Free Web NovelChapter 210: Chapter 158: If it falls, hang it up for me!
Fang Huai felt like he had been fed a mouthful of crap.
Uncle, what are you doing here?
Did I ask you to come here just to make myself miserable?
You better go back!
"Heh, you kid, always up to no good, not taking your role seriously in the patrol team, even calling your uncle to stick up for you, Captain Zhang specifically asked me to deal with you today!
Not reporting through official channels, pulling these kinds of sneaky moves.
Tell me, does today’s behavior of yours live up to this great responsibility?"
As soon as the Chief of Staff began to speak, it was earth-shattering.
The old soldiers around each took a big gulp in shock.
Damn, this kid’s got connections, such big connections, and he’s still so blunt about using them!
Chen Zhechang, who had just returned, froze on the spot.
Oh my god, little brother, if you had these connections you should’ve just said it outright! Why sneak around and mess with me?
Fang Huai felt so embarrassed he aggressively rubbed his toes against each other, his mastery in talking back failing him, leaving him speechless.
Old Zhang, you old 6, you’re more vicious than I am! I offer you my heart, and you turn your back on me?
Your Da Hong Pao tea, you can forget about it!
Zhang Zhongting, however, let out a light chuckle and launched the second round of attack:
"Hmph, he doesn’t have that much face. Today, we came mainly to boost the morale of the training team’s soldiers!
Of course, the notice from the whole corps was also a point of emphasis!
Past concentration training management was too loose, some old soldiers treated the training away from their original squadron as an opportunity to relax their exit requirements and slacken self-management!
This reorganization marks the beginning of normalization, and is not specifically targeted at you all, aiming to strictly manage future training sessions!
Don’t overinterpret it, and certainly don’t ignore it!
This is a joint demand for training units and trainees, where training units must not be lazy in management, and trainees must not shirk, which is the ultimate goal!
We hope both sides take this seriously!"
Zhang Zhongting’s words finally gave everyone a clear understanding of the intention behind the whole corps notice.
His speech, of course, also aimed to gradually change the hardened perceptions these sharp old soldiers harbored towards various training sessions.
Speaking of the popularization of various trainings, it’s only a matter of recent years.
In the past, with the standard old crow fire trucks, firefighters had to stand outside the truck, gripping the handrails during a dispatch.
Back then, going to a call wasn’t called getting in the vehicle, it was called jumping onto the vehicle.
Many of the personal equipment we have now used to be shared.
In that era, there wasn’t much competition in firefighting, and not much concentration training either, and even when there were, only a very few participated.
The main life for everyone was about training how to respond to fire emergencies, many skills were passed down by old soldiers within the squadron to new recruits, hand by hand.
However, in recent years, with the upward economic trend and the state growing stronger, the technical equipment of the national firefighting forces has been continuously upgraded, gradually keeping pace with the international standards.
Fire trucks were continually renewed, resulting in about a dozen types and eight or nine brands. Slowly, everyone began to overlook even imported equipment, as companies specializing in researching new types of firefighting equipment emerged.
The types of equipment became complex, and the number of operating methods increased.
The external environment also became more and more dangerous.
Buildings grew taller, designs got more intricate, and the production processes of chemical products became more high-end, their explosive and combustion power also grew stronger.
In this context, the old skills began to fall short, and more and more concentration trainings, regular trainings, and competitions emerged.
The firefighting forces promoted the personal and collective capability improvements of soldiers through various forms.
But there were also downsides.
Some old soldiers, temporarily detached from their original troops for external training, had a lax management because their organizational ties were not with the training unit, which also had limited conditions for implementing the daily life system for trainees.
For example, some small squadrons, with too many people coming for training, had to clear out their reception rooms and even utility closets for the soldiers to sleep in.
People scattered here and there, how do you manage them?
Anyway, there were many reasons for the problems, and as issues arose, excuses were plentiful.
But the root cause always goes back to that old saying in the military: All problems should be traced back to ideology.
Zhang Zhongting was quite a believer in this saying.
As for managing soldiers, he took it very seriously as well.
