Chapter 181: Steel Seventh Company Vs Old A, Head-on Clash!
Shi Jin made a quick judgment based on his personal experience. They had entered the rear heartland of the Blue Army, so a higher alert level than on the periphery was normal.
Low-flying helicopters in this direction were likely just on patrol duty.
They weren’t specifically here to investigate.
Shi Jin’s thinking time was very short, but the helicopter moved very fast. In just a few dozen seconds, the distance had shrunk to less than a kilometer.
“Halt! Immediately find advantageous terrain and commence anti-infrared operations camouflage,” Shi Jin ordered decisively.
Under Shi Jin’s command, the entire squad immediately stopped advancing and operated quickly, soon completing the anti-infrared operations they had practiced until it was ingrained.
They all hid beneath the camouflage cloth, entering a state of the highest level of concealment.
“Beep beep beep…”
The helicopter soon arrived.
Shi Jin’s judgment was timely and accurate. The helicopter was indeed sweeping with its infrared detection. If they hadn’t used the camouflage cloth, they would have all been exposed.
The anti-infrared camouflage cloth developed by Chen Jun was being tested for the first time in a formal exercise.
Although Shi Jin and the others were very nervous, it was their first time encountering a helicopter in a confrontation, and they weren’t sure if it could block the helicopter’s scan.
Not a single person dared to speak, and they even held their breath.
The final effect was surprisingly good!
The helicopter flew over slowly from a distance, and it happened to fly directly over the vanguard squad without noticing the Red Army squad hidden below.
Without even a second’s delay, it proved that no abnormality was detected throughout the process.
Shi Jin, with his personal experience and ability, had successfully resolved a huge crisis, indicating that he was already a qualified platoon leader.
As the sound of the helicopter gradually faded, the tense group finally let out a sigh of relief.
“That was terrifying. Fortunately, the platoon leader reacted quickly.”
“The Blue Army is really nouveau riche, not only using such advanced equipment, but even their patrols are done by helicopters. We almost fell for it.”
“If we weren’t forbidden from exposing ourselves, I would have definitely given it a shot and shown it what an individual missile is.”
“It would be awesome if we had helicopters someday.”
…
Having overcome the crisis, the group was in high spirits and couldn’t help but discuss amongst themselves.
“We walked over thirty kilometers without encountering any helicopter patrols along the way, but one appeared here. What does that signify?”
Shi Jin inferred from his experience, a strong possibility coming to mind, his eyes filled with unconcealed joy as he asked everyone.
“What does it signify?” Gan Xiao Ning asked eagerly.
“It signifies that we are approaching our objective. Only high-value targets like the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters would have helicopters on round-the-clock patrol for vigilance. The Blue Army’s headquarters might be just ahead.”
Shi Jin stated his deduction, immediately igniting the emotions of everyone present.
Victory was within reach…
Wu Liu Yi, Cheng Cai, Gan Xiao Ning, and everyone else’s eyes sparkled with excitement, and the thrill stimulated every cell in their bodies.
The fatigue and exhaustion from continuous travel completely vanished at this moment.
“Let’s go, let’s go, let’s set off quickly.”
Bai Tie Jun, who had been hiding behind, became more eager than anyone. He patted the dust off his pants and dashed forward.
“Let’s go, keep up.”
Shi Jin immediately ordered, and the whole squad followed.
Maintaining the 2+N formation with Wu Liu Yi and Cheng Cai scouting ahead and Shi Jin following with his unit, they continued forward for another half hour.
During this time, they encountered another helicopter patrol, which they again narrowly avoided.
The Blue Army’s high-density helicopter patrols and strict vigilance also put pressure on the vanguard squad, making them act with greater caution.
No matter how eager they were inwardly, they maintained a steady rhythm.
Under this high-alert caution of the entire squad, after another half hour, the vanguard squad discovered a new camp.
This camp was clearly different!
It was now past seven o’clock, and the sun had already set beyond the distant western mountains, and the sky had completely darkened.
The camp before them was not brightly lit, but lights were visible everywhere.
Clearly, there were large power generation facilities.
Through the camp’s lights, it was evident that the camp occupied a very large and flat area, more than double the size of the Red Army’s command post.
About a dozen helicopters were clearly visible, neatly parked on the smooth open ground to the left.
To the right were two rows of tents of various sizes, along with various vehicles, including a significant number of fuel tankers, maintenance support vehicles, and so on.
There were also large numbers of personnel moving back and forth, with a scale of at least a few hundred people.
Some were refueling, some were inspecting, some were loading ammunition…
And so on, performing various tasks!
