Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 270 Fate in the Field: There is a place to come from, but no way back!
Marching at night is incredibly difficult, every step forward becomes extremely challenging, let alone when carrying a heavy load.

Because the mud is sticky, the physical exertion required for each step that lands and is pulled out is considerable.

After running only a few steps, the green color on the surface of the camouflage rubber boots was no longer visible, and they were covered with clumps of mud, turning the entire boots into a sticky blob.

That's still good.

Many soldiers pulled hard and got their feet out, but their shoes were left in the mud.

As they marched forward as a class, those behind them occasionally had to give way and help, but despite this, the pace of the forced march was not slow.

Marching towards the flood discharge area!

Head to the battlefield!
Braving the torrential rain!

As Chen Mo ran, he glanced at the sky once he was out of the vehicle.

He didn't know what time it was; apart from his flashlight, there wasn't a single ray of light on the road.

The corn stalks along the roadside were ripe, but the heavy rain had knocked them over, with most of the yellow leaves submerged in water, leaving only a small portion exposed.

Water, water everywhere!
The corn was alright, but the watermelons were scattered and broken. Every now and then, there was a terrifying and eerie sound of trees being uprooted. Due to the earthquake and the flooding, even the roots of the trees could not support them and they collapsed with a thud.

The sky was pitch black, and the rain poured down like it was leaking holes.

The dim, yellowish water became the sole feature, while in the lower-lying areas, small lakes were formed.

It's not hard to imagine that with so much water accumulating, if the dikes fail, the world already submerged in water will be completely transformed into a dragon palace.

In just two kilometers of running, the soldiers in the entire battalion fell an average of ten times. Cheng Dong was at the back, bringing up the rear and often helping the lagging soldiers. He was covered in mud.

Wang Jianbin fared even worse. This technical cadre from Xiangjian was already lacking in physical fitness. After falling several times, he ended up choking on water and bleeding profusely from his nose. Only when the medic held a bandage under his nostrils could the raging blood be stopped.

Even the most experienced veterans in the reconnaissance company were not immune to falling. They fell many times, and even though they could nimbly land on their shoulders and roll to dissipate the force each time, the number of repetitions was so great that their arms were not far from dislocating.

On the contrary, Chen Mo himself was slightly stronger.

Despite being threatened with having his balls twisted, Lao Wang diligently cleared the way, falling many times himself, but taking the fall for the battalion commander.

Chen Mo only fell two or three times, which generally preserved the battalion commander's military composure and image.

Even he is like that.

It is easy to imagine how bad the soldiers' situation was, and some combat casualties gradually began to appear in the ranks.

For example, a non-commissioned officer in armored infantry stepped into a mud pit and had his rubber shoe pierced by an unseen sharp object, tearing his flesh.

For example, Zhao Wuliang of the reconnaissance company, who was Cheng Dong's former communications officer, was one of the few privates first class in the entire company.

He sank into the mud, and the force of the impact made his body stiffen. He lost his balance and fell straight down with a "crack" sound.

Then, he fell and rolled around in the mud.

Cold sweat instantly broke out on Xiao Zhao's forehead, and he trembled in pain, but out of pride as a reconnaissance soldier, he gritted his teeth and didn't make a sound.

Even so, his rolling motion still attracted many veterans who gathered around and tried to pull him up.

However, Zhao Wuliang, who had remained silent for a long time, immediately let out a shrill scream when he was pulled like that.

Everyone then realized that the problem was far more serious than they had imagined.

Seeing that something was wrong, Guo Dongqi, the second reconnaissance platoon leader, grabbed his walkie-talkie and shouted, "Captain Liu Min!! Someone's injured!!"

"Repeat, there are wounded in the second assault reconnaissance team."

"Roger that!"

Liu Min responded crisply and efficiently over the radio; she has now become the busiest person in the foot assault team.

She finally understood why the medical team was mostly made up of female soldiers, and why they were forced by the battalion commander to complete the five-kilometer run in 23 minutes every day.

If you don't finish, you'll be made to stand as punishment, which is embarrassing. I used to even curse the battalion commander in private.

