Chapter 5: On the Eve of the Great War

  Ten days after the airport shootout, a deputy director suddenly arrived from headquarters. The director was nominally here for an inspection, but he only brought two security guards, no grand motorcade, and no entourage of subordinates. As soon as he arrived, he went straight into Jin Huan's office, and the two men had a conversation that lasted for over an hour behind closed doors.

  The numerous battle-hardened members of the Cheetah Troop immediately realized that a big battle was about to be fought! People kept poking their heads in the direction of the office building, eagerly wanting to know the latest news, who would go? Where to go? Everyone was preparing for battle, and the entire Cheetah Troop was shrouded in an atmosphere of silent but intense urgency.

  In the office, Deputy Director looked at Jin Huang who stood upright in front of him like a sword out of its scabbard and nodded his head in satisfaction. He pointed to the chair beside him: "Sit down, I have something to talk to you about."

  After Jin Huang sat down, he picked up his teacup and took a sip, his expression serious: "Ten days ago, the Mr. Mark you rescued is a famous German engine expert, he came to help our country develop its own fighter jet engine. A certain country does not want us to have this capability, and has put out a bounty of 10 million US dollars for his head. As soon as this news came out, several small mercenary organizations that don't know the meaning of death quickly disappeared from their bases, the one you dealt with last time was one of them. Entry records of these mercenaries were also found in Guangzhou and Shanghai, the National Security Bureau has dispatched police to track and control."

  The deputy director held the teacup in his palm, slowly rotating it, took a sip of tea and said: "Last week, an air force fighter jet that was undergoing test flights lost radar contact and deviated from its course, and due to engine failure, crashed in the tropical rainforest of country D. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs mediated and finally persuaded country D to deliver the wreckage intact to the border line, where our engineering technicians would receive it. However, before these engineers could depart, country D suddenly changed its mind, because country M had exerted diplomatic pressure on country D to seize the wreckage." The deputy director suddenly stood up, clasped his hands behind his back and paced around the room several times.

  Jin Huang immediately stood up, standing at attention and said firmly: "Commander, please give the order. I'll lead a raid team to take back what belongs to us!"

  The deputy director waved his hand at him, sighed slightly and said, "If I could solve the problem as straightforwardly as you said, why would I have to say so much to you? Can't I just give orders directly?" He took a few more steps and continued, "After repeated efforts, the final result is that Country D has decided to turn a blind eye and allow us to enter the crash site to collect the wreckage on our own. Whatever we find, we'll take back, and they can then report to Country M."

  Jin Hao hooked his lips into a cold smile and said in a chilly tone: "You're quite slick."

  The deputy director patted his broad shoulder, and his tone suddenly became extremely tough: "Headquarters has decided that you will personally lead a special assault team to escort Mark and his wife to Country D to enter the crash site, and then send them back home safely. They are experts, and maybe they can find the cause of the engine failure in the shortest time."

  "Yes, resolutely complete the task!"

  "There's something else, is there a female officer in your unit who speaks German? Mrs. Mark was very fond of her and said that she spoke with a Frankfurt accent, giving Mrs. Mark the feeling of being back home. So they insisted on having her serve as the interpreter for this trip."

  Jin Hao's expression changed, his thick eyebrows furrowed, "Commander, she hasn't received military training, it's not suitable for her to participate in this operation."

  The deputy director spread his hands, with a helpless smile on his face: "Mrs. Mark sent away the three German translators arranged by the headquarters, and insisted that the girl be their translator, so you must bring her! This is an order!"

  "Director..." Jin Hao's words were cut off by the deputy director waving his hand: "Go ahead boldly! Everything has a first time, and if there are difficulties, we will fully support you. If this task is completed well, I'll personally send her to Nanjing Army Institute for further studies next year."

  Jin Huan no longer refuted, and the deputy commander added: "Considering that Country D's air superiority is nominal, you cannot take an air force transport plane or a helicopter on this trip. So be prepared to have the modified cars delivered in three days. As for what kind of transportation to use when encountering situations on the road, it's up to you to decide. Departure will be six days later."

  "An open armed invasion of Country D?" Jin Huan was slightly surprised: "Could this be a conspiracy set up by Country D?"

