The hospital is too busy, so I'm going to join the army and become a top soldier!

The sun in the region finally gave in and set below the horizon.

The light on the playground gradually dimmed, and the lights along the training field lit up one by one.

At that moment, the new recruits on the parade ground almost burst into tears.

They finally understood one thing.

In the Xinjiang region, the phrase "running until dark" used by the squad leader is completely different from their understanding of "running until dark"!

This is hardly running.

This is playing with fire!

Chen Gang finally blew his whistle, signaling everyone to stop.

"Everyone in Class Two, stop and take a break!"

Upon hearing this, the new recruits in the second platoon felt as if they had received a pardon.

The few recruits who were less physically fit almost collapsed to the ground when they stopped walking.

Wei Shanjia was also panting heavily.

He pushed himself too hard in the beginning, and in the end he was just relying on his thick skin and willpower to keep going.

But after all, the words have already been spoken.

If he falls behind halfway through, will he still be able to get by in Class Two?

Shen Yan was also panting.

His clothes were soaked through, and his calves and thighs ached terribly.

Ga Wa stood to the side, his hands on his knees. Although he was also tired, he was in much better shape than most of the new recruits.

Gao Zhenhai glanced back and saw that Shen Yan, Wei Shanjia, and Ga Wa were still following behind him, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

Not bad.

That's great.

If these three train hard, Class Two will definitely achieve good results!

However, Gao Zhenhai certainly couldn't praise it like that verbally.

On the first day of training, too much praise can easily make a recruit arrogant.

He simply said something with a straight face.

"Not bad, the three of you didn't embarrass our Class Two!"

Wei Shanjia was panting heavily when he heard this, and he almost couldn't catch his breath.

"Class monitor."

"You call this 'okay'?"

"I feel like I've lost half my life running."

Gao Zhenhai glanced at him.

"You're still half alive, aren't you?"

Wei Shanjia: "..."

He discovered it.

This class monitor not only knows how to dig holes, but also how to finish them off.

The situation in other classes wasn't so good.

The recruits who were initially lured in by the phrase "run until dark" have now been thoroughly beaten down by reality.

Several recruits who had been putting on quite a show just moments before were now sprawled on the ground, their eyes vacant.

It seems they've already foreseen the tough three months ahead.

The class monitors didn't immediately start yelling; they simply stood aside, watching them calmly.

Who fell behind, who slacked off during the run, and who lacked physical fitness?

The class leaders were aware of these things.

We may not be able to clean it up on the spot today.

But in the subsequent training sessions, none of them could run!

Looking at the way those class leaders were looking at him, Shen Yan couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This place truly lives up to its reputation as a military base.

Every arrangement that seems like a last-minute stunt actually has a purpose behind it.

Running until dark was a warning shot and also the first test of physical fitness.

Who has good physical fitness, who likes to show off, and who knows how to conserve energy—all of these are clearly revealed after a long run!

Soon, the squad leaders began recalling the new recruits from their respective squads.

Chen Gang stood at the front of the line, looking at the group of new recruits who were sweating profusely and looking exhausted, and said:

"Today is your first day at camp."

"The intensity just now was just to let you warm up your bodies and, incidentally, to stiffen up any bones that might have been aggravated by sitting on the train."

The recruits' eyes went numb when they heard the words "move around."

An event?

Is this what you call "activities"?

What is the formal training like?

This is terrible, isn't it?!

Chen Gang ignored their expressions and continued:

"I'll take you to the cafeteria for lunch later."

"Let me state the rules first."

"In the army, you take only what you can eat, and you are not allowed to waste food."

"Anyone who dares to waste food should find a way to dispose of it themselves!"

After these words were spoken, many new recruits didn't really take them to heart.

They only have one thought in their minds right now.

Dry rice!

After running all afternoon, my legs are weak and my stomach is even emptier.

Forget about not wasting food, they feel like they could eat the whole cafeteria window right now!

Chen Gang looked at the new recruits' expressions, which resembled hungry wolves entering a village, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.

That's exactly what I want—for you not to care.

I don't care now, but I'll teach them a lesson later!

Soon, each class was led into the cafeteria.

The recruits' eyes lit up as soon as they entered.

The cafeteria was steaming hot.

Today is their first meal since arriving at the camp, and the cooks have clearly put in a lot of effort.

Large bowls of Xinjiang-style hand-pulled noodles were laid out there, made with flour produced in Xinjiang, and the noodles were incredibly chewy!

Several kinds of braised dishes were also prepared, including braised pork, tomato and egg, beef and potato, and stir-fried pork with spicy skin...

Several fragrances mixed together, directly entering one's nose!

