Chapter 9 The So-Called Army

  "War is a mode of human self-invention, driven by the pursuit of certain interests, using what is considered the most effective means of slaughter to deprive opponents of their right to benefit. Therefore, at the beginning, war is not necessarily evil; it only reflects the different ways humans pursue good things and great benefits, unlike hard work. However, as the war progresses, when fellow tribesmen, comrades-in-arms who share the same big pot of rice, close relatives, and others lose their lives due to the opponent, or are brutally tortured by the opponent, then the war will become even more frenzied, until this point, war will reveal its cruelty!"

  "So, someone once said that the nature of war is not cruel, but human nature is. Humans are always animals and cannot escape the control of desires such as survival space, food, benefits, sex, and self-esteem. Various trivial matters and details gradually deepen the hatred between both sides, eventually brewing one tragic war after another. So, animals will always be animals and cannot become stones without any distracting thoughts, unless they have lost their minds. And wars will not disappear, unless humans stop reproducing or disappear."

  The army is the accomplice of war, it is the main body of war, and it is the ultimate source of all disasters. Humans build armies for the benefit of a certain collective, equipping them with advanced weapons, training soldiers with advanced methods, providing logistical support, and supplementing military facilities, all for the sake of maintaining or seizing so-called interests, dignity, and reputation. The existence of armies is justified by these intangible things, and they exist solely to kill or be killed, to guard or plunder interests. What's scary is not the thugs, but the thug culture; what's scary is not the criminals, but the organized crime that is the army.

  When interests rise to a certain level, the military or some organizations similar to the military will emerge to provide interest guarantees for this group or individual; when desires expand to an unacceptable level of rational control, the military and teams similar to the military will emerge, fully embodying the desires of the organization or individual.

  When the scale and real interests of the AsiaMe group expand to a certain extent, it also needs loyal guardians and strong forces to provide safety protection. Although such large-scale groups are generally difficult to be bullied by local governments or local rascals, because they can take root in one place, which already shows that they have become one with the locals, and the interest chain around the unshakeable base is often what a strong rabbit needs, this is also another explanation for why rabbits don't eat grass near their nests.

  Asia Mei Group in New York can also be considered a very fat rabbit, although rabbits do not eat grass at the edge of their nests, but there is no reason to stop rabbits from growing teeth, and for some reason, the teeth he needs must be exceptionally sharp, otherwise the truth that "rabbits bite people when they are anxious" will not work.

  "A total of 407 volunteers were recruited, and after training and elimination, there are now the 150 people you see before you." Zhang Yusheng stood on the viewing platform, pointing to the over one hundred people standing in formation inside the Asia Group Workers' Sports Stadium, which was also a soccer field. It was hard to imagine that not long ago they still had long braids, but today they all had uniform crew cuts, wore uniform dark green security uniforms, and carried Lee-Enfield rifles with a black sheen on their shoulders.

  "Have they finished their basic training in queue, physical fitness and shooting?" Zhang Yu looked at the "security team" that had already shown a bit of military demeanor, then said: "You only gave them rifles and bayonets, why didn't I see any hand grenades or machine guns, not even one cannon!"

  "Hey, are you awake? This is the security team! This is New York, USA, where there are hand grenades, machine guns, and cannons. It's a miracle we can even get our hands on a few rifles for each of them. Of course, we also have to thank the US Constitution for guaranteeing every citizen's right to overthrow tyranny and bear arms...". Zhang Yu Sheng said, looking at the "security team" with hope in his eyes as they stood at attention. "Hey, can we manufacture those things you mentioned earlier?" he asked suddenly after a long pause.

  "You're really ridiculous, you can manufacture cars but not rifles and cannons. Those things are simple in principle, the key is that the materials must pass the test. Just one military steel material, without a steel mill we have no way to deal with it. Without chemical plants, we also cannot produce explosives. This doesn't work, that doesn't work either, where can our military industry come from?" Zhang Yu said to Zhang Yusheng, whose face was full of foolishness.

  "I'm just asking! Since we lack something, then we need to do something. You make a list for me tomorrow and we'll solve the problems one by one. Alright, let's take a look at their grappling training achievements anyway! As security guards, they must know some of these things."

  "Who taught them? Was it that monk from Shaolin Temple? You really are adaptable, but also true to your roots. Using terms like 'grappling' is quite something." Zhang Yu said with a smile, and immediately fixed his gaze on the security team already setting up on the green lawn.

  Young people from several major Chinese gathering places in the United States, after layers of selection, the remaining team, each person is a determined and resolute individual, otherwise they would not have passed the so-called "Devil's Week" test.

