Squad 1777's New Recruits

Shang Nianhua felt wronged barely a second after becoming Squad 1777's sister-in-law. Judging by how Lao Jian couldn't wait to let go and hand off the task, she suspected this might very well be an emotional scam. While she voiced her grievances, Lao Jian just sat there looking at her, seeming completely at a loss, his gaze growing increasingly nervous and earnest. None of this seemed faked. Seeing this, Shang Nianhua felt slightly better. She paused, raised her chin, and said, "Go on, speak." "Yeah." Lao Jian nodded vigorously, leaned in, and asked carefully, "Then are you still willing to help? I mean, about Qingzi and the other three." *Clatter!* The chair beside the hospital bed scraped back as Shang Nianhua stood straight up. "So by that, you're admitting you tricked me?" "No, I mean it!" Lao Jian defended himself while hurriedly scrambling out of bed. Leaping down, he dashed two steps to block Shang Nianhua's path. Looking at her, he hesitated for a second before testing the waters, "How about... we hug a little longer first?" Shang Nianhua: "..." She was speechless, yet in that instant, a laugh had already begun bubbling up inside her. She fought to keep a straight face. "Or we could just chat while hugging?" Lao Jian added cautiously. Shang Nianhua averted her gaze and stepped to the side, circling around him without sparing him another glance as she walked toward the door... Only when her hand reached the doorknob did she pause and say: "You're hopeless." "I know. Otherwise, how do you think I stayed single all this time?" Lao Jian actually admitted it outright, his voice drooping behind her. "Back then, first I was obsessed with physics, then I was bent on chopping Great Spikes. I just never grew that kind of brain. Besides, I've never taken the initiative before. Today was my first time." Her back to him, Shang Nianhua didn't make a sound. Waiting several seconds without getting a response, Lao Jian's spirits sank. He felt his romance might be over before it started. Then another thought struck him: *I've spent my whole life tackling things head-on. I can't just wimp out this time.* With that, Lao Jian strode over. Reaching the doorway, he spun around, pressed his back against the wall, and shoved his way across brazenly. He nudged aside Shang Nianhua's hand on the doorknob, barricading the exit. Shang Nianhua looked up at him, puffing her cheeks. "What are you doing?" "I want to ask you: for someone hopeless like me, could you try saving him?" Lao Jian's eyes were earnest. Shang Nianhua looked at him in silence, appearing to ponder. *Tick, tock.* Suddenly she burst into laughter, her eyes lighting up with brilliance. Nodding twice, she said, "Fine, then I'll try." Lao Jian was about to speak, but she raised a hand to cover his mouth first. "Alright. For once you did something right, so no reckless talk now. Let me enjoy being happy for a moment." Shang Nianhua smiled. "Anyway, about what you mentioned, I agree." Lao Jian mumbled, "Really?" "...Mm." Shang Nianhua turned and walked toward the window on the far side of the room. As she walked, she said, "I've already thought it through. Right now, I just hope every clan like our Shang clan gets ravaged once by those brats, preferably tormented until they fall apart." In this moment, having made up her mind, Shang Nianhua spoke with fierce resolve. There was even anticipation in her tone, mixed with the thrill of vengeance. A sinister aura seeped out. *Truly the most vicious... no, a woman of formidable spirit,* Lao Jian thought, a chill running down his spine. Before the windowsill, Shang Nianhua turned back around. "Right, can I get back at them in the future? I mean Han Qingyu and the others. I want to pay them back for bullying me." The sinister aura instantly vanished. Only then did Lao Jian remember that Shang Nianhua had been brought in as a captive. Just the last time they met, she was being threatened and intimidated by Han Qingyu, Wen Jifei, and the rest. And now, she had become their squad's sister-in-law. "Probably," Lao Jian said. He first considered his own standing, hesitating slightly, but after another thought, his tone grew firm. "Yeah, you can." In truth, it should be fine. Naughty kids might be irreverent toward an older brother and tough to bully, but they usually gave face to their sister-in-law. "That's good, then." Shang Nianhua curled her lips into a smile. "Then should we hurry things up? You could head back in the next couple of days?" Lao Jian asked. When his gaze met hers... he shrank back slightly. "Did I mess up again? Don't