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Chapter 86: Divine Weapon Vanguard! (2000 monthly tickets plus more)

The sky had become completely dark. Although the leafless branches and the barren dry grass around kept reminding people that it was already winter, the more than 200 elite militiamen of the Zhongping Production Brigade's Militia Assault Brigade did not feel the cold at all.

Red flags and torches were planted all around. The red flags fluttered in the cold winter night wind, making a rustling sound, and the torches also made crackling sounds, which echoed the heavy breathing of the 285 people on the open space.

In the open space outside the Douzhuang Reservoir Project's on-site headquarters, Geng Chunhai, deputy director of the Douzhuang Reservoir Project Construction Committee, deputy commander-in-chief of the Douzhuang Reservoir Project's general headquarters, and deputy county magistrate of Bingyang County in charge of water conservancy, stood opposite 285 people. On the table in front of him was a microphone that could announce his speeches to the entire construction site through a loudspeaker at any time.

Geng Chunhai spoke into the microphone:
"It's too late. I'll make it short and make sure the comrades who have made contributions can go back and rest earlier. Today, 285 militiamen from the Militia Assault Brigade of the Zhongping Production Brigade of the Zhongping Commune taught us a lesson and told us all a truth! That is, for the sake of the revolutionary cause, we must not only shed blood and sweat, but also equip our brains!"

"While working every day, they never forget to learn scientific knowledge on their own. Eventually, they combined revolutionary ideas with scientific knowledge and designed and manufactured an aerial pulley block based on existing materials, which greatly improved the efficiency of earthwork transportation! This set a record for the highest single-day earthwork transportation since the construction of the Douzhuang Reservoir project began!"

"The command center hereby calls on everyone to learn from the 285 militiamen of the Zhongping Militia Assault Brigade! Learn from their revolutionary spirit of being willing to use both their hands and their brains!"

"In the following work, we must not only not be afraid of hardship and fatigue, but also use our brains and think of ways! As long as the two are combined, steel can be used on the blade! The command center believes that as long as we all unite as one, think in one direction, and work in one direction, we will surely usher in the day when the Douzhuang Reservoir project is successfully completed sooner and faster!"

"Finally, on behalf of the county party committee, the construction committee and the general command of the project site, I would like to award the honorable title of 'Bengyang County Douzhuang Reservoir Project Battle Divine Soldier Vanguard Team' to all the militia comrades of the Zhongping Production Brigade Militia Assault Brigade who are not afraid of sacrifice, have the courage to innovate and are like divine soldiers sent from heaven in revolutionary work!"

There was immediate applause from other militiamen who had come to watch the fun, but they didn't give much face to the deputy county magistrate and the Zhongping militiamen. They came in sparse groups and did things perfunctorily, all holding back their energy!

When Xie Hushan and his colleagues finished work at around nine o'clock in the evening, they saw people in several places pulling thick ropes and gesticulating. It was obvious that they were trying to copy the methods of their Zhongping Brigade and put them into practice. However, they didn't know whether they were supporting genuine products or unscrupulous piracy, because Lao Zhang hadn't had the time to tell them whether they had tricked a group of brigades into sending meat and oil as payment for tuition.

When the applause gradually died down, Geng Chunhai continued:
"In addition, Secretary Chen of the county committee who came to the site to express his condolences this afternoon just called me to show his concern for the work performance of the Zhongping militia comrades. After learning that they had set the highest single-day record since the start of the project, he specifically asked me to congratulate them on his behalf and also gave instructions that after the project is completed, the comrades of the Zhongping Militia Assault Brigade who have made great contributions in this project will be arranged to go to the Yaoshan District Revolutionary Comrades Sanatorium for recuperation!"

Xie Hushan and the militiamen had not reacted yet, but he heard several people not far away exhaling a sigh of relief. Glancing over, he found that it was definitely Yang Liming, Ma Laowu, and Han Hongzhen who were standing next to the militia team watching the ceremony who had made such sounds.

Just by listening to the relaxed breathing sounds, the guys could feel that they were absolutely stress-free. However, Xie Hushan couldn't figure out what had happened to them and why they felt completely stress-free just because their group of militiamen had received an honorary title.

