It has been 16 hours since the graduation examination of the special training class.
Qin Shi and Ling Lin stood at the door of the "Forging Furnace".
There was a table placed in front of them.
On the table, there are six wooden sticks that represent the graduation certificate of the special training class and the qualifications to participate in the selection of the Longyin Army.
At the end of the dirt road facing the gate of the "Calcining Furnace", two figures appeared.
It's Zhou Kai and Hou Hou.
The all-terrain camouflage combat uniforms worn by the two of them were "shaped" by the dried swamp mud and hung dry and hard on their bodies. They no longer looked like clothes.
There were more or less scratches and scratches on their hands and faces that were not covered by clothes.
Zhou Kai turned his head and glanced at Hou Hou who was following him, and said with some surprise: "Little monkey, I didn't expect that you would be the one competing with me for first place in the end. But I will not give up this first place to you.
!”
"hey-hey."
Hou Hou, who was still chewing a piece of raw snake meat, did not respond to Zhou Kai, but just grinned at Zhou Kai.
In the dark, the monkey's mouth was full of snake blood, which was really scary.
Zhou Kai was a little cautious when Hou Hou laughed, and said to Hou Hou: "The camp is ahead, and there are hot meals, hot vegetables, and hot soup. Don't eat this 'duck neck' that smells like blood."
Hou Hou looked down at the raw snake meat with the skin peeled off in his right hand and had already eaten half of it. Then he looked at the half of the dead snake kicked in his left hand with the snake skin still attached, and he was stunned.
This highly venomous snake, which can kill an adult in a few minutes, was caught and killed by myself with great effort.
Throw it away, it would be a pity; don't throw it away, there is no use in carrying it back to the camp. Such a small amount of meat is not enough for one person to eat.
Zhou Kai took advantage of Hou Hou's hesitation to throw away the dead snake and accelerated towards the finish line, widening the distance between him and Hou Hou.
When Hou Hou saw Zhou Kai cheating, he immediately threw away the dead snake in his hand and started chasing him.
In the end, Hou Hou, who was tricked by Zhou Kai, still only got the wooden stick with the number "2" engraved on it.
Not long after Zhou Kai and Hou Hou arrived at the finish line, the second echelon behind them also arrived at the finish line one after another.
The number of sticks on the table began to decrease.
The seventh student from the special training class who reached the finish line was less than 10 seconds behind the sixth.
But in less than 10 seconds, he missed the last stick.
Qin Shi was impressed by this member of the special training class who arrived at the finish line with the seventh overall pick and had the number 9 Velcro on his arm.
His name is Liu Jiangchuan, the squad leader of the 1st Platoon of the 3rd Platoon of the Pioneer Company, and the longest serving member of the entire special training class.
Liu Jiangchuan tried his best to complete every training subject and tried to make himself the best, but his age and physical fitness were his biggest constraints.
Qin Shi originally thought that he would not be able to survive the initial physical screening, but he persisted until the end.
"The graduation assessment of the special training class is over, everyone gathers!"
Ling Lin blew the whistle and ordered all members of the special training class to assemble.
"No. 1, No. 52, No. 21, No. 4, No. 7, No. 16!"
Qin Shi looked at the six people, including Zhou Kai and Hou Hou, who had arrived at the finish line first and received the wooden sticks, and said, "Congratulations, you successfully graduated from the special training class! You are qualified to participate in the selection of the Longyin Army!"
“Everyone has it!”
Zhou Kai faced the remaining 11 members of the special training class behind him and ordered: "Stand at attention! Salute!"
"Report!"
Su Hong, holding the number "6" wooden stick in his hand and the number "16" Velcro on his right arm, shouted to Qin Shi, "I want to give up my selection qualifications to Squad Leader Liu, he..."
"Bargaining, do you think this is a vegetable market?! If you don't want this qualification, get out of the special training class now!"
Before Su Hong finished speaking, he was interrupted by Qin Shi.
Qin Shi stared at Su Hong and asked, "Do you have any more questions?"
"Report! No!"
Su Hong stood up straight with a "pop" sound and answered loudly.
"Do you have any other questions?!"
Qin Shi looked up at the other 11 people and asked.
"Report! No problem!"
The 11 members of the special training class answered in unison.
"If there is no problem, then disband!" Qin Shi ordered.
Ling Lin stepped forward and said to the 12 people: "I will ask the boiler room to keep boiling hot water for you. Go back and take a shower and have a good rest."
The 12 members of the special training class disbanded and entered the "forge".
When Liu Jiangchuan passed the table behind Qin Shi, which originally contained six wooden sticks but was now empty, he paused for a moment, with unwillingness and helplessness in his eyes.
"The old squad leader will retire from the army in April next year."
Ling Lin turned around, looked at Liu Jiangchuan's retreating figure, and said to Qin Shi: "He is a veteran, and he was here when I came to 'forge'.
He has apprehended cross-border drug traffickers and won third-class individual merit. He also led a team to participate in emergency rescue and disaster relief and won second-class team merit.
Every year he goes to participate in Long Yin's selection, but every year he is eliminated in the primary selection. The special training class is his last chance."
"With his age and physical ability, even if he passes Long Yin's preliminary selection, he will be eliminated in the selection camp. He won't even be able to pass the 'Hell Week' of the selection camp."
Qin Shi's words were very direct, but they were also true.
The selection of the Longyin troops is very cruel. All live ammunition is used, and the casualty rate of the selection is not considered.
Zhao Tianyu, the current captain of the Longyin Force, once said, "Even if everyone is eliminated due to injuries, the selection requirements will not be lowered!".
"He knows he can't join the Longyin Army."
Ling Lin sighed and said: "He just wanted to go to the gate of Longyin Army and see with his own eyes the two sentences engraved on the wall outside the gate.
Every year when new soldiers enter the class of the old squad leader, the old squad leader will tell them that we should know that the peace and prosperity of the country and the people are hard-won, and we should be prepared to "sacrifice ourselves to go to the national disaster, and regard death as a sudden return home."
Next year, when the old squad leader retires from the army, the new recruits who come later won’t be able to hear the old squad leader’s lessons.”
"Iron-made camp and flowing soldiers."
Qin Shi replied: "He will leave, Zhou Kai will leave, Hou Hou will leave, and so will you. Everyone here will leave the military camp one day.
As veterans leave, new recruits will come. It doesn’t matter who gives the new recruits behind, as long as we don’t forget, this spiritual inheritance will not be interrupted.”
"Yes, we will all take off our military uniforms one day and return to society."
Ling Lin turned to look at Qin Shi and asked, "What about you?"
"I?"
Qin Shi smiled softly and said: "There are so many people in the world who want my life. When the day I can't hold a gun, I may die somewhere unknown."
"You worked hard for your sister before, but what about in the future? Haven't you ever thought about having a family?"
"Family? Not for me."
"Family" is too far away and out of reach for me...