Chapter 26: The Dragon Pattern of Sword and Shield
“Boss! You’re here!” Mouse greeted Wang Ji with a beaming smile as he ushered him into the building at the training base.
Li Chengming arrived soon after, standing at attention and saluting in a formal manner. “Good day, Company Commander!”
Wang Ji laughed heartily. “Old Li, there’s no need to be so formal among friends.”
But Li Chengming shook his head, speaking earnestly. “Boss, you’re the Company Commander now. Rules are necessary, or it’ll be hard to manage the men.”
Hearing this, Mouse pondered a moment, then said, “That’s true, Boss. Privately, we’ll call you Boss, but in public, we’ll address you as Company Commander.”
“Right. I’ve just been promoted to Platoon Leader, commanding two recon squads, but it still feels a bit unofficial. Boss, we need you to hold a formal ceremony for us.”
Wang Ji nodded in agreement. “That’s actually why I came today. First, to check on recruitment; second, to take advantage of the new arrivals and hold a ceremony.”
“Boss, your timing is perfect. We’ve just finished the first round of registration—1,258 people signed up successfully, with 1,147 men and 111 women!”
“Oh? That many women?” Wang Ji was surprised.
Li Chengming grinned with pride. “Yes, Boss. With female soldiers, we can complete our structure. For instance, Mouse’s infantry platoon can now have a field medic unit. With proper training, we’ll be able to reduce our casualties on the battlefield.”
“Excellent. Mouse, you must keep a close eye on this—resources are limited,” Wang Ji said, glancing at him with a smile.
“Of course, I won’t let anyone else take the chance,” Mouse replied, his eyes shining.
“Let’s proceed with the next phase of assessment as planned. These recruits have solid basics. Even those who aren’t selected should be informed they can serve as reserves—we’ll need logistics personnel, and our market development has begun. The arsenal and other production lines will require plenty of hands!”
“Understood, Company Commander!” Li Chengming and Mouse responded with crisp salutes.
“All right. In two hours, when the assessment results are ready, come to me for supplies. Today marks the official founding of our Independent Company!” Wang Ji gazed thoughtfully into the distance.
“Yes, Company Commander!”
After Li Chengming and Mouse left, Wang Ji closed the door behind them, sat down, and entered the X System’s space with his eyes closed.
“X System, can I customize military uniforms and a flag in the logistics supplies?”
[Customization available! Will the Commander design or shall the system assist?]
“Sort the available items by energy cost, lowest to highest.”
[Sorted. Please review, Commander.]
Wang Ji focused, examining the uniform options and their attributes.
He finally chose a set of nano-fiber uniforms—three styles, six sets in total, including camouflage combat, training, and winter coats. The energy cost wasn’t low, either: two points per full set.
Next was the insignia design. After pondering with no good ideas, Wang Ji spent five energy points for the system to provide references—three at a time.
At last, in the third batch, Wang Ji’s eyes lit up at a crest: a red background with a dragon pattern, sword and shield, and a rose. Satisfied, he had the X System emboss it on all uniforms. Seeing the imposing, beautifully rendered uniforms in three dimensions, he couldn’t wait any longer. He drove out a distance from the base, and when he was alone, began to manifest the items.
It didn’t take long for 250 sets of uniforms and a flag to appear, packed into two or three dozen large crates. Wang Ji slapped his forehead, drove back to the training base, found Li Chengming, and took ten men to transport everything back.
“Wow! Company Commander, these are amazing!” Li Chengming and his men exclaimed in awe.
Wang Ji emerged dressed in a green uniform, his military bearing making him appear even more formidable.
“All right. Organize shifts for everyone to change into their uniforms. And this flag—find someone to make a flagpole immediately. When the assessment is over, we’ll hold a flag-raising ceremony.”
“Yes, Company Commander!” Li Chengming replied with excitement, taking the flag and setting people to work.
An hour later, the training ground square was filled with more than two hundred people, their faces alight with excitement as they looked around.
At the bottom of the square stood nearly a thousand unsuccessful candidates, most of them watching the group of two hundred with envy and disappointment.
After three rounds of assessment, 250 new recruits had been chosen for the Independent Company—227 men, 23 women.
“Look at their uniforms—so cool!” Zhong Guosheng muttered to his companion, his eyes fixed on the veterans standing in crisp formation.
“Yeah, soon I’ll be wearing one too!” Zhao Xia, his companion, replied proudly.
Zhong Guosheng sniffed. “Me too. And I’ll be the first to make squad leader!”
“Haha, we’ll see who gets there first.”
