I enlisted four times! My former unit blacklisted me.

The people around were stunned and crowded forward, craning their necks to look into the pit.

Lin Jianfeng frowned: "Things? What things?"

He Dong didn't say anything, but reached down and dug a couple of times until his fingertips touched a cold plastic bag. He grabbed the handle and lifted it up, pulling out a thick, black plastic bag. A layer of fine water droplets condensed on the bag's walls; it was icy cold and radiated a chill.

"There really is something here." He Dong weighed it in his hand; it was quite heavy. "It's icy cold; I wonder what's inside."

All eyes were on the black plastic bag.

Jiang Kai's face was ashen.

Wu Hanfeng raised an eyebrow and took the bag from his hand: "Oh? Let me see."

He untied the knot at the top of the bag and reached inside.

With a loud "clang".

Four cans of chilly beer were taken out, with water droplets dripping down their sides.

Wu Hanfeng picked up a can of beer, weighed it in his hand, and felt the icy touch travel through his fingertips. He glanced around at the special forces soldiers with a half-smile, and said:

"Not bad, your special operations squadron really knows how to enjoy life."

"Burying it in the ground for natural cooling—who came up with this idea? That's quite ingenious!"

"If you didn't know better, you'd think your camp was built on an iceberg, and the wine buried in the ground would be frozen solid."

His words made the already awkward atmosphere even more tense.

Lin Jianfeng's chest heaved with anger as he pointed at the cans of beer: "Who did this?! Huh?! Who buried the beer here! Step forward!"

"What are the military regulations? Active duty soldiers are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol! Special operations squadrons are key units under the alcohol ban! And you guys, you're burying it in the ground to chill it! Quite the trick!"

He was genuinely angry.

Today was embarrassing enough; a large team was found to have an iPhone and a bunch of snacks hidden. We thought we'd just do a quick look around and be done with it, but then they found out about the buried beer.

If this gets reported to the garrison command, even the detachment leader will have to write a self-criticism!

"Report!"

Jiang Kai took a step forward.

"I buried it."

"Team leader, this has nothing to do with anyone else; I did it all by myself."

"Our old sergeant is retiring next week. He's been through thick and thin with us for five years, and he wanted to have a farewell drink with us before he leaves. I was afraid of getting caught, so I came up with this plan. I secretly ordered takeout and had it delivered here, and I'm planning to take it out after the lights are turned off at night."

"Punish me alone, it has nothing to do with anyone else."

Lin Jianfeng's face was as black as if he had just crawled out of a coal pile.

He served in the army for almost twenty years and checked for contraband at least eighty or a hundred times. He'd seen all sorts of things: things hidden under beds, stuffed into lockers, wrapped in blankets.

He had never seen beer buried in the ground and then specially covered with a layer of turf to disguise it before.

The members of the special operations squadron were all frozen in place, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Their eyes darted around, some looking at the sky, some at the ground, but none daring to glance at the four cans of beer. Only one thought remained in their minds:

It’s over.

Jiang Kaige always boasts about his skill at hiding things, like he's a secret agent. He claims that even half a meter of soil plus three layers of plastic bags wouldn't be detected by police dogs. But the military police just casually kicked it out from the roadside?

Jiang Kai himself stood at the very front, his face as white as paper, and the sweat on his palms soaked through his training pants.

When he buried it that afternoon, he deliberately chose the most secluded corner, dug almost half a meter deep, and even tamped it down before covering it with turf, thinking it was foolproof. Who would have thought that someone would walk along perfectly fine and then have to stomp on the soil twice!

Are you bored?

Lin Jianfeng roared at Jiang Kai, "What are the military regulations? Active duty soldiers are strictly prohibited from drinking alcohol! The special operations squadron is a key unit in the entire detachment for prohibiting alcohol! And you guys, you're burying it in the ground to chill it! Quite the fancy way to do it! Why don't you dig a cellar to store it?"

