Military career: Starting with a recruitment letter

Chapter 273 Safe Return to Camp, Uninvited Guest

"Tell me about it."

Chen Mo walked to the front of the column. Half a battalion of soldiers at this moment perfectly exemplified what it meant to be haggard and exhausted.

The team they were escorting had arrived at the destination around 8 a.m., and now it was already past 4 p.m.

In other words, Fang Peijun and his team maintained the dike reinforcement work for a full eighteen hours.

During the helicopter ride, Chen Mo learned that the team reinforcing the dike had withstood three flood peaks in the past eighteen hours.

This number doesn't sound like much.

But once you truly understand, you'll realize that eighteen hours and three flood peaks represent a challenge to the wrath of nature. Without a tenacious fighting spirit, it would be impossible to persevere.

The triumph and sorrow that come with the struggle against the heavens, the arrogance and domineering spirit that should accompany such a challenge to the limits.

At this moment, everyone is immersed in the simple military movements of standing at ease and then standing at attention.

"Comrades."

Chen Mo suppressed his heartache and his expression became extremely serious: "In the fight against floods and disaster relief, our Kyoto Demonstration Battalion and our brother unit, the 188th Division, have successfully completed the tasks assigned to us by our superiors."

"During this period, the leaders of the military region praised us, saying that a large number of advanced deeds have emerged."

"Instructor Fang, despite his minor injuries, refused to leave the front lines; Chief of Staff Cheng escorted him all the way; Captain Liu exhausted his body and potential and is still unconscious; Sergeant Liu Hai fainted several times but got up and continued fighting; Private First Class Ma Rulong carried four hundred sandbags by himself; Platoon Leader Man discovered a piping failure during a night patrol of the dike and dealt with it without fear, resolutely jumping into the water to rescue soldiers from brother units."

"There are many more, even every single one of you brothers who fought on the Gaoyang dike. You are all great."

"As the battalion commander, I thank you. Rest assured, the motherland will not forget us, and the people will not forget us!!"

talking.

Chen Mo gave a solemn salute, a standard military salute, to the 266... ​​no... 267 officers and soldiers in front of him.

The queue is silent.

Fighting floods and providing disaster relief, and protecting the people from the torrents, is simply the duty of soldiers; there's nothing more to say about it.

A few seconds later, Chen Mo slowly lowered his hand.

"At the same time, we lost a second-class sergeant, Comrade Feng Tingzhao from the tank company."

"I know Comrade Feng Tingzhao. He is an outstanding backbone member. He was selected as an excellent armored vehicle repairman for three consecutive years in the mechanized infantry brigade. He was one of the core backbone members of the Blue Army battalion. After rejoining the demonstration battalion, he quickly became a versatile backbone member. He once received a third-class merit award in the mechanized infantry brigade."

Chen Mo quietly recounted the history of the fallen soldiers and the military trajectory.

These things don't require any detailed research. Chen Mo had done background checks in the camp before, and although he wouldn't dare say he knew everything about the soldiers in the entire camp.

But at least the core personnel and multi-skilled individuals are the people you need to get to know in the first phase.

The demonstration camp sent off one of its key members.

Three years of compulsory military service, two years of extension, two years as a first-class professional sergeant, six months as a second-class sergeant.

Eight years!

Eight years of military service!

The outstanding armored sergeant fell permanently on the dike.

Because of that damned steel bar, which pierced his abdomen during the piping failure, and because the rescue was not timely, he was swept dozens of meters away.

Throughout the entire process, he didn't utter a single sound or shout. If he had yelled out even when the water was rushing against him, he might have been noticed.

Do you know how difficult it is to train an armored vehicle specialist?
This was the heart and soul of all armored forces in the late 1990s; it was the backbone of the force, fueled by the engines of the Type 85, Type 88, and Type 96 tanks and thousands of tons of diesel fuel.

But it was gone in the blink of an eye.

The problem is that this person wasn't trained by Chen Mo, but rather trusted by another unit, and the non-commissioned officers were willing to come to the demonstration battalion to help with its development.

But now, he's just gone.

However, this is war.

At this moment, Chen Mo was far from being as calm as he appeared.

His sorrow was simply hidden very deeply.

"Comrades!"

"We did not let Veteran Feng down!"

"The Gaoyang dike is safe!"

"The people of Gaoyang are safe!"

