Chapter 140: I’ll Wipe You Out In One Minute
The various division commanders in the confrontation command center were shocked by Steel Seventh Company’s inverted Heavenly Dipper maneuver. After a brief silence, there was a surge of discussions like a tidal wave.
“Red Army Seventh Company is too reckless. When fighting with fewer against more, one should strike while maneuvering—this is common sense in military strategy. How can they take such a huge risk for one wave of benefit.”
“I heard this Red Army company is undergoing synthesized modification—our group’s first one. But combined arms tactics… aren’t played like this, right.”
“Indeed too adventurous. One misstep leads to eternal regret. The originally planned three-day exercise might end in just three hours if things go wrong.”
“Reconnaissance Battalion’s combat effectiveness is very strong, not comparable to the grassroots companies below. Steel Seventh Company might be an outstanding performer in 702 Regiment, but compared to Reconnaissance Battalion… there’s still a gap.”
…
Almost everyone was discussing it, and the entire command center was filled with various voices.
An exercise involving the division’s direct Reconnaissance Battalion would naturally have a high confidentiality level; not just anyone could enter the command center.
Besides Regiment Commander Wang and the few staff officers he brought, the others were all leaders at various levels from the division.
They all carried at least two-and-a-half pips on their shoulders.
But no matter how high their military ranks were, or how many years they had served in the troops, in the wave of military reform, for the hot combined arms tactics at the grassroots level, most of them actually didn’t understand much either.
However.
Whether they understood or not.
It didn’t stop them from all chiming in to evaluate Seventh Company, not recognizing Steel Seventh Company’s synthesized modification, and unanimously not optimistic about Steel Seventh Company’s ambush.
They thought this was Steel Seventh Company being overconfident, failing to recognize their own “self-inflicted doom.”
Even having witnessed the strong individual soldier prowess Steel Seventh Company displayed in the martial arts competition under Chen Jun’s leadership hadn’t changed this view.
The division commander sitting in the main seat, though merely frowning there without making any evaluation favoring one side now that the confrontation had just begun.
In his view, before seeing the result, all judgments were premature.
But from his expression, it was clear he was not satisfied with Steel Seventh Company’s adventurous move; in his view, it wasn’t a very good tactic.
Nor did it meet his expected value for a modernized combined arms company.
“Chen Jun, oh Chen Jun, you can play all you want, but don’t play it off the rails. You’ve prepared for so long; I don’t want to go back to the regiment disgraced.”
Regiment Commander Wang frowned and prayed in his heart. Outsiders couldn’t interfere with the confrontation, so all he could do was this.
…
In this one-sided discussion atmosphere, the remaining half hour quickly passed.
“Depart, full speed ahead.”
Reconnaissance Third Company Commander couldn’t wait any longer. Sitting in the vehicle, he shouted, not forgetting to add: “Hurry up, finish early and clock out early, then we can still make it home for lunch. Field rations are really too unpalatable.”
Third Company Commander’s added remark was wild, but its morale-boosting effect was truly good.
Reconnaissance Third Company’s morale was ignited like fire; warriors on every vehicle were so excited they howled, itching to annihilate Steel Seventh Company in minutes.
Drill Ground Number Eleven hadn’t been used for a while, so Steel Seventh Company’s vehicle tracks were very obvious.
Blue Army Third Company didn’t even need to get out to look; the co-driver opened the hatch and stuck his head out to clearly see the ground and guide the driver.
The Loess Plateau’s terrain wasn’t flat, and tracked vehicles had poor shock absorption.
Not only couldn’t they pick up speed, but sitting inside wasn’t comfortable either.
However, the fully confident Blue Army Third Company warriors, thinking they would soon catch Red Army Steel Seventh Company and let them feel the strength gap, were in an exceptionally excited mood.
Their minds were full of thoughts on how to swiftly devour Red Army Steel Seventh Company clean after catching up.
They never imagined that Steel Seventh Company hadn’t run.
And the various leaders in the command center knew the situations of both sides.
Seeing Blue Army Third Company rapidly advancing along the route, getting closer to Red Army’s ambush circle, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense and stimulating.
When the two companies collided, what kind of sparks would fly.
All the leaders were anticipating it!
After Blue Army Reconnaissance Third Company sped for about twenty minutes, a small woods appeared on the right side of the road in their field of vision—quite eye-catching on the bare plateau.
