A Day With a Smell

Half an hour later.

The ninth squad stood in a line, bodies tense.

The entire training ground was quiet, everyone standing still according to the military posture standards taught by the squad leader.

"What does military posture express?"

Hao Chengbin asked everyone with a smile, hands behind his back.

"Report! It expresses the bearing of a soldier!" Lu Zexian, the soldier at the front of the formation, said loudly.

Hao Chengbin rolled his eyes. "I asked you to explain, not translate!"

Seeing that the squad leader wasn't too serious, Yue Tao felt an opportunity to fool around had arrived and said with a grin.

"Report, Squad Leader! It expresses the author's longing for home!"

"Hahahaha..." The entire squad burst into laughter.

Hao Chengbin also laughed, but it was a cold laugh. After laughing, he walked behind Yue Tao and delivered a whip kick to his butt.

"Military posture!"

"Represents!"

"A soldier!"

"The proper!"

"Bearing!"

Every time Hao Chengbin gritted his teeth and uttered a phrase, he delivered a kick.

Yue Tao clutched his butt, grimacing, but his thick buttocks were the ones suffering, and he still had the mood to joke.

"Squad Leader! I was wrong!! Your whip kick is even cooler than Squad Leader Pan's!"

Hao Chengbin walked to the front of the formation and let out a cold laugh. "Yue Tao, if you keep messing around with me in formation, next time I'll let you see if my front kick is cool!"

Fang Huai couldn't help but want to remind Yue Tao.

Hao Chengbin's style of leading troops was a bit more relaxed, perhaps because he didn't want everyone to be too tense, but don't think that veteran soldiers wouldn't mess with you.

If you keep acting foolish, when you hit a minefield, you might be left with a lifelong unforgettable memory.

The new recruits next to them didn't realize this and were still watching with amusement. The more someone joked around, the faster training time passed. At this moment, only Fang Huai and Zhao Bing in the formation were still maintaining their military posture; everyone else was taking the opportunity to relax their limbs.

And Hao Chengbin made no adjustments.

Ten minutes later.

Squad Leader Hao stood by the wall, watching the scenery outside for a while. When he turned back, several people were constantly rubbing their legs and making small movements, so he walked to the front of the formation with a smile.

"I see your morale for standing at attention isn't very high."

Here it comes.

A premonition flashed through Fang Huai's mind.

"Standing seems to make it easy to slack off. To prevent you from slacking off, and to stop me from looking at beautiful women... How about this, get down, prepare for push-ups!"

"Damn it, Sun Lianhai, Liu Yue! It's you two, moving around! Feeling comfortable?" Yue Tao was very displeased.

Lu Zexian couldn't stand it anymore and turned to say.

"Yue Tao, you weren't moving? I saw you fidgeting with my peripheral vision!"

Hao Chengbin's eyes widened. "Why are you talking so much? Didn't we go over this this morning? Forgot? Want to be trash? If your comrades make a mistake, you have to bear the responsibility!"

"Report!" Lu Zexian said loudly.

"Speak!"

"Yue Tao kept moving around, and as his comrade, I should remind him!"

"Formation discipline! Do you understand? Get down!"

Hao Chengbin walked directly behind Lu Zexian. This time, he didn't hold back at all, kicking him in the thigh. Lu Zexian was kicked forward, staggering, and tears welled up in his eyes from the pain.

Fang Huai, standing nearby, clearly saw Lu Zexian clench his fists. He quickly stepped forward to pretend to help him, and at the same time, tightly gripped his fist.

"Since you're already here, you chose this yourself, don't act impulsively," Fang Huai whispered.

"Since you're already here" is a widely used phrase in folk language, referring to all persuasive actions. The core idea is to use "the difficulty of getting here" to cover up the price that will be paid next.

Equally misleading phrases include "in the middle of winter," "it's not worth it," "we see each other every day," "give me some face," "he's still just a child," "everyone has it hard," and so on.

Finally, "The person is already dead."

