After Being Reborn, I became a firefighter again?

Train station.

The lines for the People’s Liberation Army and People’s Armed Police were distinct.

The cadres of the People’s Liberation Army and non-commissioned officers from the Armed Forces Department had helped the new recruits reorganize their backpacks, blankets, and bedding in three horizontal and two vertical folds, with a pair of shoes pressed on top, and their camouflage uniforms were also different from those of the People’s Armed Police.

The Armed Police Internal Guard had also rearranged things a bit, their blankets, and bedding. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The Firefighting personnel that came to pick up recruits were only two people. The backpacks were packed as taught by the Armed Forces Department, with some recruits having stuffed their bedding inside, while others hadn’t; their camouflage bags were bulging and held in hand, looking very irregular.

During the waiting process to board the train, everyone seemed to have noticed this awkwardness. On the train from Chongqing to Guizhou, there were only about a dozen firefighters, standing in a single line, conspicuously slumped.

This year the Guizhou Fire Brigade did not recruit in Chongqing. The main recruitment areas were Hunan, Hubei, and within Guizhou itself.

So, these dozen or so people were probably all personnel with special relationships.

Those who were aware of this were acting nonchalant, thinking they were about to become big shots, very handsome and unique. The more socially astute ones began to quietly inquire about each other’s connections.

Those who were unaware, looked around, some envious of the military bearing of other troops, thinking that they were the real regular army.

Thankfully, the leading cadres and non-commissioned officers noticed this issue and discussed it briefly before coming over and quietly started straightening the line.

"Align yourselves to the front!"

"My name is Liu Mangong! I am your leading cadre, and behind me is Squad Leader Hao Chengbin!"

As Liu Mangong spoke, he gestured beside him.

"The seventh in line, step in a bit, adjust the back ranks!"

Liu Mangong spoke at the front while Hao Chengbin at the back helped each recruit adjust their straps and quietly chatted.

"You guys need to listen carefully, this is Deputy Chief of Staff Liu from your new recruit group. We’ll be living together for three months, so if you need anything on the train, just call me. Don’t wander off... My name is Hao Chengbin, Cheng as in ’civil and military’, just call me Bro Bin."

Fang Huai couldn’t help but smile when he heard this, reminding him of many past events.

Hao Chengbin was indeed cheeky, already starting to play the bad guy.

He really enjoyed dealing with those with connections.

If these new recruits really called him Bro Bin, once they joined the new recruit group, they likely wouldn’t get to enjoy even a night of warmth.

Those coming to lead the recruits were mostly first period non-commissioned officers; corporals and squad leaders all had to call him Squad Leader Hao. You want to call him Bro Bin?

Ever experienced the passion of 3:30 in the middle of the night?

"Bro Bin, do we, firefighters, get issued guns?" a guy behind Fang Huai asked, raising his hand and rolling his eyes.

"Yes, the guns we issue are cannons, water cannons," Hao Chengbin replied with a chuckle.

The guy was equally sassy and immediately let out a whiny complaint.

"Dang, serving as a soldier for nothing then!"

A burst of laughter followed.

Hao Chengbin stared at the rookie for a moment and then cheerfully came forward to pat him on the shoulder.

"Don’t worry, this service won’t go unappreciated!"

The laughter abruptly stopped.

When Hao Chengbin walked to the front, the recruits at the back started mocking the guy from earlier.

"Bro, you’re joining the troops for a luxurious life! That’s an old squad leader; he’s definitely going to give you a hard time!"

The guy was quite tough, "What’s there to fear? He’s just trying to scare you guys! My uncle is also a Lieutenant Colonel, the Deputy Chief of Staff of a Detachment! He said that captain is the Deputy Chief of Staff of the regiment, I don’t believe it!"

The onlookers who enjoyed stirring up trouble immediately gave him a thumbs-up.

"Then ask him later to see if he is under your uncle’s Detachment; maybe he will really take care of you!"

"Stop whispering back there! Follow the last column on the right to board the train!"

The neighboring line had started moving.

Hao Chengbin stepped outside the formation, his demeanor suddenly much more serious, his voice booming.

"At my command, march, step!"

...

On the train, some played Fight the Landlord, others chatted, those with a craving for a smoke went to the smoking area for a quick puff and chat, and began boasting about how great their respective units were.

"I heard from the squad leader that our equipment is the best; yours, in the People’s Armed Police, is a bit outdated compared to ours."

"We’ll even be in charge of prisoners later!"

The firefighter drifted by, looking somewhat cautious, "I heard from my brother that your People’s Liberation Army and Internal Guard have many people, so your food allowance is relatively low. Our Fire Brigade squadron only has a dozen people, so we have the highest food allowance! The better equipment you have, can you even take it with you? Good food is what truly matters! I’ve also heard that we get an extra high-risk subsidy, so my salary will be several hundred higher than yours!"

At those words, both the People’s Liberation Army and Armed Police Internal Guards fell silent.

To join the troops, everyone talks about defending the country. You’re talking about food and salaries?

Jealous!

After a long pause, they retorted, "You guys have the highest casualty rate; it’s a life for money exchange!"

...

Fang Huai sat by the window, quietly pondering how he could get a task in order to see what this system actually rewards.

He had already roamed through the carriage once and had no reaction whatsoever. He mentally called out to the system countless times, but it never appeared.

If this system doesn’t have a way to make money, he’ll have to find a way to transfer down to Guiyang in the provincial city.

Staying in Guizhou wasn’t an option any longer; he figured that chances would be better in the provincial city.

