Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 268 Silent Sorrow, You Even Want to Copy a Will?
Chen Mo deliberately did not tell the camp what exactly happened.

But all tools and equipment were loaded onto vehicles, individual rations were carried by the entire battalion, and all vehicles were filled with fuel—the veterans' intuition told them this.

Most likely, it's because some place has been hit by a disaster and needs the military to provide rescue.

On the training ground.

A dense crowd gathered, but no one uttered a sound or made any deliberate inquiries. As the saying goes, a crowd of over a thousand people is boundless.

The demonstration camp currently has only about 600 people, but everyone is wearing equipment and has a serious expression, which still brings an extremely solemn atmosphere to the entire site.

"Scholar, what exactly happened?"

After Cheng Dong finished writing the maneuver plan and handed it to the other staff members, he quickly walked up to Chen Mo and asked in a low voice.

"I'm not quite sure." Chen Mo shook his head: "The military suddenly issued a notice that earthquakes were felt in many areas of Datong and Xiaocheng, requiring all garrison units to enter a state of first-level combat readiness."

"Company commander, are there going to be more earthquakes in Shanxi Province?"

"Yes, but it wasn't that serious." Cheng Dong recalled seriously, "I remember it happened in Datong in 91, the highest being 5.8. At that time, I was a volunteer soldier and I didn't hear about being put on standby."

"It's a military parade!"

Chen Mo shrugged: "The military parade has touched a nerve with all the top leaders. Any slight movement will be taken seriously. I hope the country is peaceful and the people are safe, and nothing bad will happen."

That's what they say.

As Cheng Dong spoke, he turned to look in the direction where the veterans were gathered and waved to several company commanders: "Go, arrange for people to be issued down belts. The combat readiness order will not be canceled tonight. Everyone stay here and stand by."

"Scholar, it's time to start preparing your will."

"hold on!"

Chen Mo shook his head, then looked at Fang Peijun, the instructor beside him. Old Fang was a cadre assigned by the Political Department.

In terms of information, they are definitely much more informed than the others in the camp.

"Hold on."

Fang Peijun also agreed with Chen Mo's suggestion.

Neither of the two officers in charge of military operations and political ideology in the battalion were in a hurry to arrange for the writing of wills, so Cheng Dong did not make the suggestion again.

Come to think of it.

Their organization belongs to the academy, not a separate garrison. How dire would the situation have to be for a demonstration battalion to be deployed?
Datong has an armed police detachment and the 82nd Motorized Infantry Brigade, while Xiaocheng also has an anti-aircraft artillery unit, with the 188th Division stationed there.

These military control units are able to integrate their forces and maximize their efficiency in the shortest possible time.

Chen Mo ignored the cadres around him and quickly walked up to Wang Jianyong. The television signal had been connected, and a news interview program was being projected.

A group of officials gathered around to take a look.

Chen Mo looked around but still couldn't find Man Xuexi. He pulled Wang Jianyong aside and said, "Go check the gatekeeper's entry and exit records and see if Man Xuexi is not in the camp."

"Try to contact him and return as soon as possible."

"Level 1 combat readiness is no joke. If we are needed and not enough people are available, there could be serious problems."

"Hey! Leave it to me."

Wang Jianyong knew the seriousness of the matter, so he agreed and left in a hurry.

at this time.

The broadcast continued, and the host's voice was clearly projected onto the screen.

"As of 7 p.m. on the 5th, a total of 19 aftershocks have occurred in Datong, Xiaocheng and other areas, with the largest being magnitude 5.6. Overall, the aftershocks have shown a fluctuating decreasing trend."

"According to current statistics, the disaster area involves two cities and six counties, among which Yanggao area is the most severely affected."

"Meteorological experts have determined that this natural disaster will not affect a wide area and there are signs of stabilization."

"Relief supplies and PLA personnel arrived at the scene immediately. We are now broadcasting the latest rescue progress."

As the broadcast began, the projection switched to an overhead view from the helicopter.

The image is not clear.

The filming location was likely in Gaoyang, the area most severely affected by the flood season. Due to the torrential rains and the fact that the earthquake was a magnitude 5.6, many buildings without earthquake-resistant designs were affected.

