Chapter 41: No Stray Cats or Dogs Allowed

"Congratulations, Qi Tian. Since the establishment of our Southeast Military Region, you are the soldier who has achieved the rank of corporal in the shortest time in our history.

At the same time, you are also the fastest to be awarded an individual third-class merit. With these two records under your belt, I am very confident that you will shine brilliantly in the military in the future!"

Li Yunfei stepped forward with a smile and gave Qi Tian’s shoulder two heavy pats. By now, his eyes were filled with nothing but gratification. To have such an outstanding soldier come from his ranks was, for Li Yunfei, an honor in itself.

In fact, it was not just him. Even the officers following behind Leng Qiangguo were looking at Qi Tian with various expressions—some excited, some thrilled, but most of all, surprised and stunned.

In the past, the Iron Fist Regiment had produced promising recruits before, but even for those who had received separate, early promotion ceremonies, the highest-ranking official to attend would have been a deputy brigade commander. But this time, it was the commander of the Southeast Military Region himself—a man whose very footsteps could make the earth tremble!

At least in all the years they had been in the service, they had never heard of a commander from any of the Dragon Kingdom's five military regions personally attending and conducting a promotion ceremony for new recruits. It was a first in history! Many of them were silently repeating four words in their hearts: *Qi Tian is a legend!*

After a few breaths, Qi Tian's expression turned serious. The moment he took the corporal’s identification card, he raised his hand and gave a solemn salute to Li Yunfei in response: "I guarantee I will not let you down, Regiment Commander! I will give everything I have to protect our land and our people. Just as the slogan in our Iron Fist Regiment training grounds says: With my spear, I shall slaughter on the battlefield; with my shield, I shall shelter the mountains and rivers!"

...

The administrative efficiency of the Iron Fist Regiment officers was incredibly high. By six o'clock that evening, once the monthly assessments for all new recruits had officially concluded, Li Yunfei gathered everyone below the reviewing stand and announced that the new recruit training was now officially over.

Tonight, the regimental headquarters would evaluate each soldier's performance in their daily training combined with this month's assessment to determine their future assignments, ensuring everyone was placed in the company best suited to them. The top five, however, would follow Secretary Leng the next day to the Sharp Knife Amphibious Unit for further evaluation. They were Qi Tian, Jiang Chong, Zhang Meng, Song Wei, and Lin Mang.

Undoubtedly, the other four were the ones who had developed the closest bonds with Qi Tian during training. Inspired by him, they had also become the four most diligent and hardworking among them. This reward was well-deserved for all five. The promotion ceremony was scheduled for eight o'clock the following morning.

...

After dinner, when Qi Tian returned to the barracks wearing his service uniform with corporal shoulder boards, everyone in the first squad, including their squad leader, Old Hei, was stunned into silence.

"Cor... corporal shoulder boards? How is this possible? Qi Tian, did you grab the wrong uniform?" Old Hei asked, walking up to him nervously. In the military, mixing up uniforms was a minor issue, but if one wore a rank that didn't match their own, it was a massive deal. The other soldiers gathered around, looking up and down at the calm Qi Tian.

"Squad leader, this is my service uniform. As for the corporal rank, it's a parting gift from the Regiment Commander," Qi Tian said, pulling out his sergeant’s ID and handing it to Old Hei.

Seeing the contents, Old Hei’s breathing quickened, and his dark complexion flushed with a hint of red. "My god! You kid are absolutely ruthless! In thirty-one days, you’ve earned the title of 'King of Recruits,' an individual third-class merit, and now a corporal rank! I’ve been grinding in the military for five years, and I’ve only just submitted my application for promotion to sergeant major; the paperwork hasn't even been approved yet. Yet in the blink of an eye, you’re already a non-commissioned officer. Your promotion speed is like riding a rocket!"

"Squad leader, if it weren't for your guidance, I would never have achieved such an honor. I will always remember who my first squad leader was. As for your promotion report for third-level sergeant major, the Regiment Commander asked me to tell you that it’s void, and you should fill out a new one." Qi Tian finished with a faint, enigmatic smile.

