Chapter 100: Young Man, Who Is Your Father?
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
The Iron Bones Hero Regiment was an independent regimental unit.
In the family area, there was a small compound consisting of only three buildings.
One building served as a canteen and reception area for family members, while the others were a row of bungalows, with one being the residence of a regimental officer.
Additionally, there was a six-story building designated as the dormitory for battalion-level cadres, some technical staff, and civilian personnel.
At this moment, Wu Jianfeng knocked on the door of one of the bungalows and entered.
“What brings you here looking for me?” asked the regiment commander as he sat down in the living room, picking up a cigarette from the coffee table and lighting it.
He wasn’t inclined to offer Wu Jianfeng a cigarette, as he considered him a difficult person to deal with. Having finally gotten a day off this weekend to rest at home, he didn’t appreciate this interruption.
However, he still decided to wait and see if Wu Jianfeng’s words would be courteous before deciding whether to offer him a cigarette or not. In fact, he might even refuse to give him the milk he brought for his daughter should he find his guest’s demeanor unpleasant.
“Come, Wu, have some tea!” a woman entered with a cup of tea.
“Thankyou, Sister-in-law!”
“Don’t mention it. You two continue chatting. I’ll go outside and look for Yingying. This little girl keeps running around during the holidays!” she said with a smile, then turned and left.
As a military wife, she understood the need to avoid engaging in conversations with other officers.
“Crack.”
The door opened and closed, and Wu Jianfeng entered the room with a smile, placing the tea given by the regiment commander’s wife on the table. He then reached for the cigarette left on the coffee table without hesitation.
“You can smoke, but once you do, you’re not allowed to bother me with anything,” the commander said with a faint smile.
Wu Jianfeng didn’t say anything, but the commander wasn’t oblivious to the situation.
Quickly retracting his hand, Wu Jianfeng replied, “Hehc, then I’ll enjoy some tea later!”
After a moment, he began to voice his complaints to the regiment commander. “Commander, you can’t ignore this matter. I went through so much trouble to get into the new recruit company and endured immense pressure. Dealing with those new recruits with their varied thoughts and personalities is no easy task. Hitting them too hard might break their spirit, but being too gentle won’t achieve the desired training effect. I’m constantly worried and on edge, fearing that a mistake could happen at any moment.”
“Now, to add to my troubles, we’ve managed to find a promising new recruit in such a short time, and the chief of staff wants to snatch them away. If this continues, how can I focus on training new recruits? How can I maintain my enthusiasm for the job?”
“Alright, alright…” The regiment commander raised his hand to interrupt Wu Jianfeng. “The chief of staff is just for show.”
“For real?!” Wu Jianfeng’s face lit up.
“He doesn’t need a soldier,” the commander continued, dismissing the importance of the chief of staff’s involvement.
“Alright, you can leave. However, you can only prioritize this one among this batch of soldiers. The rest will be assigned by the regiment headquarters!”
“Ah, Commander…” Wu Jianfeng’s face turned bitter again. “I’m like a father and a mother every day, taking care of a group of recruits. It’s like walking on thin ice. I…”
“Pa!” The regiment commander took the cigarette box in front of him and threw it at Wu Jianfeng.
“Get lost! You either do it or not. If you bother me again, I’ll replace you as the company commander. Don’t even think about getting this soldier!”
Undeterred, Wu Jianfeng smiled and continued bargaining, even after being hit. “Commander, just three more spots. It’s not asking for much, right?”
“Get lost. I’ll give you one more spot at most. Take it or leave it. If not, take your milk and get lost. I’ll find a new company commander for the recruits!” “Ah, one…” Wu Jianfeng’s expression showed his difficulty in accepting the offer, but seeing the regiment commander looking stern and ready to chase him away, he quickly relented. “Alright, alright, I’ll take one more spot. With Wang Ye, that makes two.”
In reality, the company commander was well aware that asking for three more recruits was an excessive demand. Normally, they were only allowed to choose one or two new recruits each year, so having one extra slot was already a pleasant surprise.
He had originally planned to prioritize selecting Wang Ye, and now having the chance for one more was a welcome bonus. Despite the regiment commander’s assurance that the chief of staff wouldn’t interfere, he knew such assurances were mere formalities.
Deep down, he believed that if he hadn’t personally approached the regiment commander, Wang Ye would have been assigned to a different company, and he would have lost the opportunity to train him.
As he left the regiment commander’s house, he spotted the commander’s wife returning with a five or six-year-old girl. Wu Jianfeng greeted them with a warm smile, teasing the little girl playfully before heading in a different direction.
He wasn’t in a rush to return to the new company just yet. He still had connections to his old company and would often visit them on weekends, despite not being there regularly during the week.
“Haha, this guy’s writing is really sappy. Come and take a look…”
“1 miss you… I missed you so much… 1 miss your kisses… I miss your fragrant hair… Aiyo…
It’s so freaking sappy.”
“Haha, look at this! These guys usually try to hide it, but now that they’re writing a letter, they can’t hold back!”
Inside the instructor’s office, after Wu Jianfeng returned to the recruit company, he heard laughter coming from within.
“Lower your voices. I could hear your laughter from outside!” Wu Jianfeng pushed the door open and walked in.
He already had a good idea of what was going on inside.
The recruits were writing letters, and as it was their first time, they probably assumed that the army was no different from the outside world. They sealed their letters, believing only the intended recipient would read it.
But in reality…
There were no secrets in the army.
After all, confidentiality was vital in military environments.
Allowing them to write letters without checking them first? Who knows if they might unknowingly leak classified information?
As a result, the first thing the instructors saw when opening these letters wasn’t declarations of love to longed-for girlfriends.
Instead, they were a group of burly men.
Moreover, these guys gathered together to watch the game and made lighthearted comments about it.
Naturally, it was amusing for them to read these letters. Some letters would elicit casual comments, while others were more serious and heartfelt.
The class monitor would go through the letters first and then show them to the instructor.
These letters provided valuable insights into the recruits’ truest thoughts and feelings since joining the army. They allowed the squad leaders and instructors to better understand their recruits, helping them to deal with and guide them more effectively.
However, not every letter could be sent.
In fact, only a few could make the final cut. After careful selection, at least half of the letters were kept confidential with the instructor, while the remaining ones were sent to the regiment headquarters. Following another round of inspection, the approved letters would be sent out to their intended recipients.
“Why are you here again? Young man, who is your father?”
At the service center, when Wang Ye walked in once more, the lady behind the counter was taken aback for a moment. She then looked at Wang Ye curiously and asked him in a hushed tone..