The scene was filled with turbid torrents, the sky and earth were gloomy and yellow, and the wrath of nature was magnificent and overwhelming. It must have been the earthquake that caused the dam to break somewhere. The water was endless, two-story houses were submerged, and only a few centimeters of utility poles were visible. A stray dog ​​with its fur stuck to its body was curled up at the top of a utility pole.

The lonely wailing finally led it to jump into the water, attempting to swim to the shore. However, the planks washed down by the waves gave it no chance to struggle before it was slammed underwater by the immense force.

The torrential rain continued, but I didn't feel any tremors. Large raindrops pounded violently on the water's surface.

This scene gives one a strange illusion, as if the rain is not falling from the sky, but rather rising from the ground to the sky.

The despair and shock of the raging torrents rising from the earth and flowing into the sky resonated with every cadre who gathered to watch the broadcast.

The torrent roared, turning endless fertile fields into a vast swamp in an instant.

Chen Mo frowned.

He had just heard the host say that things were stabilizing, and he thought the problem wasn't serious.

Judging from the broadcast, there's no stability at all. Is this a combination of tremors and flash floods?
Can orders faxed from the military region be biased?
Fortunately, the affected residents should have already been evacuated, and no rescue efforts or images of people being injured were seen.

At this moment, the host's voice came through the screen again.

"To alleviate the flood control pressure on downstream dam areas, dikes, and cities."

"With the approval of higher authorities, preparations for the first flood discharge are about to begin."

"The following is a report from our reporter in the earthquake zone and flood discharge area."

The scene changes.

A frontline host standing in the rain, wearing a white plastic sheet as a raincoat, said: "Hello everyone, I am currently located downstream of the Gaoyang Dam."

"Due to the strong tremors and the torrential rain, it was impossible to open your eyes when the rain was hitting your face while standing here."

"Within the flood discharge area, there are two tributaries, the Sanggan and the Baideng, which flow downstream."

"According to the report, the water level in the dam will reach its peak in 6 hours, and the floodgates must be opened to release the floodwater. Otherwise, the dam will be in danger of collapsing completely."

"Starting at 7 PM today, the Shanxi Provincial Flood Control Headquarters officially issued an evacuation order. All civil servants, militia members, employees of enterprises and institutions, as well as 67mm anti-aircraft artillery, the Armed Police Mobile Brigade, and firefighters are responsible for coordinating the evacuation of 150,000 people to a city 80 kilometers away."

A long procession of people, like a dragon, braved the torrential rain and began to move their cattle, horses, and sheep.

What the host said at the beginning wasn't entirely wrong; the tremors were indeed not strong and had already begun to stabilize.

However, the series of disasters triggered by the tremors were not as easy as imagined.

The scene was both spectacular and heartbreaking, depicting the pain of abandoning homes and sacrificing the small for the greater good. The flood discharge area was already a disaster zone affected by the earthquake, and now it also had to bear the responsibility of flood diversion.

Responsibility sounds glorious, but it is incredibly cruel.

This is because it involves actively diverting floodwater.

Around the training ground, more and more veterans quietly moved over to the projected news screen, watching with solemn expressions.

Chen Mo noticed the crowd, but he didn't speak up to stop them because he couldn't.

They simply arranged for someone to move all the landline phones from the communications room to the training ground so that the soldiers in the camp could contact their families.

This is human nature.

Seeing that some areas were being evacuated, and guessing that they might have to go to the disaster area themselves, many people just wanted to talk to their families, even just a word.

Moreover, there should also be soldiers from the flood discharge area on site.

Sudden.

The broadcast footage captured a commotion.

At one point, the evacuation team encountered a movement delay. A little girl who looked only five or six years old, wearing a very old red vest and a raincoat made from urea woven bags, was holding a wet hen in her arms. She stood there blankly, watching her family's two-wheeled cart sinking deep into the mud.

"One, two, three!!"

"One, two, three! Push!"

Three or four men, covered in mud, roared angrily as they tried to drag the cart full of goods out of the mud.

However, it was of no use at all. The entire vehicle sank deeper and deeper, and eventually most of the wheels were swallowed by the mud. A strong force combined with the vehicle's own weight made even a flimsy cart begin to feel hopeless.

Many people must have been injured during the earthquake, and they were also traveling with the crowd, with their families and heavy luggage.

The crowd had almost no strength left.

