"Hi!" Jennifer, who was lying on the pillow looking at Parks, had her fair skin exposed from under the sheet, glistening with a tender, watery sheen in the sunlight.
Her skin only revealed its delicate, dewy appearance in the daytime sun.
"Hi!" Parks rolled over, lay on his side looking at Jennifer, thought for a moment, and then narrowed his eyes and asked, "Why me?"
"I like you, that's enough!" Jennifer giggled, looking at Parks, her fingers tracing lines on his chest.
The two lingered for a while longer.
"I have to go, Jennifer!" Parks began searching for his clothes on the bed and floor, and casually tossed Jennifer's clothes onto the bed.
"Our instructor is very strict! If I'm late, he'll surely torture me!"
Jennifer lay still, propped on her side with her hand supporting her head, quietly watching Parks somewhat frantically pull on his disheveled clothes.
"Baby, I'll come often from now on!" Parks buttoned his last button, then walked to the bedside, bent down, hooked one arm around Jennifer's fair, slender neck, and kissed her fiercely.
Just as he was about to get up, two jade-like arms hooked around his lowered neck.
Jennifer pulled her entire upper body up, then her red lips pressed tightly against Parks', separating only after a long while.
She smiled at him and said, "You'd better not forget me, or I'll kill you!"
"Of course, baby, how could I forget you?" Parks said, then turned around.
Jennifer saw him open the door and shouted loudly from behind him, "You'd better remember, I'm serious!"
"Wait, dear!" At this moment, Jennifer, completely naked, jumped out of bed, wrapped her alluring body in the sheet, took several cans from a nearby cabinet, and put them into a cloth bag.
"Take these.
They'll be useful."
When Parks saw the cans, he instinctively wanted to refuse, but seeing Jennifer's eyes full of concern, he could only smile and say, "Alright, I'll take them, dear, goodbye!"
"Bang!" The door closed, and Jennifer shouted loudly again, "I'll really kill you if you dare to forget me, you bastard!"
But that bastard was already hurrying back to the barracks.
"Oh, look, our Parks is here!" Heffron shouted loudly when he saw Parks walk into the tent.
"How did that beautiful Goddess Helen make our Prince ecstatic last night?" White also joined in the fun.
Parks had to admire Jennifer's shrewdness at this moment, so he pulled out the cans and threw them to White and Heffron: "Catch, these are hush money, don't go blabbing everywhere."
"Hey, Cobb, you get some too!" Parks threw a can to Cobb.
Cobb shook it and couldn't help but exclaim, "Canned fish! This is great! I love you, Parks, do you know this is my favorite?" Cobb didn't bother to dwell on last night's events with Parks.
The food in the barracks didn't really suit the Soldiers' appetites, so what the soldiers hoped for most was to buy some delicious canned food in Town.
"Mine's not bad either!" White also exclaimed in surprise.
"Delicious! Thank you!" Heffron opened a can and was chewing heartily, "Thank that beautiful goddess for me, I really hope you can go to her place every night.
Is this your reward, Parks?"
"Reward?" Parks was stunned, then understood, "Damn it, the cans can't even shut your mouth!"
The few of them burst into laughter.
"Where are Luz and Moore?" Parks asked.
"God knows, they weren't in camp early this morning," Cobb replied while eating his can.
Parks weighed the cloth bag in his hand: "There are two more, but they're peach.
I hope they like them.
I'll keep them for now and give them to them when they arrive."
"Peach cans? Parks, that's your most painful memory!" White interjected.
"It really looks like the garbage from the U.S. Army.
It seems good things are always reserved for those of us who are prepared." Cobb pulled a fish from the can with a crunch and quickly stuffed it into his mouth.
At this moment, the assembly bugle sounded outside the tent.
"E Company Second Platoon, you have two minutes to change into your training uniforms.
Then assemble on that large training ground for our morning training.
Dismissed!" Lieutenant Winters stood at the front of the formation, issuing the order.
"Remember, the morning training must be done neatly.
Just as I usually demand of everyone!" Lieutenant Sobel stood in front of Lieutenant Winters, then lowered his voice, "Colonel Sink will be inspecting later.
