Chapter 12: One Person Errs, the Whole Class Suffers

"Zhang Meng, let me remind you: in the Iron Fist Regiment, waste is a crime!" Xu Guoqing roared, his face dark and grim.

Hearing this, Zhang Meng had no choice but to steel himself, as if he were about to face a heroic sacrifice. He grabbed the scattered cigarettes from the ground, closed his eyes, and shoved them all into his mouth at once.

In the next second, gray smoke billowed endlessly from Zhang Meng's mouth and nose, swirling in a thick haze. His pupils became bloodshot, and as tears streamed from his eyes, the heavy smoke caused them to crystallize into two gray, tear-like streaks. In the eyes of all the recruits, Zhang Meng had become a living chimney. After this punishment, it was certain that Zhang Meng would never touch another cigarette for the rest of his life.

"That's just too brutal!" Song Wei couldn't help but exclaim. Even just watching from across the way made his scalp crawl. It wasn't just him; the ten squad leaders in front of the formation turned their heads away, unable to bear the sight.

Just then, Zhang Meng couldn't hold it back any longer and retched, spitting out a mouthful of bile. Before Xu Guoqing could even speak, Zhang Meng hurriedly picked up the cigarettes and jammed them back into his mouth. Xu Guoqing had already warned him: here, waste is a crime. Heaven knows what other methods Xu Guoqing would devise to punish him if he dared to waste those cigarettes.

After several rounds, there was no trace of color left on Zhang Meng's face. Bundling a dozen cigarettes together and smoking pack after pack—no matter how fit Zhang Meng was, he simply couldn't withstand it. Seeing Zhang Meng stumbling and losing consciousness, Xu Guoqing finally tossed the remaining half-carton of cigarettes to the ground.

"Zhang Meng, do you still want to smoke? I told you, there’s plenty of tobacco today; don't be shy with me!"

"No... I don't want to smoke anymore, Company Commander. I never want to smoke again in my life!" Zhang Meng shook his head repeatedly, his voice raspy. His tone was weak and listless, as if he had just survived a severe illness. Seeing that Zhang Meng had deeply grasped the consequences of violating the regulations, Xu Guoqing saw no need to continue tormenting him.

"Remember what you said today. If there is a next time, I guarantee I will make you finish the entire carton. Go get Qi Tian, return to the ranks, and go back to tidy up the quarters!" The primary target today was Zhang Meng, the ringleader who smoked in the dormitory building. As for Qi Tian, he was punished as an accomplice to teach the others that helping a comrade requires distinguishing right from wrong.

"Yes!" Zhang Meng replied with a hoarse voice. He staggered over to the other side of the parade ground to where Qi Tian was, who had already completed two laps of duck-walking, and helped him up.

"Brother, I dragged you into this. How are you? Are you alright?"

"Small problem, you..." Before Qi Tian could finish his sentence, he saw Zhang Meng’s expression shift, his throat contracting violently. Realizing Zhang Meng was about to be sick again, Qi Tian hurriedly stepped behind him. While patting Zhang Meng’s back, he kept a wary eye on Xu Guoqing. Seeing that the Company Commander had no intention of further punishment, Qi Tian finally let out a long sigh of relief.

This lesson today was truly brutal. He himself was fine—his legs just felt like lead, and he would be back to normal after a five-minute rest. The real issue was Zhang Meng; he had truly been pushed to the brink of death by Xu Guoqing. Qi Tian had to admit that as a Company Commander and drill instructor, Xu Guoqing’s methods were indeed formidable. From now on, the word "cigarette" would likely be no different to Zhang Meng than the headband worn by Sun Wukong, which caused unbearable agony at the slightest movement.

Once Zhang Meng finished retching, Qi Tian’s legs had recovered enough for him to support his comrade and return to their respective queues. The other eight squads had already been dismissed, leaving only the First and Second Squads waiting quietly. Watching the two return to the ranks, Old Hei and the Second Squad Leader spoke in unison, barking at their squads:

"It seems you are all quite unfamiliar with the regulations. You didn't even know the first rule: smoking and lighting fires in the dormitory building are strictly prohibited. Since that's the case, we two squad leaders will help you learn it properly. First and Second Squads, attention! Prepare for abdominal crunches!"

At this moment, the recruits of the First and Second Squads could see that the Company Commander's punishment was over. Now, it was the two squad leaders' turn to deal with them. And it wasn't just one person—the entire two squads were to be punished together!

"Squad leader, we didn't do anything. Why are we being punished too? This isn't fair!" In the First Squad's line, Song Wei spoke up, questioning Old Hei with a hint of protest. In his view, Zhang Meng was the one who smoked, and Qi Tian was the one who gave the warning. He had spent the whole night memorizing the key points of the regulations and hadn't done anything out of line. How could he be dragged into this punishment for no reason? In fact, it wasn't just Song Wei; many in the First and Second Squads were harboring resentment and feeling very aggrieved.

Hearing this, Old Hei didn't hesitate. He walked straight up to Song Wei with a stern face and glared at him: "I'll tell you why. This is the military. Collective unity is paramount. When one person makes a mistake, the whole squad is punished; that is the rule. If you want to play the individual hero and feel that it's unfair, fine—you can leave whenever you want. I won't stop you!"

Song Wei was rendered speechless by Old Hei’s retort. The other soldiers, upon hearing this, felt their rising defiance dissipate; they immediately dispersed and lay down on the ground. Clearly, no one dared to provoke Old Hei again. Seeing this, Song Wei reluctantly muttered, "Understood," and joined the others in preparing for abdominal crunches.

Old Hei let out a cold snort, walked in front of the entire squad with a dark expression, and roared: "Regulations and Rules, Dormitory Hygiene Section, Article One: Smoking and lighting fires are strictly prohibited within the dormitory..."

Dozens of men on the parade ground, led by the two squad leaders, began reciting the regulations at the top of their lungs. They continued until eight o'clock in the morning, when the training bugle sounded, finally bringing it to an end. After a full hour of abdominal crunches and recitation, the soldiers of the two squads were dizzy, exhausted, and in agony.

By this time, the soldiers of the other squads had already finished breakfast and tidied their quarters. They were now marching in perfect unison toward the parade ground, ready for the day’s training. The two groups formed a stark contrast. This was the price paid for making a mistake.

Glancing furtively at the miserable state of the First and Second Squad soldiers, the recruits from the other eight squads made up their minds: they would never commit any act that violated the regulations again. This punishment, which felt like stripping a layer of skin off, was truly shocking to witness!

Old Hei and the Second Squad Leader knew full well that the physical and mental states of their soldiers were completely drained. There would be no physical training during the day. However, they did not dismiss the squads. After exchanging a glance, a smirk appeared on both of their faces. With a wave of their hands, they led the two squads straight toward the tank battalion!

If physical training couldn't be done today, they might as well try something else. Courage training was just as important in the military!