Now they truly understand that without strict requirements, they wouldn't even be able to perform the most basic tasks of a sanitation worker.

"Where are you hurt?"

Liu Min carried a first-aid kit and jogged over.

"Captain Liu, it should be the ankle," Guo Dongqi said, shining his flashlight on the ankle.

Upon learning the location of the injury, Liu Min frowned, having a bad feeling that an injury in this location would most likely be particularly serious.

"Everyone, please move aside and turn on your flashlights together."

Liu Min gave an order, then knelt directly in the mud and water, reaching out to untie the wounded soldier's shoes.

Ouch, that hurts!

The moment the foot was touched, before the shoes were even off, a piercing and suffocating scream rang out.

"70% of fractures are mechanical."

Liu Min took a deep breath and made a judgment. Then, with a pursed lip, she decisively opened the medical kit and, with the assistance of two sergeants, used sharp surgical scissors to cut Zhao Wuliang's shoes to pieces.

"Can the joints move?"

"When I press on your Achilles tendon, do you feel anything?"

"What if you lift your lower leg up?"

Liu Min's face was serious. As the examination progressed, her ankle was found to be swollen up high, like a round steamed bun.

Zhao Wuliang's face was deathly pale, and he shook his head the whole time. He was sitting in the water, being washed by the cold rain, and he could hardly feel any pain. His nerves activated a self-protective numbness mechanism.

"The ankle is deformed, bruised, the joint is immobile, swollen, and fractured. It must be transferred to the rear. Reconnaissance Company, you organize four people to carry the stretcher, with two people taking turns. Be careful on the way, and it's better to walk slowly than to fall and avoid secondary injury."

"and many more!!"

Just as everyone was about to follow the doctor's orders and carry the person to the back, Cheng Dong suddenly appeared from behind.

Chen Mo also noticed a problem in the team, so he turned back as well.

However, the shout just now was not from Chen Mo, but from Cheng Dong.

"Company commander, battalion commander, I'm sorry, I..."

Zhao Wuliang's pale face was full of guilt, because he alone caused the already small team to lose five people in a row. This kind of pain is not something that ordinary people can bear.

"Don't say sorry, it's no big deal."

Cheng Dong wiped the rain off his face, squatted down, and patted Zhao Wuliang on the shoulder: "There's no stretcher team, Xiao Wu. It's less than three kilometers from here to the town we just left. Can you crawl back by yourself?"

The rain is getting heavier.

The more senior the soldier, the calmer he was; the less senior he was, the more shocked he was.

Chen Mo pursed his lips but did not say anything to stop him. He had served in the reconnaissance company and knew the atmosphere of that company.

While the others remained silent, Liu Min's expression changed drastically, and she froze completely.

What the hell?
Should soldiers with broken bones be made to crawl several kilometers back from the puddles?
Mechanical fractures of the ankle can lead to lifelong disability if not treated promptly, which is irresponsible.

"Chief of Staff Cheng, I disagree!!"

“You have no right to speak here,” Cheng Dong replied without any mercy.

"I have no right to speak?" Liu Min was furious. She stood up and shouted, "No, Captain Cheng, what do you mean?"

"Do you even know that your soldier has a broken ankle? Do you even understand that without protection, if danger arises along the way, he won't even have a chance to take emergency evasive action? Are you just going to let him crawl back like that?"

"He's just a new recruit!"

Indeed, Zhao Wuliang, a private first class, was only nineteen years old. In the eyes of Liu Min, a young woman who had studied at a military medical college for seven or eight years and was now twenty-five or twenty-six, he was just a little brother.

Cheng Dong ignored Liu Min and looked seriously at Zhao Wuliang: "Xiao Wu, you can do it, crawl back."

"There's no one here to give you anything."

They suffered injuries and casualties along the way. They were soldiers on a rescue mission, not villagers on vacation. If they were all arranged like this, what hope would they give to the people in the disaster area?
What can we use for the rescue?

Does that mean if fifty people are injured, two hundred should be sent to assist in the evacuation?

Are they still soldiers?

Zhao Wuliang nodded without hesitation. He was a reconnaissance soldier, and he had that much backbone.

