WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

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Chapter 352: A Splendid Invitation (4)

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He was finally leaving.

The morning of September 29. In his office, Gyeoul sat with his back to the window and checked the list. It was the roster of those who would board the eastbound transport at dawn tomorrow. At the very top was Gyeoul's name, the highest-ranking person among them, followed by slightly more names than a single company would require.

The extra names were there because the roster included civilian scholarship students. They had been granted university admission through a special government admissions track. Half of their education expenses had to be covered by the Gyeoul Alliance. The funds had been scraped together with difficulty, including from private contributions.

The financial burden was heavy, and so were the expectations placed on the students. That was why the selected students' smiles had carried a faint shadow. Plenty of scholarship foundations would take an interest in students from Fort Roberts, but if the students' own abilities could not live up to that interest, it would all be useless in the end.

Since Fort Roberts did not have regular airline service, the students would accompany Gyeoul on the same transport plane to Las Vegas McCarran International Airport. From there, they would transfer to ordinary passenger routes.

Gyeoul would not leave right away from there. The itinerary starting tomorrow was set to pass through several cities before and after arriving in D.C. Las Vegas was the first. The soldiers could simply enjoy themselves like tourists, but Gyeoul could not. War bond promotions, ceremonial meetings with important figures, attendance at other events, and more. After the victory parade, he would also go to New York.

'A little... burdensome.'

Some of the disaster refugees from Hawthorne were staying in Las Vegas. They were people who had been forced to leave the city to escape General Yang Yongbin's nuclear strike. The radiation contamination from a nuclear explosion had a short half-life, and the government was also carrying out decontamination work, so partial returns would probably be possible within a few months.

What felt burdensome, as expected, was the matter of the hunt for the nuclear submarine Changcheng 9, Operation Fair Strike. Republican Party presidential candidate Kramer had announced that after Greek Islands, he planned to reveal something else. What that would be, only the candidate and the people close to him likely knew for now.

As Anne had said, even if the full truth of the operation came to light, Gyeoul would not suffer a fatal blow. But there was no denying that the current administration had profited by distorting the truth. If that led to a political brawl, Gyeoul's name would come up often as someone involved.

「Platoon- halt!」

A forceful command, still carrying a slightly young tone, pierced the closed window. Gyeoul set down the list and turned around. Beyond the fruit trees where tiny golden finches chirped, he could see the dry, earth-colored parade ground.

Boys and girls in Army Dress Blue stood in formation there. They were middle and high school students belonging to Fort Roberts' Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps (JROTC). They could not be dismissed just because they were Junior ROTC. By pre-plague standards, at least thirty percent of Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps cadets had gone on to become real commissioned officers. Now that there was a shortage of officers in absolute terms, that ratio had become much higher.

To join the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps at Fort Roberts, students had to make it through fierce competition. Some students liked it simply because the Dress Blue looked cool. Others thought about it more realistically in terms of their future plans. And finally, some trained because their parents pressured them into it.

'I thought that cadet platoon leader looked familiar...'

On the day he had observed the shooting class, there had been a child who got scolded harshly by his mother.

The one walking back and forth with an evaluation board and grading their drill was Jin-seok, commander of the Independent Battalion's Alpha Company. With an ambitious personality and a streak of showmanship, there was no reason Jin-seok would turn down an event where civilians could see them. Alpha Company's urban tactical training had ended yesterday, so Jin-seok would have time to spare too.

'Running them until the day before departure is a little unnatural after all.'

They had said the personnel heading to D.C. would be selected in order of training results, but no matter what, it was only normal for the roster to be finalized at least one day in advance. If the soldiers noticed the "white lie," it would do the new company commander no good. Thanks to that, the soldiers who had been so excited they had lost sleep still showed no sign of fatigue.

Right now, they were gathered in small groups, watching the younger cadets march past in review.

The people scheduled for interviews with Gyeoul from now on would have to cross through that bright atmosphere. It had not been intentional, but it was not a bad thing. The first group was approaching.

As he waited, Gyeoul spoke before the footsteps outside the door could turn into a knock.

"Come in."

The people who had paused opened the door and entered. The three, all visibly nervous, were half of the six officer candidates Major Singh had mentioned before and Gyeoul had said he wanted to meet.

