The static on the phone gradually faded as Yang Lan began recounting the entire incident of the franchisees instigating the trouble.
Listening to his mother’s description, Gao Fei’s expression turned grim.
“In the end, Lawyer Zeng sent me on a trip. He told me to wait until the city’s issues were resolved before returning, and it wouldn’t be too late!”
“Your senior handled this perfectly.”
Gao Fei hadn’t expected the franchisees to blockade his home.
Some even more radical franchisees had directly smashed his windows!
But he was also grateful that Zeng Keming had sent his mother away on vacation. Otherwise, with the franchisees’ dirty tactics, Gao Fei couldn’t guarantee what else might have happened.
He breathed a silent sigh of relief, suppressing the anger in his heart, and smiled, “Mom, enjoy your trip to the fullest and stay longer. I’ll definitely resolve this before the Lunar New Year!”
“Son, I… Alright, Mom will listen to you!”
Yang Lan on the other end of the line also wanted to help.
But facing those menacing franchisees, her assistance was minimal. The most she could do was not cause more trouble for her son.
After a brief chat, mother and son ended the call.
Then, Gao Fei called Zeng Keming again.
It rang for about half a minute before the other side answered.
“Hello, who is this?”
“It’s me, Gao Fei!”
“Oh, it’s you, junior. Why are you calling so late…”
Before Zeng Keming could finish, Gao Fei interrupted, “I already know about the franchisees blocking my door. How many of them want to breach their contracts now?”
Hearing Gao Fei’s icy tone, Lawyer Zeng replied earnestly, “There are twenty-five franchisees in Fengyun City, and about ten from the neighboring districts combined!”
“Don’t worry about the ones from nearby cities for now. Let’s deal with the ones in the city first!”
Gao Fei began to give instructions for the next steps, “First, find out who the instigator in the city is, and identify the ringleaders among them.
Once the identities of the ringleaders are confirmed, find people to dig up their past records.
Since these people resort to such despicable methods, they can’t just be simple merchants. Uncover their histories!”
“Junior, you’re…”
“I don’t want the millions in liquidated damages. Whoever instigated this trouble, I’ll send them to jail!”
“Okay, I understand what to do!”
After a few more exchanges, they hung up.
Gao Fei let out a sigh of relief and turned around, only to see Commander Wu and Major Yao staring at him with strange expressions.
“Xiao Gao, did something happen at home?” Commander Wu asked.
Yao Qiang chimed in, “If something’s wrong, don’t keep it from us. Do you need me to call the troops stationed in Yun Province?”
Hearing their concerned words, Gao Fei quickly waved his hands. “It’s nothing, nothing. Commander, Brother Yao, I can handle it.
It’s just a minor issue, you don’t need to worry!”
Seeing that he didn’t require their help, the two leaders didn’t press further.
Moments later, the three arrived at the training grounds.
The bonfire party was currently featuring the performance of the last female squad.
After their performance concluded and amid the cheers of everyone present, Gao Fei was compelled to go on stage and sing.
He first sang a song called “Classmate,” and then the theme song from the conscription promotional video, “A Heart of a True Man.”
The two songs immediately garnered thunderous applause and pushed the atmosphere of the party to its peak.
At nine o’clock in the evening.
The bonfire party concluded with a group rendition of “Strong Army.”
After all the male and female recruits had cleaned up the venue, returned to their dormitories to wash up, and settled into bed, it was already ten o’clock.
…
The next day.
The reveille sounded, and every recruit began to get up and tidy their beds.
Having finished their training, all the recruits found it hard to adjust at first.
After the morning exercises and breakfast, all the male and female students changed into the formal uniforms they had received yesterday, which they had eagerly anticipated, and assembled at the training grounds.
Morning assembly.
The assembly was hosted by Battalion Commander Huang. Commander Yang Xiaohu, who had never shown his face before, surprisingly appeared at the assembly.
After Battalion Commander Huang introduced the military region’s leaders and declared the opening of the assembly, the ceremony moved on to the awarding of military merits.
“The new military song has been officially adopted as the current military anthem. After deliberation by the General Headquarters and the Military Region units, the New Recruit Company and the soldiers of the Fifth Company have been awarded a Collective Second-Class Merit.”
As Battalion Commander Huang finished speaking, representatives from each company stepped onto the stage to receive their awards.
Commander Yang Xiaohu picked up two crimson commendation certificates and presented them to the representatives of the two companies.
