Chapter 64: Dividing Forces Down to the Companies, the Guard and Communication Company?

That night, Old Wang didn't make everyone do any physical training, nor did he stop anyone from chatting after lights-out.

From all corners of the country, everyone chatted about their families, about their arrival at the camp, and about every little detail of the training that followed. Even some minor mistakes that Old Wang hadn't known about previously were bravely confessed by the bolder ones.

Inevitably, at moments like these, Old Wang would chuckle and curse, "You little brats, you really thought I didn't know? All these tricks of yours are just things I discarded ages ago..."

Stars and moons rotated, twilight faded like ink, and at some unknown hour, the chatter in the dormitory ceased. From who knows when, the soft sound of snoring began to rise.

Until the first rays of dawn spilled across the room, Chu An awoke.

Opening his eyes, he saw that some people had already begun folding their quilts.

Old Wang had mentioned last night that there would be no morning drill today.

Yet after three months of training, everyone had basically developed a biological clock.

Sure enough, even though they had stayed up chatting late into the night, they were now waking up one after another of their own accord.

"Get up and wash up now that you're awake! The mess hall won't be serving breakfast today, so get ready, grab your luggage and rucksacks, and head straight outside in a moment!"

Old Wang spoke up abruptly.

Just a second ago, Chu An had clearly seen him lying rigidly straight with his eyes tightly closed...

"Yes!"

"Got it!"

Hearing his words, the new recruits sprang into action.

They got up, folded their quilts first, and then went out in twos and threes carrying their toiletry kits!

Soon, upon returning, everyone packed their rucksacks and followed Old Wang to retrieve their individual pieces of luggage.

"Squad Leader, I really hate to see you go! Once we walk out this door, we might be parting ways. Can we get a hug?"

Inside the dormitory, the recruits, all fully prepared and dressed, stood looking spirited and alert.

Old Wang had stepped outside first, leaving only the recruits in the room.

Looking at Gong Liqun in front of him—neatly dressed, with cap insignia now adorning his cap and red collar tabs on his uniform collar—Chu An smiled and opened his arms.

Red collar tabs and cap insignia had been formally bestowed upon everyone one day after two months of recruit training.

"Take care!"

Chu An embraced him, bringing a hand down firmly on his back.

Although Gong Liqun had initially thought himself quite impressive and had been resentful of Chu An as his deputy squad leader, as time passed, he had long since been convinced heart and soul.

"Take care!"

Gong Liqun also gave him a fierce, two-armed hug.

"Deputy Squad Leader, I hate to see you go too!"

Nearby, seeing Chu An and the other finish, Dong Fang walked over with a smile.

Chu An stepped forward to embrace him.

Next, the members of the squad basically hugged each other one by one, with the exception of a certain loner.

Ever since the cigarette and tea incident, Xu Ji'an had seemed like a completely different person. Although he appeared very obedient on the surface, in private he basically never joined in the others' play and banter.

Regarding this, both Old Wang and the political instructor had talked to him, and others in the squad had tried to help him change, but facts proved it was useless.

Even now, while everyone else was hugging and bidding each other farewell, he silently pretended to busy himself with packing his own luggage.

Seeing him act this way, the urge that some people had to share a parting hug with him vanished.

"Beep-beep—"

Right on cue, the whistle blew outside punctually.

"Let's go, comrades, step forth into our journey as true soldiers!"

Smiling, Chu An put on a dashing expression and pulled the door open.

"Right, let's go!"

"Good luck, everyone!"

Hearing the whistle, the recruits had initially felt a heavier wave of sorrow over parting, but Chu An's shout and dramatic gesture instantly chased that sorrow away.

Smiling and encouraging one another, they lifted their feet and walked out together.

They assembled on one side of the two dormitories.

As one could see, there were many unfamiliar officers gathered nearby today.

Moreover, everyone caught sight of the military affairs staff officer who had come to roll call and take away several recruits on that very first day of squad assignment.

"Attention!

At ease...

Staff Officer Li, please conduct the roll call!"

Tong Lianzhong personally aligned the formation. Without any wasted words, he stepped aside immediately once he finished speaking.

Words of parting had already been said the previous night during dinner.

Now came the direct assignment to combat companies.

