The Red Era: Living in Seclusion in a Siheyuan as a Boss

Chapter 666 Advanced Logistics Academy!!!

In the wave of logistics reform throughout the army, the division led by Zhong Xingguo took the first crucial step and became the vanguard of the army's reform.

However, even the wisest decisions require strong execution.

In this reform, grassroots officers and soldiers, especially the experienced old non-commissioned officers, have become an important force in promoting the implementation of the reform.

These pillars of the military not only possess high prestige, but also have the ability to act on their own - they can not only complete complex tasks independently, but also provide valuable decision-making suggestions to their superiors at critical moments.

Wang Wei, a staff officer of the division’s logistics department, is an outstanding representative of this backbone force.

Fifteen years ago, on that scorching summer day, when golden wheat waves rolled across the fields of his hometown, the young soldier had already begun his military legend.

At that time, Wang Wei's father had a bad heart and could not do heavy work, so his mother took care of everything alone.

Ever since his father fell ill, the family has relied on his mother to sell tofu to supplement the family income.

On the day Wang Wei was leaving, his mother said with red eyes: "Son, it would be nice if you could stay for a few more days to help out."

But Wang Wei was thinking about serving in the army and making meritorious contributions at that time, so he hurriedly set off early in the morning carrying the old canvas bag.

The sun was scorching when Wang Wei arrived at the army that day. He stood at the registration office, looking at the slogan on the wall that read "Don't be afraid of hardship, don't be afraid of death", and his heart was pounding.

Sweat flowed down his neck, soaking his newly bought white shirt.

Wang Wei had to fill in his personal specialties on the registration form. He thought about it and honestly wrote "I can do accounting".

Wang Wei’s only skill was to help keep accounts at the supply and marketing cooperative in his hometown.

At that time, his mother said that this child could not do anything except counting money on his fingers.

"Young man, your handwriting is quite good. The strokes are neat and tidy. You can tell at a glance that you are well-educated." Company commander Li Hongxing squinted his eyes and praised Wang Wei, "You graduated from high school, right?" Wang Wei nodded, feeling very happy.

"Such a big piece of meat, delicious every meal, and the daily food expenses are 1.95 yuan, which is really a big profit!" On the first day of joining the army, Wang Wei looked at the big pot of food served from the canteen window and couldn't help sighing.

Three months after the recruits.

"You only know how to eat. I'm afraid you're in trouble." Squad leader Gao Jian said with a smile, picking up a piece of braised pork with chopsticks and putting it in Wang Wei's bowl.

What he said really hit the nail on the head. Who would have thought that Wang Wei would be assigned to the logistics company as a timekeeper on the third day after joining the company.

To be honest, Wang Wei felt very uncomfortable.

He came all the way here to join the army, expecting to shoot targets, but ended up counting money in an account book every day, which is no different from being at home.

Wang Wei thought that if his father knew about this, he would definitely say that his son was only doing accounting for a living and was not a real soldier.

When Wang Wei wrote a letter home for the first time, he hesitated for a long time before he started writing. In the end, he just said that he was working in the logistics company and the food was good.

Fortunately, Wang Wei met the old squad leader Zhang Dalong, who had a good temper and was very patient in teaching him.

Zhang Dalong is a descendant of the Eighth Route Army and grew up listening to revolutionary stories.

Seeing that Wang Wei was unhappy, he said, "Don't underestimate this position. Hundreds of people depend on us for their meals."

After Wang Wei arrived at the logistics company, he had to get up before dawn every day and follow the buyer Master Sun to the vegetable market.

There were no electronic scales at that time, so everything had to be recorded by hand.

Wang Wei's worn-out canvas bag always contains an account book and two pencils.

In the summer, sweat soaks the notebook, and in the winter, fingers become numb from cold, but every account must be calculated clearly.

Master Sun is an old revolutionary. When he was young, he was injured in the battlefield of the War to Resist Maoism and Aid China, and his left leg was disabled.

He always said: "In war, bullets and shells must be calculated accurately. In peacetime, everyone's rations must also be calculated accurately."

Every time he went to the market, Master Sun brought an old military kettle filled with hot tea.

Once when he was going to the morning market, Master Sun was limping around the vegetable market before dawn.

The woman selling cabbages asked him, "Does your old injured leg hurt again?" He smiled and said, "It's okay. We have to buy fresh cabbages for the soldiers."

When Wang Wei first started doing this job, he made many mistakes.

Once, fifty yuan was missing. Wang Wei was so anxious that he couldn't sleep all night, fearing that he would be accused of embezzlement.

