Free Web NovelChapter 130: Chapter 87: The Troops’ New Year
"Swoosh... bang! Pop pop pop..."
The fireworks outside the new recruit group’s window were especially splendid.
In those years, from the twelfth lunar month to the Lantern Festival, setting off fireworks and firecrackers was still a nationwide affair.
At that time, the firework ban had just started, and many cities had not fully implemented it yet; many fathers would still pull their mischievous sons to the window to show them the festive atmosphere brought by the fireworks.
This ban reduced the probability of firefighters being called out during the New Year, allowing them a greater chance to enjoy a good New Year’s Eve dinner.
But... actually, the young firefighters also wanted to see the fireworks.
They too had grown up amid the sounds of firecrackers popping and fireworks exploding.
"Top couplet: With the Three Yang begins the spread, the four seasons start anew.
Bottom couplet: As the four characters reveal, the fortune and celebration remain as before.
Horizontal inscription: Everything updates!
Squad leader, how’s this couplet?"
Fang Huai, holding a freshly written couplet, stood in front of a long table made from two pushed-together desks, seeking approval.
Hao Chengbin looked at the clumsy brushstroke characters and was somewhat speechless.
"This... maybe don’t showcase this talent anymore. With your calligraphy, even archaeologists would furrow their brows for quite a while."
Fang Huai looked helplessly at his Red and White Nokia 5200 inside the desk box.
"Squad leader, just tell me, what talent do I need to showcase to get to send a text message?"
The circumstances were stronger than people; the MV had already been fully filmed a while ago, and he had no reason to use a mobile phone anymore.
That mobile phone lay in the desk box without being taken back, serving merely as decoration.
Today was New Year’s Eve. After the substantial fish and meat meal in the afternoon, the Regiment Department announced a return to the barracks for an hour and a half rest, with everyone to gather on time at the study room at eight o’clock to watch the Spring Festival Gala.
It seemed likely they would be celebrating the New Year in the study room.
Back in the barracks, Fang Huai requested to send New Year’s blessings via text to his family and "Student Yang." Hao Chengbin did not refuse, but he asked Fang Huai to perform a satisfactory show for the whole class of new recruits.
Only if everyone agreed could he send it.
After completing the song recording, the guitar was taken away; what show could he perform?
Hao Chengbin swept a semi-smiling glance over the new recruits and swiped his hand over them all.
"Ask around, who doesn’t want to send a message?"
No sooner had he finished speaking than three pairs of big eyes stood up from beside their beds.
Yue Tao, Lu Zexian, and Han Yong were wide-eyed.
"Squad leader, I want to call my girlfriend!" Yue Tao seemed like he’d just remembered he had a girlfriend, with an urgency as if not making a call would lead to a breakup.
"Pfft..." Hao Chengbin waved his hand with a look of scorn:
"Yue Tao, if you really have a girlfriend, you can use my phone to call her all night long!"
"You sure, squad leader?" Yue Tao looked as if he was ready to swear an oath.
Hao Chengbin chuckled and without further ado, took out his phone and placed it on the desk, leaned against the bed, and pointing at the phone, he said:
"Turn on the speakerphone. As long as the girl confirms she’s your girlfriend, you can call freely. But if there’s no girlfriend, you’ll be doing push-ups all night long in the study room as a New Year’s Eve performance."
Hao Chengbin’s confidence, that arrogance, was as if he held a hand of cards so strong that even a gambling god would leave naked and defeated.
His greatest confidence in Yue Tao was based on Yue Tao’s lack of good looks.
Peng Yingqirui, sitting on the upper bunk at the edge of the bed, actually spoke up:
"I’ll bet too... bet one month’s allowance!"
Lu Zexian had a mischievous grin: "I’m in too!"
Seeing the crowd’s enthusiastic response, Fang Huai went straight to the communal desk and took his mobile phone out of the desk box and placed it on the table.
"I’ll just put up a mobile phone then. A Nokia, 80% new, bought it for 1900, I don’t want the money. If you lose, just do two hours more of push-ups, it’s the New Year, I also want to watch a show."
Yue Tao looked crestfallen.
Originally, he seriously did have some hesitation, but now the banker seemed unable to swallow the bet.
The spectators were betting big against the bank.
Everyone was laughing.
Laughing at someone doomed not to find a girlfriend seemed better than feeling gloomy about one’s own girlfriend troubles.
"Fang Huai, what’s your act anyway?" Hao Chengbin, seeing he couldn’t tease Yue Tao further, turned his attention back to messing with Fang Huai.
In fact, Fang Huai wasn’t at a complete loss.
He had already received the award for the outstanding soldier in the knowledge competition before the end of the year, and the 20 points had also been credited to his account, but he had been reluctant to use them.
Just now while writing in calligraphy, he had checked it, "Beginner’s Regular Script Brushwork" and "Beginner’s Running Script Brushwork" both cost 10 points.
Too expensive, he was hesitant to exchange, saving it for knowledge on firefighting equipment, or to accumulate it and exchange for a master-level skill that would benefit him for life.
"Squad leader... how about whistling?"
On the cheapest redemption page of the system, whistling was listed, requiring only one point.
This definitely wasn’t some miraculous mouth trick, probably more like the everyday whistling of a street loafer.
Hao Chengbin shook his head, staring at Fang Huai, seemingly intent on squeezing out his potential.
Fang Huai was also getting impatient.
"Hey, squad leader, just say what you want to see! Let’s see if I can do it! Everyone vote!"
Hao Chengbin slapped the desk decisively: "Can you do somersaults?"
