Chapter 26: Are You Going to Attend the Intensive Training?

"Squad leader, is there anything wrong with this vehicle?" Su Yang asked as he entered the garage in his training gear, seeing Zheng Sanpao and Deputy Squad Leader Xu hunched over the front of the truck, turning bolts.

The two were in the middle of changing a tire, covered in grease and dust.

Zheng Sanpao tightened the final bolt, shook his head, and said, "Nothing major. Just changing a tire. This one is too old; it needs replacing, otherwise, it might blow out on us while we're out on the road."

He handed his tools to Deputy Squad Leader Xu and looked at Su Yang. "So, finished your book?"

Su Yang nodded. "Finished. Thought I'd take a break."

"Alright then, help us finish up with the vehicle, and we'll go play some basketball later," Zheng Sanpao said, glancing at Su Yang before pulling him over to help finish the tire change.

The repairs didn't take long. By the afternoon, Zheng Sanpao had called the members of the neighboring Second Squad to the basketball court for a match.

Zhuang Yan, never one to sit still, cheekily joined in, leaving only Xi Wa—who didn't know how to play—cheering from the sidelines.

The veterans of the First Squad weren't particularly skilled at basketball. While they had plenty of stamina, the Second Squad was just as capable, so when Su Yang first arrived at the company, he had already seen the First Squad veterans lose several times.

In his previous life, Su Yang had loved basketball and had even been on his high school team. He played with precision and speed. Combined with Zhuang Yan, a burly guy from the north, the two made a great pair, and the basketball went "swish" through the hoop time and again.

This was why Zheng Sanpao often dragged Su Yang along to play. They used to lose badly, and now that they finally had someone who could actually play, he made sure to keep him involved.

After a few rounds, the two squads decided to head over to the small canteen run by the family of a staff officer at the regimental headquarters. They bought a few bottles of beer and had a light drink.

The military didn't strictly forbid alcohol at the time, but if anyone dared to get dead drunk, they would definitely be in for a rough time. Su Yang had been with the Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company for a while now, and he knew that Company Commander Miao rarely drank, so nobody in the company dared to overdo it.

By the time evening rolled around, the veterans who had been out returned, and the dormitory settled into its usual quiet.

After new recruits finish their initial training, regulations allow them to request leave on rest days, provided the company approves. Xi Wa was just waiting for his turn to go out and see the world—after all, being from the north, this was his first time in the south.

Days passed by.

In addition to physical training, marksmanship, and tactics, Su Yang had applied to the equipment depot to familiarize himself with various weapons and the reconnaissance gear used in the field.

The Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company was an armed reconnaissance unit, and they had plenty of equipment. Whether it was cameras or infrared reconnaissance instruments, Su Yang got his hands on a lot of high-quality gear at the depot.

He then teamed up with Xi Wa to pester Old Pao and Squad Leader Chen, finding ways to master all kinds of drills, from individual and squad-level maneuvers to those at the platoon and company levels.

During this time, Su Yang noticed that after being "managed" by Company Commander Miao, Zhuang Yan had become completely obedient. Not only that, but he had also started competing with them. After finishing his administrative duties, he would join Su Yang in extra training sessions.

Take rapid-fire movement drills, for example; Old Pao had even been outperformed by Zhuang Yan when the latter found an opening.

Through his own efforts, Su Yang's scores in various reconnaissance training subjects climbed to the top of the company. Xi Wa wasn't bad either; his honest and diligent nature had impressed the veterans during several assessments.

One evening, after running ten kilometers following dinner, Su Yang returned to the dormitory building and heard Sun Weihao talking to several veterans at the stairwell.

"Old Zhang, have you heard? The division's reconnaissance training camp is about to start. Are you planning to go?" Sun Weihao asked a private first class from the second platoon's second squad.

"Go? To hell with that. I don't want to go through that torture. Why, Old Sun, are you planning to go?" the soldier named Old Zhang asked, shaking his head.

"Of course I want to go. I've already decided. I'll endure those three months, and when I get back, I'll aim to stay in the service for another three years." Sun Weihao had a good relationship with Old Zhang and shared his plans.

"Old Sun, what reconnaissance training camp are you talking about?" Su Yang asked curiously as he walked over.

"Oh, Su Yang, it's you. The reconnaissance training camp is organized by the division specifically for recon soldiers. The goal is to cultivate key personnel for each reconnaissance company," Sun Weihao explained.

"Can we new recruits participate?" Su Yang asked directly.

Sun Weihao shook his head. "The company has always determined the spots through competition. We compare training scores, and whoever ranks higher goes. As for new recruits, I don't think anyone has ever gone during their first year."

Just as he said this, he realized that Su Yang wasn't an ordinary recruit. He added uncertainly, "Given your scores, if the company allows it, you might have a chance."

Sun Weihao wasn't worried about Su Yang taking his spot, because the most elite veterans in the company had mostly already attended the training camp in previous years. As for him, besides those veterans, he was the strongest in terms of physical and military skills. Even if Su Yang went, he was confident in his own abilities.

"What's the matter, Su Yang? Do you want to go?" Old Zhang asked curiously from the side.

"Just asking," Su Yang said.

He shook his head, parted ways with the two, and went to find Zheng Sanpao.

"Squad leader, have you ever attended the reconnaissance training camp?" Su Yang asked. He believed that as one of the most senior veterans, Zheng Sanpao would have the answer.

"Of course I've attended! Why, are you interested?" Zheng Sanpao looked at Su Yang with some surprise.

"If there's a chance, I definitely want to go. Squad leader, what do they actually train for in that camp?"

Listening to Su Yang's question, Zheng Sanpao replied, "It's a high-intensity training program covering all our reconnaissance subjects. It focuses on extreme physical conditioning, specialized reconnaissance training, and tactical coordination. In short, while it's bitter and exhausting, you will definitely make significant progress in every subject."

He continued, "And the instructors there—some of them even come from special forces."

Su Yang's eyes lit up. "Lang Ya?"

Zheng Sanpao shook his head. "Not sure. I just heard they were special forces. But the most powerful special forces unit in our military region is definitely Lang Ya."

"So, how did you perform while you were there?" Su Yang asked, curious about how Old Pao's strength ranked within the division.

"Me? I did alright. I attended four years ago; the training camp started with our batch. But Su Yang, I've heard it's become much harder now. Old Xu almost finished dead last when he went last year."

Old Pao then went on to explain more details about the training camp.

"So, Squad leader, do you think I can make it?" Su Yang asked.

"For you, as long as you keep pushing yourself, you should have no problem getting into the training camp!"

Zheng Sanpao had seen Su Yang's hard work. Compared to Zhuang Yan, he preferred a soldier like Su Yang—someone who didn't need constant supervision, had clear goals, and worked hard to achieve them.