Chapter 22: The Veteran's Recognition

"You win!"

Watching Sun Weihao recover his breath and admit defeat, Su Yang suppressed the soreness throughout his body. He waved away the veteran who had been supporting him, leaned against a nearby boulder, and said, "I wouldn't call it a win. You recovered your strength after just a short rest, while I was on the verge of fainting. If we had kept going, I definitely would have lost."

Although Su Yang was happy to have outperformed Sun Weihao, he was well aware of his own state; had Sun held on a bit longer, the outcome would have been different.

"A real man admits when he's lost," Sun Weihao grumbled, clearly annoyed. "What, do you think I'm someone who can't handle a loss? Tonight, give me your socks; I'll wash them for you."

"That's not necessary, I can wash them myself," Su Yang replied, trying to decline. After all, Sun was a veteran, and he needed to save face. He couldn't just arrive at the company and immediately have a veteran doing his laundry. If he happened to run into someone petty, it could cause trouble.

"Alright, Su Yang, let him wash them if he wants to," Squad Leader Xu intervened, sensing Su Yang's hesitation. "It's our tradition. Whoever loses the competition takes over the winner's laundry duties."

"Exactly, Su Yang. Don't think that just because he’s admitting defeat now, he won't challenge you again. He’s probably already thinking of other ways to compete and make you wash his socks next time," other veterans chimed in, having gained a preliminary respect for Su Yang after the contest.

"Alright then," Su Yang said, finally letting the matter go. He wasn't one to shy away from challenges anyway.

...

Back at the company, the veterans were sternly reprimanded by Captain Miao for the simple reason that they had been outperformed by a bunch of "green" recruits.

The following week, Su Yang and the other recruits experienced a new level of intensity. They soon realized that the hill-sprint on the first day was merely an appetizer. The morning three-kilometer run evolved into a five-kilometer cross-country run in full gear, followed by intensified physical training. Frog jumps, push-ups, sit-ups, and pull-ups were just the basics. Emergency assembly drills were so excessive—often happening twenty or thirty times a night—that the recruits were perpetually exhausted, barely drifting off before being jolted awake again. It was only then that Su Yang understood why the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company was considered the elite among scouts.

A week flew by, and the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company held an authorization ceremony where Su Yang received his own Type 95 assault rifle. Once he had the weapon, he naturally increased the intensity of his private training. Since the company’s training regimen was already grueling, Su Yang focused his personal time on tactical drills and weapon handling. He knew he had to balance work and rest, especially since he still had to study; he couldn't afford to be too drained to focus on his books.

...

On the training ground after dinner, Su Yang hung his water-filled canteen from his rifle and held the weapon steady in a standing position. This was the aiming technique Old Pao had taught the recruits; only by mastering this could they control recoil and improve accuracy during live-fire exercises.

The evening air was cool, around ten degrees Celsius, but Su Yang’s forehead was drenched in sweat as he gritted his teeth to maintain his posture.

Just then, Chen Guotao walked over in full gear. Seeing Su Yang’s sweat-soaked face, he remarked, "Just doing this isn't enough!"

"Platoon Leader Chen, what do you mean?" Su Yang asked, puzzled.

"Take a look at this!" Chen said, pulling a shell casing from his pocket.

"A shell casing! You mean I should balance this on the rifle?" Su Yang realized what he meant. As a military enthusiast, he knew that balancing a casing was a common training method.

"Exactly. You know quite a bit, don't you?" Chen said with a satisfied nod.

"I’ve read about it and seen it in films," Su Yang replied with a smile.

"But that's still not enough!" Chen immediately shook his head.

"Then what do you mean, Platoon Leader?"

"Using bricks or canteens to add weight is a good start, but it's not comprehensive. Using a shell casing forces you to feel the slightest tremor in your rifle. But standing still isn't enough," Chen said, his expression turning serious. "Su Yang, listen to my command: Kneeling position!"

Su Yang immediately dropped to one knee, legs spread at a thirty-degree angle, his body upright and weight resting on his right heel. The movement shocked his stiff, tired muscles.

"Good. Now, hang the canteen and hold," Chen said, placing the casing upright on the barrel of the Type 95.

Su Yang felt the pressure intensify instantly. He gripped the rifle tightly, terrified that the slightest tremor would cause the casing to fall.

"That's it, hold it. This is how the special forces train. Feeling the burn?" Chen said with a smirk.

"It's..."

*Clink.*

Before Su Yang could finish saying "it's great," the casing tipped over.

"Don't speak. Just keep going. I'm going for a run," Chen said, picking up the casing, resetting it, and walking away.

Su Yang didn't dare utter a word. Watching Chen walk away, he suddenly remembered Chen’s condition—ankylosing spondylitis.

Chen had been very good to him, and Su Yang didn't want to see him forced to leave the service because of his illness. He refocused his mind, just in time to catch the casing as it wobbled again.

...

The private training proved effective. Soon, during his first live-fire drill after joining the company, Su Yang once again outshone the rest.

*Bang! Bang! Bang!*

Su Yang hit the pop-up targets one after another.

"Target number eight, one hundred points!"

Hearing the report from the target trench via the walkie-talkie, Su Yang grinned at Sun Weihao.

Sun groaned, "Alright, stop looking at me. You won again. Damn, can talented people just do whatever they want?"

"Hahaha, Sun Weihao, give it up. You might beat Su Yang in other events if you work hard, but in marksmanship, he's just out of your league," Squad Leader Xu laughed.

"No way, Squad Leader. I’m going to start extra training just like Su Yang," Sun grumbled as he headed toward Zheng Sanpao to submit his request.

Su Yang shook his head and returned to the ranks. Over the past few days, he had realized that while Sun Weihao had a short temper, he was a man of grit who wasn't afraid to compete or lose.

After the live-fire exercise, back at the company, Zheng Sanpao told him, "You're on guard duty with me tonight, you know that, right?"

"I know, Squad Leader. I saw the roster," Su Yang nodded.

Back in the recruit company, they weren't allowed to stand guard for fear of desertion, but now that they were full members of the company, it was a duty every soldier had to fulfill.

"Then don't do any extra training tonight. Get some rest. We're on the midnight shift; if you don't get enough sleep, you'll be exhausted tomorrow," Zheng said with concern.

"Yes, Squad Leader. I'll skip the extra training tonight," Su Yang agreed.