Chapter 47: Late Roll Call, Deng Hai’s Punishment
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Class One should have a total strength of eleven soldiers, and they are all present,” Ye Sanshi reported.
“The fourth class should consist of eleven soldiers, but there are only ten present. One of them is currently confined in the detention room,” another squad leader informed.
After all the squads in the company assembled in front of the building, the squad leaders swiftly briefed the platoon leader on duty about the status of their respective squads.
The platoon leader on duty saluted Wu Jianfeng, who stood at the entrance of the stairwell, and reported, “Company Commander, roll call has been completed. The expected strength is ninety-five soldiers, but the actual strength is ninety-four.”
Considering that not all squads had a full complement of ten recruits and accounting for the veteran squad leader, the total number was as stated.
“Fall in!” Wu Jianfeng stood on the steps of the dormitory, issuing the command with composure.
“Yes, sir!” the first platoon leader responded, then turned to the formation and ordered, “Stand at ease!”
…..
With that, he returned to his designated position within the formation.
“Attention! At ease!” Wu Jianfeng immediately issued two orders, signaling the recruits to stand at ease and listen attentively.
Instead of starting the roll call, he began to address them, saying, “Today marks your first day of training and your first official attendance. Let me explain the process to you.”
He paused for a moment, then continued, “Normally, I would select someone to call out names and take attendance. However, since all of you are present and no one is absent, it would be a waste of time to go through that process. Let’s skip it and proceed directly to the training.”
The recruits looked at each other, still uncertain about what he was about to reveal.
Without further delay, Wu Jianfeng decided to unveil the mystery himself. “1 noticed that all of you had a hearty dinner tonight, but 1 didn’t schedule any physical exercise afterward. That was not ideal. If you go to sleep right after eating, you’ll gain unnecessary weight.”
He then proposed a solution, “How about this? Run a 3,000-meter distance and complete 50 push-ups. Once you’re done, you can head back to the dormitory and rest.”
Silence filled the air as the recruits absorbed this unexpected turn of events.
The recruits were instantly filled with frustration and anger. What was this? It had already been three hours since dinner, and their food would’ve already been digested. And now, they were being subjected to physical exertion right before sleep. Was this really necessary?
The thought of being tormented like this made them question whether they would be able to sleep at all later. But Wu Jianfeng seemed indifferent to their concerns.
Following the order, the platoon leader promptly took charge and directed the team to make their way to the physical training ground. The recruits reluctantly complied, their exhaustion from the three-kilometer run evident.
Fortunately, this time the company commander showed some mercy. After the arduous run, he only ordered them to complete fifty push-ups. Despite their fatigue, most of them managed to accomplish the task with relative ease.
However, it was a constant stream of scolding that accompanied them throughout the entire three-kilometer run and the push-ups. The verbal chastisement seemed never-ending.
Among the nearly one hundred recruits, there were always a few who struggled with doing fifty push-ups. Unlike the morning session, this time, they were given a chance to take a short break if they couldn’t complete the full set. However, the presence of Ye Sanshi, the class monitor, served as a motivation for them to push through and avoid being scolded.
Class Five performed relatively well, with no one lagging behind significantly. Some recruits may have run the three kilometers at a slower pace, but they managed to finish. Even those who struggled with the fifty push-ups found ways to complete them while catching their breath.
However, despite the challenges, Ye Sanshi didn’t intervene or curse at anyone. Nevertheless, the recruits were far from pleased with the situation. Compared to the other classes, Class Five seemed to be facing a greater storm.
Deng Hai’s issue was still unresolved, and the atmosphere in the dormitory was tense as they returned close to ten o’clock in the evening. Ye Sanshi closed the door and, without saying a word, walked straight to the dormitory window.
“Come here,” he called out to Deng Hai. Deng Hai did not hesitate and walked over.
Ye Sanshi reached into his pocket and pulled out the pack of cigarettes that Wang Ye had bought earlier. He locked eyes with Deng Hai and opened the pack, revealing the cigarettes inside. Without hesitation, he took one out and placed it between his lips. Then, he handed the rest of the pack to Deng Hai.
