"Bang, bang."
Chen Ting rapped twice on the bed frame with his knuckles, producing a deep, heavy sound:
"Everyone up and fold your blankets. Have you folded them properly? You're sleeping right here!"
"When I get back, if I see your blankets still piled up like a heap of crap, just see what I do to you."
At Chen Ting's words, most of the recruits quickly shook off their sleepiness.
This was the army, not home.
Remembering yesterday's lesson, the recruits struggled to sit up one after another, their faces full of misery.
Their arms and leg muscles were especially sore. The pain was almost impossible to describe.
It was all because of yesterday's intense workout.
The workout itself hadn't been that strenuous, but they hadn't exercised in a long time. It was only natural to wake up today with aching backs and sore muscles.
"Let's go."
Seeing that all the recruits in his squad were up, Chen Ting turned and called to Lü Qinglong, telling him to bring the two model guns from under his bed.
"Got it, squad leader."
Lü Qinglong answered, pulled two model guns out from under the bed, and followed Chen Ting out of the barracks.
"Huh? What's Qinglong going with the squad leader for?"
Ji Baichang had just been woken up and was still a little groggy. He turned to ask Xue Daochao, who was in the lower bunk next to his.
"No idea. The squad leader's probably taking him aside for some extra training."
"Wow, that's rough. We only have to fold our blankets, and he has to do extra training."
Ji Baichang yawned and slowly started folding his blanket on the bed.
Next door, Xue Daochao muttered to himself:
"Is that really so rough? I want to join the Special Forces too. Maybe I'll ask the squad leader when he gets back if I can join tomorrow morning's training."
"Squad leader, what are we—?"
Lü Qinglong followed Chen Ting all the way to the training field from the day before. They stopped at a small wooded area with plenty of obstacles set up.
"I'm going to teach you something. Hand me one of the guns."
Chen Ting took the Type 95 Model Gun Lü Qinglong handed him. He shifted it between his hands, then settled into the most basic Standing Posture.
(Image 1)
"You know the Standing Posture and Crouching Posture for shooting, right?"
"Squad leader, my older brother taught me those when he came home on leave."
Lü Qinglong nodded and raised his Type 95 Model Gun the way his brother had taught him.
He was a burly man, and the Type 95 Model Gun looked slender in his hands, but his Standing Posture was still very proper.
"Mm."
"Your grip, the way you brace the stock against your shoulder and cheek, and your sight alignment are all very good."
"Your brother taught you well. Have you ever fired live rounds?"
Chen Ting asked casually.
Lü Qinglong seemed to know more about firearms than Chen Ting had expected.
"I have, squad leader."
"The Armed Forces Department does two live-fire sessions every year, and they always ask me to come shoot. I usually fire a little over three hundred rounds each time."
"But I've only fired a Type 81 Rifle. I've never fired a Type 95."
Lü Qinglong answered honestly.
"Good. What about shooting at close range indoors? Do you know the C-Grip Close-Quarters Shooting Stance?"
"Huh? Squad leader, what Shooting Method is that?"
Lü Qinglong scratched his head, unable to make sense of Chen Ting's technical terminology.
"You curl the fingers and palm of your left hand into a C shape and wrap them partway around the gun's handguard."
"Watch me demonstrate."
As he spoke, Chen Ting raised his left hand slightly. His left arm formed a right angle, and his forearm rested horizontally against one side of the model gun.
(Image 2)
"Understand? This Shooting Method is often used in close-quarters combat indoors."
"It can be used when there's a wall on your left to brace against."
"But it has a drawback, too. It obstructs your view of the lower-left part of your field of vision."
"So it's limited to CQB, or Close Quarters Battle. If we were in the jungle or woods right now, we'd still use the first Shooting Method, the Standing Posture. Do you understand?"
Chen Ting explained everything in great detail and demonstrated it step by step.
Lü Qinglong wasn't slow. He grasped the lesson almost immediately and raised his left hand, copying Chen Ting's Shooting Stance.
"You can't take in too much at once. We have plenty of time. I'll teach you this position today. Hold it steady."
Chen Ting stepped in and adjusted Lü Qinglong's posture.
Once he'd made sure the position was correct, he continued by teaching Lü Qinglong some of the most basic principles of combat awareness:
"From ancient times to the present, do you know how many major categories of warfare there are?"
Chen Ting's question caught Lü Qinglong off guard. He kept the side-grip shooting position while answering:
"Squad leader, I don't think I know much about that."
"Mm. That's normal. I'll give you the most basic concept."
"All warfare falls into three major categories: Offensive Warfare, Defensive Warfare, and Deception Warfare."
"Ambushes, surprise attacks, Information Warfare, and so on all fall under Deception Warfare."
"I don't need to explain Offensive Warfare and Defensive Warfare, do I? You should understand those. I'll focus on Deception Warfare."
Lü Qinglong nodded thoughtfully.
"Before you try any kind of Deception Warfare, you need to have some advantage over your opponent."
"You may not quite understand what I mean, so let me put it more simply. If you're going to carry out a surprise attack, you need to know the enemy's firepower deployment and troop numbers at the very least."
"If you don't even understand the enemy's basic situation, then you can't carry out that kind of mission."
"It's the same with CQB, or close-quarters combat indoors. You can only make a combat plan and deploy your personnel once you know how the enemy is positioned."
"If you become an officer and get to command troops one day, make sure you fight battles where the odds are in your favor."
"Use your strengths to crush your opponent's weaknesses. You understand how to play to your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, right?"
"Everything you do is for the sake of winning!"
Chen Ting seemed to realize he'd said a little too much, so he stopped there and left Lü Qinglong the rest of the time to think it over.
"Squad leader! I understand most of what you said, but I feel like I'll need a long time to digest it."
A glimmer of understanding appeared in Lü Qinglong's eyes.
No wonder Chen Ting was a veteran who had spent sixteen years in the Special Operations Brigade. Even a few offhand remarks from him would take Lü Qinglong a long time to absorb.
He listened intently. If he hadn't been practicing his shooting stance, he would have wanted to find a notebook and write down every word Chen Ting said.
Do you think this section feels dry? I've tried to explain everything in language everyone can understand. Later on, I'll write about subjects like Military Topography, which might be even drier. But I promise that if you can stick with it, you'll be able to read a military map someday.
Before you continue