chsdbacks Chapter 24: The exercise ends, and the two oxen are awarded second-class merit!
Chapter 24: The exercise ends, and the two oxen are awarded second-class merit!
The night fell as dark as ink.
About two kilometers outside the factory, in a dense coniferous forest.
The remnants of the fourth company of sharpshooters, led by Gong Jian, had quietly taken their positions.
Everyone carried as many of Li Erniu's "specially made" exercise explosives, smoke canisters, flashbangs, and some simple devices that could make a loud noise as possible.
"Brothers, remember this."
Gong Jian lowered his voice and spoke through the individual communication channel, "Our mission is not to kill the enemy, but to create chaos! The bigger the commotion, the better, but we will not linger in battle!"
"Group A, proceed according to the predetermined route, detonating the first wave simultaneously in area 3 in five minutes! Group B, after Group A draws attention, quickly infiltrate area 5 to set up the second wave! Group C is responsible for cover and clearing the evacuation route! Move out!"
"yes!"
With almost no extra sound, these elite warriors of the Iron Fist Regiment scattered swiftly, like ghosts in the night.
Five minutes later.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The tranquility of the valley was suddenly shattered!
Deafening explosions erupted almost simultaneously from the east, west, and north sides of the factory!
The orange-red flames illuminated a small patch of sky, followed by thick white, yellow, and green smoke that rose up like demons and monsters, spreading rapidly!
The piercing alarm, the explosion of flashbangs, and the sound of firecrackers simulating gunfire mingled together, instantly throwing the Blue Army guards outside the factory into chaos!
"Enemy attack! Large amount of smoke detected on the east side!"
"There's been an explosion to the west! Suspected to be from the remnants of the main Red force!"
"There's movement from the north too! Requesting backup!"
The communication channel was in complete chaos.
Inside the factory's command center, Gao Shiwei and He Zhijun looked at the monitoring screen almost simultaneously.
"They've come after all!" He Zhijun's expression changed. "They're really harassing us from multiple points at once, trying to draw our defensive forces away!"
Gao Shiwei, however, remained unusually calm: "Order all defense units to respond according to the pre-arranged plan, and not to panic! The outer patrol teams will move to the area of engagement to ascertain the enemy situation, but the core defense perimeter of the command post must not move an inch! Drones will scan the explosion area thoroughly; I need to know exactly how many people are there!"
His judgment was accurate; Gong Jian and his men's feint attack was indeed intended to attract and distract attention.
However, he underestimated the power of the "props" that Li Erniu had prepared for this feint attack.
The specially made smoke was not only thick but also had a pungent smell; the expired pepper and mustard powder that Li Erniu had smuggled from the cookhouse had come in handy.
The detonation points are cleverly placed, often along patrol routes or near sentry posts.
Flashbangs were specifically targeted at sentries with the best night vision.
What's worse is that the soldiers of the Fourth Company would fight and run away without stopping, leaving the Blue Army feeling like they were punching cotton, extremely frustrated.
In an instant, flames erupted and smoke filled the area around the factory, alarms blared, the Blue Army forces were tied down and redeployed, and the command headquarters' attention was firmly drawn to them.
……
Just as this chaos reached its peak.
The factory is located in the shadow of the base of a massive, almost vertical chimney filled with rusted pipes and abandoned supports.
Three figures that almost blended into the darkness.
It was Li Erniu, He Chenguang, and Wang Yanbing.
They bypassed all ground defenses, heading from the most unlikely direction—the cliff behind the factory and the complex industrial ruins.
"Chenguang, it's up to you now."
Li Erniu looked up at the top of the chimney, which was over a hundred meters high. It would be an excellent sniping and observation position, overlooking the entire core area of the factory.
He Chenguang nodded, slung the sniper rifle over his shoulder, took a deep breath, and began to climb.
Li Erniu and Wang Yanbing watched He Chenguang's figure disappear into the darkness above the chimney.
"Yanbing, it's time for us to get to work."
Li Erniu patted Wang Yanbing on the shoulder and pointed to a rusted maintenance entrance at the bottom of the chimney, barely wide enough for one person to pass through, "Going in from here should lead directly to the factory's underground pipework..."
Wang Yanbing licked his lips excitedly: "Brother Niu, just tell me what to do! Blow up the power distribution room? Or burn their database?"
Li Erniu chuckled and pulled out several round, seemingly modified tin cans from his combat backpack.
"We're not going to cause large-scale destruction. We're going to 'deliver gifts'."
Li Erniu's eyes gleamed with a mischievous light. "Place these 'surprises' in the ventilation ducts of their command room, next to the load-bearing columns in the main passage, and in the air intake of their backup generator... I've marked the locations on the map."
"Remember, the installation must be discreet. I have the remote control. Once Chenguang is in position, we'll give them a 'center-blooming' attack, forcing that 'eagle' to fly out of its nest!"
"Understood!" Wang Yanbing took the few "cans," weighed them in his hand, and sensed that what was inside was not simple.