Lu Zexian clenched his back molars, and his fists loosened.

When people are in adversity, they are more likely to be persuaded.

As Fang Huai returned to the team and got down, he felt a surge of excitement.

He had waited all morning and finally got an opportunity to lie down openly.

Unexpectedly, Hao Chengbin's first sentence was one that disappointed him.

"My requirements aren't high, just thirty standard push-ups! Make them standard! Keep your back straight, only your shoulder and elbow joints should move, and your upper and lower arms should form a 90-degree angle. Don't touch the ground! If I see any of you slacking off, you'll have to do them again!... Fang Huai, you can do fewer!"

"No need, Squad Leader!" Fang Huai immediately replied.

"That's an order! You were exhausted just a few hours ago, so do... twenty!" Hao Chengbin's tone was unquestionable.

Before Fang Huai could argue further, the people next to him had already started staring at him with pleading expressions.

If they kept talking, let alone doing push-ups, just holding themselves up on the ground would be tiring.

"Watch my movements carefully! When I tell you to redo them later, don't say I didn't demonstrate!"

As Hao Chengbin spoke, he turned sideways to the formation, lowered himself, placed his hands on the ground, and performed a standard push-up, pausing at the lowest point.

"Do it like this! That counts as one!"

Afterward, he touched his lower body to the ground: "Don't do it like this! If you like touching the ground, I'll make you lie there the whole time!

A standard push-up requires the triceps, pectoralis major, latissimus dorsi, abs, and glutes, as well as the leg muscles, to engage simultaneously!

Push-ups, sit-ups, and weighted squats – these three are the most basic strength exercises in the military, and you must do them to standard!

Non-standard movements not only won't yield the desired results but can also damage your lumbar spine!"

Fang Huai couldn't help but roll his eyes.

They hadn't even done warm-up stretches before the push-ups. Wouldn't cramps count as an injury?

Squad Leader Hao stood up and finally gave the order: "Count yourselves!"

One person collapsed on the spot.

Peng Yingqirui.

This guy hadn't even started. In the time it took to exchange a few words, his body's power supply system had already failed.

"Report!"

"Report what? Get up!" Hao Chengbin grabbed Peng Yingqirui by his belt and pulled him up into the air.

The people nearby had already taken advantage of the chaos to quickly do a few.

"Chen Zhongqiang, Lu Zexian, are you pretending I can't see you? Redo them!"

A chorus of groans.

Fang Huai's second push-up was finally completed.

"Two!"

He slowly went down again, then came up, his movements smooth and without rest.

"Three!"

Fang Huai felt incredibly good.

The feeling of strength in his arms at that moment made him feel fulfilled.

After doing ten, Hao Chengbin finally noticed that Fang Huai was doing them slowly!

And with hardly any pauses, his body forming a perfectly straight line, his movements extremely standard!

Anyone who did it would know how difficult it was.

"Report, Squad Leader, I'm done!"

Zhao Bing had already finished his thirty standard push-ups and stood up, clapping his hands as he observed his comrades.

Seeing that Fang Huai had only reached ten, his gaze naturally swept past him and landed on Jiang Peng.

Jiang Peng had already done twenty-two.

"Fang Huai, don't push yourself too hard!" Hao Chengbin said, frowning.

Peng Yingqirui's face was pale, and dozens of affectionate greetings, including all of Squad Leader Hao's family members, flashed through his mind.

You're telling him not to push himself too hard? What about me??

Why are you holding onto me??

Zhao Bing also finally noticed Fang Huai. He had plenty of stamina, but without systematic training, he didn't understand the nuances. He just thought Fang Huai was struggling and expressed some concern.

"Fang Huai, you held on for so long this morning... take a break! The Squad Leader said... you're struggling, so don't do any more!"

Hearing this, Jiang Peng seemed to have taken an aphrodisiac, shouting even louder and increasing his speed.

"Twenty-seven! Twenty-eight! Twen...ty-nine... Thirty! Report! I'm done!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he quickly stood up and looked down at Fang Huai, savoring the joy of victory.

