Chapter 7: The Heroic Spirit of Ordinary People

  Chu Si Nan suddenly felt an urge in his heart, he really wanted to jump up from the ground and pull this young man who was only a few feet away into the woods. However, heaven did not give him the opportunity, just as he was about to get up, another bullet came flying over and hit the young man's temple.

  A loud "bang" sound, the young man's head was blown directly into two halves, from the ear to the top part of his brain flew up with a burst of blood plasma, falling straight down in front of Chu Si Nan, that yellow-white-red warm brain matter splattered all over his head and face.

  "Thud!" The corpse with half its skull missing fell to the ground, and Chu Si Nan clearly saw that the hand clutching half a loaf of bread was still convulsively twitching.

  Chu Si Nan was stunned, quietly lying on the ground, not moving at all. The MG34's roar continued and got closer and closer, but he seemed to be deaf to everything, staring blankly at the half-block of blood-soaked skull in front of him.

  At this time, Chu Si Nan's mind only had one thought, which was why the captain always repeated a sentence to him and his comrades: "Don't think that just because you're special forces, you're really what they call elite. If you haven't been on a real battlefield, if you haven't been baptized by blood and fire, you'll always be rookie soldiers!"

  "Without baptism by blood and fire, you will always be new recruits!"

  "Forever new recruits!"

  ……

  This sound echoed in Chusinan's heart, so clear and loud.

  "Hmm!" A pained cry from beside him jolted Chu Si Nan out of his trance, perhaps the bloody scene earlier had a deeper impact on him, so the human cry sounded more piercing to his ears than the gunshots.

  Chu Sinao only came to his senses and realized the danger he was in, and he could even hear the sound of armored vehicles crushing stones as they advanced. Suddenly turning around, he was shocked to find that in the forest behind him, there were bodies lying all over the ground, these poor Soviet soldiers had managed to escape into the forest but did not escape the bullets. What made Chu Sinao feel particularly unfortunate was that Suchekov also fell beside him, one hand covering his neck, and a steady stream of blood flowing out from between his fingers, dripping onto the grassy and woody ground.

  "Bang, bang," two more bullets came over and hit the tree trunk next to Chu Si Nan, sending splinters flying everywhere, falling on his head.

  He gritted his teeth and sprang to his feet, darting over to Suchekov's side and grabbing hold of his legs before dragging him deeper into the woods. The forest was not devoid of obstacles, with corpses blocking his path at every turn; in desperation, he risked being hit by stray bullets and took a step forward, hoisting Suchekov's massive frame onto his back before making a mad dash for the woods.

  "Chu... Comrade Chu," Sushchekov panted from behind, "you... put down... put me down..."

  Suchekov's voice was strange and urgent, almost every few words, he had to stop and pant for a while, just like a patient with asthma for many years. Chusinan ran with his head down, he knew that Suchekov's trachea must have been pierced by the bullet, in this situation, he would definitely not survive. However, as a soldier, Chusinan's tenacity required him to not abandon the dying man on his back, not for anything else, just because he was now his comrade-in-arms.

  The previous weight-bearing cross-country training has shown an amazing effect at this time, with two submachine guns slung over his shoulder and a large living person on his back, Chu Si Nan's footsteps under his feet are not difficult at all. He shuttled back and forth between the tree trunks in the forest, while rushing forward, he also dodged the whistling bullets behind him.

  At some point, the gunfire behind him gradually subsided, and Chu Si Nan also heard footsteps following him. He slowly stopped in his tracks, at a sturdy big tree, carefully putting down Sushkevich on his back. Several Soviet soldiers who followed him from behind, also survived the unfortunate incident earlier, hurried forward to help him support Sushkevich to sit under the tree.

  "Cough...cough..."

  With a violent cough, Suchekov, who had just fainted, opened his eyes with a mouthful of bloody foam. He stared dazedly at Chusinan, who was squatting in front of him. After a while, he suddenly struggled to lift his arm and reached for the pocket of his jacket.

  A Soviet soldier understood his meaning, hastily stepped forward and took out something from the breast pocket of his coat, which was the military map that Chusnan had just looked at not long ago.

  "Comrade Chu..." Sychekov said with a wheezing, staccato breathing, "I... I'm afraid it's no good, now... now as the Northwestern Front Army, 11th Corps, 103rd Division, 4th Regiment, 3rd Battalion, political instructor, captain... captain, temporarily appoint you to lead this unit..."

  Su Chekov said so much in one breath, his breathing obviously weakened a lot, and his rapid chest also began to calm down. He finally pointed at the military map, while his dull eyes stared tightly at Chu Si Nan, as if waiting for him to say something.

  Chu Zinan knew what he meant, reached out and took the map from the soldier's hand beside him, and pressed it to his chest. He was telling Sushkevich that this map would stay with him, and absolutely would not fall into German hands - unless his heart stopped beating. Although Chu Zinan knew that in the current situation, this military defense map had no use, he still made a promise to Sushkevich, not for anything else, but just to satisfy his last wish before death.

  As Chu Si Nan made his move, a look of relief spread across Sushkevich's face. He slowly lowered the hand that had been clutched to his neck, revealing a gaping wound on his palm, with charred flesh curled around the edges, a hole that made one's heart ache at first glance.

  He leaned quietly against the tree trunk, his pale lips opening and closing with a stutter, as if muttering something silently to himself. Every time he opened his mouth, a blood bubble would form in the shocking wound.

  Chu Si Nan could hear what he was saying, the intermittent voice was clearly saying: "Long live Soviet power, long live Comrade Stalin..."

  Sukhchev's voice grew fainter and more indistinct, until it finally disappeared. Only the not-too-distant gunfire of the German troops was getting closer and closer.

  Chu Si Nan slowly stood up, gazing at the lifeless Sushkevich, firmly raised his right hand and gave him a standard military salute. Although this Soviet army captain had no military talent, couldn't explain the objective situation on the battlefield, and was somewhat arrogant and unrealistic, in his final moments, he at least acted like a soldier, no, not like one, he was a true soldier.

  Born ordinary, died calmly, no surprise, no fear, who can say he is not an ordinary person with heroic spirit? No wonder the powerful German in World War II could not finally take down the Soviet Union. If a nation has more people like this, how can it perish? Looking back at the eight-year anti-Japanese war at home, the reason lies here.