Chapter 159: Discussion
After carefully listening to Gao Zhong Dui’s plan, He Zhijun’s first basic attitude toward this matter was support.
Group B, this young special operations team, indeed needed to undergo an internal assessment, first to test the recent training results, and second to conquer those inside who didn’t think highly of them.
There was no reason not to support something that killed two birds with one stone, but he didn’t plan to tell Xiao Gao about this second point to avoid putting pressure on him. It was better not to let Xiao Gao know about these things; he just needed to focus on combat.
“In principle, I agree.
Here’s what we’ll do: you write up a report and a plan.
For the weapon equipment used in the exercise, take the requisition form to the logistics department head to pick it up. Whether I can act as referee still depends on whether I have time on the day you choose to start the assessment.”
The entire military was undergoing informationization reform, and given the current international situation where countries, especially major powers, maintained considerable restraint toward each other, large-scale wars were destined not to occur for a considerable period in the future.
Therefore, border conflicts and small-scale medium- and low-intensity combats would become the mainstream, but the military unit still needed to maintain combat power capable of winning high-intensity battles.
Thus, the higher leaders decided to expand the special forces captain teams in each military region. Since it was the first time, for caution’s sake, they needed to select one as a pilot unit, which had various benefits including but not limited to providing the latest weapon equipment.
Being selected would be equivalent to an on-site upgrade.
Recently, the leaders’ various grand meetings related to the selection plan were almost ready to be announced, and He Zhijun was now working on securing this matter.
So his time arrangement was really tight; it wasn’t an excuse. Besides, given how much He Zhijun valued Gao Zhong Dui and Group B, he wouldn’t miss this.
Hearing the leader say this, Gao Zhong Dui naturally understood the implication, especially since his intention in pulling the captain this time was to have him come watch when the time came.
“Captain, you set the time; I’m good any day.”
“I’m really not sure when I’ll have time. How about this: I’ll notify you when I do.”
He Zhijun thought about his schedule and found that there really wasn’t a suitable opportunity in the next few days.
“Good, then I’ll respectfully await the captain’s visit at that time.”
Seeing that the matter was feasible, Gao Zhong Dui readily agreed, afraid the leader might change his mind.
With the conversation at this point, regardless of whether the captain truly couldn’t make time or had other intentions, he couldn’t refuse.
Having been around the captain for so many years, Gao Zhong Dui was more inclined to think the captain was testing him.
War wouldn’t tell you when it would start; suddenness was its characteristic.
Moreover, Gao Zhong Dui also wanted to see Group B’s reaction to such a sudden event.
“Xiao Gao, do you have anything else?”
The implication was that if not, he would leave.
“No.” Gao Zhong Dui said.
“Alright then, just let me know when it starts the day after tomorrow, and I’ll be there on time.”
With that, He Zhijun turned and left without waiting for Gao Zhong Dui to salute him. Not to mention he didn’t have time to waste, given their relationship, he didn’t care about that. Usually, if there were no outsiders or it wasn’t an important occasion, saluting or not was fine.
Seeing Lone Wolf Group B, who could board an airplane for a parachute jump after just three days of basic parachute drop training, gave Gao Zhong Dui tremendous confidence.
So in the following days, Chang Ning and the others were arranged by Gao Zhong Dui for various parachuting trainings, from basic round parachutes to the parachute specially used for special situations that Ma Da carried that day; all of them were experienced one by one by Chang Ning and Group B.
It was worth mentioning that Chang Ning overcame his acrophobia amid screams.
This kind of training continued for a week. Under the high-intensity parachute drop training and the threat to life, everyone’s potential was stimulated, and they had almost mastered conventional parachuting.
Seeing Chang Ning and the others progress so quickly, Gao Zhong Dui decided to increase the difficulty; nighttime parachute drop training could be put on the agenda.
The extensive high-intensity specialized training had greatly improved Chang Ning’s acrophobia. Standing in the cabin looking at the pitch-black ground, he found he had no negative emotions at all.
“See that white light on the ground? That’s where you’re landing.
Lads, if you have no questions, start showing me your superb parachuting skills.”
The airplane’s huge engine roar forced Ma Da to shout at the top of his lungs.
“Hui Lang, just watch.”
Ostrich chuckled. When it came to parachuting skills, he had never backed down; that was his signature ability.
“Look at you acting all skilled. If you weren’t from Eagle Division, would you have this confidence?”
Chang Ning couldn’t stand it anymore from the side; couldn’t Ostrich keep a low profile?
“No choice; who made me an airborne soldier.”
Ostrich never pretended in front of his own people; he did whatever felt good.
Banter aside, he knew his limits. Before Ma Da’s face turned dark, Ostrich walked to the cabin door, bent his knees, and leaped into the thick night, swallowed by it.
As parachuting began, everyone put away their joking attitudes and got serious.
They weren’t old hands like Ostrich at parachuting; parachuting at night was something they could handle with ease.
“They are the most talented soldiers I’ve ever seen.”
Ma Da stared at the group that had disappeared into the night and said slowly, full of emotion recalling the madness of the past few days.
From basic round parachutes to nighttime parachuting now, Chang Ning and Group B had only taken half a month. Who in an ordinary unit would dare believe it? Of course, instructors in other units weren’t as crazy as Gao Zhong Dui and Ma Da.
“Yeah, in all these years, I’ve never seen soldiers progress this fast.”
Flying Wolf’s voice came through the earpiece. As the only pilot in Lone Wolf, he had participated throughout in Group B’s parachute drop training and had seen the newcomers’ progress speed with his own eyes.
Using the lights from the distant city area, Flying Wolf looked at the somewhat blurry white parachutes drifting in the sky and sighed inwardly that he had encountered a group of perverts!
Chang Ning, who had successfully deployed his parachute and was skillfully controlling it toward the designated spot, wouldn’t know how Ma Da and Gao Sheng Han evaluated them after they left the airplane.
In the pitch-black night, besides the distant guiding lights and the whisper of wind in his ears, Chang Ning could see nothing and hear nothing else.
The ground and sky were both black. Without the occasional reports from comrades through the earpiece, Chang Ning’s heart would be enveloped by the loneliness of the night.
As a special forces soldier who had received professional training, he naturally wouldn’t let such environmental changes affect his emotions.
However, there would still be slight emotional fluctuations, just like how even the largest lake surface would ripple under a gentle breeze.
The quiet nighttime environment was extremely prone to letting one’s thoughts wander, and Chang Ning had many worries buried in his heart.