  The deputy commander nodded slightly and said, "Don't worry about this. This outcome was only achieved after paying the price of equipping an entire light division with weapons. So, you must dispatch elite troops to complete this task, we can't let all of this go to waste!"

  "Understood, sir! Don't worry, I'll complete the mission!" Jin Huan gave a crisp salute.

  After the deputy commander left, Jin Huan called Chen Jianfeng and Long Fei into his office, but stood alone in thought in front of a large map of China. Long Fei couldn't help but ask: "Director Jin, what task has our superior given us?"

  Jin Hao ignored him and turned his head towards Chen Jianfeng: "Do you think she can complete the task?"

  "Out on a mission?" Chen Jianfeng was surprised: "What mission does she have?"

  Jin Huang explained the situation, and Chen Jianfeng and Long Fei both fell silent. Although Lin Ruolan had already passed that hurdle, and through these days of observation, nothing abnormal was found, but no one could guarantee what would happen if a similar situation occurred again.

  "After a while, Chen Jianfeng said: 'Let's talk to her.'"

  "What's the use of talking?" Long Fei sighed: "I can already guess the outcome of the conversation - just four words 'Obey orders'."

  "We should talk, at least to clarify the possible situation that may arise. She has never been in a battle and some practical difficulties may not be anticipated." Chen Jianfeng stretched out his index finger and stroked his brow, half-closing his eyes as he thought for a moment before continuing: "Jin Huang, I think it's time for us to have a good talk with her. Our battalion has been undertaking combat missions for a long time, and she is also a member of the Cheetah Battalion. We can't always avoid discussing battle details in front of her. I think you should be the one to break this taboo. What do you say?"

  Jin Huang clasped his hands behind his back, staring out the window at the gloomy sky for a moment before speaking, "Let's first finalize the list of members for the assault team. I'll go find her this afternoon." He glanced at his two deputies, "The three of us will all go. Luo Jie will stay and keep watch. Fortunately, Jiang Zhen is already wrapping things up on his end and will be back in two days, so headquarters won't be left empty. Do either of you have any opinions?"

  Chen Jianfeng thought for a moment: "Ma Xiangdong is injured, so let's not go this time. Let Lei Ming choose a few people from the first team, no need to be too many, temporarily set at nine people."

  Long Fei saw Cheng Xiaopeng standing on one side, looking eager to try, and rushed towards him with gestures and winking eyes. He couldn't help but laugh: "You little brat, do you want to go or not?"

  Chen Jianfeng looked at Cheng Xiaopeng's anxious face and smiled: "Xiaopeng's military quality and skills are not bad, last time he performed well at the airport, let him participate too, tempering is good."

  Jin Hao thought for a moment and said, "Tomorrow, finalize the personnel list. Have Cheng Xiaopeng replace Ma Xiangdong's position in the rehearsal. If you can coordinate with your teammates seamlessly, then follow them."

  "Yes! Don't worry, Mr Jin! I guarantee a perfect coordination!" Cheng Xiaopeng replied loudly with his heels together.

  Three people roughly confirmed the route and the weapons and communication equipment they would carry, and the time had gone from 10:00 to 14:30.

  Hurry up and finish lunch, Jin Huan called Lin Ruolan out of the office, "Come with me, I have something to talk to you about."

  Lin Ruo Lan hesitated for a moment, but ultimately quickened her pace to follow Jin Huang out of the office building. Since that night when she had a high fever, she had woken up countless times from nightmares, and in her daze, saw this man who was tightly holding her and comforting her like a child, her heart had been thoroughly filled with a vague feeling. This feeling couldn't be seen or touched, but it existed tangibly, and the barrier of unfamiliarity between her and Jin Huang was being replaced by this feeling.

  She quietly followed Jin Huan to the back of the 276 main peak, vaguely feeling that Jin Huan seemed to have something important to talk to her about, but hesitated and didn't know how to start. What could it be that he wanted to talk to her about? Was it related to the leader who came this morning? She was just a small lieutenant, no need for such a big official to come down and ask humbly.

