Ace Troops Episode 6 Recap
> Ace Troops Recap
Song Jianshe conducted an internal affairs inspection in the dormitory. Following him, a group of soldiers waited nervously, fearing any misstep that could lead to deductions. Unfortunately, the scent of floral water from Niu Mancang's bed did not escape Song Jianshe, whose experience with his wife's perfumes had honed his ability to identify scents and brands. He immediately recognized it as "Premium floral water for females" and ordered Staff Officer Chen to deduct three points.
Song Jianshe then demanded an investigation into which female soldier had been in the dorm and what had happened on the bed, emphasizing the severity of the situation. Gu Yiye appeared particularly tense, mistakenly believing the scent was from Jiang Nanzheng. Niu Mancang stated that only Gu Yiye had been on his bed that afternoon. When directly questioned by Song Jianshe, Gu Yiye denied using floral water, prompting Song Jianshe to accuse him of "hiding something."
At this critical moment, Gao Liang stepped forward and admitted it was his floral water. He explained that Niu Mancang's feet stank so much that it affected their sleep and hygiene evaluation, so he had bought the floral water from the service agency to mask the odor by dropping it into Niu Mancang's shoes. Song Jianshe, upon smelling the bottle, remarked that Gao Liang was "quite tasteful." With the internal affairs crisis averted, Gu Yiye breathed a sigh of relief.
Later that night, while everyone slept, he carefully unfolded a handkerchief and gazed at the delicate words written on it. It was a quote from Jiang Nanzheng: "It's nothing to thrive into a big tree in the forest, but it's pride in a desert. Let's do it together." His heart swelled with quiet joy. As new recruit training neared its end, the regiment organized a queue training evaluation. First Company's First Squad executed their movements flawlessly.
Third Company's Ninth Squad performed equally well, fueled by the enthusiastic cheers of the female soldiers. Their high spirits helped them secure first place. Afterward, Qin Hanyong thanked Company Commander Zhao Hongying for her female soldiers' support, suggesting their cheers contributed to Third Company's victory. However, Zhao Hongying candidly remarked that "a victory won by hormones is not a true one" and would not be effective on the battlefield.
She explained that Third Company won on "momentum and unity" and the "psychological impact on the examiners," cautioning Qin Hanyong not to be fooled by "such illusion." She highlighted Lu Pingfan's squad's superior "pace" and "traceless rhythm," describing it as "cultivated." Qin Hanyong jokingly asked if she implied he was "uncultivated."
Recognizing that the female company would soon be leaving the 720th regiment, Qin Hanyong proposed a joint celebration, which Zhao Hongying agreed to, suggesting her soldiers could teach his about "pace and rhythm." During the celebration, many soldiers sang and danced. Gao Liang, however, was in the kitchen, temporarily assigned to cook for the chiefs. He complained that Qin Hanyong was "retaliating good soldiers" by making him cook while others celebrated.
A fellow cooking soldier reminded Gao Liang that he had boasted about learning from a chef. Gao Liang, in turn, called himself a "competent for both military and civilian services." The cook tasted Gao Liang's dish and admitted it was "not bad." Later, Gao Liang looked through a window and saw Gu Yiye and three other soldiers performing a song titled "A Wish," with Jiang Nanzheng watching Gu Yiye with evident joy and admiration.
Meanwhile, Qin Hanyong and Song Jianshe had a private drink. Song Jianshe expressed his constant apprehension about the close proximity of male and female new recruits, calling them "young and hot-blooded" and fearing "something will happen" that would become a "big deal." He insisted that "discipline must be a priority." Song Jianshe also revealed that Zhao Hongying's father was the former chief of their division commander and that Lu Pingfan was pursuing her.
He criticized Qin Hanyong for being too focused on his company to notice such "information" and even suggested Zhao Hongying's assistance in the evaluation was a form of subtle help. As the celebration ended and the lights went out, Gao Liang emerged from a corner and, alone on stage, belted out "Song of Comrades." In his imagination, Jiang Nanzheng joined him, and the audience applauded, but in reality, his performance ended in quiet solitude.
Back in their private room, Song Jianshe complimented Gao Liang's cooking and mentioned that the Deputy Minister You of the Logistics Department was looking for skilled cooks for the military district headquarters. He stated his intention to take Gao Liang with him when the new recruits joined their companies. Qin Hanyong immediately objected, arguing that Gao Liang was not a cooking soldier and had merely been "temporarily assigned."
He emphasized Gao Liang's "military qualities stand out," making him a "good fighter and a promising candidate." Qin Hanyong urged Song Jianshe to leave Gao Liang with him, asking him not to impose his own views on his soldiers. Song Jianshe agreed not to use his authority but hoped Qin Hanyong would not crush his soldiers' aspirations. Gu Yiye, knowing that Jiang Nanzheng would soon be transferred to division headquarters, arranged to meet her in a small grove that night.
