Gao Linbing watched the new recruits running under the scorching sun with sandbags strapped to them and laughed, saying to Qi Taiguo beside him, "Youāve got guts. These guys are all fresh here, and youāre putting them through such an ordeal right off the bat. Arenāt you afraid theyāll hold a grudge against you?"
Qi Taiguo replied, "A deputy battalion commander afraid of some rookies? How would I survive then?"
Gao Linbing chuckled, "A few of them came from military academies, and theyāre quite the hotheads. I heard they have quite the backgrounds."
Qi Taiguo smirked and said, "Iām not afraid of them being hotheads; Iām just afraid theyāll be useless softies who look tough but arenāt."
"Itās a heavy responsibility, but youāve got to temper these sons of the military a bit. Keep it up, brother!" Gao Linbing patted his shoulder and added, "By the way, Old Zhou said he wants to come back next month for the Mid-Autumn Festival and get together with our comrades."
"Old Zhou is coming back?" Qi Taiguoās eyes lit up with joy.
"Havenāt told you yet?" Gao Linbing said, "I was informed just last night. Not sure of the exact date heāll be back, but it should be around then."
Qi Taiguo said, "I didnāt get a call, but notifying you is the same. But if itās Mid-Autumn, Iām afraid Iāll have to do the festival duty this year."
"Ah, I forgot about that mess!" Gao Linbing slapped his forehead.
Last year during Mid-Autumn, they both went to Yanjing for advanced studies. This year, theyāll likely have to fulfill their holiday duties.
"Iāll give Old Zhou a heads-up," Gao Linbing said. "See if he can come back a bit earlier. We havenāt seen each other in years, and from what he says, it seems heās doing quite well!"
Qi Taiguo rarely smiled and said, "Thatās good to hear!"
At this moment, the person in charge blew the whistle, signaling the end of the 20-kilometer weighted run.
Although they were obviously exhausted, none dared to relax, just standing there catching their breath.
Qi Taiguo frowned and scolded sharply, "Youāre panting like oxen after only ten kilometersāare your usual training sessions like racing turtles? From this afternoon, all training will be back on schedule." He glanced at his watch, "Dismissed from here, go to the canteen for lunch."
With that said, Qi Taiguo looked at Commander Ou, who was sitting beside him, and said, "You take them to the canteen and brief them on the rules."
"Yes!"
Qi Taiguo and Gao Linbing turned and walked away, feeling two sets of eyes fixed on their backs. Qi Taiguo suddenly turned his head, catching those two stares, curling one corner of his mouth coldly, with a flicker of an indescribable gleam in his eyes, then turned back and left with Gao Linbing.
Ning Le exhaled a breath, thinking, "What keen senses, to have been caught just like that!"
Cheng Jiasheng had the same thought, secretly pulling back a bit of derision in his heart.
Qi Taiguo joined the army at a young age and now, not even thirty, has no strong backing yet has reached his current position. Itās certainly not just luck but solid strength. If he underestimated him, heād surely suffer miserably.
Grandfather said, never underestimate your opponent because you never know what tricks the other side might have. Always stay a bit cautious, as it could save your life.
Cheng Jiasheng glanced at Ning Le, thinking, "This guyās background is even more prominent than mine. If his arrogance isnāt tempered, heās likely to suffer in battle."
Well, theyāre all here to be hardened, regardless of background, it all depends on who can grasp the most!