Changjin Lake: From Xinxingli to Seoul

Chapter 93 Wu Wanli: I do not desire to be ennobled, I only wish for calm seas...

"Comrades, our battle is not over yet."

Not long after, Mei Sheng took one last, reluctant look at the sunlight, then turned his head and said...

"The instructor is right, we can't afford to waste too much time."

"At least in North Korea, sunshine doesn't belong to us..."

"Ten minutes of final adjustments, then we'll head to the Zangomiri area!"

Wu Qianli took a deep breath, a hint of sadness in his voice, and gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, the comrades of the Seventh Steel Company went down one after another.

"Company commander, political instructor!"

Why do they seem so awkward to me?

"Once we rejoin the main force, let's disband those Han collaborators."

"Anyway, they're not very useful."

Yu Congrong scratched his head and pointed to Lü Chaoran and the others in the distance.

At this moment, Lü Chaoran was leading Chinese-American and Black American soldiers to salute the sun, just like the Chinese People's Volunteer Army.

Lu Chaoran's eyes kept darting towards Wu Qianli and the others, revealing a fawning smile.

"Let the higher-ups decide this matter; we don't need to get emotional."

"By winning over the majority, striking down a small minority, and uniting all forces that can be united, we can make the fight easier and easier."

Mei Sheng glanced at Lü Chaoran and the others in the distance and said.

But at that moment, an extremely fast figure flashed past, leaving only a blur, and darted into the group led by Lü Chaoran, quickly kicking Lü Chaoran in the buttocks.

"Ouch!"

"Commander Wanli, what's wrong?"

"We are showing our respect to China!"

"We are all proud to be Chinese."

After touching his buttocks, Lü Chaoran straightened his back and said.

"To become Chinese?"

"We both accept it, after all, you didn't do those bad things."

"But they can't."

Wu Wanli leaned closer to Lü Chaoran and pointed to an American soldier not far away.

"This……"

Lu Chaoran scratched his head and said.

Upon hearing this, a cold glint and murderous intent flashed in Wu Wanli's eyes.

"Commander, I was wrong!"

"I'll definitely be more selective about who I hire from now on!"

Realizing he had misspoke, Lü Chaoran immediately stood at attention and responded.

"Wanli, what are you talking about over there?"

Mei Sheng then approached Wu Wanli and asked.

“It’s nothing, I was just asking him if he had ever eaten rice noodle rolls from his hometown.”

Wu Wanli patted Lü Chaoran on the shoulder and looked at Mei Sheng.

"Yes!"

Lü Chaoran quickly responded.

"Brother, how's that Korean prisoner named Jeon Kyung-kwang doing?"

Wu Wanli coughed twice, looked at Wu Qianli, and changed the subject.

"Still crying there!"

"Why is a grown man acting like a sissy?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong pointed to Quan Jingguang, who was not far away, and answered quickly.

"Exactly, Wanli, that idiot, probably won't even cry for that long after leaving the company commander!"

"I'm joking," said He Changgui, the deputy company commander.

"Of course, that idiot Wanli will chase after the company commander all the way out of the country!"

Lei Gong smiled knowingly and looked at Wu Wanli.

"Ha ha ha ha……"

Upon hearing this, several soldiers from the nearby Seventh Steel Company burst into laughter.

But after laughing, their eyes were full of admiration when they looked at Wu Wanli.

Wu Wanli, who had only entered North Korea a few months ago, had already been tempered into steel in battle after battle and had become one of the soul figures of the entire Steel Seventh Company.

"Hey! What kind of talk is that!"

"Our Seventh Company, the renowned elite force of the Ninth Army Corps, is one of the sharpest swords protecting the nation. How glorious and great we are!"

"I didn't come here because of my brother!"

Wu Wanli waved his hand and said.

"Ten thousand miles."

Mei Sheng walked up to Wu Wanli and straightened his collar, just like he had done on the train before entering Korea.

"The Seventh Company is even greater because of you..."

After finishing tidying up, Mei Sheng looked at Wu Wanli with a serious expression and said.

Upon hearing this, everyone in the Seventh Steel Company couldn't help but glance at Wu Wanli again, and they all wholeheartedly agreed.

The American-made light and heavy machine guns, mortars, and even the medicine on the wounded soldiers were almost all obtained by Wu Wanli and his men through hard work.

"Yu Congrong, give that South Korean prisoner some food and make sure he eats it all so he can catch up with the group."

"He is the younger brother of the person we planted. We can't let the older brother work for us while we have to worry about the younger brother."

Wu Qianli merely smiled and glanced at Wu Wanli before giving his instructions.

This is a silent era; even brothers don't express their feelings too openly.

However, one can glean some insight from their subtle words and actions.

"Yes!"

