After the morning exercise, the members of Team 222 returned to the cafeteria to eat.
Although the training in the academy is tiring and there are many rules, the food is so good that it makes people cry.
Because the training volume is the largest in the morning, breakfast is very rich. The staple foods include steamed buns, rice, pancakes, and noodles, which are freely available, accompanied by six meat and vegetable side dishes.
Moreover, the well-developed animal husbandry in Tamra Island ensures that the students can basically have two eggs and a glass of milk every day!
Of course it wasn't all milk, because there were no high-yielding cows at that time. So there was also a large proportion of goat milk, horse milk, and even pig milk...
The students were all shocked when they arrived. The food here was much better than that of their bosses. Perhaps only the masters in the county could eat such a sumptuous meal?
And that’s three meals a day!
Just for this bite of food, I can't leave even if you kill me!
This became the motivation for many students to persevere, including Cai Yilin, who also felt that his stuttering played a big role in his ability to overcome the difficulties.
After a quick breakfast, the students returned to the barracks under the leadership of Chu Liuxiang. They first took a shower in the yard and then washed themselves. The students with thick body hair even asked the captain for a razor to shave their faces.
Then everyone opened the wardrobe, took out the brand new police uniforms they had just received, and put them on impatiently.
When they put on their polished leather boots, dark blue short-slim blue tuxedos with large lapels, cowhide belts with brass buckles, and white spring and summer helmets, they all looked so beautiful!
Over the past year, they have been envious of their seniors' impressive police uniforms, and now, finally, they can wear them themselves.
It’s worth the suffering this year!
After everyone had been admiring themselves for a while, Captain Chu, who was dressed in the same outfit as them, walked to the door. The only difference was that Captain Chu had two rows of colorful medals on the left chest of his police uniform, and a thick red metal bar in the middle of his helmet.
Yes, Chu Liuxiang had passed the police qualification examination not long ago and was promoted to the third-level police sergeant, becoming a non-commissioned officer who could serve for life.
Not only him, but all the soldiers who joined the Coast Guard in the early days received extraordinary promotions, because the rules had not been finalized at that time. Starting from Cai Yilin's period, the subsequent Coast Guards were no longer so lucky and had to be promoted step by step according to the regulations.
This is fate. Everyone's position is never determined by personal struggle, but also depends on historical opportunities. However, there is no reason for the latecomers to envy Chu Liuxiang and his people. After all, the two rows of honors on their chests are clear, showing their achievements and qualifications!
"Let's form a team." Chu Liuxiang looked at everyone in the room and smiled at his deputy captain.
"Yes!" Cai Yilin immediately put his feet together reflexively, stood up straight, and shouted: "Line up!"
The team members immediately rushed out of the barracks and lined up facing the door.
After the team finished counting, Cai Yilin turned around and saluted Chu Liuxiang, saying loudly: "Report to the squad leader, there should be 20 people in our team, and there are 20 people in total. Report completed!"
"At ease." Chu Liuxiang looked at the twenty young men in front of him with satisfaction. Compared with when he brought them here, it was no exaggeration to say that they had been completely transformed.
He felt that he should say something, but the more he did, the more awkward he became. He couldn't come up with anything nice to say. He took a deep breath and said with a relieved smile, "Good, no one is left behind!"
"Never give up, never give up!" Cai Yilin immediately led the team members to shout in unison.
"Okay, okay." Chu Liuxiang nodded heavily, then turned right, ran towards the squadron leader, saluted and reported.
"Captain, all members of Team 222 are here, please give your instructions!"
When all ten squads of the Second Squadron of the Second Training Brigade were fully assembled, the squadron leader with the rank of intermediate police inspector loudly ordered:
"Target ceremony venue, set off!"
Two hundred marine police cadets in uniform walked out of the courtyard in unison, forming a long line with the other marine police cadets and rushing to the playground to line up.
On the parade ground, a colorful archway had already been set up and banners had been hung.
Accompanied by senior police officers including Jin Ke, Wang Rulong, Zhu Jue and Tong Zigong, Zhao Hao watched 4,000 Coast Guard trainees line up in an orderly manner in front of the stage. All the trainees stood straight with their eyes straight ahead, and every row and column looked as if they had been measured with a ruler, so neat and uniform.
After the formation was completed, Tong Zigong, Dean of Academic Affairs and President of the Police Academy of the Coast Guard School, announced the official start of the graduation ceremony. The first item was to sing the Coast Guard song and raise the Coast Guard flag.
Amid the solemn march, the red flag of the sun and the moon slowly rose, and more than 4,000 officers and soldiers sang the official Coast Guard song in unison:
"The red flag is flying to greet the rising sun, and our singing is so loud. The Ming Coast Guard is marching forward, and we are determined to protect our oceans!
"The people from top to bottom should unite and be ready to build the ocean into an iron wall! We have the wise leadership of Master Zhao, and anyone who dares to invade will be destroyed!"
Then, Mr. Zhao in the lyrics, that is, Zhao Hao, the principal of the Coast Guard School, gave a brief and powerful graduation speech.
Then, Vice President Jin Ke read out the graduation order:
"The second batch of students of the Tamra Island Coast Guard School have completed the education plan. After review and assessment by the school committee, 4,000 students including Macaron of the First Training Squadron and Cai Yilin of the Second Training Squadron are allowed to graduate. This is the order."
