Chapter 11: It's Bad—I've Become a Cliché After All

“Sorry, I don’t smoke, but I’ll count you as a comrade. Zhang Meng from Second Squad, right? I’m Qi Tian.” Qi Tian waved his hand and smiled in response to Zhang Meng.

Both being new recruits from Donghai Sports Academy, Zhang Meng gave Qi Tian a much better impression than Song Wei had. He was down-to-earth, kind, honest, and straightforward.

Most importantly, during the five-kilometer cross-country run that day, when Qi Tian sprinted full speed at the end, Zhang Meng even made a path for him. Both being athletes, their behavior was worlds apart.

“Brother, I’ve remembered your name for a while. To make Song Wei dizzy and still dare to challenge the company commander—you really are something!” Zhang Meng said, giving a thumbs-up and smiling at Qi Tian. He then lit a cigarette and put it in his mouth.

But just as he finished speaking, Qi Tian caught a glimpse of Commander Xu Guoqing appearing from the stairwell corner, heading straight their way.

“Commander!” Since he had accepted Zhang Meng as a comrade, Qi Tian wouldn’t just stand by and let him get caught smoking.

He greeted Xu Guoqing while signaling to Zhang Meng that the commander was coming. After nearly ten years in the military, Xu Guoqing saw through Qi Tian’s little trick at a glance.

Quickening his pace, Xu Guoqing reached the bathroom, grabbed Qi Tian’s shoulder, and sniffed him carefully. After confirming no scent lingered, he abruptly turned to look inside.

Though Zhang Meng had extinguished his cigarette as fast as possible and flushed the butt down the drain, the faint smell of smoke still couldn’t escape Xu Guoqing’s keen nose.

At that moment, Zhang Meng pushed the door open. Xu Guoqing glanced back at Qi Tian and shouted, “Get lost!” Then he walked directly toward Zhang Meng, his face unreadable but his clenched fists revealing just how angry he was. Tonight, Zhang Meng was going to pay dearly, no matter what.

***

The next morning, after the entire squad completed morning exercises with the Iron Fist Regiment soldiers, Xu Guoqing gathered the new recruits alone at the center of the training ground.

The ten squad leaders followed him, their expressions dark. Especially the leader of Second Squad, who glared furiously at the front of the line, eyes blazing with anger.

“After dinner last night, I saw someone in our new recruit company secretly smoking in the bathroom—and it was a Huazi cigarette! There’s an old saying: ‘A cigarette after a meal is better than a living god.’ You guys sure know how to enjoy yourselves, and as your commander, I’m satisfied. But I believe a soldier should be upright and honest in everything they do. Sneaking off to smoke in the bathroom—what’s the point?”

“So today, I specially bought a pack of cigarettes for him to smoke openly in front of everyone. Zhang Meng, Qi Tian, step out!”

Hearing this, the squad leaders of First and Second Squads turned completely gloomy. Someone bringing cigarettes into the unit was a grave offense for new recruits, and it was also a serious failure of leadership. Both squad leaders bore joint responsibility.

Sighing deeply, Qi Tian was the first to step out and stand before Xu Guoqing. Since nothing had happened the night before, and the commander and squad leaders hadn’t appeared again, Qi Tian knew he couldn’t escape this ordeal today.

Zhang Meng followed closely, his eyes fixed on the Huazi cigarette pack in Xu Guoqing’s hand. A bad premonition surged within him.

“Here, I want to especially commend Qi Tian. Not only did he not smoke yesterday, but he even helped his comrade by warning Zhang Meng. Looks like you two have already formed a deep bond of brotherhood on your first day!”

Xu Guoqing’s words made the new recruits exchange strange looks. Them being close? What a joke!

Both Zhang Meng and Song Wei were from Donghai Sports Academy, naturally well acquainted. But Qi Tian had made Song Wei look ridiculous in front of the entire company the day before.

To say these two had a deep brotherly bond was utterly baffling—even Song Wei was stunned. What was going on? How could his old classmate be friendly with his worst enemy?

“Merit deserves reward, faults deserve punishment. I’m very pleased that Qi Tian learned to help his comrades on his very first day,” Xu Guoqing continued. Then his tone shifted abruptly, the smile vanishing from his face. “You like warning others, huh? Fine. I’ll give you a chance to do it properly. Duck walk around the training ground ten laps. Every step, shout ‘Hello, Commander!’ Go!”

Though Xu Guoqing spoke calmly as if it were a trivial matter, everyone knew how miserable it would be to walk ten laps squatting. Just practicing the squatting posture was enough to make one’s legs numb, aching, swollen, and painful.

Qi Tian had to squat while walking—imagine the torment.

“Yes, sir!” Without hesitation, Qi Tian responded and hurried to the starting point, beginning to duck walk.

Honestly, Qi Tian wasn’t the least bit happy about being singled out like this. No one wanted to be the example of bad behavior, especially knowing the commander and others were targeting him strictly.

But at this moment, Qi Tian worried more about Zhang Meng, knowing Xu Guoqing’s punishment for him would be ten or even a hundred times worse.

As expected, not long after Qi Tian began his punishment, Xu Guoqing unwrapped the pack of Zhonghua cigarettes, took out a dozen or so, bundled them with the wrapper, and handed them to Zhang Meng.

“Don’t you like Huazi? Then smoke to your heart’s content. I’ll give you all you want!”

Looking at the bundle of cigarettes before him, Zhang Meng’s face was full of regret and pain. He had guessed early on that the pack in Xu Guoqing’s hand was meant for him.

Now that the time for punishment had come, even a tough guy like Zhang Meng, hardened in the sports academy, couldn’t help trembling inside.

Smoking a dozen cigarettes at once—this might be fatal!

“Open your mouth!” Xu Guoqing’s order was absolute.

Despite his reluctance, Zhang Meng had no choice but to steel himself and open wide.

Then, in front of all the new recruits, Xu Guoqing stuffed the bundle of cigarettes into Zhang Meng’s mouth and lit them without hesitation.

“Cough, cough... pfft!”

Everyone watched clearly. Within half a second of the smoke entering his throat, Zhang Meng began to cough violently.

His face turned pale, and the cigarettes slipped from his mouth onto the ground.

He vomited a stream of yellowish bile relentlessly, one mouthful after another!