Fang Huai felt the strain when he reached his fifteenth push-up, but his inner excitement was even greater.

His arm strength could still hold out, but his heart was starting to struggle.

With these slow-motion push-ups without pauses, it was easy to exhale but difficult to inhale.

He could only manage seven or eight consecutive repetitions of this movement before, and now he had broken his record and still wasn't exhausted.

He paused for a moment to rest.

Peng Yingqirui, the weakest, hadn't done any and was panting under Squad Leader Hao, while Sun Lianhai, second to last, managed five with difficulty.

"Squad Leader, I really... can't hold on!"

Squad Leader Hao, recalling the first day of training, finally relented.

"Get up and rest for a minute, then continue!"

An awkward situation arose again.

Fang Huai didn't want to get up.

"Fang Huai, are you going to push yourself again? If you can't do it, get up quickly! Don't make everyone worry!" Jiang Peng said a sarcastic remark at the opportune moment.

Fang Huai looked up at Hao Chengbin, and Hao Chengbin happened to meet his gaze, his eyes complex.

...Forget it.

In the blink of an eye, Fang Huai's movements suddenly quickened.

"Sixteen! Seventeen... twenty-nine! Thirty!"

"Holy crap?" Two people exclaimed in confusion.

"Holy crap..." Two people exclaimed, drawing out the end of the word, expressing shock.

Amidst various hushed "Holy crap"s, Fang Huai's movements were standard. For the last rep, he exerted himself and pushed up.

He almost failed to pull off this show-off move, stumbling slightly but managing to steady himself.

His muscles were already aching from the effort.

The people around him were blinking rapidly.

Jiang Peng shook his head repeatedly, his accent kicking in.

Impossible, this is a sci-fi movie, absolutely impossible.

Hao Chengbin walked over to Fang Huai and, with some disbelief, pinched Fang Huai's arm.

"Have you trained before? For how many years?"

He was certain this was not the result of just a few days of practice.

Many old soldiers who had served in the past suffered from lumbar muscle strain and arthritis, which is why scientific exercise concepts had been promoted in recent years. As a squad leader, he had also learned a lot of related knowledge.

Slow push-ups tested the stability of deep muscles and were purely for strength training, not very effective. To do over ten reps like Fang Huai, with slow ups and downs and smooth execution, without specialized training, was very difficult and required great strength to maintain.

He just didn't expect to know where Fang Huai got this strength from.

If they were to analyze it deeply from a physics perspective, "Approaching Science" could film three episodes on it.

"Reporting, Squad Leader, I trained my arm strength for a while when I was studying... but my endurance isn't great."

Fang Huai didn't dare to brag anymore. After all, he had run two kilometers during morning drills, and although he went slowly, he didn't feel particularly relaxed. He was sure he wouldn't meet the passing standard for the recruit regiment in the three-kilometer test.

"I think your core strength is pretty good! Why did you pass out after holding on for such a short time this morning?" Hao Chengbin patted Fang Huai's back again.

Fang Huai's mind raced.

"...I didn't eat much last night, I was hungry! I had no strength!"

Yue Tao immediately exclaimed loudly, "That's right! Squad Leader, Fang Huai only ate half a bowl of noodles last night! I told him I'd add more, but he said it wasn't necessary!"

"That explains it! That meal this morning!" Hao Chengbin put his hands behind his back and continued, "Last night was the welcome noodles, they were quite delicious! Why didn't you eat more?"

Fang Huai looked troubled, "Squad Leader... can we not talk about it?"

Huh? What's the big deal?

Hao Chengbin was a bit confused, "What exactly is the reason? Don't be so hesitant!"

Damn it, you're the one who asked me to say it, it's better to sacrifice a friend than oneself!