  Jin Hao deliberately slowed down his pace so that she could keep up with him. After a moment of silence, he asked slowly: "How have you been lately?"

  "Ah?" The sudden question startled Lin Ruolan, who was lost in thought, and she stammered after a moment: "I-I'm fine, uh, pretty good."

  Jin Hao's sharp gaze swept across her face, scanning back and forth multiple times, as if verifying the truth of her words. "Do you still have nightmares?" His tone was devoid of any emotion, and even the soft glow flickering in the depths of his eyes was hard to detect.

  She shook her head, shifting her gaze away from him. He was really tall, and looking up at him made her neck ache, and every time she found herself alone with him, she felt an extra tension, a clear sense of the oppressive and invasive feelings emanating from him.

  "Are you afraid of me?" Jin Huan was known for being cold and unfeeling, and the people around him were all afraid of him. He had never cared about this before, but he especially didn't want her to be afraid of him.

  She nodded and then shook her head, herself didn't know if she was afraid of him or not.

  "Don't be afraid, I won't hurt you." Jin Huan hooked her chin, his eyes locked onto hers. His deep black eyes seemed to contain a very profound emotion, but that emotion was buried too deeply and couldn't be expressed, causing her heart to tighten involuntarily, hastily turning away.

  Jin Hao furrowed his brow and changed the subject back to the task at hand, "Are you still willing to go on a mission with me?"

  "Really?" Lin Ruo Lan's face suddenly showed an excited expression, forgetting the awkward situation earlier. Overjoyed, she boldly grasped his solid arm, her eyes wide with excitement, "You're not teasing me, are you?"

  "Such a strong nerve?" Jin Huan's sword-like eyebrows rose slightly in surprise: "Aren't you afraid? Aren't you afraid of seeing another corpse?"

  Lin Ruo Lan let go of his hand with a huff, feeling inexplicably down. "I know I'm a burden, you probably don't want to bring me along."

  Jin Hao gazed at her, his eyes locked onto the despair written all over her face. He slowly grasped her hand, pulling her closer as he spoke in a low, gentle tone: "It's not that I see you as a burden, I just want to protect you." The deep, rich timbre of his voice carried a hint of tender affection, like a small stone cast into Lin Ruolan's heart lake, stirring up ripples. He rarely expressed his emotions through words, and this sudden confession caught her off guard, leaving her unsure of how to react.

  "The more you get involved, the more danger you'll be in." Jin Hwang gazed into her eyes cautiously.

  "I'm not as weak and helpless as you think." A strong competitive spirit overcame a slight sense of fear, she boldly met his gaze and argued back, refusing to be belittled by him.

  Looking at her strong appearance, Jin Huan's lips curled up slightly, revealing a genuine smile: "The ones we're dealing with are some international mercenary groups. They're ruthless and don't care how many people they kill to get what they want. Are you really brave enough to go with me?"

  "You underestimate me, I can take care of myself." She proudly lifted her head and puffed out her chest to tell him that she was a capable adult.

  Jin Hao's reaction was a soft laugh, "Women are protected by men." His scorching gaze had a reassuring magic to it, as if saying that as long as he was there, she would definitely be safe.

  "Chop, male chauvinism." Lin Ruolan muttered under her breath.

  The female soldiers of the special warfare detachment walked up from a distant hillside, laughing and chatting. They had just finished their ambush training session. Some sharp-eyed female soldiers had already spotted Jin Huan and Lin Ruolan standing hand in hand together, and they excitedly gathered around, all wanting to say a few words to their idolized heroes.

  Lin Ruolan hastily pulled her hand out of Jin Huan's and retreated to one side.

  Jin Hao's smile faded away, and the familiar cold tone returned: "Is there nothing to do? Do you want to go for a 15-kilometer run with your gear on?"

  Yang Xinxin hastily shouted: "What are you all doing, why don't you hurry up and leave?" The female soldiers walked away dejectedly, Lin Ruolan didn't notice a pair of resentful eyes staring at her.

  Jin Huang walked slowly along the shaded path with her. "Do you still remember Mrs. Mark?"

  Lin Ruo Lan let out a "pu" sound and laughed, "Is that the lady who keeps shrieking? Why bring her up?"