be mad, I..." "I'm not mad." Shang Nianhua exhaled heavily. "I've made up my mind. Staying with you, I'll just treat it as spiritual cultivation—tempering my temper and character." The two looked at each other and both laughed. Two days later, on September 29, Lao Jian personally saw them off as Shang Nianhua and Que Qingshang departed from Squad 1777's base. As prisoners, their presence hadn't been formally reported through official channels yet, so leaving wasn't difficult. In fact, Shang Nianhua also felt she ought to hurry back. Any further delay, and she feared her authority might be eroded, making it harder to take control of the situation back home. That same day, Lao Jian also led a team and departed from the base. Three days later, on October 2, at the Ninth Army War Training Base parade ground. Delayed by over a month due to the fighting at Xilang Peak, the "Recruit Graduation" ceremony for the Class of 1991 was underway. The scene was almost identical to last year's. Representatives had arrived from every squad in the Ninth Army. The rivalry between Eraser's two premier aces, Golden and White, continued as before, with just as much combat-drill scouting and clandestine poaching going on. Apart from hearing that there were more recruits this year, with more promising seeds than last year, it seemed nothing had changed. At that same old spot, Squad 1777's marker still displayed neither a color nor a squad emblem. Holding a total of thirteen recruit quotas in his hand, Lao Jian looked up at the long line stretching over a hundred meters in front of the table, taking in the unfamiliar yet resolute gazes in the queue. "You guys shouldn't just look at the rankings," Lao Jian said with a bitter smile. Squad 1777 was currently ranked first in annual points. "Squad 1777 isn't as strong right now as the rankings suggest." No one in the line moved. "We don't have any top-tiers anymore," Lao Jian added candidly. This had been a premier ace squad on the rise, but it had just simultaneously lost its three top combat powers, one of whom had even stood above the top-tier. Squad 1777's once virtually guaranteed crimson dream appeared shattered. Still, no one moved. A brief silence hung over the queue. "There will be, Captain Lao. I will be one, or someone among us will be. Just pick," someone in the line spoke up. "That's right, Captain Lao." Another voice paused, then added, "Even if Major Qing and the others really aren't coming back, those of us chosen won't let anyone tarnish the name of 1777 that they polished over this past year." Lao Jian nodded repeatedly. Even though he knew the four weren't actually dead, his eyes couldn't help but redden slightly. After all, they were gone. Whether they would definitely return, and when, Lao Jian honestly had no certainty himself and couldn't help worrying. He had simply kept it hidden. Yet the young men before him were still eager to follow in their footsteps and come to Squad 1777. The atmosphere was slightly somber, yet uplifting, brimming with hot blood and courage. "Don't worry, everyone. Once I join, I'll definitely be a top-tier." A voice that somewhat ruined the mood suddenly piped up. "Reporting, Captain Lao! Grade A+, Zhao Erzhu, reporting as a new recruit for 1777!" A solidly built, muscular young man over 1.8 meters tall jogged out from the line, ran up before Lao Jian, snapped to attention, and saluted. *Grade A+?! This guy with zero discipline... wait, zero discipline?* Lao Jian's heart suddenly stirred. With keen interest, he asked: "Where are you from? How did you end up in Azure?" "Yuejiang Province. No need to get into the specific details, right?" Zhao Erzhu grinned. "The reason I came... is because of my younger brother." "Oh? Your brother is in Azure?" Lao Jian guessed. Zhao Erzhu: "No, he's a street thug." Zhao Erzhu had an older sister named Da Liang. He also had a younger brother three years his junior named Zhao Sandun, a petty hoodlum on the streets. "Do you guys know what a Double Flower Red Pole is? It means the guy in the crew who's crazy good at fighting. Probably because he fought with me every single day growing up," Zhao Erzhu said. "Once he hit his teens, he went out fooling around, always getting into brawls. He loved fighting by nature. If a gang brawl was set for tomorrow, he'd be the type to head over the night before and sleep there waiting. He drove my parents half to death with anger." Quiet chuckles rippled through the queue. Lao Jian nodded. "And then? What does that have to do with you coming to Azure?" "Well, one time, just as he was about to head out at night, my parents caught him. They stayed up all night, tying him up and watching over him." Zhao Erzhu paused, then said solemnly, "So I thought, *This won't do. If the gang set a brawl and my brother doesn't show up, how is he supposed to carry on in the underworld?!