All the heavens begin with the love in the courtyard.

Zhang Haiyang's talent lies in his exceptional pistol shooting skills, which he excels at to a high degree. In addition to his accuracy, his speed in drawing his gun is also renowned as that of a quick shooter in the company.

Wu Mantun's fighting skills were average, as were his military skills. He could even be described as somewhat stupid. He was slow to learn anything; what others could learn in a day, he could learn in two days.

But his talent lies in his willingness to spend two or three times more time than others to practice hard. While others learn for one day, he learns for three. After training, he would voluntarily add extra training every day without ever complaining about the hardship or fatigue. This kind of spirit is something that Zhong Yuemin and Zhang Haiyang do not possess.

Although he didn't have much talent, Wu Mantun had a unique skill. He grew up in the deep mountains and forests, making a living by collecting herbs on cliffs. His grandfather taught him a skill of rock climbing, which allowed him to climb bare walls with his hands like a gecko. This skill, combined with his hard work, enabled him to become an excellent reconnaissance soldier and was promoted to officer.

Knowing the original story, Zhong Yuemin treated Wu Mantun extremely well. He accompanied Wu Mantun in his rigorous training every day, supervised his various training sessions, and encouraged him in his daily life. He sent almost all of his monthly salary home to Wu Mantun, who was naturally extremely grateful and treated Zhong Yuemin like his own brother.

Zhang Haiyang sometimes joked with Zhong Yuemin, "You really treat Mantun like an older brother."

Zhong Yuemin smiled but offered no explanation.

His year-long trip to northern Shaanxi made him realize that the world was no longer the same as the world in the original novel.

The ideas in one's mind, at a special time and in a special place, may create effects that even surprise oneself.

The "Mizhi vegetarian chicken leg" that Li Kuiyong and his fellow villagers created unintentionally in northern Shaanxi not only temporarily changed their fate, but also benefited the people of the entire county, and may even affect the fate of many others.

Last month, he received a letter from Zheng Tong, in which Zheng Tong complained to him that he was too busy at the food factory and was working overtime every day, leaving him no time to study.

It is also said that vegetarian chicken legs have now become a famous snack in northern Shaanxi. The county's food factory has decided to expand its scale again. Now, the county has provided jobs for more than 100 educated youths thanks to vegetarian chicken legs. Last year, "Mizhi vegetarian chicken legs" attracted a lot of attention at the Yanjing Food Fair and even received praise from some bigwigs in Yanjing.

When Zhong Yuemin saw this, he felt something was off. His unintentional little creation had actually influenced so many people.

While diligently practicing his basic skills, Zhong Yuemin began to think about where he would go in the future.

He has considered several times whether he should follow the example of the original story and choose to retire from the military to pursue the freedom he envisions.

The future is too far away; he hasn't thought it through yet. Perhaps if it were possible, he might spend his whole life in the military.

That kind of life might be pretty good!

Chapter 163: Opportunity

In a hospital ward, Yuan Jun sat in a wheelchair, staring blankly at the scenery outside the window. At that moment, the door to the ward was pushed open, and Zhou Xiaobai walked in with a lunchbox.

Yuan Jun glanced back at Zhou Xiaobai, his face still showing an indifferent expression, a far cry from his usual talkative self.

"Yuan Jun, how's today?"

"I'm much better now. I should be able to be discharged soon. Xiaobai, thank you so much for these past few months!"

"Don't thank me. You're Yuemin's brother, after all. It's only right that I take care of you on his behalf!"

Upon hearing this, Yuan Jun finally smiled. Over the past few months, the baby fat on his face had long since disappeared, leaving only his thin cheeks, which made him appear somewhat resolute.

Yuan Jun took the lunchbox from Zhou Xiaobai, opened it, and began to eat heartily. After finishing, he put down the lunchbox, turned around, and asked Zhou Xiaobai.

"Xiaobai, how's things going with you and Yuemin?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaobai's smile froze for a moment, and he said with a hint of helplessness.

