Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 134: Successfully Conquering Levels, This Private's Heart is Truly Ruthless

In the pitch-black early morning hours, when it was almost impossible to see one's hand in front of one's face, Chen Mo had no idea how long he had been running.

All I could hear was the howling wind and the fine rain hitting my face.

The intensity of the reconnaissance soldiers' competition is something that ordinary people can't withstand. If Chen Mo hadn't been a veteran at heart, with his unwavering belief in never giving up as a soldier, he wouldn't have been able to withstand it.

Running with a load of over 30 kilograms, to the point of almost fainting, was simply impossible to sustain.

But he had to fight, not only for the company, but also for himself. He had to seize every opportunity to perform.

He wanted to see his old boss and change his life.

This is Chen Mo's goal and belief, which he reminds himself of repeatedly whenever he faces extreme challenges.

Gradually.

The wind blowing in his face carried an increasingly strong fishy smell, and Chen Mo knew that he was getting closer to the lake where he would paddle, and that he had been running the right route.

That's right.

After running about 600 or 700 meters, Chen Mo could vaguely see a dozen veterans squatting on the ground next to two troop transport trucks by the lake, their buttocks sticking out as they pumped air into the assault boats.

When they got closer, they recognized the veterans from the first and second squads who had crossed the river first.

Chen Mo said, rather speechless, "Does this assault boat for the martial arts competition have to be inflated by itself?"

"Stop talking nonsense." Among the veterans with their butts sticking out, one of them looked up and saw the newcomer. He pointed to the vehicle next to him and said, "There's still some in the back of the truck. Hurry up and fill it up with the air pump."

"Those bastards from other companies will be here soon."

"Okay!!"

Chen Mo didn't hesitate. He quickly ran to the truck's cargo hold, dragged out a black inflatable boat, grabbed an air pump, and joined the inflator rush.

If this thing were electric, it would be fine, but if it were manually inflated, it would take at least seven or eight minutes to inflate one inflatable boat.

obviously.

The person in charge of supervising the crossing knew that it would take time, and that the participants from each company wouldn't come together. So they deliberately used this method to force those who arrived first to stay by the lake to cheer them on.

This gives those behind time to catch up.

About five or six minutes have passed.

Before Chen Mo could even finish setting up one assault boat, the soldiers from the third, fourth, and fifth squads led by Peng Wei arrived one after another.

When their main force arrived, the other two companies arrived almost simultaneously.

There were only thirty assault boats in total, and nearly twenty of them were seized by the Seventh Division.

Of course they wouldn't agree.

"Damn it, leave your stuff here!!"

Two reconnaissance companies from the anti-aircraft artillery brigade positioned themselves on the east and west sides, surrounding Chen Mo and his men in the middle.

In an instant, tensions rose between the two sides.

"I'll leave you here, you bastard. Inflate the boat, set sail with four people per boat, and let's see who dares to rob me today. I'll kill him."

Liu Dong, a third-level sergeant in the first squad, slammed the company flag into the ground, rolled up his sleeves, and glared at the restless crowd opposite him.

This is the time to demonstrate the unity of the entire company.

On the Kuchi Reconnaissance Company side, the group of veteran sergeants who were usually quiet and unassuming in the company all rolled up their sleeves and prepared for a fight.

Protecting the rest of the company behind them, they dragged the assault boat into the water.

This allocation is not without reason. Veterans are generally quite strong swimmers, and even without a boat, they can swim to the other side.

The younger ones, with their greater strength and better backs, have an advantage over the older ones when paddling the speedboats.

We can reach the other side sooner.

While the two sides were locked in a standoff, the veterans on site cooperated by dragging the assault boat into the water.

The boat that Chen Mo was in charge of still hadn't been fully inflated, so he simply handed it to Peng Wei, who was standing next to him, saying, "Squad leader, this assault boat is for you."

Say it.

While the people on the outside weren't paying attention, he secretly grabbed all the air pumps from the back of the truck and slyly followed the crowd into the water.

A group of veterans stared dumbfounded at the scholar, who was carrying a bunch of air pumps and trying to run alongside them.

You should know that the lake in front of us is a large reservoir, and it's several kilometers across.

Even if they remove most of the assault boats, the other two companies will inevitably leave people here to inflate them in order not to delay the later time.

After all, rowing is definitely faster than swimming.

