Ace Troops Episode 10 Recap
> Ace Troops Recap
News of Ninth Company's Ninth Squad’s achievements, including their long-range armed raid, reached the entire division headquarters, even Jiang Nanzheng, who then proactively wrote a letter to Gu Yiye expressing her concern. She also invited him and Gao Liang to celebrate her nineteenth birthday. As the weekend approached, Gu Yiye sought to secure an outing pass. He successfully exchanged a pair of nylon socks and a bag of fish-skin peanuts with Niu Mancang for his spot.
Gu Yiye then went to the cookhouse to borrow the company’s only bicycle. However, Gao Liang had already taken the bike, claiming he was using his personal time to run official cookhouse errands, not for a personal loan, and rode off. Gu Yiye later confirmed with Sergeant Cai that Gao Liang had indeed taken the bicycle for groceries. Soon after, Gao Liang was happily cycling down the road.
A military truck sped past him, and he saw Gu Yiye in the passenger seat, who seemed to be showing off. Gao Liang, despite his frustration at being outmatched by four wheels, shouted out to Gu Yiye, playfully calling him "Mule Gu" and offering to pull him with a rope. Later, the military truck broke down. Gu Yiye then approached Gao Liang, asking for a ride, explaining he was in a hurry to meet a comrade for her birthday.
However, Gao Liang seemed to dismiss his urgency, making a joke about it being his birthday every day, and quickly pedaled away. The driver then asked Gu Yiye to help with the broken truck. Meanwhile, Jiang Nanzheng waited at the bus station. A fellow comrade informed her that the bus had broken down, and the next one wouldn't arrive until 7 pm, which was too late. Disappointed, she started to walk away.
Gao Liang, seeing her upset, caught up and offered her a ride on his bicycle. He convinced her that it would be much faster than walking to her destination, the seaside, and she agreed. He drove her to the Division 234 Martyrs' Cemetery in August town. Seeing the rows of tombstones, Gao Liang became emotional, remembering his own deceased brother, whom he regarded as a guiding light in his life. Jiang Nanzheng was also visibly moved.
She then shared her personal story with Gao Liang, explaining that her father, whom she never met, had served as a company commander in the Third Red Company. Her parents had divorced before she was born, and he had left when she was born, unaware of her mother's pregnancy. Her mother told her that while her father didn't die, he dedicated everything to the battlefield, leaving nothing behind for his family.
Jiang Nanzheng grew up with her mother’s surname, and her mother never explained the divorce, only referring to it as a "mistake." It wasn't until Jiang Nanzheng decided to join the army that her mother finally spoke openly about her father. Her mother described him as a "sun" with "infinite masculine power," a man whose influence deeply affected Nanzheng and led her to enlist.
Her mother presented her with his only preserved notebook, encouraging her to "see the sun" her father represented. Jiang Nanzheng confessed that she wasn't ready to meet him, nor did she think he was ready to discover he had a daughter. Gao Liang was puzzled, asking why she wouldn’t want to be recognized by her father.
Nanzheng explained her mother's sentiment: if he recognized her simply by her appearance, he would be no different from common men, and therefore not the father she envisioned. Gao Liang, surprised, remarked that it seemed "cold-blooded, ruthless, hard-hearted tough guys" were more attractive to women. As they sat by the sea, Gao Liang found a tiger cowrie on the sand and presented it to Jiang Nanzheng as a gift.
She immediately associated it with Ai Qing's poem, finding beauty and meaning in it, while for him, it was merely a shell. Gao Liang, in a heartfelt gesture, declared he would give her anything except the ocean itself. Jiang Nanzheng acknowledged his kind intentions, telling him she found his sincerity touching. However, she gently but firmly reiterated that while she appreciated him, she could not reciprocate his romantic feelings.
She explained that she feared unintentionally hurting him with her words or actions if she were to pretend otherwise, emphasizing their relationship as comrades and apologizing. Gao Liang, understanding, accepted her decision, stating that being good comrades was what mattered and insisted she keep the tiger cowrie as her birthday present. Later, Jiang Nanzheng received a letter from Gu Yiye. Her fellow soldier, noticing the frequent mail, joked about it being a "mushy" letter from Jiang Weixing.
