Sergeant Fomin

2005. Mikhail Medvedev, the son of a rather influential man with a large company, was drafted into the army. He was expelled from university due to a drug-related incident. But Misha didn't need to study; his father would buy his diploma if necessary. He wasn't a spoiled brat, rarely asking for help. And after coming of age, he began living independently, shrugging off extra money. He had a friend, Kuzma Sokolov, an ordinary village boy. He had a girlfriend, Varya; they'd known each other for quite some time. He was relatively calm, unlike his brash friend Medvedev, but they found common ground. In the unit, Mikhail's brazenness remained intact, only slightly dulled. Kuzma, on the other hand, behaved almost like the perfect soldier, but he, too, got into trouble for his friend's mistakes. Some in the unit suspected he was the businessman's son, but there was no clear evidence. Misha decided to hide this fact, so that everyone would think he was an ordinary soldier. Only Kuzma knew about his relative. There was a sergeant in their unit, Fomin. Strict, brazen, and sharp-tongued. He immediately set his sights on Medvedev, as they were similar. He decided to "re-educate" him, either by making him clean up extra time or by just yelling at him. Fomin treated everyone like that, so no one suspected him. He even bullied Sokolov all the time, even though he had no reason to. Medvedev and Sokolov were ironing the uniforms of the veteran soldiers, as ordered. Why should they dance to their tune? It's set in stone; the rules can't be changed. "Listen, Mikh. Have you noticed that Fomin only trusts you with his uniform? Maybe he's hinting that you'll get epaulettes too."

• He just hates me. It's not up to them to decide who has what rank. Medvedev was a good soldier, albeit a rude one, so he was guaranteed sergeant's epaulettes. But Fomin hardly thinks the same. He has one secret from Sokolov. That very day when he simply wanted to wash up, but ended up pinned down and punched hard in the stomach. Of course, this didn't stop Mikhail, but it left a bad taste in his mouth. A few minutes later, Fomin himself burst in with another sergeant, Yevseyev, apparently looking for his uniform.