"You wonder who the hell invented soft tissue contusions, they should be taken out and shot."
Fang Huai sat on the flower terrace in the backyard playground, looking up at the azure sky, feeling the sharp pain in his leg with every movent, and he let out a sigh.
"Thud, thud, thud," ca a sound from the cell phone.
"What are you doing, ringing a bell over there?"
"I’m knocking on your big head."
"Can’t you be a bit gentler?"
"No way, you fell yesterday, and only told today! Turtle Fang, I’m not going to be the world’s number one friend to you anymore!"
Fang Huai helplessly said, "Bro, I was at the hospital yesterday. When I went there for training, I didn’t bring my cell phone, and only Old Cao was by my bed. You can’t expect to use his phone to hear you scold , right? He’d definitely eavesdrop! I’m telling you he has a habit of eavesdropping! He often lurks outside the Instructor’s door to listen in! If he heard, would I, Fang soone, still have any face left?"
"Hmph."
Not far from the training tower, suddenly Little White’s barks could be heard.
Fang Huai glanced over and couldn’t help but say irritably,
"Look, there are people in the Squadron who eavesdrop on my phone calls."
While speaking, he waved over Wang Peng, who was walking Little White around the back playground:
"Bro Peng!"
Ever since Fang Huai found out Wang Peng was from Yunnan, he started calling him "Bro Peng."
Wang Peng indeed was responsible.
Ever since he took on the job of caring for Little White, he would walk Little White after als every day to keep him healthy.
But what kind of dog is Little White? Before Little Black left, he could nestle in the training tower, sleeping from dawn to dusk, never even stepping outside, let alone exercising.
If Little White wouldn’t co out, he’d take a lifeline and haul Little White out. Now, Little White has been forcibly given a daily two-kiloter walking fitness standard by Wang Peng.
A lazy dog ets a stubborn man.
A man and a dog, there would be a big battle daily.
"I didn’t eavesdrop on you talking. I was the first one here!" Wang Peng said as he approached, pulling Little White.
Yang Shaoqing’s silver-bell laughter ca through the phone’s speakerphone, "Are you talking about that Wang Peng who tortures Little White every day?"
In an instant, Wang Peng turned red with embarrassnt.
"...Hey sis."
The awkwardness was successfully conveyed.
The face of Yang Shaoqing on the other end might even be redder than Wang Peng’s.
"Turtle Fang! Why did you put the call on speakerphone when talking to !!"
Fang Huai, whose face was thick enough to shield against radiation, wasn’t ashad to gossip about others and chuckled, saying:
"I didn’t notice anyone around just now. Who would have thought this guy would be hiding inside the training tower? You better not call Turtle Fang anymore; I really turned into a turtle today."
"Ah ah ah, you better apologize to him for !"
Wang Peng: "...Sis, there’s no need to apologize, I heard it."
Yang Shaoqing: ...
Fang Huai laughed: "Okay, I won’t talk to you anymore, sothing’s co up."
"Beep beep."
The call was curtly disconnected.
Only then did Fang Huai prop himself up with two crutches and struggle to stand up, saying to Wang Peng:
"Look what you’ve done to my Little Bro, untie him already, he’s got a task tomorrow."
Wang Peng remained unmoved: "It sleeps right after eating every day, which isn’t good for its health."
Fang Huai’s mouth twisted a bit: "Just feed it, then let La Duo loose, and you’ll see if it moves!"
"Woof, woof!"
Little White imdiately ran over, his doggy eyes welling up as he lifted a paw to touch Fang Huai’s leg.
Damn, bro, you’re the only one who gets !
Fang Huai then cheerfully said to Little White: "Bro, perform well in the exercise tomorrow. When you co back, I’ll tie La Duo to the training tower to keep you company for three days."
Little White imdiately beca excited.
"Aow, aow, aow, aow..."
Wang Peng sighed.
These two brothers... one crazier than the other.
Fang Huai eyed him sharply: "Are you cursing ?"
"I... I didn’t."
Fang Huai then freed a hand to pat him on the shoulder, saying with a smile:
"Try to socialize more with them normally; don’t be too aloof.
You want to be a squad leader, but if you really beca one, aside from anything else, would you be able to keep anyone who wanted to leave or get discharged?"
"I..." When it ca to this, Wang Peng felt a bit uneasy, but the kid wasn’t a blockhead—he simply didn’t like to interact with those he felt were weaker than him, his confrontation skills weren’t weak.
"I just want to be like you, to beco a top perforr in business and get the Squadron’s attention."
Upon hearing this, Fang Huai imdiately scoffed: "Do you think the Squadron values just because I’m good at my job? Kid, if you want to learn from , there’s still a lot to learn."
Wang Peng pondered deeply.
Just then, a black Crown drove into the backyard of the Squadron, complenting Fang Huai’s show-off mont.
Following the sentry’s frantic shouts through the two-way radio, the License Plate 0103 once again disturbed the entire Squadron. Although it was only one-thirty in the afternoon, from Fang Huai’s point of view, you could already see people running fast inside the entire building, hiding things everywhere.
At this mont, Fang Huai straightened his body and revealed an inscrutable smile. He patted Wang Peng on the shoulder again and said,
"Tomorrow’s exercise, work well with your sa-year soldiers and learn from each other. Once you’ve reached my level and are actively invited by the Detachnt to join the Director’s departnt as a Chief of Staff, you can consider yourself to have graduated."
Wang Peng looked at the car, his expression filled with astonishnt: "You... this is picking you up? You’re going to the Director’s departnt?!"
Fang Huai chuckled: "Just wait for my orders."
With that said, he hobbled toward the car on his two crutches.
Wang Peng hurriedly stepped forward to help Fang Huai into the car.