You know, we should be the best company in the 506th Regiment, and we absolutely cannot disgrace me, understood?"
"Yes, Lieutenant!" Winters stood ramrod straight.
"Go, lead the brothers and do well!" Sobel nodded, motioning for Winters to go change into his training uniform.
Colonel Sink arrived very early; he was there when Winters had just begun leading the brothers in training.
He did not immediately go to Lieutenant Sobel but instead looked around various parts of E Company.
At Lieutenant Sobel's request, E Company indeed performed very well in daily training.
Even the more demanding Sink couldn't help but nod, praising Sobel greatly.
However, today Colonel Sink had another matter besides the inspection: he had already drafted Lieutenant Sobel's promotion papers.
He came specifically today to promote Lieutenant Sobel.
Colonel Sink's steps finally stopped beside the E Company formation that was performing exercises.
After they finished, Sink walked up to Winters and asked, "Lieutenant, how many times has this company practiced the military exercises?"
"Three times, Colonel!" Winters replied.
"Thank you very much!" Colonel Sink nodded, saying nothing more.
He turned and walked towards E Company's Battalion HQ.
Lieutenant Sobel had already silently practiced several times inside the company's tent.
He knew that Colonel Sink's visit today was not just a simple inspection; there had long been news that he would be promoted, and it seemed the time was now.
He practiced how to speak to the Colonel, both respectfully and with his own demeanor.
"E Company has performed the best in the Second Battalion." Colonel Sink removed the single silver bar from Lieutenant Sobel's collar, then personally placed the two silver bars, signifying the rank of Captain, onto Sobel's collar.
"I believe this is all thanks to you.
Congratulations, Captain Sobel!"
Sobel stood ramrod straight, his face solemn, but he could not conceal the triumph in his eyes.
"Thank you, sir!" Sobel's reply was full of vigor.
At this moment, Sink looked out the window at Winters still leading E Company in training, and couldn't help but smile, "Is that Lieutenant Winters? He's leading E Company in military exercises."
Sobel turned his head in surprise, followed Sink's gaze, then nodded and said, "Yes, sir!"
Sink smiled and nodded: "He is truly a good soldier!" Then he took out a silver bar and said to Sobel, "Today I was going to present him with one of these, but you can do it.
He will surely feel very honored."
Sobel took the silver bar, feeling as if a bee had stung him internally, but he had to appear pleased, nodding and saying, "Alright, sir, he will surely be proud of your decision."
It was like a delicious bowl of fresh soup suddenly having dust fall into it; it just felt that the deliciousness was no longer as authentic as he had imagined.
Winters! Winters! Sobel silently repeated the name in his heart, then called the staff officers of E Company, including Louis Nixon, and also Winters, into the Second Platoon's soldier tent.
"What are we doing today?" Winters asked Sobel for instructions.
Sobel glanced at Winters, then said with a grim face, "We're inspecting the Soldiers' personal belongings."
This statement seemed a bit forced, because before this, the company had no such inspection, and battalion headquarters had not yet issued a regulation.
After all, Soldiers' personal belongings were considered private property, and could not be searched without a military order.
"You all look!" Sobel didn't allow Winters to speak and began rummaging through the Soldiers' lockers.
"Pornographic magazines, contraband!" Sobel found one of Smith's adult magazines.
"Unauthorized clothing, contraband." Sobel grabbed a patterned tie and displayed it in front of Winters.
"This man has two hundred condoms in his locker, how can he still have the strength to fight?" Sobel casually tossed the box onto the ground, then he picked up a stack of letters, "Where did soldier Heffron get so much free time to read so many letters?" Then he casually tore open one.
Winters felt he should say something.
He looked at Sobel and said, "Company Commander, are private letters also considered contraband?"
Sobel didn't even look at Winters.
He held the pink letter paper under his nose and sniffed: "These men aren't paratroopers yet, Lieutenant! They have no private property!"
Then he picked up one of the two cans that his personal orderly had confiscated and, with a grim expression, said to Winters, Nixon, and the others, "What is this?"
Then he shook it a few times in his hand, sternly addressing the men in front of him: "Who wants to answer?"