Who Fired the Shot

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"Fine, then you can carry your own bag."

The Duty Soldier was pretty easygoing. He forcefully handed the black bag back to Lü Qinglong.

Lü Qinglong took his bag and casually weighed it in his hands twice. The Duty Soldier's heart gave a little lurch at the sight.

What kind of terrifying strength does this guy have? No wonder those arms look like they're about to burst out of his camouflage uniform.

That was what the Duty Soldier thought, but he was a seasoned soldier. He still had to keep up appearances, so he added:

"Ah, I might be running a fever, so I don't have any strength in me. Otherwise, I'd definitely help carry your luggage."

Lü Qinglong nodded. No wonder the Duty Soldier couldn't even lift his bag. He was sick.

That really was something Lü Qinglong ought to be understanding about.

The Duty Soldier led him down the barracks corridor, farther inside.

Whenever they passed a room, the Duty Soldier would explain:

"This is the armory. The guns you use for training are kept here. It has a dual-password lock, with one password held by the Armorer and the other by the company commander. Both have to be entered to open it."

"And this is the washroom. After training, the rest of us seasoned soldiers wash up here."

"This is the toilet. The whole camp was just built, so it's very well equipped. The restrooms are all brand-new and spotless."

"This is the Activity Room. We hold our education sessions here."

The Duty Soldier was thoughtful and explained everything in great detail. Every so often, he even asked Lü Qinglong if he'd understood. He truly gave him a feeling of being at home.

The last person who'd patiently explained things to him like that was the young woman at the convenience store downstairs from his neighborhood, back when he was in kindergarten.

Lü Qinglong immediately felt warm inside, and his gaze softened as he looked at the Duty Soldier.

"Then there's Company Headquarters, where the company commander and Political Instructor live and work. The Squad Office is where the Clerk lives and works."

"Okay, the first room up ahead is your First Squad."

"Oh, right. Your squad leader... Never mind, you'll find out in a bit."

"Anyway, your squad leader is pretty impressive. Just do what he says, and you'll be fine."

The Duty Soldier seemed about to say something, but he paused and left it at that.

"Oh? Thanks, squad leader."

Lü Qinglong nodded.

He knew at least some of the basic rules of the army. For example, a soldier with less time in the service could greet someone who'd served longer with "Hello, squad leader," whether or not that person was actually a squad leader.

Here, "squad leader" was an honorific.

After saying goodbye to the seasoned Duty Soldier, Lü Qinglong headed toward the First Squad's door.

But instead of going straight in, he first watched what was happening inside through the window beside it.

The squad room was lively. Apart from one person lying on a bed, everyone else seemed to be sitting on little stools in a circle, chatting and laughing.

From what Lü Qinglong could see, these men, like him, had no rank insignia on their shoulders. They were all recruits.

After checking the number on the door and confirming that it really did say "First Squad," Lü Qinglong knocked twice on the closed door with his right hand.

Bang! Bang!

The recruit sitting closest to the door jumped in fright and fell right off his stool.

"Who? Who fired the shot???"

The other recruits immediately turned toward the door. Even the seasoned soldier lying inside opened his previously closed eyes and looked at it in confusion.

He seemed to be wondering which old hand was so clueless that he'd knocked on the door with that much force.

The squad-room door slowly opened. A head larger than most people's appeared in the doorway, followed by a face that looked uncannily like a murderer's.

"Holy shit? What... what's going on? A murderer's come into our squad room."

One of the recruits muttered.

"What the hell are you talking about? Can't you see the big red flower on him? He's a recruit, just like us."

A handsome, fair-skinned recruit beside him spoke up.

His expression was different from the others'. When he looked at Lü Qinglong, there was no fear in his eyes, only excitement and curiosity.

"Um, I'm the recruit the company commander brought back. He told me to report to First Squad. Is this First Squad?"

Lü Qinglong looked around the room curiously.

The room wasn't very large, only about thirty square meters, and there was a window at the far end.

At first glance, the room looked neat and orderly. Along the walls on either side stood about six bed frames, three to each side, arranged symmetrically.

Most of the bed frames already had mattresses, quilts, and other bedding on them.

There was also a table to the right of the entrance. It looked like standard-issue furniture.

"Yes, this is First Squad. You're Lü Qinglong, right?"

The seasoned soldier sat up on his bed and asked, looking surprised.

In all his years in the army, he'd never seen a recruit this muscular!

Out in the civilian world, this guy could easily be a bodybuilding champion.

But that face... Well, it was a little hard to describe. He looked downright fierce.

"Yes, squad leader. I'm Lü Qinglong. Squad leader, how do you know my name?"

Lü Qinglong scratched his head sheepishly.

Only then did Lü Qinglong get a good look at the seasoned soldier. His face was somewhat dark, and several deep wrinkles stood out on his forehead, making him look close to forty.

But Lü Qinglong knew that seasoned soldiers who'd spent a long time in the army often looked much older than they really were.

What surprised Lü Qinglong most was the rank insignia on the man's shoulders.

Two rifles crossed over each other, with two thick stripes beneath them!

Lü Qinglong knew that rank: Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major.

The ranks, in order, were Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, and then Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major.

To serve as a Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major in the Army, a soldier had to excel in at least one area or have exceptional military ability.

Generally speaking, Fourth-Grade Sergeant Majors were few and far between in a company that saw combat year-round.

In their company, their word could carry even more weight than the company commander's or Political Instructor's.

And now, a Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major stood before Lü Qinglong.

"You don't need to worry about that. See those two bed frames at the far end?"

"One won't be big enough for you. Put the two together."

The Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major pointed to the two beds at the far end on the right.

"Huh?"

"Thank you, squad leader."

Lü Qinglong nodded, feeling a good deal of affection for the dark-skinned old soldier, whose smile made him look quite kind.

He'd just been wondering how he could possibly sleep on a bed frame that size. He'd have to curl up to fit.

He hadn't expected his new-soldier squad leader to have already thought of that for him. Put the two bed frames together, and he'd be able to stretch out his legs.