A Journey Through the Flames of War in the Republican Era

“Back when I was learning martial arts, I would sit in a horse stance for at least half an hour every day since I was a kid,” Song Hongfei thought to himself with a secret smile.

Having practiced martial arts since childhood, Song Hongfei was very familiar with the "horse stance" and could do it with ease. However, he still looked like he was struggling and in pain, as he didn't want to show off.

Evan Musk—a spoiled and arrogant scion of a wealthy and powerful family, born into a traditional American political dynasty, and the son of U.S. Senator Elon Musk Sr. In the "Beast Camp" training for Song Hongfei and his fellow new recruits, Musk, a year ahead of the students, assisted the instructors in training the new recruits; he was also the leader of a group of die-hard white supremacist ideologies.

Born into a wealthy and influential family, Musk was a prominent figure at West Point. He was no mere figurehead; his baseball skills honed in high school earned him a place on West Point's renowned baseball team and the respect of upperclassmen. Musk thrived at West Point, to the point that even as a junior, he no longer needed to address upperclassmen as "commander."

Musk was very unhappy at this moment, while Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi seemed to have finished the "squatting bayonet" squat without any effort.

"I have to teach these two yellow-skinned people from China a lesson," Musk thought to himself.

Musk came up with an idea: he ordered Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi to sing the Chinese national anthem while performing the horse stance.

"Hahahaha!"

"What a great idea!"

"Hey newbie, did you hear that? Sing now!"

The other upperclassmen immediately started winking and laughing. Musk and the other seniors got interested, and the group of them decided to make fun of the two of them.

Song Hongfei immediately and solemnly pointed out: "When the Chinese national anthem is sung, everyone present must stand up and listen attentively to show respect."

Instead, the older students mocked him even more disdainfully.

This insult to national dignity is intolerable! In a fit of rage, Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi disregarded military regulations and beat up the senior student who was leading the laughter, sparking a brawl between the two sides. In the end, both sides were disciplined by the school.

Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi, fearless in the face of overwhelming odds, were determined to uphold the dignity of their country and nation. These two Chinese students, with their strong sense of national pride, earned the respect of the other students. However, this also created a rift between the two new students and upperclassmen, as well as Musk and his group of white supremacists.

West Point has a tenet of obedience, absolute obedience, and unconditional obedience.

Although these two new students have stood out among the freshmen and have been recognized by everyone, this is West Point. If you're a dragon, you have to coil up; if you're a tiger, you have to lie down! Their arrogance was seen as a contempt for the authority of the senior students, so the senior students naturally regarded them as troublemakers and were sharpening their knives to make an example of them.

From then on, the two were frequently harassed by upperclassmen. Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi naturally did not back down, and after the friction escalated, conflicts broke out, with frequent physical altercations between the two sides.

After lunch that day, Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi had just left the cafeteria and were on their way back to the dormitory when they were stopped by two senior student officers who had been waiting for them. The two officers were clearly looking for trouble. After a thorough inspection, they finally discovered that there was mud on the side of the heel of Song Hongfei's right shoe, a crease at the hem of Zhang Yi's trousers on the left leg, and a loose thread on a button on the front of his trousers that was more than 3 millimeters long!

So the two were ordered by the senior executive officers to run back to their dormitory to get their old training shoes, put them in their mouths, and march in formation in the central square!

West Point's central square serves a special purpose: it's a place for disciplining students who break the rules. For example, marching in formation fully equipped in the square is one method of punishment, primarily intended as a deterrent, to make an example of someone. At this moment, Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi are like two chickens, marching in formation with smelly shoes in their mouths, right under everyone's noses.

As things progressed, it became a matter of mutual dislike and displeasure. A single disagreement could escalate into a physical fight. Often, a mere glance at the other side on the main campus, near the small playground, or by the swimming pool at the military academy club could spark an argument, escalate into a physical altercation, and finally, a full-blown brawl. The situation would only be calmed down when the military police, fearing injuries or other serious incidents, intervened to stop the fighting.

