Feeling the passionate chorus on the training ground, Xu Ying couldn't help but want to go and see.
Yang Xiaohu, however, waved his hand and said, "If you and I go over, they won't be able to let loose. Let the soldiers rehearse well. As for the new military songs, just have Old Huang and the others report after they eat!"
"Understood, Chief of Staff!"
The military vehicle caught fire and drove towards the depths of the military region.
On the training ground, under Gao Fei's various instructions, the soldiers sang the chorus three times in a row, maintaining the same standard as the first time. Their voices were strong and powerful, filled with spirit.
It wasn't until mealtime that everyone dispersed from the training ground.
Battalion Commander Huang didn't want to treat Gao Fei to a private meal, but he was still a bit unaccustomed to dining with a group of field-grade officers. After making an excuse to decline, he returned to the recruit company, watched the evening news with everyone, memorized the military regulations manual, and taught the fifth squad how to fold their blankets into perfect squares.
The day passed quickly. The lights-out signal sounded, and the dormitory plunged into darkness. The recruits, tired from training, fell into a comfortable sleep.
At ten o'clock in the evening, at the headquarters building.
"Report!"
"Come in!"
Battalion Commander Huang, Regiment Commander Lu, and Yao Qiang entered the commander's office in an orderly fashion.
"Please, make yourselves comfortable." Yang Xiaohu put down the document in his hand and looked up at the three of them, smiling. "Who will tell me about what happened on the training ground today, and about the new military songs!"
Battalion Commander Huang and Regiment Commander Lu looked at Yao Qiang, indicating that he should speak, as he was the person in charge of composing the new military songs.
"Commander, I'll tell you!" Yao Qiang stood up and walked forward, beginning to explain everything about the new military songs and the training ground, as well as the entire story.
After a while.
"According to you, Gao Fei completed the recruits' drill training ahead of schedule on his first day. Moreover, he completed in half a day what the composition group took nine days to accomplish."
"Yes, Commander!"
"The majestic chorus with killing intent on the training ground was also conducted by Gao Fei?"
"Yes!"
Listening to the entire process, Commander Yang became increasingly astonished. Initially, he thought that the recruit directing the chorus on the training ground was just a student from the music conducting major at Capital University. However, he now learned that this recruit not only directed the soldiers to elevate the entire song of "Strong Army" but was also the original composer of the song. Commander Yang became very curious about this talented recruit from Capital University. He turned to Huang Shengli and Lu Zheng behind him. "Old Huang, Regiment Commander Lu, according to your intentions, Gao Fei's two military songs have been decided. Now, all that's left is to record them and submit them to headquarters for selection?"
"Yes, Commander!" The two replied in unison. Huang Shengli continued, "Commander, didn't you say earlier that you were going to headquarters for a month-long meeting, and that you'd authorized me and Regiment Commander Lu to be fully in charge of the military songs? So, we decided on Gao Fei's two songs today. Now that you're back, we still need to hear your opinion."
Yang Xiaohu looked at the two military songs that had been sent to his desk in advance and smiled. "This young man is excellent. Both songs are deeply moving. Report them tomorrow. Complete the recording as soon as possible so that those old fellows who are unconvinced can also see the strength of the young people of our Dragon Country."
"Understood, Commander!"
After a brief discussion about military affairs and the military songs, Battalion Commander Huang and Regiment Commander Lu stood up to leave. Yao Qiang stayed behind to report something else. Commander Yang threw him a pack of special supply cigarettes and smiled. "You kid, you used to pester me for my special supply cigarettes every day when you were in the company. Here, this is from headquarters. There's only one pack, nothing else!"
"Uncle Yang, I didn't stay for the cigarettes!" Commander Yang blinked in surprise, thinking that the other party, as usual, was deliberately staying for the special supply cigarettes.
"The sun rose in the west today! This is the first time you've come to me with something else since you transferred to civilian work. Go ahead, what is it?"
"It's not a big deal, it's still about Gao Fei!" Yao Qiang said after taking a deep puff of smoke.
Gao Fei? Yang Xiaohu narrowed his eyes and quickly understood. "Who are you, the military merit reward after the military song selection?"
Yao Qiang nodded and said, "Uncle Yang, you know, Gao Fei is not a recruit and doesn't have military status. If he earns military merit, how will we commend him?"
"This is indeed a problem!" Gao Fei is not a recruit and has no military status, so it's a bit difficult to give him military merit. Yang Xiaohu tapped the table, pondered for a moment, and said, "Didn't you mention before that Gao Fei was investigated by Xiao Wu and the others because he completed the drill training ahead of schedule? What were the results of the investigation?"
"Three generations are clean."
"Then this is easy to handle. As long as the military songs are selected by headquarters, I will have headquarters issue a document to the Fengyun City Armed Forces Department to arrange a reserve military status for Gao Fei. This way, he can legitimately receive military merit commendations!"
"That works!" Yao Qiang had previously promised Gao Fei that if the new military songs he composed were selected by headquarters, he would receive military merit commendations. However, he had now transferred to civilian work and had very little authority, which was why he stayed behind to discuss the military merit commendations with the commander.
After discussing military merit, Yao Qiang continued, "Uncle Yang, can you ask Company Commander Wu and the others to pay special attention to Gao Fei."