What's going on? Old Yang took on the logistics and procurement work for the construction site with Ma Laowu and the young widow. Is this corruption? Can he get a few fewer years in prison for this honor?
Xie Hushan had been thinking about this matter since he saw Ma Laowu and Han Hongzhen in the afternoon, but the people from Zhongping Commune and the brigade never gave him a chance to talk to him. Seeing Yang Liming's behavior, they were not prepared to tell him, and only said that he would understand after he returned after the project was completed.

As for the various rewards announced by the deputy county magistrate at this time, in addition to honorary titles and recuperation in a sanatorium, there are a bunch of other rewards at the end, all of which are matching, such as vests printed with reward words, green rubber shoes, and other labor protection clothing.

But for the militiamen of the Zhongping Brigade, those material objects had no real appeal to them. Instead, what they valued most was the false reputation of that exclusive honorary title.

"Divine Soldiers Vanguard"! Listen, how majestic, divine soldiers descending from the sky, sounds much more impressive than that mountain-moving commando. They are still crawling on the ground, but we are flying in the sky!
And they are the vanguard. What does pioneer mean? They dare to think what others dare not think, and they are the first to do what others dare not do!
They were the first to do what others couldn't! The word "pioneer" is much more valuable than "assault"! However, the qualification for recuperation in the sanatorium made Xie Hushan very satisfied. Now it is still important that once someone makes a great contribution in labor production, he will be arranged to go to the sanatorium to recuperate. However, it is usually workers and cadres, and farmers have no chance. In other words, only those who have played their lives in such large-scale water conservancy projects can get the qualification.

He does not need recuperation, but his grandmother can go in and enjoy a month of well-being. Generally, nursing homes are not too strict about accepting outstanding model workers from all walks of life who come in for recuperation. Model workers who have obtained qualifications often show their style and give up their quota to others for recuperation.

"Please welcome Comrade Xie Hushan, captain of the Zhongping Divine Soldiers Vanguard Team! Comrade Han Hongbing, deputy captain! On behalf of all the militia comrades of the vanguard team! Come forward to receive the flag of the 'Divine Soldiers Vanguard Team' awarded by the Douzhuang Reservoir Project Headquarters!" Geng Chunhai shouted.

The staff nearby handed two rolled-up flags to Geng Chunhai. Xie Hushan and Han Hongbing strode over, stood at attention and saluted the deputy county magistrate. After Geng Chunhai said a few words of encouragement, hoping that they would keep up the efforts and make new contributions, he handed the first flag to Xie Hushan and the second flag to Han Hongbing.

After Xie Hushan and Han Hongbing took the flag, they turned to face the Zhongping militiamen, looked at each other, and at the same time, shook the flag hard against the wind to unfold it!

Under the light of the fire, two large red flags fluttering in the wind formed a pair of flag gates, and on each side were two large white characters:

"Magic weapon!"

"pioneer!"

"Fuck it! It's worth it after working for fourteen hours! Just looking at it gives me motivation! It's worth it no matter how tired I am!" The militiamen burst into huge cheers when they saw the two big flags being unfurled!
When we get back, these two flags will be placed in the brigade headquarters of the Zhongping Production Brigade as a symbol of honor, and will forever tell the younger generations of Zhongping Village about the glory of these people!

No matter whether the news spread throughout the county or not, at least in the Zhongping Village area, their deeds of descending from the sky to the Douzhuang Reservoir and shocking tens of thousands of people are enough to brag about for another ten years!

After awarding the flags and titles, the commendation ceremony came to an end. After all, the militiamen were already very tired, so the general command did not deliberately arrange other procedures to ensure that the comrades could go back and rest as soon as possible.

After the leaders left with a smile, a group of militiamen came over and took turns holding the two flags in their hands and waving them a few times for fun.

"Uncle Er, Uncle Er..." Xie Hushan originally wanted to ask Han Laogou whether this flag could give them some fun.

But when he turned around, he saw that the people from Zhongping Commune had already left under the leadership of Yang Limin, and they were obviously going to rush back to Zhongping overnight. Han Laogou heard Xie Hushan's call from afar, turned around and shouted at him with a grin:
"You have to carry the honor back on your own! I'm here to watch you perform meritorious deeds! I'm not here to steal the credit from you little bastards! Don't worry about anything at home! Perform well and don't bring shame to our team!"

(End of this chapter)