"Ensign Sun Xian and two others have come in response to your summons."

"At ease."

Gyeoul sat in front of them as they stood at attention. The desk stood between them.

Sun Xian had originally been a middle manager who claimed to be the joint spokesperson of Wo Shing Wo and Shui Fong, branches of the Triad, a White Paper Ship. Back when Gyeoul had still been a Lieutenant, it had also been Sun Xian who sent a letter from the logging worksite asking to be accepted into the alliance. The other two were equal in rank, but they had entrusted Sun Xian with the right to speak, so in practice, Sun Xian held the highest place in the hierarchy.

"I assume you know why I called you."

"Yes, sir." Their voices overlapped. For people who had once been gangsters, their discipline was rigid. Their desire showed through. After deliberately letting the silence hang, Gyeoul spoke directly.

"First. There is no company commander among you."

Disappointment flashed across the three faces. But only faintly. It meant that although they had secretly hoped for it, they had not expected much. Still, a little unease followed.

"Next."

Gyeoul raised a finger.

"I also cannot make all three of you platoon leaders."

The tension rose another notch.

"The person who is not selected here will be given another chance later. Of course, whether you can take the position then will depend on your own effort. I am not telling you to do anything more in particular. This is advice so you do not go off the rails out of disappointment."

"..."

In truth, it was closer to a warning than advice.

"Ensign Sun Xian. Ensign Liu Jianchao."

The two answers, slightly delayed, sounded like a fading echo. Had they passed, or failed?

"You two will be Bravo Company's 2nd Platoon leader and weapons platoon leader, respectively. The troops you command will likely be reinforced based on the volunteer platoons you were already in charge of. That is how it turned out, so I look forward to working with you."

A restrained sigh escaped Liu Jianchao. It was relief. The thought that this was enough showed plainly. Sun Xian did not reveal much, but the feeling inside was probably similar. They must have come prepared to consider it fortunate if even one of them was chosen.

This was a judgment based on things they often said at drinking gatherings. Even without old Kang Yeong-sun, there were plenty of people willing to act as Gyeoul's ears. That had also influenced the selection.

The one person left out, Xu Jinrong, darkened.

Gyeoul continued.

"I wanted to at least see the company established before leaving... but circumstances did not allow it. While I am gone, deputy battalion commander Major Bahadur Singh will take command. Additional training will come first, though. When I return, I hope to see a company that has become sufficiently combat-ready."

"We will do our best."

Sun Xian and Liu Jianchao spoke in unison.

Gyeoul turned his gaze.

"Ensign Xu Jinrong will manage the volunteer platoon as before."

"Yes, sir."

Xu Jinrong's face did not brighten easily. Ensign or platoon in name, until they were incorporated into a standing formation, they would be regarded as half-finished.

The thing that showed their position most plainly was their insignia. Like Gyeoul when he had first become a volunteer, most refugee volunteers could not even wear proper rank insignia. In other words, they were treated the same as brand-new trainees.

The ensigns were much the same. The rank insignia had only been given to them as advertising boards to make recruiting volunteers easier, so to U.S. soldiers from the mainland, they were treated as fake officers.

Naturally, they had fewer chances to receive missions and fewer chances to earn achievements.

'Stability is also a problem.'

How long could they remain volunteers, and officers in name only? Widespread anti-Chinese sentiment held them back. People like Capstone were rare.

They were in a far better position than other refugees in that they received fixed pay and their citizenship would be confirmed after enough time passed. But people always looked up more than down.

That was where the relief of the two whose placement in Bravo Company had been confirmed came from.

Gyeoul loosely laced his fingers on top of the desk.

"That is all I have to pass on... If you have any questions, suggestions, or anything else you want to say, I will listen. Anything is fine, so speak freely."

"..."

"Nothing?"

Of course they had something. The three eased out of their stiffness and exchanged glances. Their representative was still Sun Xian.

"First, I would like to offer my sincere thanks."

Gyeoul watched quietly, and Sun Xian continued with care.

"It was already enough to be grateful for that you accepted us in the beginning, but honestly, until now, we felt somewhat adrift. Now that you have made this decision today, we finally feel certain that we have become people of the alliance. We will strive to repay your trust."

