Chapter 183: The Investigation Platoon Leader Is Here
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Tran station
Tin here to look for your company commander!”
Beneath the night sky, Wang Ye had barely settled down when distant shouts broke through the silence.
Though the voice was unfamiliar, Wang Ye could easily discern its source.
It had to be the squad leader of the scouts who had assaulted them earlier.
Wang Ye could surmise their intent in coming.
They sought someone.
They couldn’t simply retreat in such a manner.
While this behavior was quite awkward, abandoning a comrade and directly retreating would be even more humiliating if Wu Jianfeng personally escorted him back the next day.
Before long, Wu Jianfeng’s voice echoed from outside.
“Haha, so it’s Platoon Leader Tian himself who’s led the late-night ambush here!
But, the night is too far gone to journey back now. How about we all squeeze into my tent?
You folks can bunk together for the rime being. We’ll see you off together tomorrow morning!”
Beyond, Wu Jianfeng’s words stirred caution in Platoon Leader Tian.
Observing the few squad monitors who followed Wu Jianfeng as they chuckled and attempted to close in around him, Platoon Leader Tian promptly stepped back and said sternly, “Fourth Company Commander, the day’s mission has ended. I concede that the recruits you brought are exceptional, but we have fallen short.
Now that the operation has concluded, you surely aren’t considering coercion, are you?”
Wu Jianfeng cleared his throat and cast a glance at rhe few seasoned squad leaders who had surrounded him with less-than-honorable intentions. Swiftly feigning anger, he retorted, “Whatrs this? What are you all plotting? Platoon Leader Tian has been led to misunderstand.11
Following that, he turned to Platoon Leader Tian with a renewed grin.”Haha, indeed, the night conceals much. These lads are merely eager to admire Platoon Leader Tian s gallant demeanor up close.”
Such words elicited an involuntary twitch from the corner of Platoon Leader Tian’s mouth.
What sort of gallant demeanor could he possibly exhibit tonight?
Wu Jianfeng’s grin returned. “Well then, if your heart’s set on departing, I won’t hold you.
Oh, and… I could also offer you this freshly acquired captive from the recruits!”
Wu Jianfeng swiveled around, casting a pointed gaze.
Instantly, the platoon leader led the seasoned squad leader toward the rear tent.
Meanwhile, Platoon Leader Tian’s countenance grew rigid as Wu Jianfeng emphasized the term “recruit captive,” yet he remained silent.
Though they hadn’t yet gleaned the precise circumstances, their view had been somewhat obscured earlier.
Regardless, the fact remained that Yang Wei had faltered during the operation against rhe recruits.
Before long, Yang Wei was brought forward.
He caught sight of Platoon Leader Tian.
Lowering his head, he murmured softly in shame, “Platoon leader!”
“How embarrassing!”
Suppressing his ire, Platoon Leader Tian scolded him. Afterward, he drew in a deep breath and addressed Wu Jianfeng, “Very well, then I shall escort the fourth company commander away!”
“Farewell, no need for an escort!”
Compared to his previous vexed expression, Wu Jianfeng’s current look was rife with delight, as if it were their wedding night.
“Sigh, it’s a pity hes in such heightened alertness. Otherwise, we could pin him down, snatch him up, and deliver him back to the team tomorrow. He’s just far too vigilant!”
Observing Squad Leader Tian’s departure alongside Yang Wei, Ye Sanshi suddenly muttered.
He didn’t say it loudly, yet it didn’t quite qualify as a whisper either. Platoon Leader Tian, who had just ventured into the shadowy abyss but hadn’t yet been fuiiy consumed by the darkness, came to an abrupt halt and pivoted.
Nevertheless, he held his tongue. After a beat, he ushered Yang Wei forward once more, soon vanishing into the enveloping night.
Words seemed superfluous. The awkwardness had solidified into fact. Further utterances would merely compound rhe humiliation.
Furthermore, he recognized Ye Sanshi’s veracity. Had he not maintained an elevated state of vigilance just now, he would have surely found himself encircled by these seasoned soldiers. Their intent to strike was undeniable.