I had canceled my household registration, so there was no way to continue the business. But having Dad come over to guide me in starting a business and being a middle-aged heir... that’s doable!

Fang Huai was lost in thought when Hao Chengbin in front stood up.

"Any of you didn’t bring money? We still have over seven hours to go, and there’s not much else on the train. I’ll treat you guys to instant noodles!"

Hao Chengbin only asked casually. After all, these guys from Chongqing were all personnel with special relationships, from families that should be well-off, without any rural soldiers, and he and Liu Mangong were aware of this.

Someone immediately chuckled in response.

"I brought some! Squad leader, I even have bread here, from Qingyuan! Do you want some? And there’s also Want Want! It would be a waste if we can’t finish it by the time we arrive!"

"Don’t worry, you’ll be given time to finish it when we arrive."

Hao Chengbin said with the most amicable tone he could manage and prepared to go buy the instant noodles.

Fang Huai was originally prepared to mooch some food and drinks from the other new recruits. After all, they all knew that once in the troops, such things would no longer be available.

But suddenly a line of text appeared in front of him, and he quickly raised his hand.

"Squad leader, I didn’t bring any money! Nor did I bring any food!"

Hao Chengbin turned his head, a bit surprised.

Someone elbowed him from the side, scooped out a bag from under their seat quite generously, and said,

"I have plenty of food here, why don’t you just eat mine?"

A look of difficulty crossed Fang Huai’s face, "I’d still like to have something warm, squad leader. Can I go with you for the instant noodles?"

Hao Chengbin didn’t mind; his monthly income of over three thousand yuan, plus various subsidies, easily covered the five yuan per bowl for the instant noodles on the train.

He gestured with his hand, "Come on, I’ll treat you."

Fang Huai nodded, got up, and followed behind, his mind whirring with thoughts.

The task the system had given him this time was not simple.

[Task: Go begging for a meal, a meal that isn’t defined as such. (Find a way to get close to Hao Chengbin, and join his new recruit group.)]

This wasn’t impossible.

Because in his previous life, he was a soldier in the seventh platoon of the new recruit group, and Hao Chengbin was the squad leader of the seventh platoon. He was supposed to go to the Second Squad, but which squad Hao Chengbin led, he couldn’t quite remember. Nonetheless, Hao was known as a Model Squad Leader, and the squad he led during the end-of-training evaluations was also one of the model marching squads.

It was all about social customs and relationships.

Hao Chengbin was the most senior soldier who had trained many new recruits over the years and was also familiar with the base leadership. Getting a person reassigned was not an issue for him.

And indeed, his squad had it the easiest at the time.

With training done well, everyone got to eat grilled fish and even had cigarettes to smoke.

For Fang Huai, being assigned to that other Second Squad was something else altogether; the squad leader was sly, offering a single candy and saying whoever trained the best would get to eat it.

Fang Huai vividly remembered that piece of candy in the left pocket of the squad leader’s jacket, that was used to manipulate the ten of them all the way from December to the Chinese New Year.

The new recruit group had meat, but sweets were almost unobtainable, let alone snacks. Every day, before the end of training, the recruit responsible for fetching food would hope to come across pumpkin soup, so they could sneak a couple of spoonfuls under their rice; that would make their meal so much more enjoyable.

No one but those who had gone months without sugar could truly understand the craving.

"Is one bowl enough? If not, take two."

Hao Chengbin had already made his way to the back where the food was being sold, and he turned to ask.

Fang Huai quickly said, "Squad leader, one bowl is enough."

...

Fang Huai, holding two bowls of what might have been the greatest of all time—Kangshifu’s braised beef flavored instant noodles—carefully passed one bowl to Hao Chengbin.

"Squad leader, it’s hot, be careful."

Hao Chengbin nodded, took it, stirred it a couple of times, blew on it, and slurped up a forkful.

"So... Your family didn’t pack you anything?"

Fang Huai held his bowl, feeling like he was in an interview.

"Um... My family, previous generations have all been soldiers. They said not to bring anything, that the military has everything."

Fang Huai casually dropped a brag, inadvertently achieving a kind of telepathy with his dad.

Hao Chengbin’s first thought was that the kid was showing off his connections.

He laughed, "The military leadership, are they in firefighting?"

"Oh, no, just ordinary soldiers. My great-grandfather fought the Japanese and was martyred after. My dad also served in the military, worked in the Reclamation Corps for a few years before being discharged, and became a chef... He had a comrade in the Fire Brigade who pulled some strings to get me enlisted."

This wasn’t really a brag from Fang Huai.

His great-great-uncle indeed had fought against the Japanese, but he was on the side of Chiang Kai-shek’s forces and was killed by the Japanese.

He didn’t mention who his uncle was.

In the past, he’d done plenty of foolish things. When he first joined the new recruit group, he was asked to fill out a family connections form. Besides his parents, he had listed his uncle’s information, including his name, rank, and position, thinking, well, he didn’t expect any special treatment, but hoped at least not to be bullied, right?

The result was the squad leader’s mockery and special attention during training. Each time there was an inspection, they’d search his bag first, just in case he had hidden a mobile phone to sneakily report to his uncle.

Old soldiers dreaded these kinds of related personnel. New recruits already had it tough, and once those with connections found an opportunity, they’d exaggerate to report home. When the blame came down from above, there were no benefits, just lawsuits.

Such connected personnel were common; out of a thousand soldiers annually, at least a hundred had military relatives. Did everyone need to be coddled? How were the others supposed to endure?

The only solution was to break them in, to ensure they were more submissive than the rest.

(The contract is signed, and I’ll send it over in a couple of days. You might consider investing a little.)