“Report to Company Commander, small woods ahead. Should we stop and check inside?” The lead vehicle’s observer called, still quite vigilant.
“Watch the road surface. If the wheel tracks don’t change much, ignore it.” Third Company Commander ordered.
Just as Chen Jun had anticipated from the start, Reconnaissance Third Company Commander was using conventional logical thinking, certain that Steel Seventh Company was fleeing at full speed.
Stopping the convoy to enter the woods for inspection would take a lot of time, preventing a quick catch-up with Steel Seventh Company.
So to end the confrontation early, Blue Army Third Company Commander didn’t choose to stop and check, merely ordering the lead vehicle’s observer to observe.
If disordered tracks were found at the edge of the woods, it wouldn’t be too late to stop and enter the woods to check.
Such an arrangement sounded reasonable indeed.
The lead vehicle’s observer raised no objection and, per Blue Army Company Commander’s arrangement, took out binoculars to observe the road surface, both sides of the road, and inside the woods.
Confirming the tracks didn’t disappear into the woods but continued straight along the road into the distance.
The observer reported to the company commander: “Report to Company Commander, no anomalies found in the woods. Tracks stay on the road; no other traces on both sides.”
“Maintain speed; they shouldn’t be far. Another hour of pursuit and we’ll definitely catch them.”
Blue Army Third Company Commander replied to the observer, a smile already curling at his lips, as if victory was in sight and Steel Seventh Company would soon be dealt with.
200 meters… 100 meters… 50 meters…
Blue Army Third Company, detecting no anomalies at all, didn’t reduce speed or take any precautions, rapidly approaching from afar.
As the lead vehicle entered the woods road section, subsequent vehicles followed one after another.
The convoy of ten vehicles stretched over a hundred meters, the kicked-up dust impairing visibility for all but the lead vehicle.
Warriors inside wanted to peek through observation ports at the rare green woods to refresh their eyes but could only see a blur.
Because both sides outside were all loess.
At this moment, everyone inside was still chatting and laughing, completely unaware that danger had arrived—they had entered the trap.
Thus.
The delightful scene appeared.
Just as the last vehicle entered the woods highway, at the woods edge a dozen meters ahead of the lead vehicle, a large cluster of shrubs suddenly moved.
Dropping tree branches and shrubs to the ground as it moved, gradually revealing the true form hidden underneath.
When the Type 89 armored personnel carrier was fully exposed, it had already pulled sideways across the road ahead, blocking the already narrow road completely.
The event came too suddenly.
Blue Army lead vehicle was startled, instinctively slamming the brakes first thing, but due to excessive speed, it still collided with the armored vehicle.
“Clang~”
The armored plate collision was both muffled and loud.
Fortunately, the following vehicles weren’t too close, and with speeds only seventeen or eighteen kilometers per hour, there was enough time to brake in time.
However, all armored vehicles braked hard, causing everyone inside to tumble head over heels.
“Damn, what happened?”
“What the hell? Can’t you drive?”
“Grandma’s, do you have to be so sudden? That emergency brake nearly killed someone.”
…
Those inside didn’t know the situation, thinking only that the driver was too unskilled; they cursed and climbed up, preparing to get out and check.
The lead vehicle was the only one aware.
But due to the collision, the observer and driver both staggered.
By the time they steadied themselves and picked up the vehicle-mounted microphone to report to the company commander, they heard from outside—accurately, from under the chassis—a series of explosions.
The explosions weren’t loud, but the reaction inside was huge.
“Puff puff puff puff…”
Smoke grenades on every vehicle were triggered, belching thick blue smoke.
“Holy crap, what the hell? Why is it smoking?”
“It’s the smoke grenade—how did it trigger? Out of nowhere, is this damn exercise equipment faulty? So unlucky.”
“Cough cough cough, quick, get out, get out fast.”
…
Amid cries of woe and curses, the warriors on the vehicles hurriedly opened the rear hatches, coughing and cursing as they ran out.
Thinking only their own vehicle’s equipment was faulty, they discovered upon exiting that it wasn’t just theirs enveloped in blue smoke.
All the vehicles were emitting blue smoke.
Per the exercise rules, smoke from both inside and outside an armored vehicle meant it was thoroughly destroyed, completely losing combat effectiveness.
“What the hell?? Why are they all smoking?”
All vehicles inexplicably scrapped; most of Blue Army Third Company stared at each other and the entire convoy in stunned silence.
“Take cover, quick—we’re under attack. Find the enemy fast.”