"Captain Zhang, rest assured, the things you mentioned, I will go to the squadron later and ensure they are implemented," said the Chief of Staff seriously.
Zhang Zhongting took a deep breath and said,
"The management of grassroots soldiers is fraught with many and complex issues, you’ll need to put more effort into it in the future.
We all need to make more rounds and take a look."
With that, he looked at Fang Huai and smiled, "Little Fang, now you and I share both honor and disgrace! Don’t just excel in the new recruit group, once you become an old soldier, you have to be even better!
You’ve already improved over the new recruit group on the parallel bars,
learn from Squad Leader Wen! Next year, you too, should bring me some honor and become one of the squad’s backbone members and participate in the competition!"
As soon as he finished speaking,
Huang Yong and Xiao Hei of the Second Squadron showed complex expressions, their eyes meeting, frantically sending signals of confusion.
With Fang Huai’s level, Captain Zhang’s still not satisfied?
Wait until next year? He’s getting sent to the national Grand Martial Arts Competition this year!
Fang Huai’s inner pride surged, but remembering that his dad was actually his maternal grandfather, he kept it in control.
He was furious but still managed a strained smile,
"Regimental commander, how about we have a little comparison later?"
Wow, the nephew has grown a spine.
The new recruit wants to compete with the regimental commander in physical fitness.
Zhang Zhongting immediately laughed, "You kid, you really don’t know your own weight. With those results of yours, in my eyes, they really aren’t much.
If you want a comparison, sure, let me change into a fitness training suit, and I’ll keep you company."
Last time Zhang Zhongting visited the squadron, he never asked about Fang Huai’s training results, but he figured one month wouldn’t make much of a difference.
The Chief of Staff, however, rebuked angrily, "Why would you compare with your uncle? Huh? How old is he, and how old are you? ƒгeewebnovёl.com
Otherwise, want me to have these old soldiers compare with you?
When your elders speak, you just listen! You child, really don’t know what’s good for you!"
Chief of Staff Zhou and Zhang Zhongting also served together in a big team, when he was the Vice Brigade Captain and Zhang Zhongting was the Instructor; Zhang Zhongting was both his former superior and also a comrade with whom he had a good private relationship.
Seeing Fang Huai being so "rebellious" now was almost like lecturing his own child or nephew.
Fang Huai fell silent upon hearing the Chief of Staff suggest he compete against the seasoned soldiers.
The old soldiers around him also started to laugh, some of them eager to try.
"Right, Fang Huai, come on, let me compete with you!"
"Squad Leader Yao, are you still picking on new recruits? I’ll do it!"
Being singled out by the Chief of Staff to show off one’s muscles and put the new recruit in his place was undoubtedly a coveted assignment.
Fang Huai was speechless, but the relentless indoctrination of Cao Yi and Hao Chengbin’s old "YB" thinking eventually kept him from speaking out.
Damn it, once my leg heals, I’ll beat each and every one of you.
Yet someone next to him couldn’t hold it back any longer.
Lil’ Black looked past the two colonels’ shoulders and shouted loudly:
"Instructor Cao, just let Fang Huai have a try with them! Why keep hiding him, what’s the point?"
The two colonels immediately turned around.
The cadres of the Second Squadron were standing behind.
They had arrived earlier but did not interrupt since the leaders were talking. At this moment, they all shouted in unison:
"Regimental commander! Chief of Staff!"
Zhang Zhongting nodded and then looked up at Lil’ Black, questioning:
"Young man, what did you just say? What do you mean?"
Cao Yi was anxious.
Damn, Lil’ Black has no clue, this is a tactic!
Should tactics be discussed in front of everyone? If it got out, wouldn’t everyone curse me for being a sneaky bastard?
He quickly interjected, "Ahem, Regimental commander, Fang Huai was injured a while back, and I’ve been preventing him from undergoing strenuous additional training. Fang Huai, if your injury has healed, why not have a go with the squad leaders?"
Upon hearing this, Fang Huai’s smile began to spread.
This is what you said, not me coming out of cover!
"Instructor, that little injury has long since healed!"
