Chapter 147 - 147: Wu Jianfeng Is Going to Be Famous
Class Seven’s leader had completely lost control, his true energy driving him into a frenzy. Meanwhile, on the periphery of Class Seven, a few fresh recruits were also quivering with trepidation.
This was because these few were in the know about the situation, and they had even shared in the outcome.
But they vowed that they hadn’t foreseen things spiraling into this state. They hadn’t even remotely imagined that the girl outside the compound was none other than the squad leader’s daughter.
In fact, they had assumed she was a local girl, perhaps from the neighboring townsfolk.
After all, with her grimy appearance, she looked every bit like those village urchins darting about in the rural expanses.
Truth be told, it wasn’t just a lone girl out there – it was a trio of mischievous kids indulging in wild antics. Their laughter and playfulness echoed over the wall, heard clearly by the eavesdroppers.
In the end, Zhang Bin, the rookie who had taken the brunt of the blow, conceived a rather mischievous notion. Noticing the absence of their squad leader, he stealthily scaled the wall and called out to the youngsters beyond…
“Cl… Class Leader, I genuinely had no inkling that she was the Regiment Commander… the Regiment Commander’s daughter. I… 1 honestly believed she was a local villagers’ child. Moreover, I never instructed her to filch the Regiment Commander’s cigarettes. I handed over the money, a cool fifty, and tasked them with the errand!”
Zhang Bin, who had been on the receiving end of the kick, was left floundering on the ground.
He couldn’t have predicted such a turn of events.
With all his might, he pledged that he had indeed made the payment and he had indeed dispatched them for the purchase. He had forked over fifty bucks for a pack of cigarettes, and it pinched his heart.
Yet, he could never have anticipated that instead of buying the cigarettes, she took them from the regiment commander’s house.
At this very moment, his inclination was to burst into tears.
Simultaneously, the remaining trio from Class Seven, privy to the situation, found themselves drenched in sweat.
For they realized there were no plausible means of evasion.
After all, as the four were responsible for their respective territories, the incredulity of Zhang Bin having procured cigarettes without their knowledge seemed far-fetched.
What compounded their plight was that each of the three also harbored three cigarettes within their pockets.
In one phrase, capturing the exhilaration they had initially felt and the panic now gripping them, one could only label it an utter mess they had brewed.
That very cigarette was, unbeknownst to them, the leader’s own…
In this instance, the contents within their pockets seemed more akin to explosives and detonators—those of the most volatile and igniting kind…
“Fuck… You even persuaded the Regiment Commander’s daughter to fetch cigarettes for you!” Their squad leader, his irritation mounting, seemed poised to unleash another kick. Yet, just as the blow seemed imminent, Class Three’s Leader intervened, pulling him aside to thwart the strike.
“Enough, settle down!” Class Three’s Leader admonished.
The primary rationale behind this intervention was the ongoing reorganization and the accentuation of civil conduct and leadership within the troops.
Otherwise, his impulse would have been to deliver a well-aimed kick amidst the current circumstances.
Gazing upon a nearly tearful Zhang Bin, the CLass Leader’s visage turned stern as he ordered, “Get up and accompany me to the Company Headquarters!”
Before the assembled onlookers, Wu Jianfeng clenched his fists and ground his teeth, restraining his impulses.
The foremost factor deterring him was witnessing Class Seven leader’s prior kick. Had that not occurred, he might have been the one administering the blow.
“All of you from Class Seven, gather here. I refuse to believe any among you are oblivious to this!” Wu Jianfeng gestured toward Class Seven and shouted. With a somber countenance, he then departed the scene.
He still had the responsibility of reporting back to the Regiment Commander. Simultaneously, he needed to ascertain the full truth of the matter.
Yet, despite turning on his heel and retracing his steps, his fists remained clenched.
The absurdity and exasperation of this situation were beyond measure.
Undoubtedly, he was bound to garner notoriety this time around.
This wasn’t an incident that could be brushed under the rug. The new of the incident had spanned across numerous recruits.
Even if the current concealment was successful, news of this caliber would invariably disseminate upon deployment to different companies.
At that juncture, Wu Jianfeng would metamorphose into a legendary figure encompassing the entire regiment, division, and potentially even the army.
The soldier under his command had, in fact, conspired to goad the Regiment Commander’s daughter into filching her father’s cigarettes!
This, without a doubt, constituted a colossal jest.
The moniker “Wu Jianfeng” might well reach the ears of not just the Commander but the entire hierarchy.
Reflecting on this, an urge swelled within him to pivot and throttle this soldier.
Curse it all! He had harbored aspirations of attaining renown, yet the route he found himself embarking upon was ludicrously inconceivable!
“This guy’s a genius, damn it, he actually pulled off something like this!”
“Unbelievable! He have the guts to pull off something like this? I wouldn’t even consider it if 1 had stolen Blackface Ye’s cigarettes!”