Hearing this, Old Hei’s already flushed face turned even brighter. "Void? What do you mean? I checked it several times before submitting it; there shouldn't be any issues!"

Qi Tian didn't intend to keep him in suspense and explained with a smile in front of everyone: "The Regiment Commander said that because the new recruits this year, led by you squad leaders, have been absolutely monstrously talented, he’s decided to exceptionally promote all of you to second-level sergeant major. It’s not just your report that needs rewriting; the other nine squad leaders are the same. Congratulations, Squad Leader Old Hei—or rather, Sergeant Major Old Hei!"

"Hiss... promoted to second-level sergeant major with less than nine years of service!"

As soon as Qi Tian finished speaking, gasps echoed throughout the dormitory. Every soldier’s expression changed. Familiar with military regulations, they knew that only exceptionally outstanding veterans could receive such an honor. Never did they expect to witness it firsthand, and for it to happen to their own squad leader.

Only Old Hei knew where this promotion truly came from. If Qi Tian, the King of Recruits, hadn't acted as an absolute leader, how could the ten of them have achieved what they did today? Perhaps they still could have trained a group of good recruits, but they would have been *just* good. The Regiment Commander’s use of the word "monstrous" to describe the recruits was the reason for this reward. In that moment, the look Old Hei gave Qi Tian was filled with nothing but deep gratitude.

Once promoted to the rank of sergeant major, it meant he was guaranteed to stay in the military for at least sixteen years. For the next seven years, he would have no fear of being forced to leave the land he deeply loved. He could devote himself entirely to his growth here, realizing his full potential and pouring out all his passion.

"Qi Tian, thank you. I am honored to have been your squad leader during your recruit training!" Old Hei walked up and pulled Qi Tian into a hug, his voice trembling with emotion. Qi Tian smiled and returned the gesture, wishing him a smooth path ahead. He didn't notice the tears sparkling in the corners of Old Hei’s eyes as they quietly fell.

...

The next day, at nine in the morning, the five men led by Qi Tian packed their bags and boarded a military off-road vehicle with Leng Qiangguo, heading straight for the East Sea High-Speed Railway Station.

In the vehicle, Zhang Meng, Jiang Chong, and the others were happily flipping through their soldier IDs. They were particularly fond of the bright red, star-shaped steel stamp on the pages.

"Brother Tian, I never expected we’d get to go to the new unit with you. This is too good to be true. I hope we can always stay together!" Lin Mang said, inching closer to Qi Tian, clearly determined to stick to him for the long haul.

Seeing this, Zhang Meng and the others teased him: "Lin Mang, you were a beast during the assessment, how did you turn into Brother Tian's sycophant so quickly?"

"Yeah, Lin Mang, I remember when we first enlisted, you were trailing after me. How did you switch teams so fast?"

"Is it that A-Wei isn't charming enough, or are you just worshiping Brother Tian because he saved your life?"

The three athletes traded barbs, making Lin Mang blush. But Lin Mang was quick on his feet. Within seconds, he pouted and retorted unconvincingly: "Tch, you guys aren't any better than me. I remember during the 'Cat and Mouse' game, you were calling him 'Little Tian' too. Why are you all calling him 'Brother Tian' now? If you’re so brave, stop calling him that! I just admire Brother Tian; I’ve decided I want to be his comrade-in-arms for life!"

"Ahem!"

Just as Lin Mang finished, Leng Qiangguo, who had been silent in the passenger seat, spoke up to warn the rowdy group: "Don't get ahead of yourselves. Just because you're here doesn't mean all five of you will make it into the Sharp Knife Amphibious Unit! It’s not a place for just anyone to drift into. To become a part of it, you still have to pass several assessments. If you fail, you'll be packing your bags and heading back to your original units. It’s not impossible to be comrades for life, but it depends on whether you have the qualifications and the ability to stay together!"