Squad leader Zhang Dalong stayed up all night with Wang Wei without saying a word, checking each item one by one.

"Look, there are two boxes of soy sauce here." Zhang Dalong pointed to the account book and said, "In our line of work, we have to keep a normal mind." After saying that, he took out two pieces of fruit candy from the faded military uniform pocket. They were the money he saved every month.

At that time, the army's food standard was 1.95 yuan per person per day.

This number may not seem large, but when you are responsible for the food of hundreds of people, every penny has to be calculated accurately.

Every time he did the accounting, Wang Wei would circle important numbers with a red pen, for fear of making mistakes.

Comrades all said that Wang Wei was a taciturn person, but they didn’t know that Wang Wei’s mind was full of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division at that time.

While seeing others playing during breaks, Wang Wei was calculating whether he could have two more eggs with today’s vegetables; while seeing others writing letters home, he was thinking about tomorrow’s shopping list.

One night Wang Wei had a fever and felt very dizzy, but he was still thinking about the purchase list for the next day.

The old squad leader Zhang Dalong forced Wang Wei to lie on the bed and give him an injection. He said, "If you collapse, your comrades will go hungry."

That night, Zhang Dalong stayed by Wang Wei's bed and told him stories about his youth.

The most difficult time is summer, when the kitchen is as hot as a steamer.

Once, Wang Wei was so choked that he burst into tears and had to squat on the ground and use a magnifying glass to look at the meter that was blackened by the smoke.

Seeing Wang Wei like this, Mr. Li from the kitchen staff cooked him a bowl of mung bean soup and added rock sugar to it.

I missed home a lot, especially when I received the letter saying that Wang Wei's father had a bad cold.

Wang Wei didn't sleep all night and wrote three letters before sending one.

Seeing that he was unhappy, Zhang Dalong said, "To be responsible for your comrades is to bring honor to your family."

That winter, Wang Wei's father's condition worsened.

So Wang Wei took three days off to go home and visit his family.

When Wang Wei returned home, he saw that the coal stoves in the house were out, and he felt extremely upset.

Wang Wei's mother was still selling tofu at the street corner, her face red from the cold.

My parents had a hard life.

After returning to the army, Wang Wei worked even harder, thinking of doing more for his comrades and also wanting to make his parents proud.

Gradually, Wang Wei found that this job was really interesting.

He felt happy every day when he saw his comrades eating happily.

Wang Wei also figured out a set of accounting methods and designed a new account book format.

Zhang Dalong said that he has a quick mind and will be able to do great things in the future.

Once the company organized a camping training, Wang Wei specially prepared money for extra meals for the kitchen staff.

Watching his comrades eating hot meals around the campfire, Wang Wei felt for the first time that being a timekeeper was not a bad idea.

That night, everyone sang "Unity is Strength" with true emotion.

When it's late at night and everyone is asleep, Wang Wei always likes to look through the account books.

Behind those densely packed numbers are the bits and pieces of our comrades-in-arms.

Wang Wei remembers who likes spicy food and who likes sweet food.

One of his comrades-in-arms had his hometown in Sichuan Province, so Wang Wei specially asked the kitchen staff to prepare more chili peppers.

One night when I checked the inventory, I found that a bag of flour was missing twenty kilograms.

Wang Wei stamped his feet in anxiety, but Zhang Dalong smiled and said, "Do you know why there are so few? Our company had extra training today, and the kitchen staff was afraid that our comrades would be hungry, so they steamed two more baskets of steamed buns."

After hearing this, Wang Wei suddenly felt that the account could not be judged solely by numbers, but also by the hearts of his comrades.

Since then, Wang Wei often discussed with the kitchen staff to combine meat and vegetables to ensure balanced nutrition.

When the training intensity is high, I would find ways to provide extra meals for my comrades.

Master Sun said that soldier Wang Wei doesn't look good, but he is very thoughtful.

Every time he went to the market, Master Sun would ask Wang Wei to tell him about what his comrades had eaten yesterday, saying that this was the only way he could buy dishes that suited his taste.

Even Wang Wei's father changed his mind later.

He said in the letter: "Son, I heard that you are in charge of everyone's stomach. This job is no worse than carrying a gun. We soldiers must act like soldiers." After seeing this, Wang Wei was so happy that he couldn't sleep all night.

During his four years in the army, Wang Wei worked hard and steadily, starting from basic work and gradually taking on a number of tasks.