  "We will escort them until they reach their country, and she suggested that you go as their translator." Jin Huan continued to repeat the military district's order. "Dare to go?"

  Lin Ruo-lan nodded vigorously, "Of course I dare go, isn't it just translation?"

  "Aren't you afraid?" Jin Huan's gaze shifted to Lin Ruolan's face.

  "I'm not afraid!"

  Jin Hao nodded, his eyes softened a lot, and even the severe facial lines were softened. At this moment, he no longer looked cold and ruthless. "Starting from tomorrow morning, suspend all work at hand. You need to learn some survival skills."

  It's almost time to get off work, Jin Huan sent her back to the office, a pair of black eyes followed her back, until she walked into the room, and still didn't withdraw his gaze. Deep emotions, when she didn't notice, had quietly surged forth.

  Lin Ruo Lan organized the unfinished manuscript and put it in the safe. When she returned to her dormitory, it was almost 9 pm. She didn't expect someone to be waiting for her in the corridor.

  The person waiting for her was Yang Xinxin, who said directly to her: "I want to talk to you."

  "Sorry, I don't have anything to talk to you about." Lin Ruolan replied bluntly, knowing that behind those tightly closed doors were countless ears perked up high, ready to eavesdrop on their conversation and spread it out afterwards.

  "If I must talk to you then?" Yang Xinxin stepped forward and blocked her way.

  "You don't have the qualifications!" Lin Ruolan calmly and fearlessly stared into Yang Xinxin's eyes, her voice originally clear and crisp now carrying a metallic tone: "My military rank is equal to yours, and we don't have a subordinate relationship. You're not qualified to forcibly demand that I talk to you."

  Yang Xinxin was stunned. She had always been overbearing and domineering, even the squadron leader Lei Ming gave her three points of face. Unexpectedly, this weak woman in front of her didn't put her in her eyes at all. She really wanted to punch that beautiful face, but the subtle stormy momentum in the other's eyes made her unable to raise her hand. She even thought about what consequences would come from throwing a punch, how Jin Huang would deal with her, and suddenly she realized that she was the real weak one, this realization gave her an overwhelming urge to burst into tears.

  Lin Ruo Lan pushed open the door, and as she entered, she suddenly sighed: "I know what you want to say. Although I don't want to discuss this issue with you, I still want to advise you: why must you be so obsessed? Why must you cling to it so bitterly? You are your own screenwriter; why must you write such a difficult script? In fact, all those pasts that you think can't be crossed will pass. The sand that can't be grasped, let go of it." After finishing speaking, she went inside and closed the door.

  Yang Xinxin had once seen Lin Ruolan on the verge of collapse, a state that had also appeared in herself. No one comforted her, no one accompanied her, she could only rely on the distant dream in her heart to support herself. At that time, she thought Lin Ruolan was finished, Lin Ruolan was not a warrior, did not have an iron will, and could not overcome herself, she hoped Lin Ruolan would leave then. But she was wrong, when she saw Lin Ruolan return to the military camp in the morning sunlight, when she saw Chen Jianfeng's smile with a sigh of relief on his face, she knew she had completely misjudged, her previous hope turned into complete despair.

  Only in the quiet, deserted night would Yang Xinxin allow tears to flow. She had always tried to turn her loneliness into a habit, stripping away all tenderness, washing away all vanity, gritting her teeth, and demanding herself with the standards of a male soldier. The crazy training was all for the sake of getting a nod of approval from Jin Huang. But now, even that has become a luxury, he doesn't even look at her. She couldn't understand why she had spent 4 years trying so hard, only to end up with nothing. Why did Lin Ruolan come and steal the show in just one month? What was it about herself that wasn't as good as Lin Ruolan?

  No matter how clear-minded and carefree she is, she's just a woman, a lonely woman. So let her cry out all the tears in this dark night when no one knows, tomorrow, facing everyone, she'll still be the impregnable Yang Xinxin. Wiping away her tears fiercely, Yang Xinxin said fiercely in her heart: "Lin Ruolan, I won't give up! Let's see who comes out on top!"

  The next day during exercise, every single person in the women's squad was thinking of one sentence: "If you can't grasp the sand, then let it go."