Fang Huai looked at everyone's curious expressions and stammered, "I arrived a day early... the big basin where the noodles were served... I saw the cafeteria auntie wash dishes in it yesterday morning, and in the afternoon, she used it to hold swill! ...And I don't even know what else they used it for! The noodles I ate yesterday... had a layer of oil floating on top, I don't know where it came from...! I really couldn't eat any more!"

Everyone was dumbfounded.

"Ugh... yuck..."

Peng Yingqirui actually threw up, it was unclear whether it was from the discomfort of his belt or from disgust.

The others, who hadn't intended to vomit, started gagging when they saw the puddle of vomit.

A gentle breeze blew.

It was a fragrant playground.

...As the morning training was nearing its end, Liu Yue, who was responsible for serving food and washing dishes today, went to the cafeteria early. Before leaving, he secretly promised everyone that he would find out the purpose of that basin.

When everyone arrived at the cafeteria, they saw Liu Yue's strange expression and understood.

At noon today, everyone's appetite had decreased to some extent.

And the instigator, Fang Huai, finished all the leftover dishes, making it difficult for Hao Chengbin to say anything.

Back in the classroom, the company headquarters distributed the folding stools first, probably to make it easier for everyone to take naps.

Hao Chengbin naturally announced the rule for the afternoon break.

"This is perfect. These stools can be used for napping from now on. You can sleep wherever you want, but no sleeping on the beds! After tidying up your personal belongings in the morning and before the whistle for washing up at night, your beds are off-limits! If you need to sit, you can only sit on the stools! Or the benches!"

"Squad Leader, can I just sleep on the desk? I feel awful!" Peng Yingqirui pointed at a desk by the door.

Seeing Peng Yingqirui's weak state, Hao Chengbin felt the kid's psychological resilience was far too fragile and intended to counsel him.

However, the military was not a school, and they couldn't use the slow, meticulous educational methods of schools; a stronger approach was needed.

So, he deliberately let out a scoff and said, "This is all it takes to break you? It's just a basin, right? Do you know what our company instructor did to me when I first joined the team?"

As soon as he said this, everyone became interested, especially Yue Tao, who even pulled his small stool close to Hao Chengbin's legs.

"Squad Leader, tell us!"

Hao Chengbin crossed his legs and smiled, "Back then, as soon as we joined the team, we encountered a major car accident on the highway!"

"Oh?" Zhao Bing, who was examining the telescopic function of the folding stool nearby, also turned his head and started to play along.

"A large truck in front, and a small car rear-ended it. The truck was fine, but the small car... it was tragic! It was directly impaled by the truck's steel rebar... the head was pierced right through! When we arrived, we were told to get the deceased out of the car! And that meant getting the rebar out!

The rebar was sawed off, and when it was pulled out, brain matter splattered out of the wound and nostrils! Do you know what color brain matter is? It's not green! It's grayish-white! A little yellowish! And blood..."

Hao Chengbin spoke vividly, and some people were already frowning.

"...Later, after we finished the emergency response, the instructor took us through several streets and found a small stall! Tofu pudding! Wow, the color was so similar! We added some chili oil! Mixed it up, stirred it... New recruits had to eat two bowls! I'll never forget it in my life!"

The more the new recruits imagined it, the more solemn their expressions became.

"Oh, right! You guys were all fighting to eat that Mapo Tofu today! If the minced meat in it was raw, and you stirred it up, it would be pretty much the same! Even more similar than tofu pudding!"

Yue Tao was the first to stick out his tongue and gag. Peng Yingqirui, with a strange expression, covered his mouth and stood up.

"Squad Leader, I'm going to the restroom!"

Hao Chengbin stood up and suddenly grabbed him, delivering a final blow to the remaining rational recruits.

"If you're going to throw up, do it here! There's a trash can over there! You threw up noodles this morning, right? And eggs and stuff! You didn't eat much at lunch either! Let me see what else you can throw up, so everyone can have a look! See if you've been sneaking any snacks!"

Damn, a flashback.

Even Fang Huai couldn't help but roll his eyes, feeling a lump in his throat.

Now, everyone started to gag.