A Post-Apocalyptic Journey to Another World

The first batch of recruits' two-month training has ended. Zhang Xi and Wang Ruilong, who hadn't seen each other for two whole months, came to the recruit canteen and ordered two bottles of beer. This was the day when the recruits in the recruit camp would go their separate ways.

Zhang Xi and Wang Ruilong certainly didn't experience the bittersweet farewells of the other new recruits, because they would see each other again soon, but they figured they might as well drink the specially approved beer.

The military camp remains, but the soldiers come and go. The second batch of militiamen awaiting training will soon be stationed here. This is a day of farewell. The division headquarters has granted special permission for a farewell dinner where beer can be drunk, limited to one bottle per person, and dishes can be ordered instead of the usual gruel made with compressed biscuits and various nutritional supplements.

Zhang Xi tilted his head back and took a sip of beer. A cool, bittersweet sensation slid down his throat, and he sighed contentedly. In his previous life, his favorite thing to do after every adventure was to drink a beer. It had a low alcohol content, wouldn't get you drunk, could relieve fatigue, and was also nutritious—a favorite among low-ranking mercenaries.

Wang Ruilong also took a sip and asked, "Are you really determined to stay in the army? I asked our company commander, and he said that a minor like you staying in the army would be considered an unregistered resident, not part of the official establishment."

He glanced around and continued softly, "I think those monsters will reappear. If you stay, you'll just be cannon fodder! Let's go back to school! The school has formed a militia. If we go back, we can at least become militia platoon leaders and get some light weapons. If anything unexpected happens, we can band together and fight them together!"

Zhang Xi shook his head and said, "I've made up my mind. Little Fatty, when you get back, practice your marksmanship. Physical fitness is more important than marksmanship. Also, you need to stockpile some bullets in secret. And please let my family know I'm safe."

Wang Ruilong ate his food in silence and replied, "I know, anyone can see that something's wrong. The reason I'm here for military training despite all this weight gain is because you dragged me here and my dad pushed me. Don't worry, I'll visit your aunt and uncle often."

Such farewell scenes were repeated time and again in the cafeteria, with everyone bidding each other a reluctant goodbye before returning to face their unknown fates.

……

At a field army live-fire training ground.

Tanks roared, cannons boomed, and shells rained down, sending up clouds of earth and rocks.

Led by Li Liansheng and Long Wenzhang, Zhang Xi arrived at a tunnel that was three meters deep.

Having just finished basic training, Long Wenzhang, who had been rotated back to the Eighth Company, was reinstated as the squad leader of the Third Squad of the Eighth Company. He took recruit Zhang Xilai to experience a live-fire exercise, and on the way, they met Li Liansheng, so they came together.

Long Wenzhang seemed a bit impatient, jumping down from halfway down the steps, with Zhang Xi following behind and Li Liansheng bringing up the rear. Before they even reached the bottom of the pit, Zhang Xi heard a joyful voice, like the quacking of a drake: "Squad Leader Long! You're here. I've been waiting for you for so long!" The one who made this unpleasant voice was a short, unremarkable soldier.

He was a little shorter than Zhang Xi, less than 1.7 meters tall. Zhang Xi was almost 15 years old, while this soldier was already 18 or 19. He had a dark, square face—a truly square face—small eyes and a small nose. He was laughing happily, revealing his big, white front teeth. Zhang Xi later learned that this man's name was Xu Liang, and he had arrived at the Eighth Company a day earlier than Zhang Xi.

Xu Liang's cheerful smile vanished instantly upon Li Liansheng's appearance. He lowered his head, drooped his eyelids, and stood there listlessly, as if he owed the company commander tens of thousands of yuan.

Seeing Xu Liang's pathetic state, Li Liansheng's already bad expression worsened. He lost all interest in accompanying the new recruits through the exercise and turned to leave.

That evening, in the spacious dormitory of Class 3, everyone's expressions were solemn, indicating that this was no ordinary gathering. Class monitor Long Wenzhang was presiding over a ceremony to welcome the newcomers Xu Liang and Zhang Xi.

Long Wenzhang's voice was full of emotion: "I hope that the new comrades can understand the spirit of the Eighth Company from this ancient ceremony that has been going on for sixty years. For the veterans, this ceremony has been experienced many times. I hope that the veterans can still feel the pride of the Eighth Company from it."

Xu Liang stood in the queue, his face as docile and submissive as ever, with a hint of unease.

"Soldier Xu Liang, step forward!" That was the squad leader's shout.

Xu Liang stepped forward and said, "Hello everyone. My name is Xu Liang. I'm a new recruit who joined the army last year. I was transferred from the mess hall. I'm a great cook."

Squad leader: "Soldier Xu Liang, from today onwards, you are officially a member of the Steel Eighth Company! Soldier Xu Liang, how many people are in the Steel Eighth Company?"

Xu Liang didn't know. He looked around blankly: "More than a hundred people, right?"

"Wrong! It's 4,956 people! Of them, 1,104 sacrificed their lives for the country! Xu Liang, the Steel Eighth Company has been established for 61 years, and its number has changed many times. A total of 4,956 people have become members of the Steel Eighth Company!" the squad leader shouted, enunciating each word clearly.

“Soldier Xu Liang, you must remember, you are the 4,956th soldier of the Steel Eighth Company!” Long Wenzhang then shouted.

"Soldier Xu Liang, some companies are proud because they have produced combat heroes, some companies are proud because they have produced generals, but the pride of the Steel Eighth Company is the most sacred kind among soldiers! The Steel Eighth Company is proud of the heroes who died on the battlefield in hundreds of battles!"

“Soldier Xu Liang, the soldiers of the Steel Eighth Company must remember those predecessors who sacrificed themselves in the 61-year history of the company. You should also use the most powerful means to require every member of the Steel Eighth Company to remember our predecessors!”

"Soldier Xu Liang, during the Korean War, almost the entire Steel Eighth Company was wiped out and its designation was revoked. However, three soldiers who were protected by the rest of the company returned alive. They brought back the last wishes of 107 martyrs and rebuilt the Steel Eighth Company on the shoulders of these three young men with an average age of seventeen! From then on, the Steel Eighth Company lived on forever with their martyrs!"

"Soldier Xu Liang, in this sense, we live between the hopes and honors of the martyrs!"

After Xu Liang's induction ceremony, Long Wenzhang walked up to Zhang Xi and said, "Comrade Zhang Xi, due to your special circumstances, we cannot hold this ceremony for you for the time being. However, the spot for the 4,957th soldier in the Eighth Steel Company will be reserved for you until you come of age and officially join the company."

Zhang Xi nodded: "Understood!" Although this company had a glorious history and a strong sense of honor, Zhang Xi knew that it was impossible for him to officially join this company.

After the welcoming ceremony, squad leader Long Wenzhang told Zhang Xi and Xu Liang about the glorious history of the Eighth Company and the Fifth Platoon, as well as the many combat heroes that had emerged from them and the predecessors who had sacrificed their lives in the battles they had experienced throughout history.

They also achieved various results in competitions across the entire army and military region. In short, the soldiers of the Eighth Company have something to be proud of, but at the same time, they also endured more hardship and fatigue.

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