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

He relied on the reflection of the snow to barely find his way through the forest. His footsteps crunched on the snow, and He Yuzhu stopped every few steps, gesturing for those behind him to lower their bodies. His gaze swept over every shadow, and the newly acquired low-light night vision goggles rested on his forehead—he had to use them sparingly, only wearing them in critical moments.

The line of soldiers stretched out rather long, their heavy breathing audible in the silence. The new recruits were still inexperienced; their tension was palpable even from several steps away. He Yuzhu sighed inwardly, but his steps didn't falter.

The radar station was nestled in a sheltered mountain hollow. In the distance, a few lights glared in the darkness, and the low hum of the generator could be faintly heard. A barbed wire fence surrounded the area. The lights on the watchtowers weren't very dense, but the beams of patrol flashlights occasionally swept across the snow.

Even more troublesome was that when He Yuzhu briefly observed through his night-vision goggles, he glimpsed dark figures being pulled by ropes inside the barbed wire fence—military dogs, and more than one. A dog's ears and nose are more troublesome than any sentry's.

The infiltration route was pre-planned, approaching from a frozen creek on the north side, where the dense forest created many blind spots for the lights. He Yuzhu led the way, with Lao Geng bringing up the rear. Several outstanding recruits, including Zhang Dashan and Li Shuigen, were assigned to key positions in the demolition and fire support teams.

The ice on the stream was extremely slippery. Someone accidentally stepped on a thin piece of ice, and the sound of it "plop" carried far in the still night. Everyone froze instantly. He Yuzhu listened intently—there was no barking, only the continuous low hum of a generator in the distance. He waved for them to continue, slowing his movements even further.

When they were less than fifty meters from the barbed wire, they could already see the silhouette of the sentry on the watchtower, his neck hunched and his feet stamping. He Yuzhu lowered his body, about to signal the demolition team to move forward and cut the wire, when the accident happened.

In the middle of the group, new recruit Wang Xiaochuan slipped due to excessive nervousness, his body tilted to the side, and his hand instinctively braced itself on the ground, but instead pressed down on a dry branch.

"Snap!"

The crisp cracking sound was like a small firecracker exploding in the snowy night.

"Woof! Woof woof woof—!"

The frenzied barking of dogs inside the barbed wire fence erupted almost simultaneously! And not just one! Immediately afterward, searchlights on the watchtowers blazed on, their blinding beams sweeping wildly in the direction of the sound!

"Damn it!" Old Geng cursed under his breath.

It's been exposed.

He Yuzhu's mind went blank for a moment, but his body reacted faster than his thoughts. He ripped off his night-vision goggles and put them over his eyes. The cold world was instantly shrouded in an eerie light green, and everything suddenly became clear—the sentry on the watchtower frantically grabbing his gun, the dark figure rushing out of the barracks, and three wolfhounds dragging their leashes and barking wildly!

There was no time to hesitate.

"Charge!" He Yuzhu's voice wasn't loud, but it was sharp as a knife. "Plan two! Firepower team, take out the watchtowers and searchlights! Demolition team, follow me! The rest of you, provide cover!"

He took off the Garand from his back, and the crosshairs of his night vision goggles steadily locked onto the sentry on the watchtower who was trying to turn the searchlight.

boom!

Gunfire ripped through the night. The sentry staggered and fell from the tower. Almost simultaneously, Old Geng and another veteran opened fire with their machine guns, bullets spraying like water towards the searchlights and the barracks entrance, suppressing the enemy trying to break out.

In the chaos, three wolfhounds had already slipped through the gap in the barbed wire and were charging straight at the group! The dogs were fast and their barks were terrifying; they lunged straight for the throats. A recruit, in a panic, raised his gun and fired, but missed, which only provoked the dogs to become even more frenzied.

He Yuzhu slinged his rifle behind him, drew his dagger, and charged towards the first black shadow that pounced on him! The dog leaped up, a wave of hot, foul odor hitting him. He Yuzhu dodged to the side, his left hand flashing out like lightning, using his arm to block the dog's jaw. Under the green light of his night-vision goggles, the dagger precisely pierced the side of its neck, and with a twist!

Warm blood splattered. The dog whimpered and collapsed. He didn't stop, but instead slammed the corpse against the second dog that pounced from the side, using the momentum to charge forward. Just as the third dog was about to bite his calf, he kicked it hard in the jaw, sending the beast rolling backward. He then followed up with a step, pressing his knee down on the dog's body, and plunged the dagger into its ear from behind.

In just a few seconds, three well-trained military dogs were killed. He Yuzhu stood up, panting, his face covered in what appeared to be dog blood or human blood. Several new recruits nearby stared in disbelief.

"What are you looking at! Demolition team, get in!" he growled.

Zhang Dashan and Li Shuigen, as if waking from a dream, clutched their explosive packs and, under the cover of veteran soldiers' fire, crouched low and rushed toward the main building with its towering antennas and roaring generators. Scattered enemy fire from the flanks along the way was met with precise shots—the veterans' night-vision goggles gave them a significant advantage in the darkness.

