vstars Chapter 379: Brothers in distress!
Chapter 379: Brothers in distress!
As he spoke, he leaned forward slightly, staring into Zhong Yuemin's eyes: "Now, when you mention your 'Mountain Eagle' reconnaissance squad, who in the western front doesn't know it? Who doesn't know it? It's a well-known and prestigious brand!"
Commander-in-Chief Yang slammed his fist on the table in the command post, praising you all. "Our Commander Li walks with such swagger, of course..."
His tone softened, carrying a hint of teasing, yet it made him seem even more approachable.
"As the regimental commander, I feel proud wherever I go!"
But the next second, his words suddenly turned serious.
"Yuemin, in war, bullets don't have eyes; people are bound to die. You've already done enough, so don't feel guilty."
As for the rest... honestly, if I, Liu Yonghua, had been there, watching my brothers who had risked their lives for me get killed like that, I probably would have gone even crazier than you.
"I would absolutely do the same. If the higher-ups really blame me, I, Liu Yonghua, will take the fall."
Zhong Yuemin said:
"Commander, I killed those 'civilians,' how can I let you take the blame!"
"Fuck your mother's fart!"
Liu Yonghua glared at him, his eyes filled with a hint of exasperation at his son's lack of ambition.
"Zhong Yuemin, are you looking down on me as the regimental commander now, or do you think I, Liu Yonghua, am the kind of coward who would push his soldiers out to take the blame when something goes wrong?!"
His chest heaved, his voice booming yet tinged with a fierce protectiveness, "No matter what, I'm your superior; I'm the one who sent you out on this mission."
I, Liu Yonghua, may not be particularly capable, but under my command, I will absolutely not allow my soldiers, especially those who have made such great contributions, to suffer injustice and have to bear the brunt of the blame alone.
That's settled then!
Zhong Yuemin, Zhang Haiyang, and the others were all quite moved. When they first joined the army, they were treated like troublemakers and people with connections, and were looked down upon. Now, however, they were treated like treasures.
Zhang Haiyang slammed his fist against the edge of the bed with his uninjured hand, and growled angrily.
"The commander is right, Yuemin. If the higher-ups really want to blame us, there's no reason for you to take the fall alone. Ning Wei and I are strong enough to handle it. We'll go next."
Besides, those aren't exactly 'commoners', are they?
They are a pack of wolves in human skin, enemy troops in disguise. So what if... so what if there are civilians among them?
His Vietnamese army was a nation of soldiers!
They can scheme against us, they can bomb us, so we can't fight back?
Are we just going to stand by and watch these 'civilians' come up to us, stab bayonets into our hearts, and throw explosives at our feet?
Are we still supposed to abide by that bullshit "don't harm civilians" rule and just stand there waiting to die?!
That's outrageous!
He became more and more excited as he spoke, his face turning red, when Zhong Yuemin interrupted him.
"Haiyang, take a break. What's it to you? You and Ning Wei were both knocked unconscious by the blast wave of the grenade explosion. Don't try to claim that 'credit' from me!"
"Who the hell wants to argue with you..."
Half an hour later, Liu Yonghua and the instructor left, leaving only the three of them in the ward. They all fell silent, no longer joking and laughing as they used to.
After a long while, Ning Wei, who had been as silent as a stone, suddenly spoke. His voice was low and hoarse, carrying a deliberately suppressed calm, which only made people's hearts tighten.
"Brother Yuemin... when my master (Mantun) sacrificed himself... was his body really blown in two? And Deputy Battalion Commander Wang (Wang Tiezhu), Lao Qin, the other team members... could they really not even... not even a single intact bone be found?"
Ning Wei asked very slowly, each word seeming to be squeezed out with difficulty from his throat.
Zhong Yuemin's body trembled almost imperceptibly. He didn't answer, nor did he even look at Ning Wei; he simply turned his head to look out the window.
His gaze was somewhat vacant!
Silence says it all!
Ning Wei got his answer and stopped asking questions. He simply lowered his head deeply, his shoulders trembling slightly, as if he were trying his best to restrain himself.
Even the king of soldiers is human!
Zhang Haiyang asked again, still puzzled.
"Yuemin, speaking of which... back then on the truck, that grenade... I saw it all clearly, it just rolled right up to our feet."
The distance, the situation—my head just went blank. I thought to myself, "I'm definitely going to meet Marx this time. I'm lucky I didn't get wet in my pants!"
He gestured as he spoke, his face still showing lingering fear.
"But...but how could it be...I felt like someone suddenly pulled me up, and I felt like I was flying. Then there was a loud bang that left me dizzy and disoriented. When I woke up, I was in the hospital. Apart from some minor injuries and this leg, all my body parts were still intact!"
This...this is fucking bizarre! You and Ning Wei weren't seriously injured either...Yuemin, what exactly happened? Do you have some kind of supernatural power?
"If I had superhuman abilities, Mantun, Lao Qin, Tiezhu, the squad members, and other comrades from other units would not have been killed."
Zhong Yuemin replied calmly, naturally he couldn't reveal the life-saving methods within the space.
"The situation was too chaotic at the time, and I don't remember much. Maybe I was just... lucky to be alive."
The blast wave threw us away, narrowly avoiding the core kill zone... it was... a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.
Zhang Haiyang and the other man didn't ask any further questions; Zhang Haiyang then changed the subject.
"By the way, Yuemin, it's not just the three of us who got injured this time. That kid Yuan Jun is also in the next room."
Zhong Yuemin turned his head sharply, startled, and looked at Zhang Haiyang: "Yuan Jun? What happened to him?"
"I'm not entirely clear on the specifics either," Zhang Haiyang shook his head.
"I haven't seen Yuan Jun either. He was being treated a few days ago and only woke up yesterday. I heard from some surviving tank crew members that their tank unit encountered an enemy anti-tank ambush in a valley halfway through their retreat, resulting in heavy casualties."
Duan Tiezhu... that's the straightforward Deputy Battalion Commander Duan we met in the village outside Guliu... he's been killed. I heard the command vehicle he was in was hit by the very first shell..."
Zhong Yuemin's heart sank. After meeting this Deputy Battalion Commander Duan in the villages outside Guliu, their small detachment had even gone to the old town with their tank unit. Although they hadn't spent much time together, he seemed to have a good impression of Duan as a forthright and sincere man, and like Man Tun, he was also a Shandong man.
Unexpectedly, like Man Tun and Lao Qin, they didn't fall on the road to attacking the enemy, but were instead ambushed during the retreat.
Zhang Haiyang's voice was even lower.
"It wasn't just Deputy Battalion Commander Duan; I heard that one of their regimental commanders... also couldn't get out, and they lost several tanks... Sigh..."
Yuan Jun is lucky to have survived.
Zhong Yuemin said:
"Is Yuan Jun awake? Can we go check on him?"
"You should rest first. There's no rush. You can't watch it now anyway; you'll have to wait a few days."