  This is a test project personally formulated by Chang Yu-sheng, which combines physical ability, willpower, and teamwork tests into one. It is a half-cask level test that Chang Yu-sheng has created based on his own limited military knowledge, such as 5km cross-country running in the morning and evening, fixed-distance obstacle course running, crawling training in areas covered with barbed wire, team collaboration to transport heavy objects, etc. In short, all the tests that Chang Yu-sheng can think of are included in the "Devil's Week", which is a relatively successful test project. Those who have been selected through this process are already considered strong, and there will be more shooting and hand-to-hand combat projects in the later stages. Those who fail to meet the standards for three consecutive rounds will still be eliminated, regardless of whether they have passed the "Devil's Week" test.

  "Their physical quality is really good, it's surprising! Zhang Yu-sheng said that these people who used to work as dockworkers or railway station porters, forestry workers, and factory laborers had already developed a relatively good physical condition through long-term hard labor. After receiving regular military training, they fully possessed the physical qualities of soldiers, and were even stronger in some ways."

  For example, in the physical training of transporting ammunition boxes, those who used to work as porters would make the German army officers organizing the training open their mouths in surprise so wide that they could fit an entire egg. There are many outstanding performers in this aspect. A team member who had been working at a train station transporting flour for a long time had already developed strong physical strength due to the "good training" of capitalists during his time at the train station, and he could run hundreds of meters with two ammunition boxes weighing 60 kilograms in total under each arm. After being tempered for so long under the 12-hour work system required by capitalists, it is unknown how strong their physical strength is now.

  Indeed, the muscles have developed to a point where it's hard to change anymore, and the fighting movements are completely pursuing strength, stiff and lacking in flexibility. Running also lacks scientific breathing methods, relying solely on physical strength to support high-intensity cross-country running every day. If they can improve some of their training methods, I estimate that the training results will be even better! Zhang Yu concluded after watching the last event today, the 5km run before finishing work.

  "So I called you here to take a look and make some changes. That damned German has already taken the US dollars and is ready to return home, with you here, I won't need to hire foreign instructors anymore." Zhang Yusen followed Zhang Yu slowly leaving the stadium, looking back at the security team that had already gathered and was preparing to dismiss, then said: "They are very supportive of my revival efforts, they work so hard to accept training just for the various struggles after returning home. You have to come out and organize the training, your own team still needs someone from your own side to lead."

  Upon hearing the voice from behind, Zhang Yu suddenly stopped in his tracks and turned around to face Zhang Yusheng, saying: "If you plan on equipping every single person with a Colt handgun, a qualified soldier not only needs to learn how to throw grenades, shoot light and heavy weapons, and engage in close combat with knives, but also needs to have a handgun as a personal sidearm. Also, promise me that from now on, all military and technological matters will be under my jurisdiction. Alright, shut your mouth, don't mention whatever it is you're going to say, my ears are itching just listening to it!"

  "I haven't said anything yet? Originally, even if we were poor Americans who only had money left back then, didn't give each soldier a handgun? If I could print fake money, I would have given you a machine gun each...". Zhang Yusheng started his muttering again, but Zhang Yu, walking in front of him, completely ignored it. The two men walked one after the other, one silent and the other talking non-stop, slowly leaving the stadium.

  After the conditions were met, Zhang Yu took office very smoothly and moved in with his teammates on the first day. On the first night of their stay together, everyone must have had a hard time sleeping. The production director of the group would actually run to live and eat with a group of rough men regardless of his identity. Even though China has liberated its thinking, traditional hierarchical consciousness is still difficult for people to forget in a short period of time.

  "Swine butcher, where are you from? Looking at your build, I reckon you can slaughter a head of cattle by yourself without any problem!"

  At night, Zhang Yu and a dozen or so people had a rare physical strength competition before going to sleep. The first place winner was still the strong butcher, who did 250 push-ups and could even do a set of sit-ups afterwards. He was truly a mighty man. Even Zhang Yu, who thought he had been rigorously trained in his past life, couldn't compare to this "security guard" who had only been trained for a few months. This made him feel a bit embarrassed.

  "I'm from Shandong, after the Boxer Rebellion was suppressed by Empress Dowager Cixi, my father brought our whole family to Los Angeles, where I made a living by helping a farm owner slaughter cows. When AsiaMe Group came to recruit people, I joined them." The sturdy man spoke of his past in a very ordinary tone.

  "So your family is rich, huh? You can take a boat from China to the US and still find a job with food and drink, and you're so sturdy. By the way, we should call you 'Butcher'."

  "My father was originally a hall master, and when he was brutally suppressed, he took some money to send me and my mother away. He followed later. As a result, he was shot in the body when he boarded the ship. Although the bullet was removed with money, his physical condition was far from what it used to be. My mother also couldn't withstand the long journey of sitting on the boat, and soon after arriving in America, she became seriously ill. The money my father brought was all spent on treating my mother, while he himself grew thinner day by day. In the end, both of them left this world, and I had to rely on myself for good fortune. After working on the farm for many years, I didn't get a single penny, but the fat owner didn't treat me badly in terms of food, so I grew up relatively sturdy."

