Chapter 301: We Are The Champions! Record-breaking Champions!
If their mindset was like that of the Europe and America national teams, unwilling to risk their lives for national honor, then the best choice would definitely be to forfeit.
Or flee in one of the other two directions, only to be chased and captured by the imaginary enemy.
Achieving “doing one’s utmost in benevolence and righteousness.”
However, Chen Jun represented Chinese soldiers going into battle for the country, having long placed his life after the mission, willing to give up everything for the nation’s honor.
Even if the path ahead was a swamp of imminent death, it could not stop the Chinese soldiers’ pursuit of honor.
“This is the only way out. To win the championship, we must charge through. Chinese soldiers absolutely cannot become ‘prisoners,’ even if it means death, we have no fear.”
Chen Jun did not issue orders to the other three, because this path really could lead to death; he left the choice to them.
With that, he took the lead into the swamp, probing the way with only the over one-meter-long wooden stick in his hand, determined to cross this swamp.
Cheng Cai, Wu Liu Yi, and Xu Sanduo said nothing; their actions represented their decision.
They closely followed Chen Jun into the swamp!
In this swamp where the water was nearly knee-deep, every step forward could bring death, yet Chen Jun and his three companions walked with exceptional determination.
With the momentum of charging toward death, their eyes held only resolve and courage.
The imaginary enemy force, which had intended to deliver a heavy blow to China Team One at this special crossroads, arrived only to find that China Team One had already advanced over a hundred meters into the swamp.
The imaginary enemy troops lacked the courage of the Chinese team; they knew it was dangerous inside and fundamentally dared not pursue.
Even the commander did not dare to order it!
They could only stand at the edge of the swamp, their eyes filled with seven parts admiration and three parts reluctance, watching helplessly as the Chinese team gradually moved away.
However.
Although they failed to capture China Team One and deduct points from them, the imaginary enemy commander smiled and let out a heavy sigh of relief.
Because his goal of keeping the championship in Europe had, at this moment, been achieved.
In the imaginary enemy commander’s view…
With the Chinese team members carrying over 30 kilograms of weaponry and equipment into this peril-filled swamp, it was tantamount to a death sentence. Even if they had three heads and six arms, they could not escape from inside.
As long as the Chinese team all died in the swamp, China Team One would be unable to complete this subject, and it would be scored zero points.
Without an entire subject’s points, China Team One could not take the championship.
Thus, even though the imaginary enemy commander admired China Team One—each a hero willing to face death without flinching, their deaths here truly too regrettable—
From a personal perspective, he was quite willing to accept this outcome.
So he smiled!
Smiling for preserving the championship.
Then, the imaginary enemy commander did not know that there existed things in this world called luck, and something called unwavering will that could conquer all.
And when these two things combined, they would give birth to a magical thing.
Named “miracle”!
Under Chen Jun’s lead, the Chinese team entering this swamp was indeed fraught with danger; they had barely walked less than three hundred meters when they encountered a fatal peril.
Chen Jun, responsible for probing ahead, was fine, but Xu Sanduo, walking third, encountered trouble first.
The accumulated water in the swamp was too deep, and the rain had stirred it into extreme turbidity, making it impossible to see what lay beneath the water.
Xu Sanduo unluckily stepped on a broken log, which rolled in the water, causing his body to lose balance.
To steady his unbalanced body, Xu Sanduo instinctively took two steps to the side, but in just those two steps, he suddenly sank.
Just like stepping on the edge of a pond and tumbling headfirst into the water.
In that instant
Totaling perhaps less than three seconds.
Xu Sanduo’s entire lower body sank, leaving only the upper half above his abdomen above water; the speed of sinking left onlookers dumbfounded.
Fortunately, Xu Sanduo’s reaction speed was fast enough; before falling, he grabbed Wu Liu Yi’s clothes with a backhand.
Wu Liu Yi’s physical fitness was also strong enough that he was not pulled down by Xu Sanduo, providing Xu Sanduo support so he did not completely fall out.
Otherwise, if he had fallen one or two meters away, even immortals could not save him.
Falling one or two meters into a swamp pit made it hard for those nearby to rescue; this son of the plane, Xu Sanduo, would absolutely perish here.
Precisely because of Xu Sanduo’s reaction speed, it gave Chen Jun and Cheng Cai time to come assist.
The three worked together to pull Xu Sanduo out, finally resolving the immediate crisis, but it made Chen Jun even more aware of the danger.
To maximize passage through the swamp and preserve everyone’s lives to the greatest extent.
Chen Jun made a decisive decision.
