Chapter 207: This Is What Real Men Are Made Of!
The competitors passed through the forest to the other side, where a desolate loess land appeared before them.
The terrain was undulating and very uneven, with various large and small gullies and earth ridges, paired with low weeds, making it look extremely complex.
The shrubs were so sparse they were almost invisible, and there were hardly any trees to be found.
It wouldn’t be easy for the competitors to run!
Seeing the reconnaissance battalion driving up from behind, it would only take a few minutes to bypass from both sides of the forest—two legs definitely couldn’t outrun four wheels.
The group of competitors who exited the forest had no choice but to each show their own special prowess.
Some chose to play hide-and-seek, using the local materials to first hide over this wave of pursuit, waiting for the reconnaissance battalion’s people to pass before coming out to continue rushing forward.
Others specifically chose paths through gullies and earth ridges that cars couldn’t drive directly over.
Some simply stayed in the forest hiding.
Anyway, there were all kinds of people—everyone’s goal was to survive.
The Steel Seventh Company had originally planned to split into two squads, but due to unexpectedly heavy losses, and another one eliminated just before entering the forest, only six out of twelve remained.
With only one squad left, there was no need to split up.
The group of six, under Wu Liu Yi’s command, ran into the rugged roads impassable by cars.
The rats had already fled, and the cats began to move.
Two platoons of reconnaissance battalion warriors were responsible for pursuit, one platoon for interception, and another platoon of reconnaissance battalion warriors for cleanup.
They were responsible for picking up the eliminated competitors along the way onto the trucks and counting numbers to report to the command post.
After the first wave of ambush battle upon dismounting, Yuan Lang contacted Wei Tianlei to inquire about the situation.
Wei Tianlei reported that Area A10 had been cleared, with a total of 48 competitors eliminated—nearly half—and they were continuing pursuit toward Area B.
Yuan Lang had Qi Huan take people to follow up; he wouldn’t participate in the subsequent pursuit.
Instead, he warmly invited Chen Jun and Gao Cheng to his command post to eat roasted wild rabbit.
He said that yesterday when he came to survey the terrain, he got lucky and caught a few wild rabbits, planning to use them for extra training at noon, and invited Chen Jun and Gao Cheng to taste his skills.
Inviting Gao Cheng was just pleasantries; mainly to build connections with Chen Jun.
To pave the way in advance for subsequent actions.
After all, the bond between them had just begun, and there would be many matters to trouble Chen Jun with later.
A few days ago, Yuan Lang took the special operations theory back and studied it with Battalion Commander Tie Lu for half a day; they were very satisfied with the content of the three theories.
It could be confirmed that the contents here were exactly what their A Detachment urgently needed now.
However.
Many contents in the three theories, even as domestic special operations pioneers, neither Tie Lu nor Yuan Lang could fully understand.
If they couldn’t even read it, let alone teach it or use it to enhance A Detachment’s ability.
Since Yuan Lang and Tie Lu couldn’t handle these things, they could only find the author Chen Jun, who wrote them, and ask him to help with in-depth analysis.
However, Chen Jun’s “greedy” big mouth made both of them wary.
Afraid that when they came to ask Chen Jun for help with analysis, he would wield his dragon-slaying knife and chop again, ruthlessly carving meat from A Detachment.
So neither acted immediately, deciding to do some preliminary paving first and then act according to the situation.
Despite their understanding of Chen Jun, asking him for help would definitely involve “benefit fees,” but less was still better.
The first move Yuan Lang decided to use was to build a good relationship with Chen Jun and play the emotional appeal card first.
Once the relationship was good.
Chen Jun definitely wouldn’t have the nerve to strike hard again.
“Okay, then I’ll taste the leader’s skills.”
Chen Jun didn’t know Yuan Lang’s scheme, but he had his own scheme in mind and also needed to use Yuan Lang, so he needed to build a good relationship too.
So he not only agreed readily but deliberately put on a greedy expression and said: “I really like rabbit meat, especially wild rabbit meat; if roasted well, it’s so tender and juicy it could make you swallow your tongue.”
Chen Jun and Yuan Lang each had their needs and readily set up the meal.
Gao Cheng had no interest in contacting Yuan Lang. Seeing that Chen Jun and Yuan Lang had already agreed, he also knew about the plan Chen Jun was secretly executing, which required some interaction with Yuan Lang.
So he proactively said: “Old Chen, the company has matters to handle; the first batch of incoming supplies will arrive this afternoon, I need to go back and deal with it.”
Chen Jun knew it was true, but with Political Instructor Hong Xingguo guarding the company, Gao Cheng actually didn’t need to go back.
But Gao Cheng and Yuan Lang were incompatible, no need to force him to come along.
Staying together forcibly would just be awkward.
So Chen Jun didn’t try to retain him, but followed Gao Cheng’s words: “Alright, Old Gao, then the company’s matters, I’ll trouble you to handle. I’ll stay here a bit longer.
When it’s almost dark in the afternoon, I’ll bring back the company’s eliminated warriors together.”
Yuan Lang only wanted to build a good relationship with Chen Jun and had little interest in this second-generation military man Gao Cheng, so he didn’t speak to retain him either.
