Members of an elite squad with the Yunnan People's Armed Police Force are at the forefront of operations.

The First Squadron of the Third Detachment of the Yunnan People's Armed Police Force was granted the title "The Steel Knife Team" in 1979 by the Central Military Commission for its efforts in guarding the country's southwestern border.

In the intervening years, the squadron has devoted itself to a range of tasks, including fighting floods and providing disaster relief.

China Daily spoke with two current officers and one former member of the team to learn how their lives have been changed and improved after joining the famous unit.

Lu Xueliang: discovering his own worth

Lu Xueliang, 28, served in the squadron for eight years. He said he still feels a surge of emotion when he recalls the prestigious team and the efforts he made striving to uphold its reputation.

After joining the force in 2010, Lu undertook various tasks, withstood temptation when offered bribes at customs posts and risked his life providing assistance in the wake of natural disasters.

From 2016 to 2017, he and his colleagues were responsible for security at a customs post in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, where they checked individuals and vehicles deemed suspicious. They had to guard against all kinds of temptations and threats to their safety.

"The volume of passenger traffic was large, and numbers reached about 700,000 people a day. Our task was extremely arduous," Lu said.

"Outsiders cannot imagine what we faced every day－bribery attempts, offers of sexual favors, and threats to our lives. Those were all the work of smugglers who wanted us to turn a blind eye to their trade."

Temptation was placed in his path several times.

One day, two young men followed him into a secluded area. They told him that they knew soldiers earned meager salaries and they could show him a way to make easy money.

"I don't know what they were smuggling, but they offered me a bank card with about 20,000 yuan ($2,920) on it and promised more. I refused and reported the approach to my superior," he said.

Lu's comrades also faced temptations, such as being offered watches that retailed for about 2 million yuan each, diamonds and iPhones.

Sometimes they were targeted by women who tried to avoid the customs checks by offering sexual favors, and smugglers who became emotional and threatened them with knives. The approaches were always reported and many smugglers were apprehended.

"We had to conduct ourselves honorably because we had a duty not to bring discredit to our squadron," Lu said.

In 2014, he took part in a rescue operation after mudslides in Shangri-La, Yunnan province. For eight days and nights, he cleaned up debris and helped to resettle people and their property.

"Before that, I had only seen disaster relief work on TV. I was worried about my safety and also nervous because it was the first such task I had undertaken," he said.

"I was shocked by the scene, where houses had collapsed and dead pigs floated in the water. I carried sandbags to build an embankment. It rained continuously and the sand mixed with the water in my uniform and kept rubbing my skin. We slept at the scene, which left us muddy and smelly."

He was impressed by, and proud of, the local people. They gave the PAP officers a warm welcome and even brought baskets of boiled eggs, which they handed out to the exhausted rescuers.

Lu, from Qujing, Yunnan, joined the PAP because he admired his older brother, who is also member of the force.

His parents disagreed with his decision because they didn't think he could endure the hardship. They had spoiled him a little at home and wouldn't even let him do farm work.

"On my first day at the PAP base, I kind of agreed with my parents. I was required to get up at 6:20 am, but I felt I couldn't open my eyes that early. The physical training was also beyond my ability. I didn't quit, though, because it had been my choice," he said.

In 2018, he was transferred to another team in the detachment, but he believes his eight years in the squadron made him a new person and helped him discover his own worth.

"I gave up smoking and I became part of the most treasured brotherhood in the PAP. Now I am serving in another squadron, and I will pass on that spirit to new recruits wherever I am," he said.

Long Kanghua: reluctant recruit

When Long Kanghua graduated from high school, his father signed him up for the Yunnan People's Armed Police Force without telling him.

"Becoming a PAP officer was my father's dream, not mine. I couldn't accept the fact that I was going into the force. My dad really liked the idea of signing me up without informing me first－maybe because he thought I was naive and too playful," Long said.

At the time, Long was boarding at a high school in Pu'er city, Yunnan, and his father was working as an architect in the Xishuangbanna Dai autonomous prefecture about two hours' drive away. As a result, they rarely communicated.