Once Fang Huai was in the car and the door closed, as the vehicle drove away, Wang Peng stared dumbfounded at the receding car, his eyes now shining with admiration.
His military service career had once again found new aning.
...
The car didn’t linger at the Squadron; the people inside didn’t show their faces, and so soldiers hadn’t even hidden their cell phones yet when the rear end of 0103 had already vanished from the end of the Squadron’s watch.
Inside the car.
Zhang Zhongting looked at Fang Huai with a trace of disdain: "A la leg? As an injured patient, shouldn’t you be resting properly instead of coming here to add to the chaos?"
Fang Huai’s aura of a superior being had dissipated, replaced with a fawning smile reminiscent of an enemy translator.
"Heh heh, since I’m la and can’t participate in the exercise, I ca here to learn about commanding. One cannot be idle; too much idleness breeds rot."
Zhang Zhongting promptly laid down the law: "Look, but don’t talk! This isn’t the Earthquake Resistance Command where there’s a script!"
"I know, won’t talk!" Fang Huai laughed again.
Only then did Zhang Zhongting turn back and glance at Fang Huai’s foot.
"Soft tissue contusion? How long did the doctor say it would take to recover?"
Yesterday, while Fang Huai was on his way to the hospital, Cao Yi had called him to inform him about Fang Huai’s training injury. At that ti, he was organizing work on-site in Anshun for the exercise and was planning to visit Fang Huai in the hospital the sa evening.
Unexpectedly, the kid had his leg cast in the afternoon and was discharged from the hospital in the evening. He also called to inform him that he couldn’t participate in the exercise and wanted to observe and learn at the Command.
If this nephew had been anyone else, he would have definitely refused.
But Fang Huai, who used to be the deputy captain of an assault team and had penetrated deep into Tangjia Mountain, certainly qualified to observe at the Earthquake-triggered exercise Command of the whole corps.
Moreover, this nephew was definitely aiming to beco an officer. Learning a bit wouldn’t hurt.
Now, with a First Class rit under his belt, and showing such active performance with the ability to match, even the Corps Captain had personally nodded his approval. Even without ranking in the Grand Martial Arts Competition, as long as the qualifications were t, his promotion could proceed smoothly.
With Fang Huai as the new dark horse, even the tone of the Minister of Logistics had changed, saying that he wanted his son to try for a sponsored admission next year.
Sponsorship wasn’t bad either; the education level of competitors in the cultural exam was generally lower, and two years of sponsorship training could pave the way to graduation. It’s just that after graduating, one would still need a year of internship.
But after completing the internship, one would be considered to have a Military Academy education, which wouldn’t hinder future promotions.
That’s what Minister Wen said during a casual conversation in the corps.
Of course, there’s still that saying: in absolute adversity, it’s often easier to see things clearly.
Old Zhang would soon be a deputy boss, and he had been in close contact with Boss Wu and General Luo recently, his appointnt as a powerful deputy boss was certain. I couldn’t compete with him, let alone say anything about my son; we just have to pinch our noses and accept it.
"The doctor said... three to six weeks," Fang Huai said.
"Then that’s just right. Don’t go to the Southwest training; take this ti to rest and read up to address your education issues," Zhang Zhongting reverted to his old profession, advising diligent study and improvent.
As for the training, Fang Huai’s capabilities were already well-rounded enough, and that training team might not bring him much benefit. Besides, with his leg injured like this, there was no need to go.
It would be better to take the opportunity to study and prepare for graduate school. Taking the ti to recuperate while studying was a legitimate excuse. Zhang Zhongting was even planning to extend his injury leave, to give him more ti.
The words of Minister Wen had also influenced him; Fang Huai’s future should not be compromised by his education.
However, Fang Huai in the rear seat shook his head firmly: "I’m going."
Zhang Zhongting frowned and turned his head again, but seeing Fang Huai’s resolute gaze, he really couldn’t understand when the kid had beco like this.
Turning his head back, he recalled Fang Huai’s words in the new recruit group, about changing for Yang Shaoqing, and said aningfully:
"People should do the right thing at the right ti. Do you not know what you currently lack? How can such a well-behaved girl like Little Yang fancy you, such a stubborn goods? I have talked with her before, and she doesn’t like the self-righteous."
Fang Huai smiled confidently: "This is not being self-righteous. This is perseverance! Besides, she likes no matter what my character is.
And you look down on ? A graduate student degree is no longer my goal now. I must get a Doctorate to show you!"
"Ha," Zhang Zhongting gave a scornful laugh in the style of Wei Xiang:
"If you get a Doctorate, I’ll cook eggs and fried rice in the palm of my hand for you."
Fang Huai’s mouth twitched.
This al, I must try it!
After a while, Zhang Zhongting up front picked up a phone call.
"Yeah, I’m on the Gui’an line now, I’ll be back soon."
"Yes, set up the fire scene according to the original plan, but let’s skip the risky building for the backdrop. Also, make sure the floors are reinforced; safety with zero accidents cos first."
"Assign the Anshun Brigade for props and costus! They are the local Detachnt, they must take responsibility. Yes, give Constant Political Commissar a call!"
"Injured persons must be our own people. Even with the cooperation of the public, we cannot agree; if anything happens, we can’t take the responsibility."
"Yeah, yeah... The Leadership might not co, don’t worry about these things. Our exercise needs to reflect a certain degree of combat readiness."
Fang Huai, sitting in the back, was itching to speak.
As soon as Zhang Zhongting hung up the phone, Fang Huai forgot his recent grudges against his uncle, chuckled, and asked:
"Uncle, the exercise... ten kiloters forced march, is it arranged?"
Zhang Zhongting turned slightly: "What kind of obstacles?"
"Tch." Fang Huai leaned back in his seat:
"If a fire truck can make it to the scene, then what kind of earthquake is that?"
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