Watching the piled-up goods, as tall as two people, gradually collapse and sink into the mud.

The men sighed and groaned.

The little girl with disheveled hair had bright eyes filled with tears and fear. The rooster was also raising its head, looking around nervously.

A middle-aged woman, presumably the little girl's mother, sat slumped in the mud, kicking her legs wildly and crying loudly.

All her belongings were on this one vehicle, most of which were stuck in the mud. This blow was hard for her to accept.

In 1999, a handcart might not have been much, but for an entire family, it represented all their wealth.

As for the houses, those are in the flood discharge area, so they're nothing.

"Try again, Cuihua, don't cry, try again!"

A middle-aged man who looked like a village official couldn't bear it and called on the men from the same village to try again.

Meanwhile, the militia and a small number of field troops who were organizing the evacuation came over to stop them, and even began to urge and reprimand them anxiously.

Have no idea.

With over 100,000 people evacuating over a distance of tens of kilometers, the safety of the main force must be guaranteed.

There are many earthquake zones along the way, and the roads have been damaged. Coupled with the floods, the roads are completely impassable, and the floodwaters will be released in a few hours.

They had to live, they had to run, run fast, run against the clock.

If you can help one, what about ten, a hundred, or a thousand?
All of this delays are due to missed opportunities for optimal evacuation.

"Fellow villager, why are you still here? Why don't you leave?" A captain hurriedly waded through the mud and water to get over.

The village official gritted his teeth and said, "Leader, this is all the family has left. Cuihua's husband died at the mine in the spring. She only has one daughter. If she throws away all her belongings, she'll be gone. There's no one to support her and her daughter."

The captain's expression changed several times, and it was clear that he was quite conflicted. But looking at the car in the mud, the captain grabbed the village official's arm and said, "If things are gone, there's always a chance to buy more. But if people are gone, they're really gone."

"If we stay here, the rest of the line will be affected. How much of the road are we blocking? Let's give up!"

The captain couldn't do anything about it.

The rescue forces weren't arriving quickly enough, and even if the nearby anti-aircraft artillery units had a lot of personnel, they were scattered across various disaster relief areas, leaving very few people behind.

The main group being evacuated consisted of families, so no one could spare the time to help.

The village official felt dejected. He knew, of course, that people were more important than supplies, but he couldn't bring himself to say anything.

"Boss, please, please, try one more time! The child's father's things are still in the car, please!!!"

The little girl's mother, her eyes filled with resentment, scrambled out of the mud and water to the captain.

The captain was stunned by what he saw.

As a soldier, he knew that the overall situation was of paramount importance and that saving time was the most crucial thing, as there were still hundreds of thousands of people behind him, and he couldn't afford to delay.

But as fellow soldiers, how could they resist a fellow villager's plea for mercy?

He felt that this was the most difficult choice he had ever made in his life.

The captain glanced at the cart again, gritted his teeth, squatted down, and pleaded, "Sister, it's okay if the stuff is gone."

"I can't survive."

The little girl's mother gripped the captain's trouser legs tightly with both hands, her voice shrill and desperate.

The little girl holding the rooster behind her burst into tears.

I can't go on living!

It was as if a thunderbolt had shattered all the captain's resolve.

These four words left him stunned, feeling incredibly heavy.

Many people in later generations may not realize this and think it's just a ploy to gain sympathy or being unreasonable. But that's not the case.

In the late 1990s, before the country's economic take-off.

It is common for rural women to buy pesticides and abandon their children because of minor family setbacks or arguments.

For a mother to be so heartless, she must have been driven to the brink of collapse by life. These are things that are simply unimaginable 10 years from now.

But this is reality.

Because we're poor!
Many people have endured unimaginable suffering. Every year, they have to go out and borrow money for their children's school fees, and their own children are always the last to pay. Who has experienced this?

Because if a sheep falls off a cliff and dies, people will be depressed. But who has ever seen that?

Who has ever tried to borrow even a bowl of rice?

Without experiencing that era, one cannot imagine the despair of losing the breadwinner of a family, struggling to raise a child alone, and facing the prospect of losing all one's possessions.

"Fine, I'll risk breaking the rules if I have to, I can't just stand by and watch."

The captain sighed.

They actually spoke for a very short time, but when it came to rescuing their belongings from the mud and reorganizing them, they wasted far too much time.