As he spoke, Fang Huai cheerfully moved his shoulders, as if he had unlocked his genetic potential.
Zhang Zhongting’s brow furrowed.
"Injured? Was it during training or on a call-out? How serious was it?"
"No problem at all," Fang Huai responded with a chuckle.
He then snapped to attention, half turned to the left and loudly declared:
"Chief of Staff, you just mentioned finding an old soldier to compete with me, I accept the challenge!"
"Oh?" As soon as Chief of Staff Zhou saw Fang Huai’s demeanor, his interest was piqued.
That’s how a soldier should be!
Brave in the face of challenge.
To be honest, Fang Huai’s sometimes confident, sometimes cowardly behavior, even as Captain Zhang’s own nephew, was somewhat distasteful to him.
What’s the use of taking it out on your uncle? If you’re capable, find someone good to compete with!
Even after hearing Captain Zhang praise his nephew’s performance, he thought it was nothing more than a child’s play.
But the way Fang Huai stood now, that was the demeanor of a military man!
Chief of Staff Zhou’s smile appeared at the corner of his mouth as he turned to Zhang Zhongting:
"Captain Zhang, shall we arrange it? How about a competition?"
Zhang Zhongting checked his watch and frowned, "Aren’t we delaying training time?"
Chief of Staff Zhou turned to inquire, "Chen Zhechang, what is on the schedule for this morning’s training?"
Chen Zhechang immediately pointed at the training tower and reported, "Chief of Staff, it’s ascending to the third floor via metal ladder from the left window, and reaching the fourth floor using a grappling hook ladder from the right!"
Now facing the entire Training Team of soldiers, Chief of Staff Zhou asked, "Who wants to compete with him?"
"Me!"
"I’d like to try as well, Chief of Staff!"
"Chief of Staff! Let me do it!"
Voices of "pick me, pick me" clamored together in an instant.
The old soldiers were raring to go!
The Chief of Staff laughed heartily:
"Good! So you all want to pick on this little new recruit, huh? I’ll tell you, this new recruit was quite a tough one back in the new recruit group!"
If it had been anyone other than the Chief of Staff who had said this, there might have already been a chorus of retorts.
"Heh, Chief of Staff, if I can’t even beat this little new recruit, I’ll go for a twenty-kilometer run tonight!"
Having finally got a chance to deal with Fang Huai, the old soldiers readily wanted to stake their happiness for the rest of their lives on the bet.
"All right then, good! Let’s just get everyone involved! A round on the horizontal bars, climbing the rope, grappling hook ladder, metal ladder! We can see everyone’s training level! Fang Huai can join them.
Captain Zhang, what do you think?"
After some thought, Zhang Zhongting considered that a new recruit like Fang Huai losing was no big deal.
"Sure, let’s do it in batches, 18 people, in three groups. Let’s move quickly."
But Cao Yi tentatively asked: "Chief of Staff, shall we skip the ladder climbing? The new recruit hasn’t been taught those skills yet! How about we do a two-man carry instead?"
Fang Huai loudly objected: "Instructor, why not compete? Who doesn’t know how to climb a ladder? I’ve known how to climb since I was a kid! I can even scale walls!"
The old soldiers around him laughed.
This damn kid hasn’t been taught a proper lesson.
Cao Yi was even more frustrated: "A grappling hook ladder is not an ordinary ladder! The motions for attaching the ladder, sitting in the window, without instruction, you think you can do it?"
But Fang Huai laughed and said, "Why sit by a window when I can stand in the window and attach it?"
Cao Yi was speechless: "It’s not safe! And without a center of gravity in the body, do you think you can attach it?
Sitting is the fastest!"
The Chief of Staff was also amused.
Attaching it while standing in the window?
Once you see how high it is from below, you won’t be saying that anymore.
He was now keen to see just how deflated this naive brat would get. He stopped Cao Yi with a hand and said:
"What’s unsafe about it? Safety officer, add three people! Keep a close watch! If he falls, I want him suspended in mid-air!"
"Yes, sir!"
The old soldiers all had a smirk on their faces.