The recruits, who had been running around all afternoon, smelled this scent and their expressions instantly changed.

"Holy crap, this smells amazing!"

"This pulled noodle dish looks amazing."

"I feel like I could eat three huge plates of food!"

"Three plates? Who do you think you are? I could eat a whole cow right now!"

As soon as the order to eat was given, the new recruits immediately began cooking.

One by one, they rushed to the window with their plates in hand, their eyes gleaming, their hands not even trembling as they got their food.

More noodles, more braised meat, and even more meat!

Don't ask if we can finish it, let's start eating first!

Shen Yan didn't stand on ceremony.

He was exhausted today. First, he ran to the camp, then rescued the veterans, and then followed Gao Zhenhai until dark.

In this situation, talking about eating less refined food is a bit disrespectful to your stomach.

He ordered two large plates of noodles in a row.

The first bite, the chewy noodles wrapped in rich braised sauce, went down into my stomach hot and felt like I'd been given a second chance at life.

Wei Shanjia's version was even more exaggerated.

I finished four plates of noodles covered in braised sauce!

After finishing the fourth plate, he stood up and wanted to play the fifth plate.

Ga Wa looked at him and couldn't help but remind him.

"Friend, eat less."

"What if I overeat and burst?"

Wei Shanjia waved his hand.

"fine."

"I'm a sports student, so I digest things quickly."

"Besides, you saw how many laps I ran today, so these noodles are all rightfully mine."

He had just taken a step forward when his foot suddenly stopped.

He froze on the spot.

Shen Yan looked up at him.

"What's wrong?"

Wei Shanjia slowly turned his head, and his expression suddenly became very serious.

"Brother, I've suddenly thought of a very serious problem."

Shen Yan put down her chopsticks.

"What's the problem?"

Wei Shanjia looked around and lowered his voice to say:

"Do you think those heartless bastards, Lao Gao, might do what they do in TV dramas—catch people and dump food into the slop bucket, then force us to fish it out and eat it?"

Upon hearing this, Shen Yan stopped eating.

Slop bucket?

Leftover noodles and vegetable stew from various people were mixed together.

Then take them out and eat them.

The moment the image flashed through Shen Yan's mind, his scalp tingled.

In his previous life, as a doctor, he was somewhat of a germaphobe.

No matter how tiring running is, he can endure it.

Eating swill is really beyond his capabilities!

More importantly, Chen Gang had just emphasized that food should not be wasted.

This is clearly a trap!

Shen Yan immediately looked at the slop bucket in the corner of the cafeteria.

They were sitting not far from the garbage bin.

This is actually an advantage.

Shen Yan put down his chopsticks and said in a low voice:

"The three of us will keep an eye on the swill bucket."

"We can't let anyone dump food in here; we don't want to give Lao Gao and his gang a chance to scam us!"

Wei Shanjia nodded immediately.

"clear!"

Ga Wa also realized what was happening.

"Yes, we need to be careful with that."

The three formed an alliance instantly.

Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.

After Shen Yan, Wei Shanjia, and Ga Wa finished eating, they did not leave with their plates like the other new recruits.

Instead, they sat near the swill bucket, ostensibly to rest, but in reality, three pairs of eyes were constantly fixed on that bucket.

Wei Shanjia, like a goalkeeper, scanned back and forth between the food trays and slop buckets of the new recruits.

Soon, the first unlucky one appeared.

A new recruit, carrying a plate, stealthily made his way toward the garbage bin.

There was still a small lump of noodles left on his plate, clearly because too much had been made earlier, and he couldn't eat it now.

Shen Yan immediately spoke.

What are you doing?

The new recruit was startled.

"Pour out... pour out the food."

Shen Yan looked at him and said seriously:

"The deputy company commander just said that we must not waste food."

Wei Shanjia immediately delivered the finishing blow.

"Brother, have you thought this through?"

"If you pour it in now, you might have to fish it out and eat it later."

The recruit's expression changed instantly.

"Really?"

Ga Wa nodded, his tone very sincere.

"Is that possible? It's shown on TV, isn't it?"

The recruit glanced at the slop bucket, then at the noodles on his plate, hesitated for two seconds, and finally picked up the plate and turned to leave.

"Then I'll try harder."

Wei Shanjia watched his retreating figure and nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good, we saved a comrade."

Next, several more recruits who had taken too much food tried to come over and throw it away, but the three of them stopped them all.

Shen Yan was in charge of enforcing discipline.

"Take only what you need; this was emphasized earlier."

Wei Shanjia was in charge of intimidation.

"You try pouring one yourself, or don't blame me if you end up eating swill later."