The demolition team stormed into the building. A brief exchange of fire and explosions followed. Soon, Zhang Dashan and Li Shuigen scrambled out, their faces covered in soot but their eyes gleaming with excitement. "Platoon leader! The explosives are planted! Thirty seconds!"

"Withdraw! Follow the predetermined route and provide alternating cover!" He Yuzhu ordered.

The team quickly retreated into the woods. They had run less than two hundred meters when a muffled, deafening roar came from behind, and the ground trembled. Looking back, they saw the radar station's main building shattered into pieces amidst towering flames; the giant antenna twisted and collapsed, flames engulfing everything.

The firelight also illuminated several jeeps and about a platoon of enemy reinforcements rushing towards the exit of the mountain pass. The enemy was clearly stunned by the explosion, but they quickly spotted He Yuzhu and his men who were retreating, and bullets were upon them in an instant.

"And there are still some blocking the way." He Yuzhu spat. "Second Platoon, suppress the enemy with fire from the left flank! First Platoon, flank from the woods on the right! New recruits, stick close to the veterans, don't panic!"

Upon receiving the order, the unit quickly split into two groups. The veterans used the terrain to their advantage, suppressing the enemy forces attempting to advance with precise fire. Although the new recruits were nervous, under the veterans' reprimands and encouragement, they began to follow suit and return fire, though their accuracy was still lacking.

He Yuzhu personally led Lao Geng and a machine gun squad, positioning themselves behind a pile of stones in the middle of the road, using intense crossfire to pin down the enemy's main force. Through night vision goggles, the enemy figures were clearly visible, and anyone attempting to peek out or move was met with bullets.

"Platoon leader! Right flank! Someone's flanking us!" a new recruit shouted in alarm.

He Yuzhu turned his gun around and saw seven or eight dark figures attempting to flank him. He sneered and gestured to the squad lying in ambush there. The veteran soldiers of the squad understood, and as soon as the enemy stepped into the open snow, they opened fire, instantly felling most of them. The rest scrambled back.

The skirmish lasted less than ten minutes, and the hastily assembled reinforcements abandoned more than ten corpses, the remaining troops retreating back to their vehicles, too afraid to move. He Yuzhu, seeing the advantage, decided to withdraw.

"Retreat! Throw smoke grenades!"

Several smoke grenades were thrown, and white smoke rapidly billowed out. Under cover, the troops completely disappeared into the dark forest, leaving only the burning radar station and the terrified enemy soldiers behind them.

After running for several miles and confirming there were no pursuers, He Yuzhu ordered a rest. A headcount revealed that only two new recruits had been grazed in the arms and legs by stray bullets during the firefight; their injuries were minor. All forty-two men in the platoon had survived without a single loss.

Zhang Dashan and Li Shuigen slumped on the snow, their hands still trembling, but their eyes shone with a piercing light. The other recruits had similar expressions; their gazes toward He Yuzhu were no longer merely obedience, but filled with an almost fanatical trust. They had witnessed their platoon leader kill three dogs in seconds, launch a decisive assault after being exposed, and calmly command in the skirmish, leading this group of recruits to take down the heavily guarded radar station and repel enemy reinforcements.

He Yuzhu leaned against a tree, taking off his night-vision goggles and rubbing his sore eyes. The adrenaline receded, and exhaustion washed over him. He glanced at the wound on his arm where the canines had grazed him—not deep, the blood already scabbed over. He then looked at the two bandaged recruits: "Can you walk?"

"Yes! Platoon leader, no problem!" the two replied quickly.

"Mm." He Yuzhu nodded, saying nothing more. He closed his eyes, and the system notification sounded in his mind as expected:

Mission "Han River Blockade Vanguard - Second Raid" completed. Confirmation of destruction of enemy forward radar station and associated facilities.

[Gained 30000 Battlefield Points.]

[After multiple high-intensity nighttime observations and precision shooting exercises, the Eagle Eye (Beginner) skill level is sufficient for upgrading to Eagle Eye (Intermediate): Significantly improved dynamic visual capture, long-distance detail resolution, and low-light adaptability.]

[Current battlefield score: 274398 + 30000 = 304398 points.]

Main quest progress: 304398/100,000,000 ≈ 0.304%

Points surpassed 300,000. Eagle Eye upgraded. He Yuzhu felt little joy, however. He looked at the new recruits, their faces beaming with excitement after surviving the ordeal, and recalled the sharp crack of a tree branch breaking before their exposure—his luck was alright this time, but what about next time?

He stood up: "Get up after you've rested. This place is still not safe. Stay vigilant and keep moving forward."

The team moved again, much quieter, but their steps carried a newfound steadiness forged in the crucible of blood and fire. He Yuzhu led the way, the subtle changes brought about by his intermediate-level eagle eye allowing him to more clearly perceive the trembling of every leaf and the direction of every gust of wind in the forest.

The road ahead is long. The ghost has swept through once, and it will come again. He must hone this newly honed blade, making it even sharper and more stable.