An 80s female translator was spoiled rotten by a rough and jealous man.

Chapter 277 "I have to stay here!"

As dawn broke, the mountains and forests were shrouded in an indigo mist.

While on night duty, Meng Youyou noticed she wasn't feeling well; her head was spinning, she felt lightheaded and disoriented, and she had difficulty concentrating. Out of a sense of responsibility, Meng Youyou woke Ayou in the middle of the night to cover her shift, and then went back to her dormitory to rest alone.

Meng Youyou forced her weak and exhausted body back to her room. The moment she touched the edge of the bed, she collapsed, half her cheek hitting the mattress. Her mind felt like it was stuffed with a wad of swelled, damp cotton, making it hard to breathe. Her eyelids drooped uncontrollably, then stuck shut. Without even taking off her shoes, she fell into a deep sleep.

In the remaining, hazy fragments of consciousness, Meng Youyou vaguely remembered that at first she felt cold all over. It was almost June, but she felt a chill seeping into her entire body from the inside out, and she subconsciously grabbed the thin blanket from the head of the bed and wrapped herself in it.

In just over twenty minutes, the chill faded, replaced by an overwhelming heat. It felt like there was a furnace inside the blanket, and Meng Youyou's forehead slowly began to be covered in a layer of sticky sweat.

"Thump-thump-thump--"

I could vaguely hear someone knocking on the door.
Meng Youyou was unsure, her consciousness was scattered and hazy, and she ultimately failed to muster her energy, sinking into a deep sense of lethargy.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!" This time it turned into banging on the door, and the vibration of the integrated container was obvious. Meng Youyou finally realized that she was not hallucinating, and there was really someone "knocking" on the door.

She struggled to awaken her will, but like a fish stranded on the shore when the tide recedes, she struggled for a long time, only to find it all in vain.

"Bang! Bang!! Bang!!!" The impacts came one after another, so much so that the bed frame trembled incessantly, as if it was about to fall apart at any moment. The intruder's patience seemed to have run out, and they were about to break down the door.

Meng Youyou finally managed to open her eyes with difficulty. Everything in her vision was swaying. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she felt extremely unsteady. She had to hold onto the wall for support and finally managed to reach the door.

Her fingers had just touched the cold latch when the sudden contrast between hot and cold jolted her awake a little.

She opened the latch, but before she could even pull it open a crack, the entire door was suddenly pushed inward with great force—no, it was the person outside who was ramming into the door with all their might, and they met unexpectedly.

The door shoved her backward, and Meng Youyou, whose legs were already unsteady, was even more unsteady by this force.

She bent her knees.

The next second, a tall, dark figure rushed towards her, and a strong arm suddenly came across, firmly catching her waist and spine, stopping her from falling.

Her face was pressed against his chest, and the next second, a large, cool hand covered her forehead. Realizing his intention, Meng Youyou subconsciously grabbed his sleeve, and the first thing she said was, "Huo Qingshan, don't send me back to the rear. I have to stay here."

Without a word, the man bent down, picked her up, and carried her to the bedside, gently placing her on it.

Only when the cool, damp gauze was placed on Meng Youyou's forehead did he stop and look at her directly, meeting her stubborn eyes.

Despite feeling unwell, she refused to close her eyes and rest, stubbornly staring at him, waiting for his reply.

Huo Qingshan didn't ask her why she insisted on staying here. Last night, before he left the cave, he made a field call to the regimental command to inquire whether there were any reserve translators in the rear who could be immediately sent to the front lines.

The response from the other side was not surprising—there were no replacements available. Huo Qingshan could have expected this, but he still clung to a sliver of hope.

Translation personnel sourced from the military and government systems have historically possessed reliable overall competence and impeccable political backgrounds. However, the drawback of such personnel lies in their limited numbers. For example, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' primary responsibility is ensuring the smooth operation of various foreign affairs activities, leaving its available manpower already extremely strained.

As for other alternative paths, whether it's drawing from university teachers or selecting from returned overseas Chinese and border residents, there are obvious drawbacks. Leaving aside the fact that the quality of these groups is inherently uneven, even those with language skills often have other shortcomings. The timeliness alone is a major problem: the training period is long, the political vetting process is cumbersome, and the final percentage of those who pass through the multiple rounds of assessments is not high.

This directly resulted in the efficiency of sending translation personnel to the front lines falling far short of the need to replenish the vacancies caused by wounded or retired personnel.

To put it another way, those who reach the top level in any field are inevitably a very small minority, and the professional barriers to battlefield translation work are exceptionally high. A skilled translator would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset to an entire frontline operation, but such talent is destined to be rare and hard to find.

Meng Youyou is a pair of powerful wings, that's undeniable.

This is currently the most critical period of the standoff between the two armies. Capturing a position is one thing, holding it is quite another. Behind their apparent advantage of having the initiative on the front line lies the challenge of how to withstand wave after wave of unexpected enemy attacks while their defensive system is still unstable. The recent sporadic raids are merely prelude to the enemy's probing. It's important to remember that the 7-10 days following a battle are typically a peak period for large-scale enemy counterattacks; this is the time when vigilance is most crucial, allowing no room for complacency.

Remove the translator! Such a crucial observation post is left with only a newbie who has only been in office for a week. If intelligence and opportunities are missed and problems arise, no one can bear the responsibility.