This shows that the ground support work for helicopters is several times more complex than that for the tanks of the heavy equipment regiment; without enough personnel, it simply wouldn’t function.
At this time, the fighting on the front line was still very fierce, with the Red and Blue sides constantly engaging in various maneuvers.
The Blue Army’s Army Aviation Brigade, as the main attacking force, with various helicopters constantly taking off and landing, was arguably the busiest it had been in the past two days.
Coupled with the possibility that they didn’t expect the Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment to be so strong, and that there were still troops who managed to sneak in here.
Therefore, there were almost no sentries on the perimeter, only a few sentries standing guard at fixed positions, and two mobile sentry patrols.
Wu Liu Yi and Cheng Cai crept to within 50 meters, and the camp was completely unaware.
They were still proceeding methodically, completing the tasks at hand.
The two continued to observe for another ten minutes, gathering basic information about the Blue Army camp, and saw nothing unusual.
Wu Liu Yi left Cheng Cai to continue observing, while he returned the way he came to report to the main force.
After hearing Wu Liu Yi’s detailed report, Shi Jin had a general understanding of the Blue Army camp ahead. Combining this with the known situation of the Blue Army.
He stated with certainty: “The Blue Army camp in front is likely the Blue Army’s Army Aviation Brigade.
However, whether it is the location of the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters is still uncertain. Without personally seeing the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief, we cannot report via radio.
We only have one chance to report, and we cannot afford any mistakes.”
Reporting via radio would reveal their position to the Blue Army. From confirmation of their location to the launch of an attack, it would take at most five minutes.
Even with the vanguard squad’s capabilities, they would not be able to escape pursuit by attack helicopters.
Shi Jin’s caution was very necessary.
However, Wu Liu Yi had a different perspective. From his point of view, he said: “The Blue Army’s helicopters have been flying all afternoon. Under the relentless bombing of so many helicopters, our regiment’s situation must be very dire.
It’s possible our command post is gone, and the confrontation exercise could end at any moment.
We must speed up. The sooner we transmit the intelligence, the greater our chance of victory. Any delay could be too late.”
Wu Liu Yi’s analysis was also correct.
The vanguard squad had been out alone for a day and had never contacted the regiment or company. No one else could contact them.
They had no idea what had happened to the Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment and could only infer based on the current situation.
If the Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment was on the verge of collapse, waiting for the vanguard squad to find the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters, a delay could indeed lead to a major mistake.
“Yes, platoon leader, contact them quickly.”
Huang Tian was also impatient and urged: “The deputy company commander said that if we found the Blue Army’s Army Aviation Brigade camp, we could find the Blue Army’s command post.
And even if we take a step back, even if the Blue Army’s command post isn’t here.
As long as we can take out the Blue Army’s Army Aviation Brigade, leaving the Blue Army without helicopters to operate, our Red Army can immediately gain a significant advantage.”
The Blue Army’s main attack force was currently attack helicopters, and Huang Tian’s perspective was indeed valid.
Each had their own valid points.
Both were right.
Yet, both also had flaws.
“Liu Yi, Huang Tian, what you’re saying both makes sense, but don’t forget, our mission this time is to find the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters, not to destroy the Blue Army’s helicopter camp, no matter how valuable the helicopter camp is.”
Shi Jin was not swayed by the two. He insisted on completing what he was ordered to do, absolutely adhering to the order as his purpose.
Instead of acting based on his own judgment on the battlefield.
“If we want to know if it’s inside, don’t we need to find a way to sneak in?”
Wu Liu Yi said helplessly, continuing to argue: “There are several hundred people in the Blue Army camp. Even if we are wearing Blue Army combat uniforms now, we can’t sneak in.
And if we are discovered, we might not even be able to transmit this intelligence. If that’s the case, it might be better to do something beforehand.”
With hundreds of Blue Army personnel present, even if the vanguard squad were to kill them one by one in an orderly fashion, their bullets would not be enough.
“You can give me the radio. I’ll stay here to guard it. If all of you go in and are lost, I’ll transmit the intelligence back. What do you think… is that acceptable?”
Bai Tie Jun, who had been silent all along, perhaps worried about being assigned a task, stepped forward unusually.
“You really are like a rat, aren’t you? Drifting wherever there’s a hole.”
Wu Liu Yi glared at Bai Tie Jun, seeing through his little scheme at a glance. He truly didn’t want to take any risks.
“I’ll say it again…”
Shi Jin insisted on following orders: “I am the platoon leader, and my word is final. Only when the Blue Army’s Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters is confirmed can we open the radio to report.”
Shi Jin had enough prestige and authority that, with him saying this, no one could openly object.