“Go ahead, light them up one by one. You have twenty minutes to finish them all, understood?” Ye Sanshi’s voice carried a mix of sternness and determination.
Deng Hai’s expression shifted, displaying a hint of displeasure. He was well aware of his addiction to smoking, but that didn’t mean he wanted to kill himself by smoking that amount. Twenty minutes for a pack of cigarettes, but wait, it wasn’t a full pack anymore. Ye Sanshi had taken one, leaving him with nineteen.
Taking a deep breath, Deng Hai clenched his teeth and reluctantly agreed. With determination in his eyes, he reached out and grabbed a cigarette from the pack that Ye Sanshi had handed to him.
There was no need for Ye Sanshi to light the cigarette for him. Deng Hai pulled up his pants, raised his leg, and retrieved a lighter hidden within his sock.
Wang Ye observed the situation closely, noticing that Deng Hai only had a lighter in his socks this time. He recalled that Deng Hai should still have cigarettes, but their whereabouts were unknown to him. However, he realized that this wasn’t the time to focus on such details.
“Heh, you’re quite resourceful. Carrying a lighter in your socks after a whole day of training!” Ye Sanshi remarked, glancing at Deng Hai but choosing not to inquire further.
The process continued step by step. Ye Sanshi remained composed and unhurried.
“Class monitor, can we begin now?” Deng Hai asked Ye Sanshi in a deep voice, his demeanor transitioning from intense to calm.
“Very well, you may proceed with your orders,” Ye Sanshi responded.
Although he gave his consent, Ye Sanshi walked over to the side and took Deng Hai’s bucket. The recruits watched with curiosity as Deng Hai lit a cigarette and took a puff before Ye Sanshi returned with the bucket.
Ye Sanshi turned the bucket upside down and looked at Deng Hai. “Stay still. 1’11 help you place a hat on your head. You can smoke inside the hat!”
Deng Hai’s face froze, his expression revealing his surprise. He hadn’t anticipated that smoking nineteen cigarettes in twenty minutes wouldn’t be the end of his ordeal.
“Good,” Ye Sanshi acknowledged Deng Hai’s response, understanding that Deng Hai had made up his mind to endure the task. He knew that Deng Hai didn’t want to give up or go back empty-handed.
Soon, the bucket was on his head. The recruits observed anxiously, wondering if the cigarettes’ smoke would kill Deng Hai.
“Will he die from the smoke?” Qin Li, standing beside Wang Ye, murmured softly.
Wang Ye glanced at Qin Li but remained silent. He knew that Deng Hai wouldn’t die, but it would definitely make Deng Hai feel suffocated by cigarette smoke trapped under the bucket.
Soon, the sound of Deng Hai’s coughing echoed from beneath the bucket, confirming Wang Ye’s prediction.
“Don’t remove it,” Ye Sanshi instructed firmly, also retrieving a lighter from his pocket.
“Pa!” The flame appeared, and the cigarette in his mouth lit up.
Ye Sanshi walked to the side and swiftly grabbed Deng Hai’s cup. He headed to the nearby water dispenser, filling the cup halfway with warm water.
“What are you doing, class monitor?” Qin Li muttered again, perplexed as he observed Ye Sanshi tapping the cigarette ashes into the cup of water.
“1 don’t think you want to know,” Wang Ye replied softly. He was actually grateful at that moment that he wasn’t a smoker. This situation seemed to be quite ruthless.
Ye Sanshi extinguished the cigarette in the water-filled cup before lighting up another and flicking the ashes into it. To everyone’s surprise, he then took out half of the cigarette and dropped it into the cup. It became clear that he wasn’t merely killing time or playing around. He was toying with Deng Hai’s cup.
Within the fifth squad, one recruit’s throat tightened as he struggled to suppress his discomfort. It was evident that he had no intention of drinking the concoction. No sane person would willingly consume such a mixture.