“Give it to him, I don’t speak Korean.”

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong scratched his head, picked up a few cans of food, and handed them to Lin Yun'er.

"Okay okay."

Lin Yoona nodded repeatedly, handed the items to Quan Jingguang, and then translated the goodwill of Wu Qianli and the others.

But Jeon Kyung-kwang only glanced at it before pushing away the can of food from Im Yoon-ah's hand and turning his head away in refusal.

"Bam—"

The can fell onto the snow with a soft thud.

"Yo ho?"

"You're giving him too much credit!"

Seeing this, Yu Congrong's temper flared up, and he quickly rolled up his sleeves.

"As a soldier, I cannot mistreat prisoners of war!"

Seeing this, Mei Sheng quickly reminded him.

"Let me do it."

"Lim Yoona, you translate."

Wu Wanli quickly kicked the can on the ground into the air, then precisely caught it in his hand.

"it is good."

Yoona nodded emphatically.

Are you blaming us?

"Do you think that if we didn't give your brother and the others a chance, you and they would become one of the corpses here?"

"After all, you were disguised among the refugees and approached the Watergate Bridge, so it would be understandable if we shot you down."

Wu Wanli walked up to Quan Jingguang and looked down at him, saying...

"Xiba!"

"Then why can't I come along with you!"

Quan Jingguang raised his head with a hint of anger, but sensing Wu Wanli's murderous aura, he only dared to lower his voice and curse.

"It's obvious that Quan Douguang treats you very well, protecting you like this."

"If you want to go, then go find it yourself now."

"Don't blame me if you freeze to death or get shot."

Wu Wanli had lost his patience and said coldly.

Upon hearing this, Quan Jingguang looked at the vast, boundless snow in the distance and felt a chill run down his spine.

He finally realized his predicament, quickly picked up the canned food, and began to eat it in large bites.

"Company commander, what should we do with those tanks?"

Pinghe hurried over and pointed at the tank.

"Once it's fully light, the tanks will be too big of a target and will definitely get bombed by the American devils."

"How about we just blow it up like before, instead of letting those American soldiers get away with it?"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong said with a hint of regret.

"Need not."

"Brother, the hiding place is better now than before."

"Just drive into the small wooded slope there and cover it up with something to disguise it."

"We have the advantage of advancing the battlefront. We can send people back to find us after the battle is over."

Wu Wanli thought for a moment and then offered his suggestion.

"Company Commander, Wanli's suggestion is excellent!"

"Three heavy tanks! What a waste if they're blown up!" Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong's eyes lit up instantly, and he agreed.

"Okay, let's hurry up."

"Hide the tanks completely, then move out immediately!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Qianli gave the order.

"Yes!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong immediately led his men down to get to work.

Not long after the tanks covered the area, the Seventh Steel Company turned around and embarked on its journey north.

The world was a vast expanse of white, with snow covering the boundless earth.

The biting wind howled like wolves across the snowy plains of Gaima.

Snowflakes were swirling up, as if trying to bury everything in the world in this pure yet cold white expanse.

Despite wearing thick cotton-padded coats, the soldiers of the Seventh Steel Company rubbed their hands together, their lips slightly purple from the cold.

The wind cut their cheeks.

Snow seeped into their boots.

However, no one backed down, and no one gave up.

The soldiers merely savored the warmth of their salute to the rising sun.

........................

"Really cold."

"Why do we have to wear our cotton-padded coats inside out? Isn't this cloak enough?"

"Soldier Xuan Qiang muttered something."

The Ninth Army Corps was a southern army corps, and its training and preparation were originally for liberating small islands in the bay.

They were urgently deployed to fight in the snowy north, and they still haven't adapted.

"Those American devils' planes are really cunning."

"I heard from friendly forces back in Hagaru-ri that some of their reconnaissance planes would fly over the mountains and forests, creating strong winds that would expose all the hidden soldiers, and then the bombers would bomb them!"

"It's lucky we didn't meet."

Wu Qianli sighed and said,

"These sons of bitches keep blowing up bombs like they're free."

"We'll wipe them all out in the final battle at Chosin Reservoir this time, and see if they still dare to be so arrogant!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong said indignantly.

"Let's not talk about that anymore, let's talk about something happier."

"What kind of promotion do you think Wan Li will get after the Battle of Chosin Reservoir?"

Gao Daxing, who was standing to the side, smiled and asked.

"Promotion?"

"This kid is indeed a strong fighter, and he's got a lot of clever ideas in his head."

"But we need to change our reckless ways; we can't keep leading the troops into dangerous places."

After thinking for a moment, Wu Qianli spoke frankly.

Everything has two sides.

"As the elite force in the army, the Seventh Steel Company is meant to achieve the greatest results in the most dangerous places."