  "You're really lucky, having a good employer during your youth and being well-fed shows that he has some conscience. By the way, how did you know that the AsiaMe Group was hiring? Can your employer easily let you go?" Zhang Yu looked at the robust man with six-pack abs, which seemed to have explosive power like six C4 explosives.

  "I'm a butcher, I have to deliver goods to those restaurants on the street every day, so I naturally saw the notice of Ya Mei Group. And my boss, I gave him all my placement fees, he has been wanting to drive me away, this Chinese pig who eats too much, so I came here. Fortunately, I took a trailer sent by Ya Mei Group, if not, I would have been driven down!"

  Zhang Yu heard this and couldn't help but have another layer of understanding for this sturdy man, who was not only physically strong but also quite clever, no wonder he could pass Zhang Yusheng's repeated tests all the way to today. "And what about you? You look so lean, I'm sure you're quite frugal with your food and drink!" Zhang Yu said to a thin man on his lower bunk, saying that although he was thin and small, the muscles on his body showed that he was not an ordinary person.

  "I? I was just a small thief before I came here. In and out of the police station countless times, finally found an opportunity to start anew, I won't let it go no matter what."

  "Look at you, still speaking the truth. This can only explain why your evasive abilities are so strong, it turns out that being chased by people has honed your skills." Zhang Yu naturally knew which people were strong in certain aspects, and this skinny monkey's ability was also something he had seen before. "However, next time you'd better be careful, or don't blame me for not being polite."

  The darkness of the night grew deeper, like ink that made it hard to see one's own fingers in front of oneself. The soft murmurs of conversation gradually died down, leaving only the occasional sound of someone turning over and breathing, as the people in the security team's dormitory area had all fallen asleep.

  At 2 am, the moon that had gone to graze who-knows-where was not going to come out for a stroll, only the dim streetlights lit up the factory roads. Zhang Yu got up early and sat outside for a long time, looking at his watch in the dim light of the streetlights, then blew the whistle in his hand.

  "Drip~~~~!!"

  A shrill whistle sounded, quickly waking up the sleeping crowd. "Emergency assembly, emergency assembly!! Quick, get up, you monkeys, Hunan chili, turtle sons, hurry up and get out of bed." The first to wake up was the squad leader, who quickly patted awake those still asleep, among whom the butcher slept the deepest.

  Ten minutes later, everyone was fully armed and lined up in front of Zhang Yu, each standing upright with their chest out and abdomen in, full of spirit.

  "Tang Renhui, what was your best record for emergency assembly in the past?" Zhang Yu walked directly to the front of the first row and shouted loudly.

  "Report, 3 minutes and 27 seconds!"

  "How much time did you spend today?" Zhang Yu looked around at the fully armed team, each member's steel gun and bayonet shining brightly after being wiped clean, and their backpacks were also neatly arranged. It was clear that they had undergone long-term training, but this took a bit too long. Ten minutes would be enough for a battalion to quickly march nearly three kilometers, resolve a low-intensity encounter battle, etc. "Why did it take so long to get ready tonight? Who can tell me!"

  "Is it because you've changed commanders that you think you should take a break, and put on a kind-hearted high-level executive who doesn't know how to train you?! You think you can relax just because you're wearing this uniform? When you put on this uniform, you should have the awareness of being ready for battle at all times. When you hold a rifle, you should be prepared to move out at any moment. Everyone get ready, run one lap around the outer ring road of the group. Whoever falls behind won't need to eat breakfast tomorrow."

  "Everyone has it, turn left and run!!" Zhang Yu gave the order and followed the team to run. Running around an industrial park with a scale of over 1,000 mu (about 666.67 square meters per mu), the perimeter of the rectangular industrial park is nearly ten kilometers long. Such a rapid running exercise has a unique flavor. Many people started vomiting as soon as they ran back to the football field, and that flavor was the taste of spitting out bitter water. Zhang Yu, who had not exercised for a long time, also vomited a little, wiped away the water stains from his mouth, and immediately assembled the team.

  After that, a lecture was inevitable. After a night of tossing and turning, the crowd returned to the dormitory at three o'clock in the morning. Without even washing their feet or changing clothes, the exhausted crowd had just finished packing up their equipment and fell asleep as soon as they lay down on their beds. They didn't even have time to think about what kind of day they would have under the leadership of such a special instructor. For them, it was still a rush to rest, with tomorrow's five-kilometer run waiting for them to conquer. However, they were especially envious of the team members who were on duty tonight, as they had escaped this crazy night.

  Zhang Yu did not return to the dormitory with them, but instead slowly returned to the office alone, pulling out a lot of materials to sort out a reasonable training outline. In this situation, it seems that it is necessary. However, he was still relatively satisfied with the team's reaction, and the firm willpower seemed to be true, not just Zhang Yu's boastful words. Not one person dropped out, and they all ran to the finish line together. There was no reason why such a team couldn't be led well, and of course, Zhang Yu also couldn't find any reason for himself not to lead them properly.