Go back in time and be a chaebol

Chapter 2469 The People Who Were Changed (First Update, Please Subscribe)
War will inevitably lead to market volatility.

Wars in the Middle East always cause fluctuations in oil prices, which in turn impacts the market.

After a brief period of fluctuation, markets around the world have returned to calm. In fact, such fluctuations in financial markets have little impact on the lives of most ordinary people.

Even the deployment of troops to Lebanon is something that most ordinary people only see on television news.

People continue with their lives as usual, living each day to the fullest. As for the fluctuations in the stock market, they are just fluctuations.

As long as you don't sell, you won't suffer any losses, and the price will eventually recover.

Of course, the terrorist attacks in London did change the world in a great deal—this draft registration office was packed with young people registering.

Zhang Dongjie was among them.

Zhang Dongjie had already completed his military service physical examination back in high school, and now, as he stood at the military service registration office like everyone else, he had only one thought in his mind.

"Sir, I want to join the army, right now..."

Facing the sergeant in front of him, Zhang Dongjie stood at attention with his head held high and spoke.

Because he joined the Boy Scouts in elementary school, Zhang Dongjie's posture was still very standard. When he made this request, the sergeant looked at the young man in front of him and said.

"See these registration forms on my desk? See all these people queuing behind you?"

The sergeant looked at him and said:
“In the past few days, there have been thousands of young people like you who want to join the army and serve their country in future wars.”

This applies to everyone.

The sergeant looked at the young man in front of him and spoke in an extremely calm tone.

"You saw the terrorist attack on Your Excellency on television, and you felt deeply for it. You are filled with patriotic fervor and want to serve your country. However, you must understand that the military only has the best; not everyone can become a soldier."

He was telling the truth. Although the SEA has a mandatory military service system, all adult men are required to serve in the military.

However, not everyone has the opportunity to join the military. In fact, only about 10% of people are able to enlist each year. The vast majority become military police officers and serve in local police forces.

Although military police also need to undergo rigorous military training, they are, after all, military police, not soldiers in the true sense of the word.

There has always been a saying here that only the most outstanding people can become warriors, and for this reason, becoming a warrior is a symbol of manhood.

"So I think you should wait until you graduate from university. By then, your physical strength and intelligence may help you become a soldier."

Faced with the sergeant's persuasion, Zhang Dongjie shook his head and said:
“Sir, I’m different from them.”

"?"

The sergeant looked at him with some confusion.

"My name is Zhang Dongjie. A few months ago, special forces rescued me from Colombian guerrillas. From that day on, I vowed to become a soldier."

The terrorist attacks in London made me believe that now is the time when the country needs me. So…”

Zhang Dongjie placed the registration form on the table and said:
"I hope that you, sir, will give full consideration to my personal request."

He said this because, as a university student, he could not immediately enlist if the conscription officer did not agree.

According to the Military Service Law, college students can postpone their military service, or they can suspend their studies and serve.

"Oh?"

Looking at the young man before him, the sergeant could sense his eagerness, so he nodded and said:

"Alright then. Since you insist, but you should know that the attrition rate in military training is 80%."

An 80% elimination rate—that's the highest in the world!

After Zhang Dongjie handed over his military service registration form, that afternoon he and a group of peers boarded a car to the military base. His leave of absence from school was handled by dedicated military personnel.

A gray military bus rolled along the coastal highway, heading towards the Pacific Integrated Training Base located west of Dongning. Outside the window, the familiar city skyline had long since disappeared, replaced by an endless rainforest and the sea.

Inside the train carriage, over thirty new recruits sat in various postures, yet all could not hide the excitement and anticipation on their faces. Zhang Dongjie peered out the window, curiously surveying his surroundings. At a time when the nation needed him, he had resolutely chosen to join the army. He longed to prove himself here, to become a true soldier, like the heroes in the movies, protecting the peace of the country.

"Hey, what do you think our instructors will be like?"

Mick, who was sitting next to Zhang Dongjie, leaned closer. His face still held the naivety of youth, and his eyes sparkled with longing.
"Will he be like the devilish Master Chief in the movies, strict but super cool?"

Zhang Dongjie smiled:

"Probably. The key is the first month. If we can hold on, we'll become warriors!"

He said this because he had read related reports—SEA military training lasts four months, and the first month is the most crucial—it's the "weak month," where high-intensity and high-pressure training is used to weed out soldiers with weak willpower.

Many military movies depict training, and the devilish sergeant major is a common character whose task is to weed out new recruits.

Training includes physical conditioning, with participants marching at least 170 kilometers per week while carrying 35 kilograms of weight.

Each day, participants would carry 15 kilograms of armored equipment and cross 8 kilometers. The terrain included barbed wire, trenches, chemical mines, lakes, and fire zones—all real-life scenarios.

Close combat, live-fire shooting, rappelling, climbing, and more.

At the same time, there is also psychological pressure. Instructors will use various methods such as verbal abuse, physical punishment, humiliation, and even physical contact to train the soldiers' will, with the aim of eliminating those with weak psychological resilience.

That's why they have such high expectations for it.

