Chapter 42: Poaching
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation
To be honest, the current turn of events was slightly unexpected for Wang Ye. However, in retrospect, it was not entirely surprising. In the army, there were few individuals who could be labeled as “good boys” in the traditional sense. Even though the other recruits in the dormitory appeared uninvolved at the moment, they were likely unaware of the dynamics outside their immediate surroundings.
“You… You’re nothing!” Deng Hai, still struggling against Wan Baojiang’s grip on his neck, heard Wang Ye’s words. It was evident that he remained unconvinced.
In that moment, it became clear that Deng Hai’s temper had overridden his rationality. When his anger flared, it seemed to dominate his mind, pushing aside any traces of reason.
Wang Ye approached the scene, stepping closer to Deng Hai. “Vice class monitor, Brother Wang… Don’t worry, don’t let him bother you,” Wan Baojiang said.
As Wang Ye took a step forward, Gu Yingnan approached from the side and attempted to pull Wang Ye back, being one of the few in the dormitory who sought to mediate the situation. He was concerned that Wang Ye might resort to violence.
“Don’t worry, 1 know what I’m doing,” Wang Ye reassured, gently removing Gu Yingnan’s hand from his own.
With determination, Wang Ye approached Deng Hai and crouched down, meeting his furious gaze. The other recruits in the dormitory tensed, unsure of what would transpire next. They worried about the potential consequences of the acting deputy squad leader physically confronting another recruit.
…..
However, their concerns quickly dissipated as they realized they had been overthinking. Wang Ye did not strike Deng Hai. Instead, he firmly grasped the collar of Deng Hai’s uniform.
“Listen to me, you are no longer a troublemaker on the streets. Look at yourself and your uniform. If you want to desert and go home, you can continue behaving recklessly!” Wang Ye asserted, his grip on Deng Hai’s collar unwavering.
After conveying his message, Wang Ye stood up and turned to Wan Baojiang. “Old Wan, let him go.”
Wan Baojiang expressed his concern, noting that Deng Hai might still pose a threat. “He’s not trustworthy. He might still try to use force.”
“It’s fine. Let him go,” Wang Ye insisted.
“Alright then!” Wan Baojiang complied, promptly releasing his hold on Deng Hai and rising to his feet.
However, in the next instant, Deng Hai erupted in anger. He swiftly flipped over while still on the ground and swung his hand at Wan Baojiang, who had been restraining him.
“Pa!” A soft sound resonated, but it was not the sound of Deng Hai hitting Wan Baojiang. Instead, someone had grabbed hold of his hand.
Although Wang Ye s reaction speed was only 2.2 times faster than that of an ordinary person, he shouldn’t underestimate the significance of that 0.2 difference. This small advantage allowed Wang Ye to swiftly grab the hand that Deng Hai had intended to use for a counterattack.
“Bang!” The sound of Deng Hai’s head hitting the ground reverberated through the room.
Despite Wang Ye’s intervention, Wan Baojiang, who had remained vigilant, exclaimed, “How dare you still come at us!”
In response, he lunged at Deng Hai once again, gripping his neck and pressing him back down to the ground, causing his raised head to collide with the floor.
“Are you convinced?” Wan Baojiang shouted, maintaining his grip on his neck.
“Release his neck first,” Wang Ye interjected, always rational and mindful of the consequences.
He was not a hot-headed youngster who would disregard the potential repercussions. Wan Baojiang’s current actions were fueled by anger, and if Wang Ye allowed him to continue, it could escalate further.
Fortunately, Wan Baojiang proved to be obedient. Upon hearing Wang Ye’s words, he released her grip on Deng Hai’s neck and firmly pressed down on his shoulders with both hands.
“Fuck off! If you have the guts, let me get up. We can fight one-on-one!” Deng Hai’s face turned red with frustration.
…
“What’s going on here!” Suddenly, the door swung open, revealing a stern-faced veteran. It wasn’t Ye Sanshi but a sergeant squad leader from the third floor. He had been on his way downstairs for a meeting but arrived slightly late, hearing Deng Hai’s loud cursing from the second floor. He immediately followed the sound and approached the dormitory.
The entire dormitory was taken aback by the unexpected arrival of the squad leader. Quickly regaining his composure, Wang Ye stood up and saluted. “Reporting to class monitor, 1 am Wang Ye, the acting vice class monitor of Class Five. We were just engaging in some playful banter.”
