Chapter 89: Opening the Ligament, the Difficult Problem Given by the Company Commander
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
There were multiple positions available to open the ligaments, but regardless of the position, it was an excruciating experience for those who hadn’t done it before.
After about ten minutes, Wang Ye found himself lying in the sand pool at the parallel bars training ground, gazing up at the sky with a bewildered expression. Although the sky was blue, he couldn’t muster the appreciation for its beauty.
In those mere ten minutes, it felt as if he had endured a lifetime of pain.
“Alright, Vice Class Monitor Wang is done. It’s your turn next!” announced the instructor.
“Ah!”
Fuck!
The recruits from Class Five were filled with dread as they realized it was their turn to face the challenge. Some panicked and screamed before even beginning, while others turned around and attempted to flee.
“Where are you going? Come back!” Ye Sanshi shouted, his hands moving swiftly to intercept those attempting to escape. He managed to grab hold of Song Yuejin, who hadn’t been quick enough to evade his grasp.
“Come on, be honest, and I’ll let you warm up first. You’ll have a bit of relief. If you’re not honest, we’ll just go straight to opening the ligaments. It’s your choice,” Ye Sanshi declared, gripping Song Yuejin tightly. His words brought tears to Song Yuejin’s eyes.
Class monitor… Can I choose not to do it?
“No, I think you’d rather go straight for the pain!”
“No, I need to warm up!”
Finally, Song Yuejin began his warm-up routine. Thirty squats, thirty push-ups, and thirty sit-ups. Though the exercises were few in number, they served as a warm-up.
In that moment, Song Yuejin regained his composure, but Wang Ye, still lying in the sand pool, felt an intense urge to get up and ask, “Why didn’t you let me warm up before starting?”
“You two, come and help!” Ye Sanshi called out, clearly disregarding Wang Ye at that moment.
As Song Yuejin neared the end of his warm-up routine, he turned to his classmates Liang Fan and Wan Baojiang, the only two people in Class Five who could still manage to laugh. They were exempt from opening their ligaments, as theirs had already been pulled apart. With a mischievous grin, Song Yuejin became Ye Sanshi’s accomplice.
The three of them proceeded to bind Song Yuejin’s hands together. Meanwhile, Ye Sanshi addressed the other fleeing students from Class Five, saying, “If you don’t want to endure even more pain later, warm up on the side. Otherwise, once Song Yuejin is finished, you can start directly!”
Ye Sanshi’s words only intensified their desire to escape.
“Wait… Slow down… Class monitor… I can’t… Slow… Ah!
Song Yuejin’s scream resonated even louder than Wang Ye’s.
“Brother Wang… I… I feel like I’ve been subjected to the assault of multiple strong men…” After seven or eight agonizing minutes, Song Yuejin lay beside Wang Ye, tears streaming down his face. He gazed at the sky and muttered weakly.
Wang Ye wanted to laugh, but the numbness and burning sensation in his groin, waist, and legs hindered his movements, causing pain whenever he tried to shift. Ultimately, his smile transformed into a bitter expression of empathy.
Silently, Wang Ye observed as another unfortunate individual was captured and bound by Ye Sanshi…
That afternoon, Class Five was exempt from physical training.
None of them managed to escape, and all underwent the ligament-opening procedure.
“Wang Ye, come here!”
Wang Ye had recently risen from the sandpit beneath the single and double poles. He was still hunched over, massaging his legs, as he slowly made his way around.
Suddenly, a voice rang out from the training ground—Ye Sanshi calling out to him.
“Go, the company commander wants to see you!”
Ye Sanshi turned his head to glance at Wang Ye and added, “Go!”
Wang Ye nodded and hobbled over on tiptoes.
“Haha, how does it feel to have your ligaments opened?” Wu Jianfeng couldn’t contain his smile as he observed Wang Ye’s peculiar walking posture. As Wang Ye approached, Wu Jianfeng asked, still grinning.
“At that moment, I felt like I was being tortured!” Wang Ye smiled bitterly.
“Haha!” Wu Jianfeng laughed.
“Alright, sit down if you feel uncomfortable!”
Wu Jianfeng crossed his legs and settled into a seated position. Wang Ye slowly sat down as well, offering a smile.
“This is what happens when you open your ligaments. Since you didn’t exercise regularly before, your ligaments weren’t properly opened. It’s indeed quite painful the first time, especially as an adult.”
“Yes, I know,” Wang Ye replied dryly.
What else could he do? Since he couldn’t escape, he had to accept his fate.
“Haha!” Wu Jianfeng chuckled.
Then, he shifted the conversation to a more serious topic.
“I just came from the regimental headquarters. The regiment commander and others feel that it’s not appropriate to make a big fuss about your heroic act. Jumping off a building is not something a recruit should be proud of, after all.”