The bus slowly pulled into the training base gate. Armed guards at the entrance looked at the rookies with disdainful smiles. The recruits quieted down, their initial excitement gradually replaced by nervousness. The bus stopped in an empty training ground. The doors opened, and a wave of heat mixed with dust rushed out.

"Everyone, get off the bus! Quickly!"

A stern shout came from outside the bus. The recruits immediately stood up, grabbed their luggage, and hurriedly got off the bus. As soon as they stood still, several veterans in camouflage combat uniforms led them to a makeshift shed. Under the shed were several tables, and behind the tables sat several barbers, holding clippers and looking serious.

"Everyone, line up for a haircut!" an old soldier roared.

"From this moment forward, you are no longer civilians, but soldiers! Soldiers have a different appearance than civilians!"

The new recruits didn't dare hesitate for a moment and immediately formed a long line. The clippers buzzed, and strands of hair fell to the ground, quickly piling up into a small mountain. Zhang Dongjie sat in the chair, feeling the clippers roughly scrape across his scalp. The soldier shaving his head was very rough, as if he were shearing a sheep, completely disregarding the sheep's feelings.

Soon, his head was shaved bald, the standard military hairstyle. He touched his scalp; the cold touch made him even more alert. He knew that from this moment on, his military career had officially begun.

Actually, he wasn't a soldier yet.

Right now, he's just a new recruit. If he can't pass the training, he'll have no choice but to become a military policeman and serve in the police force.

And what does this mean?

This means he would have a hard time getting into a company, and he would also be unlikely to become an administrative officer. The former would consider someone without military experience to be weak-willed and lacking in teamwork, while the latter would ask, "How can you better serve the public if you haven't even fulfilled your basic civic duties?"

Therefore, military service is the first lesson people learn upon entering society, whether they are men or women. Whether or not one has military service experience directly determines their future.

After getting their haircuts, the new recruits were taken to the supply distribution area. Each person received a set of camouflage uniform, a pair of military boots, a backpack, a quilt, and some toiletries. The uniform fabric was rough and stiff, the boots were heavy, and the bedding in the backpacks made their shoulders ache. Zhang Dongjie carried the heavy moving bag and followed behind the group, walking step by step towards the barracks.

The barracks were rows of green houses, their exterior walls yellowed from the sun. The new recruits filed in, and before they could even put down their backpacks, a deafening roar, like a thunderclap, rang out:

"stand at attention!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Dongjie immediately put down the satchel in his hand and stood at attention in a line.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a tall, muscular soldier standing at the barracks gate, with a corporal standing immediately inside. After the sergeant entered the barracks, the corporal followed beside him. When the sergeant reached them, he glared at them fiercely. His face was weathered, and a long scar on his forehead made him look particularly menacing.

"My name is Huo Yongcheng!"

The sergeant's voice was as harsh as sandpaper.

“From today onwards, I am your training officer! For the next three months, all you need to do is say ‘Yes, sir,’ understand?”

"Yes, sir!"

No sooner had Zhang Dongjie and the others finished speaking than Huo Yongcheng coldly snorted:

"Are they a bunch of women? Don't they have any strength?"

"Yes, sir!"

Like his comrades, Zhang Dongjie shouted loudly:

"Haven't you eaten?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Damn it, they're like a bunch of women..."

His gaze swept across each recruit's face like a knife, and the recruits all lowered their heads in fear, not daring to meet his eyes. Zhang Dongjie could feel his heart pounding, and his palms were sweating profusely.

This is their devilish sergeant.

Huo Yongcheng suddenly stepped forward, stared at a new recruit, and said sternly:

“I tell you, my mission is not to train you cowards into soldiers, but to drive you cowards out of the army!”

As he spoke, he was almost touching the recruit's face, his spittle flying onto the recruit's face, yet the recruit dared not move an inch.

Then Huo Yongcheng looked around at everyone, his voice becoming even more aggressive:
"Do you think the army is a place you can just come and go as you please? This isn't summer camp, this isn't a playground for you to play house! Only the strongest can stay here, and you—"

He paused for a moment, his eyes filled with disdain and contempt:
"You're a bunch of trash, a bunch of cowards! Look at you all now, so weak and frail, you can't even kill a chicken, and you want to be warriors? I think you should go home and cry to your mothers!"

The recruits all hung their heads, their faces burning with shame and anger. Zhang Dongjie clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms.

He never imagined that his long-awaited military career would begin in such a brutal way. And this was the first lesson for everyone entering the military.

Are you trash?

Without hesitation, the crowd immediately shouted:
"Yes, sir!"

Are you cowards?

"Yes, sir."

"very good!"

Huo Yongcheng's voice sounded like it came from hell as he said:

"Here, I am the rule! If I say you're trash, you're trash! If I say you're a coward, you're a coward!"

"Yes, sir!"

Then, he said:
"From this moment forward, throw your pride and self-esteem into the trash can! Here, there is only obedience, no questioning! Only execution, no excuses!"

"Yes, sir!"

Nodding slightly, Huo Yongcheng continued:
"Now, everyone, immediately begin the 30-kilometer run..."

This is the recruits' first lesson—grinding their bones! This long-distance run reveals their down-to-earth nature...

(End of this chapter)