Chapter 138: The Recon Battalion’s Grievances!!
The division’s Logistics Department prepared very ample supplies, using over a thousand square meters of area to build the supply area, with food, drinks, and everything else fully stocked.
And when Chen Jun brought Steel Seventh Company over, he found the supply area very strange.
Not a single person from Blue Army Reconnaissance Battalion was there…
Only on the open ground to the right of the supply area were about one company’s worth of people and vehicles resting, identifiable as a company from Division Reconnaissance Battalion by their armbands and uniforms.
Division Reconnaissance Battalion had a total of three reconnaissance companies, yet only one company remained here.
And none of them had collected supplies from the supply area.
It was indeed very strange.
The accompanying Li Officer, who was responsible for guiding them and worthy of being a first lieutenant who could mix in at division level, had sharp enough eyes and observed carefully enough.
Seeing the confusion in Chen Jun and the others’ eyes, he specially explained the reason to Chen Jun.
Because Division Reconnaissance Battalion’s three companies had to enter separately, and two of the companies’ entry points were relatively far, over forty kilometers from here.
If they all uniformly collected supplies here, it would inevitably affect the normal conduct of the exercise.
So the confrontation command post had made a special adjustment, allowing Division Reconnaissance Battalion to collect supplies first without affecting the fairness of the confrontation.
Then having one of Reconnaissance Battalion’s companies, specifically First Company and Second Company, head first to the other two entry points.
Leaving only Reconnaissance Third Company here.
But even the Reconnaissance Third Company left alone, their behavior on the periphery of the supply area gave Steel Seventh Company everyone a very bad impression.
The leading Chen Jun furrowed his brows.
Warriors like the more straightforward Wu Liu Yi had even stronger dissatisfaction surging in their eyes.
Because when Chen Jun brought Steel Seventh Company over, Reconnaissance Third Company’s officers and soldiers looked at Steel Seventh Company everyone up and down with gazes like they were looking at monkeys, and even discussed in a mocking tone.
“Just this? A grassroots company? I say, does it really require our whole battalion?”
“Can they even run out? If we make such a big fuss and they can’t hold out for two hours, it’ll really become a joke.”
“I thought it was some awesome company, turns out it’s a reconnaissance company from below in the regiment. Once confrontation starts, we won’t hang them up and beat them.”
“Actually, no need for the whole battalion, just our Third Company can handle them.”
“I know that leading first lieutenant, he got a bit of spotlight in the mid-year grand competition, he does have some strength, stole our first place.”
“Now that you mention it, I remember, I’ve long wanted to settle the score, didn’t expect it, really didn’t expect, the opportunity came so fast. Wait till confrontation starts, watch me play them to death.”
…
Reconnaissance Battalion Third Company’s warriors discussed animatedly, not even keeping their voices down, deliberately speaking loudly just so Steel Seventh Company could hear.
Completely without the attitude that an exercise is for mutual progress, requiring sufficient respect for the opponent.
Steel Seventh Company was openly despised right to their faces, not treated as opponents at all, even mocked and teased, with undisguised arrogance.
No matter who was in this situation, their mood would inevitably be very unpleasant.
Steel Seventh Company not cursing back on the spot was already restrained enough.
But this grudge…
Was tied very solidly!
And Reconnaissance Battalion’s reason for being so hostile to Steel Seventh Company, with gunpowder flavor thick before confrontation even started, acting like they wanted to swallow Steel Seventh Company alive.
Having lost badly in the mid-year grand competition, losing face and feeling upset inside, certainly accounted for a large part.
But this wasn’t the main reason.
The main reason came from that arrogance!
Reconnaissance Battalion gathered the division’s elites; you couldn’t get in without being an expert.
This made everyone up and down Reconnaissance Battalion proud, feeling Reconnaissance Battalion was the division’s most excellent unit, an independently special existence.
Deep down feeling superior, not putting other company and battalion units in their eyes.
Self-proclaimed invincible at company and battalion level!
Even challenging a step up to an infantry regiment, they had a certain chance of victory.
Never thought any grassroots company would qualify to confront their reconnaissance company.
Even less thought that one day, the division commander would turn heavenly dipper upside down, making their entire Reconnaissance Battalion mobilize just to confront a grassroots company.
In Division Reconnaissance Battalion people’s eyes, it was no less than as a proper provincial team being sent to compete with a village team.
Utterly too outrageous!!
Really unable to accept this humiliation!!
Having Reconnaissance Battalion send out one reconnaissance company to challenge some main force battalion or even main force regiment below in the regiment, that was what they saw as proper.
Not having the division’s most excellent Reconnaissance Battalion lower themselves to play confrontation with a grassroots company.
Winning wouldn’t be glorious, losing would be utterly humiliating.
Equal to wasting time!
It was this psychological non-acceptance, feeling confronting an opponent with such a strength gap was a very humiliating thing.
Making all officers and soldiers up and down Division Reconnaissance Battalion have big opinions about this confrontation exercise.
Even the battalion commander personally went to find the division commander, believing Reconnaissance Battalion couldn’t possibly lose to Steel Seventh Company, the gap between both sides too big.
No suspense at all, completely unable to arouse his fighting enthusiasm.
Confidently boasting that a mere grassroots company, just sending any one reconnaissance company from Reconnaissance Battalion would suffice to easily handle Steel Seventh Company.