"That guy doesn't even care about me anymore. In the past six months, I've sent him three letters, but he only replied to one. But at least he acknowledged that I'm his girlfriend. We can talk about the future later. Anyway, we're still young!"

Yuan Jun seemed to relax slightly and joked.

"Xiaobai, you have to keep an eye on Yuemin. That guy is the most cunning among us brothers. When I have time, I'll write him a letter to advise him!"

Zhou Xiaobai said with a smile as she packed up the lunchbox.

"I can see that no one can persuade him. Anyway, he'll never escape my grasp for the rest of his life. By the way, Yuan Jun, have you told me about Luo Yun going to university?"

Yuan Jun hummed in response and then fell silent. Zhou Xiaobai clearly sensed something but didn't press the matter further. However, after a moment of silence, Yuan Jun finally spoke.

"Xiaobai, I'm actually quite envious of Yuemin. He has a girlfriend who values ​​relationships more than her future!"

Zhou Xiaobai understood that Yuan Jun was talking about Luo Yun. She wanted to explain to her sister, but she stopped herself when she heard the words. Luo Yun had indeed gone too far this time!

Yuan Jun perhaps sensed what Zhou Xiaobai was trying to say, smiled, and said somewhat nonchalantly.

"Xiaobai, you don't need to say anything more. There's no possibility between Luo Yun and me anymore. That's fine. You can't keep someone who wants to leave. This way, everyone can feel more at ease!"

Zhou Xiaobai didn't know how to comfort Yuan Jun at this moment, and after a while, she slowly spoke.

"What are your plans?"

Yuan Jun smiled and said in a very magnanimous tone.

"My injury this time was a blessing in disguise. I was used as a role model, which counts as meritorious service. My promotion application has already been submitted. Xiaobai, this experience has also made me realize that I can't continue to drift aimlessly. I will continue to work hard. Maybe one day, I might even wear a general's star on my hat, hahaha!"

Looking at Yuan Jun's somewhat thin face, Zhou Xiaobai suddenly thought of Zhong Yuemin. If one day Zhong Yuemin were to say the same words to her with the same fighting spirit, would she be moved or would she have other feelings?

Perhaps I'm more worried than anything else!

Yuan Jun did indeed rediscover his life's purpose because of this incident. His girlfriend gave up on the relationship because of her future, and he had been living a muddled life until this explosion completely woke him up.

In the original novel, Yuan Jun was completely transformed after this incident. The boyish innocence he once possessed vanished, and the event transformed this former troublemaker into an outstanding soldier.

More than a decade later, he had already reached the rank of senior colonel, making him one of the most promising among people like Zhong Yuemin.

Zhong Yuemin and Zhou Xiaobai's relationship was indeed established through correspondence. Perhaps Zhong Yuemin was lonely again, and in one of his replies, he once again acted like a rogue, finally acknowledging Zhou Xiaobai's status as his girlfriend.

However, this admission can only be considered a verbal one. After all, Zhong Yuemin has never even held Zhou Xiaobai's hand in this world. Every time Zhong Yuemin is lonely in the middle of the night, he remembers that he has a girlfriend and always feels that he is at a disadvantage.

Because of his outstanding performance, Zhong Yuemin was nominated as the class monitor of Class 5 at the end of the first year, Wu Mantun was the deputy class monitor, and Zhang Haiyang was assigned to Class 4 as the class monitor.

Zhong Yuemin also grew rapidly in the army. His physical fitness and skills improved to a level that was no longer what it was when he first joined the army. He even participated in the all-army competition this year and won third place.

After becoming a squad leader, Zhong Yuemin not only continued to train his personal skills, but also began to learn command-related military skills. The Zhong Yuemin in the original novel was already very outstanding, but Zhong Yuemin believed that he would be even more outstanding in this world.

Zhong Yuemin knew very well where his advantage lay. He had a future soul in his mind. Although that soul was just an ordinary person, he knew very well that as long as he had a future idea, he could create new miracles.