Ga Wa was responsible for sincerely persuading people using the local accent.

"It's bad to waste food, so finish it."

Several people managed to persuade a group of new recruits who wanted to throw away their food to go back and continue eating.

Some new recruits were almost in tears from eating, but the thought of possibly having to scoop noodles from the swill bucket made them hesitant.

Suddenly, I realized that the little bit of leftover food on my plate wasn't insurmountable.

On the other side of the cafeteria, Gao Zhenhai and several squad leaders watched this scene, their expressions gradually becoming subtle.

Not right.

Something's really wrong.

In previous years, during the first meal for new recruits, some would be overconfident and think they could eat a whole cow.

Towards the end of the meal, I realized I couldn't even finish half a sheep's head.

Then someone will pour rice into the swill bucket.

Next, they can naturally proceed with classic projects.

To educate everyone on cherishing food, the entire company emptied the swill bucket once!

This educational approach has yielded excellent results.

It's a memorable experience for everyone, and basically lasts a lifetime after just one treatment!

But what happened this year?

The recruits were all stuffed until their faces turned green, but no one poured any more into the bucket.

After looking at it for a long time, Gao Zhenhai finally figured out where the problem lay.

Shen Yan, Wei Shanjia, and Ga Wa sat next to the slop bucket, like three door gods.

Whoever tries to stop you, try to persuade whoever wants to throw away food.

They've effectively turned the swill bucket into a no-go zone.

Gao Zhenhai's lips twitched.

These three kids are really clever!

Chen Gang noticed it too.

He stood not far away, looking at Shen Yan and the other two, his expression a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

If they keep guarding this place, we really won't be able to perform today's traditional programs!

Chen Gang glanced at Gao Zhenhai and gave him a subtle wink.

The meaning is obvious.

you go!

Gao Zhenhai: "..."

He glanced at Shen Yan, his feelings complicated.

This soldier just gave the second squad leader face, and then turned around and tried to sabotage him. It seems a bit unfair of him.

But the deputy company commander had already given the signal that the traditional program could not be interrupted.

Gao Zhenhai had no choice but to bite the bullet and take action.

He casually walked to the window, got another half bowl of noodles, and returned to his seat to eat slowly.

Shen Yan and the other two became alert almost simultaneously.

Wei Shanjia said in a low voice:

"Old Gao seems a bit off!"

The little boy nodded.

Shen Yan stared at Gao Zhenhai's plate.

"Look at him, he's probably planning something underhanded!"

After eating a few bites, Gao Zhenhai deliberately left half a bowl uneaten, then slowly walked towards the swill bucket with the plate in his hand.

He originally intended to pour the remaining noodles in when the three weren't looking.

But just as his plate was about to tilt, Shen Yan reached out and stopped it.

"Class monitor!"

Gao Zhenhai froze.

Shen Yan looked serious.

"Don't waste food!"

Wei Shanjia immediately followed.

"Squad leader, if you can't eat it, come on, spit it into my mouth!"

Ga Wa added a sentence earnestly.

"Squad leader, this noodle soup is delicious! We can't waste it!"

Gao Zhenhai stood in front of the swill bucket with a plate in his hand, his body numb with exhaustion.

He, a squad leader, was actually cornered by three new recruits next to a garbage can and lectured on the importance of not wasting food.

The scene was so outrageous that he almost lost his composure.

Chen Gang, who was not far away, saw this scene and his lips twitched.

Good guy.

This Shen Yan is no ordinary expert!

So they were lingering there specifically to guard against this!

Chen Gang felt both angry and amused.

This soldier is incredibly smart.

But soldiers who are too good can sometimes be a headache for leaders.

A direct confrontation is definitely not an option, so the only recourse is to use a feint to lure the tiger away from its mountain.

Then Chen Gang walked over himself.

He looked at Shen Yan, Wei Shanjia, and Ga Wa with a serious expression.

"The three of you."

Shen Yan and the other two immediately stood up straight.

"arrive!"

Chen Gang said:

"We have a meeting later, and we're short-handed on the veterans' side."

"The three of you go help move these things."

"Hurry up!"

The three exchanged a glance.

Wei Shanjia's eyes clearly showed that something was wrong.

The little boy muttered to himself.

"I think they're up to something."

Shen Yan also felt that the order came a bit suddenly.

The problem is that Chen Gang is the deputy company commander.

The order has been given, how can I not go?

Shen Yan answered immediately.

"yes!"

Wei Shanjia and Ga Wa could only follow suit and salute.

"yes!"

The three left the cafeteria and walked in the direction Chen Gang pointed.

Not long after they walked out, Wei Shanjia couldn't help but lower his voice.

"brother."