  Lin Ruolan attended the pre-war meeting on the second day in the afternoon, and Lei Meng submitted a list of five people including himself, with Yang Xinxin's name prominently displayed. Jin Huang pointed to the list and asked coldly: "What's going on? Did I say I wanted to bring female soldiers?"

  "Yang Xinxin has been asking to go into battle, and her attitude is very sincere," he said, rubbing his head and looking at Lin Ruolan. "I think she's been with our unit for three or four years now, and she's participated in several real battles, so I agreed to let her go. Besides, isn't Commissar Lin a woman too?" His voice grew softer as he spoke, until it was almost like the hum of a mosquito as he gazed at Jin Huang's calm and collected expression.

  "Do you think I'm here to take Lin Ruolan on a sightseeing trip?" Jin Hao's tone was as smooth as silk, but with an undercurrent of danger.

  "Lin Zixun must go, this is the requirement of the protected person, and her position in the team is irreplaceable." Chen Jianfeng's fingers knocked on the table, "But Yang Xinxin is different, any ordinary member of the Cheetah Team is stronger than her. This operation is extremely dangerous, the people who go must be top-notch, replace her!"

  "Yes! Understood!" Lei Meng dared not argue again.

  After the meeting, Jin Huan took Lin Ruolan to the playground outside the building.

  "The azimuth is the horizontal angle a measured clockwise from the direction line pointing to the north through a certain point P to a certain target direction line. On large-scale topographic maps, there are three lines pointing to the north, namely true meridian, magnetic meridian, and coordinate vertical line, collectively referred to as the three northern directions. Although these three direction lines all point to the north, this 'north' is actually inconsistent, respectively referred to as true north, magnetic north, and coordinate north, collectively referred to as the three northern directions. The three azimuths formed by the three northern direction lines are true azimuth, magnetic azimuth, and coordinate azimuth."

  Standing outside the office building on the playground, Jin Huan patiently explained to her with a compass, map, and protractor in hand. Marching according to azimuth is an important subject in military geography and a compulsory course for scouts.

  "Why do I have to learn this?" Lin Ruolan couldn't help but protest, she didn't even have a sense of direction, let alone calculate the azimuth and move accordingly.

  "Once you've learned this, you won't get lost in the deep mountains alone again." Jin Huan looked at her expression that was about to fall asleep.

  "Why do I have to run into the deep mountains alone, I'm not a donkey friend. Please, this is too hard, can you teach me something else?" Lin Ruo Lan was almost about to throw a tantrum.

  "Don't be so quick to deny yourself, actually, as long as you grasp the trick, it's very easy to learn. You're so smart, you'll definitely be able to learn." Jin Huan showed unprecedented patience, "Let me explain it in simpler terms for you." Jin Huan started from scratch, explaining how to use a map, measuring angles on the map and corresponding terrain features, hand-holding her through the process. He had her measure the magnetic azimuth angle from the starting point to the target point on the map, then taught her to calculate the actual distance between two points, convert it into paces, and finally learn how to use a compass to determine the direction of advancement and make adjustments in real-time until reaching the destination.

  For the next two days, Lin Ruo Lan's mind was filled with concepts such as azimuth angle, step count, and dense position. She muttered to herself, "Step count = actual distance in meters / step length, step length is generally 1.5 meters." But she just couldn't reach her target point using this method.

  "It doesn't matter, let's try again. This subject is easy to talk about but difficult to do, and a small mistake in calculation will deviate from the target by hundreds of meters." Jin Huan repeatedly taught Lin Ruolan with patience, comforting her every time she made a mistake and scolded herself. He always said: "Things that can be explained in three or two sentences are often particularly difficult to do, this is the rule." And when she made small progress, Jin Huan would give her applause as encouragement.

  Lin Ruo Lan has become somewhat obsessed with learning, even when taking utensils in the cafeteria, she uses her hands to measure and makes a move according to the eight trigrams. Long Fei, who was sitting facing the door of the cafeteria, burst out laughing and said to Jin Huan: "This student of yours is quite talented!"

  "How is she doing? Can she find the target point?" Chen Jianfeng asked with concern.