Are there any grenade launchers nearby?

"The third company? Where are the anti-aircraft gunners?"

"I'm coming!!"

quickly!

A combat squad temporarily put aside their mission and assembled, along with the original villagers and the crowd that followed.

They surrounded the car, their eyes wide with anger, veins bulging on their necks and arms, and roared furiously.

The car slowly emerged from the mud.

Five centimeters!
Ten centimeters!
15 centimeters!

With most of the car body already out, and only 20 centimeters more needed to completely pull the car out of the mud,

Perhaps it was because he was standing in the wrong position, or perhaps because his belongings were heavy and covered in too much mud, but a young soldier lost his strength, slipped, and fell forward, his forehead hitting the side of an iron pot hard.

Immediately, red blood gushed out.

The group lost their rhythm, and the car got stuck in the mud again.

Fuck!
The captain, who had been giving orders, had bloodshot eyes and waved his hand to disperse the crowd that had gathered around him.

"Don't waste any more time!"

"Get out of the way, ignore him, let's continue."

After saying that, the captain replaced the young soldier and shouted a rallying cry to coordinate the forces.

However, the car body, which was already mostly submerged, had tilted and was no longer sinking straight into the mud. It seemed that the car body was stuck by something, and no matter how hard it tried, it was no use.

There seems to be something down there!

"dig!"

The live stream then cut to two soldiers who immediately lay down and began digging with their hands, but their hands were soon covered in blood again.

The mud contained not only gravel but also broken glass bottles from the family's belongings, from which shards cut their hands.

Everyone's eyes twitched, and their gazes turned to the captain.

The captain, his face ashen, seemingly oblivious to the wounded soldier, shouted, "Come on, stop digging! Let's continue!!"

"One, two, three, go!"

"One, two, three, go!"

Beside her, the little girl's mother, who had been sitting slumped in the mud, suddenly erupted in emotion.

She scrambled to her feet and charged forward like a madwoman, tearing and shoving away two soldiers with injured hands, the captain, and everyone who was trying to help.

During that time, she fell many times.

Everyone around was stunned.

"Big sister, what are you doing?" the captain asked.

Seeing everyone being pushed away, the little girl's mother smiled—a numb, uninteresting smile mixed with the cold rain and mud.

"I do not want it."

"I don't want this broken-down family property anymore, I don't want it anymore."

She laughed for a while, then started to cry quietly again.

"No, I don't want any of it."

She turned her face away, repeating herself over and over. In the rain, amidst the evacuating crowd, her expression gradually became unclear. Then, she suddenly grabbed a carrying pole from the ground.

They started smashing the car that was stuck in the mud.

Once, twice, three times.

"Why did I marry you? Why did I marry into a place like this? Why did you abandon me?"

The little girl was terrified. She timidly took a few steps back, clutching the rooster tightly in her arms, and dared not utter a sound.

The man around him remained silent, his grief profound and unspoken.

Perhaps they cannot fully empathize with this woman's pain, but they can have boundless sympathy for her.

The captain sighed.

He took off his raincoat and the regular clothes underneath, removed the woven bag from the little girl's head, and dressed the little girl in his general's uniform and raincoat.

The captain carried the woven bag on his own head.

The news broadcasts were in black and white, a black and white mixed with a cold, pale tone.

At the demonstration camp, almost all the soldiers watching were silently shedding tears, their fists clenched.

Chen Mo took a deep breath and turned his head away.

This is just a glimpse into the news broadcast. If Chen Mo hadn't understood the situation earlier, he would still have hoped that nothing would go wrong and that he wouldn't have to get involved.

Look at this situation.

With over 100,000 people evacuated, and still within the flood discharge area, it's likely that many military units will need to be dispatched for rescue.

Including demonstration camps.

Chen Mo turned to look at Fang Peijun, who immediately understood, nodded, and turned to walk towards the West Campus.

He strode to the flag-raising platform at the training ground.

"Tell me about it!"

brush!
Hundreds of officers and soldiers stood at attention, and the entire battalion unexpectedly reached its most unified state at this moment, with the highest level of execution.

Chen Mo, however, couldn't feel happy at all.

He suppressed his emotions as much as possible and raised his voice, saying, "There are no specific tasks at the moment."