Fang Huai quickly searched through the military merit shop. freёwebnoѵel.com
There it was, and Fang Huai discovered a new world.
Some skills surprisingly have physical requirements, and the points required aren’t high.
Like now, Fang Huai sees that next to "Standard Backflip", there is a little figure, all green, but with a "Danger Level: Medium" label, requiring 3 military merit points.
And when opening the "Standard Thomas Action," he finds that the wrists, ankles, shins, and elbows are red, indicating he can’t learn it, but the "Danger Level: Lower."
Then Fang Huai opened up the individual firefighter maneuvers and found that they all seemed to have strength requirements, like for high-precision use of hydraulic spreaders, his wrist strength wasn’t enough, so he couldn’t exchange.
Moreover, the exchange points for these skills are quite high, the lower ones are all 10 points, and the high ones are thirty or forty points.
It seems that the skill knowledge exchange prices in this system are not based on difficulty but on "demand."
Like "Regulations", there are almost no exams or competitions after leaving the squad, so the exchange prices are a little lower.
Fang Huai quickly browsed through, and searched for some firefighter maneuver subjects.
The skill category subjects, most of them are actually available, the content hidden in the system seems to be much more than what is seen in the exchange column.
Fang Huai grew more and more excited as he looked through them.
This time, he really wanted to give it a try, to see what practical effects these operational class skills had.
After hesitating for two seconds, at the "Standard Backflip," he made up his mind and chose "Exchange."
His military merit value immediately became "17".
Knowledge and body memory flooded into his mind together, it seemed to overcome that fear of flipping backward, and he also became aware of some safety-related knowledge.
The floor shouldn’t be slippery, not too hard, but surprisingly, there weren’t many space requirements.
Inside, he felt quite confident about completing the standard action.
Looking around at the environment, Fang Huai nodded but still cautioned, "Squad leader, I’ve practiced it, but I’m not very skilled. Can you protect me from the side, in case I fall?"
"Okay!" The new recruits applauded immediately when they saw a real performance was coming.
But Hao Chengbin was on a roll just now, so he picked a talent that could make everyone in the troops dazzle, plus had adequate power.
As Fang Huai spoke, Hao Chengbin also felt something wasn’t right.
If he falls during the backflip, what if he injures his back, or even his head?
Hao Chengbin immediately raised his hand and refused, "Forget it! Forget it!... You sing a song instead!"
The corner of Fang Huai’s mouth twitched.
I’ve already exchanged, and now you say forget it?
Fang Huai pushed the table aside and said confidently, "Squad leader, I can flip! I’m just worried the floor is slippery! Just protect me from the side, if I slip and fall back, just give me a hand!"
Hao Chengbin, somewhat dubious, moved beside him with a slight bend in his waist, poised like a lion pouncing on a rabbit, ready to exert full force.
Fang Huai looked back at him and said, somewhat speechlessly:
"Squad leader, stand back a little; be careful I kick you."
Hao Chengbin stepped back half a step, and Fang Huai took this opportunity to leap up, arched his body, focusing not on jumping high but on using his waist to rotate his body.
As he landed, he did not try to control the movement deliberately – his instincts allowed him to adjust his posture to land on his feet.
To everyone’s surprise, Fang Huai didn’t shift much; he landed firmly in place.
A backflip completed perfectly.
Everyone was stunned, looking at Fang Huai.
A backflip in the troops might not be a unique skill, but this guy was really good at hiding it, huh?
To have such a skill and yet not show off for over two months?
"Good job!" The new recruits started to squawk.
"Shit... If I could do that, I’d perform for the squad leader every day!" Yue Tao looked at Fang Huai with admiration for the first time.
Although Fang Huai’s usual performance was excellent, it had never made Yue Tao envious before, but this skill was like a miracle he had dreamed of.
If he had this skill when he was a kid, he would have made all the other kids in town bow down to him.
Hao Chengbin was also slightly dumbstruck.
His whole signal was, "I knew all along he had more, he had more."
After landing, Fang Huai closed his eyes slightly, savoring the experience.
During the process, it seemed as if muscle memory prevented much panic, but if he allowed himself to think randomly, it definitely would interfere with the action.
The system provided him with expert-like skills, but it didn’t force his body to complete the action perfectly.
It’s no wonder such a delicate operation still had a medium danger level.
During the skill execution, he must keep his mind calm.
After savoring the feeling, Fang Huai looked at Hao Chengbin with a shy smile.
"Squad leader, is that okay now?"
"Good! That was a good flip! Got any other tricks? Show us another one!" Hao Chengbin applauded and pushed for more.
The new recruits also began clapping and chanting.
"Another one! Another one!"
Fang Huai felt a bit helpless: "Squad leader! That’s it, really. I haven’t done a flip in so long, and I took the risk to perform one. A deal is a deal, right?"
Hao Chengbin gave a chuckle.
Taking a risk for a flip? You really think I haven’t seen that before! Li Tiedan of the Anshun Special Duty who used to be a monk didn’t do it as steady as you!
Now, in his eyes, Fang Huai was like a web novel author who updates explosively from time to time. No matter how he claimed to have no more inventory, Hao Chengbin wouldn’t believe it.
Impossible! I’ll throw some more monthly tickets your way, let’s see if you update. If you don’t, I’m cutting my subscription.
Finally, Fang Huai performed the backflip two more times, and the monkey handler Hao Chengbin was finally satisfied, pushing the red and white Nokia toward him.
"Take it, just for half an hour!"