“Yes, I understand,” Wang Ye replied, indifferent to the matter.
As long as he had made a contribution, he didn’t care about publicizing it. It was simply troublesome.
Wu Jianfeng continued, still smiling as he looked at Wang Ye. “Actually, what the regiment commander meant is that they don’t want to publicly commend you in front of the entire regiment. Instead, he wants me to go through the process within the recruit company.”
“But I’ve decided to save ourselves the trouble in the recruit company. Once the medal and certificates arc ready, I’ll personally give them to you. And as for the monetary reward for your meritorious service, I’ll transfer it directly to your allowance account.”
“Sounds good,” Wang Ye nodded.
“You know, sometimes I wonder if you’re really only eighteen or nineteen years old. Why are you so calm?” Wu Jianfeng remarked, not noticing the change in Wang Ye’s expression, and continued with a smile.
These words made Wang Ye’s heart skip a beat, and his expression froze…
“Haha! What a joke. Being calm is indeed a good quality. Impatience may be suitable for a recruit, but it wouldn’t serve well as a squad leader,” Wu Jianfeng laughed again.
Little did he know that his joke actually hit the mark…
Of course, Wang Ye would never reveal this secret.
This secret would remain locked inside him for the rest of his life. He would control his drinking from now on, never consuming too much. If possible, he would even abstain from drinking altogether…
Wu Jianfeng sat cross-legged, no longer focusing on Wang Ye. He placed his hands behind his back and leaned back, gazing at the sky above.
“Tell me, how can I mitigate the negative repercussions of today’s incident?” Wu Jianfeng suddenly asked in a casual manner.
Wang Ye was taken aback. He didn’t understand why Wu Jianfeng was asking him this.
Was it something he should be concerned about?
He remained silent, unsure of how to respond.
After a few seconds, Wu Jianfeng lowered his head and looked at Wang Ye.
“Tell me… I want to hear your opinion, to see if you have any ideas…”
“This… I’m not sure either,” Wang Ye replied with an awkward smile.
Indeed, he had never given any thought to this issue.
He wasn’t a company commander, just a new recruit. It wasn’t his role to come up with solutions. Even if he was reborn, he wouldn’t bother pondering over matters that were irrelevant to him.
“Then start thinking about it now. I’ll give you the time it takes to smoke a cigarette,” Wu Jianfeng said, reaching into his pocket to retrieve a pack of cigarettes.
“Want one?” He shook the pack of cigarettes, glancing at Wang Ye.
Wang Ye stared at him in speechless surprise.
“Hehe, at least you have some tact. If you actually dared to take one, I’d give your hand a good beating until it swelled!” Wu Jianfeng chuckled and lit the cigarette himself.
With a flick of the lighter, it sparked to life.
Wang Ye didn’t really wait for Wu Jianfeng to finish smoking. He pondered for a moment before speaking up.
“Actually, the key to addressing this situation lies in everyone’s mindset.
Many of our comrades may have been coerced into joining the army, while others might have joined impulsively.
“But regardless, we were previously in a free environment. Now, we find ourselves in a controlled one.
Each person has a different personality. Some can accept being controlled, while others may struggle with it.
It will take time, and it requires changing them from the inside, from the depths of their hearts.”
“How?” Wu Jianfeng took a drag of his cigarette, focusing on the main point.
“We could screen patriotic movies, or have heartfelt conversations with everyone, or emphasize principles during general meetings,” Wang Ye casually suggested with a smile.
Regardless, Wang Ye didn’t feel burdened since he didn’t have to face the issue directly.
The general direction of the solution seemed to be on the right track.
However, it was clear that Wu Jianfeng didn’t want to let him off so easily.
“If you were a…”
Wang Ye was left speechless.
This was as difficult a problem as the previous one.
In other words, it was like being asked to write a novel. Previously, he had only given a general direction for the beginning, but now he was being asked to write it out.
Although he might not show it, Wu Jianfeng genuinely wanted to hear his response.
Wang Ye’s answer would undoubtedly directly influence Wu Jianfeng’s personal impression and opinion of him.
“This… Captain, you’re putting me in a difficult spot… I’m still a new recruit, and I’ve only been in the army for half a month!” Wang Ye expressed his reluctance to answer the question.
It wasn’t because he was being overly modest. The main reason was that he had never held the position of a company commander. As the vice squad leader of the recruit company, he only handled miscellaneous tasks.
While he had the experience from his previous life, it was based on his civilian career, not his military life.
It was one thing to discuss it theoretically, but if it went beyond that or if he didn’t carefully consider it, it could have unintended consequences.
“I know you’ve only been in the army for half a month, but we’re just having a chat, aren’t we? Don’t worry, speak your mind boldly. It’s okay to be wrong,” Wu Jianfeng encouraged..