Siheyuan (traditional courtyard house): Starting with the Korean War, returning home to take charge

The flickering lamplight cast shadows on the tunnel walls, dividing Company Commander Zhao Heita's face into two halves of light and shadow. He squatted on the muddy ground, his thick fingers jabbing heavily at the spread-out map—the edges of the map were already worn and frayed, with a few crooked circles drawn on it in coke.

"We can't keep taking the bombing." Zhao Heita's voice wasn't loud, but it was hoarse as if it had been burned by fire. "We're the nails planted here, not targets for others. Those 105mm howitzers in the valley across the way give us an extra 'meal' every day at noon. The brothers' brains are about to be shaken out."

Several platoon leaders squatted nearby, none of them uttering a sound. Their faces were covered in soot from gunpowder, only their eyes still shone, revealing exhaustion and a suppressed fierceness. Everyone knew that at this point in the war, holding out meant certain death.

"We need to take down those cannons." Zhao Heita raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the faces of the platoon leaders before finally settling on the shadows in the corner. "Night raid. Sneak over there, plant the explosives in the gun positions, and send them flying."

There was a moment of silence in the tunnel, broken only by the soft crackling of the lamp wick.

A night raid is morale-boosting, but everyone knows it's a job where you risk your life. The opposing position has sentries, patrols, landmines, and barbed wire.

"I'll take men," Platoon Leader Chen said first, his throat dry.

"You can't do it." Zhao Heita waved his hand. "Your platoon just got a few new recruits, they don't even know the way. This job requires sharp eyes, quick hands and feet, and a reckless, daring spirit."

His gaze shifted to the corner again, settling on: "He Weiguo."

He Yuzhu stood up from the shadows and walked under the lamplight. He was wearing a tattered cotton coat that the logistics department had just patched up. It was still loose and baggy, but his back was straight. His face was expressionless, except for the flickering flame reflected in his eyes, which were as calm as a deep pool.

"arrive."

"How many members of your reconnaissance squad are still operational?"

"Including me, five," He Yuzhu answered readily. In the battle on the high ground, the reconnaissance squad was decimated. Wang Dazhuang was seriously wounded and carried off the battlefield, while the remaining few, with minor injuries, were barely able to move.

"Five..." Zhao Heita pondered. "A bit few, but enough. Too many people would only make us more vulnerable. Just the five of you, are you up for the job? The target is those cannons. During the day, we can observe that they're roughly here—" He pointed to a blurry mark on the map, "You'll have to find them yourselves tonight. Bring enough explosives, and retreat as soon as they detonate. No lingering."

"Dare." He Yuzhu said just one word.

"Good!" Zhao Heita slapped his thigh. "Get the explosives, fuses, and detonators from the armorer. Set off at 1 a.m. and be back before dawn. He Weiguo, you're quick-witted and adaptable, but don't be reckless. Bring the man back to me."

"clear."

The mountain forest was as black as ink in the dead of night. A crescent moon was obscured by clouds, its faint light barely illuminating the pits and craters underfoot. A cold wind swept along the ground, making the withered branches whistle, which just masked the faint sound of footsteps.

He Yuzhu walked at the front, followed by four veteran soldiers from the reconnaissance platoon. All five of them were crouching low, their steps as light as nocturnal animals. Each of them carried explosive blocks wrapped in tarpaulin on their backs, grenades at their waists, and rifles with bayonets fixed in their hands—when engaging in close combat, they avoided using their guns if possible.

The reconnaissance map ran in He Yuzhu's mind at minimum power; his fifty-meter spherical perception was sufficient for early warning. Eagle Eye was passively activated; although there was no clear source of hostility, its ability to detect subtle movements at the edge of his field of vision allowed him to see more clearly than others in the dark.

They bypassed the path they had observed during the day, deliberately choosing to descend the steep slope on the flank. Basic camouflage techniques flowed through their minds: using shadows to eliminate outlines, controlling their breathing and rhythm. The four behind them followed suit, crouching low, each step taken with extreme precision.

As they approached the foot of the mountain, the outline of the American camp came into view in the darkness. It was a makeshift artillery forward position: a few tents were scattered in the depression, and against the mountainside were the outlines of several bunkers camouflaged with canvas and branches—the gun emplacements should be there.

