At least they haven't made him do anything like fetching water to wash their feet yet; don't be too enthusiastic today, lest you be too cruel tomorrow.
...
The enthusiasm for welcoming newcomers may be late, but it will never be absent.
The next day, 7 p.m.
The Training Base was brightly lit, and on the wide playground, three large buses led by five military trucks drove in.
"The barracks are red, the vehicles are red, our youth is red, and I am red, so many times on the training ground we sweated like rain, so many times we stood guard in silence—ah! We confidently hold—on!"
One by one, faces reddened by air conditioning got off the bus.
Squad leader: "Come on, brother, give me your bag!"
New recruits who arrived early: "Clap, clap, clap..."
Integrated audiovisual service.
The applause from the new recruits lining the path and the firefighting military song from the loudspeakers merge together, with the light shining on the slightly reflective ground after a light rain, making the barracks shine brilliantly.
The squad leaders were eagerly providing their services.
This was the second batch of new recruits they had welcomed today; the batch they welcomed half an hour ago was now bustling in front of the New Training Building.
Compared to Fang Huai and the others arriving in twos and threes, this was Guizhou Fire Brigade's real main force for the year.
In his previous life, he didn't feel it, but now Fang Huai, who had gradually re-integrated into the troops, understood the feeling of an old soldier watching these new recruits disembark.
Like someone with obsessive-compulsive disorder watching a pile of jumbled, jagged building blocks.
Some hats askew, some webbing belts askew, some waist belts crooked, the winter camouflage wrinkled.
A dark and lean lieutenant colonel stood on the stairs next to the auditorium building, his hand dangling by the railing, quietly watching the scene.
Not until everyone got off the bus did he emit a loud voice.
"Liu Mangong, gather the troops! Divide into squads!"
His voice echoed loudly.
Liu Mangong ran to the front of the formation and shouted loudly.
"All troops, assemble!"
The whole formation started moving irregularly.
"Ow, you stepped on my shoelace!"
"Move, move, move over there!"
"Wait a minute, wait a minute!"
A figure crouching down to tie his shoelaces could block a lot of people from moving forward.
The squad leaders, however, dispersed to the outer perimeter of the formation, helping the new recruits adjust the shape of the formation.
Soon, a large formation gradually took shape; the new recruits who arrived first stood to the far right of the formation, and the squad leaders stood on both sides of the entire formation, maintaining the interval between rows and files.
"Look to the right... line up!"
With a loud shout from Liu Mangong, the whole formation quickly used the squad leaders' spacing as a reference and spread out a bit, creating some space for the surrounding people.
"Look forward!"
"At ease!"
"When your name is called, stand at attention and come out, then stand behind the squad leader of your squad!"
"First Company, Squad One!"
A sergeant stepped out and went to an open space next to the formation.
"Sun Yu!"
"Here!" A new recruit shouted with a strain.
"Zhang Liang!"
"Here!" This voice was more grand.
The lieutenant colonel above nodded slightly; the motion was small, but many people saw it.
"Zhang Xianchao!"
"Here!!"
"Wu Wei!"
"Here!!!!"
...
The new recruits in the back seemed to understand the rule: when their names were called, they strained their vocal cords to make their voices sound high and mighty.
Twenty minutes later, nine companies, eighty squads had their personnel lined up.
Ten per squad, a full total of 800 people.
There was actually a tenth company with over twenty people; these new recruits would go to Kunming Command School after finishing their training, and be seconded to stand guard.
These men, once they leave the company, are considered "Old Soldiers" and honored as such.
Of course, in his previous life, Fang Huai was also among those honored; he transferred from the squadron to the Training Base Office in just a few months, doing clerical work and hanging out with a few female soldiers every day, "concentrating on preparing for exams."
In days without training, the army's hearty meals once caused him to grow from 140 pounds to over 180.
"Each company brings its members to check in, meet at the cafeteria door at 8:15!"
Wang Jian quickly ran in front of the formation where Fang Huai was.
"Seventh Company, Squads One to Nine, lead them back in order!"
The squad leader of Squad One stepped out.
"Squad One, march!"
...
The entire open space orderly proceeded upstairs under the sequential command of platoon—company—squad.
As soon as they entered the staircase, the formation started to loosen.
The two new recruits in front of Fang Huai quickly began discussing.
"Hey, I heard on the bus that the People's Liberation Army's recruits all first go to the new recruit company in the regiment."
"Yeah, many of their divisions have been converted into brigades now; it's different from us, they receive new recruits regiment by regiment."
Hao Chengbin in front turned his head, clearly wanting to lose his temper, but still controlled his volume and said.
"Go upstairs in order, stay to the right, and don't whisper!"
The effect was limited.
"...Yeah, I heard they get to handle guns as soon as they join the company..."
Fang Huai, observing the two guys in front who lowered their voices a bit but still turned to chat from time to time, was already calculating how not to get involved with them in the future.
Fang Huai, always keeping an eye on the squad leader's expression, saw Hao Chengbin forcefully squeeze a smile onto his face the moment he entered the barrack room.
Ten new recruits squeezed into a rather cramped space; two couldn't get in and stood at the door.
Hao Chengbin helped to arrange the camouflage bags neatly outside the door, and as the bags were unloaded onto the beds, Fang Huai and Chen Zhongqiang, being closest, quickly lent a hand.
Soon, the room became spacious.
"Come on, take a seat," Hao Chengbin called out.
The new recruits each sat down on the edge of the beds, looking around.
There were no stools, the stools hadn't been issued yet.
Hao Chengbin, with a kind and fatherly look: "Let's all introduce ourselves... Chen Zhongqiang, you were the first to arrive at the squad room, you go first."
"Yes!"
Chen Zhongqiang immediately stood up, and Yue Tao, as the "old man of the unit," also realized it was his turn next and straightened up proudly.