"In our unit, it's always been customary to sing a song before meals."
"I'll lead you in a song. Let's keep it simple: 'Unity Is Strength.' You all know it, right?"
The duty officer stood in front of the recruits, his hands beginning to conduct in a steady rhythm.
Most of the recruits sang very quietly, so they sounded completely lacking in spirit.
The duty officer didn't go easy on them. Frowning, he immediately scolded them:
"What the hell are you singing? Think you're still at home? This is the fucking military!"
"Louder! If you can't sing, you can forget about breakfast!"
The duty officer's words left the recruits below stunned. They hadn't expected him to yell at them on their very first day.
But they were in the military, and this was only their second day here. They really didn't know any of the rules yet.
So they could only raise their voices at once and, under the duty officer's direction, sing it again:
"Unity is strength! Unity is strength! This strength is iron! This strength is steel!"
"Harder than iron, stronger than steel!"
Only after the recruits finished singing did the duty officer reprimand them at an unhurried pace:
"See? You can sing just fine. You recruits are just..."
He stopped halfway through, swallowing the rest of his words. He must have realized this was their first day eating together as a unit.
"Forget it. Once we're done here, squad leaders, make sure you remind the new guys. They wouldn't even open their mouths for the pre-meal song."
"Also, these new guys don't know enough songs. After breakfast, I'll have the Squad Office print out some of the ones we sing most often. Take them back and have the new guys memorize them one by one."
"Go in and eat."
Only after he finished speaking did the duty officer let the recruits file into the dining hall.
Inside, they saw rows of neatly arranged tables and chairs. The recruits sat down in order, from First Squad to Tenth Squad.
"This week, First Squad will go first to get food. Next week, it'll be Second Squad, and then the squads after that in order."
The duty officer directed the recruits to get up and line up for food.
Before the recruits from First Squad even stood up, the squad leaders from First Company had already risen, trays in hand, and gone to the serving table in the middle to get their food.
They were veterans, after all. They didn't have to sit there obediently and follow the same rules as the recruits.
"Steamed buns, stir-fried noodles, and last night's fried rice. The food in the military doesn't seem all that great."
Standing in front of Lü Qinglong, Ji Baichang looked at the big metal basins on the central table and couldn't help muttering.
"You really are a pampered young master. With this much breakfast, you still can't get enough?"
Lü Qinglong licked his lips. He was already getting hungry.
They hadn't eaten when they arrived at the camp the night before, so when he got hungry, he'd eaten the bread the Armed Forces Department had given him.
He'd digested that little bit of food long ago. Now, seeing such a hearty breakfast, he couldn't stop drooling.
"Fine. I'm hungry anyway, so I'll try the food."
Though Ji Baichang said that, his body still resisted. He simply took a steamed bun, a boiled egg, and a bottle of milk, then returned to his seat.
"Squad leader, can we take as much as we want this morning?"
Lü Qinglong asked the duty officer beside him tentatively.
Since they were worried the recruits would take too long serving themselves, the duty officer had deliberately stationed himself there to keep things orderly.
Hearing Lü Qinglong speak to him, the duty officer paused, then nodded without thinking.
"As long as you can eat it all, you can take as much as you want."
"Our unit's food is great. The Cookhouse Squad made plenty, so there should still be a lot left. Go ahead and eat."
As he spoke, the duty officer studied Lü Qinglong.
Good grief! This guy was built like a tank! Back in the revolutionary era, he'd have been as fierce as the War God, tearing the little Japanese devils apart with his bare hands.
Good thing he'd been assigned to old squad leader Chen Ting's squad. Otherwise, nobody could keep him in line.
"Thanks, squad leader!"
Lü Qinglong's face lit up at the duty officer's answer. He set down his tray, then lifted the huge metal platter piled high with steamed buns using just one hand.
He glanced at the fried noodles in the big metal basin beside it and decided they looked good too, so he picked it up with his right hand.
"Huh?"
The duty officer was dumbfounded. He wasn't the only one; the recruits nearby all turned to look at Lü Qinglong, who was standing at the central serving table.
Even the veterans, who had already sat down to eat, froze with their chopsticks and spoons suspended in midair.
"Holy crap! Brother Long's not planning to leave any food for the recruits behind him. He's going to eat it all himself!"
A recruit from First Squad who'd already gotten his food spoke with a tremor in his voice.
"Uh... you... you can really eat all that?"
The duty officer stared at him in disbelief.
He hadn't expected Lü Qinglong to take away both big basins. Now only two large platters of fried rice and boiled eggs were left on the serving table.
He'd just taken half the breakfast meant for a hundred recruits all by himself?
"Of course I can, squad leader. I can eat a lot."
Lü Qinglong nodded and answered the duty officer confidently.
The duty officer had no idea what to say. He'd been the one to tell them to take as much as they could eat.
With no other choice, he turned for help to the only Fourth-Grade Sergeant Major in the company, who was also Lü Qinglong's squad leader, Chen Ting.
"Lü Qinglong, you can eat all that, right?"
"Yes, squad leader. I can eat it all."
"Good. Then take it back to your seat and eat."
"Yes, squad leader."
Lü Qinglong put the two big platters of steamed buns and fried noodles on the table and dug in.
The duty officer cautiously walked over to Chen Ting, bent down, and spoke in a low voice:
"Squad leader Chen Ting, I'll go check whether the Cookhouse Squad has any extra steamed buns."
"Mm. Go ahead."
Chen Ting nodded. The duty officer hurried toward the Cookhouse Squad in the kitchen. A little while later, he came back carrying half a platter of steamed buns that had gone a bit cold.
"Second Squad, go get your food," the duty officer called.
The recruits from Second Squad stood up with their trays and headed for the central serving table. As they passed Lü Qinglong, their expressions were hard to describe.
Lü Qinglong had opened his huge mouth. The steamed buns, each about as big as their fists, could fit four or five at a time inside it.
Even after wolfing down four or five buns in one go, he still wasn't satisfied. He held the whole metal basin and inhaled the fried noodles like a whirlwind.
The sight made him look like he'd never eaten before!
"Seriously, is the food in the military that good? Are we eating the same steamed buns?"
Ji Baichang watched Lü Qinglong eat, then looked down at the dry bun in his hand.
It had no flavor at all. How was Lü Qinglong making it look so delicious?
"Qinglong, are the Cookhouse Squad's fried noodles good?"
After finishing the bun in his hand, Ji Baichang watched Lü Qinglong with some regret.
Before you continue