But you took away the air pump, how are people supposed to pump up the air? Blow it up with their mouths?
Yao Jinghua, who had previously worked with Chen Mo, thought he knew Xiucai quite well, but he never expected that this guy would be so cunning.

But while some were shocked, others appreciated it; and the reconnaissance company was not short of like-minded people.

Upon seeing him carrying so many air pumps, an old soldier immediately pulled Chen Mo onto his own boat.

"Quickly, quickly, throw all the equipment and weights into the cabin and sit next to me to row."

"Damn it, scholar, you're a real talent! You're full of mischief, haha, but I like it!!"

Chen Mo grinned, threw his backpack, except for his gun, into the cabin, and then climbed onto the edge of the assault cabin, lay there, and paddled with all his might.

Four people were on a boat, and all four worked together.

The assault boats sped forward like ghosts in the night.

With the help of other veterans, nearly twenty boats set off smoothly on the lake.

The veterans who were confronting the other two companies, seeing that their own men had withdrawn, also turned around one after another and picked up their equipment.

thump! thump! thump!
The sound of people diving into the water could be heard as a group of people plunged in, preparing to cross the lake.

no solution anymore.

Everyone's already run away, so there's no point in continuing the standoff.

When the two reconnaissance companies of the anti-aircraft artillery brigade met up and discussed that some of the better swimmers would go into the water first, while the rest would stay there to inflate the assault boats.

They then discovered that the boat was still there, stored inside the carriage.

But after searching high and low, they couldn't even find an air pump.

A group of veteran artillery and instrument reconnaissance soldiers were so angry that their faces turned green. They immediately pointed at the fleet of ships that had already sailed far away on the lake and started cursing.

"You damn armored bastards, you deserve to die! You even took the air pump?"

"Locusts, you swarms?"

"Don't you dare let me catch you, fuck!!"

Despite the complaints, the lake was so far away that even blowing on it would make the speedboat fly.

Otherwise, by the time they swim several kilometers over, the other person would probably have already disappeared.

On the lake shore, a group of veterans jumped into the water in a fit of rage, splashing around as they desperately chased after the enemy.

The remaining twenty-odd people had no choice but to hold onto the assault boat and strain to pump air into it.

That mood.

This is even worse than being fucked by a dog.

Paddling a speedboat is an extremely tiring activity, relying entirely on abdominal and arm strength.

Chen Mo was well-liked and managed to get a spot on one of the earlier boats. After sliding around for a while, his hands were almost numb from the cold.

He remained unmoved by the insults from behind; since he dared to take it, why would he be afraid of being scolded?
But the other three veterans on the ship almost laughed themselves silly.

As I rowed, tears welled up in my eyes.

"Haha, scholar, you son of a bitch, you're really wicked! Damn it, it was right to send you to the martial arts competition, I knew you were no pushover."

"I knew you weren't a good person, but I didn't expect you to be so mean. How could someone as upright as Lao Pao raise such a scoundrel like you?"

Seeing that he was the first to set off, he noticed that the three veterans were laughing incessantly, which slowed down their paddling speed.

They were overtaken by the others in the company.

Chen Mo urged impatiently, "You three old fogies, stop laughing. We're all falling behind."

"What 'Old Deng'? Damn it, why does this sound so awkward to me?" The veteran who was laughing the loudest stared wide-eyed.

He was about to speak and continue arguing with the scholar.

A loud "boom" suddenly came from the distant lake.
Although it was not yet fully light, a huge explosion was heard, accompanied by water splashing more than ten meters high.

The ships that were still at the very front were still clearly visible.

Such a commotion caused the entire lake to shake.

"Are you going to go this far?"

Chen Mo sat on one side of the assault boat, looking at the distance with surprise. It was obvious that someone was deliberately firing cannonballs into the water.

"Bullshit! This is artillery fire! Get off the ship!!"

The veteran roared.

Chen Mo had only been a reconnaissance soldier for a short time, and he was not yet proficient in some subjects.

Before he could figure out how to deal with the artillery barrage, the two veterans opposite him grabbed the loads from the cabin and jumped into the water with a "plop".

The assault boat was also capsized.

Chen Mo's body tilted to one side and he fell directly into the lake.

To know.

Although it's late March, the daytime temperature can sometimes reach over 20 degrees Celsius, but it's still bone-chillingly cold in the early morning.

Suddenly being submerged in water, Chen Mo felt an instant chill envelop him, and everything went black, making it impossible to see anything clearly.