Cheng Dong handed his flashlight to Xiao Zhao and apologized gently, "Sorry, Xiao Wu, the situation is urgent, and there's no one else to give you one."

"The battalion commander will contact the people at the rear command post later. They will meet you on the way. Don't worry or be afraid. A platoon is also behind you. They can take good care of you."

"Also, when you go back, try to avoid roads, ditches, and low-lying areas. If there is any danger, immediately call me or the rest of the group on the walkie-talkie."

"Understand?"

Zhao Wuliang could no longer tell whether the water on his face was rain or tears. He gritted his teeth and nodded heavily.

Chen Mo stepped forward and patted the soldier's shoulder, trying to give him some strength.

In the rain.

They couldn't see each other's expressions clearly.

But you can feel that it's very cold and the wind is very strong.

Chen Mo knew that the company commander's choice was right. He didn't say anything and put the counterweight that Zhao Wuliang had thrown on his own body.

Xiao Zhao nodded.

With the help of two comrades, he gritted his teeth, turned around, lay prone in the mud, veins bulging in his neck, eyes wide with fury, and crawled back, struggling to crawl.

The road ahead is long.

Only torrential rain and pitch-black skies accompanied me.

"Kill!"

Zhao Wuliang roared, pressing his arms against the ground with all his might. His forward movement was similar to a low crawl, except that he couldn't use his thighs to exert force.

Cheng Dong didn't say anything more, silently walked to the back of the group to continue bringing up the rear, and set off.

Chen Mo didn't say anything more, and turned around to give the order: "The rest of you, keep going, hurry up, the villagers are still waiting for us!"

There was an inexplicable sadness in his voice.

The other soldiers had long since gone far away. The few who remained stood there were startled, and without saying a word, they silently continued running forward.

Liu Min's raincoat was covered in mud, and her bright eyes blazed with anger as she stared at the battalion commander in front of her.

"Chen Ying, you should stop it, not condone it."

"Ah."

Chen Mo turned and strode away, only responding once before falling silent.

The battalion commander, who was usually so quick-witted and whose words always put anyone at a disadvantage, only responded with one word today, which surprised Liu Min.

But the suppressed emotions also erupted at this moment.

"Chen Ying!"

Liu Min quickly caught up, barely keeping up with Chen Mo's pace: "Do you know that ordering the wounded soldier to return on his own, if he falls into the water or climbs into a water pit along the way, will put him in constant danger?"

"He simply had no ability to avoid it."

"Ah."

Chen Mo's eyes twitched almost imperceptibly.

Now Liu Min was even angrier. What did you mean by just saying "hmm"?
“Chen Ying, I know you are young and highly regarded, and you are very capable of becoming the commander of the demonstration battalion, but that is not a reason for you to ignore other soldiers.”

"Does that mean that from the very first day that the information technology battalion began construction, everyone, including me, was just a tool you could use to achieve your great dream?"

"So, all you want is the result?"

"So, all you have are tasks?"

"At your age, you're able to build a new system; you're truly a prodigy of our time, and you even set the direction. So what are we then?"

"Battalion Commander, one cannot be without human touch."

Liu Min's voice wasn't quiet; even in the torrential rain, it caught the attention of the surrounding soldiers.

The entire camp had a pretty good understanding of Chen Mo's personality.

Be realistic and uphold discipline.

Whether it's strictly adhering to the order of meals or being uncompromising in training, these principles are being upheld.

Chen Mo did not respond.

He continued leading the battalion forward. As the battalion commander, he carried a heavier burden than anyone else. There were things he could do, but there was no need to explain them to a recent female graduate.

If a medical team leader can write such an artistic will, then it's not uncommon for someone to graduate from a military medical college and vow to dedicate their life to reducing the suffering of patients, faithfully performing their duties, and refraining from any harmful actions.

Therefore, Chen Mo had no intention of arguing with such a naive and straightforward person.

The heavy rain continues.

Liu Min relaxed her pace slightly and could no longer keep up with the battalion commander's pace.

She looked back at Cheng Dong, then at Chen Mo, feeling the officer's indifference, and her eyes welled up with tears.

"I will definitely apply to withdraw from the demonstration camp after this disaster relief effort is completed."