"But all units in the military region have received the notification, and I believe many comrades have seen the specific details just now."

"Everyone, be prepared."

"The instructor will distribute paper and pens to everyone later. Keep your wills safe. I don't know the specific situation in the flood discharge area, and I can't predict whether the rainstorm and subsequent earthquake will cause even worse consequences."

"I cannot guarantee that I can bring each and every one of you back, let alone guarantee that I myself can come back."

Chen Mo felt depressed, and the next second he raised his voice, his tone stern and harsh.

"Require!"

brush!
All officers and soldiers stood at attention again, their movements perfectly synchronized.

"Once we receive the order, we will immediately set off and execute the plan strictly, without allowing any errors in any step."

"At the same time, you must remember that when you arrive in the disaster area, firstly, the safety of the people is the most important thing; secondly, the task assigned by your superiors is the most important thing; and only thirdly, it is yourselves."

"Comrades, is it clear?"

"Yes!" A thunderous response erupted on the training field in an instant.

A murderous aura filled the air!
An aura of power permeated the air!

Perhaps there is not harmony between the squads, platoons, and companies in the camp, and there is a lot of open and covert struggle.

Everyone is vying for honor and seeking benefits for their own group.

But at this moment, the backbone of the soldiers is the greatest support for the people.

soon.

Fang Peijun returned and distributed paper and pens, passing them on from one person to another.

Hundreds of people sat cross-legged on the ground, using their backpacks as cushions, and began writing their wills with a rustling sound.

There are many veterans in the demonstration battalion. Some of them can write this stuff as easily as drinking water.

Of course, there are also student officers who have just graduated from college and are more vulnerable. Before they even start writing, they might secretly cry for a while, then pretend nothing is wrong and call home to chat about everyday things.

Then I came back and wrote it while wiping away my tears.

Chen Mo had never written this in his previous life; he was a government official, so this was his first time.

He missed his parents and his sister, and wanted to call home, but he couldn't; the whole camp was watching.

If even the battalion commander shows signs of weakness at this point, then there will be no way to organize a rescue operation.

He moved a small stool to sit on the flag-raising platform, looked up and thought for a moment.

He bowed his head and wrote: "If I am unfortunately killed in action, there is 2,363 yuan in my salary savings account. 2,000 yuan goes to my parents, 300 yuan to my younger brother, who should be in high school soon. Keep some money for him. I'll use 63 yuan to buy some candy for my younger sister. She likes sweets, but she should eat less so she doesn't get cavities, otherwise she won't be pretty when she grows up. After I die, please tell my family that I am sorry. As a soldier, there are some duties I must fulfill, and I have never regretted becoming a soldier."

After finishing writing, Chen Mo quietly folded the paper. He didn't feel particularly disappointed or sad; perhaps it was because he was getting older.

I don't feel much about these things.

The only regret is not being able to spend more time with my family.

After finishing writing, Chen Mo turned his head and secretly glanced at Cheng Dong. This Company Commander Cheng had written even more trivial things than him, mostly urging his children to study and some family matters, the kind of small, inattentive reminders.

Old Cheng also noticed that the scholar was slacking off. He was quite straightforward and didn't hide anything at all. He couldn't help but laugh and said, "You son of a bitch, you want to copy the will too? Write your own, damn it."

Since becoming a battalion commander.

I haven't heard the company commander scold me since, and now when I hear it again, it feels quite endearing.

Chen Mo then turned to look at Liu Min, the captain of the medical team. This young woman in her late twenties wrote a will as if it were an essay.

She went on and on, saying things like, "When the people are in trouble, soldiers should step forward. Although I am a woman, I am also a soldier, so it is only right that I should step forward." She rattled off a whole bunch of things, making Chen Mo's teeth ache.

Even more remarkable are the veterans who, perhaps lacking in formal education, left their suicide notes filled with circles or symbols.

He didn't understand it at all.

This left Chen Mo speechless for a moment.

Just as the dark mass of people on the training field were writing their wills, three 142 transport vehicles drove in from the gate of the West Campus.

From a great distance, Chen Mo could see Lao Man's dog head sticking out of the passenger seat of the lead car, looking around.

Before Chen Mo could go over and ask,

The communications staff officer on duty in the operations room came running over, panting.

"battalion commander!"

"The order has been given!"

(End of this chapter)