In the letter, Gu Yiye explained that he had met Gao Liang when his (Gao Liang's) bicycle broke down on his (Gu Yiye's) way back, and both of them had been late returning to the barracks, overstaying their leave. He recounted being severely reprimanded by his sergeant, and Gao Liang receiving an even harsher punishment: a week of digging manure.
Gu Yiye expressed that he had sung "Happy Birthday" for her on the road, celebrating her day in his own way. He also mentioned that he had hoped to pick a blossoming osmanthus branch from her company's yard and give it to her. Reading this, Jiang Nanzheng felt a pang of disappointment, wishing they could have celebrated together.
Driven by his desire to help Jiang Nanzheng find her biological father, Gao Liang covertly entered the company history room, only to be caught by Qin Hanyong. Qin Hanyong chastised him, emphasizing that the company history room, which he likened to a shrine for ancestors and martyrs, was not for "unworthy descendants" like the new recruits. Gao Liang inquired if all companies had such rooms, mentioning the Third Red Company and "Pacesetter First Company."
Qin Hanyong clarified that only "old units" and "model units" with significant history, records, and heroes maintained such spaces.
Softened by Gao Liang's persistence, Qin Hanyong began to recount the illustrious history of Division 234, including that of the Old Ninth Company's predecessor, the Third Red Company, listing campaigns like the three defensive campaigns in Benxi, four defensive campaigns in Linjiang, the Battle of Anshan, the Xinkailing siege, and the Tashan strike, noting their journey from the northeast down to August town.
Gao Liang then specifically asked about former Third Red Company commanders who were still in the military region, inquiring if any had divorced or had children, vaguely claiming he was concerned about their happiness. Qin Hanyong, sensing ulterior motives, listed prominent former commanders: Zhou Xiangqian, now the Deputy Commander of the region; Zhao Zhanlei, the current Deputy Commissar of Army A and father of Zhao Hongying, the company commander of the Communication Company; and Division Commander Zheng Yuan.
Gao Liang, feigning a desire for Qin Hanyong to set a good example in "tactical moves and techniques" by "taking this hilltop," subtly suggested a romantic interest between Qin Hanyong and Zhao Hongying before being dismissed. Jiang Nanzheng learned from Tong Bing and overheard her fellow female soldiers discussing an upcoming telecommunication contest in the military region, where the winner would earn a promotion, which also allowed them to date openly.
This promotion quota was considered exceptionally rare, even more so than "pandas," with Sergeant Zhang of Ninth Company serving for ten years without securing one. They speculated that only veteran squad leaders like Sergeant Han or Song Xiaoluo, who was lauded as the best in the entire army for switchboard operating, stood a chance.
However, it was also noted that while Song Xiaoluo excelled at switchboard work, Jiang Nanzheng was faster in cross-country running, an element of the contest involving outdoor pole-setting, where female soldiers' scores usually counted. Her comrades believed she stood a chance if her switchboard skills weren't too far behind. Despite this, Jiang Nanzheng approached Zhao Hongying, the company commander, to inquire about the contest, asking if new recruits could be given an opportunity.
A fellow female soldier had earlier informed Nanzheng that the company had already selected her, citing her good psychological quality as an advantage. Zhao Hongying expressed doubts, stating that new recruits, having just joined the company, lacked the experience to compete with the elite communication soldiers of the entire military region and that the contest represented the division's collective honor. Nevertheless, Nanzheng insisted on her confidence, prompting Zhao Hongying to administer a practical test.
Jiang Nanzheng completed the task in eight minutes and five seconds, three minutes behind the best record of five minutes and three seconds. Zhao Hongying acknowledged Nanzheng's exceptional talent, noting her familiarity with all numbers and sockets after less than a month of practice. Recognizing her potential, Zhao Hongying decided to increase Jiang Nanzheng’s training, agreeing to consider her as a backup team member if her skills improved rapidly. Qin Hanyong went to visit Zhao Hongying.