However, Wu Liu Yi was still unwilling. Since the direct approach didn’t work, he decisively chose an indirect one, changing his approach: “Then, how about this, let’s do as Bai Tie Jun suggested.
Platoon leader, you and the others stay here and wait. I’ll take a few people to sneak in and find the Blue Army’s command post.
If we find the Blue Army’s command post, you’ll contact the company headquarters immediately. If we don’t find it and are exposed, you can still continue the mission.”
“No.”
Shi Jin still refused, explaining: “The Blue Army is not aware of our existence; this is our advantage. Once they realize we’ve infiltrated their rear, it will definitely alarm the Blue Army’s command post.
Even if the Blue Army’s command post is here, as long as they are alerted, they will have enough time to withdraw before we launch an attack.
This place is too far from our main force, and tanks cannot reach here.
The only means we can use to strike is heavy artillery. We must pinpoint their location for the heavy artillery and buy enough time.
The heavy artillery unit already has insufficient reaction time, and if we expose ourselves early, even if we find the command post, the mission is unlikely to succeed.”
Shi Jin’s analysis was very clear. No matter how unwilling Wu Liu Yi was, thinking about the difficulty involved, he could only reluctantly give up.
If even Wu Liu Yi couldn’t change Shi Jin’s mind, others certainly couldn’t.
They could only do as Shi Jin said.
They would continue to hide around this camp and try to observe from the outside without being discovered, to determine if the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters was here.
However, Shi Jin and Wu Liu Yi were so focused on the mission that they forgot a very fatal detail.
The others present also hadn’t thought about this aspect.
That was that the vanguard reconnaissance squad had infiltrated and traveled over thirty kilometers.
Even subtracting the detours they were forced to make, their current position was already more than twenty-five kilometers in a straight line from the battle line between the two sides.
And the heavy artillery of the Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment’s artillery company, even the latest type of mechanized heavy artillery in our army, still had some distance to their maximum range.
The Type 83 152mm self-propelled howitzer has a maximum range of only 17.23 kilometers.
The Type 89 122mm 40-tube tracked rocket launcher, with its standard high-explosive rockets, has a maximum range of only twenty kilometers.
Both were still short!
This meant that even if the vanguard team ultimately confirmed that the Blue Army’s command post was within this camp, the Red Army’s shells would not be able to reach it.
Tanks couldn’t come through the mountainous terrain, and heavy artillery didn’t have that range.
Everything would be in vain!
It’s no wonder that the Blue Army’s Army Aviation Brigade camp had no senior A-team members assigned and not many ground sentries, with relatively lax defenses.
It turned out the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters had calculated this long ago.
Not only had they identified all of the Red Army’s loopholes, but they had also precisely calculated the Red Army’s weapons and equipment.
Even if they didn’t fear the unlikely but feared the extreme, if a truly formidable Red Army squad infiltrated, they would be unable to do anything due to equipment limitations.
Technological superiority, equipment superiority, information superiority…
The Blue Army was virtually invincible!
Unless someone was cheating in this exercise, even if the most formidable troops in China were brought in, under the current overwhelming advantage of the Blue Army, they would only be dominated by the Blue Army.
It’s no wonder that the previous four heavy armored units were the main aces of their respective units, with combat effectiveness that, if not extremely strong, was at least first-tier domestically.
In the end, they were all utterly defeated by the Blue Army.
Fortunately, in this world, nothing is absolute.
The Seventh Hundred and Second Regiment happened to have someone who was cheating, giving this confrontation, which was originally impossible to have miracles, a sliver of possibility for a miracle.
…
Time returned to three hours ago.
Chen Jun personally led the five squads of the Steel Seventh Company into the Blue Army’s war zone with great fanfare, heading directly towards the Blue Army’s rear.
However, the mountain roads were still quite difficult to travel, and Chen Jun had another purpose for coming.
The true purpose of this trip—
It was to scout the path!
Not reconnaissance scouting, but true pathfinding.
Others hadn’t thought about artillery matters. Everyone, including Regiment Commander Wang and the Chief of Staff, thought that once the Steel Seventh Company’s vanguard squad found the Blue Army’s command post, they would unleash a barrage of heavy artillery to smash it to pieces.
They all believed that the twenty-kilometer range of the heavy artillery would surely cover the Blue Army’s command post.
Only Chen Jun felt it was not entirely reliable. Television dramas and his past dealings with Yuan Lang and Tie Lu told him things were not that simple.
Using heavy artillery to strike the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters was the Red Army’s only accessible means.
Everyone in the Red Army knew this.
The Blue Army couldn’t possibly not know, and couldn’t possibly leave such a huge loophole.
Details determine success or failure.