Like two nimble mice, the two silently slipped into the dark maintenance entrance and crept towards the heart of the factory along the rusty, dusty, and cobweb-covered old pipes.
At the top of the chimney, He Chenguang finally reached his destination.
The wind was strong here, and the visibility was excellent. He quickly set up his sniper rifle, and through the high-powered scope, he could clearly see the general layout of the command room below, the movement of personnel, and even make out the shoulder insignia of some officers.
Inside the factory, in the command center.
Gao Shiwei looked at the still chaotic but gradually brought under control external situation on the screen, and his brows relaxed slightly.
"It seems that the Red Team only uses these harassing tactics. They're dreaming if they think they can use this to lure us away from the mountain and get close to the command post." He Zhijun breathed a slight sigh of relief.
However, he had barely finished speaking.
"puff--!"
"Puff puff puff—!"
Inside the command center, several key ventilation vents suddenly and without warning spewed out large amounts of extremely thick, dark green smoke with a pungent smell of mustard and rotten eggs!
"Cough cough! What's going on?!"
"Smoke! It's coming from the ventilation duct!"
"Hollow gas alarm! Put on your masks immediately!"
Chaos erupted immediately in the command room!
The officers coughed repeatedly, tears streaming down their faces, their vision instantly obscured!
Almost simultaneously!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
In the corridor, the adjacent equipment room, and even in the gaps in the floor beneath the command room, dazzling grenades and stun grenades exploded one after another!
Although the power was reduced, the instantaneous intense light and loud noise were amplified several times in the confined space and chaotic smoke!
"Enemy attack! Command post under attack!"
"Protect the leader!"
The guards shouted themselves hoarse, trying to find the attackers and establish a defensive line amidst the smoke and chaos.
Gao Shiwei was tackled by the fastest-reacting guard the moment the smoke erupted and was put on a gas mask.
But his face had turned ashen!
Inside! The attack came from inside the command center! How is this possible?!
"He Zhijun! What's going on?!" Gao Shiwei roared from behind his mask.
"Sir! There's a mole? Or... they've infiltrated through a channel we don't know about!"
He Zhijun also put on a mask, his voice filled with shock and anger, "You must be moved to the backup command post immediately! It's no longer safe here!"
"Relocate?" Gao Shiwei glanced at the chaotic command room, knowing that it was indeed impossible to effectively command from here for the time being.
More importantly, the fact that the enemy could launch an attack from within indicates a fatal flaw in the defense system!
"Go!" Gao Shiwei made a decisive move. Surrounded by several elite guards, he quickly left the main command room and moved rapidly along the pre-designated emergency evacuation route towards a hidden backup evacuation point behind the factory, where armored vehicles were waiting to pick him up.
This backup evacuation point is located at the entrance of a semi-open vehicle maintenance warehouse at the back of the factory. It is relatively open, facilitating vehicle access and air cover, and is one of the locations for the emergency transfer of the highest commander in the contingency plan.
However, what they didn't know was...
At this moment, a hundred meters away, at the top of that towering chimney.
He Chenguang's scope crosshairs had already firmly captured the tall figure who was rapidly walking towards the entrance of the maintenance warehouse under heavy guard—Gao Shiwei, the highest commander of the Blue Army!
The wind is howling.
He Chenguang's finger smoothly rested on the trigger.
Heartbeat, breathing, wind speed, humidity, target movement speed and direction... all data are instantly fused and calculated in his mind.
It's now!
He exhaled softly, in the instant his breath was about to run out.
Press down steadily with your index finger.
"Bang--!"
A faint but deadly gunshot, silenced by a silencer, was perfectly masked by the wind in the valley and the sporadic explosions still lingering in the distance.
"puff!"
A bright, unmistakable red fluorescent dye suddenly exploded in the very center of Lieutenant General Gao Shiwei's chest!
Like a red plum blossom blooming on the snow, it is dazzling, striking, and carries the implication of announcing the end.
Gao Shiwei's steps suddenly stopped.
He looked down at the rapidly spreading red mark on his chest and froze.
The surrounding guards froze in place, as if time had stood still.
There was a deathly silence on the command channel.
Then, the cold, authoritative voice of the exercise command echoed simultaneously through the individual systems of all participants:
"Blue Army's Supreme Commander, Gao Shiwei, has been declared dead."
"Repeated, Blue Team's Supreme Commander, Gao Shiwei, is declared dead."
The sound faded.
The entire factory area fell into an even deeper silence.
Whether it was the patrol team maneuvering around Gong Jian's troops on the perimeter, the officers striving to restore order in the command center, or the elite guards surrounding Gao Shiwei—
Everyone stood frozen in place.
Gao Shiwei slowly raised his hand and touched the warm red dye on his chest.
He remained silent for a full five seconds. His dignified face showed no anger or annoyance, only a deep, almost unsettling calm.
Then, he slowly took off his gas mask and looked at the towering chimney a hundred meters away.
"Good marksmanship."