Gyeoul answered calmly.

"I will look forward to it. I do not think your qualities fall below the average level of the U.S. military. Depending on your mindset, you should be able to become more than good enough soldiers."

The comment about their level was not empty flattery. But it was not pure praise either.

'Well, the quality of the U.S. military's manpower has fallen that much...'

During Preventive Scalping, when they had focused on hunting Tricksters, one rescued soldier had testified that they had struggled to solve the code on an airdropped supply crate. Because they were worried the ammunition might fall into the mutants' hands, the four-digit password had been written as simple arithmetic.

That was the bare face of American public education, which had left ten percent of the adult population illiterate, and at the same time, the reality of an Army whose standards had become loose because it prioritized expanding manpower. If you thought about it, even before the plague, the U.S. military had been an army where enlisted soldiers from gangs caused trouble often enough.

The infamy of 「Kill Team」 was legendary in the worst sense. Scoundrels who had gone around hunting civilians in a war zone.

Sergeant D'Angelo's positive bewilderment at the education level of the former independent company soldiers had come from the same context. Why are there so many guys with college degrees? That sort of thing.

The three, unaware of these thoughts and hearing it as pure praise, seemed to be trying hard to hide their happiness. They had been held down long enough that he understood.

"Sir. May I ask one question?"

"What is it?"

"Is the commander of the company we belong to that woman?"

Gyeoul knew who Sun Xian meant, but he asked back as if he did not.

"That woman?"

"Um... Ensign Li Ailing."

"Ah. No, Ensign Li will take office as 3rd Platoon leader."

"She will be in the same company as us?"

"She could not be in a different company. The only company being organized with Chinese personnel this time is Bravo Company."

Gyeoul's answer seemed to fall outside Sun Xian's expectations.

"I... see? We heard five more companies were being made."

"I recently received guidance that since it is nominally an 'augmented infantry battalion,' it could become more than that later, but that does not mean all those companies have to be organized at once. For now, two combat companies this time, and one more to be added in the near future. The rest will be adjusted depending on the situation."

This had been Captain Foster's suggestion. If they were going to fill two companies with Chinese personnel, would it not be better to at least create a difference in their founding dates? It was meant to subtly encourage hierarchy conflicts, but the intention was not wholly bad.

Foster had explained it this way.

"I am concerned that if the soldiers draw lines according to their original nationality and socialize within those lines, it may have a bad effect on the atmosphere of the battalion as a whole. In fact, similar phenomena are sometimes found in other units as well..."

Black people with Black people, white people with white people, Latinos with Latinos. Once they started grouping off that way, the unity of the unit disappeared. That was what experience had taught him.

'Strictly speaking, that tendency exists among officers too.'

On that side, they looked at the path one took to become an officer.

Gyeoul's military achievements were overwhelming, so nobody ignored him.

Sun Xian asked another question.

"Then who will become the company commander?"

"I worried about that too, but fortunately, a Lieutenant from West Point is being assigned. It will be their first time as a company commander, but they have plenty of platoon command experience. Excellent grades as a cadet. Successive participation in Operation Manifest Liberation and Operation Boar Hunt. Even without commendations, those are excellent qualifications."

"...Were officers not in short supply?"

"Third-generation Chinese-American. The name is Gavin Cheng. Judging by your expressions, I do not think I need to explain the rest."

Whatever the circumstances, gaining highly educated personnel who had even graduated from a service academy was satisfying.

That said, Gavin Cheng's bloodline was the only Chinese part. Apparently, they had difficulty holding a conversation in Chinese.

'That might actually be better. A proper sense of distance, neither too far nor too close.'

The three before Gyeoul seemed somehow satisfied. They appeared relieved that someone they had a terrible relationship with, like Li Ailing or Fei Changlong, was not their superior.

"Anything else to say?"

At Gyeoul's question, Sun Xian straightened their posture.

"No, sir."

"Hmm... If anything comes up later, report it. Now I am your superior in the formal chain of command too. Dismissed for today. You may go."

The three saluted Gyeoul. He had chosen them because there were no suitable replacements, but they were people he would have to watch for the time being.

Footnotes:

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