This was Chen Jun’s most devout tenet!
Therefore, without knowing the exact location of the Blue Army Commander-in-Chief’s headquarters,
Chen Jun decided to consider the worst-case scenario: the Blue Army would specifically target the Red Army’s heavy artillery range, clearing a path for the Red Army’s heavy artillery unit in advance.
While clearing the path, they would also “deceive the heavens to cross the sea,” reducing the pressure on the vanguard squad and other Red Army companies.
However, because it was his personal deduction with no basis, Chen Jun did not reveal his true intentions.
Externally, he only stated that they were carrying out the “Deceive the Heavens to Cross the Sea” plan, specifically to engage the Blue Army’s ground forces.
To find a passable road for the artillery unit, Chen Jun arranged the five squads in a line formation, with two hundred meters between each squad.
By advancing abreast to widen the search area, they collected information on all the terrain conditions along the way.
To make the exercise more realistic, the directing staff provided both sides with very vague military terrain maps, showing only approximate locations.
Specific, minute terrain details had to be personally investigated by personnel deep within enemy territory.
Advancing in such a search formation meant the pace was naturally not fast. In over two hours, they had only advanced about five kilometers.
Fortunately, Chen Jun didn’t need to penetrate deep into the hinterland, and the speed of advance didn’t affect his plan.
It was around 3 PM.
Qi Huan, who had received two squads of senior A-team members from Yuan Lang and was confident he could annihilate the Red Army, found the Steel Seventh Company’s location.
Relying on their intelligence advantage, he launched an ambush on the Seventh Squad of the Steel Seventh Company first.
The strength of the senior A-team was indeed formidable. In one exchange, they eliminated four members of the Seventh Squad.
Fortunately, the squads were spread out. The Seventh Squad was spread over tens of meters, so even with Qi Huan’s excellent marksmanship and tactics, he couldn’t cover such a wide area.
The trees in the forest provided significant cover. No matter how skilled the senior A-team was, they couldn’t escape the laws of physics.
The Seventh Squad, originally infantry transferred from artillery, was not their strong suit in direct confrontation, especially when ambushed by the senior A-team.
When attacked, they could only immediately seek cover.
They couldn’t even show their heads to counterattack and immediately used their walkie-talkies to call for help, which was the best survival method in the current situation.
“Steel Factory, this is Seven Squad, we are under attack, enemy firepower is too strong, request reinforcement, repeat, request reinforcement.”
The Seventh Squad leader’s call reached Chen Jun. Even without the call, the gunshots were clearly audible.
Chen Jun was in the middle of the formation, about two hundred meters away.
“Steel Factory received, we’ve been waiting for them.”
While other company commanders feared the Blue Army’s senior A-team, Chen Jun was not afraid of them. As a special forces instructor for many years, he understood the weaknesses of special forces soldiers.
No matter how strong their individual skills, firepower is ultimately the key.
In response to the characteristics of these special forces soldiers, Chen Jun immediately issued a series of targeted orders.
“Eighth Squad, Ninth Squad, you will feint attack the enemy from the left and right flanks, respectively. Prioritize survival, and your main mission is to tie them down.”
“Fifth Squad, you will provide support to Seventh Squad from the front. Bomb them hard with rocket launchers.”
“Fourth Squad, you will come with me.”
Chen Jun issued four orders in one go, and the five squads immediately moved according to his command, surrounding the Blue Army’s direction.
The Red Army operated under a classic large-scale corps combat model, emphasizing encirclement bombing through numerical and firepower superiority.
In contrast, the Blue Army’s senior A-team operated under a special forces model, primarily cooperating in small squad formations.
Their positions were relatively close, not widely dispersed.
Qi Huan led his team over and was the first to discover the Red Army. He launched a surprise attack, eliminating four people in the first encounter, which greatly boosted his confidence.
He thought this Red Army he encountered was like the Red Armies he had encountered before.
They were all paper tigers, easily defeated.
He suppressed the encountered Red Army to the point where they couldn’t even lift their heads, let alone dare to fire. Qi Huan decided to finish quickly and eliminate the Red Army before him.
He stationed a sniper in the rear and sent assault soldiers to push forward.
To eliminate the hiding Red Army one by one.
Three assault teams, each paired with two senior A-team members, then advanced under the suppressive fire and cover of their teammates, using trees as cover.
The first half of the advance went very smoothly, with no threat at all.
It was just that the Red Army they encountered was too defensive; they were the most fear-of-death, most tortoise-like Red Army unit they had encountered in all their exercises.
Despite their threatening advance, not a single one of them showed their head to fire.
Let alone their heads, even their toes were less visible.
