Shipborne Special Forces.

After dividing the teams, the squad leader with the big face looked at Wang Aiguo and his two companions with a complicated expression. A moment later, two more people walked out of the building.

The three of them stood side by side, facing Wang Aiguo and his two companions. Well, in a one-on-one situation, neither side was at a disadvantage.

But the scene looks a bit strange; to put it bluntly, it looks like a group fight is about to break out.

Wang Aiguo hesitated for a moment, his chubby face showing hesitation. Just as he was wondering what to say, the first big-faced squad leader spoke up: "Today is your first day here, so let me briefly introduce myself. My surname is Jia, and I am the squad leader of the third squad. You can call me Squad Leader Jia."

"Hello, Jiaqu." Wang Aiguo and the other two greeted obediently.

"Okay, this is Mr. Li, the squad leader of the first squad." Jia Qu said, pointing to the tall, thin squad leader next to him.

"Hello, Li Qu."

"This last one, Feng Qu, is in charge of the second squad. For the next six months, a few of us will be accompanying you," Jia Qu said, pointing to the last silent 'black man'.

"Hello, District Feng."

After Wang Aiguo and the others finished speaking, Li Qu and Feng Qu managed to force out a smile that looked more like a grimace, and said to the three of them, "Hello."

....

"There's an old saying in the army: dumplings before you get on the train, noodles after you get off. It means your last meal after discharge will be dumplings, and your first meal after getting off the train will be noodles. But since we're really short-handed here right now, you'll just have to make do with what you have."

As they spoke, the three squad leaders served them three bowls of noodles. Wang Aiguo looked down and exclaimed, "Good heavens! This is barely passable; three bowls of clear broth noodles, not even a single scallion!"

However, after a six-hour high-speed train ride, they seemed to have no other choice, so Wang Aiguo began to wolf down his food.

Wang Aiguo had just taken a couple of bites when Jia Qu came back and placed a bowl of Lao Gan Ma chili sauce with pickled vegetables on their table.

"We didn't know you were coming today. The cooks haven't been assigned yet, and the three of us weren't prepared. These three packets of pickled vegetables are all we have left, so please make do with them."

These words deeply moved Wang Aiguo; he never imagined that there was such camaraderie in the army.

Jia Qu turned and left with a flourish. Seeing Jia Qu's demeanor, Erpang quickly asked, "Jia Qu, if you give us the pickled vegetables, what will you eat?"

"It's alright, missing a meal won't kill you." Jia Qu waved his hand and walked away without looking back.

At that moment, Wang Aiguo felt tears welling up in his eyes. Yes, this must be what camaraderie in war is all about!

.......

After finishing their meal, Li Qu led the way for them. The three of them, from three different districts, were supposed to be separated. However, because S City had arrived early, for the time being, besides Jia Qu's three, it was just the three of them in the building. Whether they were separated or not wasn't particularly important.

Li led them to a room on the second floor and said to them, "The three of you can sleep here tonight. I'll go get some things first, and you can tidy up yourselves."

"Organize? What are you talking about? These are just eight hardboard beds!"

Wang Aiguo stared blankly at the simple room. This was definitely not what he had imagined; it seemed far too rudimentary.

Just as he was about to ask Li Qu, Li Qu had already left.

Then Wang Aiguo and the other two entered a state of bewilderment, looking at each other in confusion.

"Should we just make do like this tonight?" Sanpang asked in a low voice.

Wang Aiguo remained silent, unsure of what to say. Erpang, however, nodded confidently, saying, "The army wouldn't be so heartless; they'd at least provide a mattress and blanket. Don't worry, Li Qu must have gone to get the blanket."

"That makes sense." Wang Aiguo nodded, mentally giving Erpang a thumbs up.

.......

The three of them chatted as they unpacked their luggage, while waiting for Li Qu to return and bring them blankets and mattresses.

But they didn't know that Li Qu had just stepped out when he ran into Jia Qu.

"I'm starving! Let's have hot pot!"

"Okay, okay!" Li Qu nodded, turned around, grabbed his rice bowl, and ran to Jia Qu's room on the third floor.

Ten minutes have passed...

Thirty minutes have passed...

An hour has passed...

Three hours have passed...

Wang Aiguo and his two companions sat on three bare wooden beds, their initial anticipation gradually turning into disappointment, and finally into spitting their heads out.

"They've forgotten about us, haven't they? They've really forgotten!" Wang Aiguo said with a mournful face.

Erpang waved his hand, his face resolute, and said, "Impossible! My dad said there's camaraderie in the army, and they provide food and lodging. They wouldn't abandon us!"

"But it's been three hours and they still haven't come back." Sanpang was wrapped in several layers of clothing, looking like an old man selling sweet potatoes on the streets of Northeast China.

Erpang, still firmly believing in the camaraderie of his comrades-in-arms, continued talking while pounding his fist on the wall.

"No, it won't happen. I'm sure they'll deliver it before lights out."

No sooner had he finished speaking than the lights-out signal rang at ten o'clock.

Then the room fell silent. Wang Aiguo and Sanpang stared at Erpang, their faces calm.

....

Just when the three of them were almost turning into a "waiting-for-husband cliff," Erpang finally accepted reality. It seemed there would be no more blankets, no more mattresses, and they would have to fend for themselves.

At this moment, the blood of Wang Aiguo, a man from a military family, boiled over. He waved his hand and said to the two men, "Comrades, don't be discouraged. This is a test from the organization! Come, let us do our best and face this test with dignity!"

As he spoke, Wang Aiguo opened his luggage and took out all his clothes, spreading them out on the bed.

Looking at Wang Aiguo, Erpang and Sanpang's eyes suddenly lit up, as if they had seen an idol. Then the three of them began to make the 'bed' with great pride and high spirits.

As soon as Wang Aiguo and his two companions spread out the clothes, the door to the room opened.

A slightly overweight middle-aged man with a balding head walked into the room, staring at Wang Aiguo and the other two with a shocked expression.

Wang Aiguo was completely bewildered. Who was this person?

"Are you the new college student soldiers?"

"Yes." Wang Aiguo nodded.

The slightly balding middle-aged man scratched his face in confusion and asked strangely, "I'm the instructor of Team 12."

"Good morning, instructor!" Upon hearing that it was the instructor, the three of them instantly snapped out of their daze and stood at attention to greet him.

The instructor nodded, then asked the question that had been on his mind: "By the way, what are you three doing hanging clothes out to dry so late at night? Are you planning to make a rope and escape from here?"

"...Advisor, you have a really rich imagination."

A few minutes later, Wang Aiguo finally sorted things out with the instructor, who then angrily led the three of them to the third floor.

As they went upstairs, the instructor cursed and yelled, "Damn it, you've left three new recruits lying around, they've vanished without a trace, you haven't even given them blankets, are you trying to rebel?"

Then the instructor led Wang Aiguo and the other two to kick open the only closed door on the third floor.