Just as Wu Yi and Li were working as boys cleaning out the septic tanks and toilets in the barracks, in a room next to the small conference room on the second floor, Hou Jun sat across from the company commander Xie Dong.
"Why did you come back?"
Xie Dong was shaving with an electric razor. He didn't stop when Hou Jun came in and raised his chin towards the table.
"The cigarettes are in the drawer, get them yourself."
Hou Jun was not polite, he went over to open the drawer, took out a pack of Furong King, took out one stick, took a lighter and lit it, then sat in the chair and took a puff.
While shaving, Xie Dong glanced at his soldiers and said, "You, everything else is good, but your smoking habit is bad."
Hou Jun smoked a cigarette and said: "That's what you promised me when you were the platoon leader. At that time, when the division held a martial arts competition, you said that as long as I can get a full ring, you will buy all my cigarettes as long as I am in the army."
.”
Xie Dong snorted and smiled.
He didn't care about Hou Jun's words.
The two of them were actually soldiers of the same age, and both had been in the army for eight years.
It's just that Hou Jun became a sergeant in eight years, while Xie Dong rose through the ranks and became a captain and company commander.
When both of them were soldiers, Hou Jun's military training results were no worse than Xie Dong's, but he was barely good in cultural subjects.
When it came time to take the military academy exam, both of them signed up.
When the final results came out, Xie Dong made the list and Hou Jun failed.
But Hou Jun had already expected this result.
In his own words, he knew very well how much ink he had in his stomach. He signed up for the exam just to study with the prince.
Xie Jun was different. His grades in high school had always been very good. It was a certainty that he would be admitted to college. Unexpectedly, a sudden illness before the college entrance examination caused him to perform abnormally on the spot. He missed out on his dream university by 3 points.
He could have repeated his studies, but later chose to join the army.
After all, not only can you exercise in the army, but you can also enter a military academy to fulfill your dream of going to college, and you can even become an officer after graduation, which is both glorious and a way to realize your personal ideals.
In the end, I actually went to military school.
After Hou Jun failed the examination, due to his excellent military quality and style, he was selected as an outstanding grassroots soldier of the E Division and went to the non-commissioned officer brigade for intensive training in accordance with the policy of "reforming soldiers".
Over the years, I have been from squad leader to acting platoon leader. In addition to having more ranks, I am still a top soldier.
Xie Dong graduated from the military academy and returned to the E Division. According to the principle of going back and forth where he came from, he returned to the Tiger Regiment, the 2nd Battalion and the 4th Company, and became the platoon leader of Hou Jun. A few years later, he was promoted to the company commander.
.
Sometimes people's fate is so strange. From the same starting point, they end up running on different tracks.
But Xie Dong had enough respect for Hou Jun.
Even though Hou Jun has all the flaws of a veteran, when it comes to military subjects, he is definitely an expert at the top level, especially sniper rifles. He can do a lot of good things in his hands.
Veterans like Hou Jun are already a banner of the Fourth Company of Sharpshooters, and can bring out many key members every year. Although they are usually careless and careless, they are always a little bit devilish and undisciplined when they become old, but they never disappoint at critical moments.
, division and military assessments, competitions, training and so on, I can always win back one or two flags for the fourth company and hang them on the wall to build a strong appearance.
No talent is perfect. Xie Dong is a smart grassroots officer who knows how to win over the veterans in the company.
Just like Hou Jun, he is fine in everything, but he can't quit smoking.
Smoking is prohibited in the military, but according to the regulations, people who are dead are alive, and some people still smoke in private. This is also true.
Like Hou Jun, it's useless to force him to quit smoking. It's better to specify a place and time and let him smoke.
Therefore, the competition back then was actually an excuse. Hou Jun thought that he had won the right to smoke openly through his strength. In fact, Xie Dong simply pushed the situation and gave him a chance to smoke openly.
After Xie Dong finished shaving, he opened the lid of the electric razor, pulled the trash can next to him, and sat on a chair to clean up the residue with a brush.
While scanning, he asked: "How's it going at the training camp?"
Hou Jun blew out a smoke ring and said nonchalantly: "As usual, it's not like you don't know how many guns in Division E can hit the stage."
Xie Dong said: "Zhong Rui went too?"
Hou Jun's face changed slightly, looking a little unnatural, and he took another deep breath before saying: "I'm going."
Xie Dong said: "When master and apprentice met, they didn't start scolding each other, right?"
Hou Jun snorted and said, "Why should I scold him? Can I be so heartless and angry like him?"
Xie Dong sighed slightly and said: "It's been more than three years, and you still haven't let go? Besides, he is also a soldier you brought out. Although he has left our company, he is still a talented person from our company after all, isn't he?"