As he spoke, Wang Ye nudged Wan Baojiang, who was still in a daze. He then directed his gaze toward Deng Hai, who remained on the ground. Crouching down, Wang Ye extended his hand to help him up, his eyes filled with a warning glare.
Wang Ye was well aware of the competitive nature between classes in the army, and it was crucial to keep matters within their own class. It was best not to let other classes become aware of their internal affairs.
“Humph!” Deng Hai snorted and disregarded Wang Ye’s offered hand, choosing to get up on his own. He remained silent and didn’t acknowledge the presence of the veteran squad leader at the door.
“Playing around?” The class monitor at the door was taken aback. Was this really just a playful exchange?
He glanced deeply at Wang Ye, recognizing him from his recent appearance in the news. Though they had only just begun training, the class monitor wasn’t surprised that Wang Ye had assumed the role of acting vice-class monitor. If Wang Ye were in his class, he might have considered appointing him as the deputy class monitor as well.
“Alright, understood. I’m not your class monitor. Since there’s nothing else, I’ll leave,” the squad leader responded before turning to depart.
The class monitor didn’t say much, but as he turned to leave, he couldn’t resist making one last offer to Wang Ye. “Are you interested in joining my class? I’ll make you the official vice class monitor!”
“Reporting, I am a member of Class Five!” Wang Ye responded loudly, reaffirming his loyalty to his own class.
“Fuck, you shameless scumbag! You still want to poach me!” A furious curse suddenly erupted, the voice unmistakably belonging to Ye Sanshi.
“Haha! I’m just joking!” The sergeant who had attempted to recruit Wang Ye didn’t show any signs of embarrassment and instead burst into laughter.
“Bah, get lost!” Ye Sanshi’s voice rang out, cutting off any further conversation with the squad leader.
Moments later, Ye Sanshi appeared at the entrance of the dormitory. Ignoring the presence of the veteran squad leader who hadn’t left, he walked straight into the dormitory, clearly unbothered by any potential consequences.
Ye Sanshi looked around the dormitory before fixing his gaze on Wang Ye, his expression filled with displeasure. “I asked you to be the acting vice class monitor, and this is how you handle things? I just went downstairs, and you all are already causing a scene and shouting.”
It was clear that Ye Sanshi had heard Deng Hai’s outburst. Being downstairs at the time, he couldn’t help but be startled by the commotion. He promptly informed the company commander and hurried back upstairs.
As he ascended, anger simmered within him. However, upon hearing the voices of the class monitor and Wang Ye, some of his anger dissipated. Nevertheless, he still needed to maintain a certain demeanor.
“Report, it’s my fault. I failed to properly manage everyone,” Wang Ye responded, taking responsibility for the situation.
“Humph!” Ye Sanshi snorted coldly. Just then, another person entered the dormitory— the instructor.
“What’s going on?” the instructor immediately inquired upon entering.
“Instructor, it’s just a minor incident. We have a new recruit in the class who was unaware of the rules and caused a disturbance. I will handle it immediately,” Ye Sanshi explained, maintaining a smile.
Upon hearing this, the instructor nodded and surveyed the dormitory. Seeing no apparent issues, he swiftly stated, “Alright, we will head downstairs first. Finish dealing with it promptly and join us as soon as possible!”
“Yes, sir!” Ye Sanshi responded.
Soon, the instructor departed, taking the seventh class monitor along. Ye Sanshi closed the door behind them, and as he turned around, his face darkened significantly.
“Hmph, what’s the situation? Wang Ye, tell me everything!” Ye Sanshi demanded, his gaze shifting to Deng Hai.
“This kid wanted to smoke, but the deputy class monitor wouldn’t let him go. He lost control, and 1 assisted the deputy class monitor in restraining him. Later, the deputy class monitor requested me to release him, but he became even more agitated and attempted to resist.”
These words were not spoken by Wang Ye but rather by Wan Baojiang himself. Wan Baojiang had always been straightforward and was never one to hold back his words. He expressed what he wanted to say without hesitation. Now, fearing that Wang Ye might take full responsibility for the matter, he decided to speak up first. Regardless, he could no longer tolerate Deng Hai. So be it.