He even turned his line of sight to the other side, pretending not to have heard the conversation.
If he didn’t hear.
Then no need to retain.
Gao Cheng bid farewell to Chen Jun and drove away. Then Chen Jun got into Yuan Lang’s car, with Yuan Lang personally driving, chatting while heading back to the assessment command post.
While Chen Jun was about to have fragrant, sizzling, delicious roasted wild rabbit to eat.
The competitors being chased all the way had their torment just beginning.
Under Deputy Battalion Commander Wei Tianlei’s lead, the convoy bypassing from both sides of the forest soon engaged the competitors in a new round of battle of wits and courage.
Wei Tianlei didn’t forget his promise to Gao Cheng and focused on chasing the Steel Seventh Company squad.
Even though the Steel Seventh Company squad took very bad roads that cars couldn’t chase directly in a straight line, Wei Tianlei still chose to bypass from the side, determined to launch pursuit and interception.
If not for lacking accurate information—only rough intelligence plus inference—and not having seen Wu Liu Yi and the others.
With Wei Tianlei’s targeting, it would be hard for Wu Liu Yi and the others to escape.
But even inferring direction for pursuit still put great pressure on Wu Liu Yi and the others, forcing them to rush forward at the fastest speed without daring to rest even a second.
Those who chose to run were exhausted to death, while those who chose to hide were nervous to death.
And with even lower survival rates.
After all, they were the veteran reconnaissance unit directly under the division; reconnaissance and counter-reconnaissance was their bread and butter. Hiding under their noses was really hard for ordinary people.
Thus, the competitors playing tricks on the spot hiding like cats were all found one by one under the reconnaissance battalion warriors’ blanket search.
They had to accept the outcome of elimination and obediently climb onto the trucks responsible for pickup.
Only a very few with hiding talent, plus extremely good luck, dodged the reconnaissance company’s search and luckily survived.
However.
They might escape the first but not the fifteenth.
Because after the reconnaissance battalion’s blanket search passed, it meant they had moved ahead of these competitors.
Competitors hiding like cats wanting to complete the mission still needed to find a way to overtake the reconnaissance battalion’s search team and get ahead again.
Otherwise, blocked in the middle by the search team, it would be impossible to pass the assessment.
And their only chance was at night.
If truly pursued 24 hours a day, no competitor could survive.
So at night, the reconnaissance battalion would stop pursuit and return to the command post to rest, allowing competitors to use the cover of night to hurry forward.
Then, when the next day’s daylight came and the reconnaissance battalion resumed driving for pursuit.
Find ways to hide again and try to move forward.
And as the strongest Steel Seventh Company squad, they had already been targeted by the big boss Wei Tianlei, facing the highest action difficulty among all competitors.
Not even three hours after fleeing, when time approached noon.
They discovered the road ahead was completely blocked.
The six hiding under the earth ridge observing saw three jeeps parked at the intersection a hundred meters ahead and had to stop for an emergency discussion.
“What now? The road is blocked.”
Bai Tie Jun wiped the sweat from his face, panting as he looked to the backbone Wu Liu Yi.
“Both sides are hillsides; the slopes are bald with hardly any grass—climbing over would make us live targets visible from hundreds of meters away.” Cheng Cai frowned.
“Looks like we can only go back and take another road to bypass.” Wu Liu Yi pondered.
“Ah? Take a detour?”
Gan Xiao Ning said extremely reluctantly: “We’ve already been going for over two hours; going back now for a detour wouldn’t that mean wasting half a day?
And not to mention going back now, we might get caught by the reconnaissance battalion chasing from behind.
Even leaving the main road to bypass from the other side, we might get lost; we only have one compass—if we get lost, we’re done.”
Gan Xiao Ning’s concerns weren’t unreasonable.
On this desolate and uninhabited loess plateau, there were no specific reference points at all; once entering areas with magnetic interference, the compass could fail at any time.
The road ahead blocked and impassable, no cover on either side, detouring back risking getting lost.
Nowhere to go—wasn’t this the end?
For a moment, everyone was at a loss, and the scene suddenly became quiet.
After a full minute or more.
“Leave it to me. I’ll try to lure them away. My foot is twisted anyway; I can’t hold out much longer. Better to make a contribution before elimination than be caught.”
Ba Te Er suddenly stood up at this moment, immediately sparking discussion again among the group.
“No, absolutely not. As members of Steel Seventh Company, we always remember no abandoning, no giving up—how can we succeed at your sacrifice?” Wu Liu Yi immediately rejected, his expression very serious.
These six words were the company soul—how could they be so easily disobeyed?
“Squad Leader’s right; your injury is no big deal. Even if you can’t walk, I can carry you—we’ll reach the finish line together.” Xu Sanduo said earnestly.
“You carry him? With his build… are you sure… you can carry him?”
Bai Tie Jun looked strangely at the short and thin Xu Sanduo; the size gap between them was too great.
“I…”
Xu Sanduo originally wanted to say he could, but seeing Ba Te Er’s tall and burly frame, like two towers big, he couldn’t get the rest out.