The formation could no longer contain its silence.
While the formation’s structure remained intact, murmurs rippled through the ranks, accompanied by subdued sighs exchanged between the soldiers.
“Hush! Attention!”
In this moment, the Class Leader snapped back to reality.
Gazing upon his assembled troops, he inhaled deeply, immediately refocusing to instill discipline.
“What’s all this bickering about? You’re soldiers, for heaven’s sake. Does discipline mean nothing to you?”
With a stern countenance, the Class Leader quashed the brewing turmoil among the recruits, paving the way for them to resume their formations.
“No squabbling, no commotion. This isn’t your affair.”
In succession, the seasoned squad leaders patrolled the vicinity, maintaining a watchful eye to deter any clandestine whispers.
“Tell me, detail by detail, what transpired before and after. Spare no details!”
Within the confines of the Company Commander’s office, the members of Class Seven had been summoned.
Both the Class Seven Leader and the Class Three Leader were present. Even the instructor had joined the gathering.
Not limited to their presence, two female military doctors had positioned themselves outside the door, keen to eavesdrop.
“Sister Su, this rookie from the field army is quite the firebrand. Who’d have thought he’d dare to pull off something like this!”
“Hush, let’s hear what they have to say!”
Eavesdropping outside the office, Ouyang Mingyue seemed inclined to chat, whereas Ye Su’s interest was entirely centered on hearing titillating tidbits.
For Ye Su, this marked a novel occurrence, a captivating diversion she’d never encountered before.
“Just… it was like this… Captain, I promise, all I did was ask them to purchase cigarettes; 1 never instructed them to pilfer from the Regiment Commander!”
Within the office, Zhang Bin’s eyes brimmed with tears.
Wu Jianfeng’s expression darkened. He extended his hand, retrieving the half-pack of cigarettes from Zhang Bin’s grasp. Fixing his gaze upon the lowered heads of the Class Seven soldiers, he inquired sternly,
“Where are the cigarettes?”
“Report… Reporting, I have three here!”
“Report… Sir… I also have three!”
Under the intense scrutiny of the Class Seven Leader, the trio of recruits mustered their courage and extracted crumpled cigarettes. These cigarettes, though retrieved, hadn’t been granted the chance for a smoke just yet.
A Platoon Leader stepped forth to collect the cigarettes, each one seized with a palpable tension. Meanwhile, Wu Jianfeng’s fists had clenched, the half-pack of cigarettes in his possession now crushed.
“Excellent. Has anyone else been informed of this?”
Through clenched teeth, Wu Jianfeng inquired, his composure fraying.
The remaining members of Class Seven maintained their silence, yet their heads remained held high.
“Captain, it’s most likely confined to these four. They were assigned to maintain hygiene in Zone C. The others are stationed in Zone B,” Class Seven Leader responded, his words edged with vehemence as he turned his gaze towards the trio.
Class Seven’s specialization lay in external affairs, consequently managing a sizable portion of the camp’s sanitation, divided into two sections.
“Understood. Class Seven Leader, take them away.”
Wu Jianfeng, struggling to contain his seething anger, issued the command.
In truth, the urge to unleash his rage in physical form had always loomed within him.
Yet, he restrained himself.
Once the flushed-faced Class Leader had escorted the Class Seven members out, the Instructor trailed after. His gaze swept toward the Platoon Leader, and he advanced towards the desk, promptly lifting the receiver to initiate a call.
The Regiment Commander needed an explanation, after all.
That very evening marked a significant upheaval for the recruit company.
Within each class, the Class Monitors embarked on an exhaustive search of their respective quarters. Cabinets were methodically combed, clothing meticulously pinched, ensuring no cigarettes lay concealed amidst the fabric.
Shoes were scrutinized, and a comprehensive sweep unfolded.
Blankets, pillows, and even bed frames were hoisted to ascertain if any hidden stashes of cigarettes were nestled within the recesses.
“Allow me to underscore the significance: refraining from smoking, as new recruits, underscores a discipline for your own betterment. This is a period of vital physical development. Cigarettes must be eschewed entirely.
If any of you still possess hidden cigarettes, I urge you to come forward now. For this instance, clemency shall reign, and no repercussions will be levied.
However, should deceit persist and transgressions be unveiled in the future, consequences shall be unavoidable!”
Within the dormitory, Class Five’s occupants stood rigid before their beds. Ye Sanshi, positioned at the dormitory’s center, delivered the admonition with a stern countenance.
However, Class Five was indeed devoid of any further cigarettes.
Wang Ye was acutely cognizant of this fact.
Of course, this was exempting his personal storage space.
Within that realm, a cigarettes presence was tallied by quantity.
Naturally, Wang Ye harbored no intention to reveal it.
Yet, he had no plans of indulging either. His acquisition had been preemptive, ensconced within solely for the sake of preparedness.