"That's settled then, Comrade Battalion Commander."

After shouting, Liu Min carried her medical kit and returned to the ranks alone, running hard to lead the mobile medical team to continue caring for all the soldiers in the demonstration battalion.

Because these soldiers are all under the care of their medical unit, not just the battalion commander's.

Chen Mo's emotions seemed completely unchanged. He was carrying a load of over 30 kilograms on his back and shouting wildly through a megaphone.

"What are you all looking at? Haven't you ever seen an argument before?"

Watch your step and keep an eye on the people around you.

"Run at full speed, have the courage to keep going as long as you don't lose a leg, we need time, we need rescue."

"Hey you guys, what are you doing? You've been running for ages, and you got caught up so quickly? Are you a bunch of women?"

"The dam behind us could release water at any time, and the hundreds of thousands of residents in front are all in danger because you are so slow, so slow, like useless things."

"Faster, faster, even faster!!!"

moment!

The soldiers regained their will.

This is an honor etched in the blood and marrow of veterans. The battalion commander is right; they are the hope of the people on the front lines.

It's really heavy.

"The reconnaissance company did a good job. Keep it up. Very good. Use the barricade ropes to pull back the lagging ones. Other platoons should take note."

"Comrades, our time to be tested has come! Only through sacrifice can we achieve great things! Charge!!!"

Chen Mo led the charge in the rainy night.

Morale was boosted, and everything returned to normal.

Guo Dongqi, the second platoon leader of the reconnaissance company, quietly ran up to Liu Min, ignoring the heavy load on his body, wiped the rain off his face and smiled, "Team Leader Liu, what's wrong? Are you really angry and want to withdraw from the demonstration battalion?"

“Guo Pai, that soldier was one of your men.” Liu Min bit her lip, keenly realizing that the platoon leader of the reconnaissance company was definitely there to maintain unity between Cheng Dong and that battalion commander who had stood by and watched someone die.

"They are my soldiers, that's right."

Guo Dongqi smiled and said, "But Captain Liu, you should be more observant before you lose your temper next time."

"Didn't you notice that the communications soldier who was always with the battalion commander is gone?"

"what?"

Liu Min's expression changed, and she turned to look at the front.

The battalion commander, a rather thin figure, was carrying the loads of two or three people, his steps uneven as he moved forward.

They would also occasionally use a loudspeaker to urge them on.

Wang Jianyong, who was usually inseparable from the battalion commander, was indeed not there.

Where did Wang Jianyong go?

Liu Min asked blankly.

Guo Dongqi said sadly, "Your medical team wasn't assigned a main communication device, so we don't know."

"Just now, when the 188th Division was responsible for reinforcing the dike, three soldiers accidentally fell into the water and went missing. The situation in the rear is critical, and we don't know how long we can hold out. We really don't have anyone or time to escort the wounded."

"But the battalion commander still secretly arranged for his communications soldier to go out and escort them. He was the battalion commander, so he had to consider the overall situation and all the issues at the same time."

"You've wronged him."

"I"

Liu Min's petite body swayed. She thought back to her former battalion commander during training. He would punish her by making her stand and embarrass her if she made even the slightest mistake. When she went over to question him just now, he didn't respond at all.

"Why didn't the battalion commander say so?"

"What are you saying?" Guo Dongqi retorted. "You expect the battalion commander to abandon everyone and explain things to you at a time like this?"

"Or are you injured and willing to have four people take turns carrying you to the rear?"

"The reinforcement of the dike has slowed down. If it cannot be reinforced before the first flood peak arrives, then flood discharge is the only option. But there are not just us here, but hundreds of thousands of people."

"We can't afford to delay."

"sorry!!"

Liu Min lowered her head slightly: "I misunderstood the battalion commander, but it's so difficult."

"Yes, it's always difficult."

"But our field army is not afraid of difficulties."

"The battalion commander is one of our reconnaissance company's men. We've all watched him grow step by step, so we all trust him. We don't expect you to trust him in the same way, but please don't hold us back."

Guo Dongqi pointed around and said, "Actually, many people have noticed that the battalion commander has arranged for people, but it's not easy to talk about this, whether for official or private reasons."

