Chapter 26: The Authority of the Class Monitor!

Inside the spacious mess hall, large round tables were arranged, each set with a basin of braised pork with potatoes. Beside every basin sat twelve small plates, and around the tables were twelve sets of bowls and chopsticks.

"Grab your bowls and line up for food!" Old Wang commanded as Chu An and the others arrived at the table guarded by Li Guoping.

Everyone immediately picked up their bowls, ready to get their rations.

"Squad leader, let me help you!" Someone nimble quickly reached out to take Old Wang’s bowl. Such things were common; almost every squad had someone like that. Even before they were officially assigned to squads, this sort of thing happened.

"Squad leader, let me serve your portion first!" Another recruit, having been too slow to grab the bowl, set his own down, intending to serve the food for Old Wang instead. Each table had only one basin of food; the standard practice was to use the ladle in the basin to scoop food onto one's own plate before eating.

"Stop. Go get your rice first. We'll worry about the food later!" Old Wang hurriedly intervened. This was the case for all the other squads as well. Before the formal assignments, mealtime had been casual, and it was perfectly normal for veterans to be served first by recruits. But today, not a single squad leader had moved to serve themselves first. The shift was silent, and many recruits failed to grasp the implication. Chu An understood, but he didn't dwell on it, simply picking up his bowl and joining the queue.

When it was his turn, Chu An took a single, light scoop, not even filling the bowl, before turning away. In the military mess hall, the side dishes were rationed—the basin on the table was the entire squad's allotment, and once it was gone, there was no more. However, rice was a different matter. While it was also rationed, the quota was based on the total headcount, with large tubs placed in a designated area. Anyone who finished their portion could go back for more.

Chu An had adopted a strategy he learned from a short video about a billionaire who had served in the military: he would fill his first bowl only halfway. By doing so, he finished faster than everyone else, ensuring he could secure a second helping. For that second bowl, he would pack the rice down tightly and heap it high—one bowl effectively becoming two. There was no other way; the mess hall rarely offered the chance for a third helping, and if you ate too slowly, you might not even get a second. Given his current appetite, he wouldn't be full otherwise. Naturally, after a few days, his little trick didn't escape the notice of others, but since not everyone had his appetite and there was little strenuous training yet, most people were satisfied with just one full bowl.

"Start eating!"

Once everyone was seated, the battalion commander at the head table picked up his bowl and gave the order. Immediately, the recruits at tables throughout the hall began to move. But a second later, a shout rang out: "What are you doing? Did I say you could eat?"

It came from the Second Company's section. All the recruits in the hall turned to look. Chu An saw a recruit who had been too quick; he already had a scoop of potatoes and meat piled on top of the rice in his bowl.

"Squad... squad leader!" the recruit stammered, looking lost.

His squad leader’s face was dark. "Do you think this is your home?"

"I... I heard the battalion commander say..."

"Did I say it?" the squad leader glared at him.

The exchange made many recruits tremble. At their own table, Li Guoping had already picked up the ladle. "Squad leader, I... I just wanted to help you serve your food!" Li Guoping looked simple-minded, but he had used his head this time.

"Hmm," Old Wang nodded expressionlessly. He glanced at the others in the Fourth Squad, then calmly picked up his bowl and looked at Li Guoping. "What are you staring at? Weren't you going to serve me? Go ahead!" He turned to the others and added, "Start eating!"

The Fourth Squad looked at one another, and even after Li Guoping finished serving Old Wang and set the ladle down, no one moved. It wasn't until Old Wang picked up his chopsticks to take a piece of meat that Chu An finally spoke up.

"Squad leader, may I eat now?" Chu An asked, rising to his feet.

"Eat! I already gave the order!"

Chu An didn't hesitate, stepping forward to take the ladle and scoop food onto his plate. The other recruits followed suit, waiting for their turn to use the ladle. Meanwhile, over at the Second Company, the recruit who had been scolded was already down on the floor, doing push-ups beside his bowl.

He wasn't the only one; in the mess hall, at least seven or eight other tables had recruits doing the same. It was a lesson in discipline. Before the squads were formed, there were few rules; the veterans had simply told everyone to wait for the officers' command. Some recruits were clever and rushed to serve their leaders, while others only cared for themselves, grabbing the ladle to eat first. The veterans had been lenient then, but that was over. Now that they were officially assigned, these recruits were their soldiers, and bad habits would not be tolerated.

The meal was stifling. Before the company assignments, the mess hall had been noisy and cheerful. Now, no one dared to make a sound. When one recruit couldn't resist whispering to his neighbor, his squad leader slammed the table, warning them that there was to be no talking during meals. After that, everyone controlled their movements, even the clinking of chopsticks against bowls.

Five or six minutes later, at Old Wang’s command—"Two more minutes, then I’m clearing the table"—those who were eating slowly rushed to finish. The meal felt like a battlefield, tense and nerve-wracking, though fortunately, nothing else happened.

Everyone filed out of the mess hall, lined up outside, and under the lead of their respective company commanders, marched back while chanting, trying to outdo the Second Company.

At that moment, the recruits didn't know that the company instructors, deputy commanders, the battalion instructor, and the battalion commander were all gathered around the slop buckets in the mess hall.

"These guys—I told you, we wouldn't need to do it ourselves," one remarked.

In the buckets before them, there was more than just rice; there were plenty of potatoes. While the general environment meant food was scarce, some families were still well-off. Children from such backgrounds often had the habit of being picky or dumping food if they took too much and couldn't finish.

"Not enough," the battalion commander said. "Go to the kitchen and get some more. Make sure everyone gets at least a handful."