Ace Special Forces in Movies and TV Shows

Chapter 0003: That Was Courage

A few rays of sunlight pierced through the gaps between the carriages, telling the people inside that it was dawn.

Zheng Yingqi was awakened by the rumbling sound and mixed vibrations. He looked at Cheng Cai and Xu Sanduo, who were still sleeping beside him, and reached out to push them awake.

The rumbling and vibrations continued unabated, growing louder and louder. Xu Sanduo frantically searched for the source of the noise, feeling as if some monster might emerge from underground.

"That's the sound of tanks. The flatbed of this military train we're on is carrying tanks," Zheng Yingqi whispered to Xu Sanduo. But Xu Sanduo was still terrified; this sound, which he had never heard before, frightened him.

Upon seeing Shi Hou, Xu Sanduo asked uneasily, "Squad leader, was that the sound of a tank?"

Shi Jin did not answer Xu Sanduo's question, but instead said sternly:

"We've arrived! Everyone, get up! Line up! Straighten your uniforms! Button up your tops! Check your caps! Clench your trousers! Pack your backpacks! We must make a good first impression on your military camp!"

After Shi Jin finished speaking, he took the lead in performing the inspection. Seeing this, the new recruits around him also followed Shi Jin in performing the inspection.

After Zheng Yingqi quickly finished his inspection, he saw that Xu Sanduo was still paying attention to the roaring sound outside, so he nudged Xu Sanduo and said, "Quickly check the equipment!" Only then did Xu Sanduo start packing up.

The train swayed and slowed down, eventually coming to a stop. Shi Jin immediately shouted:

"Line up! Assemble! Form close formation! Line up according to height! Hands on backpack straps! Stand at attention!"

Following Shi Jin's commands, the new recruits, who had received basic training at the Armed Forces Department, busied themselves with doing as instructed.

We've finally arrived!

Zheng Yingqi, who had spent more than a night in the sealed container, was excited. He had finally arrived, and a new life was about to begin!

Footsteps sounded just inches away, and then the car door was flung open with a bang.

The outside scenery and the blinding light rushed in.

Tanks rumbled along on flatbed carts, being directed to move; these menacing steel behemoths were everywhere.

This is what a military camp is like!

Zheng Yingqi's heart was burning with excitement. From now on, he would deal with these guys and become one of the most lovable people!

A main battle tank was spinning in place on a platform not far away. It wasn't that far from the open freight car, but when the nearly six-meter-long 105mm gun barrel turned around, it felt like it was about to sweep across the car from the door.

Is this a way for veterans to intimidate new recruits?

The thought flashed through Zheng Yingqi's mind, but then a scene came to mind, and his eyelids twitched involuntarily:

He suddenly remembered that when Xu Sanduo faced the sweeping cannon barrel, he subconsciously raised his hand to block, but this action looked exactly like surrendering to the steel behemoth.

However, because he was taller, he was farther away from Xu Sanduo. When he tried to stop Xu Sanduo from doing this foolish thing, he was already caught. Xu Sanduo was facing the sweeping cannon barrel and had already made a gesture of raising his hands to the top.

An outright act of surrender!

"We're doomed!"

Zheng Yingqi closed his eyes, unable to bear the sight.

This is the 702nd Armored Infantry Regiment. This is the new recruit welcome ceremony led by Gao Cheng. How could the Steel Seventh Company, which is unwilling to make a surrender gesture even in the joint exercise, possibly accept a new recruit making a surrender gesture in front of their own tanks?

At that moment, time seemed to stand still because of Xu Sanduo's foolish actions.

Having witnessed this scene, Gao Cheng snapped out of his shock and asked the equally astonished instructor, Hong Xingguo, "You recruited him?"

Zheng Yingqi secretly observed Gao Cheng's expression and sensed that at that moment, Company Commander Gao wanted to beat up the political instructor.

Shi Jin, who was standing to the side, came to his senses and, with a ferocity that Xu Sanduo had never seen before, knocked Xu Sanduo's hand away.

"Hey soldier! What are you doing, soldier? Do you think you're funny?" Gao Cheng shouted angrily, but then he realized something was wrong, because he felt like he was reprimanding Xu Sanduo, who was standing by the freight car door, on the knees: "You! Get down here!"

A dejected Xu Sanduo hurriedly got off, bumping into Gao Cheng. He stood there as if he had no bones, his hat askew. Gao Cheng became even angrier:

"What's the panic? We haven't even gone to the battlefield yet!"

Then he shouted at the tank:

"Move your beat-up tanks away! Don't let your tank chains get in our way!"

The tank commander's smile only fueled Gao Cheng's anger.

Seeing this, Zheng Yingqi inwardly groaned. This unlucky kid, even he himself found his cowardly behavior despicable, let alone Gao Cheng's. But he still wanted to help Xu Sanduo, so he gritted his teeth and shouted, "Report!"

Gao Cheng looked up and saw Zheng Yingqi calling out "Report!" at the door. He frowned and asked, "What is it? Come down and tell me!"

Zheng Yingqi jumped off the car, using the door as a support. Unlike Xu Sanduo, he wasn't in such a disheveled state. After getting off, he tried to stand up straight before speaking:

"Reporting to the commander, he did not surrender!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Jin panicked. The army dislikes nothing more than this kind of shirking responsibility. What is said must be said, and making excuses is shirking responsibility. He hurriedly stopped him.

Zheng Yingqi knew that Shi Jin meant well, but he didn't want Xu Sanduo to leave a terrible impression on Gao Cheng. Although he already had, he wanted to try his best to improve the impression.

Hearing this, Gao Cheng was somewhat surprised. Although he had reprimanded the soldier, he hadn't said it explicitly. He hadn't expected that someone among the new recruits would understand. Still angry, he said, "Then tell me, what does this mean?"

"Reporting to the commander," Zheng Yingqi hurriedly said, "when the tank's gun barrel swept towards us, we all retreated to avoid it, but he didn't retreat. Instead, he made a blocking motion! I think that's courage!"

courage?

Looking at Xu Sanduo's timid, downcast appearance, Gao Cheng couldn't see a trace of courage in him. But without a doubt, Zheng Yingqi's words made Gao Cheng feel a little better, and his anger finally subsided somewhat.

"Glib and smooth-talking!"

Gao Cheng gave Zheng Yingqi a disgruntled comment.

Political Instructor Hong Xingguo hurriedly nudged Gao Cheng, who then remembered, "Oh right, welcome everyone to the 702nd Armored Infantry Regiment!"

"Get off the bus and line up," Instructor Hong Xingguo said at this moment.

The other recruits then disembarked. Taking advantage of a lull in the formation, Cheng Cai quietly tugged at Zheng Yingqi's clothes:

"You were really brave just now. I was completely stunned by the commander's appearance." After saying that, he deliberately tugged at Xu Sanduo: "Sanduo, quickly thank Yingqi. If Yingqi hadn't risked his life to speak up just now, you would have been scolded to death by the commander!"