Chapter 53

On the evening of his enlistment, Zhang Chengyuan moved into the new recruit dormitory at the military camp. The new recruit dormitory typically consisted of two rows of large bunk beds, with each row accommodating 9 to 10 people. The space between each person was only the width of one or two fists, so a slight misstep could result in kicking or hitting someone else. Zhang Chengyuan, with his robust build and broad shoulders, although he slept well himself, could not avoid the rough touches from the new recruits on either side. Due to his high alertness, he slept very restlessly that night and applied to the squad leader the next day to move to a corner bed.

However, military regulations were strict, and even such a minor request could not be accommodated. The squad leader sternly reprimanded Zhang Chengyuan, making an example of him to the other new recruits. After being scolded, the proud Zhang Chengyuan was naturally very unhappy. However, when he realized that all the non-commissioned officers and veterans treated the new recruits similarly, and that his squad leader's verbal abuse was the mildest, he abandoned the idea of secretly punishing him later. Through this incident, Zhang Chengyuan realized that human rights in the military were sometimes dispensable, and even if they existed, they were severely restricted.

The training life of new recruits was extremely arduous for most ordinary young men with average physical conditions, and many fainted on the first day. In Zhang Chengyuan's squad, several recruits also collapsed. Among the soft and weak new recruits, Zhang Chengyuan performed exceptionally well, ranking first in all aspects of military posture, formation, and various technical and tactical skills during the first week's training assessment. The squad leader was delighted and praised him, even allowing him to move to the corner bed. The other new recruits also began to look at him with new respect, no longer seeing him as a weak and useless pretty face.

Zhang Chengyuan's performance continued to improve, and he excelled in almost all training programs, consistently ranking first overall each week. At the end of the five-week new recruit training, he received the highest award for new recruits, the "Commander's Award," from the highest-ranking officer of the training camp, and was honored with the title of "Special Grade Soldier."

His efforts were not to stand out among the new recruits or to leave a lasting impression on his superiors. After all, in the South Korean military, no matter how outstanding a conscript's performance, unless they become a volunteer soldier, there is no possibility of promotion or early discharge; at most, they might get a slightly easier assignment. Why would he do such futile work?

His main goal was to let his family and friends see his condition through the official website of the training camp and the military's promotional TV programs. This way, they could feel more at ease. Of course, if the media could pay attention to the new recruit training and report on his outstanding performance, it would be even better, as it would leave a deeper impression on the public and his fans.

Fortunately, Park Byung-ryeol acted quickly. Upon learning of Zhang Chengyuan's excellent performance in the training camp, he promptly contacted some journalists from TV stations, newspapers, and magazines he knew, and they fully reported on the matter, temporarily maintaining Zhang Chengyuan's popularity.

After completing new recruit training, Zhang Chengyuan was assigned to the 15th Infantry Division stationed in Hwacheon County, Gangwon Province, a frontline unit. Before this, his superiors had recommended him to participate in the selection for the Marine Corps. The Marine Corps, known as an elite force, is one of the most important military branches in South Korea, and in recent years, it has been vigorously supported and expanded. However, the Marine Corps has strict selection criteria and much more rigorous training than regular units, leading to a constant shortage of recruits. Therefore, new recruit training camps often encourage outstanding new recruits to participate in the selection.

However, although such an assessment was a piece of cake for Zhang Chengyuan, he had no strong love for South Korea or the vanity of becoming the best soldier in the military, so he refused without hesitation. His superiors, bound by military regulations, could not force him, and as army officers, who would truly want to see the best of the army serve in the navy?

Zhang Chengyuan did not want to join the Marine Corps because, under the current situation, serving in the army was safer and easier than in the navy.

At sea, due to the serious differences in the demarcation of maritime boundaries between North and South Korea, each side had drawn a maritime boundary line not recognized by the other, leading to numerous conflicts and several small-scale naval battles. In June 1999, the largest naval battle since the ceasefire of the Korean War broke out between the South Korean Navy and the North Korean Navy. Although South Korea suffered minimal losses and had the upper hand in this battle, there was no guarantee that in a larger-scale maritime conflict in the future, South Korea would not suffer casualties.

