The General Military Headquarters' recording studio.
In the center of the stage, there were two black sofas and a table with a fake flower pot.
More than ten camera positions faced the stage, and a large LCD screen, half the size of a wall, displayed four large characters: ‘Exclusive Interview’.
The entire stage setup was very militaristic!
This was because the interview was scheduled to take place at the headquarters today.
Gao Fei, who had been wearing a combat uniform since he joined the army, finally got his wish to change into formal attire, albeit without any rank insignia.
His height of 1.82 meters, coupled with the suit, significantly changed his overall demeanor.
Add to that his clean-cut and somewhat handsome appearance, and his everyday image was elevated by a notch.
To put it crudely, because combat uniforms were looser than formal wear, Gao Fei usually looked like a skinny guy.
Now, in his suit, while not burly and strong, the well-fitting attire revealed his tall and well-built physique.
The few young female staff members in the recording studio, upon seeing him in his suit, were not necessarily mesmerized, but at least they were visibly impressed.
As Gao Fei walked onto the stage following the director's instructions, host Tang Xue’s eyes lit up as well.
As a host for the military channel, she had interviewed no less than a thousand, if not hundreds, of young soldiers in the army.
However, she had never encountered a young man with such exceptional temperament and appearance.
As the floor manager called out, the interview recording officially began.
Tang Xue faced the prompt camera and began her opening remarks.
Gao Fei, his posture now a matter of muscle memory from training, sat up straight, a smile on his face, awaiting the subsequent interview.
“Today, we have invited a special guest, the original composer of the new military song and producer of the recruitment season’s new promotional video, Comrade Gao Fei!”
As her voice fell, one camera zoomed in for an extreme close-up of Gao Fei.
Then another camera captured both individuals on stage.
What followed was a Q&A session.
The interview questions focused on his thoughts on the recruitment promotional video and the production process.
Having rehearsed prior to the recording, Gao Fei answered questions fluently in front of the camera.
After the official interview questions concluded, the host continued, “Comrade Gao Fei, your promotional video has sparked a wave of enthusiasm for enlisting across the nation. Regarding this, could you share your thoughts?”
“Enthusiasm for enlisting… If I have any thoughts, I have only one sentence: Regret two years in the army, regret a lifetime not joining!”
Gao Fei uttered the famous quote from his previous life.
Tang Xue was slightly surprised; it was the first time she had heard someone describe their feelings about joining the army in such a way.
Maintaining her professional composure, she quickly recovered and asked, “Comrade Gao Fei, at the end of the promotional video, there were the last recordings of the young martyrs before their deaths. When you added those recorded images, what were you trying to convey?”
Mentioning the segment featuring the heroic martyrs, Gao Fei looked directly at the camera, his expression turning solemn. “Actually, I just wanted to tell everyone watching through these documentary images that our ability to live in peaceful times and work and live in peace is not only due to the peace fought for by the heroes and martyrs of the older generation. It is also because the warriors of the younger generation, carrying their mission, are silently guarding our hard-won peace on the border, in places you haven’t seen. The martyrs should not be forgotten; they should all be remembered.”
This was Gao Fei's heartfelt sentiment.
When he first learned that the Dragon Country had never publicized the heroic deeds of its martyrs, he was greatly surprised.
In Yao Qiang’s words, it was to avoid letting the people of the Dragon Country see the cruel side of peacetime.
After learning the reason, Gao Fei immediately wrote an application and submitted it to the General Military Headquarters in the name of the Beijing Military Region.
His application was not lengthy; it merely stated that the heroic deeds of the martyrs should be publicized so that the people of the Dragon Country could see the dangers beneath the peace.
Finally, he concluded with four points.
Be vigilant even in times of peace.
This application was quickly approved, agreeing to the public release of some martyr-related materials.
The current promotional video not only sparked a wave of enlisting but also made the people of the Dragon Country aware of the sacrifices and hardships of the soldiers.
It made everyone remember the martyrs and heroes who sacrificed themselves for the people and the country.
At the same time, it made everyone realize that the peace they now enjoyed was because some people were bearing the heavy burden for them.
The interview concluded with a tribute to the martyr heroes.
After having dinner with the staff and exchanging contact information with Tang Xue, Gao Fei was driven back to the Beijing Military Region in Yao Qiang’s private car.
That evening, the interview video was broadcast on the military channel.
It also simultaneously appeared on the homepage of the official military website.
The fervor of the recruitment wave had already subsided considerably.
However, with the broadcast of Gao Fei’s interview video, another wave of enthusiasm for enlisting surged.
This time, however, it was a wave of enlistment among young women.
No one expected that the promotional video, which was both exhilarating and deeply moving, was produced and guided by Gao Fei.
After watching the interview, girls across the Dragon Country were captivated by Gao Fei’s image in uniform, exuding righteousness.
Meanwhile, in the comment section of the official website’s interview video, a comment calling for submissions suddenly rose to the top.
“Sisters, since Comrade Xiao Gao is calling for us to join the army, I’m willing to sign up tomorrow. Anyone else joining me?”
Under this comment, thousands of girls expressed their willingness.
It was usually difficult to recruit female soldiers in the Dragon Country, but unexpectedly, Gao Fei’s interview video had indirectly increased the recruitment rate of female soldiers.
This was something the recruitment office had never anticipated.
Similarly, the internet has a memory.
Previously, the sudden downfall of Yuanfei Catering Company, which had harmed its franchisees, had attracted considerable attention online.
Now that Gao Fei reappeared on camera, he once again became a trending topic, and the news of Yuanfei Catering’s fraud was brought up again.
With the catering company back in the spotlight, the franchisees who had jointly denounced Yuanfei Catering Company found many new allies overnight.
Zeng Keming, the acting head of the company, also began collecting evidence, awaiting the final counterattack.
...
The next day.
December 15th, the freshman assessment at Jingda University began.
On the day of the assessment.
Not only were Battalion Commander Huang, Company Commander Wu, and others from the military region present, but also teachers and leaders from Jingda University came to the Beijing Military Region to supervise the assessment.
In the morning, it was the freshman drill training assessment.
The scores of the twelve classes were identical, with no distinction between first and second place.
At noon was the tactical training assessment, scored by Company Commander Wu and others from the military region.
As expected, Gao Fei achieved first place in this assessment.
After all, he had the experience and feedback from the simulator, having progressed from a recruit to a sharp soldier, so he was bound to be at the top.
In the evening was the assessment for reciting military regulations.
There was no ranking; all that was required was to recite the temporarily selected military regulations.
All twelve classes passed.
The second day of the assessment was the physical fitness training assessment.
100-meter dash, obstacle course, 3-kilometer run… in all these assessments, Gao Fei once again secured the top spot.
The freshmen were already well aware of his performance from their daily interactions.
Therefore, him being the top performer was something they had grown accustomed to!
It could be said that everyone was numb!
The shooting assessment on the third day saw Gao Fei achieve a perfect score of fifty rings, completing a grand slam of all assessments.
If it weren't for his status as a Jingda University freshman and the presence of Jingda University teachers supervising the assessment at the military base, the company commanders in the military region would likely have been vying for him today.
With his grand slam across all assessments, he was destined to become a "Soldier King" in the future!
On the day the assessment concluded, the troops held a farewell party for the Jingda University freshmen.
In two days, these freshmen, who had undergone three months of military training, would be leaving.
Meanwhile, in Fengyun City.
The franchisees denouncing Yuanfei Catering Company, seeing that the company had not come forward to speak out and had instead retreated, took drastic measures.
A few extreme franchisees directly pried open Gao Fei's home door and moved in that night.