"You just didn't notice it."

"Many people saw it?"

Liu Min looked around in shock. There happened to be several female soldiers from the medical team nearby, who nodded blankly.

This left Liu Min speechless once again.

So, all along, he's been acting like a big idiot, making a scene?
. . . . . . .

"kill!"

“If we slow down, the people ahead will be in more danger.”

"Charge forward, fight to the death!"

"If you don't die from the fall, get up and run!!"

Chen Mo was still yelling, while Fang Chengdong urged him on.

The bruised and battered soldiers roared silently, their hearts burning with fury, panting heavily.

The weight on my body felt as heavy as a mountain at this moment.

Heavy rain.

Their hair was steaming with sweat, their bodies were burning hot like furnaces, and their camouflage uniforms under their raincoats were already soaked through with sweat.

assault!

Push forward!

Fierce tigers charge forward in the field!

One soldier tumbled three or four meters, too weak to even get up, and went into shock, his face pale.

Wow! Another soldier felt nauseous, his throat tasted fishy and sweet, and he vomited up food with streaks of blood.

Some soldiers even urinated while running, not even having time to unbutton their pants.

On this dark, rainy night, anything can happen.

Fight against the heavens!

Fighting against fate!

Grab it! Grab it every minute, every second!
Run! Run without stopping!

There is no reason to stop; the time for sacrifice has come.

In non-combat casualties, when comrades fall or are wounded, others can only coldly ignore them.

This is the battlefield.

Chen Mo's shoulders were rubbed raw and bloody. Liu Min, perhaps out of guilt, would occasionally run to the front to check on the battalion commander's condition.

She wasn't carrying any weight, only a medical kit, and her physical condition was okay.

"Battalion Commander, bandage it in thirty seconds."

"no need."

Chen Mo responded and continued charging forward.

Because he knew that once he stopped, it would be difficult to guarantee that he could stand up again.

at first.

Chen Mo was quite relieved that he hadn't seen any evacuated civilians after running around for so long, which meant that the other support units had done a good job assisting.

Tens of thousands of people have evacuated along different routes and should be far away from the center of the flood discharge area.

this is a good news.

Fortunately, the situation did not last long, as there were too many people to evacuate and the coordination work could not be fully in place.

On their way, Chen Mo and his group encountered a group of people evacuating with their families.

There weren't many people, probably around sixty or seventy.

There were no militia or military personnel escorting them.

Contrary to what was shown in the news, which focused on the situation at the forefront of the evacuation, the demonstration battalion was tasked with chasing after the enemy from the direction of the dike.

It's located at the very end.

Separated from the main force, the evacuees did not fare well. A dozen elderly people stood shakily on higher ground, their bodies already soaked.

The cries of children, the cloudy eyes of the elderly staring at the crackling lightning in the night sky—a sense of despair filled the crowd.

There were young people protecting them.

But they were already more than ten kilometers away from the town. In an era when communication was not well-developed, they had no strength left to go any further with their families in tow.

There was no way to contact the people ahead of us.

There are still countless people like this who have been left behind.

Sudden.

The crowd, who were waiting for the flood to arrive, saw beams of light piercing through the rainy night and approaching.

This was a group of people covered in mud, so much so that their original appearance was unrecognizable.

Seeing this in the dark.

The people instinctively felt fear, cowering and huddling together. Some picked up their children and stared blankly at these uninvited guests.

But Chen Mo was the first to take off his raincoat and hat.

As the soldiers in the rear removed their raincoats and hoods, rows of military green hats appeared.

That was the hope of life.

"The People's Liberation Army uncles are here!!"

"The People's Liberation Army uncles have come to save us!!"

One of the children was the first to overcome his fear and excitedly pointed at the crowd and shouted.

The old man wept uncontrollably, while the young man broke down in tears.

They are not afraid of not being able to get out, but they are afraid that their children will only be left to die here.

"Quickly, bring water and bread to the villagers."

"With the person on my back, let's continue on our way."

Chen Mo gave the order. He had already realized that this group was at their last gasp, otherwise they wouldn't be waiting here.