He expressed his feelings, saying they wouldn't always be soldiers and he would find opportunities to visit her at the division headquarters. He reminded her of her own words about thriving in a desert, calling it his goal and motivation. He then presented her with a handwritten poetry collection as a souvenir, suggesting their friendship be tested by time and the military. Just then, Gao Liang's singing could be heard approaching, along with two provosts following behind him.
Jiang Nanzheng, recognizing Gao Liang and the potential trouble, quickly urged Gu Yiye to leave. Gao Liang caught up to Jiang Nanzheng, trying to take the book she held. Jiang Nanzheng firmly reiterated to Gao Liang, "we are just common comrades in arms." Gao Liang then offered to be her brother and give her a mango, showing his desire to care for her. The provosts caught them together.
Song Jianshe was furious upon learning of the incident, confirming his earlier concerns. He discovered the poetry collection, which was dedicated "To comrade Jiang Nanzheng. Comrade G." Seeing the initial "G," Gao Liang took responsibility, claiming he wrote the poems. Song Jianshe then ordered Gao Liang to read from the collection. Gao Liang began reading increasingly explicit lines from Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" about "unbuttoning" clothes.
Song Jianshe's face grew darker with each line, but he did not interrupt until Zhao Hongying entered. She quickly identified the work as a classic from Whitman's "Leaves of Grass," suggesting that the young soldiers simply hadn't grasped its true meaning and should be forgiven. Song Jianshe retorted that "Even Whitman can't unbutton other's buttons everywhere," while Gao Liang comically added, "Even I'm blushing!"
Qin Hanyong attempted to defuse the situation, promising Song Jianshe that he and Zhao Hongying would investigate thoroughly and report back. However, Song Jianshe insisted that "Discipline comes first" and that the "regimental headquarters" must personally investigate and handle the matter. Zhao Hongying took Jiang Nanzheng away. She understood that the poetry was not written by Gao Liang and did not press Jiang Nanzheng for the real author.
Instead, she offered a "friend-like" warning, advising Jiang Nanzheng to protect herself, as boys who admired Whitman's poetry were often arrogant, and "their excellence would hurt people." She also mentioned recommending Jiang Nanzheng to the military district communications station and hoped this incident would not affect her.
The new recruits of Ninth Squad worried about Gao Liang's fate and the punishment he might face, gossiping that his 'training model' status was now a 'waste' and that he might be 'assigned to feed the pigs.' They blamed him for ruining Jiang Nanzheng's reputation. Qin Hanyong scolded them for their loud discussions and canceled their weekend leave. Later, Gu Yiye, who had not had the courage to speak up earlier, sought out Qin Hanyong to explain the situation.
Qin Hanyong admonished Gu Yiye for his actions, harshly criticizing his "self-righteousness, self-inflation, making a fool of himself, pretentiousness" and telling him that his supposed "relationship" was baseless as Jiang Nanzheng had not reciprocated. He warned Gu Yiye that such a "serious breach of discipline" was a "high-pressure line" and could lead to him being "out of the military," not just affecting his assignment.
Qin Hanyong then forced Gu Yiye to confront his choices: a career as a "good soldier" or a "vowed romantic relationship" and "free-spirited personality." Gu Yiye passionately declared that his dream was not merely to be a good soldier, but to contribute to making the army "wiser, stronger, and more powerful," a dream he would fight for his entire life. Qin Hanyong responded that hearing this only made him "even more worried."
The next morning, in the mess hall, Gu Yiye, feigning a stomach ache, tried to sneak into the kitchen to speak with Jiang Nanzheng, but Gao Liang intercepted him. Gao Liang physically tried to stop Gu Yiye, offering to relay any message and threatening to call the squad leader if Gu Yiye persisted. Gu Yiye called Gao Liang "shameless," to which Gao Liang facetiously replied, "Thank you for the compliment."
Eventually, the squad leader assigned Gu Yiye to help in the kitchen for ten minutes. Gu Yiye immediately went to Jiang Nanzheng, stating, "I came to apologize to you." Jiang Nanzheng told him that Gao Liang and Company Commander Qin were the ones he should apologize to, but Gu Yiye insisted he had to apologize to her. " I'm sorry. It's my fault. I didn't step up and take responsibility in the first place. I was too shy," he confessed.
Jiang Nanzheng responded, "You don't have to say sorry to me. You didn't affect me. And, We don't have to say sorry to each other," implying a mutual understanding of their feelings.
