Starting from the deputy company commander of the Soldier Assault Team

Cheng Cai couldn't stand it anymore and snatched Xu Sanduo's personal rations away. "Xu Sanduo, you're so kind and compassionate, but we, we're all bastards."

As he spoke, he glanced around at everyone, then threw his individual rations at Xu Sanduo.

"The principle of 'never give up' is correct, but when it comes to scoring points, you have to give up. If he were awake, he would give up on his own."

After saying that, he sat down angrily to one side. He knew he couldn't persuade Xu Sanduo, and getting angry was useless. He figured they could just vote anyway. He glanced at everyone and said, "Quick, what do you guys say we do?"

Seeing that no one moved, Cheng Cai raised his voice, "I'm asking you a question. What's wrong? When it's time to speak, not a single person stands up. A bunch of nagging women."

Wu Liuyi gritted his teeth, his resolve completely solidified. "He's right, let's keep him."

Cheng Cai immediately spoke up, "Okay, I'll be the bad guy. You guys go first, I'll stay and solve the problem for you and for him."

"Okay," Wu Liuyi gritted his teeth, patted Cheng Cai on the shoulder, and walked towards another hiding place ahead.

Xiao Wenwu patted Cheng Cai on the shoulder and followed Wu Liuyi away, leaving only Xu Sanduo leaning against Guo Feng, looking a little dazed.

Seeing Xu Sanduo still lingering in the same spot, Cheng Cai stepped forward and tugged at him. "Get lost! Come on, even the Fifth Squad Leader agreed. Didn't you hear?"

"Understood," Xu Sanduo said hesitantly, picking up his gun, stuffing his personal rations back into his pocket, and turning away, looking back every few steps.

Watching Xu Sanduo's departing figure, Cheng Cai shook his head helplessly. He closed his eyes and pondered for a moment before making a crazy decision. He also wanted to strengthen his own confidence.

He reached out his arm and pulled out a cigarette holder from the side of his backpack.

Looking at the smoke stick that represented a distress signal, he picked it up and weighed it in his hand. Without any hesitation, he pulled the safety pin, and a thick yellow smoke immediately came out.

Cheng Cai stuck the cigarette stick into the ground next to Guo Feng, patted the unconscious Guo Feng, and quickly turned and left.

As thick yellow smoke rose, less than three minutes later, a dark green Iveco van pulled up – the kind of modified ambulance most commonly used these days.

Wu Liuyi, Xu Sanduo, Cheng Cai, and Xiao Wenwu were hiding on a downhill slope about 100 meters away. Hearing the engine sound, the four of them cautiously poked their heads out to look.

The Iveco van quickly stopped not far from Guo Feng, and two sergeants wearing Red Cross armbands jumped out of the vehicle. One of them ran quickly towards where Guo Feng was.

The other person went around to the back of the car, opened the back door, and also ran towards Guo Feng.

As the back door of the Iveco opened, two more soldiers jumped down carrying a stretcher.

With the help of the four men, they quickly lifted the unconscious Guo Feng into the vehicle. As the door clicked shut, the Iveco van swiftly drove Guo Feng away.

Watching the Iveco van's departing figure, Wu Liuyi spoke up, "Chengcai, you used your distress flare."

Cheng Cai didn't speak, but simply nodded slightly.

Wu Liuyi looked at Cheng Cai with some shock. "And what about you?"

"I don't need it," Cheng Cai said softly, but his tone was full of certainty.

Wu Liuyi chuckled lightly, "So sure?"

"Yes," Cheng Cai's voice was full of certainty, "There are three spots now, and I'm sure I'll get one-third of them." As he spoke, he glanced at Xu Sanduo and Xiao Wenwu, "If there's only one spot, it'll definitely be mine."

Upon hearing this, Xu Sanduo stared blankly at Cheng Cai, while Xiao Wenwu couldn't help but chuckle. Wu Liuyi was still here; wasn't Cheng Cai's confidence a bit too much?

One-third is plausible, but one-tenth? How is that possible? If he's the one-tenth, what about Wu Liuyi and Xu Sanduo?

Xiao Wenwu knew very well that he wouldn't be able to hold on until the end. He was already feeling quite exhausted. The reason he hadn't given up yet was because he wanted to challenge himself.

He wanted to test how long he could hold out, and when he was about to give up, he planned to grab his gun and die together with those who were chasing and blocking them.

He didn't want to slow down his comrades' progress. For the soldiers, Xiao Wenwu always believed in the principle of never abandoning or giving up.

But for himself, he always believed that when it rains, the ground is slippery, and if he falls, he should get up on his own.

Wu Liuyi didn't think Cheng Cai was exaggerating. Instead, he said in a calm voice, "Cheng Cai, when the Seventh Company was around, you and Xu Sanduo were the two people I disliked the most."

The Seventh Company is gone, and you two are the ones who left the deepest impression on me.

Cheng Cai grinned. "It's my honor."

"Heh," Wu Liuyi chuckled, "What you want is very practical. That's not a sin, and you don't need to feel guilty. Saying that you're with us because you can use us is both true and not true."

Do you know? Shortly after you transferred from the Seventh Company, the deputy company commander talked to me about you. He said you were a very confident yet very insecure person, with a long but narrow road ahead.

He said that only when you understand and pick up what you've lost will you be a truly good soldier, and only then will your path be wide and long.

I don't quite understand what this means, because there are many things the deputy platoon leader has said that I haven't figured out either. But today I've figured out one sentence that I think is the most important, so I'm telling you this.

Think about it when you have time. Okay, let's go.

After saying that, Wu Liu turned and left. Xu Sanduo and Xiao Wenwu quickly followed. Only Cheng Cai stood there, stunned, unable to understand.

It's not just what Wu Liuyi said, but also that he didn't quite understand.

He didn't understand what the deputy company commander had said as relayed by Wu Liuyi, nor did he understand what Wu Liuyi meant by telling him these words at this time.

He thought about it carefully, but couldn't remember losing anything. From the recruit training camp to the Steel Seventh Company, then to the Fourth Platoon of the Red Third Company, and finally to the Fifth Platoon of the Red Third Company on the Grassland, he always packed his luggage very neatly.

Aside from the cigarettes he wanted to leave for his comrades, he didn't lose anything.

He shook his head, deciding not to think about it anymore. Just like Wu Liuyi said, he'd think about it when he had time; he didn't have time now.

After reviewing his case, I realized that his path and Xu Sanduo's are quite different. Not only has he not earned as much merit as Xu Sanduo, but he also didn't get promoted to sergeant as early as Xu Sanduo, and their current situations are also completely different.

Since enlisting, he went from the recruit company to the Steel Seventh Company, then to the Red Third Company, Fourth Platoon, and finally to the Fifth Platoon. Xu Sanduo, on the other hand, went from the recruit company to the Red Third Company, Fourth Platoon, then to the Grassland Fifth Platoon, and finally to the Steel Seventh Company.

He initially thought he had the most people he had befriended, but now he realizes that's not the case; he has befriended fewer people than Xu Sanduo.