Chapter 30: Squadron Leader Gao Deflated
“Bastard!”
Blue Team Leader Wang Yongjin, responsible for the search, heard the soldier’s report and abruptly stood up. A search team of over ten people had been annihilated by a single Red Team scout—who would believe that!
Red Team doesn’t have special forces. No matter how skilled their scouts are, they couldn’t possibly have such formidable individual combat ability.
But Wang Yongjin knew the soldiers wouldn’t lie to him; it just remained to be seen exactly how they had been annihilated.
‘Could Red Team have broken the rules by calling in outside help?’
He snuffed out the thought as soon as it emerged.
‘How could that be? Who would dare break the rules? That’s a military court offense! Red Team’s commander has no reason to do that.’
His own idea was too naive. Wang Yongjin decided to send more manpower to the area where that team had been annihilated. If ten-plus people couldn’t catch you, what about dozens, or hundreds!
Anyway, the news from Wolf Fang was that only three fish had slipped through the net—mere minor nuisances.
“Order: The search team approaching the 321 area is to intensify the search efforts in the 321 area.”
“Yes.”
Though angry at heart, Wang Yongjin hadn’t lost his reason; he didn’t commit all his forces to deal with that fish that slipped the net.
He feared falling for an enemy ploy to lure the tiger from the mountain. There were five or six search teams in the vicinity of the 321 area, nearly a hundred men—Wang Yongjin refused to believe they couldn’t catch Red Team’s scout.
After annihilating Blue Team’s search team, Chang Ning immediately raced toward Blue Team’s missile unit barracks without stopping.
From the moment he eliminated Blue Team’s search team, he was racing against time. Chang Ning had to escape this area before the search teams reinforced; one step too slow and he’d be blocked in the 321 area, wrapped up like dumplings.
“Comrades, a tough nut has appeared in the 321 area. He annihilated one of our teams. Everyone, now we must annihilate him and let him know we’re not to be trifled with!”
“Yes!”
A search team 20 kilometers from Chang Ning, executing a mission, received the superior’s order and immediately turned their off-road vehicle toward the 321 area at high speed.
At the same time, the same scene unfolded near 321—six convoys heading in different directions but with the same goal.
……
In some unnamed valley, Lao Pao’s hands were handcuffed behind his back as he stumbled, dragged by Wolf Fang personnel into an unassuming small tent.
A special forces soldier stepped forward and yanked off Lao Pao’s eye mask.
“Pa!”
A strong spotlight suddenly shone on Lao Pao’s face, stimulating tears to stream down immediately—this was a form of punishment.
Gao Zhong Dui stood at the table, leaning forward with a fierce glare at Lao Pao, his overwhelming aura pressing down: “We’re old acquaintances, Zheng Sanpao.”
From the voice alone, Lao Pao knew the man before him was Gao Zhong Dui.
Seeing Lao Pao ignore him, Gao Zhong Dui didn’t mind and continued: “But we still have to follow the process. State your name, military rank, and commander!”
“Your granny!”
This familiar process reminded Lao Pao of the times he’d been tormented during previous Wolf Fang selections; rage surged, and he cursed at Gao Zhong Dui.
“Where is your officer?”
Perhaps used to being cursed, Gao Zhong Dui’s tone remained unchanged as he asked the next question.
“What officer?”
Lao Pao began playing dumb; anyway, Gao Zhong Dui wouldn’t really use torture on him.
“A full-strength armed reconnaissance platoon— the highest-ranking captured is you, a non-commissioned officer. Where did your leading officer go?”
“I’m the leader, acting platoon leader.”
Hearing that Gao Zhong Dui hadn’t captured Chen Guotao, Lao Pao breathed a sigh of relief. Things had been too chaotic during the firefight; when the platoon leader ordered retreat, they had split up and run.
Lao Pao had pieced together bits of information about everyone’s situation from his captured comrades.
Gao Zhong Dui smiled; the change in Lao Pao’s expression hadn’t escaped his eyes: “Scouts operating behind enemy lines—how could there be no cadre leading?
Having a sergeant lead a platoon? Old Miao wouldn’t do that.
Last time I’m asking—where’s your platoon leader!”
“That’s me!”
Lao Pao stubbornly refused to admit it, firmly stating he was the leader.
Seeing he couldn’t get answers, Gao Zhong Dui gave Lao Pao a deep look, then turned and left. In fact, he hadn’t held much hope; they were all old acquaintances with some understanding of each other.
Perhaps some methods could get what he wanted, but this was an exercise—he couldn’t really use interrogation tactics; he’d have to think of something else.
Outside the tent, Ma Da coldly watched the scouts sitting on the ground. Before them was a row of backpacks and weapons.
Gao Zhong Dui emerged from the tent and paced back and forth in front of that row of backpacks; he noticed the equipment didn’t match the headcount.
“One extra set of combat gear and backpack—private rank by the insignia. What’s going on?
Besides the leading cadre and that Chang Ning, who else slipped the net? Where’s that private?”
By now, Gao Zhong Dui was certain the one who eliminated Miao Lang was Chang Ning; as for Xiao Zhuang, he hadn’t recalled him yet.
After all, Chang Ning’s brilliance was too dazzling; Xiao Zhuang had been overshadowed.
Faced with the questioning, the scouts said nothing; this lineup was still beneath their notice.
Gao Zhong Dui kicked over the extra backpack; things inside spilled out with a clatter.
The first thing to catch Gao Zhong Dui’s eye was a book—a rare sight. This was the early 21st century; how many soldiers could settle down to read?
Gao Zhong Dui picked up the book and looked; the title was Shakespeare Selected Plays.
He knew this—a great foreign literary figure.
Gao Zhong Dui was startled; he thought of something, flipped to the flyleaf, and there it boldly read: Drama Academy Directing Department Xiao Zhuang.
The truth was revealed!
Gao Zhong Dui slapped his forehead, somewhat annoyed: “It’s him!”
Seeing Gao Zhong Dui’s discovery, Ma Da stepped forward and asked: “What is it?”
“Remember that college student backpacker? He’s the private who slipped the net! He actually slipped away right under our noses!”
“Today’s new recruits are really something.”
Ma Da sighed after hearing this; at that age, he truly couldn’t compare to the private who slipped the net.
Seeing Gao Zhong Dui stumped, the scouts burst into laughter. Gao Zhong Dui turned and walked away, taking a deep breath to suppress his rage.
‘Old Miao’s got some moves—these new recruits, where did he dig them up from?’
First there was Chang Ning with maxed-out shooting talent, eliminating his teammate right on first meeting; then Xiao Zhuang slipped away right in front of him—his face stung with resounding slaps.
“Ma Da, monitor Blue Team’s radios. I don’t believe they can hold out forever without contacting their command post.”
Gao Zhong Dui didn’t believe the three fish that slipped the net would bother carrying radios while fleeing.
“Understood!”
Once they locked onto Red Team’s command post, Gao Zhong Dui and his team could unleash their specialty—decapitation operation, ending the exercise.
This exercise was the most frustrating he’d encountered, but discovering two good prospects made it worthwhile.
Chang Ning had no time to worry about Night Tiger Reconnaissance Company’s comrades’ plight; in the 321 area, he was in massive trouble.
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