Free Web NovelChapter 292: Chapter 231: Like Tonight, So Every Night
Lunch was filled with joy.
In the Special Duty Team, transfers in and out were not rare occurrences, happening almost every year.
Everyone also raised their glasses to encourage those who were transferring.
Especially at Squad Leader Xiong’s table, it was crowded with people coming up to drink a toast with him and exchange a few words.
Squad Leader Xiong didn’t need any cadres to greet him, for his performance in Special Service Squadron 2 spoke for itself.
Once, Special Service Squadron 2 had been proud of him.
No one worried that he wouldn’t be valued in the City Brigade.
It was just that the separation was hard.
"Squad Leader Xiong, if I have time, I’ll come to see you!"
"Right, Squad Leader Xiong, you are my idol!"
"Ah, our Squadron had the best blankets, the neatest internal affairs cabinet—with Squad Leader Xiong gone, Instructor Cao and Captain Ye will struggle to find a model!"
Everyone burst into laughter.
Squad Leader Xiong also smiled. In good spirits, he joked with Fang Huai and Fang Hongliang nearby: "Little Fang, Old Fang, you two Squad Leaders are half the strength of our Squadron’s four squads. From now on, the internal hygiene will have to rely on even stricter management by you!"
"Hey," Fang Hongliang couldn’t help but laugh: "You little Xiong Jie, when you first joined the Squadron, your blanket was all crooked, and all you knew was training. It was I who taught you how to fold a neat blanket, and now you turn around and lecture the Squad Leaders!"
"Haha..."
Fang Huai also lifted his glass with a light laugh:
"Squad Leader, you’ve taught me a lot, thank you. The City Brigade isn’t far, we’ll see each other often, let’s stay in touch."
Squad Leader Xiong raised his glass and clinked it with his:
"I should be thanking you."
"Yo, yo, yo." Captain Ye Jiahong of the atmosphere group stood up: "Our Fang has a talent for composing, with poetry in his heart; don’t you have some touching words to send off the Squad Leaders who are leaving their homes behind?"
The others laughed and started egging him on: "That’s right! Fang Huai has talent; say something uplifting!"
Fang Huai’s face twitched as he replied to Ye Jiahong: "Captain Ye, ’leaving the homeland behind’ suits you best—just look at you, so pleased with yourself. When you joined the army, the people in your hometown probably had no water to drink, eh?"
"Haha..." The first to react, Hao Chengbin burst into laughter: "I don’t see Ye Jiahong stealing wells; take a look at him wearing the flame retardant hood, he’s the spitting image of someone stealing well covers!"
Laughter erupted again.
This kind of jesting found its market only in the troops.
"Ahem." Fang Huai coughed lightly, then said: "Actually, I did prepare some words to give to the three Squad Leaders who are leaving."
Everyone grew quiet, looking at Fang Huai.
Meng Qiang, who often carried his camcorder, aimed it at Fang Huai.
Meng Qiang, who often had to write briefings under Fang Huai’s guidance, knew best that whatever he said offhand was material.
"Er... actually, I wanted to give our Squad Leaders the saying, ’Mountains high and rivers far, let us each strive, until we meet at the peak.’
But since this is not a discharge, nor is it time to reach the peak, it would be nonsense to expect you to become the heads of your respective Brigades."
"Hehehe..."
"So, I thought, as you’re going to serve the people in different places, I’ll leave you with words to encourage yourselves during the long lonely nights guarding this land, when you find it hard to endure the solitude."
Saying this, Fang Huai’s expression grew serious:
"In the grandeur of a thousand li of rivers and mountains, a soldier should be the steadfast shield for the home and country. That is my wish, and may it be everyone’s.
With thousands of homes brightly lit, a soldier should be the sword-wielding guardian. May it be so tonight, and every night hereafter."
Fang Huai’s voice was clear and sonorous, echoing through the dining hall as he spoke these words.
This was the New Year message published by State F at the end of 2021, which at the time made me feel that my service as a soldier had been too meager, unworthy of these words.
But now, Fang Huai felt that the excellent firefighter soldiers before him deserved to be encouraged by these words.
As everyone listened, they each had their own reflections.
Today, our country’s parade no longer needs the planes to fly twice.
Every guardian is armed, holding advanced weapons.
And firefighters are no longer just simple green helmets and canvas combat uniforms.
After a while, Cao Yi couldn’t help standing up, saying:
"I wish it so, that everyone is of the same mind; may it be so tonight, and every night hereafter.
Well said! We firefighters are the night watchmen for the people. I think we should take ’May it be so tonight, and every night hereafter’ as our team motto! What do you say, good or not?"
"Good!" Everyone was very excited.
Ye Jiahong also stood up, his voice ringing out:
"I suggest we chant this phrase three times! For every old soldier leaving our Squadron, we’ll recite our new motto once!
Wishing them, in their new Squadrons, new posts, to showcase their outstanding style, to do their jobs well! Good or not?"
"Good!" The crowd answered in unison.
"All stand! Raise your glasses!"
"May it be so tonight, and every night hereafter!"
"May it be so tonight, and every night hereafter!"
"May it be so tonight, and every night hereafter!!"
The soldiers’ voices reached their peak on the third chant.
The three who were about to leave also screamed along with everyone, commemorating the youth they had spent in this Squadron.
"Cheers!"
Under the glory and ambition, the fizzy Sprite in the glass was like the bowl Li Bai offered to Meng Haoran for farewell, a blue sky over the sea.
...
"Zhang Tianwang!"
"Here!"
"Qin Hongjun!"
"Here!"
"Zhou Tiannu!"
"Here!"
"Wang Peng!"
"Present!"