*" "So?" Qi Rourou, who had come along this time, finally couldn't help chiming in. Zhao Erzhu: "So I went instead! I went to sleep on that wild hillside in the outskirts where they'd agreed to meet, waiting to take the fight for him." A roar of laughter erupted from the crowd. Even someone as aloof as Qi Rourou cracked a smile. Lao Jian couldn't hold back either, chuckling as he asked, "And then a Great Spike landed?" "Yep," Zhao Erzhu said. "I was half-asleep and dazed, thinking the other side had ambushed early, so I grabbed my piece and charged right in." "..." Regardless of whether the crowd had completely lost it, Zhao Erzhu carried on: "Then a crowd of dozens came flying over like the wind. I thought, *I'm done for. Seems like I can't take this many.* But at least it was me who came, not my brother. "Then I took another look—they didn't seem to be coming for me at all! *Whoosh, whoosh,* they rushed right past me, charged in, and hacked two Great Spikes to death. To be honest, I was completely stunned. I just stood there clutching my weapon without dodging. "Afterward, they came over and said I was pretty fierce. I said, 'Of course.' Then they asked if I wanted to join the army, so I put on a big red rosette and came to serve. My parents were thrilled to death..." Lao Jian: "But this is Azure. You know that, right?" "Didn't I get duped? I only found out after I arrived," Zhao Erzhu said. By now, the line had dissolved into utter pandemonium from laughter. Zhao Erzhu remained unperturbed and continued, "Still, I figure I'm protecting my parents and my brother, so I'll do it." *This is exactly our kind of guy!* Lao Jian reached out and clapped him on the shoulder. "Alright, go register." "Awesome!" Zhao Erzhu scampered off to the back to register in high spirits. Lao Jian composed himself and turned back. He exchanged glances for a few seconds with the person now at the head of the remaining queue. "That fellow is an A+!" the man said. "So does 1777 take Grade Bs?" Of course they took Grade Bs. Grade B was already very good. Lao Jian himself was only a Grade C, and plenty of members in Squad 1777 currently had fusion degrees below Grade B. Besides, He Tangtang, who had held the rear alone on the plateau this time, was a Grade B+. Not everyone could be Han Qingyu, and even Han Qingyu was only an A. Squad 1777 had even had Dice not long ago... Lao Jian's current mindset didn't treat degree of fusion as the sole criterion; he primarily judged the person. "Judging by your looks, though, you seem to be around thirty?" Lao Jian said frankly. "Twenty-eight. The wind and rain make me look a bit older," the man replied. "Captain Lao, you can't look at it that way. If Major Qing had enlisted at thirty, would you have taken him or not?" *Of course I would,* Lao Jian thought, nodding. "Fair point. Tell me about your background, then." "Grade B, Hu Biaomao. Came from... a boat," the man said. "From a boat?" Lao Jian grew curious. "Yeah. Just someone making a living on the sea," Hu Biaomao said. "Fishing?" "No. Smuggling." The line collapsed into chaos once again. "...Oh." Lao Jian caught his breath. "And how did you end up here? A Great Spike landed on your boat?" "Nope." Hu Biaomao turned it over in his mind. Drawing a quick connection from Zhao Erzhu's situation earlier, he figured that how one arrived at Azure was probably Squad 1777's most crucial recruitment criterion. "I worked with my older brother. My brother is Boss Hu... Anyway, if any of you have sailed the seas, you'd know him. He's very famous." In Azure, the names of family members were strictly guarded secrets that could never be revealed. Sensing he had already said too much, Hu Biaomao promptly shut his mouth, skipped ahead, and said: "Anyway, that's the business we were in. Out at sea, we had a tiny, deserted island in a very remote spot where we'd stash goods temporarily. One time, feeling uneasy, I rowed a small boat out to check on the cargo. Before the boat even touched shore, I heard a huge commotion on the island, like people hacking at each other. "I thought, *Damn it, is someone stealing our stash? And fighting over it?! Aren't they courting death?! Sick of living...