Chapter 9: The Hunt Begins_2

With one statement from Wang Jian, the grueling physical labor became "training," his mastery of PUA techniques was truly impressive.

"Hey! Don't let her work for nothing!" Hao Chengbin glared with his eyes wide open, hands clasped behind his back.

Wang Jian gestured grandly, "No problem! I'll treat you to a late-night snack!"

"Alright, you two go back to the squad first." Hao Chengbin waved with satisfaction.

"Yes, squad leader!" Fang Huai saw that the Task Completion Degree was (3/12) and grinned from ear to ear.

What would the next reward be?

...

Back in the squad, as soon as they entered the door, eight pairs of eyes were brimming with expectation.

Everyone had finished washing up and tidied up their beds and washbasins, feeling pretty bored, just waiting for those two to bring back some news.

Working overtime in the Brigade Department hinted at access to resources that the rest of the troops couldn't get their hands on.

Cigarettes, snacks, that sort of thing.

"Sorry, brothers, I wasn't chosen, your happy life from now on depends on him." After saying this, Jiang Peng sat on his bed, his eyes brimming with sorrow.

Fang Huai laughed and handed out two peanuts to each person.

"For now, you get peanuts. I said that if you work you could get night snacks, if the Company Leader and squad leader agree, I'll definitely bring something back for you."

"Big brother, can you bring back a cigarette?" the soldier on the upper bunk, Chen Zhongqiang, wailed.

Several smokers were also excited; they hadn't smoked all night and the withdrawal symptoms were kicking in, making them itch all over.

"Yeah! Fang Huai, can you bring back a cigarette? We'll just take two puffs each!"

Fang Huai rolled his eyes, "You guys really expect too much; even if I got the cigarettes, they'd still be contraband. If you want to smoke, you can only wait for the squad leader to distribute them! Focus on the training, and when the opportunity is right, I'll risk my life and ask the squad leader about it."

"Deal!"

"Good brother! We're counting on you!"

They had already inquired with soldiers from other squads during their wash-up time; the squad leaders of other squads had been notified about the smoking situation, and they knew better than to hope, it was impossible.

The smokers were all plunged into sadness.

But now, Squad Nine had someone who could go to the Brigade Department to get "resources." There was hope, and that was certainly better than no hope!

"Don't tell other squads about this! It'll be over if word gets out! Lights out soon, let's sleep."

Having said this, Fang Huai grabbed his little green basin filled with various toiletries and the hot water bottle at the entrance, switched off the light, and stepped out of the squad's door.

They washed up at nine-thirty and lights out at ten; by this point, everyone had mostly finished washing up and returned to the squad.

Jiang Peng also grabbed his basin and followed along.

The washroom was quite big, with about twenty faucets on either side, all supplying cold water. For hot water, one had to go to the neighboring hot water room. Fang Huai filled his empty bottle with scalding hot water, poured some into his basin, tested the temperature, and handed it to Jiang Peng.

"Thanks," Jiang Peng still made a point of being polite.

Fang Huai waved his hand, "No problem. Just hand me the bottle when you're done."

"You... How were your grades in high school?"

"Not good."

"What about sports? I heard we have a physical fitness test coming up in two days."

"Also not good." Fang Huai grabbed shampoo bought by the squad leader, squeezed some out, and started rubbing it in his hair.

Jiang Peng was somewhat relieved.

He probably just liked to play on the computer and didn't have any other strengths.

In a new environment, one realizes that being the best among the mediocre is preferable to being the worst among the talented, and new comparisons begin to arise.

Fang Huai, with a high school education and even attending the Military Academy and good at computers, was undoubtedly his rival.

Jiang Peng quickly brushed his teeth and washed his face, splashed some water and rinsed his feet, and as he was about to leave, he said,

"Ah... I took martial arts classes in university, my physical fitness is pretty good."

The corner of Fang Huai's mouth twitched.

What a weirdo.

...

Hao Chengbin didn't return until after the lights-out whistle, and the first thing he said when he entered was "Go to sleep early, we're getting up at five tomorrow morning to teach you guys how to fold blankets."

A chorus of groans followed.

Half an hour later, the room was unusually quiet, even quieter than the previous night when there were only four people. Everyone was slightly restless but remained silent.

It was their first day in the troops, and everyone felt homesick to some degree.

"Can't sleep, huh?"

Hao Chengbin's bed was closest to the door, and Fang Huai could see him talking while texting on his mobile phone.

No one responded for a long time.

"Bang!"

Hao Chengbin lifted his leg and kicked the upper bunk bed platform.

The new recruit from Huaihua, Zhao Bing, sitting on the upper bunk, immediately sat up.

"Squad leader! What's going on?"