Fortunately, the inflatable boats have small ventilation holes. If you put a person underneath and there are no signs of human activity on the water's surface, it's not considered a violation.

After Chen Mo adapted for a while...

He stuck his head out to breathe in the overturned cabin.

Other veterans who were rowing also stuck their heads out. One of them glanced at Chen Mo and laughed, "You've got a good mentality, kid."

"I thought you'd struggle for a while and choke on some water."

"Hey, scholar, sometimes I really feel like you used to be a soldier. I can see some of the veteran's traits in you." "Don't talk nonsense, I didn't." Chen Mo felt a little guilty.

He casually changed the subject: "Squad leader, how many shots are needed for this kind of artillery barrage?"

"Let's fry it a few more times, just once is enough."

The veteran pursed his lips and said in a muffled voice, "No one can stay on the water for long during artillery fire."

"It's okay to pop your head out for a breath, but our company is too far behind the other two teams. In the obstacle course, sometimes it's to give the people behind a chance to catch up."

"Just wait, we can go out when the whistle blows."

Upon learning that he would have to wait a while, Chen Mo was helpless; the water was damn cold.

However, compared to the veterans who had to swim the entire way, it was much better.

Those without assault boats could indeed use this time to dive deeper and catch up.

They weren't in a hurry because they had a boat; after all, traveling by boat would definitely be much faster.

Now that they're on a boat, and they still want to move forward, it will be difficult for them to get moving.

It's not a big deal to make a difference to put in a little effort.

Spending time soaking in water is always unbearable.

Chen Mo couldn't say exactly how much time had passed; maybe five minutes, or maybe only two.

The piercing whistles continued to sound from the distant shore, indicating that the artillery barrage had been lifted.

Chen Mo helped the three veterans flip the assault boat over and struggled to climb onto it, not even having time to catch his breath.

The four of them continued rowing, heading towards the opposite bank.

As Chen Mo passed the area where the shells had just exploded, he turned his head and saw swarms of fish, stunned by the blast, floating on the surface of the water.

By then it was already daylight.

Crucian carp the size of a palm and grass carp as long as an adult's arm can be seen everywhere.

There weren't many anglers back then, and wild aquatic products were everywhere, making Chen Mo's eyes practically gleam with envy.

He didn't like fish, he was just hungry.

Since I set off yesterday morning, I've eaten four steamed buns and a packet of pickled vegetables, and since then I've only had fried noodles twice.

That stuff does make you feel full, but it's not very effective.

They've been running and swimming all day, but they haven't eaten a single drop of oil or fat; they're starving.

Inside the bag, there was a bag of fried noodles wrapped in plastic.

But I don't have time to eat.

After craving the delicious fish for a long time, Chen Mo forced himself to turn his head away, refusing to look at the plump fish, and continued to row the boat tirelessly with both hands.

The martial arts competition has reached this level.

Physical fitness is no longer important; it's all about belief that keeps me going.

at last.

Just as Chen Mo and his companions had rowed several kilometers and their hands were frozen stiff, they finally reached the other side of the lake.

"Scholar, I'll row back to pick up the other comrades. You take your backpack and set off first. Remember, there's a minefield a hundred meters ahead. Watch the signs and don't go the wrong way."

"These minefields are all accompanied mines, they are real mines that will explode, be careful."

Accompanying thunder?!
Chen Mo had just stepped off the boat, his legs still weak, when he heard the word "minefield" 100 meters away, he instinctively turned his head to look ahead.

As far as the eye could see, there were indeed many places on the ground marked with small yellow flags.

Chen Mo stared at the flag closest to him for a few moments, and there was indeed a rusty "iron rod" stuck to it next to the flag.

It looks a lot like the Type 59's accompanying torpedo, but whether it's real or not, I have no interest in knowing.

Who the hell is curious about landmines?

But Chen Mo couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly advanced the reconnaissance company's comprehensive drills were; they even used accompanying mines in minefields.

One of these can seal off a large area; the veteran just said it's a minefield a hundred meters wide.

He looked up and saw that the area within at least two hundred meters in front of him was the territory of accompanying mines.

A series of interlocking silk threads formed a restricted area covering several hundred meters.

The veterans who had reached the finish line were all sitting on the ground to rest and recover their strength.

Chen Mo also lost his enthusiasm.

He plopped down in a slightly drier spot, took out his water bottle, and gulped down several mouthfuls of water.

Then, she carefully unwrapped the plastic sheet covering the bag and opened it.