"Special attention? Does he have any other secrets?" Yao Qiang had been a soldier under Yang Xiaohu during his service, and he understood him very well. This soldier never mentioned others, nor did he ask anyone to pay attention to someone. Now, asking for special attention for Gao Fei once again aroused Commander Yang's curiosity about this recruit.
Yao Qiang hid nothing and directly stated the incident where Gao Fei was almost caught by the military police. "According to Li Dong, Gao Fei has been hiding his abilities, making him a soldier material. That's why I want you to hint to Old Wu to pay attention to him."
Commander Yang understood, nodded, and smiled. "No hurry. After their drill training, it will be physical training. We'll see then if Gao Fei is as you say. If he is, then such talent must be closely watched!"
"Thank you, Commander Yang!"
"Go away, why are you still being polite with me? Hurry back and organize the military reports!"
...
One night passed, and the next day's training arrived again. After the morning exercises and breakfast, the recruits, with their sore and slightly tired bodies, gathered on the training ground and began a day of drill training. Gao Fei, having completed the military song task ahead of schedule, once again became the training commander for the fifth squad. Squad Leader Li Dong, now with free time, bragged to the squad leaders of other squads about his deputy squad leader, and then went to the fifth company to brag about Gao Fei being a recruit he had trained. Instantly, Li Dong was almost blacklisted by the soldiers of the fifth company and the other squad leaders. His boastful demeanor was indeed worthy of the fifth squad leader of the recruit company. And because of Li Dong's constant provocations, during the military song rehearsal in the afternoon, both the soldiers of the fifth company and the recruits sang the chorus with fiery passion and imposing spirit, earning continuous praise from the battalion commanders and others supervising the scene.
Half a month passed. The recruits' drill training results had matured and basically met the standards for enlistment. The recording of the military songs had been submitted to headquarters and would undergo song selection in due course.
The next morning.
Just as the recruits were undergoing their final period of drill training, Yao Qiang suddenly hurried to find the fifth squad.
"Gao Fei!"
"Present!"
"Step out!" Li Dong pointed to Yao Qiang outside the training ground. "Reporter Yao seems to be in a hurry, go and see him quickly!"
"Got it, squad leader!"
When Gao Fei ran to the edge of the training ground, Yao Qiang grabbed him and said urgently, "Quickly get in the car with me to headquarters. Today is the final battle for the military song selection, and all original creators must be present."
"I have to go to headquarters? But I'm training."
"I've already spoken to Company Commander Wu, and he's granted you a day's leave. Get in the car quickly!"
After Gao Fei got into the car, Yao Qiang stepped on the accelerator and sped out of the military region. Kyoto was the central city of the Dragon Country, so the military headquarters was also built in Kyoto. When Gao Fei and Yao Qiang rushed to headquarters, they just caught the final battle of the military song selection. As the two entered the auditorium, Gao Fei immediately became the focus of everyone present. Looking at this young man in training uniform without any insignia, everyone couldn't help but wonder, where did this new recruit come from, and how could he be here. But upon noticing Yao Qiang beside him, everyone realized that he was a recruit undergoing military training in the Kyoto Military Subdistrict. The fact that Kyoto University recruits were simulating new recruit military training was no longer a secret in the military. After taking his seat, Gao Fei glanced at his training uniform and then at the surrounding soldiers in civilian clothes, all bearing stars on their insignia. He felt completely out of place.
"Don't look. This is military headquarters. They have insignia to spare. We rely on strength to speak, no need to care about these things!" Yao Qiang noticed him staring at the people next to him and whispered. But Gao Fei mysteriously leaned in and whispered, "Major Yao, what is the monthly allowance of the highest-ranking leader here?"
"You... Stop talking, the selection has begun!" Yao Qiang thought this kid was nervous, but he didn't expect him to be concerned about military allowances. As soon as he spoke, the final battle for the military songs began. Out of the 150 songs that entered the preliminary round, after layers of selection, only ten songs remained for the finals. Today, five new military songs would be selected on-site, and the first place would be sung throughout the army. The judges for the song selection were five people, all of whom were the oldest and most senior artists in the Dragon Country. These five had contributed many military songs that were circulated in the army. Today, they would select the new military songs to be sung throughout the army.
As the host finished the opening, the first song was presented on the stage screen. The song title was "Red Star in the Army." As the melodious prelude began, the voices of soldiers singing in chorus played from the speakers. After a minute, the song ended. The five veteran artist judges on stage did not look pleased; they were clearly dissatisfied with the song. During their critiques, each person's words were pertinent, neither praising nor criticizing excessively. But everyone could hear that the five seniors were saying, "What is this? My grandson could write such a song." The final score was 6.7.
Five new military songs were presented one after another. "Strong Army" and "I am Also a Soldier" had not yet appeared. Gao Fei, sitting in the audience, frowned. Had these two songs already been eliminated? Did Old Yao bring me here to make a fool of myself and learn? Yao Qiang, sitting beside him, also had a strange expression. Why hadn't the new military songs submitted by the Kyoto Military Subdistrict appeared? He clearly remembered that they had already entered the finals. Just as the two were waiting anxiously, the sixth new military song also ended, scoring 8.6 points, making it the highest-scoring song among those played so far. "Next, please enjoy the next shortlisted song, 'I am Also a Soldier'."