Chapter 21

Mo Wen's assigned military district belonged to the 19th Group Army of the Jinghua Military Region. This military training involved about 15,000 trainees, who were not all in one military district but were scattered across many subordinate districts of the Jinghua Military Region.

The 9th Group Army was stationed in the rugged Taihang Mountains. After a bumpy seven to eight-hour journey along mountain roads, they finally entered a valley, where a sizable basin lay. Even from a distance, one could see various modern military bases in the valley.

The vehicle slowly came to a stop in a vast parade ground. The trainees got off one by one and gathered together, numbering about 2,000.

There were more male trainees than female ones. Under the command of several officers in military uniforms, the male and female trainees were separated.

After some matching, the 2,000 trainees were divided into four battalions: one female battalion and three male battalions. The four formations stood neatly on the parade ground, though still somewhat disorganized and restless, they looked somewhat like the real deal.

"Starting today and for the next month, I will be your chief instructor. My name is Zhou Zhen, and you can call me Battalion Commander Zhou."

Several officers in military uniforms walked over to the 4th New Recruit Battalion. The leader stood straight, exuding vigor, and looked to be in his thirties. He had two bars and two stars on his shoulder, indicating he was a lieutenant colonel.

Behind him were five young officers, all in neat military uniforms with one bar and two stars, indicating they were first lieutenants.

"Now, you will be divided into five companies, each led by one of these five instructors. From now on, you are soldiers. Do you understand?"

There was no response for a while...

"Do you understand?"

The chief instructor frowned and roared, his gaze sharp as he looked at the still-dazed trainees.

"Understood!"

The trainees finally reacted, but their voices were still somewhat scattered.

"Louder."

"Understood."

This time, their voices were in unison. The chief instructor nodded slightly. "There will be no training today. Familiarize yourselves with the military district. Tomorrow morning at five o'clock, I want you all up."

With that, the chief instructor turned and left.

Next, the five instructors divided the 500 trainees into five companies, each with about 100 people. Mo Wen was assigned to the 3rd Company, led by a young man with dark skin and a tall build, not much older than the trainees.

During the training, the five companies trained separately, each led by their respective instructors.

Mo Wen's instructor was named Zhang Lizheng, a young man with dark skin, a serious expression, and a calm but compelling gaze. When he looked at you, you always felt uneasy.

The soldiers who could train Huaxia University students were all elite members of the military. Despite his youth, Zhang Lizheng was already a first lieutenant, a rising star in the military with a promising future.

Zhang Lizheng managed the 3rd Company, dividing the 100 people into ten squads, each with ten members, and selecting a squad leader for each.

However, Zhang Lizheng did not interfere with the selection of squad leaders. After dividing the company into ten squads, he simply said, "Choose your own squad leaders," and left.

This led to a wave of competition for the position of squad leader on the parade ground. Every student admitted to Huaxia University was exceptional, and typically, outstanding people did not like others being above them.

Thus, the competition for squad leaders was particularly intense.

This was not just in the 4th Battalion's 3rd Company; all four new recruit battalions allowed the trainees to compete for squad leaders, with no interference from the instructors. During the training, the four battalions were in separate areas, not far from each other, but they rarely interacted unless there was a major event, and each trained independently.

Mo Wen was not the type to seek the limelight or manage affairs, so he did not compete for the position of squad leader. In the end, the 9th Squad of the 3rd Company was led by a tall man who seemed to have practiced martial arts for a few years, named Chen Zhongqing.

His words were simple: he would not bully anyone in his squad and would not let others bully them. This won him the support of many in the 9th Squad. The other competitors, after a real sparring match, also lost to him.

After selecting the squad leaders, the trainees began to divide into dormitories, with each squad occupying one dormitory with ten beds.

The dormitories in the military district were not as comfortable as those at Huaxia University. In a small room, there were five bunk beds, and each bed had a small cabinet for storing belongings, with no other furnishings.

Mo Wen was the first to arrive at the dormitory and chose a good lower bunk.

"Is this where soldiers live?"

Following Mo Wen, a boy of average height with some acne on his face looked at the dormitory curiously. Although the dormitory was simple, no one complained; instead, they were all excited.

Every passionate young man has a dream of becoming a soldier. For many reasons, some never get the chance to join the military, and those who do often have to leave after two years of compulsory service.

Those who can stay in the military for life are very few in a country as vast as China.

For students, being able to enter a military district and experience military life is a rare opportunity, and it's hard not to be curious and excited.

"Ha ha, military uniform! I'm finally a soldier."

A slightly chubby but sturdy and tall boy pounced onto a bed. On the bed was a neatly folded quilt, and on top of the quilt was a set of summer military uniform, including undergarments and an outer jacket, even with two private rank shoulder badges.

Although the military training for Huaxia University students lasted only one month, it would be recorded in their files, equivalent to one year of service as a private, and would be documented in their life records.

Mo Wen touched the neatly folded military uniform, feeling a bit emotional. In the world of the divine physician, being a soldier was considered one of the lowest professions, and many women did not want their men to join the military. In that world, wars often broke out, and ordinary civilian soldiers could only be cannon fodder. Unless forced, few people were willing to join the military.

But in modern times, during a peaceful era, joining the military has become an honor, a way to demonstrate one's excellence and strength.

The atmosphere in the military district reminded Mo Wen of the royal elite army, the Hu Lie Cavalry, from his previous life. As a court physician, he had the privilege of seeing this elite army once, known for its ability to capture cities with 500 riders, stabilize the country with 3,000 riders, and conquer the world with 10,000 riders.

Any ten members of that army could put Mo Wen, with his deep internal energy cultivation, in mortal danger. However, the Hu Lie Cavalry never exceeded 2,000 members throughout the entire dynasty.

Without mentioning the Hu Lie Cavalry, compared to the ordinary armies of his previous life, the modern army lacked a certain killing aura.

"My name is Wang Yuan, and I'll be your top bunk from now on."

A boy about the same height as Mo Wen walked up to him with a smile and chose the top bunk above Mo Wen.

Wang Yuan had a delicate face and very fair skin, looking like a pretty boy at first glance, but his eyes were strong and had a compelling gaze, similar to Instructor Zhang Lizheng, but fundamentally different.

Mo Wen, having lived two lives, had a keen eye for people. The boy named Wang Yuan was likely no ordinary person.