Listening to Xie Dong's words for Zhong Rui, Hou Jun became angry. He slammed the butt of his cigarette into the ashtray and said angrily as if he had eaten gunpowder: "I told him back then that I would teach him his skills, but he must stay here."
I lead troops in the Fourth Company. Even if I retire from the army in the future, our Fourth Company of Sharpshooters will still have someone who can take over, right? I didn’t expect him..."
At this point, I suddenly felt discouraged.
"That's right... we are a motorized infantry regiment after all. We are not as good as the special brigade in other group armies! People should just walk to higher ground. I have nothing to say."
Finally, the anger in my chest seemed to have subsided a little, so I picked up another cigarette, lit it, and continued smoking.
Xie Dong snatched the cigarette case, put it into his pocket, and cursed: "I'm smoking it for you and you're not done yet? That's almost enough. Don't really treat cigarettes as food! You are already a special case in our camp, don't make it difficult for yourself."
The smell of cigarette smoke all over the body is bad!”
Hou Jun snorted again: "Smoking a cigarette is not committing a crime. Besides, if there is a soldier in my platoon who has my military qualities, I will buy his cigarettes too!"
Xie Dong suddenly said: "This year's first batch of soldiers seems to be of good quality. Our regiment leader snatched them back."
Hou Jun was stunned for a moment and said: "By the way, speaking of recruits, I remembered something. Just now, two recruits were fighting, and I happened to see it when I came back. I didn't want to make a big deal about it, so I forgot to report it to you just now.
.”
Xie Dong was a little surprised: "Is there no big problem?"
Hou Jun said: "What's the big problem? The new recruit Danzi is just like a milk baby, and his teeth are okay. But he's just a weak chicken and can't kill anyone. Fortunately, I came back in time, otherwise Wu
I don’t know if that kid can handle it well. I said that my eyes were always twitching in the training team, so I took the time to come back today to see the new recruits, and the results were good. I saw this as soon as I arrived at the company."
Xie Dong asked: "Which two recruits are they?"
Hou Jun said: "One is named Wei Guoxing and the other is named Zhang Jian. They are both soldiers from the East China Sea."
Xie Dong nodded thoughtfully and said: "Wei Guoxing's soldier's foundation is average, and you can tell at a glance that he hasn't had much training at home, but Zhang Jian is different. He is a child of the army. He grew up in a military camp and has very good qualities.
This is a good piece of steel, I've given it to you, you have to temper it and temper it."
Hou Jun did not hide it at all: "Zhang Jian has a good foundation, but he is arrogant. I can see it. This guy is a bit like Zhong Rui."
Xie Dong knew not to mention Zhong Rui in front of Hou Jun. He went crazy when he mentioned the latter, so he changed the subject and said: "There is another one, a student from a prestigious university. He has a very good cultural background and good physical condition. He is also in your class.
inside."
Hou Jun thought for a while and seemed to remember Li Zheng's name. He clicked his fingers in the air a few times, raised his eyebrows and thought for a moment, and finally remembered who it was: "You mean...the one named Li Zheng"
?”
Xie Dongdao: "Well, he is a top student at the Law School of Tunghai University. I have seen his file and his grades are very good."
Hou Jun stared blankly at the ceiling in a daze.
Cultural foundation.
Cultural foundation...
Back then, I suffered from a weak cultural foundation.
When I was in the military, high school students were the mainstream. College students, let alone prestigious universities, were rare.
Only a few years have passed, and now students from prestigious universities are actually serving as soldiers.
Time flies so fast...
"What are you thinking about?" Seeing that he was lost in thought, Xie Dong interrupted Hou Jun's train of thought and asked, "Are you thinking about the training camp again?"
"Well." Hou Jun pulled away from his thoughts and suddenly felt a little sad: "I will retire from the army in two years. This training and selection may be my last chance."
Xie Dong was stunned.
He knew what Hou Jun meant.
He heard Hou Jun say this when the two were still soldiers.
A second-class merit medal.
This is the dream that Hou Jun has been pursuing all these years as a soldier.
"You already have two third-class merit awards, and the regiment leader also said that he will apply for a second-class merit award for you before you retire. Are you still worried about not being able to realize your dream?"
Hou Jun suddenly turned to look at Xie Dong, his eyes unblinking, as if he was looking at a stranger.
Xie Dong was a little confused and asked quickly: "Why are you looking at me like this?"
Hou Jun said: "Do you think I only want a second-class merit medal?"
This time it was Xie Dong's turn to be stunned.
yes.
It's understandable that others don't understand him, Hou Jun, but it's absolutely not his fault that Xie Dong doesn't understand Hou Jun.