The dull tone elicited laughter throughout the room.

Hao Chengbin laughed and cursed, "Stop pretending! If you can't sleep, just say so, and let's have a chat!"

Someone asked, "Chat about what?"

"Do you guys have girlfriends?" Hao Chengbin knew these kids were definitely missing home, so he intentionally brought up a man's topic.

Sure enough, Yue Tao, sitting opposite Hao Chengbin, perked up excitedly.

"Squad leader, I do!"

Chen Zhongqiang loudly exposed him, "You have nothing! Little brat—always bragging!"

Hao Chengbin shouted back, "Aren't you a little brat too? Pretending to be an old toad?"

"Hahaha..."

Chen Zhongqiang, at a loss for words, said, "Squad leader, I'm not faking! I asked him the other day, and one moment he says his girlfriend looks like Zhang Manyu, next moment like Cecilia Cheung! Look at him—dark and gloomy like a refugee. If that's not bragging, what is?"

Yue Tao grumbled, "How am I ugly? Just because I have thick lips and dark skin? My girlfriend says that's called sexy!"

Hao Chengbin burst out laughing, "Haha... Yue Tao is pretty ugly indeed!"

The room erupted in laughter once again.

Soon everyone started talking about their girlfriends or girls they liked.

"I like the girl who was my desk mate in junior high, she liked me quite a bit too, but we never made it official."

"Bullshit! Sounds like unrequited love to me," Hao Chengbin retorted, teasing another one.

"Right! Those who have girlfriends should take out a photo to show us! Got any sticker photos? I do!"

"You've got nothing! Those must be stolen from someone else!"

"Haha..."

Fang Huai smiled at the corner of his mouth, knowing Hao Chengbin was offering psychological relief for the guys. He did not interject.

But soon, the topic shifted to Fang Huai.

Jiang Peng said, "There are a lot of beautiful girls in Chongqing, right Fang Huai? Do you have a girlfriend?"

Everyone went quiet; even Hao Chengbin, who was curious, put down his phone and looked toward Fang Huai.

He always felt that this kid seemed cheerful on the surface but was quite secretive inside.

After a while, Fang Huai spoke pensively, "No, we Fang family practice the Evil-Repelling Swordplay. With no woman in our hearts, drawing the sword comes naturally. The first page of the sword manual says, 'First, slay the beloved in your heart!'"

"Wow! So your mom was slain by your dad?" Hao Chengbin shot back teasingly.

"Hahahaha..."

Fang Huai rolled his eyes, "Squad leader! I was just joking! It's called self-deprecating humor!"

Hao Chengbin suddenly sat up, "Hey, let me tell you guys, I once had a girlfriend that I met at the Liberation Monument in Chongqing—gorgeous!

"If you guys don't have girlfriends, let Fang Huai introduce you to some; there really are a lot of beauties in Chongqing!"

Yue Tao perked up, speaking obsequiously, "Brother Fang! Can you introduce one to me?"

"I thought you had a girlfriend?"

"That girlfriend…doesn't really count!"

"What do you mean it doesn't really count??"

Yue Tao suddenly seemed a bit bashful.

"...It's just that I'm not really sure if she agreed! Anyway, her brother and I serve together. I asked her, but she didn't say anything!"

Fang Huai was taken aback.

Damn, isn't this Brother Yang?

Thinking back, he had actually harbored a crush on Yang Shaoqing for a while but had never dared to make a move. Pursuing Yang Shaoqing would have been a better choice even if rejected, compared to chasing after Huang Jiaojiao.

Sadly, now he no longer cared about such childish infatuations; it was all dopamine and hormones. When all was said and done, it was just sexual impulse.

The guys chatted enthusiastically until someone angrily sat up.

Peng Yingqirui.

He was the only one deep in sleep, now awakened by the noise to considerable annoyance, "What time is it, still chatting?? Can we sleep, please?"

This guy was tough; he even managed to silence Hao Chengbin.

Hao Chengbin couldn't find a reason to curse him and could only sulkily say, "Sleep, let's sleep!"

Their homesickness had mostly dissipated, perhaps realizing that in the troops, a group of guys bragging and shooting the breeze was quite fun too. They each drifted off to sleep with smiles on their faces.

They laughed too soon.

...

The next day, the promised five o'clock turned into four forty, principle: a soldier is never tired of deceit.

"Attention!! Shh! Shh! Shh!!"

The pea in the whistle collided frantically; everyone getting up was accompanied by a surge of sympathetic nervous excitement and rapid heartbeats.

With a "snap," the room filled with light instantly, casting the wicked grin of Hao Chengbin leaning against the doorframe.

Christmas Eve had passed.

The hunt had begun.