How could Huo Qingshan not understand this principle? Everyone here knows perfectly well how cruel the battlefield is.

Seeing that he remained silent, Meng Youyou, who was lying on the bed, spoke again, her voice weak: "Huo Qingshan, we are the same."

Do people who have been in love always leave behind some unspoken understanding that pops up from time to time? For example, at this moment, Huo Qingshan understood her seemingly random words almost instantly.

The face before her pulled her back to that night in the cave. He lay on the ground, soaking wet and pale, while she stood by his side, panicked and terrified, crying her eyes out. Just before he lost consciousness, he pleaded with her, "Yoyo, please, don't fire the signal flare. I don't want to give up."

And now, she tells him that we are the same.

Can they be the same? Huo Qingshan asked himself.

At the very least, all of this would be predicated on her still having the ability to process information, rather than as she does now.

Huo Qingshan frowned in disagreement, his words clearly showing his disapproval: "What's the point of you staying at the listening station in your current state...?" He stopped halfway through his sentence, probably afraid of offending her, and changed his expression: "Oh, blindly showing off is meaningless."

His tone became increasingly gentle as he patiently advised, "Your current physical condition is not suitable for the high-precision nature of radio monitoring; staying here will not help."

I've spoken with the medic at the observation post, and your ear infection is quite serious. If this continues unchecked, there's a risk of deafness. Moreover, you have a high fever, and if it doesn't come down, it could be life-threatening. Whichever of these scenarios occurs, it will be a huge loss for the listening station and the entire position.

"Hey, listen to me this time, okay? Go back and get treatment first, come back when you're fully recovered. No one will look down on you because of that. You need to understand that your value lies in being effective as long as possible, in having a continuous and effective output, not in focusing on short-term gains."

She listened patiently as he finished speaking. "It's meaningful!" Without any harsh words, Meng Youyou was unusually calm, saying each word clearly, "Of course it's meaningful!"

And then nothing more was said.

She stared at him for a long time without speaking, as if she was thinking. After a few seconds, Meng Youyou suddenly spoke, her voice soft: "Huo Qingshan, you've carried out so many field missions, but have you ever seen a real wolf pack?"

Huo Qingshan was taken aback, not understanding how the topic had suddenly turned to the wolf pack, but he still cooperated with her question and nodded honestly, "I've seen them."

"Why weren't the old, weak, sick, and disabled wolves in the pack abandoned by the main group?" Meng Youyou questioned. "Clearly, those old and wounded wolves are much weaker than before, and some even have difficulty moving. If they weren't there, wouldn't the main group move faster, more agilely, and more safely? Is it simply because they don't want to abandon their kind?"

Experience is the most irreplaceable value of an old wolf. They are familiar with the habits of their prey, know how to ambush and surround them, and even predict weather changes. Without the guidance of an old wolf, a young wolf pack may blindly pursue prey, ultimately wasting their energy or even falling into a trap.

Wounded wolves also play an important role. Although they cannot charge into battle, the scent they release can stabilize the pack's emotions, especially in times of crisis. When encountering a strong enemy or failing in a hunt, the presence of wounded wolves can calm the restless young members and prevent them from scattering in panic.

These groups, which have survived on Earth for tens of millions of years, possess true wisdom for survival—not just leaving behind the strongest individuals, but maximizing the value of each member. Even when they are no longer agile, they can still use experience, composure, and loyalty to support the entire group and help it go further.

Huo Qingshan was always very clever; usually, he would have understood when she pointed this out. But judging from his reaction, the expression on the man's face did not change in the slightest from beginning to end. There was no surprise, no realization; he was as calm as still water.

Meng Youyou could only continue slowly, "You don't understand Ayou. He's still too young, careless and impulsive, not mature enough, and easily panics when things happen. Besides, he's only been here for a short time and is still in the adjustment period. If I leave, he'll feel like the entire burden of this listening station is on his shoulders all at once."

He paused deliberately, then raised his voice slightly at the end: "Platoon Leader Huo, guess what the consequences will be?"

She kept everyone in suspense, leaving the answer completely undisclosed.

As if she didn't expect any immediate reaction from him, Meng Youyou chuckled to herself and continued, "But Ayou is actually quite bright. He learns things very quickly and understands things immediately when he encounters a misunderstanding. If someone could keep an eye on him, he would be much more stable."

“Platoon Leader Huo, this is the value of my continued presence at the listening station.” Her tone suddenly became firm, filled with utmost seriousness: “I am needed here, so I must stay.”

Everyone has heard the old saying, "Where there's life, there's hope." It advises people to preserve their roots and look to the future, so they won't worry about not having a chance to use their talents later.

But the battlefield is never a place to catch one's breath; it is the most ruthless place where victory or defeat is often decided in a single moment of struggle. What may seem like just a moment of relaxation can, in the blink of an eye, completely reverse the situation and turn the world upside down.

If a position becomes vacant, or a monitoring hub is paralyzed for half a day or a day, it can have far-reaching consequences, ultimately affecting the entire war zone and triggering unpredictable chain reactions.

If you voluntarily cut off one ear, be prepared that your body's coordination will be disrupted, and someone might take the opportunity to cut off your limbs, or even your head.