Countless soldiers rushed forward, eager to be the first to charge.

Bread and bottled water were distributed to the public.

"Thank you, thank you, comrades of the People's Liberation Army, thank you so much."

"Uncle, no need to thank me. Let's eat something, and I'll carry you on my back."

"Uncle PLA soldiers, are you here to save me?" A little girl asked timidly, her eyes like black gemstones as she stared at the crowd.

She was the youngest, probably only four or five years old.

"Yes, your sister will take you home."

A female soldier from the medical team took out her own glucose and fed it to the little girl. She then opened her raincoat and embraced the child.

A group of soldiers, some helping, some carrying, and some hugging, led dozens of people away from the higher ground and continued along the road that was still barely discernible.

There is no time to delay.

The number of people along the way is increasing.

Some had fallen behind, while others were escorted, but they were all people from government agencies in the town.

It can't compare to the main group.

The soldiers in the demonstration battalion ran around taking care of people, helping as many as possible while ensuring they could continue their journey.

Chen Mo walked ahead with a light on, occasionally exchanging signals with Cheng Dong behind him to make sure the company commander was alright.

The rescue efforts have been coordinated.

Chen Mo looked back at the town more than ten kilometers away, his eyes filled with worry.

The rain is getting heavier and heavier, and the flood discharge has been delayed. I don't know if it can still proceed as planned.

Also, Instructor Fang was there with the tank company, the logistics company, and some of the reconnaissance company personnel.

I wonder how they are doing.

At this moment, Chen Mo was unaware of the situation.

The work of reinforcing the dikes is equally dangerous.

Due to the blocked roads, the soldiers providing support from nearby areas could only carry the steel bars up the embankment by manpower.

The people in the demonstration camp arrived relatively late, and were among the last few groups to rely on manual transportation, carrying materials up the embankment on their backs.

Before we even arrived at our destination, we could already hear the muffled thunder of rushing water, a terrifying roar that shook the heavens.

The rage of the great rivers is unparalleled.

Just by listening to this noise, you can guess what the situation is like at the front.

When Fang Peijun led the demonstration battalion to a point 600 meters from the dike, the massive engineering works on both sides of the dike sent chills down their spines.

The field troops, reserves, and armed police forces, with the 188th Division at their core, numbering in the thousands, were deployed in a frenzied manner in an orderly and stable fashion.

From a high altitude, you can clearly see the packaging area and material area. The major sections are meticulously planned. If you look closely, you can also find that the soldiers, who seem to be in a chaotic manner, are actually moving in a fixed, shortest sequence.

Flood control and disaster relief is a science of dispatching and command.

This is just one section of the dike, and the area is not large. If similar dike reinforcement work were carried out in key areas, it would be possible to accommodate tens of thousands of troops to achieve maximum effectiveness in a narrow area.

That would really require a powerful command system.

Disaster relief is different from what ordinary people see.

Disaster relief is not a show put on by a few high-ranking military officers.

This is an extremely demanding and challenging task.

Just like now, from the five sand-packing areas to the levee, the soldiers are like tireless worker ants, and even if someone goes missing or is killed, it does not slow them down at all.

A massive sense of machinery is overwhelming; the organization maximizes combat effectiveness; and a sense of mission erases all sadness.

"Can this really delay the flood discharge time?"

Fang Peijun muttered to himself.

He led his soldiers from the town to this place, and the journey was no easier than Chen Mo's, with countless soldiers wounded.

Now, as they approached, an overwhelming stench of water assaulted their senses, leaving them dazed and confused. Many people's faces were pale and devoid of color.

This is the most direct feeling when facing nature.

Fang Peijun was not from a field combat background. He had already reached his limit by bringing his men here, and he had no strength left in his body.

But he cannot fall without orders.

In the field, the fate is sacrifice. There is a place to come from, but no way back. Since you're here, you have to be prepared for the worst.

Fang Peijun gritted his teeth and barely managed to take a breath.

"Six hundred meters, the last six hundred meters, brothers, we have to get the materials up there no matter what."

"rush!"

Countless warriors roared with encouragement.

Carrying the steel bars on their backs, they continued forward.

(End of this chapter)