Free Web NovelChapter 252: Chapter 196: Representing the Whole Corps in Battle?
The next day.
8:40 AM.
Like the last time the new recruit group started training, the same lineup of leaders, the same positions, the same seating order.
Only there was one more person.
Zhang Zhongting.
Below, however, there was no longer the impressive swarm of hundreds of new recruits.
But the determination in the eyes of the more than one hundred steadfast faces standing below was something the new recruits could not match.
These were the favorites in the eyes of various leaders.
After an impassioned pre-battle encouragement ended, Commissar Zou, speaking in a local vernacular, announced loudly from the stage:
"I declare that the 2008 Guizhou Public Security Fire Brigade Spring Military Exercise now begins!
All Martial Arts Competition participants, follow the order of the draw, form your teams, and move out!"
"First group, pull-up and parallel bars! Assemble here!"
"Second group, four hundred meters supplies evacuation, this way!"
"Third group, load-bearing climbing, follow my lead!"
...
The leaders on the stage, even after the Martial Arts Competition began, did not leave or descend; instead, they gathered in small groups.
Only because the person among them had not left.
"Political Commissar, shall we go down and take a look?" the Corps Captain whispered, tilting his head.
But the Political Commissar shook his head and smiled:
"Many people below, I still recognize them, they’ve all grown into old soldiers! Next term, I won’t see them anymore!
Boss Wu, our whole corps, on the national competition scene that has just arisen in recent years, is still lacking a prominent presence, a pity!
In terms of military training, I didn’t fully understand your approach to the new soldier training this year. In the plan for scientific leadership, some corrections went too far; based on the physical fitness feedback from the various detachments’ new recruits, it is still much worse than before!
I hope next year, your new team can balance these issues."
Boss Wu raised his eyebrows and showed a modest smile:
"Political Commissar, a leader must seek good governance. I don’t even know if I’ll still be here next year! I’m fifty-four, perhaps next year there’ll be a policy for early retirement, and I can go home to rest early!"
After the customary modesty, they laughed for a while before Boss Wu’s expression turned serious:
"Scientific military training is indeed a big issue, especially for us in the Firefighting service, as we cannot use the operation outlines of other troops.
The individuality within our training is too much.
Lax discipline in training and exercises, arbitrarily squeezing training time and reducing training subjects, lack of atmosphere.
Some big and medium Firefighting squads focus only on the deployment of plans during actual combat drills, emphasizing order and showiness of action deployment, with insufficient random subject exercises and lack of practicality.
They emphasize field exercises over practical usability. When it comes to equipment operation training, they are just satisfied with using it on the playground, lacking simulated environment operation exercises.
The training is too one-sided. When it comes to training, it’s pull-ups, push-ups, five kilometers, rope climbing, skill training, which are just hanging hook ladders, 6-meter rope ladders, 12-meter metal ladders.
The root of the problem is manifold; there are issues at the top, at the bottom, and issues with us.
From our perspective, starting next year, I plan to carry out a large-scale training of officers and soldiers, especially at the squadron level, taking one or two truly all-knowing officers to serve as instructors.
These junior officers and soldiers must first be taught before the training habits of the soldiers can be reversed.
This year’s training across the five major regions also attests to the department’s idea of giving equal importance to training and actual combat.
I heard that in the training, a soldier was even sacrificed, showing the magnitude of the reforms.
We also need to find ways to enhance new soldier training, so that at the New Training Group, their physical fitness is solidified, enabling them to participate in skill training as soon as possible. fɾēewebnσveℓ.com
Of course, Political Commissar, the issues of beating, scolding, and physical punishment of new recruits which you are concerned about, next year’s new training must continue to be emphasized, as before. This is a question of ideological style and a consistent demand of military reform. It cannot be achieved overnight, but I believe that with persistence from top to bottom, it can be gradually improved."
The Corps Captain laid out his blueprint of thoughts in front of the Political Commissar, as if facing a final exam.
In the issue of his successor, the retiring leader still had a significant say.
After listening to the Corps Captain, Political Commissar Zou smiled faintly, "With you and General Luo here, I’m relieved." freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Boss Wu laughed heartily:
"Hahaha... General Luo and I might end up like us two, holding meetings, having endless arguments. He’s a tough guy from Hunan, with a loud voice, he might even spray saliva on my face!"
As if thinking of something amusing, Political Commissar Zou burst into laughter.
General Luo, who had already stood up to discuss with Zhang Zhongting, heard Boss Wu mention him and turned back with a smile:
"Boss Wu, you’re being unkind! I was just discussing your plan for officer and soldier training with Zhongting, and here you are telling the Political Commissar bad things about me!"
Boss Wu also seemed to remember something, turning his head and said, "Zhongting, does your Provincial Brigade have any standout junior officers or soldiers?"
Zhang Zhongting, who had walked over, pondered for a moment and shook his head, "Guiyang... to my knowledge, the junior cadres all lack depth, a consequence of being overloaded with tasks. In the province, the ones with more well-rounded personal abilities, there are two.
One is Li Min from Southeastern Guizhou, the other is Cheng Wenjian from Anshun; however, they’re not ideal. I was just telling Boss Wu that they should be sent to this year’s coach training courses organized by the department for further training."
Boss Wu’s mouth opened slightly, his lower jaw wobbled a few times as if pondering something.