"Everyone, welcome!"
The same front yard, the same ceremony.
Fang Huai was secretly clicking his tongue from below.
These new comrades have some impressive names.
Two from one period, there’s a Hongjun, a Tiannu, and even the smallest new recruit is a Peng.
It’s still the second stage officer with the down-to-earth name that’s grounded, Tianwang.
But looking at his face, with thick eyebrows neither furrowed nor relaxed and his eyes carrying a somewhat fierce expression.
He looks more like a hatchet man than that damn Zhao Jinchen.
Doesn’t seem easy to approach.
However, the other two one period officers, thin but not frail, with uniform behinds and proper posture, seemed to have the look of elite soldiers.
As Fang Huai was observing the old soldiers, Song Lin and the other two were also observing the new recruits.
Just by looking at faces, they were already clicking their tongues in approval.
Fang Huai’s title of the "Wu Yanzu" of the Second Squadron might be in jeopardy.
Unlike Fang Huai’s overall handsomeness, this guy’s face was particularly attractive.
At most 1.75 meters tall, the Chen Guanxi type.
As for his complexion, looking straight ahead, the spitting image of a model soldier.
Fang Huai also took a glance, and with his precise memory, he immediately found his figure on the stage on the day of the new recruit group’s commissioning.
As for these old soldiers, none were from our Detachment.
The shameless big brother of the Provincial Brigade had taken people’s nicely smoked, ready-to-eat ham from their homes.
However, the representatives from each brigade for the spring Grand Martial Arts Competition were all numbered in Fang Huai’s mind, and these people were clearly not among them.
If one of those were to be snatched, it would probably cost those brigade leaders their lives; they would never let them go.
"Zhang Tianwang, Zhou Tiannu, Special Duty Squad."
"Qin Hongjun, Firefighting Squad One."
"Wang Peng, Rescue Team."
"Squad leaders, take your people back to your squads." Cao Yi wasn’t prepared to make a big deal out of the welcome ceremony; he read out the names and was ready to dismiss everyone.
With the arrival of the old soldiers, he was still planning to maintain a cold image to facilitate future management.
As he spoke, he realized something was off and noticed that there was an extra new recruit, so he added:
"Song Lin, Xiao Haishan, Han Yong! You three, take your same year soldiers to store your bags, make your beds, and familiarize yourselves with the Squadron’s work!"
"Yes!" The three of them stepped out in unison, all quite excited on their faces.
One more new recruit meant several less chores for them to do.
The new recruit also put on a smile, sizing up his same year soldiers.
But he noticed that only three out of four had come forward, and one had gone to join the old soldiers.
"Squad Leader Zhang, Squad Leader Zhou, welcome to our squad." Fang Huai spoke with enthusiasm, helping them with their bags.
The two nodded, feeling that this new recruit was a bit too proactive, and looked to the NCO Huang Yong behind them.
Huang Yong didn’t show much reaction, just helped Fang Huai carry a bag.
The four went upstairs.
The silence was broken by Fang Huai’s words when entering the squad room.
"I’m the squad leader of the Special Duty Squad, Fang Huai. Once you’ve sorted out your Internal Affairs, I’ll show you around the Squadron." freeωebnovēl.c૦m
"Special Duty Squad leader?!"
Zhang Tianwang, who was at the front, couldn’t help but take a couple of steps back and looked at the sign above the squad room.
"Your new recruit squad... is the Special Duty Squad?"
Zhang Tianwang said this with the look of being greatly insulted.
What’s this situation, they’ve put me in a new recruit squad? And a new recruit is the squad leader of the new recruit squad?
"How could it be the new recruit squad." Fang Huai laughed: "Wang Peng has already been assigned to Squad Three, hasn’t he? Special Service Squadron 2 has already been divided."
Zhang Tianwang then took a closer look at Fang Huai’s epaulettes and didn’t say anything more, just wondering if this Special Duty Team had some different system... like training new recruits to be squad leaders or something.
It felt a bit ludicrous.
Fang Huai had long anticipated this hurdle.
Newcomers, there’s always this ritual.
Never mind himself, even if an old soldier were the squad leader, he’d have to slowly earn their respect.
"Where’s my bed?" Zhang Tianwang looked around and asked.
With that one question, Fang Huai had already begun to silently evaluate him.
The tone was arrogant.
And he didn’t seem to care much about others; he’d come with another man, Zhou Tiannu, but he only asked about his own bed.
Immediately, Fang Huai pointed to a spot by the corner of the wall inside.
"You are the old squad leader, go ahead and sleep there."
With that, he turned to the thus far quiet Zhou Tiannu, indicating a spot by his own bed:
"Squad Leader Zhou, you and Squad Leader ’Little Black’ share a surname, so you sleep in his bed, okay? If not, I can switch with you."
Zhou Tiannu immediately smiled and said, "Zhou Yong? It is his bed? Alright, I’ll sleep there! He’s one of my same year soldiers! It’s my honor!"
This statement immediately won the good opinion of both Fang Huai and Huang Yong.
If you like ’Little Black,’ then I can at least give you two chances to show your mettle, without getting angry at you.
Just don’t let it happen a third time.
Fang Huai directed them to start making their beds and then pulled Huang Yong out of the squad room.
"Squad Leader Huang, this second stage officer looks tough to handle; if there’s any trouble, you’ll have to help manage."
But Huang Yong simply shrugged off the responsibility, "I really don’t want to deal with squad affairs... How about I switch epaulettes with you and become a new recruit? I’ve told you, I just want to train. Maybe I’ll have the Squadron Department remove my Deputy Squad Leader role."
Fang Huai: ...
"Managing the squad with you truly is my honor."