“Brothers, we are soldiers of Steel Seventh Company; wherever we go, we must be the strongest. Our current predicament is immense; only by breaking the cauldrons and sinking the boats.”
Chen Jun removed his backpack and took out the climbing rope, tying it around himself while saying: “Come on, I’ll lead first. We’ll all tie together.
Either we all die here, or we all live and return triumphantly with honor.”
Cheng Cai, Xu Sanduo, and Wu Liu Yi also knew that the danger they faced now could only be overcome by uniting as one to create a miracle.
The four tying together into one was indeed the only answer at present.
This way, no matter who fell into the swamp, the other three tied together could pull them out at any time, avoiding being caught off guard by accidents.
The benefits were obvious, and the drawbacks equally so.
If two or three people fell at the same time, no one could survive from here; all would be dragged down together.
Either all live and walk out, or all leave their lives here.
Faced with this clear choice, Cheng Cai, Xu Sanduo, and Wu Liu Yi showed no hesitation and immediately tied the ropes around their waists.
In no time.
Connected by finger-thick ropes, China Team One became a unified whole sharing life and death, challenging the devilish swamp once more.
The “rope-linked people” approach was indeed effective.
In the subsequent journey, all four of Chen Jun’s group successively fell into pits, but fortunately tied together, they escaped each peril without danger.
Even when two fell at once during the process, they were pulled out by the other two.
It just took considerable effort.
After nearly four days and three nights of competition, with total sleep not exceeding three hours, Chen Jun and the three others’ bodies were already nearing their limits.
If not for their iron wills and being top-tier military elites selected from hundreds of thousands.
Advancing 150 kilometers in four days and three nights, enduring various harsh conditions in the primitive jungle, they would likely have long collapsed into exhaustion.
After the incident of two falling into the swamp simultaneously, Chen Jun and the group had truly reached their limits.
The kind where the mind was foggy, feeling that closing eyes for over two seconds could lead to instant sleep.
The further they went, the more laborious and uncomfortable it became.
In such extreme torment, the mind even instinctively produced thoughts of despair and failure for self-protection.
Wanting Chen Jun and the four to give up, call for rescue and leave this place, even if eliminated, rather than die.
But the next second the thoughts arose.
They were immediately extinguished.
Whether Captain Chen Jun or the three team members like Cheng Cai, as soon as they thought that their individual actions now related to the Chinese Delegation’s victory or defeat, and to the honor of the motherland’s soldiers.
Negative thoughts of evading the enemy vanished instantly, transforming into forward-charging positive action.
Each mind held only one thought—
That was to continuously encourage themselves with “just hold on a bit longer, just a bit, victory is right ahead,” stimulating and exploiting every ounce of strength in their bodies, pushing to advance even one more meter.
Relying on this self-hypnosis to recover stamina, with will that never bowed to difficulty.
Oddly enough.
Despite appearing to have reached bodily limits, on the verge of collapse, China Team One stubbornly refused to fall, persevering forward.
Though the speed was not fast, they did not stop.
Step by step, staggering every ten steps, with persistent determination, they kept advancing and ultimately crossed this death swamp.
China Team One succeeded!
The imaginary enemy commander panicked!
Seeing China Team One appear at the swamp’s edge, his previous notion of them being annihilated inside was utterly shattered at this moment.
With the championship about to be taken by China Team One, the imaginary enemy commander truly lost his composure.
He wanted to gather nearby imaginary enemy forces to block China Team One before the final kilometer, but realized it was completely too late to mobilize troops now.
The imaginary enemy commander had assumed China Team One was doomed, so he made no subsequent arrangements.
Temporary mobilization now lacked the time.
Overconfidence doomed him!
The imaginary enemy commander could only sit in the command post, watching via helicopter footage as China Team One burst out of the swamp.
Then, at a speed that left onlookers dumbfounded, they charged in one breath to the final competition line.
At this point.
China Team One’s competition ended.
Many teams were already resting on the training ground, including the four from China Team Two who did not set out.
After four days and three nights of continuous travel without rest, the exhausted contestants lay on the ground, immediately removing their shoes first.
The issued leather boots were hard and thick, providing excellent foot protection.
However, after such long-distance continuous marching, the feet of contestants from all other Europe and America national teams were gruesomely blistered.
Water blisters and blood blisters covered the soles, some even fused with socks.
It must be said.
Contestants who persisted to complete this were indeed extraordinary in willpower; Europe and America contestants were no worse than Chinese ones.
But when the Chinese team removed their shoes to relax, the surrounding Europe and America national teams were shocked.