Looking at the dried food he had stored, it was now all stuck together like mixed fish food, and looked yellowish.

The unique aroma of wheat is gone, replaced by the fishy smell of lake water and rainwater.

Chen Mo frowned.

He really couldn't swallow this kind of dry food.

But we can't not eat; the competition isn't over yet, and there's no point in talking about fried noodles right now.

Even insects, as long as they can replenish energy, should be eaten.

"Squad leader, I still have some dry rations here, does anyone need them?"

Chen Mo broke off a piece and put it in his mouth, then gestured to the nearby veterans.

But it's clear that these old hands know how to manage their lives better than he does.

Some people waved their hands to indicate that they had one too, while others pulled out a lively grass carp from their pockets and used their daggers to scrape off its scales.

They look like they're about to have a sashimi feast.

Some truly ruthless individuals can even pull out steamed buns and half a packet of pickled vegetables from their pockets and eat them with relish.

Fortunately, Chen Mo was thick-skinned enough. He used to shamelessly ask people to use his fried noodles in exchange for some pickled vegetables, just to change things up.

It's hard to say we were full or satisfied.

Once they regained some strength, some veterans stood up and brushed the dust off their clothes.

He glanced at Chen Mo and said, "Scholar, be careful when crossing the minefield. It's okay to go slowly, but you must be careful."

"If you step on the wire, it will explode. The mines used in this exercise won't hurt people, but everyone around you will be eliminated."

"Learn from us."

After the veteran finished speaking, he pointed to the observer not far away, indicating that someone was keeping an eye on things.

He himself carried a backpack and squatted on a small stool.

They moved into the minefield little by little, proceeding cautiously.

In a minefield with accompanying lightning, there is no other way to pass through. You can only squat in a horse stance, slowly feel the ground with your hands to see if there are any wires, and move forward at a slow pace.

It's impossible to speed it up even if you want to.

Chen Mo knew these basic facts, and he followed the veteran's actions, moving into the minefield.

To be honest, crossing the rope at night was just about overcoming my fear; the boat handling was just tiring and cold.

Crossing a minefield is something no human can do.

After running for so long, and having just finished rowing, my body was still stiff, and I still had to squat in a horse stance and carry a 70-pound weight forward.

The guy's legs were trembling so badly he couldn't stop them, and beads of sweat were pouring down his body.

My physical strength wasn't just being depleted little by little; it felt like it was being sucked away by a bottomless pit.

Chen Mo only moved forward a few meters before his head started spinning, and sweat dripped from his fingertips like a stream onto the ground.

Not only him, but other veterans were in no better shape.

At this point, talking about physical fitness or stamina is nonsense; it's all about who can endure longer.

Whose will is stronger?

It's purely mental torture.

If it were just a matter of mental well-being, Chen Mo had walked about sixty or seventy meters when the sun rose.

The clothes on my body were repeatedly soaked by rain, lake water and sweat, and after being dried, the fabric began to stiffen.

Practicing horse stance is already uncomfortable, but having to endure the constant torment of your body by your clothes is like being pricked by raw pain.

But no one dared to let their guard down.

The artillery and instrument reconnaissance companies, which had been far ahead of Chen Mo and his men when they were maneuvering the boat, caught up again.

The problem is, even if you catch up, it's useless.

The minefield treats everyone the same; Chen Mo hadn't even passed through it after more than an hour.

The worst thing about the accompanying mine is that even if you follow the footprints in front of you, it won't help; it will only make you slower. You still have to crouch down and explore little by little.

In situations where mine clearance is not permitted by regulations.

Everyone has to go through this agonizing process.

Chen Mo didn't know exactly how long they traveled, but he remembered that the sun hadn't fully risen when they entered the minefield.

By the time he had completely crossed the minefield, the sun was already high overhead.

He didn't make any mistakes throughout the entire process, and fortunately, the veteran next to him also didn't make any mistakes, so the thunder didn't explode.

"Come on, scholar, the next subject is mountain climbing. Are you sure you can handle it?"

We just crossed the minefield.

Before he could even catch his breath and relieve his fatigue, a veteran next to him asked with a smile.

"I'm never incapable."

Upon hearing this, Chen Mo gritted his teeth, forcibly suppressing his exhaustion and aches and pains, amidst the astonished gazes of several veterans.

Reload my backpack and keep charging forward.

A hundred days of honing the sword, all for the day it is unsheathed; how can the journey stop?
(End of this chapter)