He Zhijun's face was ashen; his lips moved a few times, but he couldn't utter a single word.
As the commander of the Wolf Fang brigade and the main person in charge of the Blue Army's defense system, the fact that the supreme commander was "killed" right under his nose is a complete and undeniable defeat.
"Commander, I..." He Zhijun began with difficulty.
Gao Shiwei waved his hand, interrupting him: "Now is not the time to talk about this. According to the exercise rules, I am already 'dead in action.' Command of the Blue Army has been transferred according to the plan. The exercise... is not completely over yet."
Yes, according to the exercise rules, if the supreme commander is beheaded, the Blue Team will be thrown into command chaos for a period of time, but will not be immediately declared the loser.
The Red team needs to seize this opportunity to expand their gains.
The Blues, on the other hand, need to stabilize their position under the leadership of their new commander.
However, once morale is shattered, it is very difficult to rebuild it immediately.
Especially when the news that "the Blue Army commander was beheaded by a cook from the Iron Fist Regiment" spread like wildfire throughout the entire exercise area, the originally high morale of the Blue Army units began to waver and crack.
"Brother Niu succeeded! He really did it!" Wang Yanbing, who was dealing with a Blue Army patrol, almost jumped up from his hiding place in the bushes when he heard the announcement from the director's office through his individual communication device.
"Attention, everyone!" Gong Jianqiang suppressed his elation. "According to Erniu's plan, the second phase! Create even greater chaos, coordinate with other Red Army units to counterattack! Completely disrupt the Blue Army's formation!"
"yes!"
The soldiers of the Fourth Company erupted in a long-suppressed roar, throwing their "fireworks" even more wildly.
He Chenguang, after pulling the trigger and seeing the red dot explode on the target's chest, did not hesitate for a moment.
He quickly put away his sniper rifle, and slid down the pre-installed rappelling rope on the other side of the chimney like a nimble ape, joining Li Erniu and Wang Yanbing, who emerged from the pipe covered in dust.
"withdraw!"
Like shadows blending into the night, the three quickly left the factory area and disappeared into the vast mountains and forests along a well-prepared, secret route that avoided major surveillance and sentry posts.
Over the next dozen or so hours, the exercise entered its final and most chaotic phase.
The loss of a supreme commander to coordinate operations, coupled with internal attacks, disruptions to command caused by smoke and mirrors, and the psychological impact of the "decapitation" news, all contributed to the situation.
Although the Blue Army units were still resisting, their coordination efficiency was greatly reduced, resulting in many miscommunications and individual actions.
The Red Team launched several threatening counterattacks and even recaptured one or two insignificant strongholds, which greatly boosted the morale of the Red Team.
At dawn the following day, it was officially determined that the Red Team had achieved a tactical victory in this annual combat exercise!
……
The day after the exercise ended, the troops returned to their original posts one after another.
The Iron Fist Regiment's camp had already been cleaned up, colorful flags were fluttering, and gongs and drums were beating loudly.
The officers and soldiers who remained on duty lined both sides of the road, welcoming the heroes' triumphant return with the warmest applause and cheers.
Regiment Commander Kang Lei stood at the very front of the line, his chest puffed out, and a smile never left his face.
After a brief rest, all officers and soldiers of the Iron Fist Regiment gathered at the regimental headquarters' parade ground that afternoon for a grand summary and commendation meeting for the exercise.
Military flags fluttered in the wind, and officers and soldiers stood at attention.
Regiment Commander Kang Lei first delivered a summary report on the exercise, highly praising the heroic and tenacious fighting spirit of all officers and soldiers under extreme disadvantages.
It particularly highlighted the outstanding performance of the Sharpshooter Fourth Company in providing cover and feints, as well as... that "Special Combat Team" that created a miracle.
"...A number of outstanding individuals and groups emerged during this exercise!"
Kang Lei's voice resounded throughout the venue through the loudspeaker: "With their wisdom, courage, and outstanding military skills, they have written a new chapter of honor for the Iron Fist Regiment! Now, let's read out the commendation decision!"
The entire hall fell silent, all eyes focused on the podium.
An operations staff officer stepped forward, unfolded the folder, and read aloud in a loud voice:
"In view of its outstanding performance and significant contributions in the annual combat exercise, the higher authorities have decided, after deliberation:"
"The 4th Sharpshooter Company of the Iron Fist Regiment is hereby awarded a Collective Third-Class Merit!"
"Private Li Erniu, a cook in the Logistics Department of the Iron Fist Regiment, is awarded a Second-Class Merit! In recognition of his outstanding command and combat capabilities, he is promoted to the rank of Army Lieutenant, and his specific post will be arranged by his superiors separately!"
"Private He Chenguang, Private of the 4th Sharpshooter Company, Iron Fist Regiment, is awarded a Second-Class Merit! He is also promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army!"
"Private Wang Yanbing, Private of the 4th Sharpshooter Company, Iron Fist Regiment, is awarded a Second-Class Merit! He is also promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant in the Army!"