Insufficient balance

  (Xiao Yao: Some friends questioned why the protagonists didn't directly break through and return to their country. They are on a secret mission, and they can't leave any evidence that would reveal themselves as Chinese soldiers, so they can't directly break through the defensive net and go home. Thanks for the opinions from the Marine Corps, and thanks also to friends who pointed out the mistake about changing clothes, I wrote it in a hurry and made many mistakes.)

  Our eleven-man squad, from Jianzi Mani to Langju, after successfully confusing the Indian army's vision and hearing with a fake attack, under my leadership, rushed for two days and one night, covering over 200 miles. Until this moment, we finally got rid of the pursuing troops behind us and could no longer hear the fierce barking of military dogs and the sharp gunfire.

  We slowed our pace, passing by the Yarlung Tsangpo River and Tamadon, supplementing our energy along the way by hunting and digging up plant roots. We were like a pack of hungry wolves, yearning for food and warmth but fearing human guns and torches. On cold nights, we huddled together, gazing silently at the lights of distant towns, with delicious meals and warm beds being our greatest dreams.

  When we finally bypassed the McMahon Line and returned to China, we had been walking in the primeval forest for 27 days, a total distance of over 840 kilometers.

  We stand on our own land, jumping and shouting with laughter, throwing the weapons in our hands high into the air. After more than 20 days of inhuman life, each of us is dark and thin, but only our eyes are brighter and deeper, looking like a black gemstone with piercing sharpness.

  To lighten our load, we had long since discarded our bulletproof vests halfway through the journey. Everyone's military uniform was torn to shreds by branches as we traversed the dense forest, and the fabric was stained with red and black substances that had formed into hard scabs, losing their warmth-retaining function. When a gust of cold wind blew, goosebumps the size of millet grains would appear on our skin. Even if you were standing ten meters away, you could still smell the sour stench emanating from our bodies.

  We were cold, hungry and tired, people kept falling ill on the road, I couldn't even believe it myself, we actually managed to carry several stretchers, relying solely on our own hands and feet, inching our way through the last hundred miles.

  Less than five kilometers ahead is a small town that belongs to China, but we no longer have the strength to move forward with our fallen comrades.

  I hesitated for a moment and shouted loudly: "Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother!"

  Shen Shengyang and Xie Pingmeng jumped up, although their footsteps were light, they still responded loudly: "Yes!"

  I pulled out several large-denomination dollar bills from my military uniform pocket, handed them over to them, and said in a low voice: "You two go to the town to buy food and clothes, and find some anti-inflammatory drugs. Try to notify the Lhasa Military Region Headquarters to request that they immediately dispatch a helicopter to come and pick us up. Tell them we have someone who needs immediate emergency treatment! Go quickly and return quickly!"

  "Yes!"

  Watching them habitually check their weapons and ammunition, I smiled and reminded them: "Now that we've returned home, leave all the weapons behind. If you really want to bring them into town, won't you scare the townspeople? Don't forget, we're on a secret military mission."

  Shen Shengyang and Xie Ping's faces flushed, they put down the weapons that had not left their hands for more than 20 days, grasped a few banknotes, and ran towards the town in front.

  Staring at their backs, Cheng Yu Xiang murmured to himself in a dreamy tone: "Hand-pulled noodles, roasted mutton skewers, milk tofu, butter tea, sweet rice cakes, Tsampa buns..."

  Everyone listened with bated breath, and even I couldn't help but drool, the nine stomachs rumbling in unison, making a truly unique sound.

  "Lao Jiu, don't say that, I'm so damn hungry I could eat you alive! Believe it or not, if I get any hungrier, I'll roast you first!" Zhang Sun Ting's eyes gleamed with a green light as he pulled out a wild grass from the ground and stuffed its roots into his mouth, chomping down for a full minute before suddenly spitting out the chewed-up roots with a "ptui" sound. "We'll have delicious food to eat soon, why would I still want to eat this animal feed?!"

  Yang Qing swallowed and said: "I hope the fourth and eighth don't feed themselves first before remembering us, otherwise we'll have to wait at least half an hour more. God forbid we have to wait another half hour, I can barely wait for half a minute! Big brother, you're really biased, why didn't you let me be in charge of shopping?"

  I clutched my stomach and smiled wryly: "Because your appetite is too big, if I send you to be in charge of purchasing, we'll have to wait at least 45 minutes more!"

  Hahaha...

  Everyone burst into loud laughter, Liu Kangnan squatted on the ground with a frown and shouted: "Brother, you must never show off your sense of humor in this situation again! Now it's even more stimulating than seeing our instructor's face and his daughter's ***, it's both joyful and painful!"

  Liu Kangnan's words brought another burst of laughter from everyone. I jumped up and shouted: "All the virgins, raise your hands!"

  Seeing everyone's hesitant faces, I shouted: "This is an order! All virgins raise your hands!!!!"