A makeshift barbed wire fence was strung around the camp. It wasn't high, but empty tin cans hung around it, rattling loudly when touched. Two sentries, rifles in hand, paced back and forth near the only opening, occasionally rubbing their hands and stamping their feet; clearly, standing guard in the cold night was no pleasant experience.

He Yuzhu gestured, and the five men stopped crawling. He observed the sentries' route: every two minutes, two men would pass by the opening, and for about forty seconds after they left, no one would look directly at them.

"See that big rock on the left?" He Yuzhu lowered his voice, pointing to the black rock behind the sentry path. "Once they turn around, I'll take care of the one on the left closest to the rock. Shuanzi—" He looked at the most agile soldier in the squad, "You go around to the right and behind the one there, don't make a sound."

Shuanzi nodded and licked his lips.

After patiently waiting through the rounds, as the two sentries crossed paths again, back to back, He Yuzhu and Shuanzi darted out like two shadowy figures skimming the ground. He Yuzhu's enhanced explosive power allowed him to cover dozens of meters in seconds, arriving behind the sentry on the left. The American soldier seemed to sense something and was about to turn around when a cold hand tightly covered his mouth and nose, while a bayonet precisely sliced ​​across his neck, severing his tracheal artery. He struggled for two seconds before going limp.

On the other side, Shuanzi also succeeded almost simultaneously, using the captured dagger to stab his heart diagonally from under his ribs.

The two quickly dragged the body behind the boulder, removed their helmets and guns, threw them into the grass, and waved behind them.

The remaining three followed, and the five of them crawled through the opening in the barbed wire fence one by one, disappearing into the deeper darkness at the edge of the camp.

Vigilance was noticeably lower inside the camp. Several campfires burned between the tents, and American soldiers sat around them, warming themselves with cups and whispering, occasionally letting out suppressed laughter. Further away, the hum of idling engines and the heavy thud of tracks grinding across the ground could be heard.

He Yuzhu's heart skipped a beat, and he extended his reconnaissance map toward the direction of the sound. Several huge, slowly moving pale red dots entered the area—tanks! Not just one, at least three or four, parked at the rear of the camp, seemingly waiting or undergoing repairs.

This exceeded expectations. The original plan was just to detonate the bomb.

Using the shadows of tents and supply crates, they continued their stealthy advance towards the artillery position. The closer they got to the center, the more frequently patrols appeared, but their routes remained consistent. Thanks to the map and Eagle Eye, He Yuzhu was always able to get early warnings and lead his team to narrowly avoid them.

Finally, they reached the vicinity of the camouflaged bunker. A corner of the canvas was lifted, revealing a dark interior, but by the dim light of the distant campfire, the outline of the thick, slender gun barrels could be clearly seen—it was a 105mm howitzer. Four guns were neatly arranged, with ammunition boxes piled up beside them.

The target is in sight. The plan is to separately plant the explosives, set the delayed fuses, and then retreat.

But just as He Yuzhu was about to give the order, a gust of wind brought a strong smell, different from gunpowder smoke—diesel, a large amount of diesel. He looked down the wind and saw several huge, stationary outlines vaguely appearing on the edge of the reconnaissance map, behind and to the side of the gun emplacement against the mountain wall, with a few smaller points of light beside them, as if they were guards.

Oil storage site? Or oil tanker?

A bolder and more dangerous idea flashed into He Yuzhu's mind. Destroying a few artillery pieces could eliminate the immediate threat, but destroying the fuel reserves... would have far greater consequences than just a few cannons. Tanks, trucks, and generators all need fuel. Without fuel, the mobility and sustained combat capability of this entire forward position would be significantly reduced.

The risks are also greater. The oil depots may be more heavily guarded, and if an explosion occurs, the noise and commotion will be devastating, making evacuation much more difficult.

In a flash, He Yuzhu made a decision.

He pulled two veterans aside and whispered quickly, "The plan has changed. Old Chen, you and Xiao Shandong are in charge of these four cannons. Place explosives under the breech of each cannon and set the fuse for fifteen minutes. Once you're done, immediately retreat back to the barbed wire fence along the same route and wait in the woods where you were hiding. If you hear an explosion, no matter who detonated it, don't look back. Retreat straight into the mountains as fast as you can."

