~
"Xu Gou Ji Baichang, you just don't get it~"
"Never question a sorcerer's decisions."
Xue Daochao shook his head.
"Tch! Keep acting mysterious if you want! Sorcerer, my foot. I don't think you've got what it takes."
At Xue Daochao's words, Ji Baichang immediately perked up, ready to say a few more things. But then the duty officer's voice came from downstairs:
"New recruits from each squad, grab your little yellow basins and come down to assemble!"
"Just you wait, Old Xue. When I get back, I'll tell you what this detail's all about."
Before heading downstairs, Ji Baichang made sure to call out to Xue Daochao. Then he joined the formation and marched down.
"Why does First Squad only have seven people?"
The duty officer counted them and asked the squad leader at the front of the formation.
"Reporting, Squad Leader. Two others went with our squad leader to sort out the equipment store."
"Oh, I see. All right."
"Everyone, put on a mask."
The duty officer gestured for each squad leader to come collect masks from him.
Ji Baichang returned with seven masks for First Squad and, puzzled, put one on.
"What's going on? We have to wear masks for a work detail? This is serious stuff."
"Maybe they're worried we'll get something dirty. Either way, wearing one won't hurt."
The new recruits put on their masks one after another, then turned and followed the duty officer toward a large pit behind the company.
"They've taken the work-detail group away. I'm pretty curious what they're going to do."
Watching the large group disappear from view outside the window, Lü Qinglong murmured to himself.
"I don't think you'll still be curious when they get back."
Squad leader Chen Ting walked in through the doorway. He pointed to the masks on the table and said:
"Put on masks. It's dusty in the equipment store. Don't breathe it in."
"Yes, Squad Leader."
The two answered and put on their masks before following Chen Ting to the equipment store.
All sorts of training equipment were laid out inside, things neither of them had ever seen before.
"Your job is to count all this equipment, check the quantities, and compare them against the inventory sheet."
"When you're done, head back to the squad and rest."
After giving his instructions, Chen Ting returned to the squad room, leaving the two to count the various weapons and equipment in the store.
"Shall we get started? Counting equipment doesn't seem like a particularly difficult job."
"I'll count the top row of racks, and you count the bottom row?"
"No problem."
Xue Daochao nodded, and the two began counting the equipment in the store one item at a time.
The equipment store wasn't big, and the two counted quickly. They finished everything in about half an hour and returned to the squad room to report.
"All right, you can go rest."
"Yes, Squad Leader."
Lü Qinglong answered and went to the window to get some water from the dispenser, but suddenly caught a whiff of a powerful stench.
"Hm-hm~"
Unconvinced, Lü Qinglong sniffed again. It really was a foul smell, and it was just like the stench from an outhouse in the countryside.
"Close the window, or the smell will get in."
Chen Ting had smelled it too. But his expression suggested that he already knew where it was coming from.
"Oh, right. Yes, Squad Leader."
Lü Qinglong reached out and closed the window. He was curious, but since the squad leader hadn't said anything, he decided not to ask.
Instead, he spread out his already well-tucked-in blanket and started pressing it into shape again.
The new recruits were led to a spot behind the hill. The ground looked as though someone had dug it up, and it stood in stark contrast to the old soil beside it.
"Reporting, Squad Leader. Why does it smell so bad back here?"
One of the new recruits couldn't help reporting in from the formation and asking the duty officer.
Even with their masks on, they could still smell the powerful stench. It was like they'd fallen into a sewer.
No, it was even worse than a sewer!
"Um, you'll find out soon enough. Don't ask so many questions yet."
The duty officer gave them a vague answer and put on another mask himself.
He had two masks on his face.
"Here, give me the shovel."
The duty officer waved and took a shovel from one of the recruits. Setting an example, he started shoveling away the dirt.
Once the dirt was cleared, it revealed a 2m*2m iron plate underneath.
The plate had handles that could be gripped, and the duty officer signaled for a few recruits to help.
Ji Baichang was one of the recruits who stepped forward. As soon as he grabbed a handle to help pull, the stench grew even stronger. He nearly threw up the breakfast he'd just eaten.
The other recruits frowned too, each of them making a thoroughly uncomfortable face.
"Listen for my command. When I say pull, all of you pull together. Ugh~"
Before the duty officer could finish speaking, the stench made him feel sick too.
"Here we go! Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Pull! Hard!"
The five recruits used all their strength and successfully dragged the huge iron plate aside. The stench that had been coming from beneath it instantly grew stronger, spreading without restraint until even the recruits standing far away could smell it clearly.
"Holy crap! What the hell is this? How can it stink this bad?!"
Unable to contain his curiosity any longer, Ji Baichang leaned over and peered at what had been covered by the iron plate.
Beneath it was a square holding tank.
And what filled the tank wasn't anything else—it was Oli Ge!
A whole tank full of Oli Ge!
The moment he saw it, Ji Baichang ran to a nearby tree, tore off his mask, and threw up all the breakfast he'd eaten that morning, still undigested in his stomach.
"Seriously, who sends people on a work detail to... Ugh~"
"A septic tank... Ugh~"
Ji Baichang was completely broken. He clung to the tree and threw up for a full five minutes before he finally started to feel a little better.
He had just started to straighten up when he caught another whiff of that stench. His back bent over again.
"Someone pat him on the back! It's just a septic tank. What's the big deal?!"
"I'll explain what you need to do next!"
"Next, ten of you will build a small channel along the edge of this tank, so the contents can flow into another pit farther away."
"Meanwhile, some of the Oli Ge might spill out. The rest of you will use the yellow basins you brought and pour whatever spills back into the tank."
"Do you understand what I mean?"
The duty officer explained it carefully, but every single recruit looked as if they'd seen a ghost.
So that was why they'd been told to bring little yellow basins: they were supposed to scoop out Oli Ge!!!
(Based on a true story)
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