  Along with Lian Changsun and Yang Qing, about half of the people hesitantly raised their hands. I waved my hand loudly and said: "When we return to the barracks, I will definitely fight for a long vacation for you brothers. At that time, I'll take you to the nightclub, find the most beautiful and *** women. As your big brother, I'll give each of you an extra bottle of Ah San God Oil and two pills of Viagra. Whoever can't do it five times that night is disobeying orders!"

  Everyone stared at me in shock, Zhang Sun Ting's eyes rolled around and he shouted: "I'm still a virgin, of course I want to find a virgin to complete my first intimate contact. Brother, can you help me find a beautiful and ** virgin?"

  Ah!

  Isn't it enough to make progress in the hall and enter the kitchen? Everyone pointed at Zhang Sun Ting with disdain, but he didn't feel ashamed at all. Instead, he said proudly: "Of course, my requirements for women are not too high, as long as they are on the same level as Eldest Brother's sister."

  In the midst of our laughter, time slipped away bit by bit. Before I knew it, three hours had passed and Shen Shengyang and Xie Ping still hadn't returned. Looking at the weapons they left on the ground, a wave of unease suddenly flashed through my mind. They were excellent soldiers who could carry out orders to the end. After I specifically instructed them to go quickly and return quickly, if they hadn't encountered any unexpected accidents, it was impossible for them to not be back yet.

  Seeing my face gradually becoming serious, the laughter around me also stopped abruptly. I stood up suddenly and said sternly: "Changsun Ting, Zhao Junluo, stay behind to take care of our sick brother. If there's any unexpected accident, I permit you to shoot in self-defense. Yang Qing, Liu Kangnan, Cheng Yuexia, come with me to the town to investigate the situation, bring your weapons!"

  I led three sworn brothers in a mad dash to the entrance of the town, ordering them to take up positions with their submachine guns on the outside while I walked slowly into the town alone.

  This is just an ordinary border town, it still retains a kind of original atmosphere far away from the hustle and bustle. Everywhere can be seen wooden houses nailed with large logs, some women sit at the door, holding a wooden pestle in their hands, pounding something in a stone mortar. Some children hold small Buddhist wheels and run quickly on the street, behind them are mothers holding rice bowls to feed their children, for a time the street is filled with happy children's voices and mothers' scolding with a smile.

  On a street, dozens of shops have become the main body of this town. Now it's lunchtime and several restaurants in the town are filled with diners. They hold small bowls, use their hands to knead the food that has been formed into a ball shape into small pieces, and put them into their mouths one by one. Every time someone raises their wine bowl, they will get a response from everyone else. They dip their fingers in the wine, flick it lightly into the air, then pick up the bowl and drink it all at once with a heroic gesture.

  There was a Tibetan old man who set up a small food stall, and the aroma of fried foods wafted from it. I stood in front of him, but found that I had no way to communicate with him. I gestured and spoke for half a day, but he just kept shaking his head, occasionally saying a few words, which I couldn't understand at all.

  I found a branch and wrote on the ground in big letters: "I'm looking for someone, have you seen any companions wearing the same clothes as me?"

  The old Tibetan man continued to shake his head, and finally a look of disgust flashed across his face. He threw a piece of fried dough similar to a cruller in front of me, making a "get out" gesture with his hand.

  A stray dog on the street smelled the fragrance, sniffed its nose and drilled under my feet. I slightly lifted my foot and kicked the food in front of it. It picked up the food with surprise and ran away quickly.

  I no longer bother with the Tibetan elder's nagging, and slowly wander around the small town, hoping to find someone I can communicate with. As I pass by a grocery store, I suddenly stop in my tracks. On the wall of this grocery store, there are two puddles of fresh blood that haven't been wiped clean yet. I walk over and crouch down to examine it carefully, hoping to find some clues. In front of the door, I pick up a torn piece of cloth, which is surprisingly identical to my military uniform.

  A boot kicked me heavily and I fell to the ground in a very awkward posture, with the pistol at my waist pressing against my abdomen, causing a spasmodic pain. Before I could get up, the boot stepped on me again, and someone trampled me, saying something in Tibetan that I couldn't understand. When they found out that I didn't understand anything, they switched to Mandarin and scolded fluently: "You bunch of beggars, dare to run into my store and cause trouble, do you want to be sent to the detention center too, to do hard labor digging for gold like the last few months?!"

  I lay on the ground and said quietly: "Mm, I'll leave soon. But before I go, I want to know where my companion is."

  He spat and shouted: "You're still here? I just made a phone call, and they were taken away by my friends to the joint defense team detention center. If you don't want to end up like them, get out of here immediately! Don't let me see you again in this town!"

  "Why?"

  "Why? Hmph!" I only felt a pain on my back, and the other party stepped heavily on me again. He shouted: "You stinky beggars, holding a few broken papers to cheat me of US dollars, and still want to make long-distance calls. I won't bother with you guys, but you actually dare to sneak into my store to make a call when I'm not paying attention. Running onto this turf, you bunch of kids don't even ask around, what kind of person I am, and yet you dare to run wild on my head?!"

  "Oh, they were in the wrong and deserved to be caught and made to do hard labor. But what about the two bloodstains on your shop wall? Did they dare to resist the joint defense team and get into a fight with you?"

