Chapter 2: The Veteran

Sitting by the window, Su Yang watched the station gradually fade into the distance. He shook his head, trying to organize the tangled thoughts in his mind. Regaining his composure, he turned to look at Xiwa, who was chattering animatedly with Zhuang Yan inside the carriage.

The two were still seated together, just across the aisle to the right of Su Yang and his companion.

“Hey, brother, what are you looking at? Do you know that guy?” The man sitting opposite Su Yang poked him and asked loudly.

The noise immediately drew the attention of Xiwa and Zhuang Yan, who had been deep in conversation.

Feeling a bit awkward, Su Yang quickly came up with an excuse. “Nothing, I was just wondering if we might be assigned to the same new recruit company as them.”

The man beside him replied, “I overheard some veteran sergeants saying we’re headed to the Dagong Regiment. Not sure about the guys opposite us, though.”

“Really? The Dagong Regiment?” Su Yang found the name familiar—that was the regiment where the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company was stationed.

With that thought, Su Yang’s eyes flickered. He glanced around to ensure no officers or veterans were paying attention, then swapped seats with the man beside the aisle.

“Hey, Xiwa, are you guys going to the Dagong Regiment?” Su Yang asked after changing seats.

He had already accepted that he was in a world where he was a special forces soldier now. So, he needed to figure out where he would be assigned—this would decide the path his future would take.

“We are going to the Dagong Regiment. That’s what our squad leader told us. By the way, brother, you haven’t told me where you’re from yet!” Xiwa smiled brightly and tossed an apple to Su Yang.

Su Yang accepted the apple without hesitation and thanked him. “My name’s Su Yang, from Yunnan.”

Then he looked at Zhuang Yan. “And you? What’s your name?”

Before Zhuang Yan could speak, Xiwa flashed a wide grin and introduced him. “His name’s Zhuang Yan, and he’s a college student! Su Yang, I saw you reading earlier too—are you a college student as well?”

“No way, I’m only seventeen and just graduated from high school,” Su Yang shook his head, denying it. Then he picked up the book on the table in front of him and smiled. “This is just to pass the time. The train ride is so boring.”

Zhuang Yan glanced at the book and, seeing it was a military manual, couldn’t help but read aloud, “Sniper Combat Guide! Hey, you’re into the military? A military enthusiast?”

“Exactly. I’ve loved the military since I was a kid. Joining the army is my way of fulfilling my dream of military life.”

Su Yang said this happily. Before coming to this world, he was also a young man, so his passion for the military remained strong.

“I get that you like the military, but you really came here just to join the army? What were you thinking?” Zhuang Yan asked, puzzled.

“You’re no different—you're a college student who came to join the army too!” Su Yang knew what Zhuang Yan meant but didn’t expose him; instead, he retorted.

“I… I just lost my mind, that’s why I joined,” Zhuang Yan muttered, glancing at Zheng Sanpao, who was staring at him with a displeased look.

“Yeah, Su Yang, tell me why Zhuang Yan gave up college to come hang out with us here!” Xiwa couldn’t understand Zhuang Yan’s decision.

“Maybe he has his reasons. Anyway, Xiwa, sleep while you can—the train’s about to arrive, and then no more chances!” Su Yang gave Xiwa a glance and urged him to rest, saying no more.

He clearly understood that in the 1990s, joining the military was a decent path for uneducated rural youths—it was better than farming at home, but only slightly better.

Before the university expansion, college students were precious, and for them, going anywhere was preferable to joining the army, especially as mere privates.

After all, this wasn’t an era twenty years later, when college graduates and postgraduates were everywhere.

...

“Woo...”

As the whistle blew, the train slowly approached the platform and stopped beside a military train covered with heavy canvas. The new recruits on the green train immediately noticed that beneath the canvas were tanks!

“Look! Tanks! So cool!”

With one recruit’s discovery, everyone pressed their faces to the windows, marveling at the tank’s outline beneath the tarp. Their weariness instantly vanished.

But just as their curiosity peaked, the commanding officers urged them to assemble and count off, then board trucks bound for the military camp.