Indeed, the mission to assess the recruits had terminated.
However, did this signify the mission’s close and a genuine prospect of harmony?
Amid drills, the two sides designated “dead” often clashed when cohabiting.
In any case, these were soldiers with steeled nerves and constitutions. All exercised restraint in their attacks. Grave injuries necessitating medical attention were out of the question. The extent of harm hovered at most around contusions and abrasions.
For this very reason, Ye Sanshi had no choice but to intervene. However, given a chance, the Fourth Company would gleefully hold him accountable and administer their own form of retribution. The Fourth Company’s veterans c e r tainly wo uldn’t mind.
Who invited the scouts to hold themselves so loftily within the regiment? Not only that, they seemed to align themselves with the internal monitors. During internal clashes, they readily pounced on other companies.
A plethora of guises and underhanded tactics. Their comeuppance was long overdue.
Of course, in standard confrontations, single-handed victories over them were a rarity.
Yet in this present scenario of one-against-many, success was well within their grasp.
But Platoon Leader Tian knew his boundaries, exercising unflagging vigilance. He effectively denied them any openings.
With Platoon Leader Tian’s exit, the encampment swiftly slipped back into silence.
This wasn’t a college dormitory; it was a military barracks. Sleep followed regimented rules.
Still, numerous recruits wrestled with insomnia due to these strictures.
Nonetheless, they remained wakeful, muted in their restlessness. Wrapped beneath their blankets, they shut their eyes in pursuit of reprieve.
The time read just past five in the morning.
In the heart of winter, the world outside remained shrouded in darkness.
Then, all at once…
“Shhh! Shhhh!”
The soul-punching whistle pierced the air.
Wang Ye sensed he might have dozed off not too long ago.
But at this very moment, the whistle s notes pierced the air, jolting Wang Ye awake as he promptly sat up.
He wasn’t the sole one roused; the occupants reacted in kind.
Even those who were deep in slumber were swiftly awakened by those around him.
Lounging in bed wasn’t an option for soldiers, especially when a whistle dictated otherwise.
“A pressing directive has come from above. The front lines are tense, requiring immediate reinforcement. By my order, offload your packs and take only your firearms and ammo. Recruits, follow me, double-time!”
Wu Jianfeng stood before them, his visage solemn as he delivered the command.
This prompted a chorus of internal grumbles from the recruits.
FUCK!
“Was just catching some shut-eye. Did the excitement have to hit so abruptly?”
“This is it. How far and how swiftly do they intend to make us sprint?”
Wang Ye wasn’t privy to the distance they’d cover.
However, he had a firm grasp on his running pace.
He did, after all, have a flag to bear.
Backlit by veterans’ flashlights, the team began moving. Wu Jianfeng led the way, flashlight in hand. Wang Ye followed suit, his rifle slung over his back, the flag draped and damp from the night’s dew.
“Pick up the pace, stay in stride with me. Don’t hold back, young’un.”
Wu Jianfeng tore across the path at a furious pace, his speed rivaling that of a bare-handed three-kilometer sprint on the camp track.
An added complication was the rugged terrain of this nocturnal mountain village.
Thankfully, the road remained relatively flat. Though not paved, it stretched wide and level.
The entire squad hurtled onward.
Some twenty minutes later, their initial fervor had somewhat waned, yer they maintained their pace. Soon, they entered a town.
Around 5 a.m., town lamps lay extinguished. Nearly a hundred fresh-faced soldiers coursed through its streets.
The resounding cadence of footsteps caught the attention of early risers.
Caution led them to gingerly crack open windows and doors, only to lay eyes on a troupe of uniformed soldiers sprinting by.
Their apprehensions subsided, and they readily eased open windows and doors alike.
Even though each runner clutched a firearm, the bystanders felt no apprehension.
In fact, they were instilled with a sense of security.
“Poor youngsters, already thrown into drills like this mere hours after their arrival! Not an easy life for these kids! It’s hardly dawn, and they’re put through their paces!” An elderly gentleman stood at the window, gaze tracing the runners below. He couldn’t help but sigh.