He wasn’t one to brag!
“Ba Te Er, don’t rush; let’s think again—there must be a way…”
“Enough, stop being namby-pamby.”
Ba Te Er interrupted Wu Liu Yi’s persuasion, saying resolutely: “I, Ba Te Er, don’t want to rely on anyone. Whether my foot can still go, I know better than anyone. Just let me leave with dignity.”
Ba Te Er was straightforward by nature and hated twisted hesitation most.
Without waiting for anyone to speak again, he shouldered his backpack and limped forward, saying as he walked: “The team leader is my old company commander; me luring him away gives me more advantage than any of you.
If I succeed, they’ll definitely leave. If I fail, you still go detour.
Getting lost at least gives a chance of success, better than being caught and eliminated.”
With Ba Te Er putting it this way, Wu Liu Yi knew Ba Te Er was very strong-willed and couldn’t tolerate succeeding by relying on others.
In this aspect, they were actually the same.
Wu Liu Yi could understand Ba Te Er.
Plus, Ba Te Er was the core of the Vanguard Squad; his body absolutely couldn’t have any mishaps. Continuing to push hard, if his leg got ruined, the loss would be huge.
Better to take the risk of pushing and return for timely treatment, which was wiser.
Having thought this through, Wu Liu Yi said no more, just casting a look of respect toward this Inner Mongolian tough guy.
The others didn’t speak either, silently watching Ba Te Er leave.
In their eyes, besides gratitude, there was even more respect.
Respecting him as a real man!
Ba Te Er was indeed quite unlucky, or rather restrained by the environment.
His large build plus heavy load was most disadvantaged on uneven roads, and the assessment starting training ground had ground cracked everywhere with dry fissures.
Chased hard by the reconnaissance battalion, running too urgently without noticing, plus really bad luck.
Unexpectedly, under the weeds was a fissure over ten centimeters wide; Ba Te Er stepped in, sinking below the ankle.
Upper body pitched forward by inertia, directly twisting and injuring the ankle.
At first he could barely hop forward, but as the strong walking worsened, the ankle swelled like a steamed stuffed bun.
Pushing on in this state risked irreversible aftereffects.
Ba Te Er’s pride was at play, so he joined this special forces selection; like others, he didn’t want to leave Seventh Company.
Now with a reasonable reason to leave, it could also satisfy Ba Te Er’s curiosity.
To act more convincingly, Ba Te Er first shifted sideways to the left, hiding under the left gully, then put on a sneaky posture, gradually approaching the checkpoint ahead.
Posing as if preparing to slip past from behind a small earth slope on the checkpoint’s left.
However, before Ba Te Er got close to the small earth slope, Wei Tianlei, standing on the car scanning left and right with binoculars, spotted the sneaky Ba Te Er.
He immediately took people and drove over, capturing Ba Te Er solidly.
“Company Commander, long time no see.”
Ba Te Er greeted happily upon meeting, first maxing out the emotional factor.
Being able to see his company’s most excellent soldier again, now in the most excellent combined arms company, made Wei Tianlei inwardly gratified.
“Looks like you’re living well in Seventh Company—fatter than in Sixth Company, haha.”
Wei Tianlei joked lightly, then saw Ba Te Er’s foot and asked caringly: “What happened to your foot? Serious injury? Where are the others from Seventh Company? Did they see you injured and ditch you?”
By the last sentence, Wei Tianlei’s expression turned serious.
If Seventh Company really ditched his soldier, Wei Tianlei would really go find Gao Cheng for justice.
“No, they went to detour, saying there must be blockage ahead. My leg’s injured, can’t detour, so risking this road for a shot—and sure enough, they guessed right, caught red-handed by you, Company Commander, haha.”
Ba Te Er smiled, lowered his head scratching it, not daring to look Wei Tianlei in the eye, to cover his poor acting and avoid loopholes.
“Seventh Company’s soldiers really have some tricks; they even predicted this.”
After all, he was a soldier who came from his hands; Wei Tianlei still trusted Ba Te Er, plus concern for his swollen foot.
So he didn’t overthink Ba Te Er’s words.
“Come on, get in the car quick; I’ll take you back. Your foot needs treatment ASAP—if it leaves aftereffects, your life’s ruined.”
Wei Tianlei personally got off to support Ba Te Er, then took him back directly once aboard.
At the same time, he used the vehicle radio to order the other two cars at the intersection to change route and intercept Steel Seventh Company toward C24 direction.
Seeing his old company commander trust him so much and value his injury so highly.
Ba Te Er nearly broke character from guilt.
He could only pretend the twisted leg hurt badly, using a grimacing pained expression to cover the panic in his eyes, without Wei Tianlei noticing anything off.
“They’re gone? They really left?”
“Ba Te Er’s awesome; he really succeeded.”
“Such a real man—Brother Ba’s such a real man. He sacrificed for our chance; when we get back, I must burn incense and pray to him daily.”
“Pray to your ass—you’re really acting; watch Ba Te Er make you fly.”
…
Watching the blocking convoy leave, sunlight unexpectedly appearing in desperation, the remaining five from Steel Seventh Company all got excited.