  "Spare me, are you worthy of this?!" A mouthful of thick phlegm was spat onto my face as the man standing on top of me growled: "You kind of trash, seeing the joint defense team and not behaving like a hen? If we don't teach you a lesson properly, how will you remember it? I've already told my friends to take good care of you, and yet you dare to dirty my wall?! Get out! If I see you again, I'll beat you up every time!"

  "Oh, if I don't want to roll over and also think of going to the detention center to be a gold-digging laborer, can you help me out?"

  The man who stepped on me was taken aback, he shouted angrily: "You're asking for death yourself, don't think about running away!"

  The other person ran back into the store, and I didn't get up either. I continued to lie quietly on the ground, grabbed a handful of snow, and slowly applied it to my face. The icy snow melted into a dirty puddle as soon as it touched my face. I shook off the water droplets from my palm and grabbed another handful of snow to apply to my face.

  Three minutes later, a 212 Jeep that should have been scrapped long ago rushed to the entrance with its sirens blaring. Several people jumped out of the car, one of whom kicked me and said in Chinese: "Is this old Ji the troublemaker? Why is he still lying on the ground and not getting up? You're so heavy-handed, aren't you afraid of beating him into internal injuries? How can he go to work at the mine like that?"

  The shopkeeper known as Old Ji rushed out with a basin of water and suddenly poured it all over me, shouting: "This little brat is just pretending to be dead!"

  I stretched out my body like opening a ruler, and said in a low voice: "Yes, I'm fine, with a strong body like mine, of course I can dig sand."

  My words caused a burst of laughter from several people around me. I quietly looked at Old Ji, who suddenly felt short of breath.

  Lao Ji quickly raised his head, directly meeting the eyes of that thug. A inexplicable fear pierced his heart like a knife. He was a fierce fighter who would stop at nothing when he saw red, but today, from deep within, an uncontrollable fear surged up.

  He had never seen such eyes, in those eyes there was a coldness that had reached absolute zero, looking like an all-powerful god, high above with a condescending attitude, indifferently patrolling this mundane world.

  I was handcuffed and thrown into a jeep by several joint defense team members, who pushed and kicked me. I shrank into a corner of the jeep, and when someone kicked me again, I obediently climbed down from the vehicle and followed them into a courtyard with a sign that read "Urban Security Joint Defense Team".

  As soon as I stepped into the courtyard, I suddenly stopped and felt a crimson haze before my eyes. I reached out to wipe it away, only to realize that my own eyes had been brutally gouged open. I let out a loud roar: "Fourth Brother, Eighth Brother, how are you?"

  Xie Ping was tied to a pillar, and in the freezing temperature of minus twenty degrees Celsius, he was doused with several buckets of cold water. Now his body had a thin layer of ice on it, and given his current physical condition, this could be a fatal injury. Upon hearing my frantic cry, Xie Ping struggled to open his eyes and choked out: "Big brother, quickly go take a look at Fourth Brother, he's inside the house, he won't make it!"

  My heart sank to the bottom of the valley, and with Xie Ping, such a strong warrior, saying something like that, I dare not imagine what kind of treatment Shen Shengyang received. I let out a furious roar, my body was like an unbridled wild horse, violently colliding with the two militia members in front of me, sending them flying five or six meters away, and kicking open the militia office door, rushing inside.

  Shen Shengyang lay on the ground, his face as pale as a dead person's. Only the slight rise and fall of his chest proved that he was still alive. Several broken wooden sticks were placed beside him. As soon as I picked up Shen Shengyang, he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood. Looking at his limp limbs, I felt chills all over my body. Reaching out to touch him, the tears that I thought would never fall again finally burst forth uncontrollably.

  Shen Shengyang's arms were broken with a wooden stick, at least four ribs were broken in his chest, and there were terrifying bruises all over his body. When he heard my loud cry, Shen Shengyang opened his eyes weakly and said: "Report to the company commander, report to big brother, they beat me up, I didn't fight back, they ordered me and Lao Ba to strip naked for interrogation, we'd rather be beaten to death or frozen to death than lose your face, do I still qualify as your brother and soldier?"

  Staring at Shen Shengyang's face, I let out a loud howl and shouted: "You idiot, your life belongs to me! No one else has the right to take it away, especially not these trash! What's this nonsense about not fighting back? As long as they're our enemies, we must thoroughly eliminate them! Open your eyes wide and see clearly - as my brother Fu Yixue, you should learn something!"

  The militiamen outside the house shouted and picked up wooden sticks, steel pipes, electric batons and other weapons. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard from inside the house.

  "He's got a gun!"

  The idea had just been born in their minds when they saw a man with blood-red eyes, devoid of any human aura, walking out step by step. He let out a beast-like roar, suddenly raised his gun and fired six shots into the sky, then threw the empty gun far away. He shouted loudly: "Kill, kill, kill, I want to kill every single one of you!"

  It wasn't until this moment that these militiamen suddenly realized that the already crazed beast was blocking the gate, and whoever wanted to escape had to knock down this man.