"The evacuation of the flood discharge area went very smoothly. The mountains and rivers are safe and sound, and the world is at peace. We have fulfilled the last wish of the martyrs."

So much for that.

Chen Mo's eyes were already brimming with tears, and his voice rose again.

"I often hear that old soldiers never die, they simply fade away."

"I often hear that the dead are gone, but the living must continue the fight!"

"Comrades, I think these words are very well said. From the day our field army was born, it has been to fight for the most noble goal."

"Defend the people and attack the enemy."

"The two are one; we are the people, and the people are also the army."

"Therefore, whether it is the powerful and heavily armed United States, or a massive catastrophe that shakes the heavens and earth, we are fearless and will surely overcome all difficulties, advancing through gunfire and moving forward!"

"Comrades, the spirit of veteran Feng will live on forever; his military spirit will illuminate our path forward."

"The heavens, vast and boundless, will surely bless the loyal."

"If one day I sacrifice myself, I hope you will take the rifle from my hand and continue the march!"

"Everyone has it!"

"Hat off!"

Swish!
Whether they were in formation or had arrived by helicopter, all the soldiers took off their military caps.

Nine sergeants, led by Wang Jianyong, stepped forward, each carrying a brand-new ceremonial rifle.

"Fire!" Chen Mo gave the order.

Nine sergeants held their rifles at a 45-degree angle to the sky, their gleaming bayonets flashing.

boom!
Several people pulled the trigger at the same time and fired, and immediately, a wisp of smoke rose.

For soldiers!
The guns should be fired!

. . . . . .

After the ranks were dismissed, Chen Mo walked up and hugged several key cadres, especially Fang Peijun, Man Xuexi, Liang Hongjie, and Wang Yanjun.

The scenes in my dream were so real.

It was so real that even Chen Mo, who was usually fearless, felt a sense of panic and helplessness.

The joy and relief of reuniting is something that ordinary people cannot understand.

Chen Mo circled the crowd, observing and showing concern for the condition of all the soldiers, and it was indeed as he had guessed.

If there is no breach or piping, the dike reinforcement work is not too dangerous.

Few people here were injured, and even those who were were only slightly injured. On the contrary, the proportion of people who were escorting the injured was extremely high. Of the more than 200 people, one-fifth of them had serious injuries and were taken to the 301 Hospital.

There were also many minor injuries.

"Battalion Commander, I'm so glad you're alright. You scared me to death."

Man Xuexi excitedly followed behind Chen Mo, chattering away: "You have no idea, the first flood discharge was fifty minutes early, which scared both me and the instructor."

"When they were plugging the piping, I was the first to jump in. I didn't think about anything at the time, I just wanted to block part of the water flow and prevent the flood from being released so completely."

"Thanks for your hard work."

Chen Mo took a deep breath and patted Lao Man on the shoulder.

Although as a soldier one should not believe in metaphysics and the like, what one thinks about during the day, one dreams about at night. If it weren't for my excessive worry, or Lao Man's constant concern...

That dream probably won't happen.

"hey-hey!"

Man Xuexi chuckled and scratched his head, following behind Chen Mo for a while, behaving more attentively than ever before.

Many people assumed that Man Xue had just graduated from university and was frightened by the scene last night, which was why he was clinging to the battalion commander.

But in reality, Chen Mo knew exactly what was going on.

This scoundrel isn't so easily intimidated.

The real reason is that they feel guilty. Who knows where Lao Man and his men went when the whole battalion was on standby last night?

Chen Mo was unaware of the specifics.

However, even a fool could guess that this guy wouldn't just go out to look at the mountains and rivers, chat with a bunch of veterans, and express his feelings.

Sneaking around like that, it's never good!
But right now, Chen Mo wasn't in the mood to expose him.

As the battalion commander of the demonstration battalion, he was, after all, guarding the dike alongside the 188th Division.

After calming the soldiers in the camp, Chen Mo called Fang Peijun and Cheng Dong, and the three of them went to the resting place of the 188th Division, partly to offer their condolences and partly to say goodbye.

The 188th Division suffered the heaviest casualties.

Three soldiers went missing just last night. Under what circumstances they went missing, the specifics of which are self-evident.

Later, they encountered surging waves and piping. As the main force in blocking the flood, 14 people died by noon, and 7 people were still missing and had not been found.

