Chapter 34: Meet
While crawling downward, Chang Ning was thinking about how to escape.
At least a dozen people were surrounding the base of the tree, making it far from easy to escape under such encirclement.
When Chang Ning came down from the tree, a non-commissioned officer stepped out from the crowd and looked him up and down.
“You’re the Red Team scout who annihilated our two search teams? You don’t look like you have three heads and six arms.”
“Hehe, just luck, just luck.”
Chang Ning imitated Chen Xiwa’s expression with a full-faced silly grin.
Seeing Chang Ning looking so silly, the search team members found it hard to accept for a moment that their people had been taken out by a scout who seemed somewhat honest and simple.
The more he thought about it, the more stifled he felt; the non-commissioned officer was extremely uncomfortable inside.
“Stretch out your hands!”
That non-commissioned officer pulled out a bundle of nylon rope about thumb-thick and stepped forward to tie Chang Ning’s hands.
“Okay.”
Chang Ning obediently stretched out both hands, looking docile as if ready to be picked.
Seeing that Chang Ning was fairly obedient, the squad leader who was about to tie him had a slightly less unpleasant expression.
At the same time, he was wondering if he was being a bit excessive; after all, the guy was still just a new recruit, and even though he was strong, they couldn’t blame him for it—it was their own lack of strength.
The non-commissioned officer’s changing expression was all seen by Chang Ning. Seeing that the squad leader’s vigilance toward him had greatly decreased, he felt that the timing for his escape had arrived.
“Squad Leader, is that Second Lieutenant over there your leader?”
Chang Ning’s words made everyone subconsciously turn to look, while they also wondered inside: their superior’s military rank wasn’t Second Lieutenant either.
Opportunity!
The moment the search team turned their heads, Chang Ning moved.
His speed was extremely fast; he quickly approached the squad leader and snatched the rope from his hand. Because his vigilance had declined, the squad leader wasn’t gripping the rope tightly, so Chang Ning easily grabbed it and in turn tied up the squad leader.
“What!”
The non-commissioned officer felt the change in his hand, but how could Chang Ning give him a chance to react? He clamped his neck with one hand and hid completely behind the non-commissioned officer to avoid being shot.
The search team had made another mistake: they hadn’t immediately confiscated Chang Ning’s equipment, which cost them dearly.
The soldiers were hesitant, reluctant to harm their own squad leader in Chang Ning’s hands. That moment of hesitation sealed their fate.
Chang Ning wouldn’t hesitate; with his other hand gripping the 95-style rifle, he unleashed a barrage of fire at them.
Single-handedly controlling the rifle was still quite taxing for Chang Ning now, but no matter— the distance between them was very close, and the upward tilt of the muzzle during firing had little impact.
These people hadn’t encountered Chang Ning before and weren’t familiar with him. Chen Xiwa-style silly grin was too deceptive; the group, having relaxed their vigilance, was taken out by Chang Ning.
“Squad Leader, sorry about this. You all stay here for a bit; someone will probably come to untie you soon.
And those eliminated, please follow the exercise rules.”
Chang Ning’s words made the warriors, who had been itching to move after being eliminated by him, settle down obediently. Leaving aside whether they could beat Chang Ning, once they acted, they’d violate the exercise rules, and the higher-ups would punish them.
No one wanted a disciplinary action; it would be a stain on their future military career, unless they didn’t want to stay in the military.
“Kid, you’ve got some skills.”
The tied non-commissioned officer didn’t show much anger on his face, just looking at Chang Ning curiously, wondering where this freak had come from.
“Just luck.”
With that, Chang Ning continued on his way; he wasn’t going to waste time here. What if this seemingly easygoing squad leader was just stalling for time, and reinforcements arrived, leaving him unable to escape?
Chang Ning wasn’t the only one causing trouble; Xiao Zhuang also stirred things up at the field hospital when he met Xiao Ying. Du Feifei’s influence was huge; with just a few words, she sorted out the radio, giving Chen Guotao a chance to report his situation back to the Red Team’s frontline command post.
This was discovered by Gao Zhong Dui, who had been monitoring the Blue Team radio ahead of time.
Gao Zhong Dui had long guessed that those three fish who slipped the net, without a radio, would find a way to get one of their Blue Team radios. This was like waiting by the stump for the rabbit; compared to the Red Team radio, monitoring their own team’s radio required no difficulty.
Thus, Xiao Zhuang and Chen Guotao were exposed right under Gao Zhong Dui’s nose.
If it weren’t for the female soldiers in the field hospital covering for them, Xiao Zhuang and Chen Guotao would have been caught by Gao Zhong Dui long ago.
“Report the situation here to the Operations Department; the field hospital is neutral, but now they’ve violated the rules!”
Watching the two fish who slipped the net slip away right under his nose, Gao Zhong Dui had no other choice but to report it, since he had no evidence or catch.
“What now?”
Gray Wolf Mada asked.
Gao Zhong Dui jumped onto the off-road vehicle, his face grim as if dripping water: “No choice; we can only comb the mountains now.
Depart!”
The convoy kicked up dust as they set off.
Time passed minute by minute; in the blink of an eye, it was noon, and the Blue Team combat readiness refueling station was having lunch.
Logistics soldiers gathered laughing around the field kitchen vehicle, waiting to eat.
The guard squad soldiers had also relaxed their vigilance; this was the Blue Team’s heartland—what was there to worry about? They hummed songs, rifles in hand, wandering casually around the camp.
“This camp is way too relaxed.”
From the grass outside the camp, Chang Ning observed the situation inside through the telescopic sight on his sniper rifle.
Though this was just a combat readiness refueling station, right beside it was the Blue Team’s missile unit, which was also Chang Ning’s destination.
Seeing the camp peaceful and calm, Chang Ning knew he had arrived early.
‘That’s fine too; better than being late.’
Chang Ning planned to team up with Xiao Zhuang and Chen Pai to wreak havoc on the Blue Team; his appetite was huge, not satisfied with just one missile unit.
“Chen Pai, this is the Blue Team’s logistics supply place ahead—where are the missile vehicles?”
Xiao Zhuang stood up to observe, then quickly crouched down again.
“The missile unit is in the vicinity of the combat readiness refueling station; look to the east.”
Chen Guotao handed the binoculars in his hand to Xiao Zhuang.
“It really is!”
Following Chen Guotao’s direction, Xiao Zhuang spotted their target.
There’s movement!
Hearing footsteps behind him, Chang Ning quietly swung the gun muzzle toward the sound and prepared to fire. If the number of people coming wasn’t too many, he was confident he could take them down.
“Who’s there!”
Chang Ning slowly moved his body, stirring the surrounding weeds. With no wind blowing, the grass moved—clearly suspicious.
‘This voice sounds like Xiao Zhuang?’
Chang Ning aimed the gun muzzle at the source of the sound and stood up. Looking closely, the other’s armband was in the style of their Night Tiger reconnaissance soldiers.
“Xiao Zhuang?”
Chang Ning lowered the gun muzzle and asked.
“Chang Ning? I thought you’d been caught long ago.”
Xiao Zhuang was clearly a bit excited.
To run into his fellow soldier from the same year behind enemy lines, and one he had a good relationship with, really excited Xiao Zhuang.
