on Flossie Wright's performance after inspecting the domestic chores. If she still could not do it right by then, she would have to run laps around the field!