Soldiers tend to think in a simple, direct, and clear way, emphasizing efficiency and decisiveness. They are not very patient with verbal disputes, and if a few words cannot resolve the issue, they will resort to force rather than argument. They believe that troublesome and verbose solutions are worse than using force!

Isn't fighting the easiest thing to do?

If a woman is constantly swearing and cursing, is she still a soldier?

Does an army that can't fight still have fighting spirit? Can an army that can't fight still wage war?

In a fierce and bloodthirsty army, fighting is commonplace, let alone among young, vigorous military academy cadets.

Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi also felt that fighting was perfectly normal. These two were not exactly peaceful people; they felt uncomfortable having nothing better to do, so why would they be afraid of you coming to cause trouble? Isn't there a rule in West Point's creed—"Have the spirit of a fighter!"

Besides, they've never been at a disadvantage in fights.

West Point Military Academy has a famously "bloody" tradition: the annual "pillow fight." Since 1897, every summer after the arduous and brutal "Beast Camp" training, the incoming freshmen would hold a "pillow fight" one night to celebrate the end of training.

At this moment, hundreds of cadets on the parade ground were frantically chasing and hitting each other with pillows, shouting and hurling them at one another, venting their frustrations. West Point considers this activity a harmless way to relax, conducive to enhancing unity and friendship, promoting collectivism, and inspiring the fighting spirit of soldiers.

Song Hongfei and Zhang Yi were experiencing such a unique group fight for the first time, and they found it very interesting. They excitedly grabbed their pillows and rushed into the crowd, chasing after people and hitting them indiscriminately, yelling and screaming with excitement, feeling extremely exhilarated.

But soon they were hit and winced, hissing in pain. "It's just a pillow, why does it hurt so much?" The two were completely puzzled.

"Which bastard is so insidious!" Zhang Yi cursed angrily, clutching his swollen head.

It turned out that someone had stuffed military boots into the pillows—hard and heavy military boots are very painful to hit people with, and they were knocked back.

Some aggressive participants, seeking thrills, put various hard objects into their pillows, turning what was originally a relaxing and enjoyable activity—the "pillow fight"—into a violent brawl.

So much so that the senior cadets supervising and maintaining order had to advise the new recruits to wear helmets before the pillow fight to avoid more serious injuries. However, this only served to spur some people into thinking to stuff their helmets into their pillows, and the melee not only didn't stop, it escalated even further.

Every year, dozens of people suffer injuries from the "pillow fight," including bleeding, fractures, and dislocations. Some are beaten until their heads bleed, some suffer concussions, and some are even knocked unconscious. Their fierceness and courage are vividly displayed in these young military academy cadets.

Every year, the "violent" bloodshed incidents cause a public uproar and draw criticism from all sides, as reported in major newspapers in New York and across the United States. However, West Point cadets don't seem to care; they consider it quite normal and find it very inspiring, helping to cultivate the courage and will of soldiers.

Under the influence of the military environment, many trainees crave the thrill and excitement of hand-to-hand combat and bloody battles. Some even consider it an honor to bleed and get injured in a "pillow fight," as if they have won a medal for their heroic battle on the battlefield. If you don't go out the next day with a bruised and swollen face, a bandaged head, and a limp on crutches, you'd be too embarrassed to greet others.

West Point officials stated that they welcomed the cadets' fighting spirit, regretted the bloodshed and injuries, condemned the violence, and would investigate the cause of the incident. Ultimately, no punishment or disciplinary action was taken, and of course, the major battle would continue the following year.

The school's message was very clear: if they can't even handle this little bit of fighting, wouldn't they just be lambs to the slaughter on the battlefield? Soldiers must have guts; soldiers must be wolves, not sheep!

In short, it can be summed up as: "It's a great pity, but we'll try again next year."