It was for this reason that Zhong Yuemin began to organize the future memories in his mind, such as information about special forces from a certain encyclopedia, some future special forces training subjects, and even some cases of future wars.

He compiled these materials into a mathematical book called the Special Forces Training Manual. He once gave this book to the battalion commander, but almost no one paid attention to this kind of small-scale individual combat tactics.

But it didn't matter that no one paid attention; he treated his Class 5 as an experimental base.

In a small-scale exercise, Zhong Yuemin commanded the soldiers of the Fifth Platoon to capture the enemy's command post without anyone noticing, ending the battle with a near-sweeping victory.

This unconventional approach did not earn Zhong Yuemin praise; instead, it cost him several opportunities to improve.

As the 1970s approached, the international situation became increasingly tense, and the military increased the number of various exercises.

This is Zhong Yuemin's fourth year in the army. Although he has been promoted to officer, Zhong Yuemin is still just a small squad leader of the fifth squad. Who told him to be so audacious and reckless, scaring the battalion commander into taking the blame for him several times.

That year, Ning Wei, that little guy, also joined the Fifth Platoon as a new recruit and became Zhong Yuemin's soldier. The little guy was more lively than in the original novel and not as dark as in the original novel.

However, Ning Wei's talent was still amazing. In just half a month, he learned Zhang Haiyang's quick-draw technique!

This guy seems to have an inherent wickedness in his bones, and he doesn't play by the rules. Zhong Yuemin is also afraid that he will follow the old path in the original work, so he often gives him ideological education lessons.

However, Zhong Yuemin really liked this kind of soldier. Only soldiers like this could become ace soldiers in the future. As long as he educated Ning Wei well, this guy's future achievements might surprise many people.

His friends and brothers also started new lives. Li Kuiyong and Ning Bin settled down in northern Shaanxi, while Zheng Tong and Jiang Biyun did not forget their original aspirations and became teachers. Zheng Tong taught history in high school and Jiang Biyun taught Chinese in junior high school. Following the inertia of the original work, they once again became a young couple.

Zhong Yuemin has replied to their letters twice in the past few years, mainly because he has been too busy.

Zhong Yuemin only inquired about Qinling's memories once by chance with Li Kuiyong, and learned that Qinling had joined an art troupe. He knew nothing else.

Other educated youth friends scattered across the country have different fates. Some are still the same, while others have returned to the city to become workers. In short, their futures are all different.

The fates of those children from privileged backgrounds were much smoother. Yuan Jun had already entered military academy, and Zhang Haiyang had entered the General Staff Department. Although the General Staff Department didn't have the rank of Chief of Staff, their futures were still bright.

Most of the children of military families who enlisted in the same year as them have already been promoted to officers, including Zhong Yuemin. Although he is still a platoon leader in his fifth year, Zhong Yuemin is quite content with his current situation.

Over the past few years, his special forces program has become increasingly sophisticated, and he is waiting for an opportunity—an opportunity to make a name for himself.

In the autumn of 1975, Zhong Yuemin finally got an opportunity. If he seized it, he would face two choices: either be discharged from the army and go home, or attract the attention of a big shot.

That autumn, the troops prepared for a large-scale combat exercise. It was said to be a live-fire exercise, with Army A as the Red attacking force and Army C as the Blue defending force. In addition, both sides also added air force reinforcements. The scale of this exercise was rarely seen in recent years.

The exercise lasted for three months. Both command headquarters were of a very high level and made a very grand display. Hundreds of tanks and armored vehicles were transported to the site one after another. Zhong Yuemin was in the Blue Force's defense formation. His reconnaissance platoon's mission was to guard a river, survey the surrounding terrain, and prepare for the later crossing of the river by the troops.

In Zhong Yuemin's view, these exercises were like playing chess. Both sides had already laid out their forces on the table. How to attack and how to defend were the same old tricks. Zhong Yuemin felt that something was missing.

In recent years, he has been working hard to learn command skills and has compiled and improved a set of special forces skills tutorials suitable for this era. The three squads under his reconnaissance platoon are his experimental subjects, with the fifth squad being the key training subject.

