Chapter 4: This Kid's Got Talent

Words : 2225 Updated : Sep 24th, 2025

All the new recruits were hunched over their blankets, struggling to fold them into crisp squares. They'd watched the demo twice, but once they started, they realized it was a whole different story. "How do you even do this? Why can't I get it right?" Sweat beaded on Vincent's buzz-cut scalp as he shot nervous glances left and right. Beside him, Adriel scratched his head in frustration. He remembered TV making soldiering look easy. Weren't soldiers supposed to shoulder satchel charges and blow up bunkers? Since when was folding a blanket this hard? Only Daniel had it down. His hands moved quickly, every crease sharp, every edge clean. "Ding! Barracks skills +1!" The chime startled Daniel. His hands, oddly enough, moved a shade faster. Details he'd missed before suddenly came into focus, and he carried them out automatically. His technique grew surer by the second. Before long, a neat, angular blanket sat in front of him. It didn't quite meet the standard of the squared-off, rock-solid fold prized in the barracks, but it was leagues better than his first attempt. Daniel stared at it, stunned. "Hell no. I don't want it this perfect. I don't want to stick out. System, stop buffing me." "As long as you learn, I'll upgrade those skills." Bitterness crept across his face. For the first time in his life, he felt that a windfall dropping into his lap might not be a good thing. He only wanted a tiny boost, not a huge one. Daniel had grown up in a military compound, and he knew the ways of a unit inside out. Soldiers competed in everything. It wasn't just running and shooting; even barracks routines were a contest. If a recruit's rack was really squared away, he'd get paraded as a model and hauled out to demonstrate. When that happened, staying under the radar was impossible. "Damn it, I can't fold another one. If this ability ticks up a few more times, I'll be able to make a perfect fold with my eyes closed and my hands tied." "Mm. Not bad, much better than before." Daniel jumped. Pablo had materialized behind him like a ghost, eyes narrowed in satisfaction. "Not bad at all. It's starting to look like something. All right, you can stop folding. Go teach the others." "Yes, squad leader." Relief washed through Daniel. He really couldn't afford to fold one more blanket. The others were still struggling. Vincent's blanket looked like a dog had pawed it to ruin. Adriel wasn't doing much better. His whole bed looked like a bomb had gone off, and he was bouncing around, tense and frantic. Daniel chuckled. For new recruits, folding blankets was the first hurdle and usually the longest one. Some people still didn't have it right even after they'd become old hands. He swept a look across the room, and his smile froze. He'd grown up in the compound. He'd seen what happened when someone failed at folding. The squad's blankets would get flung off the upstairs balcony to "make them fly," or they'd be thrown into the toilets, and everyone would have to do push-ups over the squat toilets, faces inches from the stink, then come back and fold again. Daniel didn't want to stand out, but he wanted even less to be punished. "Hey, how's it going?" Daniel lifted his head and grinned at Vincent. Vincent's brows were knitted tight. When he spotted Daniel, it was like seeing family. "Bro, help me take a look. I just can't do it." "Knock off the stuff. In the army, you're all comrades-in-arms," Pablo said, voice cool and flat. Vincent flinched. "Yes, squad leader." He lowered his voice and whispered, "Bro, I really can't fold this. Can you teach me?" Daniel glanced at the blanket. "You don't fold at home? This looks like a dog chewed it." Vincent scratched his head. "My folks never let me do chores. They worked the fields, and I just stood there watching." Daniel rolled his eyes at the ceiling. He'd assumed kids from the countryside were all tough and hardworking. Turns out there were pampered ones too. He pointed at the blanket. "If you want it to hold its shape, you have to press it firm. The cotton's new, so it puffs up. Come on, like this. Use your forearms and press outward hard." Daniel talked him through it, and Vincent copied his motions step by step. The kid was slow, but he had strength. Within minutes, the blanket had thinned down nicely. "It works, it really works. Bro, you're amazing. You're the best." "Huh? Calling him bro again?" Pablo's snort drifted up from below. Vincent winced. "Squad leader, I forgot." "Attaboy, now you're getting it," Daniel said with a smile. "What's that supposed to mean?" Vincent watched him, eyes crinkled with delight. The corner of Daniel's mouth twitched. He couldn't use bookish lines with this guy. "Keep folding, no slacking. We've got to do our squad proud." Daniel played the seasoned instructor. "Got it." Vincent happily went back to wrestling the blanket according to Daniel's instructions. Once Vincent got his blanket into a passable shape, the others drifted over, eager to pick up the trick. "Suck-up," Adriel muttered, rolling his eyes. "What's the big deal? It's just a blanket. Like nobody else can do it. Show-off." His mouth ran, but his eyes kept straying over, and he copied every move he saw. Before long, with Daniel's guidance, Vincent managed to fold a blanket he could live with. It was crooked, more cotton candy than tofu block, but at least it had a shape. Way better than his first try. Vincent was over the moon. "Oh my god, thank you so much. This blanket looks great. From now on, you're my bro." The other recruits threw him thumbs-ups. "Awesome." "Daniel, come teach me." "Give me a few pointers. I can't figure it out." Daniel climbed down from his bunk and waved them over. "No problem. We're comrades. If you need help, I'll do my part. One at a time, one at a time." The smug tilt of his smile rubbed Adriel raw. Back in school, he'd hated kids from the city. They looked down their noses, always so sure of themselves. Backed by their parents' money, they often sneered at kids from the urban-rural fringe. He hadn't expected to run into the same type in the army. "If you can do it, I can do it." Adriel went at his blanket like it owed him money, clamped the corners with his forearms, and shoved forward. Before long, a square, tofu-block prototype took shape under his hands. Pablo watched from the side, eyes shining. First day in camp, and these rookies could already fold their blankets. Looked like, in barracks management, his squad would leave the others behind. As long as they didn't drop the ball in other areas, he could take First Squad to the top of the recruit company and bring home a citation. With the two third-class commendations he already had, plus a string of minor honors, promotion felt within reach. He glanced at Daniel, a faint smile on his lips. "The company commander was a bit harsh. The kid may have come from the city, but he learns fast and lends a hand. The commander might have misread him. I should put him to good use." He raised his voice. "Keep folding. I'll go grab some water for you guys." Daniel watched Pablo's back recede and let a sly smile bloom. He knew exactly what the squad leader was thinking. Use me as a helper, ride my coattails to good results? Not a chance. His goal was simple: keep the whole squad at the same level, no stragglers, no standouts. That way, he could lie low, slip through recruit training without drawing fire, and then take it easy in the line company. While he'd been helping, he'd already sized up the room. Ten men in all, every shape and height. Besides himself, there was Tommy, also from the city, a quiet one who kept to himself. The rest were country boys, or like Adriel, from the urban-rural fringe. One kid named Edison was a wiry, dark-skinned guy, always bouncing around, talkative as a magpie. From experience, rural recruits tended to be straightforward and obedient, easy to manage. Old hands loved that type. A few had weaker schooling and got scolded easily. City kids were more active, quick learners, and often ended up as the go-to guys for every task. So the ideal was to keep First Squad at the same level, neither good nor bad. That way, he wouldn't get dragged into collective punishment, and he could bide his time until assignment to a line unit, then coast. Daniel's eyes lit up. An idea clicked. He clapped his hands and called out, "Keep folding while you listen. I've got something important to tell everyone." "What is it?" Everyone looked over, curious. Even Adriel paused, eyes narrowed. "What trick is he pulling now?" Daniel smiled. "What I'm about to tell you will make your life a lot easier. If you don't want to get chewed out or punished, listen up."

Chapter 4: This Kid's Got Talent

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