Upon his arrival, he was accidentally splashed with water by female soldiers who were in the bathroom, drenching his new uniform. In her office, Zhao Hongying inquired about promotion quotas. Qin Hanyong revealed that he had just come from Division Commander Zheng Yuan, who had reprimanded him for attempting to secure a promotion for one of his squad leaders.
Zheng Yuan had criticized Qin Hanyong for lacking "thinking of the bigger picture" and not understanding the "structural changes in nurturing troop leaders," emphasizing that "student officials" like Lu Pingfan and Zhai Qingnian represented the future mainstream of the army. Qin Hanyong also brought Zhao Hongying some dried out kiwi fruit from his hometown.
Recognizing the financial difficulties faced by the Ninth Company, Zhao Hongying discreetly offered Qin Hanyong one hundred and fifty jin of grain coupons, which she and other platoon leaders had saved, knowing the male soldiers often did not have enough to eat. Qin Hanyong, feigning reluctance, quickly accepted the coupons and put them in his pocket. In another training assessment, Zhao Hongliu attempted to take a shortcut to improve his performance.
However, he unexpectedly encountered a huge wild boar, which chased him and caused him to fall into an animal trap. Fortunately, local villagers discovered him and, embodying the spirit of "the harmonious fish-water relationship between Army and People," rescued him and brought him back to the army.
Hongliu was deeply ashamed, reflecting on a series of recent mistakes: he once washed the company commander's uniform, leaving him without clothes for an emergency muster; he misjudged a situation while on guard duty, causing his gun to discharge accidentally and leading to a company search; and now, his shortcut attempt resulted in another problem. Despite his good intentions to improve his grades, he felt he consistently "let everyone down."
His comrades, however, comforted him, reminding him that his intentions were always good and that he had previously "set an example," helping them achieve first place in the internal affairs competition. Meanwhile, news of the wild boar excited the other soldiers, who, dreaming of braised pork with green capsicum and garlic seedling, enthusiastically began digging traps. Gao Liang encouraged them, dismissing their fatigue and calling their efforts an "investment" for future meat.
That very night, Gao Liang heard sounds outside, confirming their "investment" had paid off. The cookhouse squad, long deprived of substantial meat, triumphantly prepared a large pot of braised pork for the Ninth Company soldiers, who heartily feasted. Suddenly, Song Jianshe appeared in the mess hall, his expression grim. Having caught the scent of meat from his regiment headquarters, he called Qin Hanyong and the instructor for a private discussion.
Gao Liang, Gu Yiye, and other curious soldiers covertly followed them. Song Jianshe revealed the truth: the animal they had caught was not a wild boar, but a domestic pig belonging to a local villager, who had tracked its footprints directly to their company. Qin Hanyong questioned why the cookhouse hadn't informed them sooner, but the cookhouse leader explained he couldn't make the entire company starve while waiting for confirmation.
The aggrieved villager confronted them, expressing disappointment that after helping an army soldier, his lost pig had been stewed. Qin Hanyong apologized profusely, promised strict education for the soldiers, and offered the villager compensation. In a private meeting, Song Jianshe told Qin Hanyong he had done his best to minimize the incident's impact, but warned that the situation was far more serious than "just a pig."
He explained that it was the "month of rectification of style and discipline" in the military region, personally overseen by a newly transferred commander determined to find "negative examples" from various divisions and regiments. He grimly noted that the Ninth Company had now provided "ready-made living teaching materials." Qin Hanyong acknowledged the new commander's reputation for being "cold-blooded" and capable of "turning his back on his flesh and blood," while remaining "result oriented."
Song Jianshe revealed that the pig farmer had complained directly to the military region, leading to leaders declaring the matter "serious and bad" and demanding "serious treatment." He warned that someone might "take off their uniform." Qin Hanyong immediately offered to take responsibility, even if it meant being demoted back to a platoon leader, having faced demotion and demerits before. However, Song Jianshe, emphasizing his strict adherence to principles, refused to bargain.