Long spent most of his time at school playing basketball, chatting and hanging out with friends.

After he joined the PAP in 2018, he realized how ignorant he had been about his family and his career prospects.

"I have received a lot of training that has improved my endurance levels and taught me to be independent," the 20-year-old said.

"I have also learned the proper way to interact with people. More important, I started to care about my family more and our ties became closer. I can only get access to phones at certain hours, but whenever I can get a phone I have video chats with my parents about their lives at home and mine in the force."

His parents have asked to visit him at the camp several times, but he has always refused.

"I don't want my parents to see my camp, which is full of sand and dust, or my sleeping quarters－a tent like a steaming box with a temperature of about 45 C during the day. My mother cares about me a lot. She even cried about a small nick on my hand," Long said.

The heat means it's hard to fall asleep at night, so the officers need to keep a fan blowing and cover their bodies with wet towels.

"It is not a big deal to me because I understand that if I experience more hardships at a young age my future life will be easier," Long said.

His new-found toughness was illustrated when he injured his foot during a training run but insisted on finishing the course.

"Five-kilometer runs require both endurance and willpower. Every time I feel I have used all my energy at the end of the run, I motivate myself by thinking of my parents and my newborn brother. I work hard for them," he said.

"In June, my 1-year-old sibling called me 'brother' for the first time. I felt so happy and knew I must set a good example for him. My father has supported the whole family, but now I must shoulder some of his burden."

When he leaves the PAP, Long plans to run a business renting basketball courts to adults and also provide a facility where children can learn about the sport. He wants to run a grocery store, too.

"I never envy my friends from high school who are now running businesses," he said.

"While I am still serving in the force, I will do my best. I know I can learn a lot here," he said.

Deng Jun: a dream come true

When Deng Jun was a child, he dreamed of being a soldier. So, when he graduated from Guizhou University of Engineering Science last year, he didn't bother looking for a civilian job.

Instead, he joined the Yunnan PAP. However, he quickly realized that life in the camp was much harder than at university.

"During my college years, I seldom slept before 1 am and usually got up at noon, watched movies or just played with my phone on the bed in my dormitory. When I went outside, my eyes would be dazzled by the light and needed to adapt," Deng said.

"In those days, I was comfortable but lazy. The force has made me more self-disciplined and totally changed my mental state. When I video chatted with my parents, they said my eyes looked brighter than before."

He is the fourth of five children, and his parents make a living by working odd jobs.

"My parents are getting older and are not as strong as they were. I have to work hard in the force and repay them in the future," he said.

"I used to be so naive and knew nothing but playing around－if I hadn't come to serve in the PAP, I might be having a barbecue party with friends right now!"

When the squadron first assessed his fitness, Deng was physically weak and felt a lot of peer pressure, he said.

It is a tradition in the squadron to swear an oath in front of honor pennants and certificates handed down many decades ago.

"It was amazing to see so many worn-out pennants. I realized that none of us should hold our honored team back," he said.

He recalled how he once followed a comrade into the tent where the squadron's honors are displayed.

"I saw him standing still, staring at the pennants on the wall. He told me he always sought spiritual support whenever he was criticized by his superior for not doing a good job or just for feeling exhausted," Deng said.

"Sometimes my squad leader pointed out my weaknesses and mistakes, which no one had ever done before. I corrected them straightway, but I was easily hurt and felt unhappy. Now I understand that he was right. I don't feel unhappy about it anymore, though, because I can meet the standards even when no one is pushing me."

On campus, Deng watched movies such as Wolf Warriors that depicted soldiers as individual heroes. But once enrolled, he discovered that the PAP is not about individual heroism, but about teamwork.

"For example, comrades fight for honor as a team. We help each other with the daily training, such as correcting our running techniques," he said.

"The most important thing I have learned in the force is to listen to different opinions. Before, I did whatever I wanted and was self-centered. Now, I belong to a team. Everyone has a special quality, which means we always discuss things and ask each other for advice to achieve our goals."