Chapter 15: The Second-Class Sergeant Major Who "Devours People"

A fortress forged of iron, soldiers flowing like water—this vivid metaphor captures the weighty responsibility of the military, and paints a true portrait of the soldier’s life. Old soldiers retire, new recruits enlist; year after year, they come and go like a stream.

The four personnel files that Fan Tianlei had carefully selected belonged to Xing Xiaolong, He Chenguang, Wang Yanbing, and Li Erniu—four recruits from entirely different backgrounds, with contrasting educations and temperaments, and absolutely no affinity for one another.

If they had met in society, these four, whose families and personalities could not be more disparate, would never have become friends. In fact, the odds of them ever crossing paths would be slim.

Yet, here they were, gathered together as if by some strange fate. Even as they traveled with dozens of other recruits in two military trucks toward the Iron Fist Regiment, they continued to bicker and roll their eyes at one another. But the fact remained: the four were destined to become comrades in the same company.

Such is the nature of destiny: the people you most hope to encounter always seem as distant as another universe, perhaps never appearing in your lifetime, while those you’d rather avoid inevitably end up by your side. Call it fate, if you wish—or, to put it bluntly, this is sheer bad luck.

The main conflict centered on Xing Xiaolong, He Chenguang, and Wang Yanbing—a tangled web of three-way rivalry. Li Erniu, the simple-minded, honest fellow, became the sole “buffer” among them. Without him, a fight would surely have broken out before the journey ended.

Bang! Bang!

After hours on the road, the sound of truck doors clashing echoed. The trucks carrying the recruits finally arrived at their destination—

The Iron Fist Regiment’s parade ground!

From this moment, the “beautiful” life of military service opened its arms to the rookies.

Among all the new recruits, only Xing Xiaolong had served before. The others, including He Chenguang, brimmed with eager anticipation for life in the barracks.

Excited and awed, the recruits stepped off the trucks in their desert camouflage winter training uniforms—utterly lacking any semblance of order or discipline.

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They simply didn’t know any better.

Some gawked curiously in all directions, others clustered in small groups, pointing and whispering, some laughing and horsing around with no sense of decorum. Such was the nature of recruits—the starkest contrast to the veteran soldiers standing at attention on the field like pillars.

“Wow, is this the barracks? It’s huge! And look—are those the squad leaders? Their uniforms are so cool,” Li Erniu exclaimed, gazing at the dozens of veterans in matching winter uniforms, lined up to welcome the newcomers. His face showed only one emotion—

Admiration.

“Tch, look at you, country bumpkin. Never seen the world! You’re embarrassing yourself,” Wang Yanbing sneered, ever ready to take advantage with his words when he couldn’t win with his fists.

“What’s your problem? I didn’t do anything to you—why are you always picking on me?” Li Erniu scratched his head and pursed his lips, looking helpless.

“Don’t bother with him, Erniu,” He Chenguang advised.

Throughout the journey, while He Chenguang and Wang Yanbing clashed with Xing Xiaolong, they bonded well with Li Erniu, even giving each other nicknames.

Since Wang Yanbing had mocked Li Erniu, He Chenguang, loyal to his friend, stepped up to defend him. His eyes twinkled mischievously as he sidled up to Wang Yanbing and said, “Oh, Yanbing, Erniu may not have seen the world, but I suppose you have. In that case, would you mind enlightening us bumpkins—what’s the name of this uniform?”

“The name?” Wang Yanbing was stumped.

The truth was, Wang Yanbing hadn’t a clue. He was simply trying to show off and enjoy the thrill of mocking others. Now, caught off guard by his rival, if he couldn’t answer, it would be a major embarrassment.

Wang Yanbing, like Xing Xiaolong and He Chenguang, was fiercely competitive and never one to admit defeat. He refused to let He Chenguang best him.

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“Ahem, it’s just a uniform, isn’t it? Why bother with names? Nonsense. I’m not going to waste my time with you idiots,” Wang Yanbing replied, stiff-necked and stubborn, acting as though the others were stirring up trouble, and walked away with an air of righteousness.

His shamelessness was remarkable.

Though Wang Yanbing didn’t provide an answer, Li Erniu’s curiosity was piqued by He Chenguang. Spotting Xing Xiaolong, who seemed calm and familiar with the surroundings, he couldn’t resist asking, “Xiaolong, do you know what it’s called? It looks so cool—I really envy them.”

“It’s just the 07 winter uniform. Nothing to envy. We’ll have them soon enough. But my advice: best not to speak now,” Xing Xiaolong replied offhandedly, his eyes fixed on the parade ground ahead.

There, two officers and a sergeant major stood in a row, all expressionless as they observed the group of recruits. Especially the sergeant major in the center—his gaze was downright predatory.

Normally, when recruits first arrive, the unit welcomes them with familial warmth—even the squad leaders would fetch water for them to wash their feet. Of course, this is the “courtesy before discipline” approach, the legendary “peak at the start.” Later, you’ll question your very existence.

When Xing Xiaolong first enlisted, both the company commander and squad leader greeted him with bright, friendly smiles, warm enough to melt the heart. Though everything turned to hell after the first day, at least there was the initial formality.

But this second time around, from the moment he stepped off the truck, Xing Xiaolong felt a strange pressure. He couldn’t shake the sense that this unit was somehow different from the one in his memory.

Something was off.

Li Erniu, heeding Xing Xiaolong’s warning, turned cautiously toward the parade ground. The moment he met the sergeant major’s predatory gaze, he recoiled in fright and muttered, “Goodness gracious, that look is terrifying, like…”

“Squat down!!”

Before Li Erniu could finish, a booming command shattered the moment, abruptly silencing him.