They could not believe…
Whether China Team Two or China Team One, all contestants’ feet surprisingly had no blisters; aside from some whitening from prolonged water exposure, there were no injuries.
“How did the Chinese team do it? Are Chinese people’s feet made of iron?”
Europe and America national team contestants could not figure it out; everyone was human, so why after running such a long distance did your feet remain uninjured.
Even the event referees were incredulous.
Fierce results in various subjects aside, their bodily endurance far surpassed Europe and America national teams, which was really excessive.
The event organizing committee chairman even praised: “Chinese soldiers not only have steel wills, but also steel bodies.”
Chen Jun and the other Chinese contestants, hearing everyone’s evaluation of them, had their corners of mouths lift, not finding it particularly surprising.
Because this seemingly miraculous phenomenon was actually the result of their hardworking training.
If speaking of air force or navy, China truly dared not boast, but regarding army, China absolutely stood at the pyramid’s apex.
As special forces soldiers of the world’s strongest army, their running volume was incomparable to Europe and America nations.
When you conduct long-distance cross-country daily, weekly distances exceeding 100 kilometers, sustained over years.
You would, like the Chinese team special forces soldiers, possess a pair of indestructible iron feet.
…
The Chinese team, as a powerful dark horse, struck with prestige, morale, and the image of Chinese soldiers in this international competition.
Winning respect from contestants of various countries and high praise from the organizers.
This moment.
The Chinese team’s overseas mission was accomplished, absolutely a complete victory.
But the Chinese team’s highlight moment had not yet arrived, for this high-level international special forces soldier competition’s final results had not been announced.
When the time reached just past ten in the morning.
With remaining teams from other countries arriving successively, the international special forces soldier competition fully concluded, entering the crucial results tally.
The final first, second, and third place winners would be announced four hours later.
…
That afternoon at two o’clock.
The exciting award ceremony formally began on the large parade ground of the main camp.
Of the twelve countries’ twenty-four participating teams in this competition, only thirteen teams from seven countries still stood on the field.
The remaining eleven teams from six countries, having failed to complete the match midway by withdrawing or being eliminated, had no qualification to stand on the field and enjoy this sacred moment.
Estonia’s Defense Minister Juri Luik personally hosted this award ceremony.
First was the results announcement segment!
The Chinese main and deputy teams together secured first place in sixteen of the nineteen competition subjects, setting a new record since the competition’s founding.
With an indisputable absolute advantage, they claimed the championship of the fourth Arnal Assault International Special Forces Soldier Competition.
When the broadcast announced the Chinese team as champions, the contestants Chen Jun, Wu Liu Yi, Cheng Cai, Xu Sanduo, Qi Huan, Wu Zhe, Tuo Yonggang, and Ba Te Er, even substitutes Ran Feng and Chen Xiaopan.
Under the stimulation of intense pride, excitement, and joy, could not help but feel their noses sour, hot tears flowing from their eyes.
“We won the championship, brought glory to the country, did not fail the motherland’s expectations, haha.”
As the Chinese Delegation’s regiment commander, Li Dayong was equally teary-eyed at this moment, fists clenched tightly, grinning like a fool.
First time participating in an international special forces soldier competition, and they took the championship trophy.
This was not just awesome.
It was fucking too awesome!
After announcing each team’s results, next came the uplifting award ceremony, with the Chinese team equally the most dazzling presence.
Defense Minister Juri Luik, conquered by the Chinese team’s strength, shook hands one by one with the Chinese team members with eyes of appreciation and admiration.
Then began awarding the Chinese team.
Three in total.
First, to the entire Chinese Delegation, presenting the championship trophy symbolizing supreme honor.
Chinese Delegation regiment commander Li Dayong accepted the championship trophy as China’s representative, and each team member received a small souvenir.
A smaller version of the championship trophy, engraved with gold English—
1998 Fourth Arnal Assault International Special Forces Soldier Competition Champions!
Next, to the entire Chinese participating team, awarding the “Best Foreign Participating Team Award,” praising the Chinese participating team’s excellent performance.
Finally, to the eight contestants, presenting individual honor medals—
“Kalev Warrior Award”!
This was the highest honor only for contestants who passed this devilish competition and could stand on the podium at the end.
Recognition of the individual contestant, and personal honor belonging to the contestant.
And when the Chinese team took all three awards at once, each holding medals and trophies, the audience spontaneously erupted in prolonged applause.
The applause at this moment.
Gained different meaning due to the shining Chinese participating team.
This was not only a display of the people’s army glorious tradition and excellent combat style in the new era, but also a promotion of the iron army spirit under international competition conditions.