No need to make a fuss!
To increase the confrontation’s value and spectacle, restoring battlefield reality as much as possible, the division commander didn’t mention Steel Seventh Company’s battle record in their first confrontation.
Only saying this was the division’s arranged baseline assessment, for Reconnaissance Battalion to execute per orders.
Division Reconnaissance Battalion Commander being able to face the division commander directly was already the battalion commander’s greatest privilege; he definitely wouldn’t dare defy the division commander’s orders.
Thus even if unwilling deep down, he could only execute per division orders.
Reconnaissance Battalion up and down originally unwilling, with strong resistance to this confrontation exercise, naturally wouldn’t give Steel Seventh Company any good looks.
Even standing from Division Reconnaissance Battalion’s angle, arranging such a “poor” opponent was looking down on Reconnaissance Battalion, wasting their time and energy, their unhappiness completely understandable.
However, whether subjective or objective, these were Reconnaissance Battalion’s own matters.
Steel Seventh Company itself had no issue!
Since Division Reconnaissance Battalion first broke exercise principles—friendship first, competition second—then Steel Seventh Company absolutely wasn’t a soft persimmon to pinch.
Hearing the noisy talk from Division Reconnaissance Third Company, Steel Seventh Company warriors all had a fire surging in their hearts.
Morale like ignited gasoline.
Rising sharply, straight to the clouds.
You look down on our Steel Seventh Company, right? Then our Steel Seventh Company will on the confrontation exercise field use strength to ruthlessly teach you how to be human.
In this atmosphere of pent-up fire, Steel Seventh Company each section went to every collection point, orderly collecting various confrontation supplies.
From individuals’ compressed rations, canned food, blank ammunition, and laser simulators, etc.;
To vehicles’ diesel fuel and urea, mortars’ 100mm training rounds, infantry fighting vehicles’ 30mm grenades, and so on.
Collecting all various supplies took a full hour, still quite tight.
Regiment confrontation didn’t use laser simulators, exercise participants didn’t carry smoke grenades etc., this time division confrontation arranged all of them.
Representing an elevation in military exercise level!
New recruits like Cheng Cai and Xu Sanduo, first time contacting them wouldn’t know how to use, still needed on-site teaching, making time even tighter.
Ultimately Steel Seventh Company almost on the dot, in the last minute completing assembly at the starting point.
The division commander who hadn’t appeared from start to finish, at this moment appeared at the starting point accompanied by the chief of staff, saying a few words before the start.
Though the division commander said not much, it exceptionally invigorated all of Steel Seventh Company.
Even Regiment Commander Wang’s breathing quickened a bit.
It turned out the division commander, in front of all Steel Seventh Company everyone, solemnly announced that if Steel Seventh Company could win the confrontation, the division would recognize Steel Seventh Company’s combined arms reorganization.
And in the shortest time, implement Steel Seventh Company’s new combined arms establishment.
Equal to officializing as Reconnaissance Combined Arms Company!
However.
What surprised Chen Jun and Gao Cheng very much was, the division commander didn’t say what if they lost, didn’t even mention disposition if lost.
The division commander definitely didn’t forget to say it, could only be intentionally leaving this suspense.
As for why the division commander left this suspense, exactly what plans in mind, no one present could guess through.
Also no time to guess.
Because the division commander’s speech had just ended when he personally issued the start order.
“Exercise begins!”
With the division commander’s this order, the one-hour countdown had already started; every second gained in early departure could widen the gap with Reconnaissance Third Company by several meters.
“Whole company mount vehicles.”
Gao Cheng issued the mounting order, each squad’s squad leaders quickly relayed the order, leading First Squad’s warriors to mount each squad’s armored vehicles at fastest speed.
The three platoon leaders each had their own arrangements, boarding a vehicle specified for their platoon.
For example, Chen Jun boarded Third Squad’s vehicle.
Representing Steel Seventh Company’s highest command, Gao Cheng, took the political instructor and the communicator carrying the radio, boarding a 212 military vehicle driven by the clerk.
“Report company commander, First Platoon mounting complete.”
“Report company commander, Second Platoon mounting complete.”
“Report company commander, Third Platoon mounting complete.”
The three platoon leaders via vehicle-mounted communications successively reported to company commander Gao Cheng; Gao Cheng picked up the microphone, took a deep breath and arranged: “First Platoon in front, Third Platoon in rear, command vehicle in middle, depart!”
Each platoon receiving Gao Cheng’s order, immediately quickly relayed to each squad.
“Vroom vroom vroom…”
Diesel engines roared intensely one after another, plumes of black thick smoke shot to the sky.
Steel Seventh Company’s ten vehicles floored the throttle, forming an unstoppable steel torrent, facing the rising sun, speeding toward the distance.
By the time Steel Seventh Company’s convoy front foot left, rear foot Reconnaissance Third Company’s convoy drove over.
Neatly stopping at the starting point, just like hounds tied by a rope, already eyeing the prey ahead, just waiting for the moment the rope is released.
“Division commander, the good show has gong rung and opened, let’s go to command center, wait to see Steel Seventh Company’s performance.”
The chief of staff full of anticipation, gestured for the division commander to go first.
“Whether donkey or horse, the answer is about to be revealed, really makes one anticipate.”
The usually stern-faced division commander, rarely had his mouth corners raise, then strode big steps straight to the command center.