When Chen Mo arrived at the camp where the other party was resting.

A colonel, a regimental commander from the 188th Division, was squatting on the ground, using a bottle of mineral water to wash the face of a soldier with his eyes closed. The atmosphere at the scene was extremely somber.

The three stood there, speechless for a long time.

Then salute and leave!

The deceased are gone, but the living must continue to move forward.

There was no way to go from the end of the escort route to Gaoyang Dike, as it was flooded everywhere. However, it was still possible to return to Jinyang Taishan from the dike by taking a detour.

Chen Mo and his team assisted the helicopter arranged by the military region in carrying the deceased into the cabin.

A roll call was conducted throughout the camp, and the personnel details of each squad were checked. In the end, the entire camp had 596 people.

On the return trip, there were only 487 people.

Of these, 107 were taken to the 301 Hospital, and one was taken to the logistics department of the Xiaocheng Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade headquarters for treatment of an ankle injury.

There is one person who will never come back.

On the way back.

Chen Mo remained in the lead vehicle, guiding the entire battalion. The convoy circled Gaoyang City, with the traffic brigade clearing the way and the ring road being cleared.

along the way.

Apart from municipal officials organizing drainage, everything else has basically returned to normal.

Along both sides of the road, young men, full of energy, held the hands of their beloved girls and whispered sweet nothings.

Occasionally, I would look up and see a convoy of military vehicles passing by. I would just stop in the crowd, watch the convoy drive by on the main road, scratch my head, and explain something to the girl next to me.

A middle-aged woman pushes a stroller, enjoying the sun after the downpour, feeling comfortable and lazy.

An elderly man was walking down the street at an intersection when a little girl in a school uniform ran over to help him.

A prosperous and peaceful era!

Perhaps this is what soldiers want to protect with all their might on the battlefield.

Chen Mo sat in the back row, turning his head to watch silently.

As time slowly passed and it approached dinnertime, vendors selling fragrant fried dough sticks appeared by the roadside, along with middle-aged men talking loudly. They had leather bags tucked under their arms and watches on their wrists, and seemed to be in a hurry, waiting for the convoy to pass by.

An elderly woman with white hair was wiping away tears as she saw the military vehicle; she must have been thinking of her son who had sacrificed his life in Indochina.

A group of elementary school students, wearing small red flowers, who had just finished visiting the martyrs' cemetery, stood by the roadside and saluted the military vehicle. Chen Mo smiled and returned the salute.

Before she knew it, two lines of clear tears slid down her cheeks.

"seen it already!"

"Good!"

"Sergeant Feng, don't worry, the battalion commander will take you home!!"

. . . . . . . . .

The convoy traveled a long distance and didn't return to the sergeant academy until nearly 8 p.m.

Huo Linshan, the political instructor of the reconnaissance company who stayed behind at the academy, received the news early in the morning.

He stood at the gate of the West Campus, waiting.

Seeing the main force return and that Chen Mo's injuries weren't serious, Old Huo breathed a sigh of relief. Then he looked at Cheng Dong, whose chest was wrapped in bandages like a rice dumpling.

But he looks quite energetic.

Holingol was completely relieved.

He strode forward: "Battalion Commander, Feng Tingzhao." The battalion was short of a political instructor. Huo Linshan was not only the political instructor of the reconnaissance company, but also shouldered the responsibility of the mechanized infantry and tanks. This meant that he shared the responsibility of educating the entire battalion with the political instructor.

Therefore, he was also familiar with the men of the tank company.

"Ah."

Before Lao Huo could finish speaking, Chen Mo nodded wearily: "Where's Lao Feng's letter home?"

"here."

Huo Linshan quickly took out a neatly folded, earth-yellow envelope. Chen Mo reached out and took it: "Let's do it the way we do. You'll make a copy of the family letter later. Take a military flag and put it in the honor room together with the copied family letter."

"Put Squad Leader Feng's old uniform in the memorial hall. Tell the mess hall to prepare more nutritious meals for tonight's dinner. Also, arrange for the soldiers who stayed behind to go and buy beer."

"No need for any special programs, just let the comrades have a good meal."

"Yes!"

Having explained all of this...

Chen Mo strode towards his office on the East Campus. He was tired, and he had been pretending to be strong for long enough.

Now that the person has been brought back safely.

The battalion commander also needs some time alone to regroup.