"I have a feeling we've fallen into a trap?"

Shen Yan said helplessly:

"It feels right."

Wei Shanjia: "Then should we leave?"

Shen Yan glanced at him.

"Otherwise what?"

"Go back and tell the deputy company commander that I suspect you're going to dump food into the swill bucket, so I'm not going?"

Wei Shanjia remained silent.

"Then let's move the things."

Gawa sighed.

"We've done our best; all we can do now is pray for the remaining brothers!"

As soon as the three left the cafeteria, Gao Zhenhai immediately looked at Chen Gang.

Chen Gang nodded.

Without any hesitation, Gao Zhenhai poured the remaining noodles from the plate into the swill bucket.

The movements were clean and efficient.

The next second, Chen Gang's voice rang out.

"Who dumped it?"

The canteen fell silent instantly, and all the new recruits froze.

"I told you not to waste food, didn't you all hear me?"

"Every grain of food is hard-earned. The army isn't a place where you can take as much as you want and dump what you can't finish into the bucket!"

Chen Gang pointed to the swill bucket.

"Nobody's stepping forward, is that it?"

"good!"

"Class monitors, call everyone over here!"

"I'm going to make sure you all remember this taste!"

"From now on, anyone who dares to waste food will have to fish out the wasted portions from here and dispose of them themselves!"

A group of new recruits gathered around, and their faces fell when they saw the noodles that had just been poured into the bucket.

Although not much had been mixed into the bucket yet, the psychological impact was already strong enough.

The thought of what it would look like inside if everyone had poured food in earlier made many people's stomachs churn.

Gao Zhenhai pretended nothing was wrong, his face stern, and with a hint of anger, he cursed.

"This bucket is fairly clean today."

"If we wait until everyone dumps it in, it won't taste the same!"

"Remember this: in the army, you can only fight as much as you eat."

"Wasting food is shameful!"

Next, apart from Shen Yan, Wei Shanjia, and Ga Wa who were sent away, all the other new recruits received a thorough lesson.

……

After Shen Yan and his two companions helped the veteran move his things, they arrived at the meeting place. As soon as they entered, they noticed that the atmosphere was obviously off.

The new recruits all looked quite grim.

Looking at Gao Zhenhai and the other squad leaders, their smiles were clearly hard to hide.

Chen Gang stood in front, his expression serious, but there was also a slight smile playing on his lips.

Shen Yan's eyes flickered, and he instantly understood.

Wei Shanjia also realized what was happening.

Holy crap.

"Did they manage to finish their garbage can show while we were away?"

The little boy whispered:

"That should be it."

Looking at the distressed expressions of the other new recruits, and recalling how Chen Gang had just sent him out to move things, Shen Yan couldn't help but sigh.

Good guy.

These veterans really know how to have fun!

They've even come up with the tactic of "luring the tiger away from the mountain"?

However, in doing so, the three of them actually escaped a disaster.

A look of relief, like someone who had survived a disaster, gradually appeared on Wei Shanjia's face.

"brother."

"We've turned misfortune into a blessing in disguise."

Shen Yan nodded.

I guess so.

Ga Wa also said earnestly:

"Luckily we went to move our things."

Wei Shanjia took a deep breath.

"I've discovered it now."

"In the military, you can't just guard against training; you also have to guard against the dog-like sergeant!"

Shen Yan glanced at Gao Zhenhai, then at Chen Gang.

"Especially the class monitor who smiled and said it was nothing."

Wei Shanjia nodded in deep agreement.

"That's absolutely right, I agree with you!"

Chen Gang seemed to have heard their whispers and glanced over.

The three of them immediately stood up straight.

Chen Gang glanced at Shen Yan, his eyes filled with a hint of helplessness.

That kid is really cunning; it won't be easy to set a trap for him!

However, the more elite the soldiers, the more interesting it is to train them.

Chen Gang cleared his throat and began the formal meeting.

"Alright."

"Put the slop bucket aside for now."

"Today is your first day in camp, and also your first day as new recruits, transitioning from students."

"I want you to remember two things today."

"First, orders must be obeyed."

"Secondly, food should not be wasted."

"These two things sound simple, but if you can't do them, you'll suffer a lot later."

The group of new recruits listened with exceptional attention this time.

The lesson we just had at the dinner table was very effective.

It works better than saying it ten times.

Shen Yan stood in the crowd, listening intently.

Just then, a system notification suddenly appeared.

[Host detected participating in military discipline training!]

[Consider the connection between saving food, discipline in communal living, and a sense of obedience!]

[Adapting to military life is progressing!]

Shen Yan's eyes flickered slightly.

Holy crap, this works?