Blue Army Third Company Commander, anxious and furious, jumped down. One vehicle’s equipment failing was an accident, but all smoking at once meant trouble.
Not to mention Third Company Commander had seen a vehicle blocking sideways at the convoy’s rear.
With the road blocked front and back, plus the vehicles’ symptoms, only one possibility remained: attacked by Red Army.
Perhaps responding to Blue Army Third Company Commander’s words, the enemy emerged without needing to be found.
“Rat-tat-tat-tat…”
The suddenly erupting gunshots were as dense as firecrackers.
Hearing the company commander shout of enemy attack, instinctively thinking the woods safer, all Blue Army heading toward the woods became live targets without cover.
Under fire from over thirty Red Army guns, instantly more than half were eliminated.
Hearing the dense gunshots from the woods, Blue Army Third Company finally reacted—the enemy was hiding in the woods right before them.
But by then, escape.
Was too late.
In just a few seconds, over sixty percent of Blue Army warriors were smoking, becoming corpses and exiting the confrontation exercise.
The remaining soldiers hid on the other side, surviving using the armored vehicles as shelter.
Third Company Commander, who barely survived by rolling and crawling, had no time to curse Red Army for being too cunning and hurriedly thought of organizing defense.
But as he rallied the remaining thirty-odd men, preparing to radio Reconnaissance First Company and Second Company for help.
A canvas-topped 212 military vehicle appeared ahead, using off-road vehicle advantage to drive outside the road, over the turf, and into the middle of Blue Army convoy.
One referee standing on the rear seat, left hand on the rack, shouted through a loudspeaker: “Cease fire, everyone cease fire.
Blue Army Reconnaissance First Company is all killed in action. Cooperate by exiting the exercise immediately.
Repeat, Blue Army Reconnaissance First Company is all killed in action…”
The referee shouted three times through the loudspeaker; even with gunshot interference, Chen Jun in the woods vaguely heard the gist.
Thus, he ordered all of Seventh Company to stop and await further directing staff referee instructions.
“Why? We still have so many men. Even without armored vehicles, we can hold for hours. Even if we can’t get in, Red Army can’t get out either. Why say we’re all killed in action.”
Reconnaissance Third Company had eaten a dumb loss from Red Army’s ambush, already making Third Company Commander furious; now the surviving thirty-odd warriors judged killed in action made him even angrier.
Neck stiff with defiance, he rushed in a few strides before the directing staff referee to question.
“Third Company Commander, don’t be unconvinced.”
The directing staff referee was tough too, explaining without saving face: “Confrontation exercise benchmarks real battlefield, requiring manual data calculation.
Your company, within thirty seconds after the convoy was forced to stop, suffered eight rocket side attacks, twelve anti-tank mine ground attacks, and six 100mm mortar grenade remote artillery strikes.
Under this level of lethality, your company not only had all armored combat vehicles destroyed, but personnel losses conservatively over thirty percent.
In the next thirty seconds, you endured another six mortar shell attacks.
Plus Red Army troops hidden in the woods, committing over 50 troops, with sustained firepower output sufficient to fully suppress you.
Comprehensive all above attack lethality, thus judged your company all killed in action.”
Blue Army Third Company Commander, hearing the referee’s data analysis, saw his angry face turn ashen from frustration he couldn’t voice.
After all, as someone who became company commander, he knew full well the lethality of various weapons.
Front and back totaling sixteen 100mm mortars, over a dozen rockets, over a dozen anti-tank mines, nearly sixty-man ambush firepower…
Such insane short-time firepower tilt could shave a layer off this road.
Forget one company—more people would still turn to slag.
With modern weapons’ destructive power constantly increasing, once hit by dense firepower ambush focused strikes, human life is truly fragile.
“Third Company Commander, anything else to say? If not, go give the order.”
Another referee on the 212 off-road vehicle, seeing Blue Army Third Company Commander’s ugly expression, extreme reluctance yet unable to refute, still coldly issued the instruction.
Third Company Commander didn’t answer the directing staff referee, merely turning with hatred toward the woods direction.
Just eliminated like this?
Recalling the bold words before departure, then the current situation— in just over a minute, his reconnaissance company was annihilated by the enemy.
Thought the opponent was a pushover; turns out the pushover was himself.
Third Company Commander only felt his face burning, thoroughly disgraced to grandma’s house, too ashamed to return to Reconnaissance Battalion to face the battalion commander.