Back in their offices, this time no one disturbed them. Wang Jianyong and Man Xuexi were both sensible enough to return to their dormitories.

Sitting in his comfortable office chair, Chen Mo lit a cigarette and took the letter from the envelope.

The neatly laid-out manuscript paper, spread out on the desk, had writing on only half of it.

It was written in a crooked and messy manner.

Dear Mom and Dad:
By the time you read this letter, I may already be on my way to defend the battlefield. Today, the academy suddenly sounded the air raid siren. The battalion commander and many officers didn't say what was going on, but I saw news reports of earthquakes and floods.

I saw a little girl's mother lose all hope for life because of a few wooden crates. At that moment, I knew it was our turn to step in.

It's not hard to tell from the news that we set off relatively late. Maybe the demonstration camp is special, haha, it really is quite special. From the battalion commander to the company commander, they are all quite young, even younger than me. But they don't swear at people and they are very respectful to me. It's also nice to be able to study here.

Mom and Dad, I know that being on high alert will definitely bring danger. War is cruel, but losing our home is even crueler. Although there will be immeasurable dangers and unknowns on the battlefield, and I could become a martyr at any time, this journey is glorious. I believe that good people will be blessed and that God will protect my destiny.

If I cannot return safely, please do not be sad or upset. Be proud and honored to have a son who sacrificed his life for the country, because I am a soldier, and my duty and mission are glorious. I hope that one day I can go to the battlefield to defend this land for the motherland and protect the peace of the people, so that we can protect the people from being bullied by foreign countries.

I'm sorry, dear Mom and Dad. I miss home terribly, but for the sake of our family, I can't be a good son and can't be by your side. I hope that in the next life, I can still be there for you. I won't say anymore, Mom and Dad. I wish you good health forever. I have to go now.

salute!

Feng Tingzhao

September 1999, 9]

This is an unfinished letter home.

Chen Mo sat in the chair, stunned, for a long time before he came back to his senses.

Feng Tingzhao was originally from Shandong. He was 26 or 27 years old and still unmarried. His family was affected by the policies at the time, and being city dwellers, they had only one son.

It's hard to imagine what it would be like for the two elderly people to see this suicide note.

Chen Mo sat there, smoking one cigarette after another. He had never experienced anything like this before, but even if he had, it would be hard to adapt.

The entire office was filled with smoke. When Huo Linshan finally finished his other work and pushed open the door, he was almost knocked over by the smoke.

"Smoke less, Scholar." When no one else was around, the officers in the reconnaissance company still habitually called him by this nickname.

He went to the window, opened all the windows, and turned on the large fan in the room.

“I mailed Xiao Feng’s letter home to him. The military region took care of transporting the body, but the battalion should do something. I discussed it with the political instructor and we decided to hold a fundraising event to show our support.”

"Okay, go ahead and do it. Write down two thousand for me."

Chen Mo responded.

He hadn't served as a cadre long enough, and he simply didn't have any more money in his pocket; two thousand was already most of his savings.

"it is good."

"Then I'll go back to Hedong. The mail, the Hall of Honor, and the Hall of Heroes are all there. Letting Xiao Feng rest in peace as soon as possible is the most important thing."

“I’ve already notified the local armed forces department. Don’t blame yourself too much. You’re the battalion commander, so you need to pull yourself together before others.”

Huo Linshan raised his hand and patted Chen Mo on the shoulder: "Oh, by the way, Commander Wang returned to Qinglong Gorge this morning. He asked me to tell you that no matter how big the hurdle is, you must overcome it."

"The Jincheng Demonstration Camp is waiting to go head-to-head with the Kyoto Demonstration Camp, so don't fall down."

"understood."

Chen Mo nodded.

The old fox was right; he sensed something was wrong and knew the atmosphere in the camp would be particularly low after the rescue, so he guessed that taking people away wasn't the right thing to do.

This is an early surge.

However, Chen Mo wasn't surprised. According to Lao Wang's explanation, he should have left by now.

night.

All members of the demonstration camp had a meal together in the canteen. Chen Mo arrived on time, but there was no performance.

At this point, arranging any program would be superfluous. Chen Mo took out a large iron basin from the canteen's logistics department and poured three or four bottles of beer into it.

Holding an iron basin in his hand, he stood in the crowd and said in a loud voice, "Brothers, I won't say any more."