He then looked at Shuanzi and another soldier named Lao Geng: "Shuanzi, Lao Geng, you two come with me over there." He pointed towards the fuel tanks, "They're probably the Americans' fuel tanks. If we mess with them, it'll hurt more than a bomb going off. But it'll be even more dangerous. Are you up for it?"

Shuanzi and Lao Geng looked at each other, their eyes filled with a fierce determination, and nodded.

"Be quick and quiet. Once you see an oil tanker or large oil drum, attach the explosives and set the fuse for ten minutes. After setting it, immediately retreat to the small hill to the east, don't go the same way as Old Chen and the others. Remember, ten minutes. Whether it works on my end or not, once it's detonated, you must leave!"

After the assignments were completed, the two groups silently separated and disappeared into different darkness.

He Yuzhu, along with Shuanzi and Lao Geng, moved like three shadows towards the place where the smell of diesel fuel was strongest. After passing two piles of junk filled with empty wooden crates, the scene before them made the three of them gasp for breath.

In a natural crater at the foot of the mountain, two massive oil tankers with trailers were parked, with dozens of metal drums marked with fuel labels piled up beside them. Four American soldiers, wrapped in overcoats and holding rifles, huddled on the leeward side of the tankers, smoking, sparks flickering in the darkness. Further away, two mobile sentries paced slowly.

The guards were more stringent than those at the artillery position.

He Yuzhu's mind raced. Forcing his way in would alert the entire camp; a diversionary tactic wouldn't have enough time and could easily backfire.

His gaze fell on the shadows cast by the gap between the tanker truck and the oil drums. Perhaps... it wasn't necessary to deal with all the guards.

He gestured for Shuanzi and Lao Geng to approach from the flank, using the shadows of the oil drums for cover, their target being the two sentries. He himself took a deep breath, bringing his body to its peak condition, and then, like a gecko, began to climb up the cold, rough mountain wall.

His enhanced strength, coordination, and fingertip sensitivity, amplified by the intermediate-level enhancements, made climbing effortless. He chose a route away from the guards' line of sight, meandering up the rock face from the tanker truck, and quickly climbed to a protruding rock above the truck roof, where he crouched down.

Below, the four stationed sentries were still smoking and chatting, completely unaware of the faint sound overhead. Shuanzi and Lao Geng had already silently crept behind a pile of oil drums that the mobile sentries were about to pass.

He Yuzhu took a piece of explosive from his back, gently unscrewed the delay fuse cap, and set the time—eight minutes. It couldn't be any shorter; he needed time to go down and plant more explosives.

He aimed at the gap between the two oil tankers below, where several empty oil drums were piled up as a buffer, and gently threw down the explosive blocks.

A very faint thud, almost inaudible amidst the wind and the distant noise of the camp. The explosive had rolled to a stop between the empty oil drums.

One of the sentries muttered something, glanced over, but found nothing amiss, then turned back to continue chatting.

He Yuzhu calmed down a bit. He repeated the process, took another piece of explosive, and aimed it at the neatly stacked solid oil drums near the center, then tossed it lightly again.

Two oil drums already. If the tanker truck and these oil drums were to explode, it would be enough to turn this mountain valley into a sea of ​​fire.

He was preparing to go down to meet up with Shuanzi and the others as planned and leave when his gaze inadvertently swept over the other side of the tanker truck, near the driver's cab—there was a small tin shed there, which looked like a temporary tool shed or a guard's rest area. The door was ajar, letting in a faint light.

As if by some strange twist of fate, the reconnaissance map extended toward that small house.

A solitary, pale red dot, much darker than that of an ordinary soldier, appeared on the edge of my perception, inside the small cabin. It seemed to be... an officer?

He Yuzhu's heart pounded.

At the oil storage area, an officer was alone in a room...

He looked down and saw that Shuanzi and Lao Geng had taken care of the two sentries and were dragging the body into the shadows, gesturing to him that they could leave.

Leave? Or...?

He Yuzhu licked his chapped lips, a cold determination flashing in his eyes.

He gestured for Shuanzi and the others to wait a moment, then, like a weightless leaf, he silently slid down the rock and landed in the shadow of the tanker truck's huge tires. Hugging the truck body, he made his way silently to the small tin shack where a light shone through.

The long progress bar of the main quest flashed through his mind.