Wu Mantun is now the class monitor of Class 5, and Ning Wei is the deputy class monitor. They have gradually developed a special tacit understanding.

For Zhong Yuemin, this red-blue exercise is the best testing ground. Dancing on the edge of a knife amidst thousands of troops should surprise many people!

Zhong Yuemin decided to give everyone in this era a good lesson.

Chapter 164: Long Time No See!

Before the exercise even started, Zhong Yuemin obtained maps of both the red and blue teams. He set up the fifth squad as a temporary command center, with everyone acting as temporary staff officers. The group began to study issues such as the deployment of troops on both sides.

In fact, these can all be guessed. In the few years that Zhong Yuemin has been in the army, there have been large and small confrontation exercises almost every year, and he has participated in them all. Zhong Yuemin has led the fifth squad to sneak up on the enemy's stronghold more than once.

Although this performance was quite large in scale, Zhong Yuemin thought they could go even bigger. After several nights of research, they finally devised a battle plan.

Zhong Yuemin named this operation "Chickens Catching Eagles"!

For Zhong Yuemin, the most crucial aspect of special forces operations is speed—speed so fast that the enemy doesn't have time to react—and also finding and attacking the enemy's weakest point.

There are countless examples in later generations that can be learned from, and Zhong Yuemin also decided to go all out. The small-scale battles of the past few years have not attracted the attention of the higher-ups. In a few years, when the battle in the south begins, that will be the real place for him to use his talents.

If I had the opportunity to build a completely new force before then, I might be able to change some local situations in the future.

As the exercise officially began, the surrounding area within a radius of several dozen kilometers quickly entered a wartime state. Zhong Yuemin, who was on the defensive side, also received a mission to begin preliminary reconnaissance. The main force would cross the river in five days.

However, Zhong Yuemin did not follow the battalion's arrangements. He began to organize his own special operations team and started to make plans.

That night, Zhong Yuemin, representing the Blue Team, led eleven men from his fifth squad in a surprise attack on a Red Team motor transport unit, capturing a truck and a jeep.

Zhong Yuemin's actions stunned his Red Team comrades. "Is this even possible? Isn't this just a drill? Why are you taking it so seriously?"

Zhong Yuemin, however, acted as if it were wartime, directly having Ning Wei interrogate him, and ultimately easily obtained the Red Team's access code.

Zhong Yuemin immediately ordered all the soldiers of the Fifth Platoon to change into Red Army uniforms, and swaggered in with jeeps leading the way and trucks following behind. The group entered the Red Army's temporary communications command post and immediately cut off the Red Army's communications with a burst of gunfire.

Zhong Yuemin warned the fallen Red Army commanders that this was a live-fire exercise, and since they were already dead, they had no right to notify their superiors. As for other matters, they could discuss them after the exercise was over.

Subsequently, he led five squads in jeeps bearing the insignia of the communications unit, followed by a large truck carrying communications equipment, and under the guise of communications maintenance, made a daring raid of dozens of miles and swaggered into the Red Army's headquarters.

Several high-ranking officers in the Red Army command were sitting in the command room, talking and giving orders. Suddenly, the communications soldiers who had just entered the command room to do maintenance all turned their guns around. Everyone was stunned. In the end, Zhong Yuemin forced them into a truck and drove away.

At 2:30 a.m., Zhong Yuemin led all the bigwigs of the Red Team command to the Blue Team command of the defending side. Zhong Yuemin went straight up and reported that the operation lasted five hours and thirty-two minutes and the "chicken catches the eagle" operation was successfully completed!

The leaders of the blue team and the red team looked at each other, neither of them saying a word. Finally, an elderly leader got so angry that he cursed it as nonsense and stormed off.

Zhong Yuemin finally became famous. After being locked up for a week, he was sent directly to the office of a big shot. The big shot took out his special forces training manual, carefully looked at Zhong Yuemin, and finally smiled and asked Zhong Yuemin to sit down.