The crowd was abuzz, most marveling at and envying the Independent Company’s strength.
Once all was ready, Wang Ji strode onto the muster platform, surveying the sea of faces before him—the group of thirty veterans in uniform, their eyes shining with emotion, and the formation of 250 new recruits behind them.
Suppressing his own surging emotions, Wang Ji stood tall and spoke loudly:
“Today marks the true founding of our Independent Company! You are the witnesses to this momentous day!”
Thunderous applause erupted, especially from the veterans who had followed from Hope Camp, tears glistening in their eyes. They had struggled to get here, and now their efforts had taken root.
“Now, the flag-raising ceremony will begin!”
“Yes, Company Commander!” Led by Li Chengming and Mouse, several veterans stepped forward to take up the Dragon Banner.
“Begin!”
Though the conditions were simple, and there was no military band, the solemnity radiating from Li Chengming and the others quieted everyone.
As the Dragon Banner rose to the top of the pole, a wave of resolve swept through the ranks, binding them together. Even the new recruits stood in awe, their eyes fixed on the flag fluttering in the wind.
In that moment, amid the apocalyptic confusion, they had found a place to belong—a harbor for their spirits.
“Salute!” Li Chengming shouted, and everyone snapped to attention, saluting in perfect unison.
“Salute complete! Awaiting orders, Company Commander!” Li Chengming marched his flag detail back into line.
“First, I’ll announce the basic structure and benefits of the Independent Company…”
After explaining the company’s structure, Wang Ji glanced at Mouse and Li Chengming, smiling slightly.
“Mechanized Infantry Platoon, Platoon Leader Zhao Xiaoquan (Mouse), step forward! Recon Platoon, Platoon Leader Li Chengming, step forward!”
Li Chengming and Mouse hurried to the front, standing at attention before Wang Ji.
Wang Ji retrieved two sets of shoulder insignia and pinned them on, exchanging salutes with both.
“May you never let down our honored banner! Do your best!”
“Thank you, Company Commander!” Li Chengming and Mouse saluted, overcome with emotion.
“The selection of squad leaders and other NCOs will be handled by each platoon leader.”
Seeing the excitement in the ranks, Wang Ji continued, smiling: “Today, the Independent Company is officially established. I now announce our code of conduct! All must obey, myself included. Any violations will be dealt with severely!”
“Rule 1: Unconditionally obey orders from superiors!”
“Rule 2: Honor above all—where the flag stands, we stand!”
“Rule 3: Protect each other—team spirit!”
…
“Rule 9: Fulfill your duties and strive for self-improvement!”
“Did you all hear me clearly?” Wang Ji announced all nine rules in one breath.
“Yes, sir!” the crowd roared in unison.
“Can you uphold them?”
“We can!”
The entire training ground was ablaze with morale.
“I now declare: Tonight, we celebrate the company’s founding. Eat and drink your fill! Everyone, follow previous orders—dismissed!”
“Yes, Company Commander!”
Li Chengming and Mouse each gathered their new recruits, taking turns to receive supplies and assign quarters.
The logistics soldiers rushed to prepare food and drinks for the celebration—a banquet for over a thousand people that would keep them busy for hours.
Seeing everyone at their tasks, Wang Ji finally relaxed. In less than a month, he would be responsible for defending the western sector; the training and combat readiness of his troops could not be delayed.
He checked his own status:
Host: Wang Ji
Title: Novice Butcher
Level: Warrior, Level 1
Strength: 40
Spirit: 50
Agility: 35
Stamina: 87/100
Status: Excellent
Progress: Level 1 Gene Unlocked
Energy Points: 3,873
With just over 3,000 energy points, he needed to reserve at least 2,000 for logistics development. Outfitting and arming the current fighting force of 250 would cost nearly 10,000 energy points—a prohibitive expense before the production lines were operational.
Frowning, Wang Ji searched the X System for a suitable rifle.
Type 97 Assault Rifle—15 energy points each. A reliable, high-value rifle with international acclaim.
He manifested 50 rifles at once, along with 10 heavy machine guns, 10 sniper rifles, and 10,000 rounds of ammunition, spending over 2,000 energy points in a flash.
At least these supplies would suffice for now and for training.
Seeing his energy points drop to just over 1,000, Wang Ji gritted his teeth and, after Li Chengming and Mouse had stored the weapons and ammunition, left the training base alone.
Currently, Wang Ji was the only member of the Sentinel Squad, so he usually hunted alone. As a Level 1 Warrior, his combat prowess was formidable, and taking others along would only slow him down and become a burden.