After Being Reborn, I became a firefighter again?

Chapter 91: Chapter 49 Instructor Liang’s Thoughts

Under the continual prompts of the machine, Fang Huai’s electrocardiogram was taken up a notch.

The female doctor quickly told Fang Huai to stay still and fetched an associate director.

The associate director pushed his glasses up and mumbled to himself for quite a while.

"All four waveforms look quite normal... how come it’s so slow and steady..."

Fortunately, Fang Huai finally grasped what they were discussing and hurriedly concentrated, recalling past grievances to initiate some fluctuation in his heart rate.

"It moved! 65!"

The two doctors then felt reassured.

If it hadn’t moved, you’d be considered as having a mechanical heart.

When he came out, the doctor said Fang Huai’s heart rate was just on the verge of bradycardia, but it shouldn’t be a problem, just less staying up late, less coffee.

Hao Chengbin, listening by the side, also finally breathed a sigh of relief, laughing, "Don’t worry, doctor, our troops don’t even provide those conditions."

Fang Huai rolled his eyes upon hearing this.

Squad leader, you don’t lead new recruits in the squadron, do you? You don’t even do the slightest bit of dirty work? Which new recruit doesn’t exercise late into the night until eleven or twelve, and then still have to stand guard for the squad leader in the middle of the night?

...

During the lung capacity test that followed, Fang Huai caused yet another surprise.

6100.

This was even under the realization that his lungs had been strengthened and he knew not to blow with all his might.

If he had given it his all, he might have exceeded 6500.

If this lung strengthening could continue to improve, wouldn’t he be on par with Phelps?

This result completely stunned Hao Chengbin.

Among the entire new recruit group, the highest was only 5500, but this guy hit 6100!

With a lung capacity of 6100, how could he have been panting like that that day?

Hao Chengbin was thoroughly perplexed and kept asking questions. Fang Huai could only explain: Well, my heart rate is quite slow... the oxygen supply might not be solely determined by the lungs.

Conning someone with just a middle school education wasn’t too difficult.

However, Hao Chengbin’s special attention to Fang Huai had somewhat irked Liang Longhui.

Liang Longhui, having been off work and on leave for quite some time, was still basing his understanding of Squad Seven on what he knew from the night of the welcome.

He had clearly heard the conversations from that night.

A squad leader caring for a new recruit so much, could it really be as said that day, that they had some family relationship?

As a squad leader, shouldn’t he show more concern for the other new recruits in his squad?

Liang Longhui was filled with disappointment at Hao Chengbin’s behavior.

What is an old soldier? They are a unit’s benchmark, a role model for young non-commissioned officers, who should lead by example. It’s because the troops don’t keep many old soldiers, and the elimination process is so fierce, that they must not allow those whose ideals are continuously slipping and who are just scraping by to remain.

He had harbored dreams of becoming a special forces soldier since applying for military academies, but his college entrance exam score had fallen far short of his desired National Defense Science and Technology University, leading him to enroll in the Langfang Armed Police Command College, where he was eventually assigned to firefighting.

The reality he faced upon his assignment was starkly different from what he had imagined.

The firefighting forces didn’t operate like the military units he had known; there were endless trivial tasks, complex local relationships, and the additional fire supervision duties brought with them a fair share of social obligations, making it impossible to fulfill his dream of forging elite warriors in a military barracks.

Now, even the old squad leader was succumbing to these interpersonal dealings. How could the military ethos possibly be strong?

He might not have had a say in other squads, but in Squad Seven, he had to eliminate such corrupt influences!

...

"Crooked day... eat slower, didn’t they give out bread and milk when they drew blood?"

Fang Huai stood at the corner next to the hospital, looking dejectedly at the bowl of beef noodles he’d hustled from Cao Peng for 10 yuan, practically devoured by a whirlwind into Han Yong’s throat, feeling somewhat sorry for Han Yong’s stomach.

And for those 10 yuan.

Did he even chew at all! Those braised beef chunks, they sure as hell are tasty when chewed!

"Mmm... those small breads, gone in one bite, how could that be enough to eat!" Han Yong put down the bowl, reluctantly took a sip of the soup, and finally had time to speak.

Fang Huai nodded. With his appetite, the Daliyuan small bread they got after the blood draw was indeed a bit disappointing.

"About the Special Duty Team, I’m not pressuring you. If you want to find a grassroots squadron with lighter duties, I can recommend a couple for you."

"Special Duty... you haven’t even told me, what is a Special Service Squadron?" Han Yong finally asked seriously.

Fang Huai was momentarily speechless, realizing that on the day Squad Leader Hao had talked about Special Duty, Han Yong hadn’t even arrived yet.

"The food’s better than in other grassroots squadrons," Fang Huai started with the most important detail. freewebnovёl.ƈom

Then he added, "The duties are heavier, and the training volume is greater, but with me and Squad Leader Hao around, you won’t feel too much pressure."

"Is it very oppressive in the squadron?"

"It’s new recruits who are under a lot of pressure."

"More pressure than in the new recruit group?"

"You can’t even compare. Here one squad leader looks after ten of us, but in the squadron, a handful of new recruits are watched over by more than ten squad leaders. On average, each new recruit gets three or four nice squad leaders, and there are also some freakish first-class soldiers.

New recruits arriving at the squadron means a holiday for the old soldiers. And this holiday is mainly for those first-class soldiers who have just graduated from being new recruits and have been tormented for a whole year. Just think about how twisted they could be."

As Fang Huai spoke, he couldn’t help but exhibit an expression of revulsion.

"Crap, even more twisted than Pan Zhaohui?" Han Yong was shocked.