Lin Jianfeng turned around and glared fiercely at Wang Rui and Zheng Tao, "How are you, as captain and vice-captain, managing your soldiers? Huh? You didn't know the soldiers were hiding alcohol?"

Zheng Tao's heart skipped a beat, and he lowered his head even further.

How would he know!

He even hid half a bag of braised duck wings inside the sandbags in the equipment room!

If they really go in to investigate, he'll be the first one to die.

Lin Jianfeng coughed and forced a smile onto his face:

"Comrade Wu, look at this matter... It was indeed our negligence in management. The soldiers are young and confused for a moment. They thought of the old squad leader's retirement and felt a strong sense of loyalty, so they made a mistake."

"Don't worry, we will definitely deal with this seriously. The person involved will be given a demerit, the entire detachment will be notified of the criticism, and another week-long special education session on the prohibition of alcohol will be held to ensure that this kind of thing will never happen again."

After saying that, he gave Li Cuicui a meaningful look, the meaning of which couldn't be clearer:

Old Li, say something!

They're all your soldiers. If you plead for them, they can't possibly disrespect you, their commander, can they?

Li Cuicui's foot, which was about to take a step forward, suddenly stopped.

joke?

plead?

What kind of relationship are you asking for?

What level of regulation is the alcohol ban? It has been repeatedly emphasized throughout the military; it's the highest level of high-voltage line. Touching it will result in a demerit as the first offense, and serious offenses will lead to discharge from the military.

On such a matter of principle, would he dare to plead for leniency?

He's protective of his own, not crazy.

Wu Hanfeng may seem carefree and irresponsible, but when it comes to crossing the line, he's more stubborn than anyone else.

If he dared to plead for the man who drank, the guy might punish him too, accusing him of indulging his subordinates and having a weak sense of discipline.

That would be a huge loss.

Li Cuicui was calculating in her mind, but her face remained calm. Instead, she stepped aside, as if to say, "You guys talk, I won't get involved."

Lin Jianfeng: "..."

You bastard Li Cuicui!

When you asked me for help before, you were more shameless than anyone else. But when I really need your help, you pretend to be deaf and dumb, right?

He gritted his teeth and had no choice but to continue negotiating with Wu Hanfeng:

"Comrade Wu, look, they didn't even get to drink it. The wine hasn't even been touched yet; it was only buried a short while ago. The soldiers were just thinking about it; they didn't actually do anything wrong."

"Besides, it's only natural for veterans to retire, and their intentions are good, but they used the wrong methods. We'll discipline them strictly later and make sure it doesn't happen again. You see... could you make an exception? Maybe we could just not register them with the garrison?"

After listening, Wu Hanfeng shook his head.

"Team Leader Lin, I'm sorry, this really won't do."

"If it's something else, like messy living quarters, hiding snacks, or a toothbrush holder that's crooked, these are minor issues. I'll turn a blind eye for our commander's sake. Once you've rectified them, I'll cross them off my record."

"But iPhones and alcohol are out of the question."

"Using mobile phones overseas crosses the line of confidentiality, and the alcohol ban crosses the line of discipline. These are both matters of principle, and there is no room for negotiation."

"If I turn a blind eye to this today, it may seem like I'm giving you face, but in reality, I'm harming you."

"If no one cares about hiding four cans of beer this time, they'll dare to hide a whole case next time; if they sneak a couple of sips this time, they'll be fine, but next time they'll get drunk and cause trouble. It'll be too late to deal with it once something serious happens."

"Besides, since I've put on this military police uniform, I have to take responsibility for it. Using the authority of the garrison district to do favors is dereliction of duty. If I'm caught, I might as well not wear this uniform anymore."

His words, though devoid of any anger, left Lin Jianfeng speechless.

They're right.

If this loophole is loosened, it may seem like a small matter, but it is actually an act of indulgence.

Once discipline is broken, it's hard to stop it from going wrong.

That's the logic, but when it comes down to it, who wants to be reported?