In contrast, on land, the presence of the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) made it relatively safer. At least, if attacked, Zhang Chengyuan's chances of survival on land were much higher than at sea or on an easily blockaded island.

Two months later, on June 29, 2002, another naval battle broke out between North and South Korea. This time, South Korea suffered casualties, with one high-speed boat being sunk, four deaths, including the boat captain, nearly 20 injuries, and one person missing. Upon learning this news, Zhang Chengyuan, who was serving in the army, felt fortunate and was glad he had not joined the Marine Corps. Otherwise, he would have been assigned to a much more intense surface patrol mission, leading to a stressful and exhausting situation, and even worrying about the possibility of North Korean artillery attacks at night.

However, just a few days after feeling fortunate, Zhang Chengyuan encountered a misfortune. In a shooting incident, he almost lost his life. What shocked and surprised him was that the person who fired at him and his dozen or so comrades was not an enemy from the north but a fellow soldier from the same post.

In the South Korean military, due to the influence of some negative traditions from the Japanese military, it was common for superiors to bully subordinates and veterans to bully new recruits. Although Zhang Chengyuan sometimes saw new recruits being bullied and imagined a soldier one day picking up a gun and shooting the non-commissioned officers who repeatedly beat, insulted, and punished subordinates, he never thought this scenario would actually happen, and almost cost him his life.

The incident occurred around 2 a.m. Zhang Chengyuan, who often woke up three times a night, vaguely sensed someone walking quietly to the room door. Thinking it was a comrade returning from a night patrol, he did not pay much attention. However, he soon heard a very distinctive and familiar sound and immediately opened his eyes to see a dark object, which looked like a grenade, flying in.

In this critical moment, Zhang Chengyuan's instincts kicked in, and he instinctively made a quick move. He reached behind his head, grabbed a pillow, and threw it at the incoming grenade, deflecting it out of the room. The entire action, including the reaction time, did not exceed one second. A loud explosion followed, but the person outside reacted quickly and avoided being injured.

Hearing no screams, Zhang Chengyuan immediately realized the danger was not over. He quickly leaped off the bunk bed and ran to the door, crouching down. The other soldiers, awakened by the explosion, were about to rush out of the room to check, unaware that a perpetrator was still hiding at the door, and they could be killed if they rushed out.

Before Zhang Chengyuan could shout a warning to his comrades, a gun barrel appeared at the door, and shots were fired, followed by screams. Without looking back, Zhang Chengyuan lunged forward, grabbed the gun, and delivered a swift punch to the arm of the shooter, who was about to pull the trigger. The shooter's arm broke before he could scream, and the shooting stopped.

Zhang Chengyuan then kicked the shooter, sending him flying, and immediately turned the gun on him, retreating into the dormitory to observe the surroundings and prevent any further incidents.

The incident was almost over. Within ten minutes, the military police arrived, took away the injured shooter, and also took away Zhang Chengyuan and a few others who were present. Fortunately, after understanding the situation, Zhang Chengyuan was released, but he was sternly ordered by a superior not to disclose any information until the matter was resolved.

It was later learned that the shooter was a first-class private surnamed Kim from Zhang Chengyuan's post. He had acted out of anger and frustration due to the insults from his superiors. Soon after, the soldier was sentenced to death for killing a non-commissioned officer and injuring several soldiers, a severe crime. Notably, the non-commissioned officer he killed was one of those who often abused him.

Although he received commendation and was promoted to first-class private two months early due to his bravery, Zhang Chengyuan felt very bitter. He believed that such a military was not worth staying in for even a day. Although the perpetrator was severely punished, the root cause of the military's ugly traditions and lax management remained unchanged, and similar incidents would continue to occur in the South Korean military. Additionally, he was worried that such incidents might happen to him again, even though he had narrowly escaped this time, but might not be so lucky next time.

For the next year and nine months of his service, Zhang Chengyuan lived in constant fear, not only guarding against the infiltration of North Korean spies but also wary of the possibility of his comrades losing control and firing their weapons. He was almost in a state of constant vigilance, only able to relax during his limited leave. If not for his strong mental and physical resilience, he would have found it difficult to endure this period, which he later refused to recall.