Jin Ke paused for a moment, then said respectfully, "Signed by: Principal Zhao Hao!"
Next, ten outstanding graduates were awarded the Honorary Dagger and the Medal of Merit, as well as the rank of Second Class Police Officer.
Amid the exciting military music and the envious gazes of countless pairs of eyes, five students from the First Brigade, including Macaron, and five students from the Second Brigade, including Cai Yilin, stepped out of the line and marched onto the stage. They lined up in a horizontal line on the stage and excitedly saluted Mr. Zhao, who was wearing the title of Chief Police Inspector.
Zhao Hao returned the greeting solemnly, then took a silver dagger decorated with cloud patterns, put it on the first place winner of the first team, Macaron, and smiled kindly:
"I remember you. You must be Macron and Ma Yinglong's younger brother."
"Yes!" Macron said with tears in his eyes, "When I was in the Xishan Island Security Brigade, I followed you to protect the principal!"
Zhao Hao smiled and nodded, "Okay, I didn't embarrass your two brothers."
"Yes!" Macron's tears finally couldn't be stopped, and he wiped them away with his sleeves embarrassedly, not forgetting to glance at his second brother, Ma Yinglong, the director of the Tamna Garrison and police commissioner of the Coast Guard, who was standing beside Zhao Hao.
Ma Yinglong, however, did not even look at him.
Macaron took a step back, and Cai Yilin stepped forward. Zhao Hao also put a silver sword on his belt.
Cai Yilin couldn't help but shed tears of excitement. This was not the first time he had seen Mr. Zhao. He had seen Zhao Hao from afar at the first graduation ceremony of Caijiaxiang Primary School. Unfortunately, it was his elder brother who went on stage to receive the graduation certificate. Even more unfortunately, by the time he graduated, there were already too many schools in the Jiangnan Education Group, and Mr. Zhao was too busy to attend graduation ceremonies elsewhere.
This time he finally made up for years of regret, and Cai Yilin now felt that he had nothing else to ask for.
"You are a child from Caijia Lane? Your brother is Cai Yimu?" Young Master Zhao actually knew him and encouraged him, "Work hard and bring glory to our Caijia Lane!"
"Yes!" Cai Yilin blushed and nodded heavily.
Then Zhao Hao put daggers on the remaining eight people, called out each of their names accurately, and gave them earnest encouragement.
In fact, Zhao Hao had just heard Secretary Ma introduce the simple information of outstanding graduates this morning, but it did not prevent them from being moved to tears, and they firmly believed that they were willing to die for Mr. Zhao!
Even people like Cai Yilin who always think too much are firmly convinced that they can give their hearts to this legend from Caijia Lane at any time...
After Vice President Jin Ke awarded them medals, senior police officers including Wang Rulong awarded police ranks and honors to the ten people.
After the ten officers who were promoted to the second-class police officer stepped down, the marine police trainees lined up on the stage, saluted Mr. Zhao one by one, and were awarded the rank of third-class police officer and wore the first medal of their career - a pure red police officer training pass badge. Those with outstanding performance would also receive a special police officer training excellence badge like the previous ten people - a pure red badge with an additional golden vertical bar.
From today on, they become official marine police officers. Except for the 400 police officers who were admitted to the Police Academy and will continue to study on campus, the remaining 3,600 police officers have already been assigned to bases, fleets, marines, and various marine police stations, and will soon go their separate ways.
But that was tomorrow's business. Today they had a grand banquet waiting for them. It was the graduation banquet prepared for them by the Police Academy!
At least today, I won’t stop until I’m drunk!
~~
After the ceremony, Master Zhao left first with Jin Ke and others.
"Brother Jin has worked hard." After stepping down from the reviewing platform, Zhao Hao smiled with satisfaction at Jin Ke standing beside him. Being able to train such an army in the Ming Dynasty is actually a win.
"We usually pay great attention to queue training, and we work hard on it as graduation approaches, so we will look more presentable." Jin Ke remained humble and cautious as always.
In fact, Qi's army paid great attention to formation. When the 3,000 southern soldiers followed Qi Jiguang to the north, they arrived at the outskirts of the city. It was raining heavily, and they stood still from morning till dusk. The border troops were horrified, and only then did they know the military order.
It was raining heavily at the time, and they stood there from morning to afternoon without moving an inch, which shocked the border troops. Only then did they understand for the first time what it meant for military orders to be as heavy as mountains.
In this day and age, an army that can march in formation can already be ranked among the strongest armies.
However, the training here is for the navy, and this is far from enough. It is also necessary to accumulate rich technology and experience.
"They only had three months of internship in the second semester, rotating to the patrol fleet, escort fleet, and fleets of various water police bureaus." Jin Ke told Zhao Hao honestly, "At most, they are familiar with life at sea, understand the organization and military orders on the ship, and know their own tasks and responsibilities. It's still a long way to go before they can become qualified coast guards."
"Without the baptism of the battlefield, you will never be able to temper your temper." Wang Rulong also said in a deep voice: "It's a pity that it has been almost two years and I haven't fought a serious battle again."
"Didn't we capture a lot of pirates and destroy a lot of thieves' dens?" Zhao Hao said with a smile.
"It's useless to just fight a little." Wang Rulong curled his lips, looking unsatisfied.
"Haha, don't worry, there will be plenty of battles to fight soon." Zhao Hao laughed and patted Wang Rulong on the shoulder and said, "Let's go and see our three little beauties first!"