The vehicles wound through mountain roads, twisting again and again, finally stopping in a mountain valley. Apart from an old barracks and a few stationed soldiers, Su Yang saw almost no one.

It seemed like a remote, scarcely inhabited jungle.

“All of you, get off!”

The lieutenant responsible for receiving the recruits at the station stood in front of a jeep, shouting through a megaphone. The veteran in charge of keeping order quickly rushed behind the trucks, his once gentle big brother demeanor replaced by a stern, black-faced urgency.

“Form five columns side by side according to the order from the armed department! March toward me!”

The lieutenant raised his right hand to the recruits who had just disembarked.

Unfortunately, most recruits had long forgotten the lineup order from the armed department, scrambling around like headless flies.

Su Yang, who had always been eager about army life since entering the armed department, was naturally among the few who remembered the sequence!

He grabbed his luggage and nimbly jumped off the truck, becoming the first recruit to reach the assembly point, his upright posture making him stand out among the crowd.

The lieutenant, noticing Su Yang’s soldierly stance, nodded in approval. His frustration from the chaotic scene was somewhat eased.

Now patient, the lieutenant pointed at Su Yang and called over four more recruits, lining them up in a row. He then instructed the others, “Form ranks behind these five from right to left!”

After some commotion, the disorderly line finally came together.

Only then did Su Yang notice a group of veterans standing behind the lieutenant, all dressed uniformly in regular clothes. At least first-phase veterans, they stared unblinking at the recruits, like wolves eyeing lambs.

“Hey, do you know where these recruits are from?”

“There are some from the north, and some from Yunnan. Why, you picking favorites?”

“Of course! I like Yunnan recruits. They may be short, but living in highlands means their stamina is way better than those from the plains.”

These veterans began sorting through the new recruits with discernment.

The lieutenant cleared his throat, silencing them instantly as he pulled out a list to start calling names.

“New recruits, quiet down! We’re about to start the selection!” After roll call confirmed everyone was present, the lieutenant began dividing the troops.

“Squad leader, you go first!” The lieutenant looked toward Zheng Sanpao among the veterans, signaling him to start.

Zheng Sanpao quickly stepped out and glared at the still-chatting recruits, his face darkening as he barked, “No talking!”

The recruits immediately fell silent, eyes fixed on Zheng Sanpao, wondering what he intended to do.

Su Yang naturally anticipated what was coming. He knew Zhuang Yan would clash with the old gunner. To avoid being implicated, he decided not to join Zheng Sanpao’s squad. Besides, Zhuang Yan didn’t need his help—after all, Zhuang Yan was no Xu Sanduo.

With that thought, Su Yang withdrew his gaze from Zheng Sanpao and tried to stay inconspicuous, avoiding the veteran’s attention.

Unfortunately, his plan failed. Unknown to him, Zheng Sanpao had already noticed him on the train.

Zheng Sanpao approached Su Yang with a stern expression, his eyes piercing as if trying to catch a flaw.

Su Yang’s heart sank with anxiety at being targeted, but outwardly he remained expressionless, refusing to show any reaction.

He understood that Zheng Sanpao’s grim face was meant to provoke mistakes among recruits, making it easier to control them later. Su Yang had no interest in confronting him—he was not Zhuang Yan.

Zheng Sanpao scrutinized the youthful yet flawless face before him and smirked slightly. “Your name’s Su Yang, right?”

“Yes, squad leader!” Su Yang replied loudly and clearly, neither more nor less.

Zheng Sanpao nodded in satisfaction. “Step out!”

“Yes!” Su Yang lifted his luggage and jogged to join the first squad.

Watching the veteran approach Zhuang Yan, Su Yang sighed. He truly didn’t want to be in Zheng Sanpao’s squad—not out of dislike for the man, but because with Zhuang Yan around, trouble was inevitable. He’d rather spend time training privately.

He knew his situation well. Though physically fit, he wasn’t quite on par with someone like Zhuang Yan, who had been training rigorously since childhood.

If he wanted to attend a military academy or earn a commission later, he would need more time to improve his overall abilities.