"I know everyone is suffering, but we are soldiers, and we have to endure the suffering. We just have to swallow it down."

"Tonight, I'll allow you to get completely drunk, as long as you don't cause trouble. Once you're done drinking and passed out here, someone will carry you back. But tomorrow, when the sun rises, it will be a brand new day."

"Everyone must be wound up and work hard for the future."

"Don't be afraid of building the camp. As long as tomorrow is better than today, that's progress for us."

"drink!"

Say it!
Chen Mo was the first to pick up the large iron basin, bring it to his mouth, and gulp it down.

In the cafeteria.

One soldier after another raised their aluminum cups and iron kettles and began to drink from them, mimicking the example.

Men, especially soldiers.

No matter how big the obstacle, we can overcome it. As long as we raise our glasses together, there is nothing we cannot overcome.

After setting the mood.

Chen Mo arranged for several of the more outgoing veterans from the reconnaissance company to sit at tables in different classes and drink with the veterans.

He himself strolled out of the cafeteria and wandered aimlessly around the west campus.

The camp's training will certainly not stop because of the sacrifice. Tomorrow's morning exercises, training, debriefing, meetings, and so on cannot be missed.

The goal is to get the atmosphere of the entire camp back on track in the shortest possible time.

With the advantage of having a whole battalion of veterans, regular training doesn't need to be maintained for too long; the next phase is integration.

For intensive training, it is essential to increase investment in information technology equipment.

This is another difficult problem.

Chen Mo got tired of walking around, so he pulled up his trouser legs and sat on the curb, adjusting his mindset while thinking about how to get the equipment.

He was deep in thought.

Not far behind, the guardrail was lifted, and a jeep military vehicle sped in.

At first, Chen Mo didn't pay attention to what was happening in the car.

But he didn't care. The driver seemed to be deliberately looking for him, and he drove up to him, slammed on the brakes, and pulled the handbrake.

Holingshan got out of the driver's seat.

"battalion commander!!"

Why did you park your car here instead of in the parking lot?

Chen Mo looked up and asked.

Upon hearing this, Old Huo rubbed his hands awkwardly and said, "The main problem is that I don't know how to say it. We have guests in our camp."

"Who? Who is the guest?" Chen Mo was taken aback.

What kind of guests can they possibly bring back after going back to the Hedong howitzer battalion?

Is there such a saying in the military?
They're either comrades, leaders, or family members; what kind of guest is this?

"Sigh, I don't know how to tell you, you'll have to see for yourself."

Huo Linshan walked to the back seat, opened the car door, and peeked inside: "We've arrived at the academy, comrade, get out of the car. You must know the battalion commander."

Just as Chen Mo was wondering what kind of trouble Old Huo was up to.

In the back seat of the jeep, a tall girl, carrying a black cloth bag, peered out of the back seat.

The other person looked to be about eighteen or nineteen years old, wearing a white shirt and jeans, clearly a student's attire.

After getting out of the car, I realized I was in an unfamiliar environment and felt somewhat helpless.

"Wang Luyi?"

Chen Mo looked closely and recognized the person, but he was also a little dumbfounded.

What happened?
The old man just left this morning, how come he brought someone else's daughter to the sergeant academy?

If Old Wang finds out, he'll definitely come all the way from Qinglong Gorge overnight. This girl is Wang Songhe's precious darling.

Chen Mo looked at Huo Linshan with a puzzled expression.

Old Huo shrugged: "I don't know what happened either. When I went to the Hedong camp, she was just staying outside the camp, saying she was looking for Division Commander Wang. But I made several phone calls from the camp and couldn't get in touch with the 61st Division. I couldn't just leave her at the camp, so I had no choice but to bring her back."

"You'd be lucky to get in touch with him," Chen Mo thought to himself.

The 61st Division should be withdrawing from Qinglong Gorge during an important military operation, which spans the entire military region. It's not so easy to find out the whereabouts of a division commander.

Old Wang may not be a big deal at the college, but once he leaves, he'll be a big shot.

But no matter what.

Bringing Wang Lu back is like bringing back an uninvited guest.

Chen Mo sighed, quickly straightened his military uniform, and decided to go up and ask him himself.

what is going on.

Before Old Wang ran away, did he not settle his family affairs properly?

This is incredibly unreliable.

(End of this chapter)