199: Chapter 199: What? The little one is coming to the army again?

"I'll stay at the regiment for a few days to help CCTV film some things," Su Han smiled, "After that, I'll go to Yuezhou University for a month."

"Film things? Film what?" Wang Hao asked curiously, "Are they filming how you 'made a comeback' in our 7th Company back in the day?"

A burst of laughter erupted in the dormitory, and the atmosphere instantly became lively, as if Su Han had never left.

Su Han leaned against the bed frame, listening to them reminisce about past funny stories one after another, the smile on his lips growing wider.

At Falcon, he is the Chief Instructor, the "Soldier King" who must maintain dignity at all times;

At the Regimental Headquarters, he is a meritorious hero, an idol sought after by everyone.

Only here, in the 3rd Squad, can he shed all his halos and return to being that "New Recruit Su Han" who used to make everyone both angry and impressed.

At this moment, the dormitory door was suddenly pushed open, and Zhou Haitao walked in carrying a stack of training uniforms, "Third Grandpa! These are the training uniforms prepared by the regiment for you. You have to wear these for the supplementary filming of the new recruit training tomorrow!"

In the 3rd Squad dormitory, the afternoon sunlight slanted across the floor, reflecting tiny dust particles dancing in the beams of light.

Zhou Haitao placed the stack of training uniforms on Su Han's bed and was just about to say something else when he was interrupted by Wang Hao's voice.

"Company Commander! Brother Han!" Wang Hao raised his hand abruptly, like an elementary school student eager to answer in class, his eyes shining brightly, "You just said CCTV is coming to film something. Are they going to film the daily training of our 7th Company?"

Zhou Haitao raised an eyebrow: "What? You want to get involved?"

"It's not that I want to meddle!" Wang Hao rubbed his hands, his face full of anticipation, "Company Commander, just think about it, this is a CCTV camera! If I can be on camera with Brother Han, even if it's just showing my face, my parents would be so happy that they'd throw a banquet if they saw it on TV!"

As soon as he said this, the dormitory immediately erupted in chaos.

Zhao Xiaohu also raised his hand, his voice an octave louder than Wang Hao's: "Company Commander! I want to participate too! My girlfriend nags me every day that I'm useless in the military and tells me to retire and go home when my term is up! But I want to keep being a soldier! If I can get on TV, let's see if she still dares to say that about me!"

"And me!" A new recruit named Li Yang leaned in, a shy look on his face, "My younger sister is taking the college entrance exam this year and said she wants to apply to a military academy. If she can see me training with Major Su on TV, she'll definitely have more motivation!"

For a moment, the soldiers of the 3rd Squad clamored to volunteer, and even the usually calmest Liu Yong couldn't help but speak up:

"Company Commander, since Su Han is returning to the regiment to film, it is, after all, a recreation of the New Recruit Company scene. As his squad leader, if I don't 'scold' him a few times on camera, I feel like something is missing."

Zhou Haitao was left speechless by this display, pulling a straight face and saying: "Nonsense! The company has its own training schedule, and the CCTV filming is an arrangement by the regiment. How can we just add people as we please?"

He paused, his tone softening slightly: "Besides, do you think getting on TV is that easy? When the camera is pointed at you, I'm afraid you won't even be able to march properly. Don't embarrass the 7th Company!"

This statement was like a bucket of cold water, instantly dampening everyone's spirits.

Wang Hao hung his head, Zhao Xiaohu pursed his lips, and even Li Yang quietly retreated to the back, the light in his eyes dimming quite a bit.

The atmosphere in the dormitory suddenly became somewhat gloomy, with only the cicadas outside the window chirping tirelessly.

Su Han looked at their dejected appearance and couldn't help but find it funny.

"Company Commander Zhou," Su Han suddenly spoke up, his lips curling into a familiar, mischievous smile, "I think they have a point."

Zhou Haitao was stunned: "Huh?"

"Since it's a recreation of the New Recruit Company scene, having just you and me would be too fake."

Su Han pointed to Liu Yong, "There has to be a realistic scene of how the squad leader 'disciplined' me back then, right?"

He looked at Wang Hao and Zhao Xiaohu again: "And these two guys, they didn't hesitate to steal steamed buns from me or challenge me to push-ups back then. Without them, this act wouldn't be complete."

Wang Hao's eyes lit up instantly: "Brother Han! You mean..."

"I mean," Su Han turned to Zhou Haitao, his tone becoming more serious, "We need a few 'background props' during filming to make the scene look realistic. Wang Hao and Zhao Xiaohu were recruits in my batch, and Squad Leader Liu Yong was my direct superior; the three of them are the most suitable."

He paused and added: "As for the others, they can be the audience during breaks in filming, shouting slogans or something. It won't delay training, and it will let them have some fun."

Zhou Haitao rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment.

He knew Su Han made sense—recreating training scenes really does require a few familiar faces to make it immersive.

Besides, letting the 7th Company soldiers get more screen time is a good thing for the company.

"Alright then," Zhou Haitao finally nodded, "Liu Yong, Wang Hao, Zhao Xiaohu, you three are temporarily assigned to the filming team to cooperate with the regiment's arrangements. As for the others..."

Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by a cheer.

"Yeah! Thank you, Company Commander!"

"Thank you, Brother Han!"

Wang Hao was so excited he almost jumped up, Zhao Xiaohu gave Li Yang a bear hug, and even Liu Yong couldn't help but laugh.

Zhou Haitao glared at them: "Don't get too happy too soon! If anything goes wrong during filming, don't blame me for making you run a ten-kilometer cross-country!"

"Guarantee to complete the mission!" The three replied in unison, their voices so loud they made the windows tremble.

At this moment, Su Han's phone suddenly rang.

He glanced at the caller ID and answered with a smile: "Ling Xue?"

Su Lingxue's crisp voice came from the other end of the phone, carrying a hint of excitement: "Third Grandpa, I heard from Haitao that you're back at the regiment? My brother and I are coming to visit you tomorrow morning, and we'll bring you some local specialties from home."

"Oh, by the way, Xiao Budian is also pestering us to come, saying she misses her Great-grandfather..."

Su Han chuckled: "Alright, let them come. Since CCTV is here filming anyway, there are already so many outsiders coming onto the base, a few more of you won't make a difference."

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Haitao leaned in, looking a bit embarrassed: "Third Grandpa, Ling Xue she..."

"Don't worry, I didn't tell on you," Su Han patted his shoulder, teasing him.

Zhou Haitao blushed: "I know..."

Here's a note: In the military, immediate family members of non-commissioned officers and officers can visit and live on the base for a period of time, provided the unit is not in a state of combat readiness. They can stay in the military family housing compound for up to two months.