  "Found it twice yesterday afternoon, but still not solid enough. After learning for two more days, I probably won't lose it again." Jin Huan's eyes hid a rare satisfaction: "How about your side's rehearsal? Is it still in sync?"

  "If you have time, go take a look. The kids in the first squad are still quite reliable." Long Fei suddenly thought of something: "Don't teach her how to shoot? At least she should learn how to fire a gun."

  Jin Huang furrowed his brow, and a pair of hands flashed before his eyes. These hands were evenly proportioned, white and slender, with delicate skin that had no scars or rough calluses. "I don't want her to touch the gun, her hands shouldn't be stained with blood."

  Long Fei smiled and said "heh heh", then stopped talking.

  On the third day, three modified black Red Flag sedans drove into the camp and stopped in front of the building. These three cars had obviously been heavily modified, with A8 bulletproof steel plates replacing the original body panels, metal wire-reinforced bulletproof glass installed on the windows, puncture-resistant tires fitted, and even the engines had been upgraded. Jin Huan took the assault team members out for a test drive in the afternoon, getting a feel for each of the three cars' quirks, and roughly understood their performance.

  On the fifth day after receiving the order, Jin Huan gathered all the assault team members for a jungle confrontation drill. The result of the drill was very satisfactory to Jin Huan, his stern face did not show any expression, but the team members knew that Captain Jin had put his trust in them. On the drill ground, Jin Huan and Chen Jianfeng briefly discussed and divided the personnel into three groups: Lei Ming led Lin Jie and Ma Ping to be responsible for the lead car; Long Fei led Cheng Xiaopeng, Xu Mingliang, and Geng Guohui to be responsible for the rear guard car; Jin Huan and Chen Jianfeng were in the command car in the middle, responsible for commanding and protecting the safety of Mark's couple.

  At 8 o'clock on the sixth morning, the assault team members gathered in front of the building on time.

  Jin Hao stood at the front of the team and looked around at his comrades, asking loudly: "Who are we?"

  "Chinese Special Forces!" The assault team members responded in unison.

  "What does the enemy call us?"

  "Warriors from Hell!!!" Only 9 people, but their voices were as loud and clear as if thousands of people were shouting in unison.

  "Board!" Jin Hao gave a solemn military salute to Liu Xinjie and Luo Jie who were seeing him off, the motorcade set off.

  In the heavily guarded reception hall of the military district, Mark and his wife were greeted. As soon as they met, Mrs. Mark gave Lin Ruo Lan a warm hug, Lin Ruo Lan didn't know whether Mrs. Mark was expressing her gratitude or trying to squeeze her to death with her plump body. Mr. Mark was a standard German gentleman, with strict behavior and few words.

  At Jin Hao's request, the military district did not reveal Mark couple's departure date to anyone and no one saw them off. Lin Ruolan was arranged to sit in the back seat of the car with Mark couple, while Jin Hao and Chen Jianfeng took turns driving.

  "Thank you! We can set off now. I hope everything goes smoothly! May God bless us!" Mrs. Mark said to Lin Ruolan.

  Lin Ruo-lan translated her words and Chen Jian-feng said, "Please rest assured, we will spare no expense to ensure your safety! This includes our lives."

  After listening to Lin Ruo-lan's translation, Mr. Mark hastily shook his head, "Oh no! My wife and I are very grateful for your kindness, but I hope we all stay alive, God will bless us!"

  "Attention all vehicles! Maintain a speed of 30 kilometers per hour within the city, and 80 kilometers per hour outside the city. Be on high alert, fire immediately upon spotting targets, and have the lead and rear guard vehicles cover the boss's vehicle as it retreats! Depart!" Jin Huan's icy voice was devoid of emotion, and with this "depart" order, the convoy drove out of the reception center, embarking on a turbulent journey.

  That night, Luo Jie received a report from the instructor of the first squadron: Yang Xinxin was missing, and with her were also missing a Type 92 pistol and an 88 sniper rifle. In the army, taking a gun out to escape means treason, Luo Jie realized the severity of the situation, immediately dispatched a search team, and reported the situation to Jin Huang.