"It can only be said that this kind of fighting style is only suitable for Comrade Wu Wanli, and not very suitable for ordinary commanders."

"After all, not many people can achieve a success rate like Wanli's."

Mei Sheng thought for a moment and then said.

"Yes!"

"One failure could mean total annihilation, but we are not afraid of sacrifice, as long as it is worth it."

Lei Gong looked somewhat serious as he spoke.

"Oh, right, Lei Gong."

"Didn't you fight your way here since the Long March?"

"Why is he still just a platoon leader? Shouldn't he be promoted to a higher position?"

Wu Wanli suddenly thought of this question and asked it with some doubt.

"You silly boy, you mustn't become obsessed with officialdom."

"How high a rank is considered a high-ranking official position?"

"Isn't it all for the sake of protecting the lives of ordinary people that we join the army?"

"My superiors have tried to promote me, but I've refused them all!"

"The Seventh Company is my home, and the soldiers of the Seventh Company are the soldiers I've watched grow up."

"I can't bear to part with it!"

Lei Gong smiled, and his mustache, which was covered with snowflakes, trembled slightly.

"Yes, those who strive for promotion and wealth have no chance of surviving the Long March."

"During the Long March, there was a regimental commander in the Red Army named Li Yunlong. I don't know if you've heard of him."

"He broke discipline and was demoted in order to ensure that the Red Army soldiers in his regiment had enough to eat."

"While this behavior is not commendable, tell me, what's the point? Is it really for a promotion? Or is it just for a better life?"

"In that case, why not just lead your troops to surrender to the Nationalist army?"

Mei Sheng looked at Wu Wanli through a thin layer of snow and asked.

"If promotions are like those of some members of the National Revolutionary Army who, in order to make money, have turned their backs on the masses, then they have become corrupt."

"But I hope to stand at a higher level so that I can have a greater influence on the war situation in Korea."

"Only in that way will I have the opportunity to do my best to reduce the bloodshed of the Volunteer Army comrades and make the US imperialism suffer more."

"Perhaps, the period of peace will be longer in the future."

"It's like listening to a storyteller recount Qi Jiguang's battle against the Japanese. There's a line I really like."

"The title of Marquis is not my intention, but I hope the sea will be peaceful."

Upon hearing this, Wu Wanli remained silent for a few seconds before speaking with a serious expression.

"I don't want to be a marquis, I just hope the sea is calm..."

Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng's heart trembled slightly, and his gaze lingered on Wu Wanli for a long time.

He seemed to see a glimmer of heroism shining in Wu Wanli's eyes.

"Okay!"

"Comrade Wu Wanli's ideological awareness is more than enough to make him a great general like Qi Jiguang!"

Mei Sheng remained silent for a long time before finally coming to his senses and shouting with a smile.

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha……"

Upon hearing this, the soldiers of the Seventh Steel Company burst into good-natured laughter.

After hearing this, Lin Yoona looked at Wu Wanli and the soldiers with a different expression.

"What's wrong? Are you feeling cold and uncomfortable?"

Wu Wanli noticed something was wrong, looked at Lin Yun'er, and asked.

"It's nothing, it's just that you guys feel quite different from the armies I've ever seen before."

Lim Yoona smiled, her eyes sparkling with longing, and said.

"What do you think is the difference?"

Wu Wanli asked.

"Can't tell."

"It's just that I feel like they have a bit more... faith than other units."

"My oppa and his North Korean People's Army also have it, but it's not nearly as strong as yours."

"It's like... the difference between a firefly and the sun!"

After hesitating for a moment, Lim Yoona mustered her courage and spoke.

"of course!"

"North Korea can't compare to China!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong immediately puffed out his chest and said.

"I am a soldier, so please don't say anything that could be detrimental to unity."

"It would be terrible if our allies heard this."

Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng quickly corrected him.

"Okay, okay, I'll think of it myself!"

Upon hearing this, Yu Congrong chuckled.

"Reporting, Company Commander!"

"This is the high ground near Misato!"

At this moment, Pinghe looked at the map and reported.

"Great, we've finally arrived."

Wu Qianli shook the snow off his shoulders, took out his cormorant whistle, and blew it rhythmically.

"Beep----"

"Beep--"

The long, drawn-out whistle echoed through the mountains and forests several times.

Soon, a similar whistle sounded from the mountains and forests, getting closer and closer.

"Oh dear lord, who domains the fate of this world!"

Not long after, a volunteer soldier suddenly appeared not far from the Seventh Steel Company, carrying a gun, and warily shouted slogans.

"To count the heroes of the day, look no further!"

Upon hearing this, Mei Sheng immediately responded loudly.

I highly recommend this book! It's a really good military novel that's very enjoyable to read. You can definitely check it out!

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(End of this chapter)