"Come on, buddy. You're the last recruit in our squad. Now that you're here, all nine of our recruits are together."
The slightly handsome recruit from earlier stood up cheerfully, ready to take Lü Qinglong's black bag.
But Lü Qinglong figured the other man was just a recruit and didn't look like he'd done any training, so he smiled and waved him off.
"It's fine, it's fine. My bag's a bit heavy. I can carry it myself."
The handsome recruit smiled awkwardly and sat back down.
Lü Qinglong set his bag on the floor, then went over and quickly straightened up his bunk.
It didn't take long for him to realize there didn't seem to be anywhere to put his black bag. None of the other recruits had one beneath their bunks, so they must have been stored in the supply room in the hallway.
Lü Qinglong simply turned and went over to the squad leader to ask where he could put his bag.
"Hold on. Leave your bag on the floor for now. I'll inspect all your bags in a bit."
"Move closer together. Now that everyone's here, let's start with introductions."
"You can talk about your hobbies and interests, any special skills you have, and so on."
After speaking, the Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major cleared his throat and added:
"I'll introduce myself first. My name's Chen Ting. I'm thirty-three years old, and I've been in the army for sixteen years. For the next three months of recruit training, I'll be your squad leader."
The recruits immediately looked surprised.
What did sixteen years in the army even mean?
They might only just have learned to talk when their squad leader, Chen Ting, had already joined the military.
"Squad Leader, you've been in the army for sixteen years? That's incredible!"
The slightly handsome recruit couldn't help speaking up.
"Yeah! Squad Leader, does that mean you get paid a lot every month? I heard a Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major like you takes home over ten thousand a month these days."
The recruits all started firing questions at Chen Ting at once.
Squad Leader Chen's expression didn't change. He waited until the recruits gradually quieted down before speaking.
"Next time you want to speak, report first. You may speak only after I give you permission."
His voice wasn't loud, yet it put immense pressure on the recruits.
They immediately sat up straight and nodded vigorously to show they understood.
"Now, start introducing yourself."
Squad Leader Chen looked toward the slightly handsome recruit who had spoken first.
"Yes, Squad Leader!"
"My name's Ji Baichang. I'm from Yanjing, and I'm nineteen. I just finished the college entrance exams and came to the army to get a taste of military life."
"As for my hobbies, I like flirting with girls and playing games."
"Of course, I mostly play FPS games."
"My gaming ID is: Use Wu Jin's wax figure to squeeze every last drop out of our patriotic genes."
"And my motto is..."
"That's enough."
"That's quite a name you've got there. How long is Ji Baichang?"
Chen Ting's expression turned odd.
People said that college students joining the army were shaking up the military. Now he understood.
This recruit was pretty out there.
He pointed to the next person to signal that it was his turn.
"Squad Leader, my name's Song Si. I'm twenty-one, I graduated from junior college, and I'm from Guangxi."
The next recruit looked a little shorter than the others, only about 170 centimeters. But Squad Leader Chen's eyes lit up.
"From Guangxi, huh? Not bad. You look lean and fit. You should be a good runner."
"But why are all your names so strange?"
"Next."
Chen Ting looked toward the next recruit.
This recruit looked rather ordinary, the sort of person you'd lose sight of in a crowd after looking away for a moment.
Still, there was something unusual about him. In Chen Ting's sixteen years of military service, he'd never encountered a recruit with quite that particular air about him.
"Squad Leader, my name's Xue Daochao. I'm eighteen, and I live in Yongdeng County, Gansu. I don't really have any hobbies."
"Mm. Next."
Chen Ting looked him over once more, then turned his gaze to the next recruit.
The other five recruits gave unremarkable introductions, with nothing that stood out.
They came from all over the country, with pretty much every province represented.
At last, it was Lü Qinglong's turn to introduce himself.
All eight recruits stared straight at Lü Qinglong.
The guy looked pretty mature. He had to be twenty-three or twenty-four, right?
He couldn't be any older than that. Twenty-four was the maximum age for enlisting, unless he had a master's degree or higher.
That was what Ji Baichang thought to himself.
The other recruits were thinking much the same. They were all curious about Lü Qinglong. The guy had to be over two meters tall, didn't he?
The military didn't accept recruits over two meters tall. It was obvious that Lü Qinglong's family must have used their connections to get him enlisted.
"My name's Lü Qinglong. I'm from Yangcheng, Jiangsu Province. I just graduated from high school, and I'm eighteen. I hope we'll all get along."
As soon as Lü Qinglong finished speaking, the other recruits could no longer sit still.
They all looked as if they'd seen a ghost.
What? He looked like Thanos from a movie. You could tell people he was in his thirties, and no one would argue!
And with a build like that, his arms were so thick he could knock them out with one punch!
And you were telling them he'd just turned eighteen?
"Uh... you just turned eighteen?"
Even Squad Leader Chen Ting, a seasoned soldier who'd seen plenty, couldn't help asking.
"Yeah, Squad Leader."
"I only turned eighteen the day before yesterday. Don't I look it?"
"You do. You've just got a mature-looking face. I can understand that."
Chen Ting nodded.
He'd realized Lü Qinglong was built like a tank. He was a natural for the role of breacher.
It was a shame that his physique didn't really suit Chen Ting's area of expertise.
"Alright, everyone, take out your phones."
"Call your families and let them know you're safe. Tell them you've arrived at the unit so they won't worry."
Squad Leader Chen's words once again made the recruits feel the warmth of the seasoned soldiers in the army.
See? You couldn't believe everything you read online. People said squad leaders would be harsh on them and all that.
Their squad leader hadn't made them soak their feet on the first day, but having him tell them to call home and report they were safe still warmed their hearts.
The recruits began taking out their phones. Just as they were about to call, the Duty Soldier Lü Qinglong had seen earlier walked in with a camera.
"Squad Leader Chen, I'm here to take a photo of your squad's recruits. The company can use it to write up a news article later."
The Duty Soldier addressed Chen Ting in a very polite tone.
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