If they heard someone spreading rumors about their girlfriends this early on, they'd definitely pick a fight with whoever was doing it.
"Here. You should know what's going on, right?"
"Haha, nice. I'd expect nothing less from you!"
"I once read an old book about strange ethnic groups. It mentioned a Xue Family Village where people made their living telling fortunes."
"Looks like the book was right. Impressive, Xue Daochao. I don't even have a girlfriend."
Ji Baichang patted Xue Daochao on the shoulder, leaving the other recruits around them completely bewildered.
They'd been about to speak up for Ji Baichang, but seeing how unconcerned he looked, they didn't know what else to say. They could only walk past the two of them.
Xue Daochao merely nodded at Ji Baichang's reaction. Just as he was about to return to his squad to get his toiletries, Ji Baichang called after him.
"By the way, once I get my phone back, I'll transfer you another twenty thousand. How about telling me what you know about Lü Qinglong?"
"Hm? Lü Qinglong?"
"Yeah. I want to know what this guy's deal is, including what happened to him in the past."
"I've lived this long, and this is the first time I've ever seen someone built like him."
Ji Baichang spread his hands, his eyes full of curiosity.
"Twenty thousand? He's my squadmate. When we go to war, he's someone I'll have to trust with my back. You think a measly twenty thousand will get you everything about him?"
"Then what are you saying?"
"You need to pay more."
Ji Baichang: ...
"Okay, okay. You're really trying to fleece me, huh? Forget it, I won't ask. I'm going to wash up."
He had money, but he wasn't stupid. There was no way he'd spend that much just to find out about someone.
Seeing Ji Baichang give up, Xue Daochao couldn't be bothered to say anything more. He returned to his squad, picked up his yellow washbasin with his toiletries in it, and headed off to wash up.
As for their conversation, Lü Qinglong had heard every word while putting his bag away in the storage room.
"Strange. He wants to know about me? What's there to ask?"
Lü Qinglong couldn't understand it, but he still came out of the storage room and returned to his squad.
As he passed other squads, he glanced inside and saw veteran soldiers wearing their rank insignia, cheerfully helping the recruits soak their feet.
They were so considerate that Lü Qinglong wondered if he'd actually joined the military.
"The military really isn't like people say online. These squad leaders training the recruits are so nice."
Lü Qinglong sighed, then returned to his squad.
The recruits were gradually taking the yellow washbasins stacked on the table and heading off to wash up. Lü Qinglong had gotten back later than the others, so only one basin was left on the table.
Looking at the familiar yellow washbasin, Lü Qinglong couldn't help feeling a little nostalgic.
There wasn't much his family had in abundance, but they had plenty of these yellow washbasins issued by the military.
They used them for washing their faces and all sorts of things. They were sturdy and practically indestructible.
Carrying the washbasin, he went to the washroom. There were hardly any recruits from the other squads in there. They were all enjoying the foot-soaking treatment their squad leaders had arranged for them.
"Brother Long, um, why don't you use my faucet to wash up?"
When one recruit saw Lü Qinglong come in, he quickly gave up his spot at the faucet.
There were very few faucets in the washroom, fewer than five in all, so the recruits took turns using them to fill their basins.
"Sure, thanks."
Lü Qinglong nodded and gave his face and big feet a quick rinse in the basin.
Seeing that Lü Qinglong didn't seem as scary as they'd imagined, the other recruits gradually tried striking up conversations with him.
"Brother Long, how do you train? How'd you get so muscular?"
"Yeah, Brother Long, your muscles are terrifying. Your chest is about to burst right through your camouflage uniform!"
"Brother Long, could I borrow some protein powder? I want to get that built, too!"
The recruits chatted away, making Lü Qinglong feel a happiness he hadn't felt in a long time.
Back at school, when had anyone ever gathered around him to talk?
Maybe Lü Qinglong knew he wasn't as good-looking as most people, so most of his classmates hadn't been interested in hanging out with him.
But it was different in the military. His fellow recruits could gather around him and laugh and talk. It felt wonderful!
"Hehe, no problem. If you have any questions about training, just ask me. I know a thing or two about fitness and weightlifting."
After washing up to his satisfaction, Lü Qinglong returned to the squad. With practiced ease, he pinched the towel's edge flat and aligned it with the rim of the yellow washbasin. Then he put his rinsing cup inside the basin, arranged the toothbrush on the right and the toothpaste on the left, and set them neatly on top of the basin rack.
He did this because the military was so much like home in many ways.
At least, his family's bathroom was much the same. It had a similar basin rack, and after washing up, he always had to fold the towel just so, with the five-pointed star showing and aligned with the rim of the yellow washbasin.
"Uh... do we have to fold it to that standard, too?"
The other recruits stared at the basin Lü Qinglong had arranged and suddenly felt uneasy.
They'd known they'd have to fold their blankets into perfect squares in the military, but they hadn't expected even their washbasins to have to be arranged just so.
"It's best to do it to this standard. Now that we're in the military, we have to hold ourselves to strict standards."
"Even though this is our first day here, we still need to get the basics right!"
Lü Qinglong explained gravely.
The military had always valued discipline. Why did the three months of recruit training leave the deepest impression on most people who'd served?
Because recruit training drilled all sorts of ideas into you and completely changed your behavior, teaching you what it meant to obey orders and follow instructions without hesitation.
Those three months transformed you from a civilian into a proper recruit.
To put it more simply, it forced you to do things you didn't like and broke down your old self in both thought and behavior, before shoving you into a furnace and hammering you into shape.
"Okay."
Only then did the other recruits take their washbasins back from the rack. One by one, they reluctantly folded their towels and put them back on the rack.
They weren't happy about it, but when they saw Lü Qinglong's fists, each bigger than a sandbag, they reconsidered. It wasn't worth it.
Lü Qinglong nodded. Before getting into bed, he made sure to line up his shoes at the foot of it, then contentedly lay down on the two bed frames pushed together.
A single blanket was a little small for him, but it would have to do.
Everything Lü Qinglong did was noticed by Squad Leader Chen Ting, who was on a video call with his wife and child. Without thinking, Chen Ting murmured,
"He's so much like him. It's like they were carved from the same mold."
"Were you talking to me, honey?" a puzzled voice came from the phone.
"Oh, no, no."
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