Sim walked up to Zhou Yuan's seat first, tapped him on the shoulder, then found Ruike and Ace, giving them the same encouragement.
Ace, whose full name is Ace Levine, explained that his father was a gambler and on the day he was born, his father lost a card game, so he named him Ace. Because Ace is the highest card in the deck, he became known as Ace at the gambling table.
"Zhou, well done!"
"I already knew that Levine here always performs well!"
"Ruike, you defended the honor of our football superstar combo!"
Upon hearing Sim's arrangement, everyone cheered loudly and congratulated the three main characters.
Putting aside popularity, let's talk about their achievements.
Zhou Yuan has always been ranked first in the class, even in personal competitions against students from other classes, he has never lost. He can be considered the strongest recruit in the No. 1 boot camp.
Ruike is ranked second in the class, and Ace is ranked third.
No one can argue with Zhou Yuan, Ruike, and Ace being the class leader and squad leaders.
"Don't celebrate too early, I haven't finished speaking," Sim looked at the three highly anticipated individuals and said coldly, "The positions of class leader and squad leaders are not fixed."
"In my class, the positions of class leader and squad leaders belong to the strongest. Whoever can defeat these three can replace them."
"Furthermore, starting today, the weakest person will enjoy preferential treatment. I'm sure you all want to know what this treatment is."
"As for the assignment of team members for the three squads, I will inform you this afternoon."
His class cannot be stagnant, competitiveness is essential.
However, just because he said it doesn't mean the recruits have absorbed it.
Being a class leader or squad leader is prestigious, but it's not something you can snatch just by saying so, right?
Half of the recruits' training period has passed, just like halfway through a semester in school, the gap between underachievers and top students cannot be easily bridged with just a little effort.
What they are more worried about now is whether they will end up at the bottom in the upcoming assessments and have to endure Sim's "preferential treatment".
... ...
Back at Boot Camp No. 1.
Sim gave the recruits a ten-minute break to return to their dorms and change their equipment.
During this time, he went to the work hall and found two corporal assistants to bring over a cart of folding tables.
Today, he planned to conduct firearms disassembly and assembly training and let each recruit fire a few live rounds to ensure no one was left unattended.
Not long after.
The recruits returned to the training ground in high spirits.
"Hey, we've endured for half a month, and finally, this day has come."
"After training, I must take a picture and show my grandmother how I look now."
"God, this thing is really cool!"
Everyone put on the newly issued weapons, caressing them left and right, as if they were protecting precious treasures, treasuring them dearly.
Some recruits from well-off families had already been exposed to many firearms before joining the army.
But the equipment of the Mobile Infantry is different; the firearms here are the latest and most powerful, not something you can find in regular shooting clubs.
As for the recruits who had never touched firearms before, they were amazed and eager, wishing to merge with the weapons as if they were part of their bodies.
Among the twenty-two recruits, only Zhou Yuan was slightly better off.
He was familiar with the firearm he was issued since he had played with it countless times at the shooting club; he only needed to understand the armor.
"Alright, stop smiling foolishly!"
Seeing the recruits' excitement, Sim waved his hand and said, "Stand in front of the tables and place your weapons on them."
"As a Mobile Infantry soldier, you may not know yourself well, but you cannot be unfamiliar with the tools at your disposal."
"Now, I will teach you how to disassemble, maintain, and assemble firearms. David and Stewart will assist me."
This training may seem redundant but it is actually crucial.
A person can only bring one set of weapons onto the battlefield, where accidents can happen at any moment. To prepare for potential mishaps such as firearm malfunctions or damage, it is crucial to have a good understanding of your own weaponry.
After speaking, Sim nodded to David and Stu. "Guys, those with rifles come to my side, and those with machine guns go over there." David and Stu immediately took action, dividing the new recruits of the third platoon into two teams.
When the recruits received their weapons, many firearms were restricted from their access, such as sniper rifles and grenade launchers. The only big guns they could obtain were rifles and machine guns, which conveniently divided them into two instruction groups.
"Alright, let's get started." Seeing that the new recruits were ready, Sim waved his hand, giving the signal to begin.
In fact, disassembling and assembling firearms was not difficult. Even the new recruits could easily accomplish it. Nowadays, firearms were different from the relics before the nuclear war. Even the largest machine gun had less than ten modular components. As long as one remembered the order of disassembly and assembly, it was like playing with building blocks.
The recruits had already watched the training videos multiple times, as they were played on the dormitory's public screen every day. Although there were many people, Zhou Yuan didn't stand out too much. However, even though he intentionally slowed down, his speed of disassembling and assembling impressed his fellow recruits, and even two sergeants praised him for his talent.
Sim was very satisfied with Zhou Yuan, feeling that Zhou had brought him honor. The strongest recruit in the first battalion was trained by him, Sim!
... ...
The disassembly and assembly training continued until 9 o'clock. After more than an hour of training, most of the recruits became proficient in disassembling and assembling firearms. After all, the difficulty was not high.
"Alright, stop." After another round of assembly was completed, Sim waved his hand and looked at David. "Are they ready over there?"
"All set," David nodded in response.
Sim nodded slightly, walked to the middle of the two rows of folding tables, and loudly declared, "Strap your gear on, and next, we will proceed to the live-fire range for shooting practice."
"Yes!"
"Awesome, we're going to shoot real guns!"
Upon hearing Sim's words, the recruits instantly erupted with excitement. Before receiving their weapons, their only desire was to have them, but once they obtained them, their immediate thought was to start shooting live ammunition. There's nothing more satisfying than using real firearms!
"Damn!"
Suddenly, Sim's face darkened as he quickly walked up to Kranzey and kicked him to the ground.
The surrounding recruits were startled, closing their mouths and standing still.
"Are you an idiot?"
"Isn't it written in the recruit's manual?"
"Regardless of whether it's a training exercise or not, at no time, and regardless of whether your gun has ammunition or not, are you allowed to point your firearm at your comrades!"
Sim squatted down, grabbing Kranzey by the collar and berating him furiously.
Everyone suddenly realized. When using firearms, the muzzle should never be directed at people. This rule was established to prevent accidental discharge and injury. Such incidents have occurred throughout history, and to avoid these situations, it is essential to develop a habit of not pointing the muzzle at fellow soldiers.
"If anyone does this again, I will break their hand, understood?"
After giving Kranzey a severe reprimand, Sim sternly warned.
"Understood!"
The recruits responded in unison, adjusting their gun muzzles towards the ground.
"Very well, let's move out!" Sim nodded in satisfaction, leading the way towards the entrance of the recruit camp.
He realized that he was fortunate. Every time he wanted to caution a trainee, there would always be one not-so-bright recruit who would make a mistake, making his job much easier.