After a while, he looked up and said, "Well, the officers from the Provincial Brigade, Special Duty’s Little Huang, Yunyan’s Little Liu... these people also need more cultivation!"
This is the advantage of being in the Provincial Brigade. In other detachments, even if cadres perform well, they can only catch the eye of the ready-to-be Chief of Staff, Zhang Zhongting. But for those in the Provincial Brigade, even the Corps Captain can remember them.
At this moment, General Luo’s hand rested on the first row of tables, as he turned sideways, his posture casual as he chuckled:
"Hahaha... Zhongting, he has very high standards!
Ordinary cadres, he really doesn’t think much of them. His strict requirements have even reached his own home! His nephew is still a new recruit in the Special Duty Team, and now he’s been recommended to a training class in the Southwest region!
Capable both in literary and martial skills, and quite fierce!
I heard he’s preparing to sprint for the national Grand Martial Arts Competition, aiming for an early promotion!
Maybe in the future, our Corps will indeed have a young and versatile cadre!
If he’s this demanding of his own nephew who’s still a new recruit, can you imagine how stringent his expectations must be for other grassroots cadres?"
As General Luo spoke, everyone was taken aback.
Even Zhang Zhongting was internally exclaiming, "Damn."
Since when did Fang Huai catch General Luo’s eye? And how did he manage to figure out all his thoughts so clearly?
General Luo looked at Zhang Zhongting and smirked mischievously.
Didn’t expect that, did you?
You have a nephew, I have a son-in-law.
On the day of the award ceremony, Han Yong kept mentioning this nephew of Zhang Zhongting. Now, by bringing it up himself and mentioning the idea of merit promotion, General Luo was sparing Zhang Zhongting the future effort of advocating for it.
Moreover, saying it himself also conveyed a supportive stance.
The care Han Yong received – this remark was his way of returning the favor.
Upon hearing this, Commissar Zou’s spirits lifted.
Just now he was still saying that he felt guilty because his decisions had delayed the training of this batch of new recruits.
And now, here was a new recruit aiming for the national Grand Martial Arts Competition in his first year.
Boss Wu, however, looked at Zhang Zhongting with great interest and said, "Zhongting, Minister Wen’s kid started training when he was in his teens, right? I didn’t expect you also cultivated a nephew?"
Zhang Zhongting touched his forehead awkwardly, smiling sheepishly:
"Boss Wu, you’re kidding. I really didn’t set out to be strict with this nephew of mine!
Before enlisting, he was quite a poor student. My plan was to have him experience the grassroots for half a year, then transfer him to a Training Base office to study and prepare for exams.
But I really didn’t expect that after joining the military, he would change completely!
In the New Training Group, he earned a third-class merit.
He also wrote a song, the promotional song that was used in a recent meeting. The propaganda department awarded him another third-class merit for it!
After moving to the battalion, he refused a position at the agency, insisting on joining the Special Duty Team.
Once there, he quickly broke the Squadron’s horizontal bar record, was approved for police dispatch in his first month, and went into the water alone to save an elderly person!
The rescue was similar to the situation in which the soldier Wang Yunkun had sacrificed himself!
It was a close call, and the Big Team was about to award him another merit!
I was really too embarrassed to let him accept, so I suppressed it. Unexpectedly, recently, he told me that he wants to compete in the national Grand Martial Arts Competition and pursue the route of merit promotion. That completely baffled me; it was an unexpected joy. I really didn’t see it coming!"
Zhang Zhongting was quick-witted. Seizing this opportunity, he detailed Fang Huai’s qualifications for pursuing merit promotion.
A new recruit breaking the Special Duty horizontal bar record, earning merits, saving lives.
As soon as he finished speaking, Political Commissar Zou, shaking his head in admiration, said:
"Tsk, incredible, truly incredible! So, is he participating in this Martial Arts Competition?"
This batch of new recruits was trained according to his directives. According to Zhang Zhongting, this soldier grew entirely within the military. If he’s indeed that outstanding, to reach the national competition during his term as a soldier and perhaps even win a place...
It would, without doubt, be one of his achievements.
Boss Wu was the one who knew best the mindset of this soon-to-retire cadre.
This is called a grand finale.
Zhang Zhongting shook his head, smiling, and said, "He didn’t come. The Special Duty Team selected their competition candidates themselves, and we couldn’t really interfere.
After all, this time it’s not just the 18-people evaluation from each detachment, but there’s also an internal competition within the Special Duty Teams. Each Special Duty is represented by four people, and each of the two squadrons for our Guiyang Special Duty has only two spots.
He’s only just joined the company, not being selected is normal."
Hearing this, Political Commissar Zou exchanged a glance with Boss Wu and said:
"I think, for our Corps Martial Arts Competition, there’s a way around the quota issue."
Boss Wu understood and turned his head, gesturing toward the audience and said to Zhang Zhongting:
"Zhongting, arrange for your nephew to participate in the Corps Martial Arts Competition. As for the quota, he doesn’t need to take up the spots from the detachments. His scores will be calculated separately, and his representing unit... can be considered under our Headquarters Police Duty Squadron!
Our Corps’ Police Duty Squadron has never participated in a competition before, so this time, it’ll be an unprecedented first!"
Upon hearing this.
Everyone burst into laughter.
General Luo even suggested, "A Headquarters unit participating in the competition, that truly is a first! Political Commissar, Boss Wu, why don’t you offer up your security guards as well, and we can also put together a participating team?"
"Hahahaha..."
