Chapter 399, Letter of Protest

In the command headquarters, Zhou Yinglong said to Zhang Xiaoman in a serious tone, “Yesterday, I handed in the battle report, and today the commander’s commendation for you came down, special treatment during wartime shows that the commander attaches great importance to you.”

Zhang Xiaoman looked flattered, “What did the commander say?”

“It’s like this, your previous rank was in fact half a rank higher, but because the Sharp Dagger Company is a reinforced company, so although your treatment has been raised, your position has remained unchanged,” Zhou Yinglong said, “This time, you’ve made a merit again, and the Cadre Division is ready to start talking to you over there. ……”

Hearing this, Zhang Xiaoman already knew what was going on, “I’m not leaving the Sharp Dagger Company!”

Zhou Yinglong froze for a moment, “This is a good thing, why aren’t you happy about it?”

“Our sharp knife company is now fighting a hard battle, what’s the point of me being the company commander leaving? Even if I am transferred, it will have to be after the war is over,” Zhang Xiaoman raised his voice and roared.

“What are you yelling for,” Zhou Yinglong was not happy, “Now is the preliminary ask your thoughts, it was a good thing, let you give into what.”

“Battalion Commander, is it that the commander wants me to make room for Ren Xiaosu? That’s fine, you let me be a soldier in the Sharp Dagger Company,” Zhang Xiaoman said, “I’ll willingly let him be the company commander, but I won’t leave the Sharp Dagger Company.”

Zhou Yinglong was sort of out of temper, for example, Zhang Xiaoman’s unwillingness to be promoted, even preferring to be demoted rather than leave the company, I’m afraid that only in their 178th Fortress troops would there be such a situation.

However, Zhou Yinglong said, “Then you should be your sharp knife company commander, this has nothing to do with Ren Xiaosu, your company’s awarding commendation has already come down, the whole company’s third class merit, only without him.”

“On what grounds?” Zhang Xiaoman was shocked, “Just because he was the Commander’s chosen one, he was treated so harshly?”

This time Zhang Xiaoman really froze, he originally thought that transferring him was to make room for Ren Xiaosu, although he searched for the fact that Ren Xiaosu wouldn’t be promoted so quickly.

But it turned out to be the other way around, the whole company received commendations, only Ren Xiaosu got nothing.

“Alright, we can’t figure out the Commander’s thoughts, you go back first, the awarding ceremony will take place at night,” Zhou Yinglong waved his hand.

Zhang Xiaoman absentmindedly returned to the company and continued to lead the group in running drills, but everyone could see that Zhang Xiaoman had something on his mind.

“Company Commander, disliked by the Battalion Commander?” Jiao Xiao Chen asked, “It always feels like you have something on your mind.”

Zhang Xiaoman said, “Because of defeating Dingyuan Mountain and Guanshan Mountain, the commander decided to give each of us a third-class merit.”

“That’s a good thing,” Jiao Xiao Chen was overjoyed, “Maybe our sharp knife company will all become officers after the battle.”

“What’s good about it,” Zhang Xiaoman said, “Only Ren Xiaosu doesn’t get this third-class merit.”

When these words came out, everyone froze: “Why? Even if Ren Xiaosu didn’t mention much about himself in the report, the whole company got a third-class merit, so why didn’t he? Is there something wrong with the report, let’s go find the battalion commander to rewrite a combat report?”

“Yeah, let’s go find the commander! It’s not fair!”

“Ren Xiaosu put his life on the line for the company’s mission, you can’t get anyone else to climb up that hill, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be able to do much damage to the bandits’ nest,” Jiao Xiao Chen said urgently, “He should have gotten the first credit for this battle!”

Everyone looked at Ren Xiaosu, but Ren Xiaosu smiled and said, “It’s okay, I want to take the credit is not much use, do not have to help me to find the commander, did not you guys say, soldiers in the army, obedience is the vocation, how the upper arrangements with them as well, we listen to the order on it.”

Zhang Xiaoman said, “You have to fight for yourself!”

“What’s there to fight for,” Ren Xiaosu smiled and continued to run forward, “Hurry up and run the drill, or else we won’t be able to make it to dinner later.”

Everyone looked at each other, not knowing what to say.

……

The awarding ceremony in the evening was more important, and the forward base was running this awarding as a mobilization meeting to boost the military’s morale.

However, on Zhang Xiaoman’s side, he called all the soldiers of the Sharp Knife Company except Ren Xiaosu together, “Listen up, you all, we are writing this joint protest as an underhanded approach, if the Commander is not happy, I’m afraid that you all won’t have much of a future in the military in the future.”

“I don’t believe it, the Commander isn’t that kind of person, he can listen to suggestions,” Jiao Xiao Chen denied, “I’ll sign it anyway, this credit must go to Ren Xiaosu, if Ren Xiaosu doesn’t fight for it, we’ll fight for him.”

Zhang Xiaoman said, “Alright, then I’ll write it, and you guys sign it!”

A group of brown men lowered their heads to figure out how to write this protest letter, it was also really difficult for them.

At this time, Zhang Jinglin has arrived at the forward base, is meeting with all the combat sequence of the generals, just said to the line of the Beiwan River how to cross the river, outside the orderly came in and whispered to him: “All the non-commissioned officers of the sharp knife company to say that it is on behalf of the sharp knife company to send a letter of protest.”

Zhang Jinglin smiled, “Didn’t you just say that you’re going to give them third class merit, what’s there to protest about, let them come in.”

The other generals whispered, “Then commander we go out first?”

“No need,” Zhang Jinglin shook his head, “All listen to what the little brothers of our sharp knife company want to protest.”

Zhang Xiaoman, Jiao Xiao Chen and other non-commissioned officers were brought into the command tent, Zhang Jinglin smiled, “Speak up, what do our first battle successes want to protest?”

“This is our protest letter,” Zhang Xiaoman handed the crumpled paper to Zhang Jinglin, “We just feel that the treatment Ren Xiaosu suffered wasn’t quite fair, we want to rewrite the battle report, he’s the one who got the first credit for this battle.”

“Oh,” Zhang Jinglin nodded his head and read the protest letter, which was also signed by all the soldiers of the Sharp Knife Company, he said, “You mean you forged the battle report, and you, Zhang Xiaoman and Jiao Xiaochen, claimed the military credit fraudulently?”

Zhang Xiaoman gritted his teeth and said, “Even if you discipline us, Commander, we’ll admit it, but Ren Xiaosu really did have merit, you can’t give all of us a third-class merit and end up forgetting him, isn’t that slapping us in the face.”

Zhang Jinglin calmly said, “Let’s treat the matter not the person, forging a battle report gives the military a notice of criticism, and fraudulently claiming a military merit then all of you must be canceled from the third class merit this time around, even if you are meritorious, there is no exception to this, as for Ren Xiaosu’s matter, I know.”

Zhang Xiaoman and the others were a bit confused, what did knowing mean?

After saying that, they were taken out of the tent by the orderlies, Zhang Jinglin smilingly threw the protest letter to the other generals, “Take a look at them all.”

Zhou Yinglong sat at the end, thinking that Commander Zhang looked like he was clearly in a good mood, the Commander threw this protest letter for the other generals to read, clearly to tell all the generals what his chosen Ren Xiaosu had done.

A soldier who had just joined the company, how could he make a group of comrades fight for a third-class merit and help him protest?

This Ren Xiaosu was more popular than one would expect in a sharp knife company.

If you yourself are a beam of light, then you will eventually encounter other lights behind that dark thundercloud.