After awarding the Collective Second-Class Merits, Battalion Commander Huang continued to preside.
“Comrade Gao Fei, an reservist soldier, as the producer of the military’s new anthem, after deliberation by the General Headquarters and the Military Region units, has been awarded an Individual Third-Class Merit!
Comrade Gao Fei performed exceptionally during the spy apprehension operation, achieving outstanding results and assisting in the capture of six spies. After deliberation by the General Headquarters and the Military Region units, he has been awarded an Individual Third-Class Merit!
The new promotional video for the conscription season, after its broadcast, broke previous records for conscription enrollment numbers. Comrade Gao Fei was the chief producer and dedicated his full effort to the promotional video. After deliberation by the General Headquarters and the Military Region units,
Comrade Gao Fei has been awarded an Individual Second-Class Merit!”
When Battalion Commander Huang announced Gao Fei’s three consecutive military merits, the recruits below were stunned. The new recruit squad leaders were even more envious.
After three months of military training, this kid had earned three military merits in a row. If he were to officially enlist, he would undoubtedly be a rising star in the military region!
When Gao Fei, dressed in his formal uniform, stepped onto the stage, he immediately captivated the girls in the audience.
As for the boys, they looked at their classmates around them and then at Gao Fei on stage.
Comparing themselves to others was infuriating!
Commander Yang Xiaohu personally pinned the three medals onto Gao Fei.
Under the sunlight, the three medals gleamed with a golden light, dazzling and magnificent!
“Good boy, it would be a waste for you not to become a soldier. When you graduate, you must return to the army, do you hear me?”
“Yes, Commander!”
Gao Fei stood tall and saluted.
Commander Yang patted his shoulder and whispered, “I heard about the situation in Fengyun City from Xiao Yao. Go back and resolve the trouble properly. I’ve already spoken to the military units stationed in Yun Province!”
Standing on the stage, Gao Fei was taken aback. He hadn’t expected that he, a mere reservist soldier, would receive assistance from such an important figure.
“Thank you, Commander!”
“Keep up the good work, I have high hopes for you!”
As the applause rose and subsided, the morning assembly finally concluded.
After the morning assembly, during the midday period, the recruits began writing their reflections and experiences from the military training.
Although their training had ended, they were still stationed in the military and were not allowed to use mobile phones or other devices.
The next day, at nine o’clock.
Twelve trucks were parked on the road outside the dormitory buildings.
After breakfast and packing their belongings, the class leaders began to bid farewell to the recruits.
After three months of constant companionship, everyone had developed a deep friendship with the squad leaders, who, despite their initially gruff demeanor during training, were actually very kindhearted off duty.
Although they were allowed to wear their own clothes now, every recruit still wore their training uniforms.
As the time of departure approached, everyone felt increasingly reluctant to leave this unit where they had experienced hatred, tears, and laughter.
Three months seemed short, but the daily interactions had forged an inexpressible bond between them.
The most emotional of them all, Li Shuishui, was crying buckets.
The students around him, as well as Gao Fei, felt a lump in their throats and a sting in their eyes.
“Stinky kid, no crying, hold it in!”
Li Dong gritted his teeth, his eyes red, looking at the recruits in his class, “Even after leaving the army, don’t slack off on your training. Keep running, do pull-ups and other exercises, understand?!”
“Yes, Squad Leader!”
Li Dong then turned to Gao Fei, lightly punching his shoulder. “You kid, you’re born to be a soldier. If you could stay, I could continue to be your squad leader.
Don’t slack off when you get back. After four years when you graduate and enlist, I’ll train you!”
“Yes, Squad Leader!”
“Everyone, get on the trucks!”
After bidding farewell to their respective squad leaders, everyone boarded the trucks.
As the trucks started to move away, the twelve squad leaders stood in place, raising their hands in salute.
They watched as the university recruits they had yelled at and disciplined departed.
The recruits, standing in the truck beds, also raised their hands in salute, bidding farewell to their ‘devil’ squad leaders.
As the military region, where they had lived and trained for over three months, gradually disappeared from view, every recruit couldn’t help but shed tears.
They were all seventeen or eighteen-year-old youths, at an age where emotions run deep, not to mention a group of bookish scholars with little worldly experience.
Gao Fei watched the military region recede behind him, his heart filled with a sense of loss.
He took a deep breath, adjusted his mindset, and looked in the direction of Fengyun City.
“Leeks, your brother Fei’s big scythe is ready. Just wait!”
(A humble plea for some votes, I’m begging!)