Fang Huai smacked the back of his head, chiding, "Watch your language, there are people around! How is Squad Leader Pan twisted?... If you get assigned to a more idle county squadron, I guarantee the sound you’ll most want to hear every day will be the order to stand guard!"

"And if standing guard coincides with drill time, you’d first have to do a few sets on the parallel bars before going!"

"Out in the boonies, with a bunch of old soldiers with nothing better to do, just think what kind of days you’ll have!"

"The Special Service Squadron is in the city, after all; leaders often come around, and the way they handle troops is much more standard!"

"Of course, no matter which grassroots squadron you’re in, you can’t escape training. What you can choose is just the scenery you see while training.

I’m only going to ask you this once, if you’re not willing, I won’t bother anymore."

Deep down, Fang Huai didn’t really care; he had completed all the assignments from the system, and he had helped Hao Chengbin overcome his "inner demon." As for Han Yong, if he couldn’t take advantage of his family’s connections, Fang Huai could just speak to his uncle about it.

Given Han Yong’s family background, it could bring some advantages. From what Fang Huai had observed over this time, he seemed a guy worth befriending.

He never denied the mercenary part of himself, but he didn’t cling to others either. With the memories from his rebirth, if he wanted to be rich, it would take just a snap of the fingers. If Han Yong wasn’t up for it, let him walk his own path then.

"Did you run into some trouble that you need my help with?"

Han Yong finished the last of his soup, tossed the bowl into the trash, and his eyes lit up with insight.

Fang Huai was taken aback.

Han Yong continued, "If you need money to leave the squadron, I can lend it to you. If you need a favor, I have to call and ask my family."

Fang Huai smiled and shook his head, "First tell me, do you want to go or not?"

Han Yong, seeing his nonchalant attitude, felt less confident, "Actually, I’m not afraid of training. Back home, I worked out pretty hardcore too, lifting dumbbells over a hundred times a day..."

Fang Huai chuckled, interrupting, "That all? Then you acted tough too soon." frёewebηovel.cѳm

Han Yong didn’t mind and continued, "Let me finish. I’m just worried that later on, if you think I’m too weak and stop looking after me, being left alone would be worse than not going..."

"Crap, have you been cheated by a woman?" Fang Huai said impatiently.

"No, I haven’t..."

"Then where’s this whiney tone coming from? Just tell me, are you going or not, and be decisive about it!"

"I’ll go."

Fang Huai was unsatisfied, "Say it with conviction!"

"I’ll go!"

"See, was that so hard? What a hassle."

...

In the following days,

Ever since Instructor Liang’s return, Fang Huai hadn’t been to the Brigade Department to work for days.

The "temporary Clerk" position had changed hands.

It had been taken over by Jiang Peng.

Every time Fang Huai greeted Liang Longhui, he would just give a faint nod, looking straight ahead without a sidelong glance, passing by.

Lately, when Fang Huai raised his hand during the political and laws lesson to ask questions, Instructor Liang would ignore him as if he hadn’t seen it.

This feeling... was as if he were being intentionally suppressed, but it wasn’t obvious.

Like there’s a pebble in your shoe that others can’t notice unless you take it off and shake it out.

Even Hao Chengbin hadn’t sensed anything wrong. After all, with Instructor Liang back in charge, if he preferred to use Jiang Peng, so be it.

It was only when Fang Huai went to get meals with Clerk Huang on a small duty day and found an opportunity to secretly ask Fang Huai if he had offended Instructor Liang in any way, that Fang Huai’s suspicions were confirmed.

Clerk Huang said he had tried several times to have Fang Huai come to the Brigade Department, but Instructor Liang refused each time, asking for someone else. So he had to call Jiang Peng from Squad Eight. There was also a time he offered to treat him to a midnight snack, planning to invite Fang Huai to join at the Brigade Department, but Instructor Liang turned it down, saying what business do new recruits have with midnight snacks?

After hearing this, Fang Huai could only respond with an innocent face: before Instructor Liang returned, he didn’t even know the Instructor’s full name, so how could he offend him?

Clerk Huang, being a straightforward person himself, warned Fang Huai that Instructor Liang might not be happy with him, advising him to be careful.

Fang Huai could only nod and thank him.

Fortunately, Fang Huai now had more time to commit to training, occasionally doing push-ups at the end of the corridor or practicing queuing action, continuing with the spirit of "no slacking allowed."

The system seemed to commend this spirit and issued two tasks for Fang Huai based on his recent lifestyles.

[Help Liu Yue correct his wrong marching steps.]

[Strengthen Han Yong’s resolve to join the Special Service Squadron.]

When Fang Huai received the second task, he knew that even though Han Yong had agreed readily that day, his heart was still hesitating. Han Yong might look simple and honest, but he was certainly no less cunning than Fang Huai.

Fang Huai didn’t make any conditions, and Han Yong was probably guessing what Fang Huai was up to.

With the promotion ceremony less than three weeks away, and his uncle soon to visit, Fang Huai decided to find an opportunity to come clean with Han Yong.

If Han Yong was still hesitant, Fang Huai would stop leading him. When his uncle arrived, he would just tell his uncle.

Even if there’s no Butcher Han, I still have Butcher Zhang. I can handle pigs with or without fur.

On Saturday, after showers, the squad leader informed everyone that there would be extra drills on Sunday to maintain the glorious tradition of "no guarantees for weekend rest."

As the squadmates howled in despair, the squad leader pulled another extreme stretch.

"After tomorrow’s training, there will be a midnight snack."

Pain and pleasure coexisted.