* Thinking that, I grabbed my blade and charged right up to kill them. "Turns out, there was a whole crowd of people hacking away at Transformers." Amid the raucous scene, Lao Jian stifled his laugh and nodded. "And then you enlisted?" "Yeah. When my brother heard, he was dumbfounded. He said, 'What kind of setup is this—two brothers, one a soldier and one a thief?!' He told me to make sure I drew a clear line between us, but I refused. Good thing our Azure isn't regular military anyway." Amid the uproarious laughter, Lao Jian fell silent for a moment. Truth be told, in the past, he would never have accepted someone who broke the law like this. But now, what he loved most was the bandit streak in Han Qingyu. The man before him was a genuine bandit. Reaching out, Lao Jian patted Hu Biaomao's shoulder. "Go on, you go register too." "Yes, sir! Thank you, Captain Lao!" Hu Biaomao ran off joyfully, thinking to himself: *Called it! How you got here is the key.* At the same time, he tucked the gold bar in his hand further up his sleeve. Hu Biaomao had originally planned to use it as a bribe. He desperately wanted to get into Squad 1777. *Running in a squad is just like running in the underworld. You don't have to be the strongest or biggest from the start, but you must have drive, and you must be ruthless enough.* That was the reason Hu Biaomao was determined to join Squad 1777. While registering, he ran into Zhao Erzhu. The two greeted each other, feeling quite a bond of affinity. On the other side, watching two of Squad 1777's thirteen quotas get used up in the blink of an eye, the people in line grew somewhat nervous. Qi Rourou was quite nervous too—more accurately, quite worried for Squad 1777. Standing behind Lao Jian, he reached out, tugged at his captain's clothes, and whispered: "Captain Lao, how about we recruit a few normal people too?" A Brief Explanation Because of the previous chapter, a friend chatted with me for a bit. So I'll give a brief explanation. Azure and Earth are not the same world. Other characters from my previous work will not appear. (Actually, they don't really count as appearing here either.) As for Zhao Erzhu and Hu Biaomao, remember I mentioned once before that I always felt it would be pretty fun if the Oval Duo chopped Great Spikes in Azure? So in the end I couldn't resist, writing an older brother and a younger brother. Everyone can just treat them as an Easter egg. Anyway, how should I put it? Personally, I don't really like having the main characters from several of an author's books crossover; I feel that creates an uncomfortable disconnect in immersion. Besides, when it comes to characterization, I really hope to maintain consistency and distinction. For instance, in the previous chapters where the four were interrogated, readers might not have thought much of it, but writing it was actually quite difficult for me, because I had to respect each character's personality and growth. 1. Han Qingyu: The focus is on why he was angry and why his reaction was so domineering at the time. This was actually his growth and change. He has become very powerful, and has overcome many unimaginable hardships. His self-perception is quietly changing, without him even realizing it. So, when he saw that lamp, I wrote that he didn't know whether his emotion was frustration or something else... In truth, he felt offended. 2. Then regarding Wu Xu's reaction: First, it's based on his own personality; second, he was influenced by the environment; third, it's his protective instinct toward the others in the squad. So he tried very hard, breaking through his limits to say so much and telling a complete lie. 3. As for Rusty Sister, she's just a seventeen-year-old girl. Her behavior was slightly childish. Because her teammates around her are so strong, she truly had no fear in her heart, so even during an interrogation, she seemed very lively. In addition, because she's a girl, she could think of using how fair her skin was to argue back. Here, everyone will notice that in the days after meeting Han Qingyu, she has actually lived very happily and returned to being a young girl, as if making up for all the lost happiness of the past. 4. Finally, Wen Jifei: Character-wise, he is the hardest to write. Because his antics and shenanigans have to be fun, satisfying, and at the same time possess intent and purpose. So, everyone realized in the end that even when he talked about the dream, it was all part of a continuous psychological manipulation, such that when he finally broke through Howard's and Arthur's psychological defenses by fabricating a massacre, it actually formed a complete process. Finally, no trolls, no trolls, no trolls. I'm just chatting with reader friends. Good night.