Without dawdling, the staff officer stepped forward to take Tong Lianzhong's place, saluted, and opened the folder in his hand.

"We will now conduct the roll call...

Ji Tao!"

"Here!"

"Dong Fang!"

"Here!"

......

"Ren Jijun!"

"Here!"

"The above personnel, 1st Infantry Company!"

"Gather your belongings and come over!"

Nearby, an officer smiled as he spoke to the recruits who had just answered the roll.

And after those few stepped out of formation, the staff officer continued calling names.

"He Weimin!"

"Here!"

The fourth squad had its second person called.

"Deputy Squad Leader, everyone, goodbye!" He Weimin stooped to pick up his luggage, exchanged a final quiet word with those around him, and left the formation.

"Chang Qing!"

......

The roll call continued, and people around Chu An kept picking up their bags and leaving one by one.

In the end, amidst the bewildered gazes of those already assigned and the few remaining unassigned recruits, Li Guoping and Gong Liqun also picked up their bags and walked over to stand behind Tong Lianzhong.

"Company Commander!"

Seeing Chu An still standing in formation, Li Guoping couldn't help whispering once he arrived behind Tong Lianzhong.

"We'll talk about other matters later!"

Tong Lianzhong offered no explanation. In truth, watching Chu An unable to come over, he was currently irritated to no end, even though he had known this outcome long in advance.

Yet this was the best soldier he had ever trained!

Yet now, he couldn't take him along.

The regimental commander was going too far, but he was completely powerless to stop it.

"Deputy Squad Leader, what's going on?" At this moment, the last remaining members of Chu An's squad, despite being separated by a few empty slots, couldn't help looking over and speaking up.

Before he could wait for Chu An's reply, however, his own name was called from the front.

"Huang Zhenmin!"

"Here!"

He hurriedly answered, then glanced at Chu An. Having only enough time to utter a single goodbye, he grabbed his bag and left the formation.

Nor was it just him; the other remaining member of the squad was also in this batch.

In an instant, the already sparse formation dwindled with this final round of roll call down to just five people, including Chu An.

At last, the roll call finally reached Chu An.

"Chu An!"

"Here!"

Chu An answered, then lowered his head to lift his bag.

Looking at the others around him, he wondered inwardly if all of these people were heading to the study class with him.

Reality matched Chu An's thoughts.

The names of the remaining four were called out one by one.

"The above personnel, Regiment Headquarters Reconnaissance and Communications Company!"

"Huh?"

Having just lifted his bag, Chu An looked at the military affairs staff officer with a hint of bewilderment.

"What's this about?"

Yet in the span of a single second, Chu An's agile mind figured it out.

Tong Lianzhong had mentioned that the regiment currently only had the Reconnaissance and Communications Company, with no artillery reconnaissance units to speak of.

He had also said that if the situation deteriorated later on, the Special Operations Company would be reorganized and he would be assigned to the reconnaissance platoon.

But since neither the Special Operations Company nor the artillery reconnaissance study class existed yet, it was hardly surprising that they were assigned to the Reconnaissance and Communications Company during this troop distribution.

"What's going on?"

"That's right! Squad Leader, why is the Deputy Squad Leader going to the Reconnaissance and Communications Company?"

"Doesn't that mean he'll be comrades-in-arms with Qiu Wei?"

On the side of the parade ground, other units had already gathered their men and left, but Tong Lianzhong's group was still standing there, and Old Wang had joined Tong Lianzhong's side. Consequently, Li Guoping and Gong Liqun could no longer hold back their curiosity.

"Stop blabbering! Don't ask what you shouldn't!" Old Wang glared at them and spoke in a low voice.

At the same time, Tong Lianzhong turned around to give his final instruction: "Alright, let's move out!"

He said nothing further to Chu An. For him, seeing the destination of his very last recruit finalized meant that the designation of the 1st Recruit Company was now officially declared disbanded.

His tenure as company commander would henceforth exist only in the memories of this batch of recruits.

Watching an unfamiliar officer take the initiative to walk up to Chu An and the others—and seeing Chu An looking directly toward them—Old Wang turned back, smiled, and shouted:

"Give it your all, don't disgrace me!"

"Yes!"

Chu An stood at attention and saluted.