During this period, Wang Wei did not stand still and learned automobile maintenance technology. He eventually became a company clerk.

No matter what position he is in, Wang Wei tries his best to do every job to the best of his ability.

Because of his outstanding performance, Wang Wei was commended and rewarded twice by the regiment.

This experience allowed Wang Wei to hone his skills in many areas and laid a solid foundation for his future development. After unremitting efforts, Wang Wei successfully entered the Logistics NCO Training Brigade of Shishi Army Academy in 1990, achieving an important turning point in his life.

This experience made Wang Wei deeply realize that as long as he puts in enough effort, he will reap the fruits of success.

During the preparation period, Wang Wei devoted himself to study and finally seized this opportunity to change his destiny.

This is not only an affirmation of Wang Wei's personal ability, but also an important starting point for his future development.

This success made Wang Wei more convinced that persistent efforts will eventually pay off.

Their logistics non-commissioned officer training battalion was divided into four student teams.

Two of the teams were recommended directly by the troops for admission because of their outstanding performance in important military operations.

The other two teams were selected through formal examinations.

Wang Wei was lucky enough to be admitted.

Since then, Wang Wei's family has changed significantly.

Matchmakers frequently came to his house to help him find partners.

Finally, Wang Wei found his ideal partner.

After spending three full years in the military academy, Wang Wei finally completed his studies and received his diploma.

In July of that year, after graduating from the military academy, Wang Wei was transferred to a grassroots company to intern as a quartermaster.

This company is mainly responsible for automobile transportation tasks and has distinct characteristics: a high proportion of technical backbones, frequent family visits, and long-term overspending on food expenses.

In response to the current situation, Wang Wei, after careful consideration, decided to comprehensively improve the company's logistics support level and strive to achieve outstanding results.

As the old saying goes, food and fodder are the key to marching and fighting.

Similarly, in the army, only by improving the food quality can we promote greater progress in all aspects of the company's work.

At that time, the division had not yet established a special life service department, and the daily food procurement tasks of each company were the responsibility of the supply staff.

They usually ride tricycles to nearby markets to buy the necessary supplies.

According to the food standards at the time, the daily food allowance for each soldier was set at 1.95 yuan.

Now that he had assumed this responsibility, Wang Wei was determined not only to ensure that the soldiers had good food and enough to eat, but also to find ways to increase income and reduce expenses.

During that period, Wang Wei followed the buyers to the nearby vegetable market almost every day, mainly to find out the price trends and to find out where the various non-staple foods were sourced from.

Wang Wei learned that there was a vegetable wholesale market about 10 kilometers away from his base, so he went there specifically to find out about the market conditions.

After many comparisons, Wang Wei discovered that the retail price was actually one-third higher than the wholesale price.

This made Wang Wei realize that the opportunity to improve the company’s food had come.

During that period, Wang Wei had to go to the vegetable wholesale market two or three times a week.

Wang Wei had to get up before dawn, around four in the morning, when even the soldiers were still sleeping.

Wang Wei rides a human-powered tricycle to purchase goods. Although he is not tall and not very strong, he always comes back from shopping exhausted and covered in sweat.

Wang Wei's wife came from her hometown to see him. She felt very sad to see Wang Wei working so hard.

But Wang Wei told her that every time he pulled a truckload of vegetables, he could save more than 100 yuan in food expenses. The money could be used to provide extra meals for the soldiers in the company, allowing them to eat more meat, eggs, and fish. When their bodies were better, Wang Wei would feel at ease.

During those two years, Wang Wei devoted himself to the company's logistics work, not only ensuring the improvement of food quality, but also successfully saving about 10,000 yuan in food expenses.

Wang Wei's outstanding performance attracted the attention of the newly appointed division commander Zhong Xingguo, and he was awarded the third-class individual merit.

Gazing at the shining medal, Wang Wei couldn't help but smile, and his wife was so happy that she couldn't close her mouth.

In the following days, Wang Wei always maintained his consistent work attitude, conscientiously performed his job duties, and efficiently completed various military tasks assigned by his superiors.

Due to his outstanding performance, Wang Wei was awarded the third-class merit honor three times.

After the logistics minister Shao Jiawang took office, he appointed Wang Wei, an experienced veteran non-commissioned officer, as the logistics staff officer.

Someone asked Wang Wei why he was successful, and his answer was very simple: not afraid of getting tired.

These three words reveal the key to Wang Wei's success.

Many people only see the results but ignore the efforts behind them.

Wang Wei always believes that if one wants to achieve success, one must be willing to endure hardships.

All those seemingly brilliant achievements were watered with sweat.

There is no easy and comfortable road to success. Only by being willing to work hard can you stand out from the competition.

This may sound cliché, but it is indeed an eternal truth.

Opportunities always come to those who are prepared, and the process of preparation is often accompanied by countless sleepless nights and unremitting struggle.

Facing challenges and taking on them is a valuable opportunity for personal growth. True abilities are often forged in adversity.
As long as you are willing to work hard, you will definitely reap rich rewards.

Even though it is inevitable to encounter difficulties and fatigue in work, the ultimate benefits will far outweigh the hard work.

Wang Wei was promoted from a soldier to an officer step by step, all thanks to his unremitting efforts and diligence.

It was this hard training that shaped Wang Wei, improved his abilities, and ultimately helped him achieve what he has today.

After serving as a logistics staff officer, Wang Wei was recommended by the military region to study advanced logistics in the People's Liberation Army.

On August 8.30, Wang Wei arrived in Han County by express train from Lancheng.

After getting off the bus, we immediately got on the military truck that the school provided to welcome new students and arrived at the PLA Advanced Logistics School located on Gutian 2nd Road, Qiaokou District, Jiangcheng City.

The school is located in Han County, one of the three towns in Jiangcheng, and in Luojiadun on the bank of the Han River.

It is a military logistics command and professional management college directly under the General Logistics Department.

The school has a command department, a staff department, a military finance department, an infrastructure finance department, a quartermaster department, a supplies department, a military transportation department, etc., and it has jurisdiction over the Xiangcheng Logistics Training Brigade and the Huangxian Changxuanling Training Base.

The school is a full-army-level unit whose main purpose is to train professional logistics cadres for our army who are able to adapt to warfare under modern conditions.

The command department aims to train logistics directors for regimental-level units;
The goal of the Staff Department is to train staff for military logistics agencies at all levels of the army;

The training goal of other professional colleges and departments is to train professional management cadres corresponding to the logistics of troops at all levels.

Except for the Command Department and the Staff Department which are all cadre students, the students in other professional departments are basically soldiers, and there is a certain number of on-the-job cadre training.

Wang Wei was assigned to the second team of students in the staff department.

The Staff Department is a full-time division-level unit, with two teaching and research sections and three staff student teams.

The teaching and research section is a full-time unit.

The student team is a full-time battalion-level unit, with three management cadres including the team leader, the instructor and the deputy team leader.

There are a total of 101 students in the Second Team of the General Staff Department, including company and platoon-level officers from ten regions and more than twenty provinces and cities.

Most of them are under 25 years old. Wang Wei, a 27-year-old staff officer, is one of the few older people in the student team who holds the rank of company commander.

The Second Staff Team is divided into two district teams and eight student classes, with 12 to 13 students in each class.

The district team leader and class leaders are students designated by the party branch of the student team.

After reporting to the school, Wang Wei was assigned to the first district team and was designated as the monitor of the third class of students.

Perhaps the team leaders took age and experience into consideration. Wang Wei found that from the district captain to the squad leaders, most of them were company-level trainees like us who were older and had served as staff officers or grassroots officers in military headquarters.

During his two years at the military academy, Wang Wei served as the third squad leader of the first district team and the eighth squad leader of the second district team.

First, the requirements are strict.

No matter where you came from; where you worked in the past; how much work experience you have; how long you have served in the military; or how high your position in the army is.

Once entering the ranks of military academy cadets, anyone immediately becomes an ordinary soldier.

We must start again from being soldiers and consciously accept the strict constraints of military discipline regulations and various school regulations.

The life in the cadet team can be compared to that of a recruit company in the army.

The Second Staff Team is like a company of an army.

There are group exercises in the morning and shifts at night; there are standards for housekeeping and unified work and rest time; carry unified study bags and line up for meals and classes; stand together and shout reports before class and sing military songs before meals; there are regular class meetings on Sundays, with collective roll call and team evaluation...

The campus of the Advanced Post-Secondary School is large, tree-lined and clean.

But when Wang Wei first entered the school, the school buildings and facilities were already quite old.

Both classrooms and dormitories are old-fashioned red brick buildings and rows of old-style bungalows.

The Second Staff Team lived together in a long row of bungalow dormitories, with more than a dozen students in each class crammed into a large room.

There is an open cold water washroom and a public toilet at the west end of the corridor.

There are no fans in the students' dormitories in summer and no heating in winter.

(End of this chapter)